Chapter 6 - Battle between Lion and Hound[edit]
Chapter 6 - Battle between Lion and Hound[edit]
Part 1[edit]
Legions were normally described as "winged giant soldiers."
However, they did not have true wings. Instead, they simply had "wing-like decorations" on their backs. Some Legions even lacked such decorations.
Consequently, their ability to fly had nothing to do with wings.
They simply hovered in the air, producing thrust from their bodies. Furthermore, there was a secret hidden under their feet. Their soles were capable of producing buoyancy, allowing them to use the atmosphere as a foothold, stepping on air as though it were mother earth herself.
This was why Legions were able to use swordsmanship, unarmed combat, and other martial arts in the air.
After all, these were all skills that were designed and trained with the ground in mind.
(Well, carrying out a melee battle in the air does have the drawback of having "a huge consumption of ectoplasmic fluid.")
And currently—
The two armies were in the sky over Mount Satsuta, exhibiting their respective martial arts.
Charging into the chaotic battle, Tachibana Masatsugu finally arrived before that man. Masatsugu was riding a blue wyvern of Imperial j.a.pan while the other party was on a white wyvern of Britain.
"Wow!"
The man widened his eyes in surprise on this first encounter.
King Richard I, the Lionheart. He was the general leading a thousand Escalibors.
"I see—so this is your objective?"
"What do you mean?"
"Please, do not play dumb. You wish to have a duel with me, because winning would instantly overturn the disparity in numbers... You are an admirable samurai, good sir."
With burning eyes of fervor, Richard spoke with ecstasy in his voice.
"I am quite moved. Never did I expect in this Far East island nation to encounter a knight well-versed in the aesthetics of the duel."
"Not at all. I"m not worthy of your praise."
A somewhat crude term occurred to Masatsugu. The so-called "game brain."
Applied to Richard I, it would be the chivalry romanticism brain, perhaps? His thoughts were simplistic and he liked to interpret everything through the lens of dramatic chivalry, just as Masatsugu suspected.
"The vast majority of his behavior undoubtedly consisted of unruly whims—"
Shiori had told Masatsugu that a certain historian had made such a comment on the Lionheart.
Were someone like him not a "war genius," it would have been trivially easy for Masatsugu to win.
Meanwhile, unaware of Masatsugu"s thoughts, the Lionheart said, "You must recognize my name, don"t you? Samurai, introduce yourself."
"Tachibana Masatsugu."
"Acknowledged. Tachibana, huh? In that case, let us begin."
Richard raised the sword he had been using like a marshal"s baton and pointed its tip at Masatsugu.
Masatsugu quietly nodded and likewise drew Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada. The two of them prepared to duel quickly and efficiently.
Indeed, a duel did not need words.
Disregarding the differences between a j.a.panese sword and a one-handed western sword, they were both using swords as weapons.
Both weapons were comparable in length, neither projectiles nor lances, meaning that they had to fight in close quarters...
The two of them gently kicked their wyvern"s belly at the same time.
The two wyverns flapped their wings and slowly flew forward.
Their distance gradually shrank. Initially five meters... four meters, three, two, one... Finally, the blue and white wyverns were about to brush past each other.
Incidentally, both Masatsugu and Richard were wielding their swords right-handed.
Swinging their right arms at close range, their deadly blades were about to strike their opponent—In the next instant...
"Hah!"
"!"
Richard gave a mighty shout while Masatsugu remained silent.
An exchange of blows. Both riders were holding the reins in their left hand, thus leaving only their right hand available for battle. The renowned katana and the western sword collided with a mighty clang, producing a shower of sparks.
"Lionheart, you have a fine sword there."
"Hohohoho, the samurai"s katana is not the only celebrated sword."
Masatsugu offered concise praise and Richard responded proudly.
When ordinary swords clashed with Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada, their blades would end up severed as easily as bean curd. However, King Richard"s sword had managed to block the j.a.panese blade.
He was probably using some kind of heirloom sword treasured by the English royal family.
The two of them exchanged another four or five blows at once.
A battle of offense and defense where both sides blocked with their sword while trying to slash the opponent using their prided blades.
The sound of blades clashing was as rhythmic as musical instruments.
Only first-rate swordsmen were capable of producing such a melody of the battlefield.
Furthermore, their wyverns were no slouches either. They glared at each other with savage demeanors, striking violently with their flapping wings. The wyverns were also pushing tightly against each other in a contest of strength like a sumo wrestling match.
...Suddenly, Richard"s wyvern kicked with its right leg.
This kick fell near the waist area and Masatsugu"s wyvern backed away.
The two wyverns became separated by four or five meters, interrupting the sword match. There was no way to slash each other no matter how far they stretched their arms.
"Another go?" Just as Masatsugu muttered to himself, a palm-size retainer beast appeared on his shoulder.
The messenger pipe fox had teleported here. Preparations were evidently in order. There was no more need to stall for time.
The next step was to see how much of a blaze he could light up in Richard"s heart. Seeing the pipe fox scurry into his chest pocket, Masatsugu nodded to himself.
In contrast, due to the separation interrupting the fight, the Lionheart said with exasperation, "Hmph. If only I could fly on my own."
Richard grinned fearlessly while expressing his dissatisfaction.
This could not be helped. Unlike Legions, Resurrectees like Masatsugu and Richard did not have the ability to fly and could only fight by riding wyverns—Logically, that should be the case.
"What the h.e.l.l!?"
However, Richard"s next step surprised Masatsugu.
Noesis suddenly gathered around Richard"s left arm, shimmering like a mirage, and turned into a gigantic left arm. It was clearly an Escalibor"s arm.
Raising his left arm, which had turned into a Legion"s gigantic arm just like that, the Lionheart made a fist and attacked—
A left straight. A crimson fist of steel was heading straight for Masatsugu!
"You are wide open, Tachibana!"
"...Kanesada!"
Masatsugu hastily called the name of his Legion.
He subconsciously raised his left hand, believing that his palm would be able to stop a winged giant soldier"s left straight.
Next—A giant arm also flew out from Masatsugu"s palm.
It was a red-purple Legion"s, a Kanesada"s left arm. This arm opened its palm and firmly caught the Escalibor"s deadly punch.
"I see now."
Seeing the amazing feat his left arm had accomplished, Masatsugu understood.
