Chronicle Legion:Volume 1 Chapter 2

Chapter 2 - Invading Legions (2)

Part 1

"By the way, Her Highness Shiori certainly made quite a bold move."

Akigase Rikka offered her sincere reaction.

It was the middle of October, on a sunny Friday afternoon.

Rikka was visiting Suruga's city hall, located roughly ten minutes' walking distance from Suruga Station. This building of over seventy years and featuring red glazed tiles had been constructed next to the historical site of Sunpu Castle where Tokugawa Ieyasu once lived.

Rikka had come to the mayor's office in the elegant city hall, in other words, the room of the city's highest authority.

"Even though it was a local program, to think that a princess of the imperial family dared to make a public appearance on television..."

Rikka smiled. She did not dislike the princess' style of audacity.

Her comments were made to the mayor, a dignified man in his early sixties, dressed in traditional Japanese attire of haori and hakama. On the other hand, Akigase Rikka was only seventeen years old—

Her gorgeous black hair reached waist length and she was a maiden with a lovely and dignified face.

However, her lips were shaped into a smile of resilience. Her attire was also different from the female high school students in the city. Her black military uniform was only worn by high-ranking officers in the Imperial Army and she even had a Japanese sword at her waist.

Incidentally, her excellent figure was visible even beneath the military uniform.

Her bountiful bosom was bulging generously while the round curves of her hips also indicated appropriate voluptuousness.

"Did you watch the interview?"

Despite Rikka being young enough to be his granddaughter, the mayor spoke to her with unusual reverence in his tone.

One would hardly blame him. Rikka was the holder of two positions. First of all, she was the eldest daughter of the Tōkaidō Governor General who ruled over the three prefectures of Aichi, Shizuoka and Yamanashi. Secondly, she was a Chevalier of the Tōkaidō provincial army—

Either one of these positions would rank her above a mayor or a prefectural governor.

Facing the one who was in charge of Suruga City's administration on her father's behalf, Rikka replied, "Yes, I watched it. Her Highness is surely refreshing in her manner of doing things. I am simply pleased as part of the Twelve Houses serving the imperial family. Besides, this is just so thrilling. If those ladies-in-waiting in the Empress' service were to find out about the television program, I am certain it would vex them to no end."

Imagining the sight, Rikka laughed again.

"If Her Highness Shiori is not simply an obedient princess... Then it would seem that an audience with her would not turn out to be a boring meeting or a waste of time. It is certainly worth celebrating."

"...Akigase-sama."

The elderly mayor smiled uncomfortably and tactfully cautioned Rikka.

Seeing as she was a member of one of the Twelve Houses and also the Akigase's Chevalier princess, it was very rare for anyone to dare make such suggestions to her. Most people tended to shower her with sycophancy.

Grateful for the mayor's well-intentions, Rikka smiled wryly and swallowed the rest of her irreverent words.

Ever since the end of Second World War and Japan accepted Lord Tenryuu's protection...

The islands of Japan had been divided into twelve provinces, each ruled by a hereditary Governor General. Bluntly stated, it had returned to the Edo period's feudal clan system.

The twelve regional Governor Generals each had their respective army and Chevaliers, thus giving rise to the name of the Twelve Fiefdoms.

The Hokkaidō Fiefdom. The Ōshū Fiefdom. The Hokuriku Fiefdom. The Kantō Fiefdom. The Tōsandō Fiefdom. The Tōkaidō Fiefdom.

The Kinai Fiefdom. The Ōsaka Fiefdom. The Chūgoku Fiefdom. The Shikoku Fiefdom. The Kyūshū Fiefdom. The Okinawa Fiefdom.

Rikka was the eldest daughter of the Akigase family ruling over Tōkaidō.

"As I recall, tomorrow is when you will pay a the princess a visit, is that correct?"

"Indeed, I wish to make a trip to the tutelary fort if time permits, so as to meet with Sakuya. Her condition has not been the best for the past few months. It seems that currying her good favor might be even harder than the princess."

After the amiable conversation, Rikka put on a serious expression and said, "However... I must first speak to that man today."

"Are you referring to Kawazoe-dono? The castellan of the Suruga tutelary fort—Or rather, the former castellan. It is such a shame that he engaged in such clandestine dealings," the mayor remarked painfully.

Rikka shrugged and said, "He was an avaricious man to begin with, so taking bribes is not surprising at all. What is truly problematic is the fact that he made contact with agents of the British Empire."

The Chevalier serving as the castellan of the Suruga tutelary fort had been arrested by the military police two days ago due to allegations of corruption. Reportedly, he had accepted bribes from someone in the construction business seeking illicit gains—

It was during this case's investigation that his second crime was uncovered.

"To think that the Britain Faction has appeared in our Tōkaidō, and even a Chevalier too," the mayor sighed in dismay.

The Eastern Roman Empire and Japan had "entered an alliance" for over ten years now.

But in recent years, more and more politicians, mainly in western Japan, were advocating an alliance with "the other major power" involved in Asia, so as to cleanse Japan of Rome's influence.

This was the so-called "Britain Faction," which had many adherents in the fiefdoms of Kyūshū, Chūgoku and Shikoku.

"The fiefdoms in the west had established intimate ties with England ever since the Bakumatsu era—since the Satchō Alliance—but the same cannot be said for Tōkaidō," said Rikka with a nod.

"This is not only the place where Lord Tokugawa Ieyasu was born and raised but also his long-term base of operations, as well as where he retired after stepping down as the shogun. In honor of the Tokugawa legacy, we must uphold absolute loyalty to the imperial family and demonstrate our unyielding mettle as a samurai family."

After expressing her principles as a descendant of samurai, Rikka smiled ironically.

"Regrettably, whom the current imperial family currently trusts is not us but the powerful Roman Empire."

"Akigase-sama..."

"Oh, my apologies. It is time for me to go see Kawazoe-sama."

The mayor cautioned Rikka again and she hastily took her leave.

Rikka was a Chevalier answering directly to the Tōkaidō Governor General and normally served at Nagoya.

She had come to Suruga City to meet the suspect on her father's behalf. After that, she was scheduled to have an audience with princess of rumor, Fujinomiya Shiori.

Part 2

After school, Masatsugu left Rinzai High with Hatsune immediately.

Riding a military truck that came to pick them up, they made their way to the Suruga tutelary fort.

The vehicle drove to the mountainous region formed from two adjacent 300m-tall hills. On the Mount Udo peak on the north side was a slightly sloping plateau known as "Nihondaira." Built on this military land and wilderness that stretched as far as the eye could see was a tutelary fort, something that could be described as a modernized "castle."

The truck finally stopped climbing the mountain and arrived at the Suruga tutelary fort.

"So this is the place huh," muttered Masatsugu to himself.

The Surugu tutelary fort occupied roughly five times the area of the Tokyo Dome stadium at the imperial capital.

The fortification walls surrounding this vast area were approximately seven meters tall.

From an overhead view, the walls formed a five-pointed star, the same shape as the famous Hakodate tutelary fort bearing the name of Goryōkaku Fortress. In fact, fortification walls were completely useless in combat against flying Legions.

The most convincing explanation was... Building a fort in a magnificent star shape could serve to boast of military might.

"Let's go, Onii-sama."

Leaving the military truck, Hatsune hurried Masatsugu.

She still dressed as a student in the style of the Haikara-san manga.

Masatsugu was wearing the stiff-collar male uniform of Rinzai High. The Imperial Army and the provincial armies led by the Twelve Houses all used black stiff-collar military uniforms which were not too different from high school uniforms. Consequently, he did not look too out of place surrounded by soldiers here despite being a student.

