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 fighting style was reminiscent of military records dating back to the time of the Genpei period, 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 his 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 twitched slightly. It was a smile.

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 summarily dismissed the theory.

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 is 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's cheek muscles twitched 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

Every tutelary fort in Japan was equipped with a water shrine.

Furthermore, almost every tutelary fort had an ifrit. The conscious will and avatar of this guardian deity was what was called a genie.

Hence, Sakuya's subpar condition would also cause Seiryuu's loss of performance.

Sakuya was currently at the top level of the nation-protecting keep at the Suruga tutelary fort.

More precisely, it was her projected image—the visual likeness of a young girl dressed as a shrine maiden.

The nation-protecting keep was forty meters tall. Ordinary towers would usually have an observation room at the top, but nation-protecting keeps ran contrary to that norm. The vast room at the top level was completely dark without any windows on the outer walls.

The flickering light from candles in the surroundings served to illuminate this interior space.

A magic circle was drawn on the floor of stone, identical in pattern with the seventy-meter magic circle on the ifrit Seiryuu's back. Sakuya's image was sitting on top of the magic circle.

"Naumaku sanmandabodanan beishiramandaya, sowaka. Naumakuarratannoutaratayaya, atakyarobotarayachishaya, baishiramandaya, makarajaya, yakyashachibataba, sototasoshitsurabarasowaka—"

To increase her noetic energy, the girl recited a mantra as though singing a song.

Sakuya's legs were stretched out and her sitting posture was not quite presentable. However, Sakuya's increased noetic energy took form in the air over the tutelary fort as the ifrit Seiryuu and even succeeded in deploying a noesis barrier.

The space surrounding the Suruga tutelary fort was twisting and shimmering like being seen through steaming hot air.

A "distortion" formed a physical barrier to block enemy attacks and invasions, this was the "noesis barrier." Simply by using waves of thought and turning them into physical power sufficient to defend a fortress, it was a noetic control technique of the highest rank.

Furthermore, there were ten-odd noetic officers sitting in meditation next to Sakuya.

Within the Tōkaidō provincial army, only noetic masters wore uniforms similar to monk's working clothes. To help control Seiryuu, they were focused on chanting mantras just like Sakuya.

"Crusades—One army approaching, ninety in number..."

Sakuya stopped reciting the mantra and reported the battle situation quietly.

Ninety flying British Legions had finally arrived before Seiryuu. The two sides were separated by four hundred meters, a distance where fighting could break out any moment.

The enemy's ninety Crusades stopped in the air, maintaining their spherical formation.

The front half of the Legions opened fire.

Naturally, they employed continuous fire. This wave of flashing light mercilessly barraged the noesis barrier surrounding the tutelary fort, shaking it violently through firepower and impact.

However, the firepower was insufficient to break through the castle walls of noetic energy.

Sakuya's principal image, Seiryuu, was in the air above the nation-protecting keep. Protected by the noesis barrier, there was no risk of getting shot.

"Meteorological decree, activate."

At Sakuya's command, Seiryuu roared from above the nation-protecting keep.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Thunderclouds instantly filled the sky and rained down lightning to attack the top dome of the enemy's spherical formation.

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

The Suruga side also used continuous fire, attacking the ninety Crusades with a fierce lightning offensive—Unfortunately, they remained unharmed.

Clustered in a spherical formation, the Crusades were defended by the protective barrier's particles.

The denser a formation, the greater the defensive power of the particles. A meteorological decree did not have the firepower to breach a formation of ninety Legions.

"Stalemate... Maintain status quo for now."

Sakuya remained unfazed and continued to attack using the meteorological decree.

The current situation was proceeding according to Chevalier Akigase Rikka's battle plan as devised earlier.

Prior to Rikka's sortie, noetic officers had reported the presence of noetic waves from an unknown number of Legions in the east, probably lurking in the sea to evade noetic recon.

