Rakuin no Monshou:Volume1 Chapter7

Status: Incomplete

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Chapter 7: Mirage Kingdom

Part 1

“Who are you?” Ryucown asked again.

“A gladiator.”

With that simple reply, the swordsman charged at the rebel general at full speed, wielding a sword with both hands.

The blow came within an inch of Ryucown’s face, and he responded with a head strike of his own. The masked gladiator quickly distanced himself.

The wind from the high-speed exchange raised a whirlwind between the two duelists.

“A Mephian? How did you sneak in here?”

“Who knows?”

During that short exchange, the hall across from the two burst into chaos. Warriors garbed in the same gear as the gladiator clashed with Ryucown’s troops. Every member of this group was an elite fighter, handpicked for the ability to do battle in a chaotic situation.

Sparks flew and curses were exchanged. Shique was dual-wielding twin blades, decapitating one foe after another, while the giant sword-slave Gilliam swung his axe with all his might, cutting through enemy flesh even though they were in full armor.

The masked gladiator struck again. Ryucown side-stepped the blow, then brought his sword down in a vertical slash.

The swordsman steadied his center of gravity by spreading his legs and caught the blow. He then immediately used the rebound, the instant Ryucown was pushed a step back, to launch a vicious attack.

“Oh, not bad.”

There were two, three, then numerous blows with the two locked in a stalemate.

“Tell me your name. With such skill, you must be famous.”

“Who knows.”

Repeating the words he spoke earlier, the masked swordsman – Orba – wielded a swinging strike.

The ‘gift’ Orba had mentioned at the Doom’s bridge earlier was Princess Vileena. He had expected there to be traitors within the Garberan camp and that, as soon as they launched their attack, Ryucown’s forces would coordinate with them for a pincer strike.

And the spies within the Garberan camp had done precisely as expected – getting close to the soldiers guarding the princess. Like this, he was able to read the enemy movements. And just before they took the princess off the ship, Orba swooped down on them to save her.

Then, during the confusion caused by Ryucown’s attack, Orba and his forces changed into Garberan armor, took the unconscious princess off the ship, and led a battalion of trained soldiers toward Zaim Fortress. Naturally, when Ryucown’s force saw them coming, they automatically thought their allies’ plan had been a success and even escorted them into the fortress.

Orba’s heart brimmed with excitement. He felt like he’d become a main character in one of the heroic novels he’d read when he was young. Everything was moving to his plan, and now he was facing the enemy general one-on-one.

But,

Dammit!

A fourth, a fifth strike; the two warriors fought on and sparks flew with every blow.

Ryucown’s skills far exceeded Orba’s expectations. Easily predicting the young man’s moves, his opponent’s sword appeared to come from every direction. And while Ryucown’s strikes came from left, right, front and back with daring aggression, he never left any opening to exploit.

Beads of sweat began to roll off Orba’s back. He couldn’t afford to waste any time there. The longer this lasted, more enemies would be able to reach the upper floor. If they followed his strategy, the flagship Doom should be heading toward the fortress while finishing off the main rebel force, but it was difficult for a newbie like Orba to predict how long that would take.

The only thing he could do, was to utilize every minute, every second he had to finish off Ryucown. Thus all he could do was to wield his sword, strike, dodge and feint.

Vileena held her breath as she watched the scene before her. Of course she didn’t realize that the Prince Gil she knew and the masked duelist were the same person. And although the battle seemed to be on equal terms for a while, her eyes began to see the tiniest differences between the two fighters.

During their numerous exchanges, Ryucown kept observing Orba’s techniques. The skills were there, but there was a strange personal quirk within his technique. Especially when he made a long-distance strike, he left his left side unguarded, because his feet didn’t follow suit.

Ryucown gave a thin smile. Then he stepped back.

Orba fell for the feint and followed. In that instant, Ryucown pushed himself off the ground. The point of his blade grazed the Orba’s face. And when his feet touched the ground again, Ryucown positioned himself next to his opponent’s side. Pushing himself off the ground again he raised his sword overhead, and soon enough the point of his blade touched the mask.

“Ugh.”

Orba quickly put all his strength into his back, and turned his body to dodge. Ryucown continued to press in. Unable to regain his his posture, Orba realized he was being driven back as he tried to block the violent succession of attacks.

“Your plan to infiltrate is amazing.”

Although his face was covered in sweat, Ryucon was still breathing regularly.

“But it’s impossible to achieve victory, if you do not finish me off quickly. Even though you’re an excellent fighter, you already lost in the instant you couldn’t kill me.”

