Chapter 1, Episode 16: Resurrection
Tris is unable to utter a sound in the midst of the battle which is turning into chaos.
He wasn’t the only one in silence. His fellow soldiers were also focusing on the young boy so as not to lose sight of him.
A strange atmosphere envelops the battlefield.
The black ma.s.s slowly encroaches on the field, like water soaking throughout a piece of cloth.
The enemy’s frontline has completely collapsed. It is likely next to impossible for them to regroup at this point.
The faces of all the enemy troops on the very front lines are warped in fear, and their expressions convey their desire to escape as quickly as possible.
However, the order to charge was handed down. They were being pushed by their allies behind them, and they were not allowed to withdraw.
In the present situation, they were merely left with falling prey to the darkness.
「Is that… the boy?」
He finally squeezed out those words.
He tilted his head as he watched Hiro trample over the enemy’s formation with a silver sword in hand.
He doesn’t sense the frail atmosphere about him from when they first met.
He had changed in a way to suggest that he had been possessed by something.
「And what is that sword?」
No matter how many enemies he slaughtered, there was no clotting of blood to be seen on the sword.
The beautifully glittering silver sword was giving off the same fiery light as it did when it first appeared.
In the past, it was called the hero’s sword.
It is a ruler’s sword, which saved a country that was on the verge of ruin, and conquered surrounding nations.
As 1,000 years pa.s.sed, the legendary sword was buried in history, and is said to have been lost.
The Second Emperor of the Grand Grantz Empire, Halt Rey Schwarz von Grantz.
His legend is remembered thusly…
『The Twin Black King possesses a sword which manipulates all of heaven, earth, and man. It is an undefeated sword which brings about certain victory.』
There are none here who experienced that period of time.
However, if there were, they would surely be trembling in awe.
Even the guard and handle were pure white. There was not one speck of impurity. It looked as if it were decorated with a coat of snow.
The blade glistened as if an infinite number of glittering stars were scattered throughout. It gave off a certain brilliance, and it boasted razor sharpness.
When the young Twin Black boy holds the sword while clad in black, it impresses the image of stars floating in the night sky.
The 5th Imperial spirit sword.
The final sword, which is also said to be the most beautiful—
—《Excalibur》
This was the moment in which it manifested itself into this world once more.
A change was approaching the battlefield in which a one sided ma.s.sacre was taking place.
「The enemy… is withdrawing?」
One of the heavy infantrymen muttered.
Maybe word had finally reached the enemy general.
The foe slowly retreats from the warfront as they keep an eye on Hiro.
The young boy gazed at the retreating enemies for a while, but perhaps he lost interest, as he turned his back on them.
At that moment, Tris’s expression changed as he yelled out.
「B-Boy! Behind you!」
A countless number of arrows came flying in from behind the retreating enemies.
But perhaps Hiro didn’t hear him, because he didn’t so much as look back.
No, even if he had heard, Hiro likely wouldn’t have been able to defend himself without a shield.
Believing this to be the end, Tris closed his eyes without thinking.
But when he next opened his eyes, Tris would be unable to differentiate between reality and fantasy.
This was because the arrows had split like a waterfall and were pierced into the ground while avoiding the young boy.
Looking on in amazement, Tris looks into the eyes of the young boy and speaks.
「Is that 「Ura.n.u.s」…?」
There was no time to be relieved. The young boy ran off.
「What is it?」
It’s understandable that he was puzzled, seeing as how Hiro ran towards Tris and his group at full speed.
His face was not the same one with the expression of a dark abyss until just earlier.
It had become that same seemingly frail and unreliable one from when they met.
「T-Tris!」
「Ohh! What is it?!」
Although he was surprised from Hiro suddenly holding him, he returned his embrace.
「L-Liz! Where’s Liz?! Is she alright?!」
「C-Calm down! We have the princess resting in the back! More importantly, are you hurt?!」
It was pointless to worry, seeing how energetic he was, but Tris couldn’t keep from asking.
The young boy checked his body and spoke.
「Looks like I’m fine! I’m going to go to Liz!」
「N-No, wait, boy! Right now, you should—」
He reached out his arm, but the young boy kept running in.
Stuffy, hot air and the putrid smell of corpses fills the s.p.a.ce between the cliffs.
So many soldiers had died, that Hiro had to carefully avoid stepping on them as he continued further in.
「Ah, Liz…」
When he found the young girl he was looking for, he started to smile, but his expression quickly turned grim.
This was due to the fact that the crimson haired young girl was surrounded by corpses as she sat atop a rock.
She was enveloped by an atmosphere that seemed to suggest she would break at any moment. His chest tightened as he saw her current state.
