Chronicle Legion – The Road of Conquest
Chapter 5 - Battle between Lion and Hound (1)[edit]
Part 1[edit]
15:27, October 31st.
This was the moment when Richard the Lionheart arrived in Suruga City.
Riding his white wyvern, he slowly descended with a crimson British "Escalibor" Legion by his side. The Legion landed with a heavy thud.
The location was in front of Suruga Station.
The high-speed rail terminal was huge and the area in front of the station was also very prosperous.
There were department stores and grand buildings in the style of office districts. It was rare for a quiet regional city to have such a "metropolitan" area.
The wyvern and the Escalibor had suddenly appeared at the bus terminal here.
Soon after the alarm sounded in the city, the ancient King of England and his Legion invaded Suruga City swiftly, flying like a shooting star.
...There were still civilians around the station who had not escaped in time.
Roughly a hundred and fifty people. The red giant raised its bayonet rifle and fired.
Rather than the civilians, the rifle was aimed up at the white clouds in the blue sky. The scorching beam tore through the sky, accompanied by a thunderous noise of gunfire.
Nearby crowds were all fixated on the red Legion and the wyvern's rider.
"People of Suruga, I am a Chevalier of the British Empire as well as a King of England in the past, Richard the Lionheart. Be at ease and raise your heads."
The English king's Legions, the Escalibors, stood over eight meters tall.
Richard's wyvern was hovering near the red giant's shoulder. Overlooking the scenery in front of the station, Richard nodded with satisfaction.
This Resurrectee's voice was not very coa.r.s.e. Instead, he sounded magnanimous.
A sonorous and beautiful voice, it was clear and deep.
"Hohohoho. There is no need to scurry away like rats, people of this city. I did not come today to fight. I am here as a knight to inform the people of Suruga who have been fighting valiantly."
The Escalibor behind Richard emitted the same voice and words from behind its mask. More precisely, it was not a voice but sound formed from noetic waves.
Hence, that was why the sound was spreading like a wave.
The volume itself was not too great, yet every resident within a radius of several kilometers could hear it clearly.
"Now then... It pains my heart to hear of your harrowing plight. The Chevaliers of Suruga have fought bravely against us of the Restoration Alliance, but the result is that across the land of Shizuoka, this is the last city that has yet to come under the British Empire's protection. Listen to me, people of this city!"
Riding his wyvern, Richard advanced slowly along the main road in front of the station.
He was flying at an alt.i.tude around three floors high. Advancing in leisure, it was almost like a parade of triumph.
The Escalibor was also hovering in the air, following its master.
"Who are the ones who suffer in war!? Isn't it you, the people of the city? So long as the knights of Suruga continue to resist, you will be imprisoned in this city, unable to satisfy your stomachs, enduring hunger, fear, and uncertainty. I sympathize with your plight from the bottom of my heart!"
Richard looked down upon the streets haughtily while delivering a pa.s.sionate speech.
The Lionheart's voice included elements of rapture. It seemed like he was very moved by his own speech.
"I hereby promise you that I shall be the one to liberate you. I shall conquer Suruga without fail and guide all of you to come under the British Empire's protection. When the time comes, I shall send a gift of ten thousand casks of wine to hold a glorious celebration lasting three days and three nights. I welcome all of you to join me in sharing this fine wine of victory!"
Richard raised his fist up high, adding to the climax of the speech.
At that moment, he suddenly lowered his voice and said, "However, I do beg for your understanding regarding one matter. Next, I shall be resting for five days, and once I am rested, the first target to fall to me shall be Nagoya. It is Nagoya where I shall bring an end to the Tōkaidō Fiefdom."
There was a layer of gloom on the pa.s.sionate Lionheart's expression.
With a face of anguish that befitted a tragic protagonist, he raised his arms and shouted to the people, "Please bear this in mind. I shall conquer Nagoya within ten days then return to Suruga the next day to liberate you. In the mean time, please wait patiently for my second coming. See you again!"
After saying everything he wanted, Richard gently kicked his wyvern's side.
The wyvern flapped its wings and flew east, towards Fuji City. The Escalibor followed.
The crimson British Legion was holding a wooden bucket in its left hand.
While flying, the Legion opened the bucket's lid, dropping thousands of pieces of paper.
The huge amount of paper was scattered all over Suruga City by the wind.
...This was the beginning of "The Attack of Richard I." The crowds at the scene watched in mesmerization, completely forgetting to escape.
In fact, there was a Chevalier on standby near the scene.
"What on earth is that man thinking?"
The four-wheel-drive military vehicle stopped its engine on the road in front of the station.
Castellan Akigase Rikka frowned from the back seat.
The genie at the Suruga tutelary fort, Sakuya, had issued a warning—A single Escalibor was approaching Suruga at high speed. Rikka rushed out as a result.
This was to allow her to destroy the enemy instantly if they engaged in destructive activities violating the Charter of Chivalry.
However, what she ran into was an unexpected speech.
"To be honest... I am not really concerned about the repercussions of that speech," Rikka said solemnly.
It was the next day after Richard I visited Suruga to deliver a speech.
"After all, he promised to rescue the people of the city then talked about resting before attacking Nagoya. Totally disorganized."
November 1st. On this day, Masatsugu excused himself from school and came to a conference room at the Suruga tutelary fort.
Rikka had invited him to join a war council.
"Since he is a reborn hero and a legatus legionis surpa.s.sing ordinary Chevaliers, I am reluctant to say anything too harsh—"
After using a term used to honor Resurrectees...
She said it outright.
"I suspect him of being a complete idiot."
"R-Rikka-sama, you are being too direct," said Hatsune, somewhat troubled, who was at the table.
The three Chevaliers, Habuna, Maike, and Tabi, also smiled awkwardly. This war council had gathered all Chevaliers in Suruga to discuss their next step.
Furthermore, the ancient English king's speech had been under yatagarasu surveillance.
Masatsugu and the others had watched the video after noetic processing.
"However, I dare not call him an idiot now. After reading the flyers distributed by Richard I at the end, some of the residents are wavering. Some have even proposed 'it might be better to just lose to the Restoration Alliance'," Rikka a.n.a.lyzed the situation.
Masatsugu was reminded of the flyer's contents.
It stated the facts that Shizuoka Prefecture and Nagoya were about to fall to the Restoration Alliance. Its concluding sentence was the prediction that 'soon, the people of Suruga will come under the protection of the Lionheart of England'...
"Sigh, this cannot be helped either. It is true that we of the Tōkaidō Fiefdom are unable to provide sufficient food to the people of the city. The battle situation is clearly tipped against us."
Rikka admitted candidly and shrugged.
"There is no problem at the moment, but riots might start eventually."
"This Richard I—"
The most n.o.ble attendee at this conference suddenly spoke.
All eyes focused on one person, Princess Fujinomiya Shiori of Imperial j.a.pan, who continued, "Undeniably, he is a man who lives life very impulsively. As a fierce knight, he also has an artistic side to him with a love for poetry... Perhaps due to this, he often acts capriciously, changing his mind on whim."
Neither a warrior nor a high-ranking officer, Shiori was also attending this war council.
This was the first step in the shunned princess' "ascension."
The two Chevaliers, Tachibana Masatsugu and Hatsune, were in her personal service, making her currently the Suruga tutelary fort's "most important ally." Furthermore, the princess had already demonstrated her outstanding mystic abilities and insight to these people present. As a result...
'May I attend this war council?'
When Shiori asked tactfully, Rikka did not refuse.
The three young men Chevaliers at the table and the military officers of the tutelary fort also respectfully accepted her.
Having obtained respect befitting her status and ability, the imperial princess explained in a wise tone of voice as always.
"As soon as the militant Richard I was crowned the King of England, he sold off many things to raise funds for war. This included precious possessions, national treasures, castles, territories, n.o.ble t.i.tles, and townships."
"How could a ruler of a nation act so irresponsibly?" Rikka was aghast.
Shiori nodded and continued, "Yes. Dismissing local officials then forcing them to buy back their posts was a trick that he frequently used. It was said that he almost sold away the capital of London."
"What an irresponsible man..."
"He probably felt no attachment to England. The royal family ruling medieval England were originally n.o.bles from France who crossed the sea to conquer the island of Great Britain."
Masatsugu was very surprised to hear the name of France.
"Richard I's Plantagenet family was high n.o.bility in France, holding lands including the Duchy of Aquitaine, the County of Anjou, and the Duchy of Normandy. England itself was simply one of the Plantagenet dynasty's territories."
The well-learned Shiori spoke fluently.
"The Plantagenets essentially made their residence in France, living as French n.o.bles, only visiting Great Britain when it was necessary for them to wear the ident.i.ty of 'the English royal family of the Plantagenet dynasty. They almost always used French and never spoke English."
The names of Richard and Edward should be p.r.o.nounced in French as "Ree-shaar" and "Ay-doo-waar"...
When Shiori added this last bit of trivia, Hatsune remarked poignantly, "It's like running a side business while having a day job."
"A very apt description. Indeed, the Plantagenet family was a great landowner that even surpa.s.sed the King of France himself. France was their true stronghold while the King of England was just a part-time job. But after the death of Richard I, his younger brother John Lackland's failures led to losing virtually all of their holdings on the European continent, forcing them to flee to England."
Masatsugu remembered. He had heard an anecdote during history cla.s.s.
Losing his territory was what earned King John the nickname of "Landless."
"These problems erupted during the generation of Black Prince Edward's father, resulting in the Hundreds' Year War between England and France. In truth, the two royal families at the time were relatives..."
"I see, so that is the personality of King Richard." Rikka sighed.
"Now the problem is... This tyrant was very good at war, personality aside—or rather, that type of personality is probably a factor contributing to his peerless ferocity. Easily employing methods that normal people would not dare to use, he achieved victories through flashy ostentatious shows of brute force."
The Tōkaidō Fiefdom's Chevalier princess said gloomily, "The next time Richard comes to Suruga will be after he has conquered Nagoya, right? Naturally, I have informed my father of his declaration... But will Nagoya be able to hold—The situation is not optimistic."
"Rikka-sama, there are additional points of worry," Shiori shared her views again. "Once Nagoya falls and Tōkaidō is officially extinct, the Restoration Alliance will then have free rein to deploy all Chevaliers to attack Suruga. Confronted with Richard I and multiple Knights of Her Majesty—We will face inevitable defeat."
"Yes, in which case our only options are to retreat or to surrender."
Rikka fell silent, arms crossed before her chest. She was pondering their course of action.
Five minutes later, she still had not said a word, probably because she could not come up with any good ideas. The three young men Chevaliers, Hatsune, and Shiori also had nothing to say.
Under this grave atmosphere, Masatsugu spoke up, "Sure enough, Prince Edward is the impressive one here."
"Onii-sama, our discussion here is about Richard."
"I know, but the reason why that hot-blooded idiot is a nuisance is mainly because Prince Edward's chain is firmly attached to his collar."
"What do you mean?" Hatsune was puzzled.
Masatsugu calmly explained, "Think about it carefully. Why did Richard go out of his way to deliver a speech in Suruga?"
"Uhh... On a whim?"
"Possibly, but according to Her Highness, he is impulsive to the point of irresponsible... A man like that cannot be expected to exercise restraint, right? In fact, I felt he would take the speech as a chance to launch a surprise a.s.sault. Especially since he views Suruga as 'special prey,' all the more reason he should do that."
The lion was not the only one who knew how to hunt—
Currently, Masatsugu was also taking a hunter's perspective to a.n.a.lyze and examine the habits and tendencies of the Lionhearted beast, so as to draw his conclusion.
"Someone persuaded Richard to hold back and he is very unhappy about this. Very frustrated. Hence, that was why he flew all the way to Suruga to deliver a glamorous speech, to vent his displeasure."
Masatsugu shrugged slightly and said, "What a shame. If Richard were to attack Suruga in full force... It would be the best opportunity to defeat him."
"Ehhhh!? No way, that guy's Chevalier Strength is over a thousand, you know!?"
Hatsune was very shocked. No, everyone attending this war council felt the same. On behalf of the group, the Tachibana girl questioned Masatsugu, "Also, his Feat of Arms is powerful, and he is talented at commanding Legions..."
"This simply involves a question of comparison. Richard attacking alone versus facing a large group of Chevaliers in a fierce offensive after Nagoya falls—Which do you think is easier to defeat?"
