Chronicle Legion:Volume 1 Chapter 4
Chapter 4 - Knights and Feats of Arms (2)
Part 1
"They came as expected..."
Akigase Rikka came to the pinnacle of the nation-protecting keep and looked out at the scenery of Suruga.
The Suruga tutelary fort was located at the highest elevation in the area. At its center, the nation-protecting keep stood at forty meters, providing an expansive view.
Rikka saw with her own eyes—Crusades invading from Suruga Bay in the south.
Roughly a hundred Crusades were flying towards the land in a dense sphere, about to reach the sky over the coast. The tutelary fort was located on mountainous terrain facing the bay. The enemy would arrive soon.
"I guessed they would come either today or tomorrow. Just as expected."
Rikka shrugged. The Crusades were flying over the sea at around fifty or sixty kilometers per hour.
This was low-speed flight, since in principle, they were capable of going faster. The reason for this was very simple too. This sort of low-speed flight required negligible consumption of ectoplasmic fluid, allowing them to conserve energy for an all-out battle.
"Defending the tutelary fort would be an option, but unfortunately, Sakuya is in poor condition. Proceed with arrangements."
Rikka was alone on the roof facing howling winds while conventional military forces were standing by on the outskirts of the tutelary fort. The noetic officers inside the nation-protecting keep were listening to Akigase Rikka's whispers through noetic waves while confirming the current situation.
It was precisely a knight's duty to shoulder the expectations of fellow comrades-in-arms and to respond to their feelings—
Dressed in military uniform, Rikka drew the sword at her waist and released her own noetic waves.
"Upon my Appellation of Onikiri Yasutsuna—Assemble, my Legions!"
Rikka's powerful noetic waves radiated from the air over the nation-protecting keep.
The noesis swiftly manifested into Kamuys, bringing into the sky a blue army, ninety strong.
"Excellent."
Rikka re-sheathed her personal sword at her waist.
A famous treasured sword of Genji pedigree. Its name had been inherited by Akigase Rikka as an Appellation.
Her act of drawing out this Japanese sword was precisely the manifestation of an Appellation. Exhibiting clear curvature, the slender blade of this rare and renowned sword featured a slightly wavy temper-line. Unlike the Zuihou held by the majority of Japanese Chevaliers, Onikiri Yasutsuna remained physically by the user's side even when Legions were not being summoned. This aspect was also proof of a high-level Appellation.
"Come—Carry me!"
Rikka called to the ninety Kamuys above.
One of them descended, bringing its shoulder to the nation-protecting keep's roof level. With a nimble leap, Rikka went over the rooftop railing without hesitation, landing on the right shoulder of the hovering Legion.
"We will establish a ground formation. Go."
Carrying its commander, the blue Kamuy flew south towards Suruga Bay.
The remaining eighty-nine Kamuys followed.
The commander-in-chief was leading the fight against the enemy on the front lines. Rikka could not help but smile wryly. This method of fighting resembled military chronicles dating back to the time of the Genpei era, but it was also how modern wars were fought too.
By transmitting noetic waves, Chevaliers directed their Legion armies to fight.
In fact, it was possible to control Legions under one's command from far away—for example, out of visual range.
However, doing so would render oneself vulnerable to noetic disruption. Certain forms of noetic disruption were specialized to counter noetic waves rather than electromagnetic signals. Under interference, one would run the risk of losing command of one's Legions.
"The sea breeze is cold as expected."
It was currently 15:18 with a strong breeze blowing inland from the sea..
Rikka was standing on a Legion flying at sixty kilometers per hour at an altitude of two hundred meters. Nevertheless, Rikka remained warm thanks to her own resilient body.
The vitality and physical abilities of a Chevalier was much higher than that of ordinary people.
Taking large volumes of ectoplasmic fluid into their bodies and minds, they were enhanced by mystic powers.
"Square formation. Make haste!"
Her army landed at the Suruga Bay shore.
Along the coast were military zones created from reclaimed land where various facilities of the Tōkaidō provincial army were situated.
The chosen landing spot was an open plain. The instant they landed, apart from the one carrying Rikka, all remaining eighty-nine Kamuys sprinted at top speed. Their movements were swift and nimble as their agile silhouettes would suggest.
Of course, this was a group of eight-meter-tall giants running.
With every step they took, the Suruga coast would shake and rumble. Be that as it may, the eighty-nine Kamuys ran rather swiftly.
Despite their gigantic body size and commensurate weight, their movements were not sluggish.
Just as winged birds were quick and agile even when moving on the ground, the Kamuys' movements were very dynamic with plenty of acceleration.