In response, Rikka had commanded them that in the event of an ambush, they must defend with everything they had until her return—

Rikka had issued these orders in consideration of Sakuya's subpar condition. Based on the current situation, Sakuya originally thought the plan would succeed, but before long, she sighed in disappointment.

"The paper tiger has been seen through."

The airborne Crusades stopped firing and changed formation.

Instead of using orderly formations such as squares or spheres, they were forming a rugby "scrum." Bending their postures down, the ninety Legions held onto one another's shoulders and waists to start accelerating forward!

Indeed, the enemy army intended to execute a scrum tackle.

As one unit, the ninety winged giant soldiers flew at high speed towards the noesis barrier.

Accelerating, accelerating, accelerating, accelerating. The ninety Legions' weight was multiplied by speed for a full-body impact, shaking the noesis barrier violently.

"...Kyahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!?"

Sakuya screamed.

Damage to the noesis barrier was transmitted to its creator, the ifrit Seiryuu. The aftershock also reached the avatar that was Sakuya's soul.

"Prediction. Can only endure one or two more collisions. Current situation unsustainable."

Sakuya slumped her shoulders sadly.

Thanks to Rikka consoling her this morning, she finally managed to return to her duties.

However, her subpar mental state had not improved. Genies were not simple beings and could not recover in a few short days. Activating noesis under such circumstances would not bring out their true power at all—

The Knight of Her Majesty who discerned this ought to be praised for keen vision.

Besides, the apparently barbaric yet simple tactic of "charging at high speed using ninety giants as one unit" did yield far greater impact than the continuous firing of rifles...

"It actually worked. Thank goodness."

Riding his wyvern flying mount, Lampard forced a smile.

Yesterday, Suruga's ifrit Seiryuu was clearly in poor condition. Seiryuu had currently strained to deploy a noesis barrier of unknown strength.

Struck by inspiration, Lampard decided to give it a try. He ordered his ninety Legions to charge with all their strength.

His maneuver inflicted unexpectedly heavy damage. The giant image of a blue dragon over the Suruga tutelary fort roared in pain behind the shimmering barrier. At this rate, it looked like a few more charges was all it would take to collapse the ifrit's materialization and the noesis barrier simultaneously.

Ultimately, ifrits were categorized as "conglomerates of powerful noesis."

Without a corporeal body, they were a type of "illusory" existence. Since a noesis barrier was formed by separating out a part of themselves to materialize, the barrier's collapse was equivalent to their own collapse.

"One more time, my men. I'm counting on you."

Lampard ordered his Crusades after ramming the noesis barrier.

Receiving Lampard's orders, the ninety Legions retreated a couple hundred meters nimbly while maintaining their packed formation and formed another scrum. Four of the Crusades left the cluster and came to their commander's side to serve as bodyguards.

"I don't want to disgrace myself with a serious failure in front of the Black Prince, so please make this an easy victory for me," muttered Lampard to himself.

The eighty-six Crusades were preparing to accelerate in a scrum formation when...

Dozens of blue Legions flew up from the ground.

On the mountainous region of the Suruga tutelary fort, there was a patch of greenery on a stepped hillside. These Legions had been hiding in various locations behind the stepped terrain.

"The enemy has prepared an ambush too!"

Naturally, this ambush consisted of Imperial Japan's Kamuys, numbering sixty-four in total.

The blue samurai charged swiftly at the packed formation of sixty-four Crusades. Instead of organizing themselves in a formation, the Kamuys spread themselves apart to soar the sky like birds of prey, intending to use their bayonets in close quarter combat.

"Prepare to engage!" Lampard also commanded instantly.

However, the Crusades had all put away their rifles on their backs in order to form a scrum.

They were unable to fire back immediately. Moreover, staying in a packed formation also hindered one another's evasion. The sixty-four Kamuys mercilessly attacked the immobilized Crusade army.

Swinging their blades, the blue samurai kept slicing the British Legions.