"Of course facing Richard alone. But even by himself, he's quite formidable, right?"
"On that point... It seems that I'm very good at handling opponents like him."
The little sister warned Masatsugu, prompting him to mutter.
Without raising his voice deliberately, his quiet words conveyed clear confidence.
"Against a man like him, I know a number of effective traps."
"Really, Onii-sama!?" Hatsune leaned forward, her eyes glimmering brightly.
"Th-Then why don't we take the initiative to attack!?"
"That would be difficult. The troops I can currently use won't exceed two or three hundred. If I had to rely on such numbers to engage him... I need to lure him into attacking Suruga aggressively."
Masatsugu shook his head.
"Otherwise, there is no way to lead him into a trap in a natural manner."
Perhaps the Black Prince had also considered the risk of a "hunting trap," which was why he persuaded the lion to "wait."
Edward was truly remarkable. Not only did he skillfully command troops on the battlefield but he also had the capability to control a subordinate who was like a savage beast.
Masatsugu was catching a faint glimpse of the Black Prince's prowess. A formidable foe surpa.s.sing Richard.
"We need bait. And this bait needs to lure the impulsive Richard to Suruga before the British forces attack Nagoya. Otherwise, both Suruga and Nagoya will be crushed."
"In that case... I have an idea."
The one who offered—was precisely Shiori.
"This is a dangerous gamble. But since our defeat is sealed unless we go all-in and take the plunge, let us put on an extravagant show of fireworks to attract that man's attention."
With the gazes of every knight focused upon her, Shiori explained her plan methodically.
Her dignified tone of voice was as though she were a nation's leader or military adviser.
Part 2[edit]
In the early hours of October 2nd, at the darkest moment just before dawn...
Fire broke out in Suruga City, the north part of town, near the foot of Mount Ryuusou of the Southern Alps.
This included a central wholesale market and the warehouses of many logistics companies.
The fire started in this neighborhood.
The blaze spread instantly, burning down a number of warehouses.
After firefighting efforts, the warehouses were almost completely wrecked, leaving only steel frames.
The greatest loss was the food stored in these warehouses.
Due to the blockade, ordinary shops had run out of fresh food such as vegetables, meat, and fish a long time ago.
However, non-perishable food such as rice, wheat flour, potatoes, carrots, tubers, and canned food had been requisitioned by the Suruga munic.i.p.al government beforehand to be managed and distributed to the ma.s.ses through rationing.
Unfortunately—
The incinerated warehouses were storing ration supplies.
Since vast quant.i.ties of food were needed to feed Suruga, transporting it was laborious and time-consuming, which was why the food was stored directly at logistics hubs.
As part of the management system, infantry from the tutelary fort were stationed in the surroundings for security.
However, someone had slipped through the security net and committed arson against what was the Suruga residents' life line.
"Well, supplies are kept all over the city. It's not like that was the only location."
Okonogi Taisei said in a voice lacking in energy.
Masatsugu's best friend was talking to him, staring at the stories in the newspaper.
"The report said... the incinerated food amounted to slightly less than 40% of supplies. This is a very serious situation."
"Suruga cannot rely on relief supplies from outside, after all," Masatsugu agreed with his friend's lament.
"The Restoration Alliance has secured naval superiority in Suruga Bay, blocking sea routes. The railway has stopped running while roads are sealed off. Unless we find a solution soon, surrender is the only option."
"What an ordeal, seriously."
Two days after the fire, the two of them were near Suruga Station.
This was where Richard I had visited three days earlier. After school, Taisei mentioned he wanted to go there and Masatsugu volunteered to accompany him.
Their destination was the Suruga branch office of Tōkaidō News.
Serving as student council vice-president, Taisei also worked part-time at the Suruga branch office of Tōkaidō News.
Today, he was here to read the newspaper that was in limited circulation rather than coming in for work. To save on paper, ink, and other supplies, normal newspapers were not being published currently. But once every few days, a hundred copies were distributed among community centers and libraries for people to read.
Taisei had pleaded with the receptionist and picked up a copy of the newspaper to browse casually.
"If this 'internet' invented by the Americans becomes widespread, we'll be able to read news from our computers at home."
"What is that?"
"I'm not sure of the details, but simply stated... It seems to augment a computer's communication functionality, an information network that links up the whole world. But like the telephone, it's easily affected by noetic disruption, which is why progress has been slow."
"Sounds like something very complicated."
"There are rumors that militaries have constructed similar network systems using noetics."
After reading the newspaper, the two of them left the newspaper office.
Their mode of locomotion was the healthy bicycle. They decided to take a stroll in front of the station instead of heading to the parking lot directly.
"By the way, Masatsugu-kun. If you're not too busy with your knight duties, how about working as a volunteer? Tomorrow morning, the boys at our school are going to the fisherman's a.s.sociation to help bring in nets and catch fish. We'll be rewarded directly with some of the catch. After that, we'll organize a sea fishing tournament that's open to anyone interested. The intention is to catch more fish like girellas or horse mackerels and improve Suruga's food situation."
"The filefish is currently in season. Catching them is pretty fun."
"Also, I'd like to use the gardening club's contacts to help out the farmer's a.s.sociation in exchange for fruit and vegetables."
Their enthusiasm for volunteer work with impure motives was boundless.
Meanwhile, there were substantial crowds in the streets today, a rather rare sight lately. The reason was evidently the "event" that had been held in front of the station.
Men and women, young and old, all kinds of residents.
There were roughly thirty or forty people, even housewives bringing children.
They were pa.s.sing out flyers to pedestrians in front of the station, hollering "the Suruga tutelary fort needs to hurry and make a decision, to join the Restoration Alliance!" "We don't want to keeping suffering due to war!" "Please give the children enough food!"
They called for signatures for a pet.i.tion demanding the Suruga tutelary fort's surrender to the Restoration Alliance.
"For the past half a month... Ever since Suruga's blockade, people have been secretly carrying out such activities from time to time."
Watching the disruptive proceedings in disdain, Taisei sighed helplessly.
"It has gotten worse these few days. The city's residents seem to be accepting them with a more favorable view."
People were frequently accepting the flyers from the activists' hands.
People who ignored them turned out to be the minority instead. Some people even gave their signature at the table prepared by the organizers.
"The food burning incident happened recently, so people can't help but feel afraid."
"That was very likely to be arson, right? Rumor has it that the culprits are spies of the Restoration Alliance—"
"That's hard to say. The Restoration Alliance currently wants to leave Suruga alone."
"In that case... Another rumor says those guys are responsible."
Taisei threw a furtive glance at the partic.i.p.ants in the "pet.i.tion signing."
"If the food situation worsens, weighing to decide the lesser of two evils, more and more people will support surrendering. This is their objective—That's what some people say."
"There's no proof, but it's very compelling."
"Right, Masatsugu-kun, aren't you going to suppress these kinds of activities?"
"That's not my job. Besides, similar activities are happening all over the place. Dispersing just this lot isn't meaningful."
"True. Say, it's hard to imagine you saying something so reasonable, Masatsugu-kun, when half a month ago, you were still fixated on the beauty contest."
Taisei nodded and remarked poignantly.
"Nowadays, you really act like a Chevalier. I'm so touched."
"I haven't forgotten the beauty contest, it's just that I currently can't focus on organizing it, which is why you mistakenly thought I'm neglecting it... In truth, I haven't given up on holding the beauty contest in December."
"Uh, I'm pretty sure no one's gonna object even if you give up on it."
Rinzai High's school festival was scheduled to be held in early December.
One of the events was a beauty contest. After expressing his determination as the executive committee member in charge of the contest, Masatsugu changed the subject.
"Let's put that aside. In truth, I actually need to ask you for a favor today."
"Is it related to the beauty contest?"
"Unfortunately, it's not a fun request."
Masatsugu took out a map of Suruga from his schoolbag.
A few circles had been drawn on it, all indicating warehouses involved in logistics. They were where food was kept for rations.
"Please gather twenty to thirty students in the name of the student council and set these marked locations on fire. After that, they will be arrested by either the military or the police and detained for a few days—That's the kind of volunteer I need. Use boarders, otherwise explaining to family will be a ha.s.sle."
"Huh?"
His best friend, the student council vice-president, tilted his head, stupefied.
Part 3[edit]
Richard's visit to Suruga had taken place on the last day of October.
It was November 6 today. Over this period, the Lionheart had fully re-energized, prepared to face the next battle.
Tomorrow—He was going to attack Tōkaidō's provincial capital.
Richard was scheduled to set off tomorrow afternoon in a grand departure, heading east to take Nagoya.
The first target was Okazaki Castle, a j.a.panese castle in Nishimikawa and the birthplace of Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu, featuring ancient j.a.panese architecture with a central keep and stone walls.
However, like Nijou Castle, its interior had been remodeled.
With Chevaliers and an ifrit stationed, the castle also functioned as a tutelary fort.
After taking Okazaki Castle, only then would one reach the outskirts of Nagoya City. Then penetrating the defensive net formed by the various tutelary forts including Kariya Castle and Kiyosu Castle, one would then march into Nagoya Castle—
Meanwhile, Kinai was also sending Restoration Alliance knights to attack from the west.
The Anglo-j.a.panese coalition forces consisted of the "crimson knights," a thousand Escalibors advancing from the east, and the "blue samurai" Kamuys advancing from the west in a simultaneous attack on the prey known as "Nagoya."
From the east were the "crimson knights," a thousand Escalibors. From the west were the "blue samurai,"
"What a spectacular scene."
Richard muttered to himself in ecstasy.
However, there was a matter that pained the merciful and compa.s.sionate lion king's heart.
...As a Chevalier, collecting intelligence from various places was exceedingly easy. Since Suruga was the prey that Richard would enjoy last, he had informed the intelligence department in advance that he was to be notified of any movements in Suruga immediately.
Hence, Richard learned of a certain piece of news.
"Who would have thought that the people of Suruga desire me so much..."
Recently, Richard had gone to Suruga City to deliver a pa.s.sionate speech, venting the frustration in his heart.
Apparently, the pa.s.sionate performance had moved the people's hearts. The city was beginning to look forward to signs of the Lionheart's arrival.
'The Suruga tutelary fort should surrender to the Restoration Alliance as soon as possible.'
Civilians demanding Suruga officials to surrender were setting food warehouses on fire one after another.
Their goal was to protest against the Suruga tutelary fort's futile resistance.
At first, a fire broke out at one place, but the crimes had spread these few days. Another four warehouses had been torched.
The Suruga police was investigating desperately and had apprehended some arson suspects.
...The suspects were all students. Since they were minors, neither their names nor their school affiliations were released.
The next day after they had successfully burned down the second warehouse, the Suruga branch of Tōkaidō News received an anonymous criminal manifesto.
The manifesto was published in the temporary newspaper in the form of a special report.
Spies lurking in Suruga City had copied the contents and transmitted it to the intelligence department. Richard had read it too. There was a sincere declaration that 'Suruga City's future lies with the Restoration Alliance and Chevalier Richard.'
After reading the eloquent and pa.s.sionate manifesto, Richard was greatly moved.
However, the Suruga tutelary fort's reaction was stupid beyond belief. They suspected these students of 'secretly colluding with the Restoration Alliance to commit the crime of arson'—
The Suruga tutelary fort had handed over official protest letters to the various British forces stationed across Shizuoka.
Their main message was that this intentional destruction of civilian facilities was disgraceful behavior contravening the Charter of Chivalry.
Naturally, the British armed forces denied solemnly. The Suruga tutelary fort refused to be convinced and even declared that they were going to conduct further investigations.
They were planning to interrogate the student arsonists to get at the truth.
"I hope these youngsters will not be subjected to torture... No, one cannot expect much from the foolish and unscrupulous Suruga knights. I truly pity these students."
As an extremely chivalrous knight, Richard's heart was very pained.
Well, putting aside the heavy taxation and tough laws he had imposed upon the people under his rule... After all, the domains and the people living in them were his possessions.
Knights, n.o.bles, and martyrs admiring the Lionheart were different.
"I must find a way to save them personally."
After that, Richard's thoughts began to accelerate in a certain direction.
He was very talented at letting his imagination roam free, to find justification for what he wanted to do. In the process, he would set his heart ablaze by igniting sparks of pa.s.sion, thus drawing the conclusion he wanted—
"Upon my honor as a knight, I must rescue those students as quickly as possible. This is a matter of life and death."