「…」
As Hiro climbed the rock, Cerberus, who was sitting beside Liz, looked at him.
After patting Cerberus’s head, he placed his hand on the shoulder of the girl with her head down.
「Liz…」
The young girl who rejected the world didn’t so much as realize that there was a hand on her shoulder.
「Liz!」
Hiro yelled out and shook her shoulders.
「…」
Seeing Liz’s face as she finally lifted it, Hiro gasped from an intense shock.
Having lost their brilliance, her eyes were simply open, not focusing on any single point, and her eyelids were pitifully swollen red.
(Ahh… Who’s the guy who hurt you like this?)
Hiro gently wrapped his arms around her head as he pulled her in.
She looked so haggard, he couldn’t think of anything to say to her.
「Liz… I’m sorry.」
Even Hiro wasn’t sure if he was apologizing for not knowing what to say, or for not making it in time.
The crimson haired young girl’s fingers twitched.
She grasped Hiro’s arms and pull her face away from his chest.
「… Hiro?」
「Yeah. It might make you mad, but… I came back.」
Hiro awkwardly nodded his head.
Liz’s hands touch his cheeks.
Despite being humid like summer, her hands were cold enough to give him a chill.
「Why did you come?」
「Because I figured out what I can do.」
Hiro gently grasped the hands on his cheeks to warm them.
The light returns to her eyes. Perhaps she realized he wasn’t an illusion.
But she made a sad expression and lowered her eyes.
「Dios died…」
「… Yeah.」
「He was more of an older brother to me than my actual brother. I thought of him as my real brother.」
「Yeah.」
「And yet… I wasn’t able to save him.」
「…」
「He told me… to fulfill my dream.」
As her voice shook, her eyes moistened with tears.
「I… ugh, ahh—」
She buried her face into Hiro’s chest and began to sob.
Hiro wrapped his arms around her back and held her.
Even if she is a wielder of a spirit sword, she is still a girl who had only just turned 15.
A person whom she adored as family had died before her eyes.
She was likely feeling like her heart had been torn apart.
(Ahh… that’s right. This girl is just like you.)
The color of her hair and her facial features aren’t alike, but her disposition is exactly the same.
You a.s.sumed the throne at a young age, with much expected of you. And because of your situation, you were unable to do anything.
You were only able to watch silently as your country slowly fell to ruin.
(Is that why you summoned me back here?)
Was it to save the Sixth Imperial Princess who is just like you?
As he caressed Liz’s head, Hiro realized why he had come to this world.
It’s possible that he was mistaken, but Hiro was fine with that reason.
Tris and the heavy infantrymen looked on, heartbroken, as the Sixth Imperial Princess quietly sobbed atop the rock.
Tears were flowing down from the eyes of the brawny men. They cried quietly while gritting their teeth.
Tris did not shed a single tear.
A single stream of blood flowed down from the corner of his mouth as he shook with rage.
Dios von Michael. He was a young man who should have turned 28 this year.
He was originally a mercenary, but he drifted into the empire after being heavily wounded. Tris then treated and took charge of him.
He trained every single day, ama.s.sed many accomplishments on the battlefield, and became a close aide to the Sixth Imperial Princess after having his abilities recognized. Tris was as happy for him as if these had all been his own achievements.
If Liz were his daughter, Dios was his son.
Tris cut loose his memories of the past and forcefully pounded his chest.
The loud noise from his armor broke the silence. He then put his knee to the ground and shouted.
「Your highness, Celia Estreya Elizabeth von Grantz!」
Everyone turned their eyes to the loud, ringing voice.
「We do not have time to be sad. I doubt Dios would wish for that either! The sun will soon set. Let us think of a plan to break through the enemy!」
The one who responded to those words was Hiro.
「I have an idea for that.」
「What?」
「The enemy numbers roughly 2,000. Even if we’re able to break through them, that would lead to victims in the surrounding villages. I doubt Liz would be fine with innocent citizens getting hurt.」
「H-Hiro?」
Liz muttered with confusion in her voice.
It’s understandable that she was confused, because to her, he is just a normal young boy.
Hiro smiled wryly at her and continued to speak.
「In which case, it doesn’t have to be a complete annihilation, but we must decrease their numbers as much as possible so that they’re unable to do any pillaging.」
「We only have 20 men left here. What are we going to do against 2,000 opponents? Are you telling us each to kill 100 enemies?」
「I’m not saying that. You’re all exhausted.」
As his smile widening, the young boy lent a hand to Liz and came down from the rock.
「It’s a plan so simple even a child could think of it.」
The man who was once feared as 「Mars」 was about to resurrect.