Orba did not have the luxury to reply. He finally realized the truth. His opponent’s skill being better than his – he hadn’t counted on that. The knight’s swordsmanship, strength, technique and even experience far exceeded his own. Compared to the unscathed Ryucown, Orba’s side and hips were slightly injured and one of his armour’s shoulder guards had broken off. He was out of breath, and he could barely hold on to his sword.

In that moment, the Ryucown’s troops started gathering in the main hall. The gladiators were also pushed back by their force. No longer able to defend the door, they were driven to the center of the hall and immediately surrounded by the soldiers rushing in on them.

“Damn it!” Gilliam grunted and raised his axe.

Shique mirrored his stance. There was still a killing intent in their eyes. Knocking down a thrown spear by the soldiers surrounding them, Gilliam said,

“I don’t want to say this, but it I wish Orba were here. The bastard’s an annoying one, but you can rely on that icy cold strength in a battle – what’s so funny, Shique?"

“No, no, you’re right. Although that masked guy is pretty strong, he is far from Orba, right? Oh really, if I knew it would come to this, I would’ve tried much harder to get him here.”

Covered in the blood of enemies and themselves, the duo could still joke away in such desperate straits, but the other gladiators – one had been pierced by an enemy spear, and another had his leg cut off – fell down one by one.

Ryucown was convinced the battle was over. He planned on sneaking in on Orba’s chest and, the moment the gladiator would dodge out of the way, make another strike. The two swords met once more, and finally Orba’s sword got flung from his hands.

“What?”

It was Ryucown who cried out in surprise.

Confident of his victory, the rebel general had relaxed his stance, and in that instance Orba pulled out a dagger from his waist and attacked. He’d chosen choose to gamble away his weapon for one desperate attack.

Got it!

Loaded with confidence, Orba piled into Ryucown’s body. The rebel troops unintentionally raised shouts of surprise, and suddenly the main hall was filled with sound of metal clashing against metal.

At the southern bottom of the hill, the armies clashed with each other under the bombardment of both sides’ artillery. The battlefield had already turned into a every-man-for-himself fight. Mephius’ and Ryucown’s troops mixed with each other in a chaotic melee, and an orange fire illuminated the moonless sky.

“Fire! Fire!!”

The old general Rogue Saian could not contain his excitement and bloodlust, thus personally let his troops on the front line. Volleys after volleys of shots were being fired, aimed at the line of troops.

Although the Mephian troops held superior resources and numbers, it was their enemy who currently possessed the upper hand.

At the same time, Gowen let a ten man team to flank the enemy from the right. They had a Baian dragging two cannons along with them. They were hoping to use them to bombard the enemy, but their position was quickly spotted by a patrolling airship.

“Get down!”

As Gowen threw himself to the ground, giving out the order, a bullet flew right before his eyes. A single-seated airship flying close to the ground almost strafed him, shaking his hips, before pulling back toward a sky with a sharp angle. But in that instant, the ship suddenly lost its balance. One of the gladiators was clinging on to the airship’s tail end. The other gladiators quickly came swarming over, dragging the pilot from his airship.

Although they continued their advance, Gowen’s heart was cast under a shadow of impatience.

For Ryucown’s forces, this assault was as good an opportunity as ever. Probably stirred by instigators, part of the Garberan army had turned traitor and struck a blow to the Mephian army, sending them into confusion. They didn’t need to completely annihilate their forces, inflicting 20 to 30 percent of damage was sufficient. With that much, the Mephian army would no longer see the value of for another nation’s territory and withdraw.

It was a perfect opportunity. Which was why for someone like Ryucown, who didn’t need to think about retreating, there would be no holding back. He would use all of his forces – and it actually went just as Orba had predicted. Weaving their way through that gap, Orba and an elite set of forces slipped into the fortress in order to put an end to Ryucown. And after driving away the enemy’s main force, Doom would head for the fort at the same time and occupy it.

That was the idea, but…

According to Orba’s plan, the Garberan camp should’ve immediately joined up with Mephius. Even if their side had fallen to confusion, they would have enough forces to contend with and crush the enemy forces, but the Garberans had made no move. In a free-for-all, confused battle, even their messages became jumbled up. He’d be lying if he said his own predictions weren’t sweetened up a bit.

In any case, the enemy’s morale was extraordinarily high. If one of them fell, another would step over the corpse, or even use it as a shield. Step by step, they slowly pushed forward into their direction. Besides, the Mephian troops didn’t even know that their indispensable prince – although only a body double – and princess were inside the fortress.

The Mephians don’t have the same fighting spirit. If this goes on, their army will soon fall to pieces. I have to hurry!