In contrast, Hatsune was very conspicuous in her meisen kimono, hakama and boots.

The two students walked for a while and arrived at a side gate at the wall. Masatsugu was treated to quite a sight.

Standing on the two sides of the gate were two blue giants.

They were eight meters tall and equipped with blue armor and military uniforms. Each of them had a white mask on their face which seemed like porcelain in texture. Their compact physique looked quite agile with excellent figures too.

The two giants were equipped with "bayonet rifles."

These were weapons consisting of a military rifle fitted with a stabbing blade, thus offering functionality as both a gun and a spear. Both giants were standing at attention with their guns in upright position.

They suddenly turned their necks, pointing their faces and gazes slightly downwards.

From behind their masks—the eyes could be seen from the eye holes, glaring sternly at the approaching Masatsugu and Hatsune.

This meant that they were alive, staying actively vigilant of their surroundings as door guards!

"So these are Japan's Legions... The type known as 'Kamuy,' right?"

Today was Masatsugu's first time seeing Legions in action.

Masatsugu's height was 175cm, roughly the distance from a giant's foot up to the knee. He was deeply impressed by the blue body standing almost eight meters tall.

"That's right. The castellan probably stationed them here. People who like to show off or keep up appearances generally do this kind of thing."

"Keep up appearances?"

"Think about it. Inexperienced recruits and visitors would all react like you, Onii-sama."

Masatsugu understood the nugget of common sense that Hatsune was imparting to him.

In the modern world, Legions were both the mainstay weapons and the decisive weapons. One would easily conclude from a moment's thought that using something like this to guard a gate would be an absolute waste. However, it definitely looked very impressive.

Hatsune seemed used to it already. Nothing less expected from a girl who had been a trainee at the imperial palace.

"Do these Legions only follow the castellan's orders?"

"Strictly speaking, yes. However, if the Chevalier serving as castellan carries out a ceremony to delegate command to genies and noetic masters, they can also issue simple orders."

There was also a human soldier posted next to the side gate as a guard.

Hatsune presented her authorization document and made cheerful conversation with him. In the meantime, Masatsugu looked up at the massive bodies of the two Legions.

The blue armor of these Kamuy were spotlessly clean, shining under the sunlight.

They were not only magnificent in appearance but also gave off an awe-inspiring vibe of seasoned veterancy. In fact, every Legion was not only tall and imposing but also a master of martial arts and marksmanship.

With a pull of the trigger, they could easily strike and kill targets several kilometers away.

Were Tachibana Masatsugu an enemy soldier attacking the tutelary fort, he would probably have been "instantly slaughtered" in a single second—

In that moment, a strange notion surfaced in Masatsugu's mind.

Inexplicably, Masatsugu doubted. Would he actually be "instantly slaughtered"? The Kamuy Legions in front of him were definitely powerful but oddly enough, he did not think he was going to lose.

Without any grounds, Masatsugu believed... If necessary, he should have the ability to defeat these giant soldiers.

What was up with this? While Masatsugu was grappling with his puzzling thoughts, Hatsune said to him, "This way, Onii-sama."

"...Okay."

Passing through the side gate, the two of them entered the Suruga tutelary fort.

The premises inside the walls were very vast. The ground was a large stretch of green lawn, making Masatsugu feel like he was visiting a golf course. However, there were surprisingly few buildings.

Masatsugu recalled one explanation he had heard. Since battles between Legions might take place within tutelary forts, important facilities were mostly built underground to minimize casualties...

Of the structures above ground, there was nothing more striking that the central "tower."

It was a tower built with red bricks, roughly forty meters tall. There was a giant round clock at the very top, reminiscent of a clock tower—Wrong.

"Isn't that what people call a fengshui wheel?"

The object at the top of the tower was not a giant clock.

A magnet was installed in the center, surrounded by multiple concentric circles. Fine lines were used to divide each ring into equal-area sections, resulting in a wheel packed with characters, symbols and terms, such as the bagua series of "qian, dui, li, zhen, xun, kan, gen, kun," the heavenly stems of "jia, yi, bing, ding, wu, ji, geng, xin" and the earthly branches of "zi, chou, yin, mao, chen, si, wu, wei, shen, you, xu, hai."

"I don't know the details but tutelary forts apparently need to be a sanctuary where spirits and noesis can gather easily in addition to functioning as a military base. That's why they installed something like that."

"It's definitely quite difficult to understand."

Looking at the tower with the fengshui wheel, the two of them continued.

"By the way, Hatsune, it's time you told me why the princess summoned me here... I haven't got the slightest clue."

"No, Onii-sama, you'll know when you see the princess."

Besides, why have an audience at a military facility?

Finally, Masatsugu was taken into a certain building. A one-story building constructed from steel, probably where the likes of accounting and administrative departments worked. The military staff walking past them in the corridor seemed more like government officials than "soldiers."

The two of them arrived at what appeared to be a reception room.

There was leather sofa and a classy business desk and office chair that would presumably be used by military officers normally. A beautiful girl with platinum blonde hair was sitting there.

Fujinomiya Shiori, a princess of Imperial Japan.

Dressed in Rinzai High's female uniform, the princess greeted Masatsugu with a smile, "Thank you for the trouble of coming all the way out here. I have heard so much about you from Hatsune and Old Man Tachibana."

"Did my relatives mention me on purpose?"

Masatsugu accidentally responded to this surprising news, but he regretted it greatly.

It was important to adhere to etiquette when conversing with nobility and the correct way would be to speak through the lady-in-waiting, Hatsune.

Although Masatsugu was bothered by his rash slip of the tongue, Shiori immediately replied, "Didn't you know? The Tachibana clan of Suruga has served House Fujinomiya ever since my mother's generation."

"First time I am hearing it."

Their gazes met. Shiori looked back at Masatsugu with a gentle smile. Her brilliant platinum blonde hair was undoubtedly the same color as Lord Tenryuu as seen on television.

"May I ask why you wanted to meet me at a military base?"

"There is a matter ill-suited to discussion within the city. Please allow me to explain later," Shiori replied gracefully, picked up a summoning bell and rang it gently.

A female soldier soon arrived from the corridor and entered through the door.

She was pushing a trolley that carried all kinds of tea ware. The princess was apparently inviting Masatsugu for tea. Standing on the side, Hatsune gestured for Masatsugu to sit on the sofa.

"Onii-sama, please be seated."

Masatsugu hesitated momentarily, wondering if he should decline, then shrugged.

After some thought, Masatsugu sat down simply. By this point, there was no point trying to be formal. After all, bridges would be crossed when he got to them. He would find a solution otherwise. Having decided so, Masatsugu sat down facing the princess who was behind the business desk.

In front of Masatsugu was a low glass table.

The young female soldier placed the teacup there and poured black tea. Then she walked to the princess' desk and likewise poured a cup of tea.

...At that very instant, Masatsugu was struck by a sense of dissonance.

Even if he was the invited guest, what logic is there in serving the high school student before the princess? Consequently, Masatsugu was able to react to the trouble coming at him immediately without warning. The teacup that the female soldier had placed on the desk—

Shiori picked it up and threw it hard.

Her target was Tachibana Masatsugu, sitting on the sofa a few meters away!

"!"

Widening his eyes, Masatsugu saw that the teacup was undoubtedly aimed at his face.

However, Masastsugu's body reacted automatically as usual. His head tilted to the side by 10cm, dodging the rapidly flying cup.

The teacup passed through where his face had been moments ago.

The cup was thrown with such force that it rolled off the sofa and onto the carpet before Masatsugu could see it land.

