Chronicle Legion:Volume 2 Chapter 3

Chapter 3 - Coeur de Lion

Part 1

The Suruga tutelary fort was located on a mountainous region formed from two adjacent mountains in a north-south series.

Suruga City lay to the west of these mountains while Shimizu City lay to the east. Currently, Tachibana Masatsugu and two companions were traveling in a plain-looking domestic vehicle, driving from Suruga towards Shimizu.

"So quiet..." Masatsugu muttered from the front passenger seat. He was looking out the window at the streets of Suruga.

It was 9am. Putting aside the obvious early hour, there was a lack of vibrancy. Population was sparse to begin with in this regional city, but there were no pedestrians in the outdoors. Cars were few too.

It was as though all the residents had gone on vacation—

"It's only natural, Onii-sama. Unlike our high school, many schools and businesses are on holiday. After all, you get hungry easily if you run around for no good reason," responded Hatsune from the driver's seat, dressed in her usual Haikara-san getup.

Traffic on the road was very light and Hatsune was driving quite fast. Also, she had formed her tutelary pact at the water shrine yesterday.

"The rations distributed to civilians aren't particularly generous. The tutelary fort has also requisitioned gasoline in the city. There aren't many cars moving about outdoors."

"In other words... The populace is hiding at home, holding back their anxiety and dissatisfaction, is that right?"

The beauty in the back seat concluded in her lovely voice.

This beautiful maiden was dressed neatly in a white blouse and navy-blue skirt with her platinum blonde hair tied in a ponytail with a red ribbon. She was Fujinomiya Shiori, a princess of Imperial Japan.

Today, her striking and pretty face was adorned by a pair of glasses.

Its purpose was for camouflage. It also enhanced her vibes of "wit and intellect" compared to usual.

Furthermore, she was using an Image Disguise noetic technique, preventing those unfamiliar with her from recognizing her as the princess.

Incidentally, Masatsugu was wearing a white long-sleeved t-shirt with black pants.

With a black jacket on top, his attire was similar in color to the school uniform.

"Are you really sure, Princess? Someone as important as you has no need to risk yourself by leaving Suruga to carry out this kind of mission..."

"It is fine, because I am the only one capable of doing it," Shiori replied to Hatsune quite decisively.

"Although Suruga has the genie named Sakuya, it would be no easy task to take that insecure child outside the city. Besides, she still needs to manage the tutelary fort."

"Princess, you mentioned that she has human shyness, right?"

"And frankly speaking, I would like to leave town for a change of pace too."

"Princess, your Machiavellian tendency to ruin inspiring stories on purpose is totally awesome."

"I must thank Rikka-sama for agreeing to my suggestion too."

Masatsugu felt the same way.

If anything were to happen to the princess, responsibility would fall squarely upon Rikka as the castellan of Suruga. In spite of that, she had accepted Shiori's suggestion without the slightest hesitation.

'To think that Your Highness would be adept in noetic techniques, now that is truly living up to the name of Lord Tenryuu's bloodline. There is currently no noetic master in Suruga more accomplished than you, Your Highness. Please lend us your aid.'

After Shiori revealed her own "ability," Rikka immediately gave the above response.

House Akigase's Chevalier princess prioritized expediency over playing it safe.

"Hatsune, our job is to protect the princess. If necessary, it won't be just swords. We may have to summon troops—Legions. Be prepared."

"Of course, Onii-sama!"

The novice Chevalier girl cheerfully answered Masatsugu's reminder.

Hatsune's current position was the princess' personal lady-in-waiting as well as a knight under her direct command.

...In fact, Hatsune had only inherited the Appellation of Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune just yesterday. When she attempted a summoning, only one Legion showed up.

Her power had not fully awakened—She was in a proto-Chevalier state.

She should be able to summon dozens of Legions once she grew accustomed to it. At present, her Chevalier Strength was tentatively "just 1."

Hatsune drove the car along a national highway, speeding through Shimizu City.

Like Suruga City, this region was also isolated like "an island on land."

There was a marked lack of vibrancy. Pedestrian and vehicle traffic was low. Continuing along the national highway, they were going to hit the Restoration Alliance's roadblock eventually.

"By the way, Hatsune, you encountered a boy during the ritual. He was Yoshitsune himself, visiting you in a dream to test your succession to Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune, right?"

"I think so."

Masatsugu was immediately certain of this. Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune was the Appellation taken straight from a general's name. Prior to his amnesia, Masatsugu had returned to the human realm as a Resurrectee, but due to certain reasons, Yoshitsune had not—

Masatsugu instinctively knew this was the truth.

On the other hand, Shiori said, "Perhaps Lord Yoshitsune turned out to be an unexpectedly helpful person."

"Why do you say that? He was so violent to me~"

"Think about it, we know many anecdotes about ancient warriors, including legends whose veracity is hard to confirm... There is a story about Lord Yoshitsune, which involves Ushiwakamaru defeating Benkei at the Gojō Bridge in Kyoto. It is most likely fictional."

"Then he chose to test me at the bridge because—"

"Perhaps it was a joke on his part, since he knew that such a legend was circulating in the later world."

This was not a remote possibility. Masatsugu nodded in agreement.

Even if Yoshitsune was a genius in martial arts, how could he have won an overwhelming victory as a child against the equally rare hero, Musashibō Benkei? In this time and age when dead people could be reborn, anything could happen.

However, the legend of martial valor at Gojō Bridge definitely sounded contrived.

"Of course, it is also possible for truth to be stranger than fiction."

Shiori shrugged and ended this conversation.

The plain domestic car continued to race along smoothly with the three passengers.

Just as they crossed the Okitsu River and were about to leave Shimizu City's urban area, Hatsune stopped the car. The elevation here was relatively high.

...The car had been driving along a national highway that followed the coast of Suruga Bay.

Literally a seaside road, it almost followed the same route as the old highway of Tōkaidō in the Edo period. Steep mountain roads lay ahead while Satsuta Ridge was close by. Proceeding through the post stations of Yuijuku and Kanbarajuku, one would then reach the Fuji River.

On the other side of Fuji River was Fuji City, which was also the town where the Fuji tutelary fort was located.

The ukiyo-e artist Utagawa Hiroshige had also depicted part of this scenery in The Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō.

This road through mountainous terrain was actually less than twenty kilometers long and quite a quick drive. However, Hatsune parked the car on the shoulder and the trio disembarked.

"We will choose the nearer side of Fuji City as our destination for now... Fuji River."

Shiori used noesis to project several visual images in the air.

They all showed wide roads in the mountains. Every location was buried under landslide debris, evidently impassable.

Shiori had sent retainer beasts for reconnaissance and used noetic control to playback what they saw.

"The situation is the same for all roads leading out of Suruga City—all outbound roads blockaded by the Restoration Alliance. At Satsuta Ridge, a little up ahead along our current road, there have been landslides. Rather than natural disasters, they were all caused by Crusades."

Next, Shiori pointed at an image of a highway toll booth.

The toll booth had an inspection checkpoint with many Caucasian British soldiers inside.

"They must have left the highways intact so that they could use them to transport supplies in the future. However, given that there are a number of strict security checkpoints and the fact that they have established naval superiority in Suruga Bay, if one wanted to enter the mountains..."

Shiori smiled sardonically.

"As soon as the Restoration Alliance's retainer beasts pick up the scent of humans, they will attack like ravenous bears."

"Princess, question here. What are the chances of getting attacked?"

"From what I have heard, the probability of encountering a retainer beast in these kinds of situations is roughly the same as monster encounters in games. In every zone, the number of retainer beasts are triple figures minimum."

"...Indeed." Masatsugu looked up in Fuji City's direction. "Three white British wyverns are flying over there."

"Eh, you can see that, Onii-sama? I can't see anything at all."

Hatsune squinted, staring intently in the same direction.

After twenty seconds, she finally gave up and said in surprise, "Come on, I tested 2.0 in visual acuity... Onii-sama, your eyesight is crazy good."

