Chapter 27 - I Won’t Eat This Meat (2/2)

“HAAAAAAAA–!!”

“Die-!!!!”

Blood coming from her head, Schera’s frenzied attack was stopped in the nick of time, and Fynn sent out a sharp thrust of his own. Despite gritting his teeth at the weight of her blows, he was somehow standing firm. If Schera was the hero of the Kingdom’s Army, then Fynn was the hero of the Liberation Army. They could not have made it this far with only luck.

They exchanged many bouts, they exchanged many tens of bouts, but neither of them could inflict a fatal wound. Both Schera’s Cavalry and Fynn’s cavalry were holding their breaths while watching attentively. Their cavalries had already crossed each other, and normally, they should have stopped their duel and returned to their groups.

But currently, neither Schera nor Fynn could be stopped. Then, they could only watch and believe in their leader’s victory. In the center of the battlefield, the general skirmish still going on, a weird space was created where only these two riders crossed weapons. Konrad’s unit who came to back Schera, and a unit of the Liberation Army that had come to pursue Schera, couldn’t move.

“Hah-, hah-, Schera-! If you have this much skill, why are you supporting the rotten Kingdom-!??”

Asked Fynn in a tone with not a trace of his normal collectedness. If she had this much ability, she should be able to distinguish herself even in the Liberation Army, no doubt. There was value in just trying to extend an invitation. Having actually crossed blades, Fynn thought so. This woman, was certainly strong.

“You guys are more rotten-!! The ones who stole my last bit of food, were you guys-!! I will never, never forgive you-!!”

Shouted Schera in a rage.

“Come to the Liberation Army-! You won’t die futilely here! Let’s overthrow the Kingdom together-! Princess Altura, will surely build a world, where no one will suffer-!”

“Shut up shut up shut up-! I’ll make it so you can’t spout that nonsense ever again-!! I’ll kill you and Altura-!”

Mad, Schera unleashed an attack charged with all her power. It was an blow unleashed with her eyes bloodshot and her teeth clenched to their limits. It was Schera’s greatest swing, loaded with all of her energy that would smash even the strongest impediment without any resistance. Her scythe howled in displeasure.

Of course even Fynn couldn’t receive this blow, he judged, and he promptly threw himself off his horse to evade.

Fynn’s horse in the wake of the scythe was cleaved in two, spasming while its viscera flew out of its torso, and it died.

Schera with her breathing ragged approached Fynn with his posture broken, to give him the finishing blow.

“This is the end. Regret that mouth that made fun of me. I’ll cut you limb from limb.”

“—-Kuh-!”

Having thrown his spear away, Fynn drew his sword while on the ground. He wouldn’t be able to stop the next blow like this. He would be cut along with his sword. And he would die.

Fynn steeled himself, when,

“Save the Colonel-!! Repulse that Death God!!”

“Archers ready-!! Fire-!!”

Receiving Adjutant Milla’s orders, the archers volleyed at Schera. Several fired arrows struck Schera’s armor and her horse, hindering her before her final blow could reach her prey. Arrows were fired again. She didn’t receive any fatal blows, but Schera couldn’t go on the offensive.

“—–, you trash get out of my way-!”

“Kill the Death God-!! Use any means necessary-!! Kill her here-!!”

“Another volley, fire-!! Aim for that thing’s horse-!!”

Schera spun her scythe to brush away the drizzling arrows. Seeing that opening, Fynn corrected his posture and ran towards his own soldiers. Schera clicked her tongue, and returned to beside Katarina and the others while knocking down arrows.

She could have killed that man with one more blow. But, he was lucky until the very, very end.

And, her luck was bad. That’s all it was.

“Are you unhurt, Colonel! Damn it, to intrude upon a one on one fight-!”

Katarina and the others had restrained themselves from interfering in the commander’s one on one fight in fear of incurring Schera’s displeasure. She deeply regretted her mistaken decision.

“Yeah. When I thought about a duel, I got too heated, and lost. This isn’t a match, but a battlefield. There is no cowardice or cheating. Next time, don’t hold back you guys. Kill them all.”