This was a characteristic common to Imperial Japan's blue Legions.
Agility, tireless diligence, courage—The ninety Kamuys swiftly entered an almost square formation of ten rows by nine columns.
Occupying the center of the square formation was the Kamuy carrying the commander, Rikka.
The Kamuy army raised their bayonet rifles in perfect unison.
Their muzzles were aimed at the incoming British Crusades flying over Suruga Bay.
"The Japanese Legions, called Kamuys, aren't they? Numbering ninety—The one taking over as Suruga's castellan happens to be on our level... Poor guy."
The number of invading British Crusades over Suruga Bay totaled ninety-eight.
The commander, Steven was muttering to himself while riding a white wyvern, flying together with the airborne army.
"He would've had the chance to be honored as a Knight of Her Majesty had he been born like us under Her Majesty's reign."
In the British Empire, only warriors with outstanding Chevalier Strength were eligible for the title of "Knight of Her Majesty."
Steven's Chevalier Strength was 98 while his brother-in-arms Sir Lampard's was 90. Today, they had sortied from Fuji after establishing a tutelary pact, a situation completely different from yesterday's.
It had been a while since the last time they commanded the full number of Legions supported by their Chevalier Strength.
Steven snapped his fingers to summon a small retainer beast for communications.
Unlike the pipe fox of Japan, the British armed forces used sprites, whose appearances were palm-sized maidens with butterfly wings on their backs. The sprite was fluttering delightfully in front of Steven.
"Inform Sir Lampard on my behalf, 'I will charge as the vanguard according to plan. In the event I should fail, I leave the rest in your hands.
The sprite nodded and disappeared.
Retainer beasts responsible for relaying messages were capable of teleporting within four or five kilometers. Retainer beasts were not as convenient as phones, but were able to substitute for wireless communications. However, small retainer beasts run the risk of dying from overexhaustion if forced to invoke this ability ten-odd times in continuous succession, hence users must pay particular attention.
"My men, the prince—Sir Black Knight—has tasked us with the glorious mission of the vanguard. I look forward to your valor in battle!" Steven rallied the Crusades under his command.
Meanwhile, Sir Lampard's army was lurking further back, standing by as a reserve unit.
They were only four kilometers from the coast where Suruga's samurai were in formation.
The ninety-eight Crusades were flying in a spherical formation.
When advancing through the air, one would arrange their Legions in a close-packed sphere to create a formation devoid of blind spots in any direction.
This was one of the basics in Legion tactics.
Serving as the commander, the Chevalier would stay in the center of the formation—the more secure position—to be able to issue the most appropriate commands to the troops at any given moment.
"Agents of Her Majesty... Crush the enemy."
As soon as Steven issued the order, the Crusades forming the front of the "sphere" aimed and fired continuously at the coast four kilometers away.
The rifles shot heat beams capable of slicing through heavy concrete.
Ninety-eight bayonet rifles were firing flashing rays at the same rate as machine guns.
Had this barrage been directed at Tokyo's city center, the clustered buildings would definitely be punctured and sliced apart like plastic. In a few short minutes, a metropolis would be rendered a tragic wasteland.
However, the Suruga army in its square formation four kilometers away remained unscathed.
"As expected, having equal numbers shooting at each other isn't going to work that easily."
Steven smile wryly. Chevaliers were able to sense everything seen and heard by the Legions under their control. These mysterious winged giant soldiers also possessed outstanding five senses far surpassing those of humans.
At his command, the Crusades observed the scene four kilometers away.
Glowing particulates—the particles of protective barriers—were suspended in the air around the Japanese Kamuys.
"The denser the formation, the greater the defensive power of Legions... Since my side's attacks are not working, it should be the same for the other party."
No sooner had Steven spoken than the enemy side counterattacked.
Staying in their square formation, the Japanese Legions pulled their triggers. Naturally, their targets were the Crusades in the air over Suruga Bay, in other words, Steven's army.
Flashing rays were shot continually as the Japanese side's anti-air fire attacked Steven's forces mercilessly.
However, the British Legions were virtually unharmed too. Around the ninety-eight Crusades, particles of protective barriers glowed as well.
The light of protective barriers had the effect of reducing enemy gunfire.
The particles from Legions of the same army would superimpose to increase their density, producing greater defensive strength. In other words, packing Legions densely in greater numbers would dramatically increase an army's overall defensive strength.
Consequently, square and spherical formations with their high density were commonly used in battles between Legions.
"Continued exchange of fire between air and land will disfavor my side. My men, let us land on the ground and switch to barbaric tactics."