As a side note...
Richard was currently not wearing his British military officer's uniform.
He was wearing a set of khaki combat attire—in other words, he had disguised himself as a common soldier. In fact, since a long time ago, he had always enjoyed traveling "incognito."
He often disguised himself as a pilgrim or a nameless knight to go traveling.
Right now, he had sneaked into a transport vessel sailing in Suruga Bay for a sea journey.
"Kukukuku. By this point, it is as though all preparations are complete."
The ship was about to enter the port of Tagonoura.
This was the port of Fuji City, the same city the Fuji tutelary fort, which is also the closest tutelary fort to Suruga—
It was currently 15:30 on November 6th.
Richard's plan was to establish a tutelary pact at Fuji's water shrine to make it his stronghold.
He was going to mobilize all of his Chevalier Strength to summon Escalibors to take Suruga. According to his reasoning, he could succeed in one go before the scheduled attack on Nagoya tomorrow.
"Those people sent by Edward to monitor me... Such naivete. Do they really believe that the Lionheart would wait obediently when there is still half a day before the next battle?"
Richard had noticed surveillants in his surroundings recently.
Pretending to be a napping lion, he had been looking for a chance to get these people off his trail.
Masatsugu's usual residence was the boys dorm of Rinzai High.
After becoming a Chevalier, he continued to live in his single room at the dorm.
However, he visited the princess' personal dorm every day and often had his meals there too. Still, it was the residence of Princess Shiori and her lady-in-waiting Hatsune, a ladies' domain, after all.
Normally, he left at 9pm to return to the boys dorm.
"It's time."
On the night of November 6th, around 11pm, Masatsugu left his dorm room.
Dressed in his student uniform, he walked confidently out of the boys dorm and came to the Black Lily Dorm where the princess lived. The two dorms were situated in the same area.
This dorm was a western mansion rich in Rok.u.meikan style.
Using a key only held by a select few, Masatsugu unlocked the entrance and tiptoed into the dorm.
He was very careful to avoid being seen by others. Finally, he arrived in front of a certain room on the second floor. The door to this room was not locked.
Turning the handle, Masatsugu swiftly entered the room.
"Excuse me."
"I have been waiting for you, Masatsugu-sama."
This was the princess' bedroom.
The room's decor and furniture were simple and elegant without any air of excess.
The well-learned Shiori loved to read but there were no bookshelves in her bedroom. She kept the vast majority of her books in the reading lounge. Consequently, her room was very clean and tidy without the mountains of books that often plagued bibliophiles.
"Hatsune did not see you... right?"
"Don't worry. I don't make mistakes."
It was just before bedtime and the princess was dressed rather casually.
She had untied her usual ponytail to let down her platinum blonde hair and was dressed in just a white yukata.
The two of them were alone in a girl's bedroom in the middle of the night. Furthermore, the other party was a princess of Imperial j.a.pan.
If they were to be discovered, Masatsugu would be condemned in all kinds of ways. However, their secret late night meetings had already gone on for many days.
Indeed, it had started the day they set up bait to lure the Lionheart into their trap.
"It is almost time for Richard to set off for Nagoya."
"Yes, probably tomorrow or the day after."
"However, there is still no news of him coming to Suruga."
Shiori sighed in disappointment.
"We burned our own warehouses in the city and handed protest letters to the British forces, claiming 'the Restoration Alliance recruited youngsters to commit crimes.' We caused a highly controversial case of serial arson with the perpetrators being young male students who went out of control..."
The Rinzai High student culprits were currently detained at the Suruga tutelary fort.
Masatsugu and his group had prepared an 'arrested student organization' in advance to deceive the British spies lurking in the city. Naturally, these students were being hosted as honored guests inside the tutelary fort.
In addition, the fake arson case had only burned a small fraction of food.
The vast majority had been transported away before the fires and remained intact.
"We have prepared all kinds of factors to appeal to the Lionheart's preferences... But unfortunately, we seem to have failed."
The princess who had devised the plan shrugged helplessly.
Masatsugu asked, "Using students on purpose was part of the plan too?"
"Yes, indeed. It is said that the Lionheart was especially kind to young males. There are even some who suspect him of being h.o.m.o... h.o.m.os.e.xual."
"Oh?"
More than this unexpected information, Masatsugu was more interested in Shiori herself while she was talking about the Lionheart's s.e.xual preferences.
Her embarra.s.sed look was truly adorable. In any case, the princess continued, "The British ignored our protests, which was expected. And to think I really antic.i.p.ated Richard to fall for it, but in the end, our efforts were for naught."
"It is still early to say. A man p.r.o.ne to indulging in narcissism like him usually lacks self-control," said Masatsugu quietly.
"The chance of any single trap catching him is definitely not low."
"I would hope so."
"By the way, Princess, it's time we begin tonight."
"I-I understand. Even if the plan fails, it is best to be prepared as a precaution."
Hearing her knight's request, the lady agreed shyly.
She was sitting on her personal bed. Masatsugu took a seat beside her. They were very close together, almost touching.
"So this strategem was inspired by the method I mentioned last time, with a modern spin applied to it?"
"Yes... You are correct. Torturing hostages in front of a castle to taunt angry enemies into rushing out to fight. My guess was that such a method might prove effective against someone like Richard..."
Shiori's voice instantly turned very quiet, because Masatsugu had held her hand.
"Princess."
"P-Please proceed... You may start."
After after repeating the same act over consecutive nights, Shiori was still very nervous.
Her innocent reaction was very endearing. Holding Shiori's hand, Masatsugu pushed her down onto the soft bed, covering her with his body.
"Masatsugu-sama..."
"Still not used to it?"
"No... It is very embarra.s.sing for me. A-And this is my own room—A man and a woman of our age, alone in a room, so lightly dressed, I really..."
Normally eloquent, Shiori was stuttering.
The warmth of the blood coursing through the princess' n.o.ble body was the essence of ectoplasmic fluid. To enable Masatsugu to steal ectoplasmic fluid more efficiently, Shiori was wearing just a light yukata on purpose.
Ever since the day of the war council, they had been doing the same thing every night.
This was the reason.
"Sorry, it's my fault for imposing a burden on your health, Princess."
"Pay no mind to it. As your liege, it is only right for me to go through hardship in order to a.s.sist my knight—to a.s.sist the one who is laying his life on the line for my sake."
For the past half a month, Masatsugu had been obtaining ectoplasmic fluid from Shiori.
However, this ultimately was an act of extracting "something" from blood, the source of life. For the past few days, Shiori had experienced frequent dizzy spells.
Furthermore, her physical strength had clearly declined, causing her to be out of breath especially easily.
Even so, she still insisted on their secret meetings to give her ectoplasmic fluid to Masatsugu.
"M-Masatsugu-sama, please do not keep staring at me..."
"That would be a tall order, Princess. Right now, you are too beautiful."
"Goodness gracious... Here you go again."
Masatsugu was carefully examining the princess pinned under him.
In contrast, Shiori did not dare look Masatsugu in the eye. With her head turned away shyly, she looked so cute and alluring.
When he pushed her down on the bed, the collar of Shiori's yukata had almost opened up.
The princess' willfully maturing bust had almost popped out. The sheltered princess endured her embarra.s.sment and bravely accepted Masatsugu's embrace.
"Masatsugu-sama, please absorb from me as much as you can..."
Shiori finally directed her pa.s.sionate gaze straight at Masatsugu.
"My grandfather's power within me—Absorb the source of ectoplasmic fluid."
Their faces were in close proximity. Masatsugu could feel her exhalation from her whispers. If he ventured forward slightly, a deep kiss of pa.s.sion would be easily in reach.
And Shiori was willing too—
Masatsugu could read an air of acceptance from her eyes. However, he did not put this notion into action.
Such behavior should wait until their relationship transitioned into a different form.
Hence, Masatsugu made close contact with Shiori's neck instead, opening his mouth to suck.
"Princess."
"Masatsugu-sama, your face is still so cold..."
"Doesn't matter. The warmth you give me is enough."
"Th-Then feel free to go harder—Mmmm."
The instant Masatsugu kissed her pale neck, forcefully sucking the warmth from her tender skin, Shiori moaned.
Shiori had inherited the blood of the sacred beast Lord Tenryuu. The warmth of her blood was precisely the essence giving rise to ectoplasmic fluid as well as the nourishment needed by Masatsugu, who was unable to resupply the normal way.
The stolen heat flowed into Masatsugu's body and soul, resulting in a feeling of union.
The sensation was making Shiori ecstatic, slowly putting her into a trance.
Oddly enough, today—The princess smiled.
"What is it, Princess?"
"Nothing... I have been quite happy lately."
"Happy?"
"In the past, I felt no affection for my bloodline, but now, the blood I inherited from my grandfather has become your nourishment and energy for battle, Masatsugu-sama... It fills me with an indescribable bliss, apparently bringing fulfillment to my heart."
Saying that, Shiori showed a smile of happiness again.
"Fufufufu, I must be acting a little odd."
Masatsugu smiled too. This princess was really too adorable.
His smile was very natural, not the twitch of the cheek he usually displayed. Interacting with Shiori's deep emotions must have warmed up his heart.
"Princess."
Masatsugu called to Shiori. Usually, she was the heroic lady, intelligent and sharp, but it was during times like these when she was particularly p.r.o.ne to showing her innocent side. One would be hard pressed to find a woman more lovable.
Filled with affection for her, Masatsugu sucked on her neck again. He sucked forcefully, tracing his tongue over her.
"Masatsugu-sama! Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!"
"Princess."
"Masatsugu-sama!"
They called out to each other involuntarily, but this was fine. It was part of deepening their bond.
Shiori was clad in only a light yukata and Masatsugu could feel her body's elevated temperature. Simply lying on the bed, embracing each other, her warmth was spreading to his body.
Shiori's emotions were extremely aroused.
Under Masatsugu's weight, she hugged him tightly too.
Her pale legs were also wrapped firmly around Masatsugu's left leg. Her posture was as though she was embracing Masatsugu with all her heart and soul.
Shiori cried out just like that.
"Ah—Mmmm! Masatsugu-sama... Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"
Masatsugu's absorption of the stolen warmth was generating an intimate sense of connection.
This feeling reached a climax and Shiori fainted. Her entire body went limp and Masatsugu inadvertently did something impertinent.
He gently caressed the cheek of the princess who had bravely given her all.
"I-I can't believe the princess and Onii-sama are doing something like that—?"
Outside Princess Shiori's bedroom, Hatsune was shocked.
She had brewed some ginger tea with honey added, thinking of serving it to the princess. Recently, the princess' health had been poor, so she wanted her to sleep well.
The bedroom's door was slightly ajar.
The last person to enter must have failed to close it properly. Hatsune accidentally heard voices coming from the door's gap.
Just as Hatsune was panicking, the princess fainted inside.
However, she could not forget Princess Shiori's final moan before losing consciousness. The impression was too striking.
ChronicleLegion 02 BW07.jpg
"W... W-W-What on earth is going on?"
The fl.u.s.tered Hatsune almost barged into the room.
Fortunately, she instantly came to her senses and suppressed her impulse. What kind of excuse would she use to appear in this kind of situation?
However, Hatsune could not ignore the princess' state of health.
After agonizing for a while, Hatsune heard a sound.
Ring. Something like a bell had sounded inside the princess' room.
"A message?"
She also heard her Onii-sama's whispers inside the room.
It was a pipe fox used by Imperial j.a.pan's military for emergency communications. The marmot-like animal had used its teleportation abilities to serve as the princess' messenger.
Part 4[edit]
It was midnight and November 7th had just started.
Just earlier, Hatsune's surrogate older brother, Tachibana Masatsugu, had flown off from the dorm premises, riding a wyvern summoned by Princess Shiori using noetic control.
He had gone to intercept the thousand Escalibors coming from the Fuji tutelary fort.
Tonight, Richard I had finally made his move.
It was a yatagarasu that reported to the Suruga tutelary fort of Richard's advance, in other words, the retainer beast that Shiori had summoned at the Fuji River's sh.o.r.e and left there for reconnaissance.
Hatsune was also prepared for battle but this time, she was staying back on defense duty.