The first time when he saved Princess Shiori at the Suruga tutelary fort, he had stopped a falling Kamuy using his body of flesh directly, even pushing the Kamuy"s heavy body away. Just as he was doing now, he had summoned a Legion into his body and used its strength to achieve that superhuman feat.
"This is a move... that virtually all modern Chevaliers are incapable of," Richard grinned.
Upon closer examination, one could see "phantoms" of Legions behind the two knights and their wyvern mounts.
The hazy outlines of two winged giant soldiers were shimmering unsteadily like mirages. The red British knight Escalibor attacked with a thrust of its fist while the red-purple samurai Kanesada raised a palm to block—
These figures had manifested after Richard and Masatsugu had merged themselves with their own Legion.
"Tachibana, sure enough... you are the same as I?"
"Sorry, I can"t answer you."
"Then I shall ask you again after I seize victory, a.s.suming you survive!"
Then the "phantom giants" disappeared.
The reckless skill of summoning a Legion within oneself was a heavy burden on one"s body. It was not supposed to be used for long periods unnecessarily.
The two wyverns came close together again to put on another show of sword against katana.
However... This was not Masatsugu"s ultimate goal.
As expected, Richard was an excellent fighter.
At this rate, the smaller Kanesada army would be wiped out before the duel finished.
Hence, Masatsugu allowed Richard"s sweeping blow to strike him on purpose.
Richard"s sword sliced open Masatsugu"s right flank with a splatter of blood. The wound was not shallow either.
"Guh—!"
"Kukukuku. So this is the extent of the renowned swordsmanship of the samurai!?"
"...Retreat. Move up as much as possible to avoid getting caught."
In contrast to Richard"s gloating triumph, Masatsugu quietly issued orders.
The blue wyvern flapped its wings and backed away before rising rapidly, speeding up to flee the scene.
Masatsugu gently touched the chest pocket of his school uniform.
"Discard your notions of fleeing. Fight me to the bitter end!"
Richard yelled in delight.
He was utterly consumed by the desire to pursue Masatsugu. In the next second, it was the Lionheart"s turn to be alarmed.
"What!?"
Gunfire from the ground was attacking the Escalibors and the Kanesadas that were locked in an aerial battle.
In fact, Masatsugu"s army were not the only Legions that had sortied from the Suruga tutelary fort.
The three Chevaliers, Habuna, Maike, and Tabi, had also headed out to the suburbs.
Each of their Chevalier Strength was around fifty and they had summoned 150 Kamuys... Moving their forces extremely stealthily.
They did not fly in the sky over Suruga like Tachibana Masatsugu had done to draw the enemy"s attention.
The trio had secretly summoned Legions at the military zone facing Suruga Bay. Under the night sky, all hundred and fifty Legions marched underwater without emerging from the sea surface. The army lurked in the shallows by the coast near the spot where Masatsugu"s Kanesadas had intercepted the British army.
Naturally, they had avoided flying in the air to prevent Richard from discovering them.
This tactic was decided right from the start. They were going to head out separately from the Kanesadas, moving either through the sea or at extremely low alt.i.tudes. Then while Masatsugu was stalling for time, they would get into formation as quickly as possible...
The battlefield where two Resurrectees clashed was the sky over Mount Satsuta.
The three Chevalier"s 150 Kamuys were set up in the hills of Mount Satsuta.
The goal was to deliver the first devastating blow to King Richard"s army of one thousand, while helping Tachibana Masatsugu to escape as well.
"Gather together, my knights! Enter formation again!"
While Richard yelled, a number of crimson Legions were shot down again.
While Masatsugu was playing the part of a duel between generals, a volley of rifle fire emerged from the ridgeline of Mount Satsuta below.
The three Chevaliers rescued from Fuji City had entered the battle with the 150 Kamuys under their command.
Their entire army was firing from the ground at the Escalibors and Kanesadas that were locked in an aerial battle, killing them one after another. Protective barriers were having virtually no effect.
"It was worth it for me to act as bait," Masatsugu muttered while enduring the sharp pain from his flank.
The Kanesadas and the Escalibors had broken out of their packed formations to engage in a chaotic skirmish. Protective barriers were ineffective unless Legions were cl.u.s.tered together with friendly forces.
Under such circ.u.mstances, the thousand Legions on the British side suffered heavier losses.
There were only 360 Kamuys while the Escalibors were roughly thrice as numerous. The chances of indiscriminate gunfire hitting an Escalibor was naturally higher.
"Not quite the same as planned... But it"s a good result."
Until now, Masatsugu had been doing everything he could to draw Richard"s attention, thus buying plenty of time.
Playing to Richard"s preferences, Masatsugu had ordered his army to draw their swords and charge the enemy, and he even played the part for a duel between generals. Naturally, the romanticism of chivalry was not his goal.
Everything was done in order to set up an ambush on the ground and lure the fierce lion into a trap.
Originally, he wanted to charge into melee when the back or the side of Richard"s army presented an opening. However, that would be too much of a luxury.
Confronted with unexpected anti-air fire, the Escalibors entered a packed formation again.
The sphere finally took form. The white particles of the protective barrier glowed brightly, blocking the flashing rain of light being fired from the ground.
Seeing the British army regrouped in their defensive formation, the Legions on Mount Satsuta stopped firing en ma.s.se.
Currently, the red British Legions were down to 812 in number.
"Roughly two hundred eliminated..."
This was achieved only through the Kanesadas drawing their swords to engage the Escalibors, followed by the barrage of anti-air fire just now.
Conversely, the Kanesadas led by Masatsugu were down to 203. Of the original 360, almost half had been killed in the fighting earlier. This was the limit to what could be achieved through direct confrontational tactics.
"All units retreat. Defend me with everything you"ve got."
Masatsugu issued his command quietly and glanced at his wound.
The slice was not deep enough to reach internal organs, but the blood loss persisted. There were also intermittent pangs of pain. He needed first aid as quickly as possible.
The problem was that he had no time to be treated, so all he could do was ignore the wound.
In front of the injured commander, the remaining 203 Kanesadas withdrew from the sky over Mount Satsuta. Riding his wyvern, Masatsugu followed them.
In any case, they needed to do everything they could to escape to the sea—In other words, towards Suruga Bay.
The second phase of the hunt was about to begin.