And so, Gowen resumed his march. At the center of the hill, from a place with a good view, he fired his cannon right in the middle of the enemy gunners. One shot, two shots… A pillar of flames rose up with every strike, but three shots was the limit. A new fleet of airships was already heading towards their position.

“Make way! Make way!!”

This attack definitely inflicted some serious damage, but the enemy line didn’t collapse, not even by a bit. The only thing Gowen could do was to leave their artillery and flee the place with the dragons.

Orba!

If it came to this, Orba just had to hurry and take Ryucown out. Then, they could only hope that the enemy’s will lost their will to fight. He retreated, the sound of wailing gunfire around him as the bullets grazed his shoulders.

Ryucown opened his eyes wide… then he squinted them tight again.

Orba was leaning forward with his full weight bearing down against him. He hadn’t drawn any blood. However, Ryucown had barely been able to block Orba last desperate attack. He stilll carried a 60 cm short-sword behind his back, which he’d pulled out at the right moment to defend.

Orba still tried to use his strength to deliver another blow, but the thrust passed as Ryucown had already moved around him in a semi-circle, and all he could do was fall forward. On all four on the ground, a blade was placed to the nape of his neck.

I lost.

Orba’s body went cold as he felt steel prickling his skin. There was no way to change the outcome. Orba had managed to outwit his foe, but Ryucown’s swordsmanship, as well as the Garberan movements, had been a fatal blow.

Having lived through countless battles, this was his first time he tasted defeat. For him, it meant that the heart that had been beating only for vengeance, would stop beating halfway.

“I like your gall. If you hadn’t been born in Mephius, I would have gladly fought at your side,” Ryucown said, as he prepared to sever Orba’s head.

“Stop this!”

Vileena’s scream rang clearly within the hall. Ryucown tried to ignore her at first but,

"Stop it now!!”

Feeling the second scream carried the force of life or death, Ryucown glanced her way. Sure enough, the Garberan princess was pointing a pistol his way. The soldier right behind her had a panicked look on his face, so she probably stole the gun from him.

Ryucown smiled.

“So, what are you going to do? Shoot me?"

“No,” Princess Vileena said, shaking her head.

Her face bloomed into a lovely smile, making one wonder what she was thinking, and she lifted the pistol.

“I will shoot myself.”

She pointed it at her own temple. Ryucown’s eyebrows jumped up while unrest rose among the soldiers.

“What is the meaning of this?”

“Do you have the guts to say the words you mentioned earlier in front of your loyal troops? Your true intentions? While you are a knight serving royalty, your own ideals stray from your true purpose. Do you wish to have them to bear the same burden?”

Vibrant light had come back to the pair of eyes that had once held such despair before. Even as she held a gun to her head.

Ryucown held his tongue. He was puzzled by Vileena betting her life like this. Just as the fourteen-year-old speculated, Ryucown could not allow Vileena to die in front of his troops. These soldiers shared his ideals of rebuilding the Kingdom of Garbera to a country of true knights. However, they also revered princess Vileena’s royal bloodline. If they lost their idol, his cause would collapse. Someone like him, who was willing to do anything to create an ideal nation, was in one way an innovator, but in another way the type to be criticized as evil.

While Ryucown and Vileena were engaged in a silent battle, the defeated Orba was crouched at the sideline. His back heaved as he breathed roughly, but by no means had he accepted his death.

From the inside of his mask, he stared at the short blade that parried his earlier attack.

That’s…

There were letters clearly engraved on the blade. There was no mistaking it.

O, R, B, A…

It was none other than his own name. Orba’s heartbeat that was about to stand still, firmly started ticking away at a steady rhythm again.

Part 2

“Princess.”

“Your highness, please put down the gun!”

While the soldiers called out to her, Princess Vileena merely looked straight ahead, meeting Ryucown’s eyes. Perhaps due to her determination, there was no trace of hesitation on her snow-white face.

"Princess, how far will you go with this military spirit?” Ryucown said with a sigh. “If… Yes, if I show my resolution in front of everyone here, my determination, just what will you do? We can just stick to the old ways and never accomplish our ideals, and in the end, even if we do get out of this battle, things will stay the same. Isn’t it better if you choose the most beneficial outcome for us both?”

“Then hurry up already. I’ve already found my resolution.”

“Princess!”

“Don’t come any closer!”

Noticing that the soldiers were trying to close in on her, Vileena suddenly backed away. She didn’t move the pistol from her temple even a little, but they still inched in closer.

“Please look, your highness.”

Ryucown pointed toward the pillars on the opposite site, behind which the flames of war kept going on.