This was the largest enemy army to attack so far, after all. Hatsune was still a novice Chevalier and could very likely get in Masatsugu's way. Hatsune was filled with mixed feelings including relief and disappointment.
"Princess, the car will be at the dorm soon. Please wait a moment!"
"Mm-hmm..."
Helping her exhausted lady, Hatsune spoke gentle words.
They had just left the entrance of princess' private quarters, Black Lily Dorm. Shiori had changed out of the yukata she wore for bed and into a clean blouse and skirt. Her platinum blonde hair had also been tied in a ponytail with a ribbon by Hatsune.
They were about to head to the Suruga tutelary fort to be present at the command center for the interception operation.
However, Shiori was truly exhausted tonight. Unable to stand on her own, she had to lean on Hatsune for support.
Her face was pale and her breathing was heavy. The symptoms resembled anemia.
"Uh, Princess, do you have a fever... Or did you do something to overexhaust yourself?"
Hatsune was going to ask if she had a fever but changed her question midway.
She could not forget the intimate act between Shiori and Masatsugu that she had secretly witnessed before news of Richard's attack arrived. Back then, Hatsune had sensed something resembling mystic power between the two of them...
The princess gave an unexpected answer.
"I have mentioned before that Masatsugu-sama cannot replenish his ectoplasmic fluid the normal way. However, he is able to use a Feat of Arms to steal ectoplasmic fluid from either a Chevalier or a princess of a sacred beast's bloodline. I have been providing it to him every day..."
"Eh!?"
"Perhaps I am reaching the limit of my physical stamina..."
"P-Princess, there is nothing more important than your health. Why must you go so far!?"
Hatsune expressed her concern in surprise but the imperial princess shook her head with dignity.
"As a leader, I must commit everything in my ability to help my retainer to draw out the full extent of his power. Besides, Masatsugu-sama also—"
Shiori smiled gently for a moment.
"Fufu, he said he was willing to offer his life to me, so I must respond to him with commensurate resolve. If the blood that flows through me is truly n.o.ble, then all the more reason for me to do so..."
"Princess..."
The princess expressed utmost resolve and actually committed ideals to action.
In this regard, Hatsune's surrogate brother—the Resurrectee whose true ident.i.ty was unknown—Tachibana Masatsugu, was the same. He had protected the princess many times and kept Suruga safe. Using his wit, vigor, and life as weapons, he had compensated for the limited number of Legions at his disposal.
Determination took root in Hatsune's heart.
Riding a blue wyvern, Tachibana Masatsugu was flying alone through the sky over Suruga City.
He was accompanied by an army without humans.
This army consisted of the red-purple Kamuy Legions known as the "Kanesadas," numbering 360—
Masatsugu had converted all of the ectoplasmic fluid granted by Princess Shiori into winged giant soldiers. The Legions were surrounding Masatsugu in a packed spherical formation.
Flying at a speed of fifty to sixty kilometers per hour, this would be considered marching speed.
Maintaining this sort of low-speed flight required almost no consumption of ectoplasmic fluid on the Legions' part.
"...Riding a wyvern isn't bad at all."
A wyvern's body was roughly twice the size of a racehorse.
Masatsugu was riding the wyvern's ma.s.sive body on a saddle with his feet planted in the stirrups and reins tightly in his hand.
Frequently "riding horses" in his past life, Masatsugu was very accustomed to this style. This was something he realized during the retreat from Fuji City.
Of course, retainer beasts were born to serve humans and quite intelligent.
They flew steadily and even amateur riders need not worry about falling off. Furthermore, it only took minimal directions for them to understand the rider's intent, unlike horses that required experienced equestrian skill.
In any case, Masatsugu's army flew along Suruga Bay's coast.
When he reached the mountain road that crossed Suruga City, he discovered the enemy in the sky over Satsuta Ridge.
The British army of red was approaching from the Fuji direction.
The other side was not flying fast either. The approaching army of elite troops was precisely the crimson Escalibors.
"Exactly a thousand... Outnumbering my army three to one. Looks like the enemy isn't holding back anything in the attack."
Chevaliers were able to instantly count each other's armies by sensing their noesis.
Looking at the thousand Escalibors, Masatsugu muttered to himself.
The red army was also in a spherical formation. Both sides were using the same formation. In a frontal clash between 1000 versus 360, the battle would be settled in a matter of minutes.
The side with superior numbers would have greater firepower from their rifles.
Moreover, closely packed Legions would generate protective barriers whose particles overlapped, increasing defensive power.
The two armies were some distance apart. At this rate, they would soon get into range for a shootout. Masatsugu issued a command before that.
"Scatter."
Instantly, the 360 Kanesadas broke out of their packed formation.
Masatsugu's Legions had flown in a packed formation within arm's length of one another.
Now, the formation collapsed and all Kanesadas scattered.
They distanced themselves from each other all at once, separated by over dozens of meters.
The Kanesadas approached the thousand Escalibors while scattered. Hence, the British and the j.a.panese forces clashed in the sky over Mount Satsuta.
The thousand British knights were in a packed sphere—
Looking from afar, they seemed like a "giant crimson ball" floating in the air.
Richard's army of Escalibors stopped over Mount Satsuta, hovering motionlessly. This was like how a great yokozuna would confidently take on a weaker sumo wrestler.
Naturally, the Suruga side did not have the luxury of doing the same.
After scattering, Masatsugu's 360 Legions became "a loose collection of red-purple flying dots." They attacked the crimson sphere from all directions.
"Begin to fire. Hara.s.s them like annoying mosquitoes." Masatsugu ordered while staying back as the commander on his wyvern mount.
Both the British and the j.a.panese troops began to exchange rifle fire.
From every Legion's muzzle, scorching beams were fired incessantly.
The Suruga side's shots were ineffective against the solid protective barrier of the thousand Escalibor's packed formation. Moving around haphazardly nearby, the Kanesadas attacked, firing rifle shots like insect stings.
Even ten thousand stings could not harm the sphere's iron defense.
Needless to say, the 360 "red-purple mosquitoes" swarming the "giant crimson ball" were shot down one after another.
Masatsugu smiled, unconcerned about the unfavorable situation.
After all, maintaining a packed formation to exchange fire would result in rapid annihilation at the enemy's hands.
"Let's start saying h.e.l.lo the Hijikata Toshizō—Shinsengumi—way."
Shooting down the scattered Kanesadas meant spreading gunfire over a wide area.
In other words, the density of gunfire would decrease.
Of course, Legions were capable of firing their rifles at a rate of ten shots per second, so charging against this curtain of death would inevitably lead to casualties.
However, using this Feat of Arms would slightly lengthen their survival duration.
"All men draw your swords. Time for you to enter the stage."
Riding his wyvern, Masatsugu was wearing an officer's black jacket over his student uniform.
The sheathed j.a.panese sword hanging on his belt was his personal blade, Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada. With his left hand on the sword's hilt, he invoked the Feat of Arms—Gankouken.
The red-purple Kanesada Legions' weapons all turned into Hijikata Toshizō's famous sword.
Guarding their center line, the Kanesadas raised their swords to use as defensive shields. This was the tactic they had used to counter the Garter Knights' longbow formation.
"Compared to the arrows of the Garter Knights... Mere rifle fire is nothing but child's play."
The Kanesadas started to use swordsmanship in response to Masatsugu's expectations.
The Escalibors' flashing rain of light was sweeping over all directions. The Kanesadas blocked the approaching beams with deft moves of the sword by slight twists of the wrist.
Among them, some Kanesadas dodged the shots directly.
With a slight turn of their upper torso, they dodged the deadly attacks.
This level of eyesight was truly a G.o.dly feat. Sensing bloodl.u.s.t beforehand to evade gunfire—Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada had empowered the Legions to reenact an experienced Chevalier's skillful techniques.
The Kanesadas were no longer "red-purple mosquitoes."
Instead, they were a team of master swordsmen sent to suppress the British army's packed formation from all directions.
...Naturally, superb swordsmanship alone was not enough to overcome the unfavorable numerical odds of three to one. All the enemy had to do was focus fire, giving up the scattered offensive in all directions, and even Hijikata Toshizō's swordsmanship would find it difficult to resist.
However, swordsmanship was ultimately one of the few advantages on the Suruga side.
The current priority was to make full use of this advantage to buy time. To approach the enemy all at once, to provoke that man's zeal and lure him into going "all-out"—
Just as Masatsugu was preparing to put his plan into motion...
"What—?"
Tachibana Masatsugu, usually calm and composed, widened his eyes in surprise.
For better or worse, the Lionheart was p.r.o.ne to whims of fancy and this time was no exception.
"Oh? So that is the legendary tachi of the samurai... What dazzling l.u.s.ter and strength, a match for my Escalibor, the sword of King Arthur."
Richard was riding a white wyvern.
The white wyvern was located in the center of the spherical formation of the thousand Escalibors.
"Hohohoho. So the villain of Suruga turns out to be a man who entrusts his ideals to the sword too?"
It was rumored that one of the Chevaliers defending Suruga could be a Resurrectee.
Instead of turtling inside the tutelary fort, the enemy had actively gone out to fight a skirmish.
Presumably, he must have made the call that there was no advantage in fighting Richard in a siege battle. Or perhaps, he was simply a man who enjoyed fighting out on the field. In any case, he was unlike Richard's past opponents.
"Excellent, now this is a worthy opponent for a knight. My army, respond properly to the enemy's spirit!"
Richard had changed out of the combat attire of common soldiers.
Once again, he was wearing an officer's black uniform along with his crimson cape. Seated on the saddle of his wyvern, Richard drew the sword hanging at his waist.
"Stop shooting, my knights! Brandish the royal sword to fight!"
All Escalibors obeyed their master's command and stopped firing.
The roughly three hundred red-purple Legions were scattered around Richard's spherical formation, fighting with drawn swords.
"Scatter yourselves too. Break formation and fight in melee at your own discretion."
Medieval Europe was where Richard the king and knight had roamed the battlefield.
Back then, the aristocracy shunned projectiles, condemning them as "cruel weapons." The reason was because such weapons would cause unnecessary casualties. Using bows, even nameless commoners were able to kill fierce knights.
However, Richard did not hate projectile weapons.
Projectiles were able to end battles swiftly and the straightforward Lionheart liked this aspect. On the medieval battlefield, he too had actively deployed crossbows.
His collateral descendant Edward's Feat of Arms involving bows and arrows was perhaps a continuation of his legacy.
That being said, the Lionheart's true preference lay in the sword, the horse, and the lance swung on horseback.
"Cut down the samurai's swords and the men of Suruga, Escalibors!"
Escalibor was the magic sword appearing in King Arthur's legends and Richard had named his personal sword after it.
Escalibor was cognate to the English name "Excalibur." Richard the Lionheart was enamored with the knightly ideal in King Arthur's legends.
ChronicleLegion 02 BW08.jpg
"So the other side has broken out of formation too?"
Masatsugu muttered with a frown.
Both armies were clashing in the sky over Mount Satsuta. Masatsugu had led 360 Legions while Richard's Escalibors numbered 1000 and had formed in a packed formation.
Normally speaking, the key to victory lay in "how to make the enemy's formation collapse."
But this time, Richard had discarded the packed formation on his own initiative. Unenc.u.mbered by a formation, the thousand British legions attacked the Kanesadas freely.
"Impulsive... Yet his instincts are rather sharp. What a troublesome move he made."
Seeing the two armies locked in a chaotic skirmish, Masatsugu clicked his tongue.
Melee combat could be seen everywhere in the sky over Mount Satsuta.
Instead of firing their rifles, the Escalibors were using the bayonets on the front end of the barrel to exchange blows with j.a.panese swords, determined to pierce their enemies with deadly blades.
The Kanesadas still held the advantage in melee combat.
Brandishing their renowned blades, they exhibited the swordsmanship of Hijikata Toshizō and the Shinsengumi again and again.
For example, they used the flat seigan stance to execute mid-level slashes, severing the British Legions' rifles; or blocking the enemy's slash then following through with a slice through their crimson abdomen; or entering a low stance, luring the British knights to attack, then slicing through the enemy's jaw and face from below—
All kinds of amazing sword moves demonstrated that samurai pride was intact.
In contrast, the Escalibors had no such skill with the sword. However, they were physically two sizes bigger than the Kanesadas and had overwhelming strength.
The British knights were coa.r.s.e in their use of blades, but plenty fast and effective.