The Kamuys did not hang around the numerically superior Crusades after launching their surprise assault. After attacking, they scattered in all directions to engage in guerrilla tactics.

This momentary engagement inflicted mortal wounds on quite a few Crusades.

Twenty or so of them crashed down, having suffered stabs or slashes on their heads, necks or gaps in their armor. The eighty-six Crusades were down to sixty-five now.

The surviving British Legions hastily raised their bayonet rifles, preparing to strike back.

The sixty-four opposing Kamuys remained scattered, flying in the distance at low speed to observe the British army, biding their time for another chance to attack...

"Should we pursue? Or regroup for a frontal assault—" Lampard swiftly decided his next move.

Surveying this airspace, there were no signs of a commander leading the Kamuys. Supposing the enemy Chevalier was absent in the area rather than hiding, then he should pick a third option.

"Roar, my troops. War Cry!"

The Crusades under his command immediately obeyed.

Their fierce howling resounded across the entire Suruga. Furthermore, the howling sound boomed and echoed like thunder, persisting through time.

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh—

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh—

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh—

This roaring of Legions was known as the War Cry.

The Legions released huge amounts of noise from beneath the masks on their faces, forming a unique song. Also, the War Cry had the effect of noetic disruption.

This time, the ones affected were the sixty-four newly arrived Kamuys.

Legions were controlled by the noetic waves of Chevaliers. Under noetic disruption, Legions become unable to receive noetic waves, thereby losing control.

The Kamuys crashed down one after another like mosquitoes that had been sprayed by pesticide.

Lampard's hunch turned out to be the correct. The enemy commander was absent after all. All a nearby Chevalier needed to do was send out noetic waves to cancel out the noetic disruption. It looked like victory was at hand—Not yet.

"Some of them are still hanging on. Japanese troops are truly persistent."

Thirty Kamuys remained in the air, flying unsteadily over the tutelary fort.

Lampard recalled the traits of Japanese Legions. Agile, diligent, brave—and loyal. Even when noetic wave reception was weakened, they continued to carry out their master's orders loyally.

"However, their defeat is only a matter of time."

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh—

The Crusades' War Cry continued. At this rate, it would be trivial to strike down the remaining Kamuys.

Then all that remained would be to demolish the noesis barrier and take the tutelary fort...

Lampard was convinced of his victory.

Of the two Knights of Her Majesty invading today, both had a Chevalier Strength of around a hundred.

In truth, Akigase Rikka's Chevalier Strength was 154, higher than either of them. When she summoned ninety Kamuys to take on the vanguard Crusades, she still had a few dozen surplus. Conserving the remainder as a reserve unit, she had initially kept a hidden hand.

Experienced Chevaliers were able to summon Legions from some distance away.

Rikka had sent the remainder of her Kamuys to the tutelary fort to reinforce Sakuya's defense—

"The War Cry huh? Truly living up the name of the Knights of Her Majesty. He selected with such accuracy the tactic most unfavorable to my side."

Rikka clicked her tongue impatiently. She was still staying at the zone of reclaimed land on the coast of Suruga Bay.

Of the valiantly resisting British vanguard, only twenty Crusades to face off against Rikka. There were fifty-five Kamuys remaining in Rikka's unit. Both armies had taken up square formations and were exchanging fire from a slight distance. In a few more minutes, it would be Rikka's victory.

However, Rikka could hear a loud and ominous noise coming from the sky.

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh—

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh—

The Kamuys sent to assist in the Suruga tutelary fort's defense were under the effects of noetic disruption and unable to receive Rikka's commands. Worst of all, the song was still in progress.

"Please, hang in there a while longer..."

Rikka sent noetic waves towards her subordinates in the distance, praying for them to fight to the very end.

Her noetic waves were very powerful and some of the Kamuys could still endure for a while, but one could not hope for a miracle. If only Sakuya was in prime condition, then there would be no need for her to divide her troops—

In a few minutes, Rikka would be able to rush back to the tutelary fort.