"Really? I thought this was pretty normal."

From Masatsugu's view, there were three white dots flying northeast. On closer examination, the white dots had outlines shaped like wyverns.

Ignoring their conversation, Shiori said confidently, "However, the situation would be completely different for those who are highly adept in noetic control like myself. I will come up with a solution. Hatsune, could you please prepare?"

"Roger that~"

Hatsune did as directed, taking out three slim A3-size boards and putting them on the ground.

The three boards were retainer beast talismans. Shiori touched the talismans as she did before. The retainer beast talismans activated and transformed into "wolves." They were covered in beautiful silver fur and had huge bodies as large as a horse.

Three mid-size retainer beasts—Mibu wolves—had appeared.

According to legend, Hijikata Toshizō had led a pack of these Mibu wolves, fighting across various battlefields in eastern Japan.

"Among all retainer beasts, Mibu wolves have an especially keen sense of smell. They will immediately detect any retainer beasts that approach. If we are unfortunate enough to encounter enemy retainer beasts... I will drive them away using noesis."

The three of them each rode a Mibu wolf.

The wolves began to run. They needed to head east towards the Fuji River by traversing the mountain where there were no roads. Dashing as fast as the wind, the Mibu wolves raced across slopes and mixed forest as though running on flat ground.

Occasionally, they would take a detour, probably due to detecting the scent of British retainer beasts.

Even so, it took the trio roughly two hours to reach their destination. After descending the mountain forest, there was the vast greenery of a tea plantation.

In front of them was also the clear water of the Fuji River.

The Fuji River was not massive in flow. There was plenty of gravel deposited on the shore or sandbanks.

Over in the northeastern sky was an expansive view of a sacred peak, offering the majestic scenery of Mount Fuji's snowy peak.

It looked even bigger and more impressive than the view from Suruga City.

The trio dismounted from the Mibu wolves, walking on their own feet once again.

"...Princess, isn't this inside the Restoration Alliance's sphere of influence already?"

"Indeed. However, they will not demand us to present identification unless we do anything too suspicious. Please behave as calmly as possible."

"Hmm?"

Masatsugu felt intrigued. He sensed powerful noesis coming from the far shore of the Fuji River.

He swept his gaze over the streets of Fuji City, a regional city similar to Suruga. The Fuji tutelary fort, which had been conquered by the British, was more than ten kilometers away in this direction.

"Hatsune, do you know where this weird presence is coming from?"

"Huh? Hmmm... Woah, it's amazing!"

The novice Chevalier looked at the eastern sky and instantly jumped in surprise.

Ordinary people were not very sensitive to noetic waves. After inheriting Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune successfully, Hatsune's senses were gradually augmented. This time, she and Masatsugu both detected the same thing.

Currently, powerful noesis was swirling in the sky over the Fuji tutelary fort.

In the center of that vortex was a gigantic eyeball!

"Is that Morgan le Fay?"

"I would think so. The principal image has been transported to Hakone Checkpoint... What remains at the Fuji tutelary fort is probably her shadow," explained Shiori to Masatsugu.

The Mibu wolves they had been using for locomotion growled fiercely.

They were glaring across the Fuji River, preparing for combat. Their hostility was directed at the barrier that Morgan le Fay had deployed for repelling retainer beasts.

Mid-size or larger retainer beasts were not very affected by the barrier, but it looked like they did not feel comfortable either.

Shiori waved her hand and the three Mibu wolves ran into the mountain.

"Let us prepare immediately"

The trio walked across the tea plantation and roads on foot, heading to the Fuji River's shore.

Soon they arrived at the water's edge. Masatsugu and Hatsune worked efficiently. Using foldable shovels, they dug ten shallow holes.

Digging through the gravel on the riverbank was hard labor, but fortunately, both of them were very confident in their physical strength. The task was over quickly.

Shiori placed a retainer beast talisman into each hole. These thin rectangles were the size of cards used for writing Japanese poems. Once the talismans were placed, the two knights swiftly buried the holes.

"I beseech you to appear. May the gods be with you."

Shiori touched the buried holes and recited an incantation to complete the preparations.

"This will summon retainer beasts that won't lose to the barrier, Princess?"

"I cannot assert with certainty. The success rate is roughly 60%."

Hatsune's gaze read "eh, it's not 100%" and Shiori coughed lightly.

"It cannot be helped. This is a contest of technique to see whether the strength of my noesis can trump Morgan le Fay's influence."

"Okay."

"If the noesis I poured into a talisman is stronger, it will produce a retainer beast that will not lose to the barrier. However, since this is ultimately a barrier deployed by the best spirit of the British forces, it is hard to be optimistic here."

"So that's how it works."

"Naturally, my noetic control is first rate. If I fail here, it means that it cannot be accomplished without a team of expert masters from the Noetic Bureau."

"Taking opportunities to show off your confidence every now and then, Princess, you're so awesome♪"

While listening to the conversation between the two girls, Masatsugu realized something.

In front of them was a wide and beautiful view centered on Japan's number one sacred peak, Mount Fuji, and an army of Kamuys were flying across this view.

A couple hundred Kamuys were advancing in a spherical formation.

An army of British Legions also sortied to intercept the Kamuys.

Outnumbered by two to one by the Kamuys, these Legions were similar in appearance to the Crusade but instead of the usual white coloring, they were vivid crimson all over.

Part 2

King Richard I, the Lionheart.

Yesterday, after speaking with Edward the Black Prince at Nijou Castle, he immediately left Kyoto.

Taking the same combination of land and air travel as his collateral descendant had used to get to Kyoto, he arrived at the Fuji tutelary fort in Shizuoka Prefecture within the same day.

And today, Richard received the long-awaited report.

Three hundred Kamuys of the Tōkaidō provincial army were approaching the Fuji tutelary fort.

"Hohohoho. Things are unfolding according to Édoua... Edward's plan."

Richard laughed proudly to himself.

"In that case, it would make for some brief entertainment if I were to add some blood-red color to his plan. Allow Richard the Lionheart, the forefather with whom he shares a common bloodline, to do so..."

Built at the center of the Fuji tutelary fort was a nation-protecting keep just like the Suruga tutelary fort.

Richard was on the roof, admiring the view of Mount Fuji that was twenty kilometers to the north. South of this mountain was Shizuoka Prefecture while to the north was Yamanashi Prefecture. Both areas were under Tōkaidō jurisdiction.

However, Shizuoka had fallen under the control of the British armed forces.

Trying to counterattack, the Tōkaidō provincial army had mobilized three hundred Kamuys to sortie from the southernmost part of Yamanashi—the Motosu tutelary fort at Fuji Five Lakes.

The enemy contingent was flying in a packed formation, invading Fuji City from the north.

Next to Richard, a girl dressed in a sailor outfit and beret said, "The Black Prince of the British Empire, is staying at Kyoto. Looks like... this news, has succeeded in reaching the Tōkaidō higher-ups."

"The boy is having a grand time in Kyoto."

Richard laughed happily.

"After attending the ceremony in the castle yesterday, he ran off into the streets. Today, he had to go to some kind of tea party and he grumbled coyly about how tough it was to attract attention in a natural manner."

"Morrigan thinks... he actually enjoys it."

The Lionheart was talking to a doll possessed by a genie.

This was "Unit 2." Morrigan's principal image and "Unit 1" doll had stayed in Hakone. For the time being, she was transmitting noetic waves from Hakone to possess Unit 2 over here.

Furthermore, the sky over the nation-protecting keep was occupied by a gigantic eyeball and powerful noesis.

This was also left behind at Fuji by Morrigan's principal image, Morgan le Fay, to work the effect of driving away retainer beasts.

"However, it is thanks to his ploy that the old foxes of Tōkaidō have taken the bait."

Edward had intentionally strolled through Kyoto, well aware that the enemy's intelligence network extended into Kyoto, so as to feed Tōkaidō the impression that the Hakone area was weakened in defense.