“Sir, understood-!”

Horns resounded, calling them back. From both armies. The sun would set soon. The first day of battle would probably end here.

“Well then, let’s go home. I’m hungry. I’ve moved a bit too much.”

“All troops pull back-! Don’t be negligent with your guard!”

Schera gave the order to pull back, and the cavalry took formation, surrounding their commander, and began repatriating.

The first day of the Battle of Bertusburg ended with 6,000 casualties for the Kingdom’s Army, and 8,000 casualties for the Liberation Army (Dead and wounded included).

The fiercest battle unfolded in the center wing. Constantly, the Kingdom’s Army was superior as Carnac’s unit was destroyed.

Borbon’s division of the left wing succeeded in causing a stalemate, and Yalder’s Legion of the right wing had waited for the sun to set, and began marching towards Carnas Plateau.

There would be many more casualties after this first day, and both commanders, Barbora and Altura, struggled with their power of command. With one order, they would create many thousands, many tens of thousands of casualties. They especially could not miss an opportunity to put a strategy into action. Also, they could not allow their inner anxiety to show on their faces. It would cause unrest in those around them and would probably become a weak link closely tied to their defeat.

These rigorous days that shaved away at their spirit would continue until this fight was over. Until then, they wouldn’t know who held glory, and who held ruin.

Having narrowly avoided death, Fynn thanked his own good fortune, and thanked his excellent Adjutant.

“Milla. You saved me today. Really, thank you. That I’m able to live on like this, is thanks to you.”

Fynn fixed his eyes on the face of his Adjutant and said his thanks. Her face red, Milla flusteredly shook both her hands.

“N, no. It was nothing. When I thought that you, Colonel, would be killed, I was frantic myself. Also, protecting you is my mission!!”

“All thanks to your accurate judgement. I got greedy by mistake. If possible, I thought I could win over the Death God to our side. Now that I think about it, that was a stupid endeavor. There is no way Death could understand the language of humans.”

It was the first time Fynn had been struck by such powerful killing intent. It wouldn’t be strange for plain soldiers to be unable to move with their knees quivering.

“That monster… returned safely despite receiving so many arrows. That horse too. I cannot believe it!”

“…………She really is like, Death itself.”

Muttered Fynn, touching a wound on his cheek. Schera had said earlier that, ‘The ones who stole my last bit of food, were you guys.’

Around when the Liberation Army was in a dire financial situation, there was a rumor that Diener had provisioned food from somewhere.

Perhaps, Death was spawned from those sacrifices, Fynn thought. Which meant that she was an irreconcilable enemy. There would be no accommodation. Until she met her end, she would swing her scythe, killing, killing, and killing. Persuasion would absolutely not get through to her.

Diener’s thinking was always grounded in reason. He was a man who wouldn’t mind killing a hundred by his own hands to save ten thousand. That probably wasn’t wrong. But, for those people included in the hundred, they wouldn’t forget their resentment.

And that resentment which burned hotter than the fires of hell…

(……Though thinking about it won’t change anything. Nothing can be done about it, now that it’s come to this. The only solution is to kill Death. …….If we can that is.)

The biggest problem was whether or not they could kill her. Frankly speaking, she couldn’t be fought one on one. He couldn’t believe it, but Schera surpassed him in physical strength. Fynn was probably better in technique and spearmanship. But, strength was what it came down to in a battle to the death. Superficial technique would be blown away in the face of overwhelming strength. Really, Fynn had been driven one step away from death.

“Next time, we will fight with you. ‘Death God’ though she may be called, if we all fight, I am sure we will manage somehow. Justice is on our side. We will not lose to something like Death!”

Fynn smiled at his constantly optimistic to a fault Adjutant. Fynn was captivated by that side of her.

But, for that very justice, how many thousands of lives had been lost today?

It would be fine if they had resolved to die. But, what about the volunteer soldiers or the militiamen?