His body moved automatically the instant he sensed danger behind him.

Indeed, someone had secretly circled behind Masatsugu's back to attack him with a wooden sword!

Masatsugu's head would have split open if he had dodged a second later. With fluid motions, Masatsugu stood up swiftly.

He turned to face the assailant behind the sofa and saw her identity clearly.

"It's you, Hatsune!"

"Impressive as always, Onii-sama!"

Wielding a wooden sword, Hatsune was standing behind the sofa.

Sixteen years of age, Tachibana Hatsune was a girl with a slender build. Currently, she was exuding an accomplished master's aura. Holding a mid-level seigan stance, she had the wooden sword's tip pointed straight at Masatsugu's face.

With brilliant footwork, Hatsune instantly closed in on him.

Attacking from the front, she swung the wooden sword with a sharp sound of slicing wind. Masatsugu hastily moved right and dodged the slash nimbly.

"Here I come again!"

Hatsune executed a fierce thrust at Masatsugu's face.

Masatsugu tilted his head to evade but a second strike immediately aimed at his throat. Masatsugu took a great jump backwards, distancing himself from his distant cousin the young swordswoman.

Hatsune seized the chance to take a great stride forward and delivered a downward diagonal slash.

Masatsugu avoided the strike deftly. Missing its target, the wooden sword proceeded with an upward diagonal slash in a fluid combination offense. Hatsune's swordsmanship was sharp and fast as the wind.

The wooden sword used by Hatsune was very short, comparable to a kodachi in length.

Swinging a massive sword like in historical dramas would easily cause damage to the ceiling or the walls. Hence, Hatsune had chosen the handy and convenient kodachi.

Impressed with such impeccable attention to detail one would not expect from a young girl, Masatsugu did his best to survive these attacks.

...Also, the female soldier who was serving tea had already left. It looked like she knew in advance this was going to happen.

Meanwhile, Hatsune entered another mid-level stance and laughed fiercely.

"Fufufufu, you can't win if all you do is run, Onii-sama!"

"Is the purpose of this farce to test my abilities?"

"Indeed, the head of the Tachibana clan has decided to select from the younger generation two bodyguards for the princess. Onii-sama, you have been chosen."

"Why me?"

"Onii-sama, the only youngsters left in our clan are you and me."

Masatsugu accepted this clear and simple reason. On further thought, all the relatives he had met for the past two years were all adults over forty.

"By the way, I really had no idea you were this amazing."

"The Tachibana clan prides itself most on strength and valor. I've trained in martial arts since childhood, whereas getting into slight trouble is regarded as part of a warrior's training, so this level of ability is only to be expected."

"Listening to your confession, I'm quite curious about how serious the troubles you got yourself into..."

"Have you had enough warming up? Okay, let's begin for real. We will decide who is the strongest of the young Tachibanas!"

Masatsugu was quite troubled to see his adorable cousin pressuring him.

"Now that puts me in a dilemma. I don't really want to hurt you."

"Ah, that's quite a lovely line, Onii-sama. It feels like a fated rival is about to release his power, what a great vibe. Attack with this sort of spirit!"

"I don't mind doing as you wish... But as I've said before, I don't have any memory of my past."

Hatsune's attitude was flippant but her abilities were the real deal.

Masatsugu spoke earnestly, "It's true that I use martial arts when I encounter danger. I suppose I must have trained in martial arts in my youth, so it became ingrained into my body. But..."

Tachibana Masatsugu had apparently learned unarmed combat and swordsmanship since childhood. At least, this was what his relatives had told him. However, for the past two years since losing his memory, he had not practiced at all.

Incredibly, he did not feel any urge to practice either.

Hence, he could not remember anything that might be considered a move or a skill in swordsmanship or unarmed combat.

He could more than handle himself if it was just resisting the opponent's attacks, however...

"When I attack—It tends to be a bit dangerous."

"You're getting more and more amazing, Onii-sama! What you're saying sounds a lot like 'Get out of my sight unless you want to die. Settle down, my left arm...!'"

Hatsune's eyes were getting excited for some reason.

Masatsugu nodded and said, "Yeah, more specifically, 'I'm gonna snatch that teapot over there to scald you with boiling water, then straddle you and beat your face to a pulp.' That's my combat style, I guess?"

"...Eh? Really?"

"The martial arts I learned before seems to be a style quite focused on real-world combat. Every strike is brutal without any holding back. If there are beer bottles nearby, I'll grab them to smash on people. When an opponent tries to stare me down, I'll suddenly headbutt him, knocking him out directly."

Back when they first entered high school, Masatsugu and Taisei had accidentally found themselves downtown at night.

Unfortunately, they encountered seven or eight low-lifes and were taken to a deserted back alley. This was when Masatsugu demonstrated how dirty a fighter he could be.

After that, Masatsugu had gotten into similar troubles a few times...

"Shouldn't you fight more honorably like in shounen manga?"

"I agree, but you don't really have any moral ground to say that when you ambushed me with a wooden sword."

"On the contrary, all the men in our Tachibana clan are superbly skilled. They'd never feel bothered by little tricks of this sort. Aren't you alive and kicking right now? B-Besides, I-I don't have a choice!"

Hatsune smiled guiltily while she spoke.

"After a discussion with the princess, I decided 'this would be more exciting,' you know? The princess consented too, so..."

"...The princess authorized this farce?"

Masatsugu frowned at the revelation of the unexpected truth.

However, on further thought, he recalled that Princess Shiori was precisely the first person to make a move. Furthermore, she had attacked with full force. Masatsugu stole a glance at the problematic character in question.

"Technically, this is a test for bodyguard aptitude."

The beautiful princess smiled tenderly at Masatsugu.

Her dignified smile conveyed elegance that was the talk of the town all over Suruga.

"An easily cleared test would be pointless. Hence, we decided to step things up a little."

Evidently, the princess was nowhere near "obedient" as her appearance would suggest—

This was Masatsugu's first glimpse at Fujinomiya Shiori's true self. She was the noble princess, the intelligent and elegant beauty, yet hidden inside her were all kinds of secret aspects...

Shiori continued to speak to the pensive Masatsugu, "That being said, this test has proceeded long enough. Tachibana-sama, you are plenty qualified to serve as my bodyguard. The last requirement is your consent."

"I see."

Having been given the right to decide, Masatsugu agreed quite readily.

"Since serving Your Highness is the business of my clan, I have no objections..."

Masatsugu did not feel any loyalty to the imperial family but he was indebted to his clan. Furthermore, he had some talents so assisting Hatsune in her work should not be a problem... Just as he made his decision, a certain notion crossed his mind. Perhaps this was an excellent chance to solve "a certain problem" too.

Masatsugu decided that he needed to review the matter properly, but unfortunately, he did not have the luxury of time right now.

Unexpectedly, a siren blared at the scene to signal an emergency situation.

Part 3

The sudden siren sounded throughout the Suruga tutelary fort.

Fujinomiya Shiori immediately left the reception room and exited the building. Taking Tachibana Hatsune and her new subordinate, Tachibana Masatsugu, she led the way.

"Where are we going, Princess?"

"The nation-protecting keep. It is where information is pooled. We will head there to find out exactly what happened," replied Shiori to Hatsune following behind her.

"But will they be willing to tell outsiders like us...?"

"Worry not. Such matters are easy to resolve by relying on my clout—No, I will assuredly resolve it."

"As expected of the princess. A cheerful smile paired with villainous lines, it's absolutely lovely."

Shiori's words and behavior did not seem like a sheltered princess'.

Already used to it, Hatsune joked around to liven up the mood, following Shiori dutifully.

