______
In the early morning of the next day, the party ended.
In one room of the castle in the fort city, the air was gloomy.
「……」
This aura was given off by none other than Karen, who had her arms crossed with wrinkles forming on her brow.
「……？」
Are you angry Karen? Or are you tired?
Kazuya thinks hard; he doesn’t understand why Karen is so angry.
「……」
For husband……often……kill.
Chitose, who seemed to have heard about last nights affairs; glared at Karen. Her hand was on her holster as if she would suddenly draw her Beretta M92 and kill Karen.
「……」
What’s with this atmosphere!?
On top of this, Maria seems to also be confused about what is going on.
「「「「……」」」」
Ah….I want to leave….
Kazuya desperately wanted to rush out the room.
Their original purpose for meeting had been forgotten, they were supposed to discuss how to deal with the Imperial Army.
「…well….so…」
一It was when Maria opened her mouth to try and dissolve the atmosphere.
–DOGANNN!!
A loud explosive sound accompanied by a shockwave shocked the whole fort city.
The window to the room that Kazuya and the group were in was completely destroyed and because of the rumbling, dust was falling from the ceiling.
「d.a.m.n!! What the heck was that!?」
「What happened!?」
Kazuya was also shaken by the sudden event.
Everyone rushed onto the terrace, where you can get a bird eyes view of the fort city; to confirm what had happened.
The view they saw was beyond even Kazuya’s imagination.
「….this can’t be true…there were many layers of magical barriers inscribed on the walls and gate…but now….」
The third wall had a ma.s.sive open crater in it.
…surprisingly….it seems as if a large bomb has exploded….
Kazuya was stunned by the events, only brought about due to Karen’s mumbling. He immediately tried to contact the 4th squad positioned on the gate of the third wall.
「4th squad report!! Sergeant Funasaka can you hear me!? Please report!!」
『Cough~ this is the 4th squad’s Sergeant Funasaka. I’m safe somehow…』
「Your situation!?」
『Well….we took alot of casualties, but combat is still possible』
「Master! That!!」
As Kazuya finished radio contact with the Sergeant, Chitose pointed to the other side of the south gate.
「What is it–?」
When Kazuya said so, a girl dressed in a white robe stepped forward from the enemies camp.
「⚌ ⚍ ⚎ ⚏⚌ ⚍ ⚎ ⚏――」(TLN: She actually says some words, but it’s in Hiragana and I think it might be weird so I’ll use these characters for magic instead)
The girl stepped forward, carrying a staff bigger than herself; casting some type of spell.
At the same time as the incantation ended, the girl slammed her staff to the ground.
A great deal of magic circles appeared around the girl, various demons such as goblins, lizard men etc… appeared from within.
When the girl who summoned the demons points to the fort city, the demons give a loud roar as the simultaneously moved forwards.
『『『UOOOOOO!!!!』』』
After confirming that the demons are heading towards the fort city, the girl retreats back inside the camp.
After that, the Imperial Troops also began to march towards the city.
Kazuya was considering his options, he was considering breaking through the concentrated forces and aiming for the enemies headquarters.
This is bad….
「4th squad!! Retreat to the second wall immediately!!」
『Captain General…..evacuation is impossible….please give up on us…please….』
「What are you saying!? Don’t give up!! If you don’t come here right now, I’ll come and get you myself!! Wait there and don’t die!!」
Kazuya cut off correspondence with the Sergeant.
Before he could even begin walking, he was blocked off.
「Where will you go?」
The one who stopped Kazuya, was Karen.
「I’ve already decided. I’m going to help my subordinate」
「Did you think I would permit that!? If you leave, what happens when the break through the second wall!? Do you even know what would happen!? Would you so easily send our innocent citizens into suffering because of your own selfish behaviour!? I understand your feelings….but please….give up…. 」
Karen said so and turned away from Kazuya, showing a depressed face.
「…..3rd squad, please retreat and help the 1st and 2nd squad in securing and protecting Colt Zara」
『This is the 3rd squad. Understood』
Kazuya issued the order with a light smile, that seemed strange.
「…..? You….what on Earth will you do?」
「….」
「Answer my question!! What are you scheming!?」
「It’s impolite to call it scheming. But you can go up and down these walls with a rope, I will not abandon my troops. Me and Chitose will go」
「Hai!!」
「Tsu!! Hey wait! The commander of this place is me! Are you disobeying me!?」
Karen, who realised her abilities at persuasion were not working, tried to stop Kazuya using power.
「It’s bad. But we received this quest as adventurers, so we act in a way that would allow us to achieve our request. So there is no need to listen to you…I’m sorry, Karen」
The words of apology at the end uttered by Kazuya seemed awkward.
「….tsu!! If it’s like that, you may leave!」
Kazuya made a wry smile at the appearance of Karen, before grabbing Chitose’s hand and leaving the terrace.
Soon, there was no-one left in the room aside from Karen and Maria. (TLN: They moved from the terrace back to the room at some point)
「…Is that really ok, Karen? Letting those people go?」
Mary asks Karen; who is seated with her head held down.
「It doesn’t matter….」
Karen replies in a feeble tone to Mary; the girl who she had grown up with.
Even if I wanted to stop him, I doubt I could…..Don’t die Kazuya, the man who took my first kiss….come back safely….
Karen was wis.h.i.+ng for Kazuya’s safety the whole time, with her hands closed together, as if in prayer.
At the same time as Karen was praying for Kazuya’s safety.