And who would take care of their families left behind? What even was Justice? Fynn didn’t know.

But, he couldn’t vocalize that. He had gambled on the Liberation Army’s victory. That’s why he had decided to rise up. He would keep running until the end. No matter how much blood would flow. He wouldn’t die until then. Like he could let himself die. He would necessarily live until the end, and leave behind his name as a hero.

“Momentum has gone to our adversaries for the beginning of this battle. We have to recover from here. Starting tomorrow, we have to work even harder to make up for our disgrace today.

“Sir, we will serve with everything we have!”

—-That night.

Schera was having a meal next to her beloved. While gently petting her dear horse lying beside her with his eyes closed, she was drinking now cold soup. Seeing her, Katarina hesitantly asked her.

“……Colonel.”

Katarina took out her cane from her waist. If Schera wished it, it wasn’t impossible for this corpse to move. She began preparing her sorcery, and waited for the signal.

“No need. Even if you force it to move, it won’t be my horse anymore. So, I will separate from this child here. It’s a little lonely though, since this child has always been with me.”

Schera quietly shook her head sideways. If Katarina used her necromancy, they could certainly be together like always.

But, it would be different, she thought. The soul accompanied the self. In that case, what was here, was only a lump of meat.

Though she looked at this meat, she felt no surge of appetite. Even if she ate it, she wouldn’t be satisfied. So she wouldn’t eat it; it surely wouldn’t be delicious.

“……Forgive me for being so obtrusive. I beg your pardon.”

Deeply apologizing, Katarina fixed her askew glasses.

“It’s fine. I honestly thought about eating it, but I’ll stop this time, since I don’t have the appetite for some reason. So, I won’t eat this child. After this meal, I’ll give him a burial. He carried me all the way here, even with his throat cut. Don’t you think he did his best?”

“……Sir-!”

While his throat was perforated and his entire body was showered with arrows, he had carried his master back to her allied camp. That wasn’t something that could possibly be believed. Yet, this horse had done it. While dribbling bloody saliva, he had carried out his duty.

It was originally Colonel Voleur’s horse of the Imperial Army, but he had been tamed by Schera. Since then, he had carried Death and gone through fierce battles together.

After struggling along to the ally camp, he silently kneeled, and snuggled his face up next to Schera’s, and then expired, like he had used up all his vitality.

While still riddled with arrows, Schera took out all the arrows on her horse. After cleaning up her horse’s body as much as she could, she thus then had a meal together.

The people not of Schera’s Cavalry gazed uncannily at her. How could a person who showed such lack of mercy towards her enemy show such deep compassion towards just a horse? They couldn’t understand. The cavalry members could understand the feeling. Like the saying, ‘Horse and man are one being,’ a horse was one’s partner.

The soldiers of Schera’s Cavalry, no longer able to bear this treatment akin to a criminal being publicly exposed, chased away the onlookers, and then only Schera and her horse’s body were left.

“Can you prepare a horse for me to ride tomorrow? If possible, a strong horse like this child. The fight will yet continue. Katarina, sorry, but please.”

“Please leave it to me. I will procure the finest and swiftest horse. ……Then, I will take my leave. Please call me if you need anything. I will leave one man behind nearby.”

She gave a signal and called one cavalryman over. Katarina gave her orders in a small voice, and the soldier stepped back.

Katarina wanted to stay behind too, but there were many things that needed to be done. An enemy night raid wasn’t impossible. They couldn’t slip in their vigilance.

“Yeah, please do. I… will stay a little longer so you go ahead.”

Katarina saluted and left the place behind.

In the darkness now returned to silence were left Death and her beloved horse. Until Schera felt satisfied, she kept on brushing the cold body.

With an expression unfit for a grim reaper who spread death, she rested her head on her horse’s abdomen, caked with dried blood.

“Oh yeah, I haven’t given you a name yet. We’ve been through so much, so I’ll give you one now. Stay with me a little longer, until I can think of a good name.”

The Pale Horse that raced across the battlefield with Death on his back, would never move again.