Part 2[edit]
"Receiving such a severe wound... Looks like Onii-sama must be in a lot of pain."
Hatsune whispered anxiously.
She was currently at the nation-protecting keep in the heart of the Suruga tutelary fort. The nation-protecting keep was a forty-meter tall building of red brick. A round disk at the top was not a clock but a gigantic fengshui wheel.
Hatsune had accompanied Princess Shiori to the keep"s ground floor hall.
Reconnaissance was mainly conducted by retainer beasts such as yatagarasus, Mibu wolves, and wyverns. The intelligence they gathered was collated here to serve as the basis for a.n.a.lysis and making judgment calls.
Inside the keep were many soldiers in charge of this as well as noetic officers.
What the retainer beasts observed on the battlefield was converted into video through noetic control and replayed at various locations in the hall. Now that she had become a Chevalier, Hatsune was ent.i.tled to ask the soldiers to report or explain information to her.
However, seeing everyone so busy, she felt uncomfortable adding to their workload as a newbie.
Fully mobilizing her eyes, ears, and brain, she sought to grasp the situation. In fact, she had already gained a holistic understanding.
...Tachibana Masatsugu was on the move with 203 Kanesadas, heading to the waters of Suruga Bay.
...The 150 Kamuys entrenched in Mount Satsuta were attacking the British army to support the Kanesadas" retreat.
...Leading 812 Escalibors, Richard the Lionheart had sent 200 to land on Mount Satsuta and attack the three Chevaliers" Kamuys, meanwhile leading the remaining 612 to continue the pursuit—
"Onii-sama"s retreating army only has about two hundred while the pursuing Richard has six hundred. He"s still outnumbered by three to one..."
Also, Masatsugu"s target was Suruga.
He had decided in advance that regardless of the path taken, his final destination was the Suruga tutelary fort.
Akigase Rikka was also ready for battle to coordinate with his arrival.
Princess Shiori had summoned the genie Sakuya and carefully explained their battle plan.
"That is all. Is there anything you don"t understand?"
"No... problem, Princess, Your Highness."
The princess was sitting in a chair. Her physical condition was still poor.
Dressed as a shrine maiden, a young girl was in front of Shiori. Featuring bangs cut uniformly at eyebrow height, eight or nine years old in appearance, she was the genie Sakuya"s image.
The intangible image avoided making eye contact with Shiori.
"I am about to leave the nation-protecting keep. Send a pipe fox to ask me if you encounter any difficult decisions, and I will send you instant instructions."
"Understood... Please leave it, to me," Sakuya mustered a quiet voice to answer.
She looked quite adorable but compared to Britain"s Morgan le Fay, she was far too unreliable. However, what truly surprised Hatsune was what the princess had said.
"Princess, you"re leaving? Where to!?"
"I need to find Masatsugu-sama. He will be returning to Suruga soon. See me off, will you?"
"Yes ma"am."
Hatsune supported Shiori, who was unsteady on her feet, and they walked out of the nation-protecting keep.
Now that they were out of the genie"s earshot, Hatsune voiced what she suspected.
"Onii-sama deliberately intercepted Richard away from the tutelary fort... Princess, it"s because Sakuya isn"t very reliable, right?"
Martial prowess alone was not enough to make a fine Chevalier.
Hatsune needed to learn tactics, strategic vision, and methods to handle troops as quickly as possible in order to become a full-fledged Chevalier. This was why she had shared her own deductions.
"That is one of the reasons, but according to my guess..." Shiori gave an unexpected answer. "It seems that Masatsugu-sama does not like to fight on either side of siege battles."
"Huh? But didn"t he succeed in defending the Suruga tutelary fort last, and at Fuji City, he was also the one who suggested a raid on the enemy fort?"
The clever princess shook her head in disagreement with Hatsune"s reb.u.t.tal.
"Being able to accomplish it and liking it are separate matters... Besides, in the case of sieges... He ought to have plenty of experience."
"Onii-sama mentioned this!?"
"No, it is simply imagination on my part."
"...Princess, don"t tell me you"ve already guessed Onii-sama"s ident.i.ty?"
Shiori"s confident tone did not sound like simple imagination.
Hatsune asked in doubt but Shiori simply smiled ambiguously and said, "I admit that a number of ideas have occurred to me, but I have neither concrete evidence nor a certain name. I will observe for while longer before I share my thoughts with you."
While they were chatting, a gigantic white wolf came over to them.
This was a Mibu wolf that Shiori had summoned using noetic control. The ma.s.sive retainer beast, as large as a horse, lay down on the ground on its own initiative.
The princess was about to straddle the wolf but her footing was unsteady.
Shiori lurched, almost falling over backwards. Hatsune hastily caught her. Looking at the face of the lady she served, she noticed the princess" pallor and abnormally hot body temperature.
Shiori was suffering from a serious fever. As her personal lady-in-waiting and knight, Hatsune made a call.
"Princess, you need to stop overexerting yourself!"
"Nonsense, this is my own decision to make..."
"No, it"s the doctor"s decision. And in the absence of a doctor, I"m making the decision."
"N-No, I must hurry to a.s.sist Masatsugu-sama—"
"Don"t worry! I know everything about what needs to be done to help Onii-sama!"
"Eh—?"
"Rest properly and leave it all to me, Princess!"
Stopping the surprised princess, Hatsune mounted the Mibu wolf"s back instead.
She patted the wolf"s white neck and it immediately stood up. Her orders were very simple.
"Find Onii-sama... Tachibana Masatsugu"s scent and take me there. Princess, I"ll be right back!"
"H-Hold on a moment. You know everything? No way!?"
Shiori collapsed and sat on the ground. Her physical strength had reached its limit.
Then mounted on a Mibu wolf, Hatsune rode gallantly to the battlefield.
When Legions flew at top speed to charge into enemy ranks—
They almost never fired their guns. When devoting all ectoplasmic fluid to an all-out charging attack, they used the impact to stab their bayonets into the enemies" bodies.
This was the kind of charge that Richard the Lionheart had revealed at Fuji City.
The impact of a full-powered charge was astounding, capable of inflicting critical damage upon the enemy army in one strike.
This tactic recreated the "cavalry charge" of ancient battlefields.
There are some who say that the cavalry charge was a masterpiece of the battlefield.
Masatsugu had no objections to that. Indeed, it was undoubtedly a very troublesome tactic.