However, the problem was that her side could very well be wiped out during these few minutes.

Part 5

The Suruga tutelary fort was located on a plateau known as Nihondaira.

Masatsugu finally arrived near the plateau. There were sixty-odd Crusades clustered together in the air, emitting a War Cry that resounded through the heavens. Hearing the song, the Kamuys turned into an unsteady and disorganized mess. Many of them had already crashed to the ground.

The ifrit Seiryuu was also on the brink of collapse inside the barrier...

This was a battlefield and Tachibana Masatsugu had finally arrived.

"Suppose the genie was alright... Combined with Rikka-sama's own power, it would have been possible to defeat the two Knights of Her Majesty and protect the tutelary fort. But currently—"

Arriving with him to the scene, Shiori spoke with pity in her voice.

They had rushed here from the house near the student dorms, riding a Mibu wolf, the retainer beast that Shiori had summoned earlier. Mounted on the giant silver wolf, the two of them had traversed mountain paths in the most direct route with frightening speed, reaching their destination in merely ten-odd minutes.

Masatsugu was puzzled by the princess' comment.

"I believe the Chevalier defending Suruga is Akigase-dono, isn't that right? Princess, you seem to hold her in high regard, but didn't you say that Japanese Chevaliers are unreliable?"

"Rikka-sama is different. Her experience is similar to mine."

"Similar?"

"I used to study at Eastern Rome's capital, serving as a hostage in all but name. Rikka-sama was also sent to the Roman army and spent three years fighting as part of an allied contingent."

A so-called allied contingent was a tradition dating back to ancient Rome.

Shiori explained that it was a unit of troops formed by borrowing soldiers from allied tribes or nations and sending them to the front lines.

"Rikka-sama became a Chevalier at the age of thirteen and was immediately sent to fight on Rome's behalf in various battlefields. She is a battle-hardened veteran despite her young age."

"I see, so she has that kind of past."

Masatsugu understood and came up with an idea. Since she was a general whose merits were recognized by the princess, she probably would cooperate with his plan, right? Masatsugu felt this sense of anticipation.

"Princess, may I trouble you to send a message to Akigase-dono as quickly as possible?"

"It is certainly no problem since I have a pipe fox at hand... What do you wish for me to convey?"

"Very simple, tell her to do nothing—Order her Legions to cease all resistance."

"Eh!?"

"That's all I need. Then after that, I'll crush the British Empire's knights."

An astonished expression was hanging on Shiori's face. She had yet to understand Masatsugu's intent, perhaps because Masatsugu had omitted a detailed explanation in favor of saving time.

Without questioning him, she simply said, "...However, it is quite unlikely for her to accept the message as it is right now. Perhaps she might be willing to read it if sent in my name—"

Shiori simply pointed out a practical issue. She had apparently decided to place her faith in Tachibana Masatsugu.

This princess had outstanding courage despite her highborn upbringing. She did not get hung up over trivial matters. A rare talent as befitted leaders.

Due to this, Masatsugu found her endearing and likeable. Shiori pondered for a moment.

She then opened her right palm and her pipe fox appeared on it.

"Deliver a message to Chevalier Akigase on my behalf. The contents are as dictated by Masatsugu-sama just now. Sign it jointly in the name of Fujinomiya Shiori and Hijikata."

The white little animal vanished into thin air after receiving the princess' orders.

While the pipe fox had gone to relay the message, Masatsugu was puzzled by what Shiori meant by Hijikata.

"Rikka-sama should be able to figure it out instantly as soon as she hears this magical name. A lie of convenience purely to handle the crisis, but it might work. By the way, Masatsugu-sama."

They had traveled here by riding a silver retainer beast, the Mibu wolf.

Walking over to the giant wolf that was about the size of a horse, Shiori retrieved the sheathed Japanese sword it was holding in its mouth.

This was something the princess had asked the Mibu wolf to carry when they left Ryouzan Manor.