They used light thrusts in fencing style, trying to overwhelm their opponents with speed. The instant their
Part 1[edit]
15:27, October 31st.
This was the moment when Richard the Lionheart arrived in Suruga City.
Riding his white wyvern, he slowly descended with a crimson British "Escalibor" Legion by his side. The Legion landed with a heavy thud.
The location was in front of Suruga Station.
The high-speed rail terminal was huge and the area in front of the station was also very prosperous.
There were department stores and grand buildings in the style of office districts. It was rare for a quiet regional city to have such a "metropolitan" area.
The wyvern and the Escalibor had suddenly appeared at the bus terminal here.
Soon after the alarm sounded in the city, the ancient King of England and his Legion invaded Suruga City swiftly, flying like a shooting star.
...There were still civilians around the station who had not escaped in time.
Roughly a hundred and fifty people. The red giant raised its bayonet rifle and fired.
Rather than the civilians, the rifle was aimed up at the white clouds in the blue sky. The scorching beam tore through the sky, accompanied by a thunderous noise of gunfire.
Nearby crowds were all fixated on the red Legion and the wyvern's rider.
"People of Suruga, I am a Chevalier of the British Empire as well as a King of England in the past, Richard the Lionheart. Be at ease and raise your heads."
The English king's Legions, the Escalibors, stood over eight meters tall.
Richard's wyvern was hovering near the red giant's shoulder. Overlooking the scenery in front of the station, Richard nodded with satisfaction.
This Resurrectee's voice was not very coa.r.s.e. Instead, he sounded magnanimous.
A sonorous and beautiful voice, it was clear and deep.
"Hohohoho. There is no need to scurry away like rats, people of this city. I did not come today to fight. I am here as a knight to inform the people of Suruga who have been fighting valiantly."
The Escalibor behind Richard emitted the same voice and words from behind its mask. More precisely, it was not a voice but sound formed from noetic waves.
Hence, that was why the sound was spreading like a wave.
The volume itself was not too great, yet every resident within a radius of several kilometers could hear it clearly.
"Now then... It pains my heart to hear of your harrowing plight. The Chevaliers of Suruga have fought bravely against us of the Restoration Alliance, but the result is that across the land of Shizuoka, this is the last city that has yet to come under the British Empire's protection. Listen to me, people of this city!"
Riding his wyvern, Richard advanced slowly along the main road in front of the station.
He was flying at an alt.i.tude around three floors high. Advancing in leisure, it was almost like a parade of triumph.
The Escalibor was also hovering in the air, following its master.
"Who are the ones who suffer in war!? Isn't it you, the people of the city? So long as the knights of Suruga continue to resist, you will be imprisoned in this city, unable to satisfy your stomachs, enduring hunger, fear, and uncertainty. I sympathize with your plight from the bottom of my heart!"
Richard looked down upon the streets haughtily while delivering a pa.s.sionate speech.
The Lionheart's voice included elements of rapture. It seemed like he was very moved by his own speech.
"I hereby promise you that I shall be the one to liberate you. I shall conquer Suruga without fail and guide all of you to come under the British Empire's protection. When the time comes, I shall send a gift of ten thousand casks of wine to hold a glorious celebration lasting three days and three nights. I welcome all of you to join me in sharing this fine wine of victory!"
Richard raised his fist up high, adding to the climax of the speech.
At that moment, he suddenly lowered his voice and said, "However, I do beg for your understanding regarding one matter. Next, I shall be resting for five days, and once I am rested, the first target to fall to me shall be Nagoya. It is Nagoya where I shall bring an end to the Tōkaidō Fiefdom."
There was a layer of gloom on the pa.s.sionate Lionheart's expression.
With a face of anguish that befitted a tragic protagonist, he raised his arms and shouted to the people, "Please bear this in mind. I shall conquer Nagoya within ten days then return to Suruga the next day to liberate you. In the mean time, please wait patiently for my second coming. See you again!"
After saying everything he wanted, Richard gently kicked his wyvern's side.
The wyvern flapped its wings and flew east, towards Fuji City. The Escalibor followed.
The crimson British Legion was holding a wooden bucket in its left hand.
While flying, the Legion opened the bucket's lid, dropping thousands of pieces of paper.
The huge amount of paper was scattered all over Suruga City by the wind.
...This was the beginning of "The Attack of Richard I." The crowds at the scene watched in mesmerization, completely forgetting to escape.
In fact, there was a Chevalier on standby near the scene.
"What on earth is that man thinking?"
The four-wheel-drive military vehicle stopped its engine on the road in front of the station.
Castellan Akigase Rikka frowned from the back seat.
The genie at the Suruga tutelary fort, Sakuya, had issued a warning—A single Escalibor was approaching Suruga at high speed. Rikka rushed out as a result.
This was to allow her to destroy the enemy instantly if they engaged in destructive activities violating the Charter of Chivalry.
However, what she ran into was an unexpected speech.
"To be honest... I am not really concerned about the repercussions of that speech," Rikka said solemnly.
It was the next day after Richard I visited Suruga to deliver a speech.
"After all, he promised to rescue the people of the city then talked about resting before attacking Nagoya. Totally disorganized."
November 1st. On this day, Masatsugu excused himself from school and came to a conference room at the Suruga tutelary fort.
Rikka had invited him to join a war council.
"Since he is a reborn hero and a legatus legionis surpa.s.sing ordinary Chevaliers, I am reluctant to say anything too harsh—"
After using a term used to honor Resurrectees...
She said it outright.
"I suspect him of being a complete idiot."
"R-Rikka-sama, you are being too direct," said Hatsune, somewhat troubled, who was at the table.
The three Chevaliers, Habuna, Maike, and Tabi, also smiled awkwardly. This war council had gathered all Chevaliers in Suruga to discuss their next step.
Furthermore, the ancient English king's speech had been under yatagarasu surveillance.
Masatsugu and the others had watched the video after noetic processing.
"However, I dare not call him an idiot now. After reading the flyers distributed by Richard I at the end, some of the residents are wavering. Some have even proposed 'it might be better to just lose to the Restoration Alliance'," Rikka a.n.a.lyzed the situation.
Masatsugu was reminded of the flyer's contents.
It stated the facts that Shizuoka Prefecture and Nagoya were about to fall to the Restoration Alliance. Its concluding sentence was the prediction that 'soon, the people of Suruga will come under the protection of the Lionheart of England'...
"Sigh, this cannot be helped either. It is true that we of the Tōkaidō Fiefdom are unable to provide sufficient food to the people of the city. The battle situation is clearly tipped against us."
Rikka admitted candidly and shrugged.
"There is no problem at the moment, but riots might start eventually."
"This Richard I—"
The most n.o.ble attendee at this conference suddenly spoke.
All eyes focused on one person, Princess Fujinomiya Shiori of Imperial j.a.pan, who continued, "Undeniably, he is a man who lives life very impulsively. As a fierce knight, he also has an artistic side to him with a love for poetry... Perhaps due to this, he often acts capriciously, changing his mind on whim."
Neither a warrior nor a high-ranking officer, Shiori was also attending this war council.
This was the first step in the shunned princess' "ascension."
The two Chevaliers, Tachibana Masatsugu and Hatsune, were in her personal service, making her currently the Suruga tutelary fort's "most important ally." Furthermore, the princess had already demonstrated her outstanding mystic abilities and insight to these people present. As a result...
'May I attend this war council?'
When Shiori asked tactfully, Rikka did not refuse.
The three young men Chevaliers at the table and the military officers of the tutelary fort also respectfully accepted her.
Having obtained respect befitting her status and ability, the imperial princess explained in a wise tone of voice as always.
"As soon as the militant Richard I was crowned the King of England, he sold off many things to raise funds for war. This included precious possessions, national treasures, castles, territories, n.o.ble t.i.tles, and townships."
"How could a ruler of a nation act so irresponsibly?" Rikka was aghast.
Shiori nodded and continued, "Yes. Dismissing local officials then forcing them to buy back their posts was a trick that he frequently used. It was said that he almost sold away the capital of London."
"What an irresponsible man..."
"He probably felt no attachment to England. The royal family ruling medieval England were originally n.o.bles from France who crossed the sea to conquer the island of Great Britain."
Masatsugu was very surprised to hear the name of France.
"Richard I's Plantagenet family was high n.o.bility in France, holding lands including the Duchy of Aquitaine, the County of Anjou, and the Duchy of Normandy. England itself was simply one of the Plantagenet dynasty's territories."
The well-learned Shiori spoke fluently.
"The Plantagenets essentially made their residence in France, living as French n.o.bles, only visiting Great Britain when it was necessary for them to wear the ident.i.ty of 'the English royal family of the Plantagenet dynasty. They almost always used French and never spoke English."
The names of Richard and Edward should be p.r.o.nounced in French as "Ree-shaar" and "Ay-doo-waar"...
When Shiori added this last bit of trivia, Hatsune remarked poignantly, "It's like running a side business while having a day job."
"A very apt description. Indeed, the Plantagenet family was a great landowner that even surpa.s.sed the King of France himself. France was their true stronghold while the King of England was just a part-time job. But after the death of Richard I, his younger brother John Lackland's failures led to losing virtually all of their holdings on the European continent, forcing them to flee to England."
Masatsugu remembered. He had heard an anecdote during history cla.s.s.
Losing his territory was what earned King John the nickname of "Landless."
"These problems erupted during the generation of Black Prince Edward's father, resulting in the Hundreds' Year War between England and France. In truth, the two royal families at the time were relatives..."
"I see, so that is the personality of King Richard." Rikka sighed.
"Now the problem is... This tyrant was very good at war, personality aside—or rather, that type of personality is probably a factor contributing to his peerless ferocity. Easily employing methods that normal people would not dare to use, he achieved victories through flashy ostentatious shows of brute force."
The Tōkaidō Fiefdom's Chevalier princess said gloomily, "The next time Richard comes to Suruga will be after he has conquered Nagoya, right? Naturally, I have informed my father of his declaration... But will Nagoya be able to hold—The situation is not optimistic."
"Rikka-sama, there are additional points of worry," Shiori shared her views again. "Once Nagoya falls and Tōkaidō is officially extinct, the Restoration Alliance will then have free rein to deploy all Chevaliers to attack Suruga. Confronted with Richard I and multiple Knights of Her Majesty—We will face inevitable defeat."
"Yes, in which case our only options are to retreat or to surrender."
Rikka fell silent, arms crossed before her chest. She was pondering their course of action.
Five minutes later, she still had not said a word, probably because she could not come up with any good ideas. The three young men Chevaliers, Hatsune, and Shiori also had nothing to say.
Under this grave atmosphere, Masatsugu spoke up, "Sure enough, Prince Edward is the impressive one here."
"Onii-sama, our discussion here is about Richard."
"I know, but the reason why that hot-blooded idiot is a nuisance is mainly because Prince Edward's chain is firmly attached to his collar."
"What do you mean?" Hatsune was puzzled.
Masatsugu calmly explained, "Think about it carefully. Why did Richard go out of his way to deliver a speech in Suruga?"
"Uhh... On a whim?"
"Possibly, but according to Her Highness, he is impulsive to the point of irresponsible... A man like that cannot be expected to exercise restraint, right? In fact, I felt he would take the speech as a chance to launch a surprise a.s.sault. Especially since he views Suruga as 'special prey,' all the more reason he should do that."
The lion was not the only one who knew how to hunt—
Currently, Masatsugu was also taking a hunter's perspective to a.n.a.lyze and examine the habits and tendencies of the Lionhearted beast, so as to draw his conclusion.
"Someone persuaded Richard to hold back and he is very unhappy about this. Very frustrated. Hence, that was why he flew all the way to Suruga to deliver a glamorous speech, to vent his displeasure."
Masatsugu shrugged slightly and said, "What a shame. If Richard were to attack Suruga in full force... It would be the best opportunity to defeat him."
"Ehhhh!? No way, that guy's Chevalier Strength is over a thousand, you know!?"
Hatsune was very shocked. No, everyone attending this war council felt the same. On behalf of the group, the Tachibana girl questioned Masatsugu, "Also, his Feat of Arms is powerful, and he is talented at commanding Legions..."
"This simply involves a question of comparison. Richard attacking alone versus facing a large group of Chevaliers in a fierce offensive after Nagoya falls—Which do you think is easier to defeat?"