Heavy knights or riders equipped with armor and chain mail, riding galloping warhorses to charge into enemy ranks, stabbing with the tips of their lances during the clash.
...When a horse was galloping, its speed, momentum, and weight were all added to the power of the charging attack.
The thrusting lance could easily pierce enemy soldiers. It was also impossible for the human body to withstand the trampling from a charging horse. Most terrifying of all, this type of charge was conducted by a great force of numbers, tens, hundreds, or thousands at once.
Struck by a cavalry charge, any army would suffer substantial casualties.
Throughout the ancient and medieval ages, heavy cavalry was equal in value to the "tank of recent modern invention"—
Although this was a common view, there was a caveat. The cavalry charge was also a tactic that was difficult to use correctly.
As living creatures, horses were unable to maintain a full gallop for long periods of time. They would tire quickly.
The first priority was to conserve the horses" strength and use it at the appropriate moment. Moreover, any obstacles preventing a straight path would also cause a charge to end in failure.
Besides, horses were exorbitantly expensive and costly to feed. Keeping horses was a laborious affair.
However, once all these difficulties were surmounted to successfully execute a cavalry charge—Its power was unparalleled.
When cavalry charged into the heart of enemy"s ranks at a critical moment to defeat the enemy general and the main force, all that remained would be a disorderly mob.
Even against an enemy several times one"s own numbers, it was easy to take care of the scattered rabble.
The ancient king of Macedon and pioneering genius of war, Alexander the Great, was also quite accomplished in such tactics...
"No wonder a guy like Richard loves to use it so much," remarked Masatsugu satirically.
After injuring his right flank, Masatsugu first headed south, in other words, towards Suruga Bay. The battlefield of Mount Satsuta was next to the sea and Masatsugu soon arrived over the water surface.
He was currently riding a wyvern, flying over the ocean at night.
The remaining 203 Kanesadas were flying in his surroundings.
The pain was gradually subsiding from his abdominal wound and the bleeding had stopped. A Resurrectee"s body was evidently resilient to a supernatural degree.
"We are the dead who have risen up from our graves... Now that I think about it, this is only to be expected."
Masatsugu surmised that perhaps he had a const.i.tution that would not die so easily.
However, his consciousness was undoubtedly fading. Once he reached his limit, he was probably going to pa.s.s out directly.
And the "not dead person" in full health was right behind him, chasing Masatsugu"s army.
"Hahahaha. I am surprised you can endure that kind of wound for so long!"
Under the Lionheart"s command, 612 Escalibors pursued relentlessly.
They were charging at full speed from behind, trying to end the battle in one go.
"Charge, my Escalibors! Allow the samurai of the orient to witness our knightly ways!"
The British Legions had formed a V-shaped wedge formation, the same one that Richard had exhibited at Fuji City, a formation specialized for the cavalry charge.
Its main function was to penetrate the enemy army with its sharp tip and tear apart their formation.
"What a hot-blooded guy. As soon as I fled, he chased in delight," muttered Masatsugu quietly.
Masatsugu the chased and Richard the chaser were both going at over 500 kilometers per hour. The two armies were separated by a hundred or so meters.
As retainer beasts, wyverns were actually incapable of reaching such seeds.
A "Kanesada phantom" had appeared around Masatsugu and his wyvern mount.
Reusing the technique of summoning a Legion and merging it with his body, Masatsugu used a Kanesada"s flying ability to transport himself and the wyvern.
"Kukukuku! This is my first time too, to use this method to charge alongside my Escalibors... You are truly a delightful opponent, Tachibana!"
Richard was using the same technique to fly at extreme speed.
The legendary English king had summoned a red legion"s phantom to transport his flying mount.
However, the overall speed of both armies had dropped.
The airborne melee battle had consumed a large amount of ectoplasmic fluid. Following that with a full-speed escape and pursuit, both the j.a.panese and the British forces were exhausted. All Legions were beginning to decrease in output.
"Hohohoho, your prided fleet-footed escape is slowing down."
"The same goes for you. The Lionheart"s pursuit is nothing impressive either."
Separated by substantial distance, neither side could hear each other.
However, Masatsugu could guess what the Lionheart was thinking, more or less. He muttered to himself, delivering reb.u.t.tals to the imagined words of his enemy.
Masatsugu focused and prepared his next move for the enemy.
In a situation like this, Richard the Lionheart was definitely not a man who would hold back.
"My knights, thank you for enduring so far. I hereby bestow Coeur de Lion upon you all!"
"I knew it. He"s using that move!"
The pursuing 612 Escalibors released a huge quant.i.ty of mystic power.
Sensing the release, Masatsugu noticed Richard activating the Feat of Arms—Coeur de Lion. Its effect was to ensure that his Legion would complete the charge even ignoring death—
So far, the Escalibors had consumed a lot of ectoplasmic fluid and their flying speed had clearly dropped.
But soon, their speed slowly increased... No, they had recovered their original speed. The Lionheart"s Feat of Arms had enabled the British army to charge at peak condition.
In contrast, the Kanesadas" flying speed remained slow.
The balance was finally broken on the lead they had maintained so far in the chase.
Richard"s army gradually closed in. Having escaped so far, the 203 Kanesadas were going to be caught within a few minutes, ending up in total extermination.
All prior preparations would be in vain if they were to be caught.
Masatsugu hastily commanded, "Fire backwards!"
"Tsk, petty tricks!"
Masatsugu"s army was originally flying while facing forwards.
Maintaining the same flying directionality and speed, the 203 Kanesadas turned around to fire. They continued to fly straight towards their destination except their bodies were facing backwards.
Of course, their rifles were aimed at the back—towards Richard"s approaching army.
All the Kanesadas pulled their triggers.
The entire army directed continuous fire opposite to their flying direction. It was like stunt shooting.
The 612 British Legions closing in took on the gunfire in their wedge formation. The Kanesadas were aiming at the tip of the wedge.
...The purpose of this wave of continuous fire was not to inflict damage.
After all, blessed by Coeur de Lion"s effects, they were effectively immortal until the charge was over.
However, continuous fire from the two hundred or so Kanesadas were able to suppress the charging Escalibors.
The dense curtain of gunfire worked. The wedge stopped closing in momentarily.
However, the distance to the enemy was still shrinking slowly.