「Master, as expected….listen」
The unceasing gunfire proved the survival of the 4th squad. As Kazuya was preparing to rappel down with the 2nd squad. Chitose was desperately trying to get Kazuya to remain there, however he did not listen.
「But!! Master is the only irreplaceable one!! What would we do if you died!? Please reconsider!!」
「Chitose!!」
Kazuya interrupted Chitose with a strong tone.
「Chitose, as a commander. I can’t just send my soldiers readily into a dangerous place, whilst relaxing safely elsewhere…..please understand」
「Master….」
Chitose who had heard the words of Kazuya, looked at him uneasily. However, seemingly making up her mind, she dropped her rope down the wall as well.
「Please forgive me, Master. We are loyal soldiers who will fulfil your desires to the best of our abilities. If master wanted to go into h.e.l.l, I would follow him and protect him」
「Chitose…..」
「Let’s go! Even if the enemy is G.o.d, we will defeat him!!」
「「「「OUUUUUU！！！」」」」
Chitose deliberately shouted the last words to rouse up the troops, at which the soldiers shouted loudly whilst raising their guns into the air.
Kazuya, who had saw the state of Chitose and his troops, loosened his expression and showed a smile.
「Now, let’s go rescue the 4th squad. Descend!!」
「「「「Understood!!」」」」
Kazuya sets off followed by his troops, descending down the 15 metre wall.
Immediately after landing on the ground, they rushed towards where the 4th squad was.
What they saw was a ghastly scene, corpses of demons everywhere, buildings destroyed by large explosions. The 4th squad were desperately attempting to hold their position in the centre of the town square
「They’re coming from the right flank!」
「They’re here!!」
「Wait—-Captain General!! Why are you here!?」
Voices of surprise could be heard from amongst the 4th squad, who were shooting their M4A1 carbines in semi-auto mode at the oncoming demons.
But Kazuya ignored the soldier’s question and asked one of his own.
「What’s the situation!?」
「Oh!? Oh yes…currently the Imperial army has been launching wave like attacks at us. We have somehow endured up until now, but we’re running out of ammunition!! Also, two of the squad who were scouting the area have gone missing, Sergeant Funasaka went looking for them, but also disappeared!!」
The soldier reported in a worried tone.
「I see, 4th squad!! Take the injured people away and retreat!!」
「Understood!!…..what will the Captain General do?」
「After 10 minutes, no……15 minutes. We’ll await the return of the Sergeant!」
「But Captain General! It’s dangerous!!」
「It’s fine, retreat first!!」
「….Understood!! Good luck!!」
After saying such a thing, the soldier shouldered a wounded soldier and retreated.
12 minutes later and the 4th squad had completely retreated.
「Master!! We can’t keep pus.h.i.+ng forward!!」
Chitose shouted whilst changing the box shaped magazine of the MK48 mod 0.
….Kuso!! (TLN: Just means “d.a.m.n!!”)
Kazuya understood what Chitose was saying. If they keep pus.h.i.+ng forward, they risk having their escape route cut off by demons moving around the back.
They had held their position until now, but Kazuya was still waiting for Sergeant Funasaka.
「The demons are gone!! But the Imperial Army is coming!!」
Kazuya’s voice could be heard by all the soldiers, as Imperial troops and witches began to pour into the gap that had been created in the wall by the explosion.
s.h.i.+t!!
It was clear that they couldn’t hold on for much longer, so Kazuya radioed Ibuki.
「Ibuki!!」
『This is Ibuki!! What is it!?』
「Is the souvenir ready!?」
『Yes, it is ready』
Kazuya who had heard the reply of Lieutenant Colonel Ibuki, ordered his soldiers to retreat.
「1st and 2nd squad, retreat!!」
At that order, the soldiers removed the pins on their m18 smoke grenades and threw them towards the enemy forces.
As they exploded, a wall of white smoke was erected between Kazuya’s troops and the Imperial Army.
「What is this!?」
「All troops stop!!」
The unit of the Imperial army who were marching towards Kazuya, suddenly stopped as they approached the smoke screen.
「It’s just a smoke screen!! Blow it away using wind magic!!」
「Understood!!」
The witches in the army immediately use wind magic on the smoke screen.
「….oh? They’ve withdrawn?」
After the smoke screen had disappeared, not even a shadow of Kazuya’s troops could be seen. They had already retreated deeper into the fort city.
「….is it a trap?….」
Feeling something strange, the Imperial army commander sent out some demons to scout the area. After they returned safely, the continued onwards.
And it was when they encountered the next gate….
「It’s now!! Kill!!」
–SNAP!!
A great deal of C4 explosives and M18 Claymores simultaneously exploded causing great bodily harm to the Imperial army troops. The commander of the 2nd squad, Ibuki. Had prepared this earlier.
Because the explosion occurred inside the Imperial army, the magic barriers were ineffective.
The soldiers who were killed instantly in the C4 explosion were lucky, those caught in the M18 Claymore explosion…not so much. (TLN: Claymores fire steel b.a.l.l.s out, it’s more to destroy peoples legs than kill them)
700 steel b.a.l.l.s were shot out of each claymore, tearing whatever they touched into pieces. This included the troops of the Imperial army.
The magic barrier began to fail, as the witches maintaining it had be grievously injured. So they began to retreat.
However, Kazuya would never allow that.
「Don’t miss!! Shoot them all!!」
The soldiers who were trying to retreat, were suddenly met with a hail of arrows and bullets.
_____