Legions were winged warriors and were capable to standing on the ground with their own two feet like humans. The consumption of ectoplasmic fluid was greater when traveling through the air.
The army led by Steven was flying towards the shore.
They gradually lowered their flying altitude, preparing for a protracted battle on the ground.
Using the same formation as the enemy, Steven arranged his Legions in a ten by ten array, keeping them as densely packed together as possible even during the change in formation. While they were landing, the enemy's anti-air fire did not cease for a single moment. Thus, several unfortunate Crusades located on the fringes where the barrier's particles were weaker were shot down.
A total of four Crusades were killed in combat, pierced in vitals such as the head or the chest, thus crashing into Suruga Bay.
The remaining ninety-four remained completely unharmed.
"Now the numbers are even... No, my side holds the advantage. Let us proceed to crush them with brute force."
The Crusades landed successfully on the beach at last.
Maintaining their square formation, they marched forward neatly at the same speed.
Their targets were Suruga's Kamuy Legions, in formation one kilometer ahead.
As soon as they entered melee range, the protective barriers of both sides would neutralize each other and lose effectiveness. What followed would be slaying enemies using the bayonets on their rifles, following the way of ancient battlefields to stab and decapitate foes.
Riding his wyvern, Steven slowly circled in the air over his Crusades.
Looking at the enemy army from an overhead view, he was stunned.
"Do the descendants of samurai still believe in the blessings of divine wind and intend to attack to the bitter end?"
The Japanese Legions had changed their packed formation.
In other words, the Kamuys had abandoned the security of the high-density square formation in favor of lining themselves in a row of ninety with their bayonet rifles raised anew.
"However... Don't expect favorable divine wind to blow every time," declared Steven boldly.
Visually confirmed by the Crusades, a female knight was spotted standing sternly on the right shoulder of a Kamuy in the center of the Japanese ranks.
Taking out the Chevalier in control of the Legions would be equivalent to winning the battle.
Part 2
"Fire!"
At Rikka's command, the ninety Kamuys pulled their triggers simultaneously.
Their target was the formation of landed Crusades. The Kamuy's bayonet rifles flashed continuously, producing a dense barrage against the enemy.
"The other side intends to settle the battle using melee combat and won't fire back in full force. Seize this opportunity to shoot with impunity!"
Rikka rallied her troops. The Crusades were gunned down one after another.
This was the outcome of the Kamuys' change of formation. Making a single row meant putting every Legion on the front rank. Thus, the ninety Kamuys were able to focus fire on the front rank of the approaching British army.
The British Legions were in a 10x10 square formation.
The ninety Kamuys focused their firepower on the ten Crusades standing in the front rank.
These ten Crusades were now under more intense fire than the barrage earlier.
The incessant flashes attacked the British Legions' gigantic bodies dozens of times, trying to break through the weakest parts of the protective barriers. The probability of striking vitals became much higher than before.
Consequently, enemy troops in the front rank fell successively.
The Crusades in the front row also returned fire but rarely inflicted injuries on the Kamuys.
Incidentally, the Suruga army led by Rikka was not at a significant advantage either. Whenever Crusades in the front rank were taken out by the Kamuys' focus fire, Crusades from the back would immediately step forward to maintain the formation.
Under heavy fire, the British army courageously advanced without any disarray.
Initially, the two armies were separated by roughly a kilometer.
Once that separation had halved, the Crusades were whittled down to ninety from ninety-four.
When the separation halved again, there were eighty-four Crusades remaining.
The distance between the two armies was finally no more than fourteen or fifteen meters.
Almost about to enter melee range, the British Crusades were down to seventy-five while there were still eighty-eight Japanese Kamuys. Numerically speaking, the Kamuys held the advantage, but...
Riding his wyvern, circling in the air, the British Chevalier roared as though victory was firmly in his grasp.
"My men, your persistence is commendable! As agents of Her Majesty, it is now your turn to fight all-out. Crush those puny Japanese soldiers!"
The Kamuys were a size smaller than the Crusades. This difference in build could not be ignored in close quarter combat. The Kamuys were inferior in strength and there were precious few precedents where their physique disadvantage were overcome.
Rikka clicked her tongue.
"Anyone at all, take out that blabbering Knight of Her Majesty!"
The Kamuys at Rikka's side obeyed and fired. Every Legion was master of combat with first-rate expertise in marksmanship and close-range fighting. An accurate shot through the target should not be beyond them.
However, the Knight of Her Majesty flew behind the square formation of Crusades.
The barrier particles surrounding the British Legions formed an invisible shield, blocking the Kamuys' sniping offensive.
Next, the British army pressed forward. A melee battle commenced at last.