Using this method, he had lured the enemy army, which had been biding their time passively, to attack.

The Black Prince had laid an extermination trap for the enemy to come on their own initiative. Since he had to go to Kyoto regardless, he took the opportunity to set up this ploy.

"How brave of the enemy to attack in glee while Edward is absent. Spirit Morrigan, analyze the enemy lineup."

"Affirmative."

Morrigan instantly executed the orders of Richard the Lionheart.

She commanded the noetic waves lingering in the air over the nation-protecting keep—i.e. the swirling noesis—to project noetic waves for enemy detection. Morgan le Fay's mystic power turned into waves, spreading throughout Fuji City.

These waves captured the Kamuy army flying in the sky over the outskirts of Fuji City.

"Enemy Kamuys... Total of 307. Chevaliers, six. Chevaliers of Yamanashi region in Tōkaidō, estimated total of ten to twelve. Almost half deployed in this operation."

"Excellent, then I shall send out half their numbers."

"One, half? Too few."

"I do not care. This is my first battle in Japan. It is imperative to let the people of Japan know that I am a brave hero who triumphs over numerical disadvantage. Assemble under my name of Richard the Lionheart—"

On the roof of the nation-protecting keep, the English king of old flapped his crimson cape.

"Granted the name of the royal sword Escalibor, my Legions!"

Numerous Legions appeared overhead of Richard and Morrigan.

They looked similar to Crusades but not exactly. The noesis of Richard's overwhelming Chevalier Strength, a prided trait, gave rise to a great army of British Legions in red.

"Now then, my knights. Soar the sky with me!"

The lion's battle began.

The enemy leader, Prince Edward, was absent from Hakone.

Tōkaidō higher-ups issued the order to use this opportunity to retake the Fuji tutelary fort. If possible, they would ride on their success to capture Hakone.

Having received these orders, six Chevaliers of the Tōkaidō Fiefdom sortied from the Motosu region in Fuji Five Lakes to enter Fuji City's airspace—This was basically the current situation.

"What!?"

The leader of the Tōkaidō force, Chevalier Ogura, was doubting his eyes. The outskirts of Fuji City consisted mostly of vast natural parks or golf courses. The 307 Kamuys were currently flying over this zone.

The six Chevaliers were also riding blue wyverns to accompany them.

The daily replenishment of ectoplasmic fluid also strengthened the bodies of Chevaliers. The cold wind blowing at an altitude of several hundred meters only felt slightly chilly to them. They were being approached by a British army.

The 150 Crusades were colored a fiery crimson.

The Japanese Chevaliers were not only surprised by the color but also the location of the encounter.

Legions only needed one day to revive when they were killed in action near the tutelary fort serving as their stronghold—

Because of that, the defending side would try as much as possible to engage the enemy near their stronghold. This was common sense in warfare. Unbelievably, this army had ventured far away from the Fuji tutelary fort to fight in the suburbs!

"What on earth is the enemy commander thinking...?"

Seeing the opponent give up home advantage on his own, Chevalier Ogura was stunned.

Was there some kind of devious ploy? Or a brainless fool who simply wanted to attract attention? There was still a kilometer between the two armies.

Soon after.

Roughly a hundred of the crimson Crusades began to accelerate fiercely, charging at the Tōkaidō army with frightening speed!

The 307 Kamuys were flying in a spherical formation, ready for combat.

Meanwhile, the red Crusade army had only sent a hundred to charge. They had formed a V-shaped wedge formation to attack an enemy three times their number.

"A fool after all!"

Chevalier Ogura cursed from his wyvern's saddle. This enemy was either a fool, or someone with excessive bravery, or a dreamer seeking romanticism in battle, or a problematic character overly confident in his talents as a general.

...However, Chevalier Ogura was not aware of the horrifying truth.

The enemy general was a monster for whom all the above applied, including the "fool" label.

"A knightly charge is the essence of war..."

The hundred Escalibors in the vanguard advanced as a "red wedge."

Riding his white wyvern, Richard watched his troops charge at the enemy while he stayed with his other fifty Legions that were hovering in the air on standby.

In front of the charging vanguard, 307 Tōkaidō Kamuys waited.

Imperial Japan's Legions were clad in blue armor and uniforms. Their figures were slim and trim, a size smaller than the imposing British Legions.

The Kamuys were too skinny, according to Richard's sensibilities...

These Kamuys entered a packed spherical formation and kept firing their bayonet rifles. The rain of flashing light attacked the Escalibors' wedge formation.

307 versus 100. Victory seemed impossible. However, the Lionheart continued to smile.

"Hohohoho. You are too careless, knights of the orient."

The moment he had ordered the hundred Escalibors to charge, Richard I was already certain of his victory. As soon as he sensed complacency in the enemy ranks, he knew he could take advantage of the Tōkaidō generals' mindset.

It was true that they had entered formation and were traveling to the battlefield, but they were still quite far from the Fuji tutelary fort.

Richard's beast-like nose had smelled the samurai's carelessness in their preconceived notion that enemies would not attack at such a distance.

"Those who cannot distinguish between confidence and carelessness are unfit to be the Lionheart's opponents..."

The Escalibors charged at the Kamuys that were waiting for them.

The two armies activated protective barriers. The glow of each barrier was proportional to the army headcount. In a shootout with rifles, Tōkaidō held an overwhelming advantage.

"Hoho, you may celebrate your advantage now, while you still can."

The particles of light around the Kamuys blocked virtually all of the British shots.

In contrast, the rain of flashing light pierced the protective barrier of the hundred Escalibors, striking their red bodies repeatedly, skewering their shoulders, abdomens, and heads.

This barrage was definitely sufficient to wipe out the charging British army.

In spite of that, the Escalibors soldiered onwards. Even with massive holes in their abdomens, amputated limbs, broken heads and helmets—

Like the living dead, the British army advanced nonstop.

Not only that, but the hundred Legions accelerated all at once as a single unit.

In merely ten-odd seconds, their charge surpassed 500 kilometers per hour. The high-speed Escalibors headed straight for the spherical formation of the 307 Kamuys.

It looked like driving a crimson wedge sharply into a gigantic blue sphere—

"O Escalibors, I shall secure victory by stepping over your glorious corpses. Battle relentlessly."

Watching his troops fight bravely, Richard's voice was warm and ecstatic.

Meanwhile, the hundred Escalibors continued to charge despite their grievous wounds. They crashed violently into the Kamuys' formation!

With rifles raised, they stabbed their bayonets into the flesh of the blue Legions.

Paired with blades, the charging attack inflicted damage on par with a one-hit kill. Over 90% of the Kamuys caught in the impact died on the spot, crashing into the ground.

Currently, the crimson wedge had succeeded in puncturing the blue sphere and was about to pierce through and out the other side.

"Hmm, only such battle spirit would be worthy as the Lionheart's Feat of Arms!"

Seeing the charge succeed, Richard was satisfied from the bottom of his heart.

Furthermore, the vanguard's offensive did not end there. Remaining neatly in a "wedge," the Escalibors turned around and rammed the Kamuys' spherical formation again.

...The same scene was reenacted.

The defending side attempted to use rapid fire to halt the enemy's charge. The attacking side soldiered on, charging at full strength.

The Japanese Legions became victims of the charge. The Tōkaidō side suffered serious casualties with blue corpses crashing into the ground one after another.

The Escalibors' second charge had succeeded. Richard nodded and said, "I see that you have made good use of Coeur de Lion granted by me!"

"Coeur de Lion" was French, meaning "Heart of the Lion" in English.

A so-called lion's heart referred to a soul of courage, fighting spirit, and indomitable perseverance. The Feat of Arms—Coeur de Lion was precisely the ability of Richard I to bestow such heroic fortitude upon his Legions.

...Invoking this Feat of Arms caused the Legions under his command to become warriors undaunted by even death itself—

Even if they died, they still charged to the bitter end.