The Lionheart"s powerful noesis had pushed the Escalibors" strength and speed to the very maximum.
Fifty meters until the rampaging lions would catch them.
Forty meters, thirty meters, then at twenty meters—Masatsugu knew his plan was a success.
The nation-protecting keep of the Suruga tutelary fort was not far away.
...Initially, Masatsugu had retreated from the sky over Mount Satsuta then flew over Suruga Bay.
Once Richard invoked Coeur de Lion, Masatsugu turned towards Nihondaira where the Suruga tutelary fort was situated. He knew that the moment had arrived.
Flying over the mountainous terrain of the military zone, Masatsugu returned to the tutelary fort at last.
"Scatter!"
"What!?"
At Masatsugu"s order, the 203 Kanesadas scattered in different directions.
The Escalibors charging single-mindedly at full power did not stop. Neither were they able to stop. And right ahead in their path, a gigantic dragon was waiting for them.
It was the ifrit Seiryuu in charge of protecting the Suruga tutelary fort.
Part 3[edit]
A magic circle, seventy meters in diameter, manifested in the sky over the tutelary fort.
The magic circle was a product of oriental magic with complicated patterns and Sanskrit characters. The gigantic "dragon image," comparable to the magic circle in size, was precisely the ifrit Seiryuu.
Its serpentine body was covered with sapphire-blue scales with two deer-like antlers on its head and stubby limbs.
The gigantic dragon image had occupied the air majestically.
Ifrits were supposed to release powerful noetic energy to create a dome-shaped noesis barrier to cover the entire tutelary fort.
But right now, Seiryuu was not using its noetic energy for defense.
Seiryuu roared fiercely and attacked the British Legions.
The image of the blue dragon opened its gigantic jaws and lunged at the 612 Escalibors that were charging at full power in a wedge formation.
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
As noetic divinities, ifrits were ultimately conglomerates of noetic energy. Their gigantic bodies were not corporeal.
Hence, Seiryuu"s ma.s.sive jaws unleashed noetic energy which was normally used to create noesis barriers.
The surge of noetic energy turned into gigantic magic circle, glowing with divine radiance.
The British Legions crashed into the circle, head on, of course.
Formidable noetic energy had been poured into the magic circle, sufficient to serve as a tutelary fort"s defensive wall, and was equivalent to a noesis barrier compressed into a round shape.
Colliding with something like this would cause ma.s.sive injuries to the charging side.
The Escalibors in the tip of the wedge formation, reaching one third of the entire army, were struck by the violent armor-shattering impact, causing many of them to become dismembered or decapitated in the process.
Suffering such heavy injuries to their brain and internal organs, humans would have died on the spot.
Richard"s army suffered at the hands of their excessively powerful charge. However, the heavily wounded Escalibors were undeterred.
"How interesting—"
Richard the Lionheart smiled proudly.
Together with the Escalibor phantom, he was at the very back of the wedge formation.
"According to legend, we Plantagenets are the cursed brood with the devil"s blood flowing in our veins! A devil on earth... will never fear a mere dragon!"
The red wedge"s tip, one third of the army, was already in a broken state.
However, the 612 Escalibors in the formation continued to charge, breaking through the magic circle of the noesis barrier.
Even the giant image of the blue dragon was almost trampled to dust.
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh—!
Seiryuu"s scream resounded across Suruga"s night sky.
Richard"s army finally arrived in the sky over the tutelary fort and was about to invade the enemy base.
The remaining job was simple. He would continue to push forward and clear out the army of red-purple samurai, checkmate the soldiers defending the fort, and end the battle.
At that moment, the Lionheart frowned.
"Hmm?"
After charging at full might against the giant dragon, the 612 Escalibors rapidly lost flying speed. The effects of the Feat of Arms had ended.
Namely, the effects allowing the Legions to finish a charge even in the face of death—
Coeur de Lion"s astounding and miraculous effects vanished.
Having charged at full strength and speed, the wedge formation slowed down more and more. Finally, it was no faster than a car driving along urban streets.
This was not the worst of it.
Charging the ifrit had caused severe damage to more than one third of the army.
Among them, the Escalibors with fatal injuries such as broken necks and ruptured internal organs began to crash one after another. Death had taken them long ago.
Richard shrugged and said, "Oh well, the four hundred remaining will suffice."
There were still 432 Escalibors surviving.
They would have no trouble defeating the scattered red-purple samurai that had fled or Surugu"s defending forces.
"Regroup and a.s.semble at my side."
Controlling his wyvern, Richard made his way to the center of the army that had slowed down dramatically.
The 432 Escalibors were beginning to form a sphere when they were violently attacked by focused gunfire from the side.
Imperial j.a.pan"s blue Legions, 150 Kamuys, had taken flight to enter the fray.
All troops in this corps fired in unison. Escalibors began crashing down again, the ones unlucky enough to be shot in their vitals.
"New enemies? Activate your barriers, my knights!"
Richard commanded confidently but was met by a surprising outcome.
The white particles of the 432 Escalibors" spherical formation were quite weak, roughly half as strong as usual. Too much of their ectoplasmic fluid had been consumed.
The surprised Richard instantly figured out the reason.
"Tachibana, this was your plan all along!"
The 203 red-purple Legions returned to the battlefield to support their allies.
The red-purple Legions were identical in appearance and size as the Kamuys except in color. Their special j.a.panese swords had also turned back into bayonet rifles. Compared to the Escalibor or the Crusade—the strong British Legions—their physique was a size smaller.
Judged according to the Lionheart"s aesthetics, these troops were weak and scrawny.
Glaring sharply at the j.a.panese forces, Richard gnashed his teeth.
"He finally fell into the trap..."
Akigase Rikka muttered to herself, soaring the sky on her wyvern.
She was flying alone some distance from the tutelary fort. Slightly earlier, the ifrit Seiryuu had been broken, failing to block the invasion of the hundreds of Escalibors.
However, the red soldiers of this British army were crashing down one after another.
Seizing the moment when the enemy was low on ectoplasmic fluid, Rikka had ordered the 150 Kamuys she had summoned to open fire.
Furthermore, the 203 Kanesadas led by Tachibana Masatsugu had a.s.sembled on the opposite side of Rikka"s army.