The bayonet rifle was the weapon used by Kamuys and Crusades alike. Brandishing the bayonets fitted on their long barrels, both sides stabbed at enemy Legions.
The Japanese side held superiority in numbers but the tide of battle clearly favored the British army.
First of all, the seventy-five Crusades maintained their square formation as they charged at the row of Suruga troops.
The Kamuys were arranged in a row to prioritize firepower. The Crusades charged fiercely, thrusting their bayonets to stab their enemies.
Overpowered by the British Legions' pressure and strength, Kamuys were getting skewered in their masks and necks.
Of course, a small proportion of the Japanese Kamuys did manage to evade the Crusades' bayonets and struck back. However, the enemy formation remained secure.
Brandishing their bayonets, whenever any Crusades fell in the front rank, they would be immediately replaced by Crusades from the back rows.
Ultimately, the British army continued to charge at the Japanese army with perfect retention of momentum and formation. During the time of the ancient Greeks, the mighty phalanx had dominated battlefields using the same tactics of packed formations.
In contrast, the row of Kamuys was a formation offering no thickness at all.
The paper-thin formation was about to break up, torn to shreds.
"Warriors of Her Majesty, kill the enemy Chevalier! The battle ends as soon as that person dies!"
At the British Chevalier's command, the Crusades attacked even more ferociously.
Among the row of Suruga troops, Rikka was standing on the right shoulder of the center Kamuy, facing the onslaught of dozens of British Legions.
Pressured by the enemy's charge, the Suruga formation shifted from a straight line to a V-shape instead.
The center, Rikka's position, slowly retreated, causing the formation to buckle. The nearby Kamuys fought desperately to protect their lady commander but the tide had completely turned against the Japanese side.
No more than fifty Kamuys remained out of the eighty-eight.
Defeat was all but assured at this rate. Rikka took a deep breath from her position on a Kamuy's shoulder.
"Fortunately, they fell for the trap. I am relieved."
The trenchant blade at Rikka's waist was renowned as the "oni slayer."
Smiling belligerently, she drew her personal sword. The two-feet-seven-inch blade featured a slightly wavy temper-line.
Then Rikka leaped to the ground.
"My Appellation of Onikiri Yasutsuna... O trenchant blade of universal renown, demonstrate to the world the martial feat of oni slaying once more!"
No sooner had she spoken when a lone Crusade charged at Rikka head on.
The faltering Kamuys had mustered a circular formation to surround their lady commander and prevent the enemy from attacking her. However, the British Legions finally broke through the defensive line.
The opponent was a British giant soldier over eight meters tall.
Even the blade fitted on the bayonet rifle stood taller than Rikka's height.
With a moment's hesitation, the Crusude aimed a bayonet thrust down at Rikka. The Legion's giant body moved nimbly despite its great weight. An acute thrust.
As for Rikka...
Sweeping her Japanese sword horizontally, she parried the Crusade's bayonet strike.
Even though the opponent's weapon was bigger than Rikka, she effortlessly blocked the attack. Furthermore, the gigantic bayonet was sliced into two, sending the broken fragment flying before it fell and embedded itself into the Suruga ground.
Wielding her weapon of choice, Rikka slashed with ridiculous power.
Despite losing its blade, the Crusade was still a seasoned warrior after all.
Instead of using the bayonet, the Crusade instantly attacked with a kick, aiming for Rikka on the ground as though she were a football.
Rikka jumped in a somersault, evading the kick splendidly.
In addition to holding the ability to summon Legions, she had also attained extraordinary mastery of martial arts and physical skills.
"Yahhhhhhhhhhhhh!"
With a mighty shout, Rikka jumped into the air again. Stepping on the kneecap of the Crusade that had just attacked her, she jumped in front of the giant winged soldier's mask.
The treasured sword named Onikiri Yasutsuna was then stabbed into the Crusade's mask.
This strike of the sword was fatal.
The eight-meter-tall giant soldier was cut down by a 170-cm-tall girl.
"—Mibu wolf!" Rikka hastily called out after a spectacular landing.
A wolf responded to her summon, appearing out of thin air.
Featuring silver fur and a physique similar to a horse in size, this was the "Mibu wolf," a mid-size retainer beast employed by the Japanese Imperial Army.
Noetic officers observing the battle using pipe foxes had dispatched this retainer beast immediately at Rikka's command.
Rikka leaped onto the giant wolf's back. The Mibu wolf dashed across the ground.
This time, the retainer beast jumped on Rikka's behalf. Carrying the female knight with the trenchant blade, the Mibu wolf pounced at a nearby Crusade's face.