Shiori presented the Japanese sword to Masatsugu.

"Please accept this. It is an heirloom passed down the Fujinomiya family—A testament to a Feat of Arms. It is a relic from a certain hero... I took this out in hopes that it could aid you, Masatsugu-sama."

"A testament to a Feat of Arms, in other words, it's an Appellation?"

Shiori nodded in affirmation and Masatsugu took it from her hand.

Instantly, Masatsugu felt an electric current rush through him as though he had been struck by lightning. His entire body kept trembling and it felt like his heart was being squeezed—

This extraordinary treasured sword was questioning Masatsugu.

It was questioning Masatsugu's body and soul, "Are you worthy of my company through life and death?"

This was a very brutal method of confirmation. The impact could very well rupture the heart of even a seasoned warrior, let alone an ordinary person. Masatsugu smiled wryly. Twitching his cheeks slightly, he shook his head. What Masatsugu implied was, Who do you think you're testing?

A trial of this level cannot best my body.

After that, the abnormal symptoms vanished from Masatsugu's body.

The treasured sword had accepted Masatsugu. Acknowledging Masatsugu, it apologized for its rudeness.

"What a sword with a fierce temper. I like it."

"It was the personal sword belonging to a hero known as 'the merciless.' Have you already tamed it without recalling your own mighty name? ...As expected of Lord Caesar's peer."

"It's not like the lack of a name prevents me from fighting. I'll always find a solution somehow."

Shiori smiled wryly. More than praising him, there were elements of exasperation there.

Masatsugu calmly answered his lady liege as usual and looked up at the sky.

The Crusades were still singing, their War Cry resonating across the Suruga sky. Conversely, the remaining twenty or so Kamuys had stopped resisting valiantly.

One after another, they fell to the ground like wild birds that had been shot by hunting rifles.

Were they depleted of power, defeated? ...No, the "magic word" sent by the princess must have worked.

"Please wait a moment while I take care of the enemy."

Turning his back to Shiori, Masatsugu walked forward.

He was armed with nothing but a sword in his left hand—A Japanese sword in its scabbard. Apart from that, he had no other weapons.

However, this was enough to deal with an army of this size. Perhaps due to stepping into the battlefield on his own volition, by his own initiative, Masatsugu was now fully aware of how Chevaliers fought.

"Sorry, I don't have a name to summon you guys, but please help me for now."

Advancing with just a lone sword, he released noesis towards the battlefield.

Noesis—The strength of a Chevalier's thoughts was determined by all kinds of crucial factors.

Strength of personality, strength of character, mental strength, physical strength, competitiveness, composure, wrath, hatred, love, friendship, sadness, enlightenment, life experience, combat experience, charisma, etc...

The noesis released by Masatsugu was far stronger than anyone else's on this battlefield.

"Attack as soon as I give the order without the slightest delay."

After quietly issuing his order, Masatsugu looked up at the sky again.

There were sixty-five Crusades in the air. Figuring out how to use noesis, Masatsugu was able to rapidly detect the Legions' noesis, instantly obtaining a count of enemy numbers.

The sixty-five Crusades began to speed up again.

The whole army was flying straight at the noesis barrier protecting the Suruga tutelary fort.

This time, the enemy did not form a rugby scrum. Wielding their rifles with bayonets raised, every Crusade was flying at maximum combat speed.

It was like a lance charge of medieval knights.

Riding war horses to charge full speed at the enemy with a thrust of a barbed cavalry lance. Even in full armor, the enemy would be pierced by the lances or killed by the collision, knight and horse altogether.

The sixty-five Crusades were planning to break the noesis barrier by using the killer move of the cavalry charge.

Masatsugu issued a concise command, "Begin."

The Legions responding to this order were on the ground rather than in the air.

They were the sixty-four Kamuys sent by Chevalier Akigase Rikka, having crashed to the ground due to the War Cry—No, that was not the only reason why they had crashed.