In contrast, Tachibana Masatsugu followed last, apparently not too fazed. Shiori's sudden demonstration of initiative did not raise his doubts much either.

No one knew if it was because he had a calm personality or he simply did things at his own pace. Or perhaps elements of both?

The previous scene had shown that he was no ordinary person, but that was not enough. He must awaken into one of the greatest heroes to grace the annals of history for all time.

This was also the Shiori's intent in summoning him to the tutelary fort on purpose.

To let him breathe air related to the battlefield. Perhaps it would offer him some sort of stimulation, triggering a new change within Tachibana Masatsugu—

Shiori had done this with such hopes.

In any case, Shiori led them briskly and arrived at the heart of the tutelary fort after five minutes. This was the red-brick tower standing in the center of the premises, the nation-protecting keep.

A tower roughly forty meters tall with a gigantic fengshui wheel installed at the top.

The facility itself had been built a few decades ago and was quite old in style. Shiori stepped into the ground floor hall boldly.

The multiple entrances were all open, providing free access to the ground floor.

There were fourteen or fifteen soldiers of the Tōkaidō provincial army in the hall. Noticing the platinum blonde princess, half of the soldiers saluted and cast gazes of surprise at her one after another.

Shiori originally wanted to ask for one of the officers but then it occurred to her that there should be someone higher ranked at the scene.

"Chevalier Kamamoto, may I trouble you for a moment?"

"Certainly, Princess, I am at your service."

The elderly Chevalier serving as the temporary castellan was surrounded by several of his subordinates.

These subordinates stepped back to provide a path for Shiori as soon as they saw her approach, allowing her party to reach the old man in the black officer's uniform.

"What caused the earlier siren? Please explain to me as much as is permissible."

"Pirates... apparently. The dragons at Suruga Bay are currently handling them."

"In other words, armed ships are approaching Suruga City?"

"There are no confirmed reports of ships yet, but it is very likely."

Shiori had already contacted the old man a few hours earlier to borrow a room in the tutelary fort.

As part of the privileged class, Chevaliers often turned into stubborn and arrogant old men in their advanced age. However, Old Man Kamamoto was a good-natured old man.

The elderly man's tone was cordial, probably in an attempt to reassure Princess Shiori.

"Please rest assured. I do not believe this would develop into a major incident. Please feel free to return safely to the city, Princess."

Three days earlier, the Suruga tutelary fort had lost the official serving as its castellan. The previous castellan had been arrested on charges of corruption and was currently detained at the military police headquarters in the countryside.

Taking over his duties was Chevalier Kamamoto who had retired for seven years and more.

Unless there was a shortage of personnel, the castellan of a tutelary fort must be a Chevalier—Due to this unwritten rule, a retired old man had to be recalled to take on the role for the time being.

"Pirates, is that it...?" murmured Shiori to herself.

Ten years ago, when Imperial Japan became the Eastern Rome's tributary ally...

Some soldiers had deserted the army, determined to oppose Rome to the bitter end. There were also radicals who launched terror attacks, rallying to drive Rome's advance detachment out of Japan. These people would engage in piracy on occasion when they faced shortages in funding.

Pirate ships of this sort would all be equipped with firearms and ammunition—

The coast guard deployed sea dragon retainer beasts in nearby waters to detect the smell of gunpowder as early as possible. Did a sea dragon raise the alarm this time too?

However, were the enemies really pirates? Just as Shiori pondered...

A sound resembling bells echoed in midair.

The mystic power producing this sound was not great. Shiori witnessed a white fox, roughly palm-size, on Old Man Kamamoto's shoulder.

This was the pipe fox, a small retainer beast used by the Imperial Army.

"Oh."

Old Man Kamamoto widened his eyes and the pipe fox jumped off his shoulder.

The pipe fox ran adorably to the wall where there was an unoccupied rocking chair.

Then after the pipe fox ran under the chair, a girl appeared out of thin air and onto the chair.

Dressed as a shrine maiden, the girl had bangs reaching her eyebrows and black, shoulder-length hair. Very adorable, the girl resembled a Ichimatsu doll and seemed to be eight or nine years old.

"Sakuya, do you have something to tell me?"

Old Man Kamamoto asked and the girl named Sakuya turned her head towards him.

The girl's slender figure and the outline of her shrine maiden garments were slightly blurred. Rather than a real human, she was an image projected by a spirit, a means to substitute for possessing a simulacrum.

She was probably the genie protecting the Suruga tutelary fort.

"Invading... Le... gions... Enemy, alert..."

Sakuya reported the battle situation choppily and transmitted noetic waves.

The view projected by noetic waves covered the ceiling of the nation-protecting keep's ground floor hall. It was like a giant screen at at cinema.

...The overhead view showed the situation on the sea.

There were three bodies floating on the sea surface, resembling ten-meter-long sea serpents. However, the dead bodies had golden scales, which meant they were the sea dragon used by the coast guard. All three were decapitated, possibly shot dead by the enemy.

...The screen switched to a new view.

This was the surface of the distant sea, several kilometers away from the coast. There were seven or eight heads bobbing up and down, swimming towards the beach while treading water.

However, these "humanoid" entities were not humans.

Standing eight meters tall, their silhouettes greatly resembled Legions.

Furthermore, their bodies were releasing black haze, preventing a clear view to confirm their appearance...

"Right now, multiple Legions have killed three sea dragons... and are advancing towards the Suruga tutelary fort. The enemy has stealth noetic camouflage applied, type and affiliation unidentified. Also, this video was obtained through noetic techniques... from one of the coast guard's wyverns, which had witnessed the scene..."

Sakuya's image sat on the rocking chair while giving her report.

Her voice was extremely quiet and low, rather difficult to understand due to its choppiness. To Shiori's ears, it sounded like the grim reaper paying an ominous visit.

Fortification walls and moats were unable to stop flying Legions.

However, tutelary forts had modern defensive barriers to do the job instead. Like pipe foxes, these were spirits bestowed by Lord Tenryuu, and high-ranking beings at that.

"Ifrit, Seiryuu..."

When Sakuya's image spoke this name, a gigantic magic circle appeared in the sky.

A circle of blue light, seventy meters in diameter, manifested in the air over the tutelary fort. There were complicated patterns and Sanskrit characters inside it.

Behind the magic circle, an equally gigantic dragon took form.

More precisely, it was the "image of a giant dragon."

The slender and serpentine body was covered with sapphire-blue scales.

The giant dragon also had two antlers and four short limbs—The majesty of its sacred and solemn form undoubted belonged to the oriental symbol of the king, the holy beast known as the "dragon." The translucent body indicated it was a projected image.

The Suruga tutelary fort was not at a high elevation, but it was situated on a mountain peak at least.

The surrounding urban areas could see Seiryuu's image too. Urban areas neighboring the tutelary fort were already sounding the alarm to proclaim martial law.

"Legions of unidentified affiliation are advancing on the tutelary fort? Who exactly are pretending to be pirates...?" Suruga's temporary castellan, Chevalier Kamamoto, quietly muttered.

Currently, he was riding a blue wyvern and flying over the tutelary fort. The wyvern was identical to a lizard in appearance except with wings sprouting from the shoulders instead of forelimbs.

The wyvern's was more than twice as big as a purebred horse, a mid-sized retainer beast roughly four meters in length.

Mounted on the saddle, Chevalier Kamamoto said, "In the name of Zuihou, the Appellation bestowed upon us warriors of Imperial Japan—Assemble."

A round mirror appeared in the elderly knight's right hand.

The plain round mirror seemed to be polished copper and was the size of a palm. This was Zuihou, a Chevalier seal for summoning Imperial Japan's Legion, the Kamuy, as well as a glorious badge of valor.