In fact, after this attack concluded, the hundred Escalibors in the vanguard finally succumbed. The fire of life extinguished, they crashed down one after another from the air.

Pierced multiple times by the Kamuys' gunshots earlier, they were already dead to begin with.

After the fierce assault from the British army's two suicidal charges, the Tōkaidō side was down to less than a hundred Legions.

"A triumphant opening. Victory is at hand."

Richard still had fifty Legions remaining by his side.

Although he was confident he could win with these numbers, something else took greater priority.

"Gather, my royal swords. It is imperative to demonstrate a king's majesty once more."

After saying that, Richard looked southeast.

He smiled. Of the red giant winged soldiers he had summoned at the tutelary fort earlier—the remainder were approaching slowly. He had called them slightly earlier using noetic waves.

These Escalibors numbered 867.

This was undoubtedly a massive army, and he had just led 150 troops to the battlefield... Indeed, Richard I's Chevalier Strength had reached 1017!

"Next, I shall crush the enemy here with the might of a massive army. My knights, follow me!"

Richard declared majestically.

Then riding his wyvern, he personally charged at the remaining Kamuys.

The accompanying nine hundred or so Escalibors organized themselves into a spherical formation around the Lionheart, beginning to charge like a flying bullet!

"Inform the tutelary fort to send out wyvern squadrons. All Japanese Chevaliers found on the battlefield must be captured alive. I shall end this battle here!"

A sprite retainer beast left to relay his orders.

Meanwhile, the Tōkaidō remnants began to retreat and flee from the Lionheart's great army.

They ran north as fast as they could, towards Mount Fuji. It was quite commendable that even at this juncture, the Kamuys still remained in a packed sphere without breaking out of formation.

The lion did not think that it was acceptable to let the enemy go just because they numbered less than a hundred.

"Pursue them! Bite their tails!"

Richard fully unleashed a carnivorous predator's nature and hunger to hunt down the fleeing prey.

Part 3

"Inconceivable..."

An aerial battle between Legions was taking place over the outskirts of Fuji City.

Having witnessed the one-sided battle, Shiori was shocked. The 307 Kamuys of Tōkaidō were losing rapidly.

The surviving Kamuys and Chevaliers retreated north, towards Mount Fuji.

Over eight hundred red Legions chased them, flying off in an orderly manner.

Watching this scene, Hatsune lamented, "In the first attack, the enemy simply charged in a straight line, right? Is a direct charge that effective? Oh, it was thanks to the power of the Feat of Arms killer move, right!?"

"That's one of the reasons, but not all of it," Masatsugu realized he was almost smiling when he replied.

Laughing at an ally's defeat was not very respectable. His almost smile was unintentional. The reason for this was the fact that the enemy was overwhelmingly strong and had won through brute force by such ridiculous tactics.

The enemy must have seen through the Tōkaidō side's confidence... Or rather, carelessness.

This carelessness was what made the Japanese decide to rely on numbers to counter the charging attack. The enemy was well aware that he held the advantage in a contest of strength, which is why he had launched that reckless charge.

"That Chevalier has a very keen nose."

"Nose? You mean he's got a good sense of smell?"

"Yes. By the way, Princess, do you know the name of the enemy commander?" Masatsugu first nodded at the curious Hatsune before turning to ask Shiori.

That Chevalier Strength and presence made it extremely likely he was a Resurrectee. The knowledgeable Shiori instantly gave an answer.

"A man who calls himself the Lionheart would most likely be King Richard I of medieval England. I recall that he is Prince Edward's collateral relative... five generations his senior."

Masatsugu committed the unfamiliar name to memory.

Also, the trio was currently at the shore of the Fuji River. The suburban battlefield was a couple kilometers away from them. Normally speaking, there was no way to watch the battle in detail.

However, a type of gadget allowed them to do so.

"Princess, the retainer beasts came out okay, thank goodness!"

"I did mention that the success rate exceeded 50%."

Hatsune congratulated the princess and Shiori replied proudly.

Of the ten retainer beast talismans they had prepared earlier, a little while ago, five of them transformed into Yatagarasus, materializing under buried earth.

The Yatagarasu was similar to an ordinary crow in size and appearance.

Their common appearance allowed them to infiltrate any place to carry out reconnaissance, a prized ability.

After the fighting began, Shiori hurried to send these five to the battlefield. When the Yatagarasus returned, she used noetic control to project videos of what they had seen.

The Yatagarasus were currently standing ready on the riverbank gravel.

"...Oh my? Something seems to have happened after the battle ended."

Three rectangular windows were opened in front of the princess.

The five Yatagarasus provided visual memories from different angles. Shiori was focused on one of them.

The video showed four British white wyverns flying in the air.

A Japanese blue wyvern was encircled by them, flying feebly with a soldier mounted, presumably captured and being taken away by the enemy.

Hatsune asked in puzzlement, "So that's really... a Tōkaidō Chevalier, right?"

"Yeah, captured as a hostage."

"Eh, a hostage!?"

The novice Chevalier was astonished and Masatsugu explained calmly, "Hostages have many uses... For example, the British could torture or slaughter hostages in front of the Suruga tutelary fort that they've failed to conquer so far. When our side rushes out in righteous fury, fighting to reclaim the hostages, they can just sit back and wait for us to come to them. This is one method to destroy a turtling enemy."

"Onii-sama, that's so evil!"

"According to the Charter of Chivalry in the modern world, tactics of this sort are forbidden. At least superficially. However, what Masatsugu-sama said is correct. Chevalier hostages are very effective bargaining chips in negotiations. Information can even be extracted from them... Also, they caught more than one Chevalier."

Shiori sighed and pointed at the video.

Two more Japanese Chevaliers were mounted on wyverns and being taken away.

"Capturing knights for hostages, Richard I is truly a medieval hero. Back in that age, catching knights of high nobility on the battlefield was a very distinguished feat."

"The other Chevaliers might have died or escaped..."

"Or captured somewhere else. In any case, the situation is quite bad," Shiori nodded in agreement with Masatsugu and said, "They not only lost a battle they initiated but also allowed valuable manpower to fall into the enemy's hands... If only we could rescue them."

The princess frowned as soon as she pondered the difficulty of a rescue mission.

The normally cheerful Hatsune also looked depressed.

After some contemplation of the current situation, Masatsugu slowly expressed his view.

"So, Princess, we need to act immediately."

"Eh? Act...? What are you talking about, Masatsugu-sama?"

"I mean rescuing those Chevaliers. We need to act now if we're going to do it."

Shiori was startled by the sudden suggestion. So was Hatsune.

"This type of mission gets harder as time goes by. Since we were lucky enough to be at the scene, we should make good use of this opportunity. Besides, the troublesome Lion King is away, off chasing remnants."

Masatsugu spoke in an indifferent tone lacking in fervor.

"So now is the moment. It's best to attack the tutelary fort before he returns."

"Attack!? You are going to attack the Fuji tutelary fort!?"

"Hold on! Just the two of us, Onii-sama and me!?"

Hatsune interjected in shock.

Masatsugu nodded, "Exactly."

"That's absolutely crazy. Even without that Richard guy, there will be other Chevaliers. Besides, this isn't Suruga, Onii-sama, so you won't be able to summon too many Legions, right?"

"Yeah, right now, I can use no more than twenty-four or five Kanesadas, I guess."

There was a drastic decrease in the number of Legions one could use outside their stronghold zone.

Chevalier Strength was discounted by roughly 90%. For Masatsugu, a Chevalier whose stronghold was Suruga City, the Fuji suburbs were definitely out of range.

"That's nowhere enough and all I have is one!"

"Not necessarily. This time around, we're not trying to capture a castle, so there's always a way. However, the big assumption here is that I will be relying on you to play a key role."

Masatsugu gazed at Hatsune.

"Huh?" said the puzzled girl who had just become a Chevalier yesterday.

Leaving the riverside, the trio entered Fuji City.