"Of course facing Richard alone. But even by himself, he's quite formidable, right?"
"On that point... It seems that I'm very good at handling opponents like him."
The little sister warned Masatsugu, prompting him to mutter.
Without raising his voice deliberately, his quiet words conveyed clear confidence.
"Against a man like him, I know a number of effective traps."
"Really, Onii-sama!?" Hatsune leaned forward, her eyes glimmering brightly.
"Th-Then why don't we take the initiative to attack!?"
"That would be difficult. The troops I can currently use won't exceed two or three hundred. If I had to rely on such numbers to engage him... I need to lure him into attacking Suruga aggressively."
Masatsugu shook his head.
"Otherwise, there is no way to lead him into a trap in a natural manner."
Perhaps the Black Prince had also considered the risk of a "hunting trap," which was why he persuaded the lion to "wait."
Edward was truly remarkable. Not only did he skillfully command troops on the battlefield but he also had the capability to control a subordinate who was like a savage beast.
Masatsugu was catching a faint glimpse of the Black Prince's prowess. A formidable foe surpa.s.sing Richard.
"We need bait. And this bait needs to lure the impulsive Richard to Suruga before the British forces attack Nagoya. Otherwise, both Suruga and Nagoya will be crushed."
"In that case... I have an idea."
The one who offered—was precisely Shiori.
"This is a dangerous gamble. But since our defeat is sealed unless we go all-in and take the plunge, let us put on an extravagant show of fireworks to attract that man's attention."
With the gazes of every knight focused upon her, Shiori explained her plan methodically.
Her dignified tone of voice was as though she were a nation's leader or military adviser.
Part 2[edit]
In the early hours of October 2nd, at the darkest moment just before dawn...
Fire broke out in Suruga City, the north part of town, near the foot of Mount Ryuusou of the Southern Alps.
This included a central wholesale market and the warehouses of many logistics companies.
The fire started in this neighborhood.
The blaze spread instantly, burning down a number of warehouses.
After firefighting efforts, the warehouses were almost completely wrecked, leaving only steel frames.
The greatest loss was the food stored in these warehouses.
Due to the blockade, ordinary shops had run out of fresh food such as vegetables, meat, and fish a long time ago.
However, non-perishable food such as rice, wheat flour, potatoes, carrots, tubers, and canned food had been requisitioned by the Suruga munic.i.p.al government beforehand to be managed and distributed to the ma.s.ses through rationing.
Unfortunately—
The incinerated warehouses were storing ration supplies.
Since vast quant.i.ties of food were needed to feed Suruga, transporting it was laborious and time-consuming, which was why the food was stored directly at logistics hubs.
As part of the management system, infantry from the tutelary fort were stationed in the surroundings for security.
However, someone had slipped through the security net and committed arson against what was the Suruga residents' life line.
"Well, supplies are kept all over the city. It's not like that was the only location."
Okonogi Taisei said in a voice lacking in energy.
Masatsugu's best friend was talking to him, staring at the stories in the newspaper.
"The report said... the incinerated food amounted to slightly less than 40% of supplies. This is a very serious situation."
"Suruga cannot rely on relief supplies from outside, after all," Masatsugu agreed with his friend's lament.
"The Restoration Alliance has secured naval superiority in Suruga Bay, blocking sea routes. The railway has stopped running while roads are sealed off. Unless we find a solution soon, surrender is the only option."
"What an ordeal, seriously."
Two days after the fire, the two of them were near Suruga Station.
This was where Richard I had visited three days earlier. After school, Taisei mentioned he wanted to go there and Masatsugu volunteered to accompany him.
Their destination was the Suruga branch office of Tōkaidō News.
Serving as student council vice-president, Taisei also worked part-time at the Suruga branch office of Tōkaidō News.
Today, he was here to read the newspaper that was in limited circulation rather than coming in for work. To save on paper, ink, and other supplies, normal newspapers were not being published currently. But once every few days, a hundred copies were distributed among community centers and libraries for people to read.
Taisei had pleaded with the receptionist and picked up a copy of the newspaper to browse casually.
"If this 'internet' invented by the Americans becomes widespread, we'll be able to read news from our computers at home."
"What is that?"
"I'm not sure of the details, but simply stated... It seems to augment a computer's communication functionality, an information network that links up the whole world. But like the telephone, it's easily affected by noetic disruption, which is why progress has been slow."
"Sounds like something very complicated."
"There are rumors that militaries have constructed similar network systems using noetics."
After reading the newspaper, the two of them left the newspaper office.
Their mode of locomotion was the healthy bicycle. They decided to take a stroll in front of the station instead of heading to the parking lot directly.
"By the way, Masatsugu-kun. If you're not too busy with your knight duties, how about working as a volunteer? Tomorrow morning, the boys at our school are going to the fisherman's a.s.sociation to help bring in nets and catch fish. We'll be rewarded directly with some of the catch. After that, we'll organize a sea fishing tournament that's open to anyone interested. The intention is to catch more fish like girellas or horse mackerels and improve Suruga's food situation."
"The filefish is currently in season. Catching them is pretty fun."
"Also, I'd like to use the gardening club's contacts to help out the farmer's a.s.sociation in exchange for fruit and vegetables."
Their enthusiasm for volunteer work with impure motives was boundless.
Meanwhile, there were substantial crowds in the streets today, a rather rare sight lately. The reason was evidently the "event" that had been held in front of the station.
Men and women, young and old, all kinds of residents.
There were roughly thirty or forty people, even housewives bringing children.
They were pa.s.sing out flyers to pedestrians in front of the station, hollering "the Suruga tutelary fort needs to hurry and make a decision, to join the Restoration Alliance!" "We don't want to keeping suffering due to war!" "Please give the children enough food!"
They called for signatures for a pet.i.tion demanding the Suruga tutelary fort's surrender to the Restoration Alliance.
"For the past half a month... Ever since Suruga's blockade, people have been secretly carrying out such activities from time to time."
Watching the disruptive proceedings in disdain, Taisei sighed helplessly.
"It has gotten worse these few days. The city's residents seem to be accepting them with a more favorable view."
People were frequently accepting the flyers from the activists' hands.
People who ignored them turned out to be the minority instead. Some people even gave their signature at the table prepared by the organizers.
"The food burning incident happened recently, so people can't help but feel afraid."
"That was very likely to be arson, right? Rumor has it that the culprits are spies of the Restoration Alliance—"
"That's hard to say. The Restoration Alliance currently wants to leave Suruga alone."
"In that case... Another rumor says those guys are responsible."
Taisei threw a furtive glance at the partic.i.p.ants in the "pet.i.tion signing."
"If the food situation worsens, weighing to decide the lesser of two evils, more and more people will support surrendering. This is their objective—That's what some people say."
"There's no proof, but it's very compelling."
"Right, Masatsugu-kun, aren't you going to suppress these kinds of activities?"
"That's not my job. Besides, similar activities are happening all over the place. Dispersing just this lot isn't meaningful."
"True. Say, it's hard to imagine you saying something so reasonable, Masatsugu-kun, when half a month ago, you were still fixated on the beauty contest."
Taisei nodded and remarked poignantly.
"Nowadays, you really act like a Chevalier. I'm so touched."
"I haven't forgotten the beauty contest, it's just that I currently can't focus on organizing it, which is why you mistakenly thought I'm neglecting it... In truth, I haven't given up on holding the beauty contest in December."
"Uh, I'm pretty sure no one's gonna object even if you give up on it."
Rinzai High's school festival was scheduled to be held in early December.
One of the events was a beauty contest. After expressing his determination as the executive committee member in charge of the contest, Masatsugu changed the subject.
"Let's put that aside. In truth, I actually need to ask you for a favor today."
"Is it related to the beauty contest?"
"Unfortunately, it's not a fun request."
Masatsugu took out a map of Suruga from his schoolbag.
A few circles had been drawn on it, all indicating warehouses involved in logistics. They were where food was kept for rations.
"Please gather twenty to thirty students in the name of the student council and set these marked locations on fire. After that, they will be arrested by either the military or the police and detained for a few days—That's the kind of volunteer I need. Use boarders, otherwise explaining to family will be a ha.s.sle."
"Huh?"
His best friend, the student council vice-president, tilted his head, stupefied.
Part 3[edit]
Richard's visit to Suruga had taken place on the last day of October.
It was November 6 today. Over this period, the Lionheart had fully re-energized, prepared to face the next battle.
Tomorrow—He was going to attack Tōkaidō's provincial capital.
Richard was scheduled to set off tomorrow afternoon in a grand departure, heading east to take Nagoya.
The first target was Okazaki Castle, a j.a.panese castle in Nishimikawa and the birthplace of Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu, featuring ancient j.a.panese architecture with a central keep and stone walls.
However, like Nijou Castle, its interior had been remodeled.
With Chevaliers and an ifrit stationed, the castle also functioned as a tutelary fort.
After taking Okazaki Castle, only then would one reach the outskirts of Nagoya City. Then penetrating the defensive net formed by the various tutelary forts including Kariya Castle and Kiyosu Castle, one would then march into Nagoya Castle—
Meanwhile, Kinai was also sending Restoration Alliance knights to attack from the west.
The Anglo-j.a.panese coalition forces consisted of the "crimson knights," a thousand Escalibors advancing from the east, and the "blue samurai" Kamuys advancing from the west in a simultaneous attack on the prey known as "Nagoya."
From the east were the "crimson knights," a thousand Escalibors. From the west were the "blue samurai,"
"What a spectacular scene."
Richard muttered to himself in ecstasy.
However, there was a matter that pained the merciful and compa.s.sionate lion king's heart.
...As a Chevalier, collecting intelligence from various places was exceedingly easy. Since Suruga was the prey that Richard would enjoy last, he had informed the intelligence department in advance that he was to be notified of any movements in Suruga immediately.
Hence, Richard learned of a certain piece of news.
"Who would have thought that the people of Suruga desire me so much..."
Recently, Richard had gone to Suruga City to deliver a pa.s.sionate speech, venting the frustration in his heart.
Apparently, the pa.s.sionate performance had moved the people's hearts. The city was beginning to look forward to signs of the Lionheart's arrival.
'The Suruga tutelary fort should surrender to the Restoration Alliance as soon as possible.'
Civilians demanding Suruga officials to surrender were setting food warehouses on fire one after another.
Their goal was to protest against the Suruga tutelary fort's futile resistance.
At first, a fire broke out at one place, but the crimes had spread these few days. Another four warehouses had been torched.
The Suruga police was investigating desperately and had apprehended some arson suspects.
...The suspects were all students. Since they were minors, neither their names nor their school affiliations were released.
The next day after they had successfully burned down the second warehouse, the Suruga branch of Tōkaidō News received an anonymous criminal manifesto.
The manifesto was published in the temporary newspaper in the form of a special report.
Spies lurking in Suruga City had copied the contents and transmitted it to the intelligence department. Richard had read it too. There was a sincere declaration that 'Suruga City's future lies with the Restoration Alliance and Chevalier Richard.'
After reading the eloquent and pa.s.sionate manifesto, Richard was greatly moved.
However, the Suruga tutelary fort's reaction was stupid beyond belief. They suspected these students of 'secretly colluding with the Restoration Alliance to commit the crime of arson'—
The Suruga tutelary fort had handed over official protest letters to the various British forces stationed across Shizuoka.
Their main message was that this intentional destruction of civilian facilities was disgraceful behavior contravening the Charter of Chivalry.
Naturally, the British armed forces denied solemnly. The Suruga tutelary fort refused to be convinced and even declared that they were going to conduct further investigations.
They were planning to interrogate the student arsonists to get at the truth.
"I hope these youngsters will not be subjected to torture... No, one cannot expect much from the foolish and unscrupulous Suruga knights. I truly pity these students."
As an extremely chivalrous knight, Richard's heart was very pained.
Well, putting aside the heavy taxation and tough laws he had imposed upon the people under his rule... After all, the domains and the people living in them were his possessions.
Knights, n.o.bles, and martyrs admiring the Lionheart were different.
"I must find a way to save them personally."
After that, Richard's thoughts began to accelerate in a certain direction.
He was very talented at letting his imagination roam free, to find justification for what he wanted to do. In the process, he would set his heart ablaze by igniting sparks of pa.s.sion, thus drawing the conclusion he wanted—
"Upon my honor as a knight, I must rescue those students as quickly as possible. This is a matter of life and death."