Chevalier Akigase had trusted the instructions sent by Masatsugu in the princess' name.

Due to the effects of noetic disruption, unable to receive their master's noetic waves, the sixty-four Kamuys ended up crashing to the ground one after another.

Sending his noetic waves to the Kamuys that had lost their commander, Masatsugu had forcibly assumed command.

This method was just as coercive as how he had ordered the Kamuy yesterday, almost like snatching by force.

The Kamuys that had been lying on the ground like corpses... They stood up like ghosts. Many of the crashed Kamuys were injured, but not enough to prevent them from fighting. Legions had very high resistance against non-mystical damage.

Kamuys were revived all over the battlefield's mountainous terrain.

Their armor and military uniforms used to be blue.

All the Kamuys were now red-purple. Every single one of them had taken on this color—This was proof that they had fallen under Masatsugu's command.

"Do it."

At Masatsugu's brief order, the sixty-four Kamuys all flew at once.

The Kamuys had taken off from different locations but they all had the same target—The sixty-five Crusades, having just charged at full strength at the Suruga tutelary fort's noesis barrier. The Kamuys were flying at them from behind.

The British Legions had executed a lance charge with all their might.

Struck in sixty-five places by this attack, the shimmering noesis barrier was greatly weakened. Parts of the scenery exhibiting no heat haze effect also became very obvious.

Moreover, Seiryuu above the tutelary fort was about to vanish.

After the Crusades' fierce attack came the onslaught of the sixty-four Kamuys that had turned red-purple.

Having just executed a strenuous offensive, the British winged soldiers were severely depleted in ectoplasmic fluid and wide open.

Seizing this opportunity, the Kamuys fired their rifles' heat beams.

Shot in the back, the sixty-five Crusades were reduced to twenty-nine in an instant.

Masatsugu had sent "that message" earlier precisely for the sake of this moment. While luring the British knight into complacency, it simultaneously ensured enough remaining troops for him to use.

"Now I owe Akigase-dono one. Thanks to her being so reasonable, I was able to win easily."

Currently, Masatsugu was looking at the sky confidently.

The "red-purple Kamuys" were preparing to tighten the net in the aerial battlefield. Closing in on the British Legions, they were going to stab the enemies in the vitals using their bayonets.

"They're on their last legs. Wipe them out in melee," Masatsugu calmly commanded.

There were only twenty-nine Crusades left. They were not only at a numerical disadvantage but also exhausted.

With the odds stacked firmly in his favor, Masatsugu ordered the sixty-four "red-purples" to charge at the battered Crusades. Victory was virtually guaranteed.

However, Masatsugu still decided to press the offensive thoroughly.

Before the enemy could muster a last stand in desperation, he would annihilate them with extreme prejudice.

"Thank you for waiting. It's finally your turn to debut."

The sheathed Japanese sword in Masatsugu's left hand was the Appellation bestowed to him by Princess Shiori.

The treasured sword hummed in resonance to respond to Masatsugu.

"My Appellation of Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada... The man bearing the title of 'the merciless' once wielded you to demonstrate feats of arms to the world. Share these feats with my soldiers too."

Masatsugu chanted a certain name that had surfaced in his mind when he inherited the sword.

Then he drew it out. A great sword two feet and eight inches long. Curving gently, the blade exhibited the kind of beauty unique to Japanese swords but was not especially ornate. There was a spirit of austerity and fortitude in its appearance—craftsmanship prioritizing practical combat to forge a trenchant blade specialized for slaying enemies. The blade exuded a keen aura of sharpness.

"All Kamuys, draw your sword."

The "red-purple" army met the airborne Crusades in melee combat.

Their sixty-four weapons transformed all at once. The bayonet rifles serving as spears suddenly transformed into Japanese swords, identical to Masatsugu's Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada.

With this sword in hand, the "red-purples" fought with greater ferocity than ever before.

The sixty-four Legions under Masatsugu's command had all transformed into swordsmen like fierce demons.