Their target, the Fuji tutelary fort was located in the suburbs, namely, the remote wetlands east of the city. Like the one in Suruga, the Fuji tutelary fort was built on military land far from urban areas.

Instead of going there directly, the trio first went to Tagonoura, the port facing Suruga Bay.

"Hatsune, prior to the operation, I need to make some final confirmations with Masatsugu-sama," Shiori suddenly said.

Shiori had spoken as soon as they entered a large park at the pier. The park featured large lawns, a botanical garden, and all kinds of athletic facilities.

"Could you wait here for a moment?"

"Yes, certainly."

Hatsune felt intrigued by this unexpected order but accepted it readily.

She sat down on a nearby bench to enjoy the green tea and bean jam bun she had just bought. "You can't fight battles on an empty stomach!" was what she had said earlier.

She had adjusted quickly, no longer surprised by the plan to attack the tutelary fort.

This open-mindedness and simplicity of hers could be considered Hatsune's strengths.

"The situation seems pretty stable in Fuji City."

"Yes, and we succeeded in reaching this port too."

Masatsugu and the disguised princess walked into the depths of the park together.

"A battle just happened yet people are already going out in the streets."

It was just past 2pm. Random couples and families could be seen outdoors.

It was Sunday today, at least, according to the calendar.

The two of them went to a small hill overlooking Suruga Bay. There happened to be a bench here and they took a seat.

"Well, it is understandable. The battlefield was not only far from urban areas but also took place in the mountains. The city's residents would only gather an impression that 'Legions are leaving the tutelary fort to attack somewhere'," said Shiori with a shrug.

However, stability did not equate to peace. Buses were restricted to within Fuji City while trains were stopped just ilke in Suruga.

"This stability is owed to the Charter of Chivalry, I suppose."

"You mean the rules forbidding war cruelty or harming civilians?"

"Yes. Superficially, the Charter is 'a set of rules for international engagement that protects civilians'... In truth, it also 'demands civilians to obey certain rules'."

"How so?"

"After a battle, the residents of a conquered city are not allowed to oppose the occupation force, they are obliged to provide maximum cooperation, and must not leave the city without authorization... The Charter includes these rules which civilians must abide by in order to be eligible for protection."

"...I see."

"I presume that the mayor of Fuji City must have been forced to sign a written pledge on behalf of all residents to 'obey the Charter' right from the beginning."

They had witnessed many infantry units of the Restoration Alliance on their way here.

The infantry was patrolling the city on alert. However, to avoid provoking the sentiments of the residents, the soldiers in charge of patrolling were all Japanese—i.e. Kinai troops.

Also, the infantry showed no signs of brutalizing the residents.

However, soldiers dressed in khaki combat uniforms and equipped with automatic rifles, standing next to armored vehicles, still looked quite intimidating.

"We will run into trouble if we stay in Fuji City too long. Sooner or later, a certain situation would require us to show identification. If the military discovers that we are from outside the city and have no traveling authorization, they will definitely arrest us on the spot, then all would be lost."

"You're right. Then I'd better get started."

"Y-Yes. May fortune be on your side..."

It was time to set off and Masatsugu got up from the bench. Now that Shiori had given her parting blessing, he was going to put the plan into motion—

For some reason, the princess reached out and grabbed the hem of Masatsugu's shirt.

"...Is there anything else?"

"Masatsugu-sama, please consider the significance of why I came to see you off alone!"

"Significance?"

"Y-Yes. There is no one around currently..."

Seeing the princess remonstrate him angrily while looking down shyly, Masatsugu understood. He sat back down on the bench.

"Sorry about that."

"N-No, then shall we... begin?"

There was originally a gap between them, roughly a meter. When Masatsugu sat on the bench again, this gap disapperaed. He had taken his seat right next to Shiori.

Masatsugu gazed upon the liege he served, the beautiful princess.

Shiori gazed back at him, showing some worry in her expression.

"Princess."

Masatsugu called to her first, trying to relieve her tension.

They were so close together that Masatsugu could almost feel Shiori's body warmth. Shiori quietly reached out with her right hand and caressed Masatsugu's cheek.

"Masatsugu-sama, your body is still so cold..."

Shiori's voice was very quiet, only meant to be audible for the one in front of her.

"Like ice as always. Don't you feel cold yourself?"

"Not particularly. The heat from your precious blood, Princess, is plenty warm already."

"Then absorb as much as you can today. You will be heading out to battle next and need more ectoplasmic fluid..."

Tachibana Masatsugu was an amnesiac Resurrectee and unable to replenish ectoplasmic fluid on his own.

However, he had the ability to steal ectoplasmic fluid from others. This was Masatsugu's Feat of Arms—a special ability to bring about impossible miracles.

He embraced the princess audaciously, burying his face against her neck.

"Masatsugu-sama..."

Shiori held Masatsugu tightly, giving herself to him.

Through their clothing, Masatsugu could feel the warmth of Shiori's tender skin as well as the undulating curves of a womanly figure.

This type of intimate contact belonged to couples, but they did not stop here.

With his face against the princess' neck, Masatsugu kissed her pale skin, absorbing mystic power and the precursor of ectoplasmic fluid from the blood flowing inside her, inherited from the sacred beast Lord Tenryuu.

"Ah... Mmm—"

The absorbed life force melded into Masatsugu's body, becoming one with him.

Vaguely sensing this phenomenon, Shiori moaned in rapture, unable to suppress her voice at all.

"Mm... Uuuunn. Ahhhh—!"

Shiori's voice grew louder and her whole body heated up and flushed red. Even so, Masatsugu's lady liege still mustered the strength to speak, "M-Masatsugu-sama. Harder... is fine too, you know?"

"No, your body won't be able to take it, Princess."

Having obtained some power, Masatsugu stopped kissing Shiori's neck.

"There are still many things you must deal with later, Princess."

"I-I suppose you are right."

Shiori was slightly out of breath. She pouted slightly unhappily.

However, she shook her head and did not insist, only saying, "Indeed, you are correct. I still have to help Hatsune and must not deplete my energy here."

"I was hoping you could stay outside the city and simply wait for our return."

This operation had been prompted by an unexpected development.

Returning the princess to Suruga should have been the first priority, so Masatsugu wanted her to stay in a safe place.

However, Shiori said nonchalantly, "No, Masatsugu-sama, your plan undoubtedly requires Hatsune's assistance, but she has only just started to master a Chevalier's power. Without my help, the plan will not succeed."

"......"

"I have mentioned before that I am delighted by opportunities to make use of my abilities."

Shiori analyzed in detail her reasons for exposing herself to risk.

Naturally, her bodyguard Masatsugu did not quite agree with her. Still, he relented. As a Resurrectee, he was here precisely to realize the abmitions of Fujinomiya Shiori.

If the princess was willing to risk her life, overprotectiveness would be putting the cart before the horse.

In any era, it was necessary to pay a price in order to realize ambition.

...After understanding Shiori's feelings, Tachibana Masatsugu left the park.

Walking alone at the pier, he soon found a suitable target.

It was an infantry patrol unit with a a British armored vehicle.

Masatsugu approached them. The plan was to raise a commotion, the bigger the better.

He recited the name of Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada in his mind. It was the appellation of the personal sword swung by Hijikata Toshizō. A Japanese sword in its scabbard suddenly manifested in his left hand.

Successors were able to summon and dismiss the physical manifestations of Appellations at will.

The ten-odd British soldiers glared at the high schooler approaching them holding a sheathed sword in his left hand.

"Sorry," Masatsugu said to them, "I'll be going postal now on you guys from the Restoration Alliance. I will mercilessly cut down anyone who dares to stop me. Call your friends for help if you're not afraid to die."

Masatsugu slowly released noesis.

Instantly, Tachibana Masatsugu's elite troops of the "red-purple Kamuys" materialized.

A total of thirty Kanesadas. The operation to invade the Fuji tutelary fort and rescue the captured Chevaliers was officially beginning at last...