However, instead of having the wolf attacking with its teeth, Rikka swung her blade instead.
Slash. The horizontal strike sliced through the Crusade's mask, cleanly bifurcating its head.
"What a fearsome sword...!"
The British Knight of Her Majesty was stunned. He had been flying dozens of meters behind his army as though sightseeing on a wyvern tour, but was now utterly terrified. Few Chevaliers existed in the world who were capable of cutting down Legions by their own hand.
"Is that sword your Appellation—a testament to a Feat of Arms!?"
"Indeed you are correct. I, Akigase Rikka, hold the treasured sword of Genji pedigree, Onikiri no Taichi, Yasutsuna. I shall cut down mere Crusades endlessly, no matter how many you throw at me!"
The Knight of Her Majesty questioned from his wyvern mount and Rikka answered back from the giant wolf's back.
The treasured sword, Onikiri Yasutsuna. This was the title given to "the famous blade that had slain Shuten-dōji, the oni of Ooe-yama." Heroes inheriting this Appellation were able to reenact the mighty feat of slaying oni—
This was the Feat of Arms—Onikiri no Tachi, which was also the secret technique conferred to Rikka by Onikiri Yasutsuna.
"My apologies, Knight of Her Majesty," caressing her beloved sword while astride her Mibu wolf, Rikka continued to speak.
"Exchanging gunfire from a distance is not my cup of tea, hence I shall win this battle as quickly as possible. By this juncture, victory undoubtedly belongs to my Kamuys."
"What did you say?"
Her bold declaration angered the British Knight of Her Majesty.
Standing before the enemy, Rikka smiled quietly with full confidence.
Part 3
"...The battle is unfolding as you predicted, Sir Black Knight."
The doll possessed by the genie Morrigan spoke to the one in her company.
She was riding a flying wyvern, looking at Suruga Bay below. There was another rider on the wyvern, the aristocratic Sir Black Knight who was holding the reins. Morrigan was sitting in front of him.
Flying further would take them to the zone of reclaimed land on the coast.
The British and Japanese Legions were locked in a deadly battle there and the victor was gradually emerging.
"Yet I did not want to be right. Predicting the defeat of a Knight of Her Majesty would be too inauspicious."
Sir Black Knight sighed, because he had shared an ominous prediction. When the Legions under Sir Steven first started engaging the Japanese troops in melee, the handsome aristocrat had said, "Stevie is going to lose now."
He had quietly shared this opinion despite the British army's advantageous position at the time.
Soon after, the Suruga army had made a spectacular comeback. Leading her Kamuys on the battlefield, Suruga's lady Chevalier had invoked her treasured sword's Feat of Arms to personally cut down the Crusades.
The lady Chevalier had charged straight into the enemy ranks to slay them.
Serving as her mount, the Mibu wolf retainer beast carried her as she carved her way into the Crusades' square formation—
Weaving between the densely packed British Legions, she swung her treasured sword, slicing through a Crusade's armor and vitals on every strike, inflicting heavy casualties.
This performance of an unstoppable lone rider actually persisted for merely two or three minutes.
However, once she had disrupted the British army's formation, the Kamuys launched a counterattack in one fell swoop.
Using herself as bait to divert the British army's attention for a few short minutes, the Japanese Chevalier had ordered her troops to discreetly circle around Steven's army, thus launching an assault on the back of the square formation.
After the Kamuy army started a one-sided massacre.
Crusades fell one after another while Sir Steven desperately controlled his wyvern to dodge the enemy's sniping attacks and tried to reorganize his army's formation.
"Did that treasured sword's Feat of Arms decide the battle?"
A so-called "Feat of Arms" was a supernatural technique used by Chevaliers and Resurrectees. To slay gigantic Legions by a human's hand—This was quite an incredible Feat of Arms.
Sir Black Knight shook his head and said, "If Stevie really thinks that, it means he's abilities only go so far. Their fates had been sealed the moment the female knight succeeded in luring him into melee combat. Pretending to be overwhelmed by the Crusades, the enemy was actually preparing for a pincer attack."
"I, see."
Morrigan thought back to how the battle situation had developed.
The Tōkaidō army's Chevalier had lined up the Kamuys in a row to fire.
The Crusades chose to charge in a dense square formation, leading to a melee battle. Pressed by the British army, the Tōkaidō army's formation changed from a straight line to a V-shape, but then the two sides of the V circled to the back of the British army, turning into guerrilla units.
"Ultimately, it was a spectacular battle demonstrating destruction through encirclement and pincer movement. Props to the enemy commander who used this. This is enough for today, Stevie will be held accountable for his failure another time."