As a side note...
Richard was currently not wearing his British military officer's uniform.
He was wearing a set of khaki combat attire—in other words, he had disguised himself as a common soldier. In fact, since a long time ago, he had always enjoyed traveling "incognito."
He often disguised himself as a pilgrim or a nameless knight to go traveling.
Right now, he had sneaked into a transport vessel sailing in Suruga Bay for a sea journey.
"Kukukuku. By this point, it is as though all preparations are complete."
The ship was about to enter the port of Tagonoura.
This was the port of Fuji City, the same city the Fuji tutelary fort, which is also the closest tutelary fort to Suruga—
It was currently 15:30 on November 6th.
Richard's plan was to establish a tutelary pact at Fuji's water shrine to make it his stronghold.
He was going to mobilize all of his Chevalier Strength to summon Escalibors to take Suruga. According to his reasoning, he could succeed in one go before the scheduled attack on Nagoya tomorrow.
"Those people sent by Edward to monitor me... Such naivete. Do they really believe that the Lionheart would wait obediently when there is still half a day before the next battle?"
Richard had noticed surveillants in his surroundings recently.
Pretending to be a napping lion, he had been looking for a chance to get these people off his trail.
Masatsugu's usual residence was the boys dorm of Rinzai High.
After becoming a Chevalier, he continued to live in his single room at the dorm.
However, he visited the princess' personal dorm every day and often had his meals there too. Still, it was the residence of Princess Shiori and her lady-in-waiting Hatsune, a ladies' domain, after all.
Normally, he left at 9pm to return to the boys dorm.
"It's time."
On the night of November 6th, around 11pm, Masatsugu left his dorm room.
Dressed in his student uniform, he walked confidently out of the boys dorm and came to the Black Lily Dorm where the princess lived. The two dorms were situated in the same area.
This dorm was a western mansion rich in Rok.u.meikan style.
Using a key only held by a select few, Masatsugu unlocked the entrance and tiptoed into the dorm.
He was very careful to avoid being seen by others. Finally, he arrived in front of a certain room on the second floor. The door to this room was not locked.
Turning the handle, Masatsugu swiftly entered the room.
"Excuse me."
"I have been waiting for you, Masatsugu-sama."
This was the princess' bedroom.
The room's decor and furniture were simple and elegant without any air of excess.
The well-learned Shiori loved to read but there were no bookshelves in her bedroom. She kept the vast majority of her books in the reading lounge. Consequently, her room was very clean and tidy without the mountains of books that often plagued bibliophiles.
"Hatsune did not see you... right?"
"Don't worry. I don't make mistakes."
It was just before bedtime and the princess was dressed rather casually.
She had untied her usual ponytail to let down her platinum blonde hair and was dressed in just a white yukata.
The two of them were alone in a girl's bedroom in the middle of the night. Furthermore, the other party was a princess of Imperial j.a.pan.
If they were to be discovered, Masatsugu would be condemned in all kinds of ways. However, their secret late night meetings had already gone on for many days.
Indeed, it had started the day they set up bait to lure the Lionheart into their trap.
"It is almost time for Richard to set off for Nagoya."
"Yes, probably tomorrow or the day after."
"However, there is still no news of him coming to Suruga."
Shiori sighed in disappointment.
"We burned our own warehouses in the city and handed protest letters to the British forces, claiming 'the Restoration Alliance recruited youngsters to commit crimes.' We caused a highly controversial case of serial arson with the perpetrators being young male students who went out of control..."
The Rinzai High student culprits were currently detained at the Suruga tutelary fort.
Masatsugu and his group had prepared an 'arrested student organization' in advance to deceive the British spies lurking in the city. Naturally, these students were being hosted as honored guests inside the tutelary fort.
In addition, the fake arson case had only burned a small fraction of food.
The vast majority had been transported away before the fires and remained intact.
"We have prepared all kinds of factors to appeal to the Lionheart's preferences... But unfortunately, we seem to have failed."
The princess who had devised the plan shrugged helplessly.
Masatsugu asked, "Using students on purpose was part of the plan too?"
"Yes, indeed. It is said that the Lionheart was especially kind to young males. There are even some who suspect him of being h.o.m.o... h.o.m.os.e.xual."
"Oh?"
More than this unexpected information, Masatsugu was more interested in Shiori herself while she was talking about the Lionheart's s.e.xual preferences.
Her embarra.s.sed look was truly adorable. In any case, the princess continued, "The British ignored our protests, which was expected. And to think I really antic.i.p.ated Richard to fall for it, but in the end, our efforts were for naught."
"It is still early to say. A man p.r.o.ne to indulging in narcissism like him usually lacks self-control," said Masatsugu quietly.
"The chance of any single trap catching him is definitely not low."
"I would hope so."
"By the way, Princess, it's time we begin tonight."
"I-I understand. Even if the plan fails, it is best to be prepared as a precaution."
Hearing her knight's request, the lady agreed shyly.
She was sitting on her personal bed. Masatsugu took a seat beside her. They were very close together, almost touching.
"So this strategem was inspired by the method I mentioned last time, with a modern spin applied to it?"
"Yes... You are correct. Torturing hostages in front of a castle to taunt angry enemies into rushing out to fight. My guess was that such a method might prove effective against someone like Richard..."
Shiori's voice instantly turned very quiet, because Masatsugu had held her hand.
"Princess."
"P-Please proceed... You may start."
After after repeating the same act over consecutive nights, Shiori was still very nervous.
Her innocent reaction was very endearing. Holding Shiori's hand, Masatsugu pushed her down onto the soft bed, covering her with his body.
"Masatsugu-sama..."
"Still not used to it?"
"No... It is very embarra.s.sing for me. A-And this is my own room—A man and a woman of our age, alone in a room, so lightly dressed, I really..."
Normally eloquent, Shiori was stuttering.
The warmth of the blood coursing through the princess' n.o.ble body was the essence of ectoplasmic fluid. To enable Masatsugu to steal ectoplasmic fluid more efficiently, Shiori was wearing just a light yukata on purpose.
Ever since the day of the war council, they had been doing the same thing every night.
This was the reason.
"Sorry, it's my fault for imposing a burden on your health, Princess."
"Pay no mind to it. As your liege, it is only right for me to go through hardship in order to a.s.sist my knight—to a.s.sist the one who is laying his life on the line for my sake."
For the past half a month, Masatsugu had been obtaining ectoplasmic fluid from Shiori.
However, this ultimately was an act of extracting "something" from blood, the source of life. For the past few days, Shiori had experienced frequent dizzy spells.
Furthermore, her physical strength had clearly declined, causing her to be out of breath especially easily.
Even so, she still insisted on their secret meetings to give her ectoplasmic fluid to Masatsugu.
"M-Masatsugu-sama, please do not keep staring at me..."
"That would be a tall order, Princess. Right now, you are too beautiful."
"Goodness gracious... Here you go again."
Masatsugu was carefully examining the princess pinned under him.
In contrast, Shiori did not dare look Masatsugu in the eye. With her head turned away shyly, she looked so cute and alluring.
When he pushed her down on the bed, the collar of Shiori's yukata had almost opened up.
The princess' willfully maturing bust had almost popped out. The sheltered princess endured her embarra.s.sment and bravely accepted Masatsugu's embrace.
"Masatsugu-sama, please absorb from me as much as you can..."
Shiori finally directed her pa.s.sionate gaze straight at Masatsugu.
"My grandfather's power within me—Absorb the source of ectoplasmic fluid."
Their faces were in close proximity. Masatsugu could feel her exhalation from her whispers. If he ventured forward slightly, a deep kiss of pa.s.sion would be easily in reach.
And Shiori was willing too—
Masatsugu could read an air of acceptance from her eyes. However, he did not put this notion into action.
Such behavior should wait until their relationship transitioned into a different form.
Hence, Masatsugu made close contact with Shiori's neck instead, opening his mouth to suck.
"Princess."
"Masatsugu-sama, your face is still so cold..."
"Doesn't matter. The warmth you give me is enough."
"Th-Then feel free to go harder—Mmmm."
The instant Masatsugu kissed her pale neck, forcefully sucking the warmth from her tender skin, Shiori moaned.
Shiori had inherited the blood of the sacred beast Lord Tenryuu. The warmth of her blood was precisely the essence giving rise to ectoplasmic fluid as well as the nourishment needed by Masatsugu, who was unable to resupply the normal way.
The stolen heat flowed into Masatsugu's body and soul, resulting in a feeling of union.
The sensation was making Shiori ecstatic, slowly putting her into a trance.
Oddly enough, today—The princess smiled.
"What is it, Princess?"
"Nothing... I have been quite happy lately."
"Happy?"
"In the past, I felt no affection for my bloodline, but now, the blood I inherited from my grandfather has become your nourishment and energy for battle, Masatsugu-sama... It fills me with an indescribable bliss, apparently bringing fulfillment to my heart."
Saying that, Shiori showed a smile of happiness again.
"Fufufufu, I must be acting a little odd."
Masatsugu smiled too. This princess was really too adorable.
His smile was very natural, not the twitch of the cheek he usually displayed. Interacting with Shiori's deep emotions must have warmed up his heart.
"Princess."
Masatsugu called to Shiori. Usually, she was the heroic lady, intelligent and sharp, but it was during times like these when she was particularly p.r.o.ne to showing her innocent side. One would be hard pressed to find a woman more lovable.
Filled with affection for her, Masatsugu sucked on her neck again. He sucked forcefully, tracing his tongue over her.
"Masatsugu-sama! Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!"
"Princess."
"Masatsugu-sama!"
They called out to each other involuntarily, but this was fine. It was part of deepening their bond.
Shiori was clad in only a light yukata and Masatsugu could feel her body's elevated temperature. Simply lying on the bed, embracing each other, her warmth was spreading to his body.
Shiori's emotions were extremely aroused.
Under Masatsugu's weight, she hugged him tightly too.
Her pale legs were also wrapped firmly around Masatsugu's left leg. Her posture was as though she was embracing Masatsugu with all her heart and soul.
Shiori cried out just like that.
"Ah—Mmmm! Masatsugu-sama... Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"
Masatsugu's absorption of the stolen warmth was generating an intimate sense of connection.
This feeling reached a climax and Shiori fainted. Her entire body went limp and Masatsugu inadvertently did something impertinent.
He gently caressed the cheek of the princess who had bravely given her all.
"I-I can't believe the princess and Onii-sama are doing something like that—?"
Outside Princess Shiori's bedroom, Hatsune was shocked.
She had brewed some ginger tea with honey added, thinking of serving it to the princess. Recently, the princess' health had been poor, so she wanted her to sleep well.
The bedroom's door was slightly ajar.
The last person to enter must have failed to close it properly. Hatsune accidentally heard voices coming from the door's gap.
Just as Hatsune was panicking, the princess fainted inside.
However, she could not forget Princess Shiori's final moan before losing consciousness. The impression was too striking.
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"W... W-W-What on earth is going on?"
The fl.u.s.tered Hatsune almost barged into the room.
Fortunately, she instantly came to her senses and suppressed her impulse. What kind of excuse would she use to appear in this kind of situation?
However, Hatsune could not ignore the princess' state of health.
After agonizing for a while, Hatsune heard a sound.
Ring. Something like a bell had sounded inside the princess' room.
"A message?"
She also heard her Onii-sama's whispers inside the room.
It was a pipe fox used by Imperial j.a.pan's military for emergency communications. The marmot-like animal had used its teleportation abilities to serve as the princess' messenger.
Part 4[edit]
It was midnight and November 7th had just started.
Just earlier, Hatsune's surrogate older brother, Tachibana Masatsugu, had flown off from the dorm premises, riding a wyvern summoned by Princess Shiori using noetic control.
He had gone to intercept the thousand Escalibors coming from the Fuji tutelary fort.
Tonight, Richard I had finally made his move.
It was a yatagarasu that reported to the Suruga tutelary fort of Richard's advance, in other words, the retainer beast that Shiori had summoned at the Fuji River's sh.o.r.e and left there for reconnaissance.
Hatsune was also prepared for battle but this time, she was staying back on defense duty.
This was the largest enemy army to attack so far, after all. Hatsune was still a novice Chevalier and could very likely get in Masatsugu's way. Hatsune was filled with mixed feelings including relief and disappointment.