Part 4

Chevaliers were able to manifest armies of Legions with tangible bodies from their own noesis.

Using this ability, Chevaliers could infiltrate enemy cities or important facilities single-handedly to summon Legions to wreak malicious destruction—

Fighting war in such a dishonorable way was possible.

However, almost no one ever put it into practice. First of all, doing so would violate the Charter of Chivalry. It was also rather inefficient.

When far away from the stronghold where the tutelary pact was established, a Chevalier was unable to summon all of their Legions.

All Chevaliers paid close attention to this rule when going to battle.

Their Chevalier Strength was 10% when using Legions anywhere apart from their stronghold.

Furthermore, the various superpowers all placed tutelary forts near important cities to prevent terror attacks. Consequently, destruction via infiltration was very inefficient.

(One more factor was that Chevaliers belonged to the privileged class and could not be wasted on suicide missions.)

But this time, Masatsugu deliberately summoned Legions in an urban area—near a port.

Masatsugu's current Chevalier Strength was 302. Shiori had been sharing a bit of ectoplasmic fluid with him on a daily basis, plus what she gave him before the battle, finally allowing him to build up reserves to this level.

Unfortunately, summoning Legions outside of Suruga reduced their numbers to 10%—

These were the thirty that Masatsugu had summoned at Fuji City's port.

"Standby where you are and don't do anything," Masatsugu quietly ordered the Kanesadas under his command.

He did not have them fly. The red-purple Legions entered a circle formation on the ground with their bayonet rifles aimed outwards.

There was only one Kanesada inside the circle and Masatsugu was standing on its shoulder.

"A commotion seems to be starting."

Legions were roughly eight meters tall. Standing on one's shoulder would be equivalent to a third-floor balcony of an apartment building, treating him to a view of the entire harbor scenery.

Seeing the sudden appearance of winged giant soldiers, civilians fled for their lives.

People would stay indoors as much as possible during war but there were still crowds at port facilities, shops, factories, and houses.

Dozens of speakers in the city sounded an alarm.

Soldiers also fled. The unit of infantry patrol that Masatsugu provoked earlier had disappeared. Instead—

"They're here, huh?"

The Fuji tutelary fort sent out eighty-four Crusades.

The Crusades flew slowly, approaching from the western sky. The tutelary fort was west of the port, roughly one train stop away.

However, these eighty-four Crusades did not attack the Kanesadas immediately.

Their commander was aware that starting an urban battle with eyewitnesses around would run the risk of breaking the rule of "intentionally destroying civilian facilities" from the Charter of Chivalry. It would be very troublesome to handle indictments after the fact.

The enemy formed a spherical formation in the air, observing the Kanesadas for movements.

Eighty-four versus thirty was quite a big disparity in numbers.

Masatsugu watched the tutelary fort calmly—The truly troublesome enemy was there.

They were separated by four or five kilometers. Masatsugu could clearly see the vortex of noesis and the eyeball in the sky.

The eyeball was humongous, its diameter surpassing sixty meters.

This was the shadow of the ifrit Morgan le Fay, or rather, an avatar. It was said that Morgan was a goddess of death from British fay folklore.

The eyeball of the goddess, reputedly death itself, stared intently at Masatsugu's army.

This was to allow offensive or defensive measures to be taken any time if necessary.

However, the eyeball did not make a move so far, so as to avoid wasting noesis and mystic power. Britain's ifrit seemed to be quite a seasoned warrior.

What Masatsugu hoped for was precisely this confidence and composure.

"Excellent."

The British Chevalier and ifrit were both waiting for him to make a move.

Masatsugu must not act lightly. His next step was to leave things to Hatsune and see if she could seize this opportunity to complete the mission.

"Are you mentally prepared, Hatsune?"

"O-Of course, Princess!"

Princess Shiori called to Hatsune, who straightened her back.

The two of them were in a park at the port of Dagonoura which offered a view of Suruga Bay's vast waters and a near view of Mount Fuji.

This scenery was beautiful but Hatsune was in no mood to enjoy.

Her relative, Tachibana Masatsugu, had set off thirty minutes ago. According to the plan, it was time for Tachibana Hatsune to enter the battlefield for the first time. However, there were so many uncertain factors.

"But the Legions I can summon are too few—Just one. That's not very reassuring..."

Currently, Hatsune's tentative Chevalier Strength was "just one."

Once she became more experienced, the number of Legions would increase, allowing her actual Chevalier Strength to be known. It was true that she combat power was not very reliable at the current stage.

However, Shiori said, "Not to worry, this actually suits your mission better. Just one makes it harder for you to be discovered."

In her role as strategist, Shiori was very confident, contrasting with the insecure Hatsune.

Hatsune did not know if she was trying to encourage her, or if she was actually confident of victory? Perhaps both.

"I will help you as much as possible, so just do what you can."

"Yes... Oh right, Rikka-sama will be angry later, right? After all, Princess, you are putting yourself at risk."

"That cannot be helped. We will simply have to apologize when the scolding comes."

"Got it, I will endure the scolding by your side!"

"Let us find some dirt on Rikka-sama another time. That way, we can strike back any time she nags too much."

Sometimes, Hatsune felt an urge to put away her clan's ruffian and larger-than-life ways to properly caution her lady, "Princess, you need to act more like a proper princess."

In any case, the time for the operation arrived during their conversation.

"Hatsune, proceed. Masatsugu-sama has summoned the Kanesadas!"

Shiori pointed at the sky—west of the Fuji tutelary fort.

The British army of eighty or so Crusades were flying towards the port of Dagonoura. They were advancing slowly at around fifty or sixty kilometers per hour because high-speed flight would consume a lot of ectoplasmic fluid.

There was also a gigantic eyeball in the sky over the tutelary fort.

This eye, an avatar of the ifrit Morgan le Fay, released powerful noesis. Its gaze was directed at a certain corner in the port.

Masatsugu had evidently put the plan into motion. Hatsune roared, "Upon my Appellation of Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune—Assemble, my Legions!"

One Legion, red and white in color, manifested.

Its appearance was basically the same as the Kamuy except with dark-red armor and a white garment on top. The top of the helmet was elongated like an eboshi, a type of headgear worn by court nobles in the past.

Like the Kanesada, Hatsune's Legion, "Kurou Hougan," was a variant of the Kamuy.

"Take me and the princess and fly to the tutelary fort—In one go, Kurou!"

The soldier wearing the name of Kurou Yoshitsune reacted swiftly.

Slinging its rifle, the Legion bent down and picked up the two girls in its huge hands—

Then it flew up slowly, instantly accelerating to a hundred kilometers per hour.

The Kurou Hougan continued to speed up, heading straight for the Fuji tutelary fort.

However, it flew at a very low altitude, its feet almost about touch the roofs of two-story buildings.

Forced to keep a low profile, Hatsune could go no higher. Masatsugu had summoned Legions in the city to act as a diversion.

He was attracting attention from enemy Chevaliers and Morgan le Fay.

This was to delay the Fuji tutelary fort from noticing the approaching Kurou Hougan for as long as possible. Otherwise, the enemy would deploy a noesis barrier in such a situation.

Once a barrier was erected around the tutelary fort, getting in would be a huge challenge.

The park at the port was only a few kilometers from the tutelary fort. At their current speed, it would take less than five minutes.

However, just as there were only a couple hundred meters left...

Morgan le Fay's eyeball suddenly swiveled and caught sight of the approaching Kurou Hougan. Then a singing voice, resembling a solemn chorus, resounded throughout the sky.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh......

In concert with the singing, high-density noesis coalesced in the atmosphere.

A noesis barrier gradually took form to cover the Fuji tutelary fort. Noticing the signs, Hatsune hastily yelled, "Kurou Hougan! My power—I will share my blood with you, so fly even faster!"

Instantly, Hatsune almost fainted.