"Look at the armies of those mindless Mephians and Garberans camps who, despite their overwhelming numbers, are struggling against our courageous men. Do you not understand what this represents, your highness? Putting aside the cowardly Mephians, the Garberan army has fallen into chaos. Indeed, they are wavering because they can’t decide whether to follow me or not. They do not blindly follow the royal family, wondering if those who follow my path aren’t truly the ones protecting this country. This is the answer the people of Garberan have found.”

Following Ryucown’s words, his men riased their voices.

“Princess, please recognize our cause.”

“This battle is for the true pride of Garbera. Please understand!”

Looking over at them, Vileena’s eyes met no hostility. Their eyes even seemed to be sad. compassion. From the start, she could never bear them any enmity or ill will. For, in their hearts, they all loved, and they all loved the flower of Garbera, princess Vileena.

“I don’t want to!!” the princess cried out that instance, but for what?

She knotted her brows, had tears in her eyes, and with the pistol still pointed against her head, yelled like a child throwing a tantrum.

“I don’t want to! I don’t want to! I don’t want to!!”

“Vileena-sama!”

“This is the Garbera that grandfather loves and father nurtured!” Vileena said, one tear spilling from the corner of her eye. “Why? Why do such…?”

“Stop uttering nonsense.”

Ryucown was backed by a belief that could not be shaken by anything, not even words from an oracle of God, but he got interupted by someone he hadn’t expected.

“Don’t call it nonsense!”

With a voice as if coming from the abyss, it made Ryucown and Vileena look his way. Ryucown, although he had completely forgotten about Orba until just now, sardonically said “Don’t move,” and again pointed his sword at the gladiator. However…

“That sword, give it back.”

“Give it back? What are you talking about? This is…”

“Six years ago,” Orba said.

For some reason, the rebel general gasped in surprise and completely swallowed his words. There was now another intensity in his gaze as he looked at the gladiator getting up from the ground, as he listened to the words.

“Six years ago… you were still aspiring to be a knight, but more of a knight than others. Now it’s different. To fulfill your own ideals, you’ve raised a sword against your liege. You even tried to threaten her with death. Why are you gambling your life? You’re so damn intoxicated that you’re deaf to the words of your own liege who’s also gambling hers. Ryucown, you’re not even a knight anymore!”

Ryucown was about to bring his blade up for a strike, and as everyone’s attention was focused on the princess Shique took the chance to break out of his encirclement.

“Take it!”

That instant, Shique tossed over his sword and Orba caught it square on, as if the two had planned it beforehand. Then, Shique broke into a sprint and moved behind the princess, snatching the gun from her hand and pushing it against the nape of her neck.

“Princess!?”

“Your highness!”

“Don’t move!”

As if he hadn’t heard Shique’s words, Ryucown moved in to slash at Orba. By reflex, the gladiator stopped the blow and the two started crossing blades again.

“What are you doing!?” Ryucown said in between with a demonic scowl on his face. “We can’t let a Mephian kill the princess. Seize him!”

Shique clicked his tongue. The mix of terror and confusion on the soldiers’ faces began to fade as they looked at each other. It was now or never. If he waited for the enemy to make a decision, he would be back to being outnumbered.

He had to move… but where to go?

“Sir Gladiator.”

“Huh?” Shique blurted out in a shocked voice.

The princess he was supposed to hold hostage was the one to take the initiative.

“This way,” she whispered under her breath, using her chin to point at the airship stowed nearby.

In an instant, Shique’s thought were the same as hers.

“Got it. It’ll be a little rough, though.”

“I’m used to it.”

Immediately after her reply, Shique coldly aimed his pistol ahead of him and fired. Before its the menacing sound faded away, he grabbed the princess’s thin shoulders and began to run. Vileena boarded the airship. While Shique got into the seat behind her, she immediately fired up the engine, emitting ether, and the craft lifted the two of them up in the air.

“I’ll bring reinforcements! Wait for me!” Shique called out.

However, at this very moment, the princess hesitated. Within the great hall, were the heroic Mephian soldiers, and the loyal followers of Vileena’s royal family, wishing to restore Garbera to its ideals. They had the courage to put their lives at stake together, and now Vileena had to neglect them.

“Princess!”

As was to be expected, Ryucown’s face paled and he was about to run straight for the airship. However, the image of a steel blade flashed before his eyes. Spitting at the ground, he met Orba who was charging right into him.

“Go!!” Orba roared.

He blocked a strike that would’ve sliced his head off, followed by two, three sharp blows. Then he yelled out again.

“Vileena, move!!”

The princess stared at him as if struck. Then, shaking of the soldiers who tried to catch up with her, then she flew the airship into the night sky. And, just like that, it melded into the dead of night and disappeared.