The two of them had the 430 or so Legions of Richard"s army caught in a pincer attack. With Rikka"s forces on the left and Masatsugu"s forces on the right, they sprayed gunfire simultaneously.
The Suruga side had set up two crescent formations in the shape of "( )."
Richard"s army was perfectly sandwiched between them.
"Do not let up on the attack. Leave them no room to breathe!"
Under attack from both sides, the Lionheart"s army formed a sphere and deployed a protective barrier.
The left side of the sphere desperately returned fire against Rikka"s Kamuys while the right side handled Masatsugu"s Kanesadas.
The British had numbers on their side, but were stuck in a desperate predicament.
On the Suruga side, Rikka and Masatsugu"s forces totaled only 350 or so.
The Escalibors" protective barrier was powered by roughly 430 Legions, normally capable of neutralizing much of the Suruga side"s volleys of sweeping gunfire, but ectoplasmic fluid depletion had sharply reduced its effectiveness—
Half the shots penetrated the barrier"s particles, striking Richard"s army directly.
The Escalibors ended up dying and crashing one after another.
"Now, a chance for victory is in sight."
Surveying the battlefield, Rikka breathed a sigh of relief.
The theory behind Tachibana Masatsugu"s trap to hunt the lion was actually quite simple.
"I will first intercept his army outside the tutelary fort and lure him to Suruga while depleting his ectoplasmic fluid. Finally, we attack him all together."
To accomplish this, Tachibana Masatsugu had used all kinds of clever feints.
He first used samurai swordsmanship and initiated a duel to stimulate the target"s combative spirit and pa.s.sion, then deliberately got injured to pretend to be routed. His excitement reaching a climax, the king of knights would order his entire force to charge against Masatsugu"s retreat.
Without these clever arrangements, the lion"s keen nose might have smelled the presence of a trap.
Furthermore, during this process, the enemy was guaranteed to launch an overwhelming offensive. At last, while fighting on the run, Masatsugu managed to lure the enemy into attacking in full force, using a tactic that exhausted his troops the greatest.
The chase in the final stage was also part of Masatsugu"s trap.
The Kanesadas and Kamuys were a size smaller than the Escalibors in physique.
Smaller builds naturally meant lighter weight. Flying at equal speed, the heavier side would exert themselves more, which meant greater consumption of ectoplasmic fluid. Rikka nodded in comprehension.
"The Kamys are smaller in build and always lose to the Crusades in contests of strength."
Using this tactic which turned the physique disadvantage around, they succeeded in dealing a heavy blow to the fierce king of of knights. Rikka felt exhilarated, but the battle still required close attention.
Only faring a little better than the British side, the Kanesadas were also depleted in ectoplasmic fluid.
Rikka began to think, a.s.suming she were in Richard I"s position—
Part 4[edit]
"Ugh... I think I might"ve overdone it."
Riding his wyvern, Masatsugu had quietly left the Kanesada army.
Currently, the red-purple Legions had joined forces with Akigase Rikka"s Kamuys to hit the Lionheart"s army with a pincer attack, putting them at an overwhelming advantage.
However, Masatsugu"s blood loss was too severe.
His consciousness fading, he was often making mistakes in wyvern control.
By the time he realized, he was some distance from the battlefield. Just as he tightened the reins, intending to return to the battlefield, a messenger pipe fox appeared on his shoulder.
"Onii-sama, look down. Come over to me!"
"What?"
Using noetic waves, the pipe fox was transmitting Hatsune"s message.
Mount Udo was below. The Suruga tutelary fort was located on the highlands formed from the two small mountains of Mount Kunou and Mount Udo. The highest peak was only three hundred meters in elevation or so.
Looking down from the air, Masatsugu immediately noticed something unusual.
It was late at night and equally dark in the low-elevation mountains. However, a faint light was moving left and right down there. Masatsugu tried to land.
As expected, it was Hatsune.
Dressed in Haikara-san style, the little sister was waving a flashlight from the ground.
Hatsune was on a military road with a giant white wolf by here side—a Mibu wolf on lying on the ground on standby. When the wyvern landed on the road, the Mibu wolf remained unperturbed. Disciplined and loyal, it had been well-trained.
Masatsugu said from the wyvern"s saddle, "What now? I"m a bit busy at the moment... Rather, I will be extremely busy next."
"Richard will be targeting the Kanesadas, right?"
"Yeah, you figured it out too?"
"Of course. I"d do the same in his shoes. The Kanesadas have fought a long battle too... It"s just that they"re less exhausted compared to the Escalibors."
Hatsune puffed out her chest and a.n.a.lyzed confidently.
Even behind the kimono, the round and full bulge of her bosom was visible.
"In the worst case, all he needs to do is attack the Kanesadas in full force while ignoring Rikka-sama"s energetic army. That will definitely be easier to win."
"That"s correct. Good intuition."
Masatsugu"s cheek twitched in a smile.
He found it difficult to imagine Hatsune becoming a master strategist. But one day, her instincts and bravery would enable her to distinguish herself on the battlefield with many glorious accomplishments.
Like King Richard the Lionheart, for example.
"If you know all that... Then you understand what you need to do?"
"Of course! Upon my Appellation of Kurou Hougan Yos.h.i.tsune—"
Masatsugu tested Hatsune and she immediately chanted the holy words of summoning.
The girl in the kimono released a pulse of noetic energy. Although its strength and skill could not match the likes of Edward the Black Prince, Masatsugu was dumbstruck.
The strength of Hatsune"s noesis was clearly different from before.
"a.s.semble now, my Legions!"
Hatsune called out loudly.
The noesis she released to the air transformed into seventy-two Legions.
They resembled Kamuys but were not Kamuys. The top of their helmets were elongated like the eboshi while their armor was deep red with a white garment on top.
The red and white Kamuy variant had received the name of "Kurou Hougan" from Tachibana Hatsune.
A total of seventy-two Legions. Hatsune"s power as a Chevalier had thoroughly awakened. Normally speaking, j.a.panese Chevaliers only had a Chevalier Strength of around 30 to 50.
With a Chevalier Strength of 72, the maiden successor of Kurou Hougan Yos.h.i.tsune was quite a formidable force.
Furthermore, Hatsune was still young and had room for future growth.
"Go, my Kurous. Go help Onii-sama"s army to fight!"
Hatsune hastily ordered the Legions that had appeared overhead.