The symptoms resembled anemia and was due to Hatsune's rapid depletion of the ectoplasmic fluid she had stored up from the water shrine. Next, the Kurou Hougan accelerated with explosive power.

"Kyahhhhhhhhhhhh!"

"Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh."

Hatsune screamed as though riding a roller coaster.

Shiori groaned in pain from the massive g-forces. Without the protective barrier that guarded a Legion's body, the passengers' bones would probably have shattered.

In any case, during the fraction of a second before the noesis barrier could be fully deployed...

The Kurou Hougan instantly dashed into the tutelary fort.

"Are you okay, Princess!?"

"D-Don't worry. Let us hurry and begin."

The Fuji tutelary fort's layout was similar to the one at Suruga.

Its premises covered an area roughly the six of five or six Tokyo Domes, surrounded by perimeter walls in a star shape.

There was a forty-meter-tall nation-protecting keep in the center with scattered buildings and warehouses elsewhere. Directly above the nation-protecting keep was a giant hovering eyeball.

Inside the fort, the Kurou Hougan lowered Shiori and Hatsune to the ground.

"W-When Chevaliers are captured, their Appellations are sealed first," said Shiori, trying her best to hold back her nausea.

Hatsune rushed over to steady her lady.

"Hence, it is necessary to summon a large team of noetic officers to activate the sealing mechanism. Both knights and Appellations release noetic waves... If we head to a strong source of noetic waves, it is highly likely we will find the captives."

In the midst of conversation, Shiori's breathing returned to normal and her tone recovered her usual fortitude.

"However, we must not stay in the enemy base for too long. Regardless whether the search succeeds or fails, we must retreat within ten minutes. Use the talismans when the time comes."

"Don't worry, I remembered to bring them!"

Hatsune took out folded A3-size pieces of thick paper from the front of her kimono.

They were two retainer beast talismans. Since they must not be lost, Hatsune immediately returned them to her bosom. After seeing the talismans, Shiori's body glowed golden.

At the same time, there was high-pitched ringing.

This was rumored to be a phenomenon when projecting strong noetic waves. Hatsune watched in wide-eyed astonishment.

"...There is something fishy about the building in the back. Let us proceed."

"Thank you very much—Kurou!"

At Hatsune's order, the red and white Legion lifted them up to its shoulders.

Shiori was on the left while Hatsune was on the right. The Kurou Hougan jumped gracefully, clearing a distance of two hundred meters and landing in front of the building indicated by the princess without causing any tremors.

The massive Kurou Hougan Legion landed noiselessly.

Such light movements were similar to those demonstrated by the young Yoshitsune in Hatsune's dream. Despite weighing dozens of tons, the Legion was as agile as a cat.

While feeling impressed, Hatsune did not neglect to give orders.

"Open a hole in the wall to let us look inside. We need to confirm who's in there!"

There was a seven-story pitch-black building in front of them.

This style of architecture could be found in trendy office buildings downtown. However, this was a tutelary fort and all buildings were military facilities. Thus, one could damage them without holding back at all.

The Kurou Hougan delivered an acute right punch, puncturing the outer wall on the second floor.

In the face of a Legion's arm strength, steel-reinforced concrete was no different from a paper door. The Kurou Hougan withdrew its fist, leaving a giant hole in the side of the building, which provided a view of the office furniture inside.

In the same manner, the Kurou Hougan opened up additional holes in the building.

In the fourth hole, they found several men in the military uniforms of Imperial Japan.

Meanwhile, at the port of Dagonoura...

Masatsugu's thirty Kanesadas continued to face off against the eighty or so Crusades.

The army of Kanesadas continued to maintain a circle with rifles aimed outwards.

In contrast, the Crusades were diagonally above, overlooking the circle.

They were in a line formation dozens of meters in the air with rifles aimed at the Kanesadas on the ground.

"They don't dare to attack recklessly, huh...? What a great help," Masatsugu muttered to himself. The enemy's caution was in his favor.

The Crusades in the air were in a row. Behind them, riding a white wyvern was a British Chevalier. A man in his prime.

The man had his wyvern circling while he watched the Japanese Legions for movements.

Presumably, this was because Masatsugu had not ordered his Legions to attack. Since a while ago, Masatsugu had simply engaged in a profound silent demonstration.

Fighting in populous urban areas would ultimately be against the Charter of Chivalry. Hence, the British army did not dare fire first. They did not wish to actively violate the rules and sow seeds for trouble.

The result was both sides in a standstill for almost ten minutes.

Had a stalemate not occurred, Masatsugu's original plan was to hold their ground defensively to buy ten-odd minutes of time. Of course, avoiding unnecessary fighting would be more than welcome.

Just as Masatsugu was thanking his good fortune, the "eye" in the sky over the tutelary fort emitted noetic waves and singing.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh......

A noesis barrier was formed presently, surrounding the entire tutelary fort. Did Hatsune and the princess enter the fort and succeed in finding the hostages?

"No matter what the result, next comes a struggle for survival."

As soon as he said that, Masatsugu heard a loud noise.

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhnnnnn!

From the Fuji tutelary fort came a roar.

The sound reached the urban area near the port from the rural wetlands. A Legion was howling using its mouth behind the mask. This was called a War Cry.

This singing and shouting came from a winged giant soldier that were not human.

—When retreating from the tutelary fort, use the Kurou Hougan's voice as a signal.

Masatsugu had given this instruction to Hatsune in advance. Hearing the agreed signal, Masatsugu said quietly, "All men draw your swords. Prepare to charge."

The thirty Kanesadas immediately acted.

Their bayonet rifles—rifles outfitted with blades—instantly turned into Japanese swords. And it was a fabulously renowned sword, Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada, the personal blade of Hijikata Toshizō.

The thirty Kanesada emitted protective barrier particles from their entire bodies.

Barrier particles usually glowed white but the Kanesada's were red-purple, the same color as their armor. Moreover, the Kanesadas were exuding more than the glow of the protective barrier.

All Kanesadas were giving off frightening bloodlust, determined to cut through all obstacles in their path.

This terrifying aura undoubtedly belonged to the "Merciless" Shinsengumi Vice-Commander.

"Attack!"

Masatsugu ordered his army and the Kanesadas entered the flat seigan stance.

The eighty-something Crusades on alert in the sky also deployed a protective barrier and reflexively pulled their triggers. They were probably intimidated by the katana-wielding army's bloodlust and terrifying aura.

Naturally, the Crusades were targeting the thirty Kanesadas in a circle formation on the ground.

Just as the rifles shot beams capable of vaporizing asphalt...

Masatsugu's army kicked the ground and took flight. Instead of dashing at the Crusade army in front of them, they made a detour around the enemy and continued to accelerate fiercely.

It turned out that the Kanesada army was flying to the Fuji tutelary fort at high speed!

A rain of flashing light struck the thirty Kanesadas' former location from two seconds ago.

Already firing, the Crusades were unable to track the Kanesadas with their beams in time. Masatsugu had executed a feint using bloodlust precisely to take advantage of this.

The pier at the port was less than five kilometers from the Fuji tutelary fort.

The Kanesadas flew over the city, leaving residential areas. It only took ten-odd seconds to reach the beautiful natural scenery of the wetlands.

The protective barrier around the Legions shielded Masatsugu from the effects of speed and g-forces.

"Ignore the lightning. Go straight ahead."

Along the way, the Kanesada's encountered descending lightning strikes.

A meteorological decree invoked by the ifrit Morgan le Fay.

Fortunately, the thirty Kanesadas were in a packed spherical formation. The protective barrier would be able to withstand several seconds of continuous lightning strikes.

The star-shaped walls of the tutelary fort came into sight.

However, a non-physical shield—the noesis barrier—was blocking the way. Unless the barrier was removed, there was no way to break inside the tutelary fort.

"Next task—Penetrate!"

From atop a Kanesada in the center of the spherical formation, Masatsugu issued orders to the whole army.