"May I, ask another, question?"
Sir Black Knight had expressed his admiration for the opponent in a strange manner, hence Morrigan asked him, "How did you know... the enemy commander wanted to lure our forces into melee combat?"
"Huh?"
Sir Black Knight was taken aback in surprise. This sort of expression looked very out of place on his noble and handsome face.
At a loss for words, after some contemplation, he looked up, straightened his posture and said, "It might be difficult for you to comprehend as a spirit, but matters of this sort can be understood instinctively. Like looking at the enemy army afar and sensing changes in the air, something along those lines."
"I, see."
Even among fellow humans, few would be able to agree with Sir Black Knight's explanation.
Morrigan was deeply certain of this, but her response of "I see" carried a different meaning. She was convinced that this man was a natural counter to the likes of "strategists" or "staff officers."
Sir Black Knight possessed profound mastery of strategy, tactics and the art of war, yet he did not bind himself rigidly to such knowledge.
The instincts, sensitivity, sudden inspiration, perceptiveness, judgment, and experience honed on the battlefield would turn out to be the crucial keys to victory instead during extreme circumstances—
Rather than learned through the mind, people like him were born with innate understanding of this harsh fact of reality.
Theoretical correctness did not imply victory over the enemy. On the battlefield, correctness was determined by victory, in other words, the victor is always right.
Those who studied the art of war as a field of research could never reach this realm.
"As expected of, a legatus legionis," Morrigan praised from the bottom of her heart.
"Despite compelling arguments regarding tactics, you still fail to conceal the innate savagery in your soul... Suppose you were to proceed with irrational courses of action, I, the genie Morrigan, shall still support you wholeheartedly."
"Why does that sound like a back-handed compliment...?" said Sir Black Knight, tilting his head.
"Never mind. Although Stevie has met defeat in the vanguard battle, he has accomplished the most basic job at least. He has succeeded in wearing down the enemy's battle strength and currently has yet to be defeated completely. It is time for Lamps to enter the stage."
Immediately, Crusades flew out of the sea in the outer waters of Suruga Bay.
Using as a reference the reclaimed land where the Anglo-Japanese battle had been taking place, this was to the east. Leading ninety Legions, Sir Lampard had lurked in the sea as a reserve force and was now taking action.
The Crusades broke out of the sea surface and flew towards the Suruga tutelary fort.
Instead of reinforcing their allies, this army intended to assault and subdue the Suruga tutelary fort while the castellan was occupied with Sir Steven.
The Crusades were roughly ten kilometers away from the tutelary fort on high ground.
They could reach their destination presently without wasting ectoplasmic fluid on high-speed flight. Conversely, on the Suruga tutelary fort side—
"I remember that is Seiryuu, isn't it?" Sir Black Knight muttered to himself.
An ifrit appeared in the air over the Suruga tutelary fort.
A giant oriental dragon, reaching seventy meters in length, with a huge magic circle at its back. The translucence of its body, the color of sapphire, was an indication of its spiritual nature. The only beings capable of materializing a gigantic body of that size would be the godlike sacred beasts.
Around the tutelary fort's star-shaped walls, the surrounding space became distorted.
It was almost like a mirage phenomenon. The space around the tutelary fort was warped, causing the scenery to become blurred and twisted as though seen through desert air under the blazing sun.
Morrigan could sense powerful noetic waves inside the distorted space.
"Enemy ifrit, has deployed noesis barrier."
"According to reports, this was beyond the enemy ifrit's ability yesterday. I wonder if it has recovered? Furthermore, they even detected the noesis released by the Legions hidden in the water and immediately prepared countermeasures."
After analyzing, Sir Black Knight commented loudly, "Lamps might very well face a tough battle ahead of him."
"...It is Morrigan's opinion that, you should not be stating this, with a grin on your face."
"Uh, do not get me wrong. What I mean is this—Perhaps Britain might be willing to let me fight seeing as we are up against a castle that two Knights of Her Majesty failed to conquer."
"Please be, patient. Your knights... Please save them for, the attack on Hakone."
In fact, Morrigan had received orders to prevent the Black Knight from going out on the battlefield.
This command had come from Sir Grayson, the captain of the Tintagel. As soon as the prince "participated in battle," his true name would be known to the world. This would raise Lord Caesar's curiosity and wariness.
"At the current stage, disclosure of the names, Edward the Black Prince and Knights of the Garter... will have grave effects on future strategy. Please be prudent."
Born in the medieval English royal family, a supreme military genius.
The former Plantagenet crown prince shrugged wryly and accepted Morrigan's counsel.