Soaring while mounted on his wyvern, the old man released a large amount of noesis.

The noesis immediately materialized, turning into a flying army of Legions.

A total of twenty-seven Kamuys, equipped with armor and uniforms colored with the world-famous "samurai blue." All armed with the standard issue bayonet rifle, the Legions followed Old Man Kamamoto into battle.

The old Chevalier noticed the enemy approaching from the south—Suruga Bay.

"Incoming?"

The view was quite expansive from the Suruga tutelary fort on the plateau.

Suruga Bay was to the south, Shimizu Harbor was to the east while the northeast offered a magnificent view of the sacred peak, Mount Fuji. Unlike ordinary towns or locations surrounded by mountains, the geography here was very diverse.

Within this top-class view, signs of the unknown enemy army were lurking.

There were about thirty "human figures" flying in from over Suruga Bay, the enemy army hidden behind stealth noetic techniques. After being discovered by sea dragons, they had flown into the air directly.

Without organizing themselves, the "human figures" were flying in a scattered formation.

Suruga's sea and cityscape were gradually dyed red by the setting sun. It was almost sundown.

A more careful count yielded thirty-four enemies. Chevalier Kamamoto had twenty-seven Kamuys under his command. The enemy held numerical superiority but the defenders had support from the ifrit, Seiryuu.

The image of a gigantic azure dragon, with a magic circle behind its back, occupied the air over the tutelary fort.

To the south, Chevalier Kamamoto led twenty-seven Kamuys, standing by in the air.

A minute or two later, the enemy "human figures" reached the shore. Only several kilometers stood between them at the Suruga tutelary fort. At this time, Seiryuu made a move.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...

Seiryuu emitted a sonorous roar from its gigantic jaws.

Then the sky turned dark with a gathering of storm clouds. Lightning began to descend from above.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

The dark clouds kept releasing lightning nonstop. Seiryuu had invoked a meteorological decree—This was a spiritual power to control weather phenomena, bestowed by Lord Tenryuu the sacred beast.

Struck by lightning, a certain "human figure" was blown away greatly.

However, the giant shrouded in haze did not take too much damage. Mere lightning was not enough to neutralize Legions.

The lightning turned into a continuous barrage to impede the enemy's advance. This was the purpose of the meteorological decree as a weapon.

Amid the sky filled with descending lightning, a lone "human figure" howled.

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

This was probably some kind of command.

The thirty-odd "human figures" began accelerate, moving apart from one another. Maintaining a scattered formation, they charged at high speed.

Unerringly, the enemy rushed at the Kamuy army led by Chevalier Kamamoto.

"Hmm!?"

Chevalier Kamamoto was taken by surprise. The instant they accelerated, the enemy abandoned their camouflage. Flying swiftly without fear of the lightning barrage, they were no longer an army of "human figures."

"Crusades..!"

The Crusades were larger in build than the Kamuys.

They also wore thicker armor. A refreshing white in overall coloring, they were adorned by red lines at various positions. This appearance belonged to the Crusade, the mainstay Legion of the British Imperial Forces.

"So a British knight has come to invade!?"

This was actually understandable. Imperial Japan was allied with Eastern Rome. If anyone would dare attack a Japanese tutelary fort, "the other empire" in Asia was the only logical candidate.

That being said, Chevalier Kamamoto clicked his tongue.

"The tutelary fort has yet to deploy a noesis barrier...? Right, Sakuya had mentioned her poor condition."

The enemy had launched a fierce assault in an attempt to conquer the Suruga tutelary fort.

As they called it in the olden days, a "siege battle" was about to begin. In charge of defense, the ifrit Seiryuu continued to rain down lightning in resistance, equivalent to the likes of arrows and cannons as "anti-air fire."

The problem was that without "walls," there would be no castle—

Meanwhile, the Crusades continued to fly swiftly, unfazed by the lightning strikes from the sky.

They soldiered on relentlessly even when their comrades were struck directly. Advancing in a straight line, the British Legions began to use their bayonet rifles for suppressive fire. Rather than bullets, heat beams were fired from the barrels.

Dozens of flashes flew through the air as magic arrows, approaching Imperial Japan's twenty-seven Kamuys.

"Activate barriers!"

The Kamuys swiftly executed Chevalier Kamamoto's command.

Tiny lights fluttered like particulate matter, suspended in the air around the twenty-seven Kamuys.

This type of light had the effect of weakening enemy gunfire. As a result, despite sustaining some damage, Kamamoto's Kamuys were able to meet the thirty-four charging Crusades without any loss in numbers.

A melee battle unfolded in the air.

The rifle bayonets used by both sides functioned as "spears," clashing in combat through thrusts and slashes.

Like humans, the heads, chests and abdomens of Legions were vital parts. Legions injured in these areas would lose the ability to fly and crash down.

"The tide is... against my side huh?"

The Crusade was superior to the Kamuy in both physical build and strength.

The only way for Kamuys to oppose Crusades was to make use of their agility in hit-and-run tactics. But once both sides engaged in close combat with soldiers mixed together chaotically, the side with superior strength would hold absolute advantage.

No sooner had the old Chevalier spoken than a Crusade stabbed a Kamuy in the face with its bayonet and pulled the trigger directly.

The rifle bayonet was a weapon consisting of a military rifle with a blade fitted on its front end of its barrel.

Naturally, the beam fired from the muzzle caused the Kamuy's head to explode.

Furthermore, the beam continued in a straight line, piercing a new target. Unfortunately, Chevalier Kamamoto's wyvern mount was shot.

"Ohhhhhh!?"

The beam blew away one of the wyvern's wings.

Losing the ability to fly, the wyvern fell, taking its rider along with it. The height of the fall was roughly sixty or seventy meters.

Chevalier Kamamoto crashed into a green hill. Fortunately, the wyvern's giant body helped to cushion the fall, so he survived with only a few fractures and bruises.

However—

A giant descended before Chevalier Kamamoto the survivor.

It was a Crusade, intending to assassinate Chevalier Kamamoto. The British Legion's landing caused the ground to shake and rumble. Up close, it looked as big as a three or four-story building.

The rifle bayonet in the giant's hand was roughly four meters long.

More than twice the old man's height.

Either the bayonet fitted on the gun or the beam from the muzzle could easily smash Chevalier Kamamoto to pieces. Upholding his pride as a soldier of the Imperial Army, Old Man Kamamoto spurred his injured body to stand up as quickly as possible. At the same time, he drew the 9mm semi-automatic pistol from the holster at his waist.

However, this sort of thing could not stop a gigantic Legion.

Without even using its bayonet rifle, the Crusade swung its left leg as though kicking a pebble.

This small movement struck Chevalier Kamamoto hard, kicking him into the air. Just as he was about to lose consciousness, he desperately ordered the Kamuys under his command.

He commanded the Kamuys to defend the tutelary fort to the bitter end on his behalf. This thought became the old man's final will and testament.

Part 4

Inside the ground floor hall of the nation-protecting keep, Masatsugu sighed.

Floating in midair, a giant window was serving as a screen, playing a certain video.

It was showing the aerial battle between Legions in the sky near the Suruga tutelary fort—An intense clash between the army of Kamuys led by Chevalier Kamamoto against the British army of Crusades.

"So one-sided..." groaned Masatsugu.

After Chevalier Kamamoto's death in battle, the Kamuys clearly became more sluggish.

Whenever the Crusades approached, the Kamuys would swing their bayonet rifles to engage. Unfortunately, they were too slow, completely failing to dodge or parry enemy attacks. Conversely, the Kamuys' attacks all missed.