Slash. Thrust. Slash. Thrust. Slash. Slash. Slash. Slash. Thrust. Slash.

Slash. Slash. Slash. Slash. Slash. Slash. Slash. Slash. Slash. Slash. Slash—

The sixty-four Legions kept swinging their swords in the air, brutally slicing and piercing the Crusades' bodies, splattering the ectoplasmic fluid that served as blood.

Vertical slashes. Horizontal slashes. Diagonal slashes. Straight thrusts.

Every sword technique was so precise and merciless, almost to a bone-chilling degree. As though chopping vegetables, the Kamuys severed the Crusades' limbs, bodies, necks, and masks.

Some of the Crusades tried to swung their bayonets in an attempt to resist the onslaught of the Japanese swords.

However, the "red-purples" simply sliced through the rifles or the bayonet blades outright, rendering their enemies' weapons neutralized.

Against such incisive swordsmanship, protective gear was meaningless.

The Crusades' armor was sliced through like paper, completely useless.

This was totally one-sided slaughter, a massacre.

Masatsugu's Kamuys were using what appeared to be Tennen Rishin Style of the sword...

"Hmm?"

At that moment, a Crusade fell down.

The enemy crashed into the ground roughly twenty meters from Masatsugu.

A "red-purple Kamuy" had slashed a deep cut on the Legion's back, but the wound was not fatal. Furthermore, the Crusade seemed to realize Masatsugu was the commander. Unable to get up, the Legion strained to lift its upper torso, aiming its gun at Masatsugu from a prone posture.

In the next second, the trigger was pulled.

The beam of deadly light shot out, but Masatsugu dodged.

In truth, his reflexes were not outrageous enough to dodge light. It was simply because the enemy had released noesis filled with bloodlust prior to attacking.

By detecting that kind of noesis, it was naturally possible to dodge the heat beams that followed in succession.

Masatsugu slowly made his way to the fallen enemy soldier.

The opponent was a Legion, a giant capable of destroying large cities and slaughtering tens of thousands of people. Nevertheless, Masatsugu's footsteps were confident and unhurried.

In the end, he had to dodge three beams before he reached the Crusade.

Lifting its upper body was already the British Legion's limit. Unable to attack Masatsugu with its gigantic body, it only had the strength to pull the trigger.

Lying on the ground, the enemy's face happened to be right in front of Masatsugu.

The Crusade was a white giant with a full height of eight meters. In terms of proportion, the head was one-eighth of the body in height. In other words, the face was close to a meter long.

The massive face was hidden under the thick helmet and a mask—

Masatsugu stabbed Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada into the enemy's forehead, easily piercing the helmet's armor.

The pair of eyes behind the mask lost their glow and the Crusade went limp. It died.

...Masatsugu had a faint feeling that he was a warrior capable of fighting Legions in the flesh. In fact, prior to coming here, a notion had occurred to him. Even without an army to command, he did not mind personally cutting down enemies of this scale—

Currently, Masatsugu was clearly aware of his extraordinary fortitude.

Instinctively, Masatsugu was certain that other Resurrectees were the same. This was presumably a power unique to heroes reborn from the ancient past, but the ease with which he had pierced the Legion's armor was not his credit alone.

He praised Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada in his hand, "Your blade is very sharp."

Up in the aerial battlefield, a Crusade was slashed dead every ten seconds.

This was all due to the Japanese sword wielded by the red-purple Kamuys—the peerless sharpness of the blades. Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada hummed, asking him not to point out the obvious.

"I guess I'll simply call them 'Kanesadas' from now on."

Referring to them as "red-purple Kamuys" was a pain, so Masatsugu came up with this name on a whim.

The Crusades in the air had given up all resistance and were like lambs to the slaughter.

Taking a closer look, Masatsugu noticed that the British Empire's Chevalier on the wyvern mount had disappeared from the air at some point. Presumably, he had taken some Crusades as bodyguards and retreated.