"I can't believe they deployed two armies, Knights of Her Majesty in level. Now that's way too generous!"
Seeing the new enemies flying towards the tutelary fort, Rikka cursed from the back of her Mibu wolf mount.
The Kamuys were still fighting the vanguard Crusades at the reclaimed land on the coast.
Rikka herself had withdrawn from the front line. The Mibu wolf remained stationary at the moment. Currently, she was back in her role as the commander, controlling the Kamuys' battle situation from the back.
While the enemy resisted valiantly, the Kamuys had them surrounded in one spot. Holding a round formation with their protective barriers deployed, the Crusades fired desperately to fight back against Rikka's army.
"Living up to the name of the Knights of Her Majesty, how resilient."
If this battle continued, wiping out the Crusades would not be a problem.
However, the British had sent another army, flying in Suruga's airspace. The enemy was clearly targeting the tutelary fort, but Rikka's army was occupied with the ground battle and could not do anything more than watch them fly by.
If Rikka were to rush over to intercept the other army at the tutelary fort now—
Then the cornered enemy vanguard would be able to catch its breath and muster its remaining forces to strike at Rikka's Kamuy army from behind. Unlike human soldiers, Legions were capable of executing extremely unreasonable battle commands.
Hence, it was imperiative to kill off enemy numbers before rushing over to aid the tutelary fort's defense.
Having made her decision, Rikka suppressed the anxiety in her heart. Riding her Mibu wolf, she watched the battle situation with arms crossed before her chest.
The genie Sakuya—the avatar of the ifrit Seiryuu—was more stable than yesterday and succeeded in having her principal image activate the noesis barrier, completing preparations for the defensive battle. Rikka had arranged for several noetic officers to assist Sakuya. Furthermore, there was additional insurance.
"Upon my Appellation of Onikiri Yasutsuna... Assemble, my Legions."
Rikka recited the sacred words to summon Legions.
However, the location pictured in her mind was the northern plateau several kilometers away—in other words, the location of the Suruga tutelary fort. With that, her insurance was delivered to the tutelary fort at least.
"I actually wanted to use them to take care of the enemy forces here."
However, Rikka had no choice. Defense of the fort required "paper tigers" to intimidate the enemy.
She could only hope that this method would hold until she rushed back to the rescue. However, the problem was that the enemy's ambush force was led by a battle-hardened Knight of Her Majesty.
"Masatsugu-sama... Another army of Crusades!"
Shiori pointed at a certain direction in the sky.
The ifrit Seiryuu and a magic circle was occupying the sky over the Suruga tutelary fort at the plateau. A spherical formation of Crusades, almost a hundred strong, was approaching—
Masatsugu and the princess had gone outdoors together.
There was a bamboo grove nearby. They were at the courtyard of Ryouzan Manor, a secluded residence belonging to House Fujinomiya.
Slightly earlier, a pipe fox returning from the Suruga tutelary fort had informed them of the attacking Crusades as well as Chevalier Akigase Rikka's advantageous position.
"Princess, this is an excellent chance."
"Eh...?"
For a moment, Shiori did not know how to react to Masatsugu's suggestion.
She had changed out of the undershirt and back into her one-piece dress, black leggings and knee-high boots, except omitting the glasses used for camouflage.
Too rushed to dry her hair thoroughly, her platinum blonde hair still had a layer of moisture on it.
"Please tell me immediately what I should do."
"Masatsugu-sama?"
"Your wish is for me to help you take over the nation. In that case, you should be telling me what to do at times like these. I want to hear you say it personally. Of course, you can feel free to say 'I am unable to make decision right now.'"
"If I really were to say that..."
Shiori smiled mischievously.
Masatsugu was satisfied with her response. Her wit and intelligence had met his expectations. Instantly discerning the intent behind Masatsugu's question, Shiori answered seriously, "Masatsugu-sama, would you stand aside and watch me die?"
"Since the Tachibana clan took care of me in the past, I'll continue to serve as your bodyguard to repay that debt."
"Then I shall pass on that option. Allow me to think for a moment first."
Although Shiori was called an imperial princess, this did not mean she was the "emperor's daughter" in modern Japan.
Imperial princess was a title referring to all princesses carrying Lord Tenryuu's bloodline. There were other imperial princesses in Japan, all with higher ranked seats at the imperial palace than Shiori's.
The self-styled ostracized "forsaken princess" said, "To begin with, the Japanese government and the empress are under Lord Caesar's control while the regional rulers, Twelve Fiefdoms, each have their own agendas. And now, there is the Kinai Fiefdom's coup d'etat declaration and the British Empire's armed invasion and excessive interference in domestic affairs. There is no easy way out of the current upheaval no matter how much I think about it..."