Like this, it was impossible to stand up to the British army with their strength advantage.

Even so, the twenty-seven Kamuys did not give up fighting. Even though their attacks frequently missed, they persisted in firing their guns at the Crusades and stabbing with their bayonets.

Normally speaking, when a Chevalier died, the Legions under his command would disappear.

"Is it the Chevalier's final will...?" Masatsugu whispered to himself. Inexplicably, he felt a sense of certainty.

Occasionally, Legions would carry out their late master's final command as though to uphold their dying wish. This was especially true for Japan's mainstay Legion, the Kamuy, whose loyalty to commands was particularly notable.

As soon as he figured out the reason why the Kamuys were fighting relentlessly, Masatsugu felt troubled.

Tachibana Masatsugu was a student who knew nothing about Legions. He could not understand why he knew such things with certainty.

Meanwhile, another unfavorable element appeared on the battlefield.

"The dragon disappeared...?"

Masatsugu doubted his eyes. The dragonoid image of Seiryuu the guardian deity had vanished without warning from the air over the tutelary fort it had occupied until now.

The soldiers in the nation-protecting keep's hall also clamored among themselves, unable to hide their loss of composure.

One officer ran over to a corner of the hall, to where Sakuya's image had been sitting on the rocking chair.

"Sakuya-sama? What happened to you, Sakuya-sama!?"

The shrine maiden's image had disappeared, vanishing from sight the same moment as Seiryuu.

Thereafter, people began to talk all at once. Someone suggested to find a noetic master while others wanted to know what actually happend to the dragon. Chevalier Kamamoto's condition was also a focus of discussion. The scene was filled with angry shouts and orders.

Desperation to break out of the predicament had infected every officer and the soldiers under them. However, without the crucial Chevalier, it was anyone's guess how much their efforts could achieve—

"...Masatsugu-sama and Hatsune, come this way."

The princess suddenly called Masatsugu and Hatsune.

Shiori walked briskly out of the hall in the nation-protecting keep and Hatsune followed decisively. Masatsugu did the same.

To be honest, this was not leadership one would expect from a sheltered princess.

Ever since the siren, Shiori had issued various precise instructions. Her obedient docility was purely a facade meant to obfuscate the world.

As soon as they left the keep, a small animal appeared on Shiori's shoulder.

It was a white fox roughly the size of a hamster, namely, the small retainer beast called the pipe fox. The spirit named Sakuya had used the same kind of animal.

Masatsugu said, "A retainer beast... Today is my first time seeing one for real."

"It is something that I asked Hatsune's father to procure for me. Keeping one around is extremely useful."

The small white animal on Shiori's shoulder exhaled through its nostrils.

Lord Tenryuu had bestowed many retainer beasts upon Imperial Japan and the pipe fox was one type. Using inborn noetic powers, they were able to serve mankind by enacting small miracles.

Like firearms, retainer beasts were only allowed to be used by military and police agencies in principle.

There were rumors of illegal retainer beasts in civilian society...

Shiori said to the mysterious little animal, "The genie of this tutelary fort... is called Sakuya, isn't she? I need to speak to her, so please locate her. You should be able to find her at the underground water shrine."

The pipe fox squealed and disappeared just like that.

It swiftly obeyed orders, leaving as suddenly as it had arrived.

"Princess, couldn't you have summoned her from where we were just now?"

"Not in front of others. I need to speak to her confidentially," replied Shiori instantly to Hatsune's question.

"That genie—seemed a bit odd."

There was a sense of certainty in the princess' tone of voice.

"A so-called genie is the will of an ifrit, something akin to an avatar. I believe that she and Seiryuu were unable to sustain their manifestations due to spiritual instabilities."

"How are you so sure?" Masatsugu could not help but interject. He was very curious about Shiori's tone of certainty.

On behalf of her master, Hatsune the lady-in-waiting puffed out her chest proudly and said, "Remember this well, Onii-sama, our princess is not only smart but also blessed with noetic aptitude. She is literally the epitome of brains and beauty, an exemplar of the Yamato Nadeshiko ideal!"

Noetic aptitude referred to the ability to sense and transmit noetic waves.

The title of noetic master was bestowed upon those who worked hard to obtain state certification. Compared to ordinary humans, these people were more able to commune with spirits and retainer beasts, which likewise specialized in noetic control.

Hatsune looked very smug, but Shiori said indifferently, "Like my hair, this sort of ability simply comes from my grandfather's bloodline. Many princesses inheriting a sacred beast's blood have aptitude for the mystical, just that my disposition is stronger."

"Amazing."

Masatsugu's ordinary praise prompted Shiori to shrug and say, "Is that so? The current Empress has rather thin dragon blood... Which is why her closest supporters have always regarded me with hostility. These people believe it is a great affront for me to bear such close resemblance to my grandfather despite belonging to a junior branch. Strictly speaking, the disadvantages are more numerous."

The princess' brilliant platinum blonde hair originated from Lord Tenryuu's bloodline.

However, the current Empress, Her Majesty Teruhime, had black hair, the same as a typical Japanese. Masatsugu now understood the reason.

Shiori continued, "Please keep this a secret for I have only told those who are close to me."

"As you command."

"Apart from noetic matters, I have also kept many other secrets. This includes my actual personality as well as the fact that I am more shrewd than most people imagine me to be."

"...Shrewd, is it?"

"Indeed. On matters of the mind, I seldom lose to anyone."

The princess' matter-of-fact expression made it sound like being shrewd was a virtue. The highly impolite word "shrew" came to Masatsugu's mind.

At that moment, a bell sound was heard.

The pipe fox that had been on Shiori's shoulder earlier appeared out of thin air. The small retainer beast had returned.

"How did it go?"

The pipe fox shook its little head.

Its lady master sighed and said in vexation, "The spirit named Sakuya... I cannot believe she closed off her heart and refused to listen to anyone. In human terms, she seems to be a very shy child. If she were to swear to secrecy, I would be willing to help her..."

Mid-sentence, the princess could no longer be heard.

A sudden crash overwhelmed her voice. Something hard and heavy collapsed, accompanied by an explosion. This was what they had heard.

The Suruga tutelary fort's star-shaped fortification walls—It had been breached at one point.

...Needless to say, the enemy Crusades were responsible.

Two Crusades kept firing their bayonet rifles from the air. Breaking past the Kamuys tasked with Old Man Kamamoto's dying wish, they charged into the tutelary fort's immediate area.

After that, the two Crusades landed inside the tutelary fort.

The heavy impact shook the ground. One of the Crusades landed on the roof of a one-story steel-frame building.

The British Legion stood over eight meters tall.

Its estimated weight of several hundred tons easily crushed the structure of steel-reinforced concrete.

Anyone inside would have died for sure. Next, the two Crusades began to spray gunfire.

The beams shot out of the muzzles in a torrent, blasting the interior of the tutelary fort.

The Crusades were not aiming in particular. Firing at a rate of ten shots per second, there was no need to aim.

The various structures inside the tutelary fort—buildings, hangars, barracks, etc were all built from steel-reinforced concrete, yet they were all pierced by the beams like styrofoam props. Blown away. Crushed. Burned. Melted. Explosions erupted.

The destructive heat beams melted and sliced through steel metal and concrete.

The was the power of the bayonet rifle.

Hatsune cried out in panic, "Princess! We have to hurry and find shelter!"

"...No, it would be safer to stay still."

Shiori looked at a certain building. It was the nation-protecting keep they had just exited.

