Episode 10 Vanguard Battle
While humming and cheerfully running through the sky, the winged tiger, the Seven Beasts of Calamity Number 4 (Number 1 and Number 2 were treated as out of service and actually there is a Number 0 *secret*), Kuras.h.i.+ confronted the famous wyvern dragon cavalry of Amitia Kingdom with their high morale head on.
By the way, a wyvern is a kind of lesser dragon monster. If you compared it to a horse, it is about twice as large in size. Instead of forelimbs, they have a bat shaped wings.
Despite the nervousness caused by an opponent of a much higher rank, and on top of that, the opponent’s huge size, the wyverns started to fire off theirflame lances, releasing high temperature fire from their mouths, according to their rider’s instructions.
Kuras.h.i.+ avoided this by changing his course in the air. Not by using his wings, but by using the air around him as a foothold which allowed him to perform uncommon acrobatic movements. However, as expected, with that many attacks he was bound to be hit by at least 2 or 3.
“Heh heh, it’s only lukewarm. Try harder!”
Even though he was giving his encouragement, he mowed a wyvern using his forelimbs.
With a single blow enhanced by his air cutter, the wyvern along with its rider was shredded into small pieces, almost like they exploded.
“You’re so weak, did you even eat your food properly?”
While muttering that, he turned toward a panicked group of 4 to 5 wyverns who kept their distance. He fired his howling roar, a bullet of ultra-compressed dense air.
The group scattered from his attack like a popped water balloon. Leaving them, he now turned toward the remaining 7 enemies. Half of them were already preparing to flee.
He continuously reacted against the fire from the wyvern’s flame lances and also the crossbow shots from the cavalrymen who rode on the saddles. However, avoiding is troublesome so he put a jetstream on his body’s surface, which warded off everything. And with that, he rammed toward one of them, and another, who twisted right in front of him. He chomped it into his mouth and chewed it along with its rider.
“…Not tasty at all. Ahh, I want to quickly go back and eat a large takoyaki serving from ‘Takoyaki Chutulu’ in the shopping district…”
Against the surviving wyverns who completely lost their morale and ran away, Kuras.h.i.+ fired his released jetstream. Lastly, he fired off his tornado cuttercrossed with the wind cutter from his forelimbs, throwing the enemy around like juggling b.a.l.l.s and eliminating all of them.
“The h.e.l.l, it’s already over? I’m not satisfied at all…”
Just a second later, Kuras.h.i.+ called his Air Blast, his strongest skill and aimed it toward a bunch of self-important and arrogant looking people at the enemy headquarters, deep within the enemy camp. Then he blew away the headquarters in one hit. ――Just now, an attack of intense light poured onto Kuras.h.i.+’s back.
“―Wh-what?”
With it being impossible to ignore such a strong attack, he jumped around in the air and turned back.
The one who poured that attack onto Kuras.h.i.+ had a crystal body s.h.i.+ning on many sides, a being over 70m overall with tentacles all over and one huge eye at the center. It was Ikaruga, the head of Thirteen Demon Generals (This is his real form. Usually he handled the conversation through one set of his topological s.p.a.ces, Umr-At Tawil). He rebukes Kuras.h.i.+ in displeasure.
“You went over the line. Your turn was supposed to be those bat monsters only. Did you plan to take everybody else’s share?”
“Oh, Ikaruga huh? I was just expecting there to be a really difficult opponent you see, but the enemy isn’t even putting up any resistance so I unconsciously went overboard. My bad…”
“Hmf. If you know that then quickly return. There’s still a lot us waiting in line there.”
Getting told by Ikaruga, Kuras.h.i.+ glanced toward the scene of his comrades who were waiting for their turn at his own headquarters. However, the scene made him c.o.c.k his head in deep puzzlement.
“….Hey Ikaruga, why is everybody else looking so disappointed, but Princess is hopping around alone cheerfully?”
“Oh―” Ikaruga also looked over and replied. “Because they were getting bored, they bet how many seconds it would take you to defeat those bat thingies, but only the princess was able to win with her 43 second bet.”
“What was that? Someone is risking their life and those guys made a bet out of it? …Rather, wasn’t the one who said we were lacking a serious air the princess herself? Isn’t she now the most carefree one?”
“For the princess, this kind of thing is no more than messing around. Anywhere, anytime, isn’t that how she is?”
“…Hrm. You have a point there. As expected from the princess.”
“That’s right.”
“Then, I entrust it to you ―fully exert yourself.”
Kuras.h.i.+ gave his farewell and turned back to his cheerful group. After seeing him off, Ikaruga looks at the humans who crawled like ants below.
They were panicking at just seeing his huge eyes. Ikaruga sighed from the bottom of his heart.
They were different from those transcendental worthy-of-heaven people (players) who once brought him down using only a tenth of the people. These people were much, much weaker.
“Ugh I feel disappointed. There will be none left for others if I don’t go easy on them.”
“Gotchaa! A one year supply of shopping district restaurant coupons, GET!”
I made a triumphant pose within the falling rain of losing tickets. Maroudo sees me from beyond his mask.
“…Look like it’s fun eh~”
―Uuh, d.a.m.n! I guess that scene just now gave him a complicated feeling. I unconsciously was forgetting myself. Really, betting is incredible!
“W-well pleasure is necessary once in a while in life!”
“When I see everyone here, I feel like they’re living their life in the spare moment of pleasure though…”
Don’t say those wise words! While thinking this, I ask him a sudden question on my mind.
“Which…reminds me, it looks like Kuras.h.i.+ blew away the enemy headquarters. Now that their headquarters is gone, by any chance, in this 1 minute after the start, is the war already over?”