Shiori shrugged while speaking in a sardonic tone.
"Without a doubt, the current Japan is literally in a state of disunity. Although I am not Liu Bei of the Three Kingdoms, it is rather easy for unassuming youngsters to make a name for themselves during times of turmoil—"
For example, young men from the impoverished countryside joining rebel armies, rising in position from soldier to general to head of state...
Such opportunities to rise above the rabble were impossible to come by during times of peace and stability. Conversely, the difficulty bar was instantly much lowered if one held military power and soldiers during times of turmoil.
The princess had swiftly grasped the key points of the question.
Masatsugu said to her, "Princess, your next decision is to choose a side to sell the favor to."
"I already have an idea regarding that. Favors can only be considered meaningful merchandise when sold to those in need. It would be pointless to sell favors to a faction that already possesses strong generals and vast armies."
"In other words, Princess?"
"The Tōkaidō Fiefdom has been forced to fight the Restoration Alliance... I wish to use this opportunity to establish closer ties to the men of influence in Tōkaidō. I will make proper use of my name and favor to turn them into my future backers or allies."
Masatsugu's cheeks moved slightly. He smiled.
He was aware that his expression tended to be stiff normally. Smiling was not his strong suit. Nevertheless, he did occasionally show this type of smile, except that no one around him noticed.
This time, he was smiling in celebration of Shiori making the right judgment call.
In truth, which side she had chosen to aid was unimportant. Of course, Masatsugu personally did not wish to harm Suruga's interests because his friends and acquaintances were there, but there were always ways around that.
The issue here was whether she had the guts to take action when confronted by an excellent opportunity right before her eyes.
All the knowledge and strategy in the world would be meaningless if one remained indecisive in the face of opportunity.
Someone pledging to try their hardest in the future while failing to give it their best in the present would be worthy of zero credibility. Fortunately, there was no need to worry about Princess Shiori on this front.
"Masatsugu-sama, if I were to ask you to defend the Suruga tutelary fort... Would you be willing to grant my wish?"
"Consider it done."
Almost a hundred Crusades were currently advancing towards the tutelary fort on high ground.
Watching this scene from afar, Masatsugu shrugged lightly.
"I somehow feel like I can't possibly lose against enemies of that sort. There shouldn't be a problem."
"But would victory truly be possible without a single soldier under your command?"
It was Shiori's turn to test Masatsugu this time.
"A strategian once wrote, 'against any enemy, one must make thorough preparations so as to seize victory with absolute certainty, anything less would be imprudent'..."
"You need to burn that guy's books and forget what he wrote."
Masatsugu had heard these words before but he rejected the theory directly.
Incredibly, Masatsugu was able to argue military strategy extremely naturally in the same way as his body would automatically defeat opponents in brawls.
"Making preparations ahead of time to ensure victory is admittedly important, but in real warfare, the enemy will also be doing their best to calculate and prepare. And war is always accompanied by all kinds of bad luck and misfortune. It's impossible to be always fighting under conditions of assured victory."
"I see."
"I think that man's theory is pure delusion written on paper."
"So that your opinion, Masatsugu-sama? I understand!"
Smiling, Shiori nodded.
"Had any ordinary person said the same thing, I would merely consider it an excuse for insufficient preparation—However, since you are a hero who has survived countless bloodbaths in the ancient world, I shall believe you for now."
"Much obliged."
"I never expected you to accept my request so readily."
Shiori's demure expression looked extremely lovely.
If she were nothing more than a crafty girl, Masatsugu probably would not have taken an interest in her.
However, the contradictory qualities of merciless intellect and refreshing sincerity coexisted inside her. This felt particularly interesting and also provided a feeling of reliability. She was a girl harboring the commingling of not only good and evil but also purity and murkiness. And the application of such duality was required in certain positions in the world, such as politicians and kings.
Perhaps Fujinomiya Shiori might become a great figure in recorded history one day.
Harboring such thoughts, Masatsugu took this opportunity to change the subject. A subject that was quite important too.
"By the way, Princess, about the earlier promise, I'll be counting on your support in the future. You said you were willing to pay any price—including your own body as a woman, right..."
"!? A-As you wish!"
"Relax. I'm not the type who enjoys coercing girls."
Masatsugu moved his cheek muscles again to smile at the flustered princess.
"I promise I will never do anything against your will, Princess. All I'm asking from you is a small favor at most."
"A-Alright."
"Much obliged. Well then, let's get started."
Part 4
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Part 5
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