"This tower is the core of the tutelary fort. Assuming it has concealed information inside and underground, the ifrit's principal image or a water shrine must be present. The enemy side needs to take over these facilities for their own use... Hence the Crusades will definitely not attack our position."

Shiori was right.

The two Crusades did not stop shooting but their guns were never aimed in the trio's direction at the nation-protecting keep.

Hatsune smiled and Shiori exhaled in relief. Despite speaking out to assure everyone of their safety, she could not help but feel nervous inside.

Next, the princess looked up sternly.

"Let us take this opportunity to call for reinforcements."

Shiori's entire body glowed white. It was the light of noetic power.

Ordinary people were essentially unable to sense noetic waves, but powerful noetic waves would release light, producing radiance that anyone could see—

Witnessing this rumored phenomenon, Masatsugu was deeply impressed.

"O braves who have exhausted your strength, may your courage be crowned by glory. Praise be to your courage."

The imperial princess spoke solemnly amid the white light of noesis.

Curious, Hatsune asked the Shiori, "Princess, what are you doing?"

"These Kamuys continue to fight relentlessly in honor of Kamamoto-sama's dying wish—I am gathering them to defend the tutelary fort that is about to fall to the enemy. However, I have no idea how many Kamuys will rush over here..." murmured Shiori with worry.

Indeed, the Kamuys were currently fighting valiantly against the Crusades outside the tutelary fort as well. It was anyone's guess how many Kamuys were still intact and whether they had the luxury of diverting some of their numbers back to the tutelary fort.

Surprisingly, reinforcements arrived immediately.

Firing their bayonet rifles, two Kamuys entered the premises from the tutelary fort's side gate.

"The ones guarding the gate!"

Masatsugu realized that they were the two Kamuys that had been stationed at the side gate for the purpose of prestige. Obeying their late commander's dying wish, they too had yet to disappear from the battlefield.

Part 5

The water shrine was located between a hundred to two hundred meters beneath the nation-protecting keep.

Compared to the nation-protecting keep's ground floor hall above the surface, the water shrine was ten times more spacious. One could call it an extremely vast space. Simply stated, it was a "wide open space enclosed in stone," built entirely from white marble.

The ceiling was very tall, at least twenty meters high.

Dozens of round pillars were distributed evenly within, every pillar identical in size with a diameter of six or seven meters. The style was reminiscent of ancient Greek temples.

There were no signs of humans in this serene environment.

Conversely, there was a great quantity of "blue water" on the ground.

As far as the eye could see, it was a marine-blue surface, similar in color to the beautiful southern seas. The water was criss-crossed by narrow pieces of stone, presumably to use as paths. They were not numerous but people could walk on them.

This place, filled with blue holy water, was a sacred temple of water.

There was one corner connected to this network of paths over the blue water surface.

A certain girl dressed as a shrine maiden was standing there, unmoving. It was the image of the genie Sakuya. However, her outline was even more blurred than before.

Her current condition was very weak, not even able to sustain a projection.

(Invading, Le, gion... Seiryuu, sustain, failure—)

Sakuya was pondering blankly.

Despite her young appearance, Sakuya was actually a genie that had lived for close to a century. Her soul had accumulated much fatigue. Her personality was also "timid" and "fragile."

For delicate girl like her, the invasion of Crusades has been a painful trial.

Coming into contact at close range with noetic waves from the fighting spirit, bloodlust and offensive intent exuding from the two Chevaliers and many Legions had subjected Sakuya's soul to severe damage, as though she had been physically attacked.

Contact with the outside world was currently a heavy burden for her.

Just now, she had driven away an unwelcome pipe fox. That being said, she still wanted to fulfill her duties.

(Attempt to re-summon Seiryuu... Failure. Calling reinforcements... Attempting noetic communication—)

Sakuya dutifully engaged in several tasks slowly.

Progress was as slow as a turtle. She patiently waited for the tasks to complete. She noticed a certain task had finished, the status of friendly forces had been verified.

(Chevalier Kamamoto... Killed in action. However, the battle continues...)

Normally speaking, when the commanding Chevalier died in battle, his Legions would also vanish completely.

However, the Kamuys were obeying the old man's final will on this occasion and refused to give up fighting.

Imperial Japan's Legion, the Kamuy, was noted for its utmost loyalty to their lords. The secret to the current inspirational story probably stemmed from these Kamuys' decades-long bonds with the elderly knight in addition to their loyal dispositions.

However, reality was harsh after all. An army that had lost its commander could not possibly be in strong position.

The Kamuys valiantly resisted the enemy's thirty-odd Crusades but that was the limit. Most likely, in a few more minutes, the army of Kamuys were going to be wiped out. Or perhaps the final will's effects would weaken and they were going to disappear on their own.

It was during these few minutes...

The situation changed. Two Crusades broke through the defensive line, freed themselves of the Kamuys obstructing them, and successfully invaded the tutelary fort.

Together with Princess Shiori and his distant cousin Hatsune, Masatsugu was within the tutelary fort's premises.

Two British Legions, Crusades, had finally descended from the sky. The Kamuys guarding the side gate had rushed over to intercept the enemy.

Imperial Japan's two blue samurai fired consecutively while approaching the Crusades.

Naturally, the British forces shot back. Both sides deployed protective barriers while exchanging fire. In terms of numbers, they were evenly matched two against two.

However, having lost their commander, the Kamuys moved sluggishly and were easily shot and killed by the Crusades.

Pierced by beams in the abdomen, they vanished like morning mist.

"Princess!? The those two gate guards were easily dispatched by the enemy!" Hatsune shrieked in alarm, but there were also others fighting against the British Legions.

Neither Chevaliers nor Legions, they were the soldiers of the Suruga tutelary fort.

Driving a number of lightly armored vehicles, they approached the two Crusades. One soldier opened the top hatch and exposed his upper torso. He was carrying an anti-tank rocket launcher on his shoulder.

This weapon fired 110mm rocket-propelled grenades, specialized for countering heavy tank armor.

Furthermore, there was a small military truck carrying a small surface-to-air missile launcher platform.

Using the weapons of conventional forces, they attempted to oppose the Legions.

Ten-odd grenades and missiles were shot in succession at the invading Crusades.

Every projectile met its mark. Explosions and shockwaves produced a raging storm to ravage the two British Legions. Unfortunately, their white armor suffered no damage at all.

Witnessing this scene, Shiori sighed, "Attacks without mystic powers have a 90% chance of having no effect. This is a property shared by all Legions. Without a massive stroke of good fortune, it is impossible to defeat them using conventional weaponry..."

After that, the sound of propellers arrived at the scene.

Two combat helicopters were flying at the Crusades in a pincer attack.

Anti-tank missile launchers were hanging beneath the helicopters, and of course, the pilots launched them, but it was pointless.

The two Crusades fired indiscriminately in merciless retribution.

Armored vehicles, trucks, and helicopters were all shot and exploded. This could not be helped. Even a tank division with heavy armor and superior firepower would not be able to handle a single Legion...

"Good heavens!"

Hatsune gasped. Fortunately, these brave soldiers did not sacrifice themselves in vain. While they were holding the Crusades' attention, another four Kamuys arrived from the sky.

Sensing Shiori's noetic waves earlier, the Kamuys had rushed to assist in defense of the tutelary fort.

The Blue Samurai and the two Crusades were no more than ten meters apart. This was a distance where the bayonet part of their weapons would play their role, engaging in close quarter combat with a clash of blades.

...However, the two Crusades were more agile than the four Kamuys.

Whenever the Crusades sung their rifles, the vicious blades fitted on the tips would tear through the Kamuys' blue armor and uniform, splattering blue blood.