The seventy-two Kurou Hougans flew with agility towards the sky where joint forces of the Kamuys and the Kanesadas were fighting the Escalibors.
"Let"s command from here."
There was no need to be charging on the front lines. Masatsugu decided to remain on the ground and climbed down from the saddle.
He stumbled when he stood on the ground.
"Are you okay, Onii-sama!?"
"Sort of. Don"t worry, I can hold out for a while longer."
In the end, Hatsune lent a shoulder for Masatsugu to lean on and took him to the side of the military road.
Masatsugu sat down and leaned against the guard rail, finally getting a chance to rest his injured body. The rocky flying on a wyvern was physically quite draining.
Fortunately, Hatsune had brought a first aid kit.
Swiftly removing Masatsugu"s jacket and stiff-collar uniform, Hatsune bared Masatsugu"s upper half.
She first applied disinfecting alcohol to the wound on his flank, put on gauze, then wrapped bandages around his entire abdomen. Her movements were deft and clean.
"Nice skills. Are you experienced in treating wounds?"
"Yeah, I often got hurt along with my companions back when we were learning all kinds of things."
After giving a reply befitting a clan of larger-than-life characters, Hatsune sighed lightly and said, "Before going off to battle, Onii-sama, you said taking a hit from Richard might be a good method. I never thought you"d do it for real..."
"Simple necessity. Had I not done so, he would"ve been suspicious of my retreat."
As soon as the master died, the Legions under his command would become disorganized rabble.
It was very logical for a wounded Chevalier to retreat so as to avoid dying in combat.
"Besides, this is a wound with relatively few repercussions apart from blood loss at most. Anyway, it should be fine. Just give me a bit of alcohol and sew it up later, and it"s all good."
"Wow, you really sound like an ancient general from the Sengoku period. That"s fantastic."
"Not like. I am an ancient general."
"That"s true. O-Oh right, Onii-sama."
Masatsugu was currently leaning against the guard rail of the road.
Hatsune was sitting next to him. She suddenly looked down and stuttered in a rare moment of bashfulness.
"Actually... I promised the princess."
"You promised her what?"
"She was originally supposed to come over to help... g-give you ectoplasmic fluid. But her body is at its limit, so I came in her stead—"
"Oh?"
Usually energetic and cheerful, Hatsune was having difficulty broaching the subject.
This previously unseen side to Hatsune was utterly adorable. Masatsugu leaned forward towards her, but the abdominal wound stung, causing him to frown.
"A-Are you okay, Onii-sama...?"
"I"m fine. Say, Hatsune."
Masatsugu reached out and held his little sister"s hand.
The kimono girl"s shoulders shuddered. She looked so sweet and innocent. Masatsugu learned something from her reaction.
"You came to share ectoplasmic fluid with me, knowing what I did to the princess, right?"
"Um, yes... I-I came across it by chance and couldn"t help overhearing..."
Hatsune was blushing to her ears in embarra.s.sment.
She was not used to talking about scandalous topics. Considering Hatsune"s pure and innocent personality... Perhaps she had no past experience in this area at all.
"Right, and you"re a Chevalier now." Masatsugu whispered in Hatsune"s ear. Her body stiffened increasingly.
She was very tense in both body and mind. Masatsugu did not plan on doing anything until she relaxed. Holding the little sister"s hand in his cold palm, he said calmly.
"I was negligent to overlook the possibility of asking you for help. But I don"t like forcing a girl to do things either."
"I-I came here to help you, so it"s not forcing," Hatsune declared firmly but continued timidly, "It"s just that... Umm, it"s scary to commit, I"ve never been in a similar situation, so it feels very weird right now..."
"It"s only natural for a maiden to feel this way. Don"t worry about it."
"I-It"s reached this stage, but now I feel... embracing a man might be too soon for me. To some extent, I feel this is something that should be done after officially going out with an eye for marriage!"
"Marriage, huh?"
"B-But don"t you worry, Onii-sama!" Hatsune clenched her fist and smiled bravely. "It"s common for a man and a woman to embrace each other for people like dancers or ballerinas. It"s okay, I"ve prepared myself. It"s honestly okay—"
"Meaning that it"s fine as long as I marry you, right?"
"Huh?"
Masatsugu said to the surprised little sister. "The way I see it, you"re not only a a suitable partner for marriage... but also a woman I admire a lot. If that"s the kind of relationship you want to build, I"m willing to give it serious thought."
"W-What crazy things are you saying, Onii-sama!?"
"You"re an accomplished martial artist with a brave heart. Your boundless energy, vibrant cheerfulness, and unpredictable behavior all make you very adorable to me."
"Didn"t you say before that I"m not on your mind at all!?"
"Of course. But now, we"re talking marriage here."
Hatsune was very fl.u.s.tered.
Masatsugu continued calmly, "However, if I think about you as prospects for marriage... I believe that the man who gets to spend his life with Tachibana Hatsune will be a happy man indeed."
"O-Onii-sama! Stop it with the sweet talking!"
Hatsune had relaxed her body without knowing it.
Perhaps the conversation had relieved her nervous feelings somewhat. Holding her hand the entire time, Masatsugu knew that her shoulder was no longer tense.
Looking at their hands clasped together, Hatsune lowered her head again.
She was still shy but no longer expressed resistance.
"So... What do we do next? T-Tell me, Onii-sama."
"It"s hard for me to move, so could you come near me?"
"W-We"re already quite close. Aren"t I next to you...?"
"Come closer."
Masatsugu pulled Hatsune"s hand gently and she understood his intent. Hatsune nodded and slowly approached him.
Hatsune stared into Masatsugu"s eyes.
Another ten centimeters closer and Masatsugu would be able to kiss her.
They were right next to each other. This time, Masatsugu pulled her forcefully and Hatsune mustered her determination, hugging him timidly.
"Oh—"
"Hatsune, you"re so warm."
Leaning against the guard rail, Masatsugu could only lift up his torso.
Hatsune was lying on top of him. Through the meisen kimono, Masatsugu could feel the little sister"s voluptuousness and warmth.
"O-Onii-sama, you"re so cold..."
Hatsune had undressed Masatsugu earlier to treat his wound, so she was aware of the changes in his body temperature.
Due to the heavy blood loss and having to supply the Kanesadas with ectoplasmic fluid, Masatsugu"s body was even colder than usual.