“If it’s come to this…” Ryucown said, baring his teeth as they crossed swords, “Should I just give the order to kill the princess along with the Mephian army?”

“What!?”

Orba’s breathing grew heavier. The black blood that had mainly been keeping up his strength was about to run out. He didn’t know what to do, didn’t know if he could ginish what he had started, and could only watch as things got taken away from his hands just like always.

But, Orba had a sword – an embodiment for his boiling blood.

“Someone like you—”

“You bloody—!!”

Both their voices overlapped along with the ring of the blades. Although their views were different, with their hearts carried the same emotions, they weren’t so unalike after all.

I won’t let you stop me!

Blocking Ryucown’s sword, while adjusting his own footing, Orba moved to the left, to the right, lunging at his foe, but his blows were equally blocked.

Maybe I just need a little bit more strength. It’s all I have left…

If something was blocking his goal, be it lofty ideals, deities, dragon gods – Orba would likely challenge it with only a sword in hand.

But at this moment, Orba was falling back into his old habits. As soon as his opponent seemed to fall into the defensive, Orba used the chance to dive right into him. But, having been waiting for such an attack, Ryucrown immediately turned to avoid a stabbing hit, and swung his sword at Orba.

It was just like Orba had seen it six years ago.

Immediately after sparks scattered into the air,

“Gahh…!”

There was the sound of a wail, along with a spray of blood.

Ryucrown’s blade was bounced off Orba’s quickly drawn sword. Ultimately, he was the one who took the invitation. Expecting to go for the kill, the rebel general had mustered all of his strength into this strike, completely losing his posture. Orba had blocked the counterattack by raising the flat of his blade before him.

Although, he still had to pay a price. A hole was drilled in the upper right part of his mask, creating a clean crack down to the middle.

“Splendid.”

Ryucown struggled to speak as he collapsed, face-up on the floor, coughing up blood.

“Until just a few moments ago, these eyes saw a nation of knights… but was this the limit for me? Give me your name. ”

“Until a few moments ago, I could see a nation of knights… but was this my limit? Tell me your name. I, Ryucown, won’t rest in peace if I’m defeated by a nameless man.”

“Orba.”

Other than Ryucown, none of the soldiers present could hear him say his name.

It was unclear whether it gave the man solace, for Ryucown could not utter another word as only a cough of blood escaped his lips, before he closed his eyes. Orba only stared at him in silence.

The man who had slipped into the enemy camp with only a select few people and defeated the rebel Bateaux, now lost his life in the exact same way. The irony of these, later to be described as ‘Ryucown’s last moments’, would be the talk of ages to come.

“Milord!!”

“He killed Lord Ryucown! Don’t leave a single one of them alive!!”

The soldier’s fighting spirit was mized with rage. The gladiators who’d also rushed into a hall formed a circle around Orba.

Just then, they went for an attack on the Mephian air corps, about a dozen ships who had come back for supplies. The soldiers realized the situation, but they all pulled out swords and guns and surged onto the uppermost part of the fortress.

Breathing heavily, Orba thought,

Is this the end?

It was but a fleeting thought in the corner of his mind. During his time as a gladiator fighting to the bitter end for two years long, there were multiple times when he’d thought the same thing. And each time…

I won’t let it end here!

Each time he encouraged himself. And right now, with many swords pointed his way and many guns aimed in his direction, Orba tightened the grip on his sword.

Slowly but steadily, Ryucown’s men came closer. Orba was tempted to step out of the encirclement, but the sword slaves silently stood with their weapons drawn, guarding him. Either side had the relentless urge to kill, and they became like colourless bullets as they charged toward each other, clashed into one another, and exploded.

In that instant, one could hear a battle cry washing over like a tsunami wave. On the outstretched plains, as seen from the uppermost balcony, an army surged towards them like wildfire.

Ryucown’s men clenched their teeth, feeling despair, and what would have been a grim decision. They were still prepared for death, willing to fight until the last man standing. And at the very least they wanted to take revenge on the person standing before them who had killed their general, Ryucown.

But it were the Mephian forces approaching.

“Ah…!”

Suddenly, one of the soldiers cried out with the excitement of a child. Illuminated by a line of fire, altering through the night sky, was the symbol of their birthplace, where they wished to one day return with heads held high, and of the nation that they had heartbrokenly cut off from – the Garberan flag.

They looked up in astonishment, several seconds after hearing the sound of a unique airship.

“It’s over…! It’s all over!!”

Just like when it had taken off before, she nimbly jumped from the airship and onto the balcony – Princess Vileena.

References and Translation Notes

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