Indeed, the blood coursing through the veins of Legions was blue. More precisely, it should be called ectoplasmic fluid.

This blue liquid was the source of all kinds of mystic powers, for things as small as automatons possessed by spirits or entities as large as Legions or water shrines. Such was the purpose of ectoplasmic fluid.

"Princess, Onii-sama! Look!" Hatsune pointed to one of the Crusades and yelled.

The winged giant soldier of white was holding a Kamuy by the neck with its right hand. The Kamuy was raised up and tossed far away.

The Kamuy's exhausted and giant body flew through the air under the setting sun's rays.

Following a parabolic trajectory, the eight-meter body was about to fall upon Masatsugu's group...

"Hurry and run! Immediately!"

Shiori issued orders swiftly. Hatsune and Masatsugu reacted just as quickly.

Hatsune dashed as speedily as a gazelle and was the first to escape the Legion's likely crash site. Of course, Masatsugu did not fall behind by much.

As a fellow youngster of the Tachibana clan, Masatsugu was just about to demonstrate his explosive acceleration when...

"Kyah...!"

Unexpectedly, the girl beside him fell. The ground was clearly flat with no obstacles nearby, yet the girl tripped while running, falling flat on the grassy lawn.

Masatsugu halted just as he was about to sprint.

He forcibly interrupted his dash. The gigantic Kamuy was about to hit the ground in less than five seconds.

He did not have enough time to pick up the fallen girl and run away at full speed.

"......!"

Having just been appointed as the girl's bodyguard, Masatsugu felt inclined to rescue her. Even if he were not a bodyguard, there was no way he could leave a girl to her own devices in the face of imminent death.

Based on these thoughts, his body executed a certain action, but definitely not out of pure recklessness.

He believed with certainty that he could save the girl this way and that he himself would definitely survive.

"Masatsugu-sama!?"

Masatsugu threw himself on top of the stunned Shiori.

He supported himself on his arms and legs as though performing push-ups to avoid resting his weight on the princess. Thus, Shiori was positioned in the small space between Masatsugu and the ground.

Immediately, a strong impact struck Masatsugu's back.

"Guhhhhhhhhhhh!"

The Kamuy weighed several hundred tons.

Masatsugu clenched his teeth, enduring the impact and the weight of the fallen Legion. He held on, painfully, excruciatingly... A minute or two passed. his push-ups posture did not collapse.

Weighing on Masatsugu's back was the giant's chest area.

The fallen Kamuy was lying face down.

"Masatsugu-sama, Masatsugu-sama!?"

Hearing the princess crying out anxiously under him, Masatsugu breathed a sigh of relief.

The fact that Shiori could still speak meant that she was unharmed. He noticed that Fujinomiya Shiori's surprised but beautiful face was just in front of his eyes, extremely close to him.

Now that he thought about it, this posture was like he was pinning the princess down to have his way with her.

Naturally, they were not embracing each other. Neither was he experiencing the lovely softness of a woman. Nevertheless, because they were in close proximity, Masatsugu noticed something.

Despite the princess' slim figure, she was quite mature and sexy as a woman.

The curves of her bust and hips were quite voluptuous. If she and Hatsune were to stand side by side in their swimsuits, it would definitely be a close competition.

"Masatsugu-sama... Masatsugu-sama! A-Are you unharmed!?"

"I'm fine. By the way, Your Highness, may I ask you a question?"

"P-Please proceed."

"You tripped over just as we started running... Do you happen to be very bad at sports?"

"Th-This is one of my secrets and an especially important one at that. I cannot tell you easily!"

"Since it affect my work as a bodyguard, I have to make sure. However..."

Pinned under a Legion's massive body, Masatsugu was lying on top of the imperial princess. One hour ago, never in his wildest dreams would he have expected this to happen. However, Masatsugu was calm to an unbelievable degree.

Indeed, this trivial situation was no crisis.

"No need to answer the question. I already understand from your response just now."

"What!? Oh, by the way, Masatsugu-sama, this strength of yours—"

Masatsugu did not wait for the princess to finish speaking.

Mustering all his strength, he slowly pushed himself up.

"Gu... uhh... G—uhhhhhhhhhh!"

Using his back, Masatsugu slowly lifted the several-hundred-ton Kamuy and tried to stand up from the ground.

He finally managed a half-crouching posture. Currently, Masatsugu was acting like a human industrial jack, lifting the several hundred ton weight of a Kamuy's chest by a height of eighty or ninety centimeters.

Next, he finished his action in one go.

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

Accompanied by a violent shout, Masatsugu straightened his posture, standing up with an imposing form.

Finally, he pushed the Kamuy off his head as though flipping a pancake on a griddle. This monstrous strength was truly ridiculous.

Spinning half a circle, the blue giant fell on the ground again.

Previously, the Kamuy was lying face down, but this time, its back hit the ground, producing a heavy impact sound at the scene.

Standing next to the Kamuy, Masatsugu relaxed his shoulders casually.

He was bleeding somewhere on the top of his head and the blood slid down his forehead. Masatsugu felt deeply impressed. To think that he only suffered this bit of injury. An ordinary human could not possibly be this strong and sturdy.

Thanks to this power, he had protected the princess. Lying on the ground, the princess looked at him blankly.

Over to the side, Hatsune was frozen on the spot. She asked Masatsugu in astonishment, "Onii-sama... Th-Thank goodness you're okay. No wait, what the heck did you just do!?"

Turning his back to the two girls, Masatsugu moved forward. A detailed discussion would have to wait until things were settled.

He slowly approached the two Crusades. Of the Kamuy that had been fighting, only one remained while the rest were all lying on the ground as corpses. (As a side note, the lone survivor was the Kamuy that had been lying on top of Masatsugu and Shiori just now.)

The white Crusades of Britain no longer had opponents to fight for a while already.

However, they halted simultaneously.

Staring at the tiny mortal, they acted as though they had met a terrifying enemy.

The Crusades lifted their rifles and aimed at Masatsugu on the ground.

Masatsugu himself walked leisurely at the Crusades and merely issued a simple order. Againt such small fry, there was no need for him to get his hands dirty.

"Finish them."

The Kamuy lying on the ground behind Masatsugu reacted after almost crushing the princess and Masatsugu to death earlier. Eyes lighting up, the samurai crawled back up to its feet in fluid motions.

The Kamuy's method of getting up was reminiscent of a beast's speed and agility—

The Kamuy then flew over Masatsugu's head, charging at the two Crusades like a leopard.

Thrusting its bayonet rifle with lightning speed, the Kamuy pierced a British Legion in the chest with the blade. However, the assault was far from over.

Pulling out the bayonet rifle, the Kamuy slashed upwards at a slant.

This slash severed the other Crusade's carotid artery.

The battle had ended. The Kamuy's swift offensive struck vitals with precision, easily slaughtering the two Crusades.

"Red-purple...?" muttered Masatsugu to himself.

The Kamuy following his orders had quietly changed color.

Originally blue, its armor and military uniform had turned "a shade of purple mixed with the color of blood." Neither plain nor glamorous, it was quite a striking shade of red-purple, however.

...At this moment, the loud noise of propeller blades resounded in the air over the tutelary fort.

A military helicopter had flown in from the west, flanked by ten-odd blue Kamuys. Reinforcements had finally arrived.

"It should be Rikka-sama from House Akigase. Leave the rest to her."

By the time Masatsugu noticed, Shiori had come to his side.

"Masatsugu-sama... Have you finally awakened? A legatus legionis at last—A true Chevalier."

The princess had spoken unfamiliar words.

Imperial Japan's princess was gazing at Masatsugu's face.

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