The troops borrowed at a moment's notice had won a victory for Tachibana Masatsugu.

"What is going on with those Kamuys...?" muttered Akigase Rikka in puzzlement.

Next to the tutelary fort's noesis barrier, a group of Kamuys were dogfighting in the air.

Every Kamuy was red-purple in color. They were using Japanese swords to attack the British Legions instead of bayonet rifles.

—After defeating the vanguard Crusades at the coastal reclaimed land, Rikka had hurried back to the Suruga tutelary fort with her troops.

Leading her remaining forty-eight Kamuys, Rikka had flown across the sky over the battlefield.

Just as when she had sorties, she was standing on a Legion's shoulder. Beneath them was the mountainous region formed by Mount Kunou and Mount Udo. Dead Crusades were scattered all over the place...

They had all been killed by the army of "red-purple Kamuys."

Currently, that army was slaughtering the last remnants of the Crusades using fierce swordsmanship that would even make gods weep.

Rikka could tell that the red-purple Kamuys were using Japanese swordsmanship, and an ancient style too. As a specialist in Yagyū Shinkage Style herself, Rikka could tell from a single glance.

A commonly used stance was called the slant seigan.

Ancient sword styles called the middle stance the seigan. Standing sideways towards the opponent, one would aim the sword tip at the opponent's throat or eyes. The slant seigan was a variation of this type of stance.

With the blade slanted slightly to the left, it was also known as the suigetsu stance.

"The flat seigan..."

Among ancient schools of the sword, Tennen Rishin Style also called the slant seigan as the "flat seigan." There was no one more famous than a certain figure as a swordsman of this style. Rikka spoke his name.

"Hijikata—Toshizō."

Hijikata Toshizō was a warrior in the Bakumatsu era, serving as the vice-commander of the Shinsengumi under the Tokugawa shogunate. He was known for his brutal methods.

Indeed, he was the "Merciless Vice-Commander" of legend. During the Boshin War that began the Meiji Restoration, the defeated shogunate army retreated to Hokkaidō and Hijikata Toshizō went with them.

Hijikata Toshizō's later exploits were very well-known to history enthusiasts.

Entering an audience with Lord Tenryuu, the sacred beast that had descended upon the plains of Hokkaidō, he obtained a pack of retainer beasts, the Mibu wolves. Fighting as the commander of the shogunate troops across various battlefields with the Mibu wolves by his side, he protected Hokkaidō from the Meiji government's invasion.

The current imperial family had roots in the northern court that had fled to Hokkaidō. Consequently, after the Second World War, the name of Hijikata Toshizō came to the forefront as a hero who had protected the nation.

Furthermore, national historical novelists had written a series of masterpieces using the Shinsengumi as a theme.

"Princess, why did you mention that hero's name...?" murmured Rikka to herself. Fujinomiya Shiori's message was jointly signed with Hijikata, a name associated with the warrior who had intimate ties to Japan's sacred beast and imperial family.

Precisely because of that, Rikka had followed the instruction while half in doubt.

Currently, the army of Kamuys was using Tennen Rishin Style on a rampage, crushing the British attackers.

However, these Kamuys that had turned red-purple were Akigase Rikka's Legions originally. Contrary to Rikka's expectations, there was no response even when she transmitted noetic waves. She could not regain command of them at all.

In other words—

Someone possessing noesis surpassing hers was commanding this "red-purple" army.

Rikka's heart pounded in excitement. Japan lacked a Resurrectee of Lord Caesar or Admiral Nelson's caliber, but now, a hero who could very well overturn this disadvantage had shown up.

Besides, that hero was not only the Merciless Vice-Commander but also a famous swordsman and experienced soldier—At that moment, Rikka came to a sudden stop. She shook her head hastily to caution herself. This was no time to be concerned with such matters.

Meanwhile, the "red-purple" Kamuys had completely wiped out the army of British Legions.

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