"When sharing ectoplasmic fluid with you, the princess dresses very lightly... Is there some kind of special meaning in that?"
"Of course. Dressing lightly means it"s easier for me to feel the temperature of the blood flowing under your skin and inside your body. What I need is the ectoplasmic fluid that has melded into your flesh and blood."
"I... see."
After a moment"s thought, Hatsune got up.
She shyly removed her meisen kimono and hakama in front of Masatsugu, leaving only a hemp undershirt.
The white and flimsy fabric offered see-through glimpses at Hatsune"s skin.
Next, she untied the string at her waist. The front of the undershirt opened up to reveal a full view of the seductive underwear beneath. Over her chest, she was wearing a special tank top-style bra.s.siere for pairing with traditional j.a.panese clothing. her slim waist and pale thighs were also in display.
"Q-Quit staring, Onii-sama."
Saying that, Hatsune turned her head, too embarra.s.sed to make eye contact.
Blushing to her ears, she approached and positioned herself on top of him again. Thanks to her undressing, Masatsugu was treated to a view of Hatsune"s wonderful cleavage from up close.
"H-How is this?"
"Excellent. Sorry for the trouble."
"No, it"s okay. Onii-sama, both you and the princess work hard and do everything personally. I can"t lose to you."
Now that Hatsune had removed her clothing, it was easier for Masatsugu to feel her warmth.
Virtually half-naked, Hatsune was lying on top of Masatsugu, using her palms to warm his shoulders and upper arm, but his temperature still remained cold.
ChronicleLegion 02 BW09.jpg
Hatsune gathered her courage and hugged him tightly, wrapping her arms around the back of his neck.
Their bodies were pressed even more tightly together. Hatsune"s bountiful bust was also compressed against Masatsugu"s chest.
The soft and heavy sensation was mixed with tender elasticity.
So far, Masatsugu had been enjoying this sort of intimate contact.
Now, the sensation became even clearer. Immersed in indescribable pleasure, Masatsugu absorbed the body heat she offered to him.
However, Hatsune said sadly, "S-Sorry, I"m not used to this. Am I doing it badly?"
"Not at all. What makes you think that?"
"Because your body is still so cold..."
"Don"t worry, it usually takes some time."
"Really...? But if there"s another way, you have to tell me, okay? After all, this is an ongoing issue and I have to work hard to learn how to help you."
"Ongoing issue?"
Hatsune had only become a Chevalier recently.
She had not replenished her ectoplasmic fluid many times so the mystic power stored in her body was quite low. Masatsugu did not want to strain her too much today—
"The princess" state of health isn"t too good, right? If this is the reason for that, I have help out starting tomorrow."
"That"s right. I didn"t think of that."
"Ah."
"What"s wrong?"
"Onii-sama, your body is warming up slightly."
"It"s all thanks to you."
"Fufufufu. I"m so happy. This feeling is incredible."
Hatsune smiled tenderly, pressing her chest even more tightly against him.
This sensation provided a different kind of enjoyment from obtaining warmth. Furthermore, it felt like Hatsune, with her personality not fully matured, was acting affectionate, which Masatsugu found delightful.
"Oh right, Onii-sama. About what we were talking about earlier..."
Hatsune changed the subject.
"Didn"t you mention... about going out with an eye for marriage? Can you give me some time to think over it slowly? This is our promise, okay?"
"If you say yes, I don"t mind heading over to get registered tomorrow."
"C-Cut the nonsense, okay? This is for a lifetime, so it bears serious consideration! Besides, Onii-sama, you forgot the most important thing!"
"What?"
"According to family registry records, Tachibana Masatsugu hasn"t reached eighteen yet. You can"t get married!"
"Oh right, that"s how it is with j.a.panese law."
Conversing with Hatsune while hugging together—
Masatsugu could feel his body gradually become burning hot.
Masatsugu was able to obtain substantial ectoplasmic fluid from the reserves provided by Hatsune"s body and soul as a new Chevalier.
The Kanesadas born from Tachibana Masatsugu"s noesis were heavily fatigued after the long fighting.
But now, they had gained extra strength. Masatsugu nodded contentedly, grateful for the little sister"s labors.
Meanwhile, King Richard the Lionheart was on the battlefield—
"Hmm."
The battle was growing more and more intense, but he was forcing himself to relax.
Richard released the reins in his hand and cracked his neck. Then suppressing his natural fervor, he examined the current situation.
...Attacked on both sides after charging the Suruga tutelary fort, the Escalibors were down to less than two hundred and fifty.
...Somewhat annoyingly, seventy Kamuy variants with elongated heads had joined the battle.
...Both sides had given up on formations and switched to chaotic melee combat.
...Most infuriating of all were the red-purple Legions.
Tachibana Masatsugu"s katana-using Legions were exhausted, faring not much better than the Escalibors. However, by some unknown trick of magic—
Just earlier, the red-purple Legions had regained their vigor.
From the corner of his eye, Richard saw another "red-purple" chop down an Escalibor with a decisive diagonal slash.
—If the red-purples were exhausted, at least there would be some chance of winning...
At this rate, going on a violent rampage with reckless abandon would only result in a futile death.
"Is it time? Hmph."
Richard was furious as soon as he imagined having to go back and face the Black Prince, lecturing him with a look of exasperation.
However, he would only have a chance to savor this displeasure if he returned alive.
"Escalibors, listen to me. You will fight to the bitter end here at this land of Suruga and sacrifice yourselves for my sake. Just leave seven of you to return with me."
Richard ordered the remaining troops to buy time while he escaped.
Having made his decision, Richard led seven Escalibors and ordered his wyvern to land in the mountainous terrain below. He was going to slip into the mountains under the cover of night to make his way to Suruga Bay. Then either flying on the sea surface or moving underwater, he would return to the Fuji tutelary fort.
"So be it. Fickle fortune decided to side against me today, that is all," said Richard quietly, gritting his teeth.
King Richard the Lionheart was a pa.s.sionate and intense man. However, there were times on the battlefield when it was imperative to be calm. When time called for self-control, he was always able to control himself.
The more he held himself in check, the greater the flames that erupted in the future—
He convinced himself to maintain a calm mind for now.
"Tachibana, I will concede victory to you for today."
Saying that, Richard I left the battlefield.