"Princess, the car will be at the dorm soon. Please wait a moment!"
"Mm-hmm..."
Helping her exhausted lady, Hatsune spoke gentle words.
They had just left the entrance of princess' private quarters, Black Lily Dorm. Shiori had changed out of the yukata she wore for bed and into a clean blouse and skirt. Her platinum blonde hair had also been tied in a ponytail with a ribbon by Hatsune.
They were about to head to the Suruga tutelary fort to be present at the command center for the interception operation.
However, Shiori was truly exhausted tonight. Unable to stand on her own, she had to lean on Hatsune for support.
Her face was pale and her breathing was heavy. The symptoms resembled anemia.
"Uh, Princess, do you have a fever... Or did you do something to overexhaust yourself?"
Hatsune was going to ask if she had a fever but changed her question midway.
She could not forget the intimate act between Shiori and Masatsugu that she had secretly witnessed before news of Richard's attack arrived. Back then, Hatsune had sensed something resembling mystic power between the two of them...
The princess gave an unexpected answer.
"I have mentioned before that Masatsugu-sama cannot replenish his ectoplasmic fluid the normal way. However, he is able to use a Feat of Arms to steal ectoplasmic fluid from either a Chevalier or a princess of a sacred beast's bloodline. I have been providing it to him every day..."
"Eh!?"
"Perhaps I am reaching the limit of my physical stamina..."
"P-Princess, there is nothing more important than your health. Why must you go so far!?"
Hatsune expressed her concern in surprise but the imperial princess shook her head with dignity.
"As a leader, I must commit everything in my ability to help my retainer to draw out the full extent of his power. Besides, Masatsugu-sama also—"
Shiori smiled gently for a moment.
"Fufu, he said he was willing to offer his life to me, so I must respond to him with commensurate resolve. If the blood that flows through me is truly n.o.ble, then all the more reason for me to do so..."
"Princess..."
The princess expressed utmost resolve and actually committed ideals to action.
In this regard, Hatsune's surrogate brother—the Resurrectee whose true ident.i.ty was unknown—Tachibana Masatsugu, was the same. He had protected the princess many times and kept Suruga safe. Using his wit, vigor, and life as weapons, he had compensated for the limited number of Legions at his disposal.
Determination took root in Hatsune's heart.
Riding a blue wyvern, Tachibana Masatsugu was flying alone through the sky over Suruga City.
He was accompanied by an army without humans.
This army consisted of the red-purple Kamuy Legions known as the "Kanesadas," numbering 360—
Masatsugu had converted all of the ectoplasmic fluid granted by Princess Shiori into winged giant soldiers. The Legions were surrounding Masatsugu in a packed spherical formation.
Flying at a speed of fifty to sixty kilometers per hour, this would be considered marching speed.
Maintaining this sort of low-speed flight required almost no consumption of ectoplasmic fluid on the Legions' part.
"...Riding a wyvern isn't bad at all."
A wyvern's body was roughly twice the size of a racehorse.
Masatsugu was riding the wyvern's ma.s.sive body on a saddle with his feet planted in the stirrups and reins tightly in his hand.
Frequently "riding horses" in his past life, Masatsugu was very accustomed to this style. This was something he realized during the retreat from Fuji City.
Of course, retainer beasts were born to serve humans and quite intelligent.
They flew steadily and even amateur riders need not worry about falling off. Furthermore, it only took minimal directions for them to understand the rider's intent, unlike horses that required experienced equestrian skill.
In any case, Masatsugu's army flew along Suruga Bay's coast.
When he reached the mountain road that crossed Suruga City, he discovered the enemy in the sky over Satsuta Ridge.
The British army of red was approaching from the Fuji direction.
The other side was not flying fast either. The approaching army of elite troops was precisely the crimson Escalibors.
"Exactly a thousand... Outnumbering my army three to one. Looks like the enemy isn't holding back anything in the attack."
Chevaliers were able to instantly count each other's armies by sensing their noesis.
Looking at the thousand Escalibors, Masatsugu muttered to himself.
The red army was also in a spherical formation. Both sides were using the same formation. In a frontal clash between 1000 versus 360, the battle would be settled in a matter of minutes.
The side with superior numbers would have greater firepower from their rifles.
Moreover, closely packed Legions would generate protective barriers whose particles overlapped, increasing defensive power.
The two armies were some distance apart. At this rate, they would soon get into range for a shootout. Masatsugu issued a command before that.
"Scatter."
Instantly, the 360 Kanesadas broke out of their packed formation.
Masatsugu's Legions had flown in a packed formation within arm's length of one another.
Now, the formation collapsed and all Kanesadas scattered.
They distanced themselves from each other all at once, separated by over dozens of meters.
The Kanesadas approached the thousand Escalibors while scattered. Hence, the British and the j.a.panese forces clashed in the sky over Mount Satsuta.
The thousand British knights were in a packed sphere—
Looking from afar, they seemed like a "giant crimson ball" floating in the air.
Richard's army of Escalibors stopped over Mount Satsuta, hovering motionlessly. This was like how a great yokozuna would confidently take on a weaker sumo wrestler.
Naturally, the Suruga side did not have the luxury of doing the same.
After scattering, Masatsugu's 360 Legions became "a loose collection of red-purple flying dots." They attacked the crimson sphere from all directions.
"Begin to fire. Hara.s.s them like annoying mosquitoes." Masatsugu ordered while staying back as the commander on his wyvern mount.
Both the British and the j.a.panese troops began to exchange rifle fire.
From every Legion's muzzle, scorching beams were fired incessantly.
The Suruga side's shots were ineffective against the solid protective barrier of the thousand Escalibor's packed formation. Moving around haphazardly nearby, the Kanesadas attacked, firing rifle shots like insect stings.
Even ten thousand stings could not harm the sphere's iron defense.
Needless to say, the 360 "red-purple mosquitoes" swarming the "giant crimson ball" were shot down one after another.
Masatsugu smiled, unconcerned about the unfavorable situation.
After all, maintaining a packed formation to exchange fire would result in rapid annihilation at the enemy's hands.
"Let's start saying h.e.l.lo the Hijikata Toshizō—Shinsengumi—way."
Shooting down the scattered Kanesadas meant spreading gunfire over a wide area.
In other words, the density of gunfire would decrease.
Of course, Legions were capable of firing their rifles at a rate of ten shots per second, so charging against this curtain of death would inevitably lead to casualties.
However, using this Feat of Arms would slightly lengthen their survival duration.
"All men draw your swords. Time for you to enter the stage."
Riding his wyvern, Masatsugu was wearing an officer's black jacket over his student uniform.
The sheathed j.a.panese sword hanging on his belt was his personal blade, Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada. With his left hand on the sword's hilt, he invoked the Feat of Arms—Gankouken.
The red-purple Kanesada Legions' weapons all turned into Hijikata Toshizō's famous sword.
Guarding their center line, the Kanesadas raised their swords to use as defensive shields. This was the tactic they had used to counter the Garter Knights' longbow formation.
"Compared to the arrows of the Garter Knights... Mere rifle fire is nothing but child's play."
The Kanesadas started to use swordsmanship in response to Masatsugu's expectations.
The Escalibors' flashing rain of light was sweeping over all directions. The Kanesadas blocked the approaching beams with deft moves of the sword by slight twists of the wrist.
Among them, some Kanesadas dodged the shots directly.
With a slight turn of their upper torso, they dodged the deadly attacks.
This level of eyesight was truly a G.o.dly feat. Sensing bloodl.u.s.t beforehand to evade gunfire—Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada had empowered the Legions to reenact an experienced Chevalier's skillful techniques.
The Kanesadas were no longer "red-purple mosquitoes."
Instead, they were a team of master swordsmen sent to suppress the British army's packed formation from all directions.
...Naturally, superb swordsmanship alone was not enough to overcome the unfavorable numerical odds of three to one. All the enemy had to do was focus fire, giving up the scattered offensive in all directions, and even Hijikata Toshizō's swordsmanship would find it difficult to resist.
However, swordsmanship was ultimately one of the few advantages on the Suruga side.
The current priority was to make full use of this advantage to buy time. To approach the enemy all at once, to provoke that man's zeal and lure him into going "all-out"—
Just as Masatsugu was preparing to put his plan into motion...
"What—?"
Tachibana Masatsugu, usually calm and composed, widened his eyes in surprise.
For better or worse, the Lionheart was p.r.o.ne to whims of fancy and this time was no exception.
"Oh? So that is the legendary tachi of the samurai... What dazzling l.u.s.ter and strength, a match for my Escalibor, the sword of King Arthur."
Richard was riding a white wyvern.
The white wyvern was located in the center of the spherical formation of the thousand Escalibors.
"Hohohoho. So the villain of Suruga turns out to be a man who entrusts his ideals to the sword too?"
It was rumored that one of the Chevaliers defending Suruga could be a Resurrectee.
Instead of turtling inside the tutelary fort, the enemy had actively gone out to fight a skirmish.
Presumably, he must have made the call that there was no advantage in fighting Richard in a siege battle. Or perhaps, he was simply a man who enjoyed fighting out on the field. In any case, he was unlike Richard's past opponents.
"Excellent, now this is a worthy opponent for a knight. My army, respond properly to the enemy's spirit!"
Richard had changed out of the combat attire of common soldiers.
Once again, he was wearing an officer's black uniform along with his crimson cape. Seated on the saddle of his wyvern, Richard drew the sword hanging at his waist.
"Stop shooting, my knights! Brandish the royal sword to fight!"
All Escalibors obeyed their master's command and stopped firing.
The roughly three hundred red-purple Legions were scattered around Richard's spherical formation, fighting with drawn swords.
"Scatter yourselves too. Break formation and fight in melee at your own discretion."
Medieval Europe was where Richard the king and knight had roamed the battlefield.
Back then, the aristocracy shunned projectiles, condemning them as "cruel weapons." The reason was because such weapons would cause unnecessary casualties. Using bows, even nameless commoners were able to kill fierce knights.
However, Richard did not hate projectile weapons.
Projectiles were able to end battles swiftly and the straightforward Lionheart liked this aspect. On the medieval battlefield, he too had actively deployed crossbows.
His collateral descendant Edward's Feat of Arms involving bows and arrows was perhaps a continuation of his legacy.
That being said, the Lionheart's true preference lay in the sword, the horse, and the lance swung on horseback.
"Cut down the samurai's swords and the men of Suruga, Escalibors!"
Escalibor was the magic sword appearing in King Arthur's legends and Richard had named his personal sword after it.
Escalibor was cognate to the English name "Excalibur." Richard the Lionheart was enamored with the knightly ideal in King Arthur's legends.
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"So the other side has broken out of formation too?"
Masatsugu muttered with a frown.
Both armies were clashing in the sky over Mount Satsuta. Masatsugu had led 360 Legions while Richard's Escalibors numbered 1000 and had formed in a packed formation.
Normally speaking, the key to victory lay in "how to make the enemy's formation collapse."
But this time, Richard had discarded the packed formation on his own initiative. Unenc.u.mbered by a formation, the thousand British legions attacked the Kanesadas freely.
"Impulsive... Yet his instincts are rather sharp. What a troublesome move he made."
Seeing the two armies locked in a chaotic skirmish, Masatsugu clicked his tongue.
Melee combat could be seen everywhere in the sky over Mount Satsuta.
Instead of firing their rifles, the Escalibors were using the bayonets on the front end of the barrel to exchange blows with j.a.panese swords, determined to pierce their enemies with deadly blades.
The Kanesadas still held the advantage in melee combat.
Brandishing their renowned blades, they exhibited the swordsmanship of Hijikata Toshizō and the Shinsengumi again and again.
For example, they used the flat seigan stance to execute mid-level slashes, severing the British Legions' rifles; or blocking the enemy's slash then following through with a slice through their crimson abdomen; or entering a low stance, luring the British knights to attack, then slicing through the enemy's jaw and face from below—
All kinds of amazing sword moves demonstrated that samurai pride was intact.
In contrast, the Escalibors had no such skill with the sword. However, they were physically two sizes bigger than the Kanesadas and had overwhelming strength.
The British knights were coa.r.s.e in their use of blades, but plenty fast and effective.
They used light thrusts in fencing style, trying to overwhelm their opponents with speed. The instant their