This was a "word of kill" ordaining certain death. First, four Kanesadas accelerated and left the spherical formation to collide with one part of the noesis barrier.

The four Kanesadas formed a row while extending their katanas with both hands.

Four katanas stabbed into the noesis barrier. The remaining twenty-five Kanesadas rushed with full momentum behind the earlier four and pushed their backs in unison. Only the Kanesada carrying Masatsugu did not take action.

This attack opened up a series of four holes in the noesis barrier.

The holes of similar size grew, finally becoming one big hole. The twenty-nine Legions under Masatsugu rushed into the tutelary fort.

The Kanesadas' katana offensive even managed to slice through a small part of an impregnable noesis barrier—

This was the power of the renowned blade Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada's Feat of Arms—Gankouken. Its effect was to bestow Legions with Hijikata Toshizō's weapon and infantry tactics for slaughtering enemies with swordsmanship.

A Kamuy-like Legion flew over to the Kanesada army that had created the huge hold.

"Onii-sama, you really came!"

The Kamuy had red armor with a white garment on top—A Kurou Hougan Legion.

Hatsune was sitting on its right shoulder. A shoulder was not a particularly stable spot, but Chevaliers and Legions were linked by mystic power, so cases of Chevaliers falling off were extremely rare.

Hatsune looked calm and composed, evidently getting used to a Chevalier's powers.

Two blue wyverns came flying from behind. Shiori had told Hatsune to bring retainer beast talismans, so the wyverns must have manifested from them.

Shiori was riding on of the wyverns which had a saddle to sit on.

The second wyvern was carrying three Japanese men dressed in uniforms of military officers. They all looked gloomy and listless, but fortunately, their lives were not in danger.

Thus, the "princess and her knights" converged successfully, exiting the noesis barrier.

"Princess, are you okay?"

"Yes, nothing to worry about. Thank you for your efforts too, Masatsugu-sama."

"What about those three?"

Masatsugu looked at the three Chevaliers who had almost become hostages.

They were young men between twenty and thirty years of age. Their names were respectively Habuna, Maike, and Tabi. The three of them thanked Masatsugu meekly. Unfortunately, their Appellations were sealed and had to be unsealed at Suruga before they could summon Kamuys again.

From his Legion's shoulder, Masatsugu jumped behind the princess, onto the wyvern she was riding.

The two of them sat on one saddle to ride the same wyvern. This was to help out Shiori who was not a skilled rider. Just as they were about to escape—

"Onii-sama, over there!"

Masatsugu looked as directed, turning his head towards the port.

The eighty-odd Crusades he had left behind were gradually approaching. Their movement speed was not high and they had already aimed their rifles at Masatsugu's group. Just as he was pondering how to escape—

Hatsune said from the Kurou Hougan's shoulder.

"Wait, leave the rest to me!"

"What did you say?"

"I feel it—Yoshitsune's Appellation says he's got a good plan."

Hatsne was not a proper Chevalier yet, but her abilities were definitely developing. Sensing that she had an idea, Masatsugu nodded and said, "Got it. Go ahead and try it out."

"Yeah, I got this!" Hatsune replied energetically then slowly lowered her voice. "...When penetrating enemy territory, know locations to avoid and identify poorly guarded lines of retreat to ensure certain escape. Charge the enemy, break their formation, take no prisoners. Behold my Feat of Arms—Kotouhisshutsu!"

As Masatsugu predicted, Hatsune was going to invoke a Feat of Arms.

After reciting a mantra that sounded like principles from a military classic, Hatsune said loudly, "Onii-sama, follow me!"

The Kurou Hougan released powerful noesis and flew west.

In front of them were the eighty-odd Crusades that Masatsugu had confronted at the pier. In spite of that, Masatsugu did as told and ordered his Legions to follow.

The thirty Kanesadas caught up with the Kurou Hougan that had moved out first.

...Immediately, the view before their eyes changed dramatically.

Spontaneously, their army had arrived in the sky over the Fuji River. It was the river they had reached a few hours ago, traveling by Mibu wolves to cross the mountains.

"What?"

The Fuji River's did not have a huge quantity of water flowing through it. Its gravelly sandbanks and shores were very striking.

The tutelary fort was roughly ten kilometers from the Fuji River. Unbelievably, their army had traversed this distance instantaneously. Furthermore, Masatsugu and the others had not experienced any sensation of "high-speed flight."

Following the Kurou Hougan, they had arrived here "just like that."

There was no feeling of speed or g-forces. The Kanesada army had not consumed any ectoplasmic fluid either.

"It appears that Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune's Feat of Arms..." Shiori said with surprise all over her face.

During the process, the Kanesadas and the wyverns continued to fly west—in other words, towards Suruga. They crossed the Fuji River and came to the sky over the highland forests of Mount Oomaru, Mount Kanamaru, Mount Amagoi, and Mount Arashi.

"...Can achieve instantaneous movement so long as the distance is not too great—A type of teleportation power. Perhaps it is a reenactment of the legends of the Hyodori-goe surprise assault and jumping over eight ships."

"P-P-P-P-Probably, Princess..."

Of everyone present, only Hatsune was out of breath.

She looked like she had just finished a sprinting competition. This Feat of Arms evidently took a huge toll on the Chevalier leading the army.

Hatsune was so tired that her eyes were spinning. Masatsugu ordered the Kanesadas to stopped mid-flight.

The wyverns carrying him, Shiori, and the three Chevaliers also stopped. The wyverns flapped their wings, hovering in one place in the air.

Meanwhile, the exhausted Hatsune said proudly, "A-Anyway, now that we're here, all that's left to do is run as fast as we can! Our operation was a success!"

"...No, it is still too early to say that."

Masatsugu observed Fuji City from where they had just traversed using teleportation.

Over in the air above the tutelary fort, Morgan le Fay's gigantic eye avatar remained manifested. Its gaze was directed straight at Masatsugu and company.

A Chevalier's sharp instincts informed Masatsugu.

The eyeball's noetic waves and gaze were following them relentlessly.

"Morgan le Fay has not lost our trail. It knows where we are."

"Huh!?" Hatsune exclaimed in surprise.

A "voice" was instantly heard in this airspace.

(Precisely, so... Chevaliers of Japan. I am, the genie Morrigan. The controller of the ifrit Morgan le Fay.)

It was not a real human voice but sound formed from noetic waves.

The soprano voice sounded adorable, but the tone was a bit choppy.

The source was overhead. A giant eyeball, seven or eight meters in diameter, was hovering in the air above, surrounded by a powerful vortex of noetic waves.

Its appearance was very similar to the gigantic eyeball over the Fuji tutelary fort.

(Give up, on your futile escape. Even if you land, and hide in the mountains, I, the spirit Morrigan, will never lose your trail. I will definitely, catch you.)

Sure enough, nothing was ever easy on the battlefield.

Masatsugu shrugged. Whatever. In truth, he did not really care. After all, he was prepared to fight all-out to retreat. However, his brow furrowed slightly when he heard the following notice.

(Also, here is some unfortunate news, for you. Morrigan originally asked, a Chevalier at the Fuji tutelary fort... Sir Gary to pursue you. But now, another Chevalier happened to return.)

Could it be Richard the Lionheart?

Masatsugu frowned and pondered. Did the Resurrectee whose chase took him in Motosu's direction return? However, an even worse scenario overturned Masatsugu's hypothesis.

(This person has flippant tendencies despite being the commander-in-chief. This time, he will surely take care of you personally.)

"Morrigan! Don't you have anything better to say than calling me 'flippant'?"

A young voice suddenly interrupted, retorting against the comment delivered through noetic waves.

Instantly, a rider on a British white wyvern arrived. He was dressed in a black military officer's uniform. A handsome man with silver hair.

Unmistakably, he was the Chevalier whom Masatsugu had spotted from afar, the day he swore his oath of fealty to Shiori.

Masatsugu was very certain, this was none other but Edward the Black Prince himself.

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