Well, as you can see I won’t indiscriminately kill those who surrender.
But it’s best if it’s already ended with this (Of course the commanders still had to carry out their duties).
“No, those coalition force commanders were merely a decoration. The commander right now, Earl Giovanni Antonio is an amateur who had no combat experience. From the start, each of the lords commanded their own soldiers, so even with the headquarters gone, there is no meaning.”
“With no central leader, how they would have any coordination?”
“There is no such thing as coordination. Each n.o.ble only takes action on their own for the sake of spoils and achievements.”
Hearing those words loaded with self-mockery, I can’t close my opened mouth.
“If that’s the case, wouldn’t they be no different from burglars or mountain bandits?”
“Frankly, it’s exactly like that. Regardless of how they’re named, their existences are still the same.”
‘Hahahaha’ Maroudo gives his dry laughter.
“….If that’s the case, next up will be each of the scattered n.o.ble forces coming to attack huh?”
That very moment, streams of light like a sudden explosion were dancing. Every single one of the personal armies in the vicinity of enemy headquarters were annihilated.
That was Ikaruga’s forte, dimension slash.
In the game too, that was a troublesome thing. The pattern can’t be predicted at all.
“….I’d say that’s overkill! Right now, isn’t 1/5th of the enemy gone already?”
Well, even though you say that there’s already lots of holding back you know.
Still, here we have 30 men eagerly waiting for their turn, but the enemy is absolutely not enough.
Then what should we do?
It’s okay right? Adding the insufficient share from other places?
Just next to it, humans are swarming together.
When this war (ma.s.sacre) is over, we also have to eliminate the humans there anyway, the princess said.
Then destroying them won’t be a problem!
―Goodness Gracious! The plot is going to go like that.
Sweat from a bad feeling gradually streamed through my body.
“Is there something on your mind, Princess?”
I kept thinking, ignoring Tengai’s puzzled question.
For the time being, sending anyone else from the round table members is dangerous (For the enemy!), I have to think up some kind of way to ease up on the opponent. On top of that I have to get the consent of those surrounding me…
Or rather, a supreme commander is pouring all of her energy into trying to reduce her force’s power so the damage that the enemy’s forces take is lower. Isn’t this some kind of mistake?
“Hmmm…..”
Facing me who is currently pondering about the circ.u.mstances, Maroudo looks at the deployed allied forces and then asks me a question, “which reminds me…”.
“As I see it, every demon commander of the round table is undoubtedly able to deal with them. However, is there meaning in having your other forces here?”
Meaning huh… well there’s likely none.
To tell you the truth, the forces who are partic.i.p.ating in the war right now are my immediate followers consisting of round table members and several applicants. The rest are monsters from the Great Forest, the White Dragon Mountain Range, and the Ancient Historic Ruins (dungeon) of this land who were citizens recently added into the Imperial Crimson, consisting of 10,000 people.
The purpose of bringing the round table members was to lower their stress. They acc.u.mulated stress since they were usually left behind, and it would be troublesome if they were unwilling to show their strength in times of emergencies. That was what I was concerned about, and so, for what purpose did I bring those newly added citizens of Imperial Crimson to this place? Frankly, it’s simply a figurehead to show our seriousness to the Amitia Kingdom.
With how our side seriously gathered troops, their side also had to make a serious effort. That’s how I lined up the purpose of showing off my forces.
On paper, I brought them so they could show their loyalty to me and to gain experience (monsters evolve after gaining a certain degree of experience), and so they came….eh, I could use this right?
“Tengai.”
“Yes! Did you call me princess?”
“The strength of the demon commanders is indeed magnificent. However, in spite of that the opponent’s ability is really a disappointment, isn’t it?”
“Yes, honestly it just as princess says.”
“Even if you have a rare famous sword, if it was used to fight against a rat there would not much of meaning to it. Therefore, how about we put the opponents against people who were freshly added into our Imperial Crimson?”
Hearing my words, Tengai pondered ‘Oh that’s true indeed.’
“…Surely there’s unlikely to be any more merit we could gain than this. Right now it might be a good chance to give those new ones the honor to stand alongside the princess on the battlefield.”
Oh, I gained a favorable impression. I had to make one more push.
“Yeah, I always stand on the battlefield, here I could take notice of certain individuals. During this battle I might be able to discover that kind of person.”
“With pleasure! I agree, it’s exactly as princess says. This Tengai, before he knew it had forgotten those kinds of things. It’s really inexcusable, Princess!”
Ok! With this, it will be not become a one sided ma.s.sacre.
“―Exactly as you heard, gentlemen! I believe you had some complaints, but to train the future generations is our duty as the demon commanders of the round table. Let’s give them the stage here!”
There was some dissatisfaction revealed from the demon commanders, but the opinion ‘Well it can’t be helped, we have to take care of our juniors’, is in the majority.
“Perfect, then dispatch the messenger to our forces on standby! Tell them that we antic.i.p.ate seeing their capability!”
As Tengai ended his speech, the round table members stopped being vigilant. Their mood immediately lowered down and they turned into old men who were gonna have a drink like on TV, “Hah… I need a drink, maybe a bite to eat too”, then they sluggishly walk into a food stall in the shopping district. (The partic.i.p.ants besides the round table member who came along right now).
With this, the next battle of the Imperial Crimson and Amitia Kingdom will become a free for all between two forces.
Author Notes
The troops of Amitia Kingdom number at 28,000. In regard to the Imperial Crimson’s monster army of 10,000, it was almost equal in battle strength since in this world, 1 monster is equal to 3 humans in strength.