v1c4 part1 (2/2)
The Crusades were roughly ten kiloround
They could reach their destination presently without wasting ectoplasa tutelary fort side—
”I reht muttered to himself
An ifrit appeared in the air over the Suruga tutelary fort
A giant oriental dragon, reaching seventy ic circle at its back The translucence of its body, the color of sapphire, was an indication of its spiritual nature The only beings capable of antic body of that size would be the Godlike sacred beasts
Around the tutelary fort's star-shaped walls, the surrounding space became distorted
It was ale phenomenon The space around the tutelary fort arped, causing the scenery to becoh desert air under the blazing sun
Morrigan could sense powerful noetic waves inside the distorted space
”Enemy ifrit, has deployed noesis barrier”
”According to reports, this was beyond the enemy ifrit's ability yesterday I wonder if it has recovered? Furtherions hidden in the water and immediately prepared countermeasures”
After analyzing, Sir Black Knight coh battle ahead of him”
”It is Morrigan's opinion that, you should not be stating this, with a grin on your face”
”Uh, do not getto let hts of Her Majesty failed to conquer”
”Please be, patient Your knights Please save them for, the attack on Hakone”
In fact, Morrigan had received orders to prevent the Black Knight fro out on the battlefield
This coel As soon as the prince ”participated in battle,” his true name would be known to the world This would raise Lord Caesar's curiosity and wariness
”At the current stage, disclosure of the nahts of the Garter will have grave effects on future strategy Please be prudent”
Born in the enius
The fored wryly and accepted Morrigan's counsel
”I can't believe they deployed two arenerous!”
Seeing the new ene towards the tutelary fort, Rikka cursed from the back of her Mibu wolf mount
The Kauard Crusades at the reclaimed land on the coast
Rikka herself had withdrawn from the front line The Mibu wolf remained stationary at the moment Currently, she was back in her role as the co the Kamuys' battle situation from the back
While the enemy resisted valiantly, the Ka a round formation with their protective barriers deployed, the Crusades fired desperately to fight back against Rikka's army
”Living up to the nahts of Her Majesty, how resilient”
If this battle continued, wiping out the Crusades would not be a problem
However, the British had sent another areting the tutelary fort, but Rikka's arround battle and could not do anything more than watch them fly by
If Rikka were to rush over to intercept the other army at the tutelary fort now—
Then the cornered eneuard would be able to catch its breath andforces to strike at Rikka's Kaions were capable of executing extremely unreasonable battle commands
Hence, it was i over to aid the tutelary fort's defense
Having made her decision, Rikka suppressed the anxiety in her heart Riding her Mibu wolf, she watched the battle situation with arms crossed before her chest
The genie Sakuya—the avatar of the ifrit Seiryuu—washer principal i preparations for the defensive battle Rikka had arranged for several noetic officers to assist Sakuya Furthermore, there was additional insurance
”Upon ions”
Rikka recited the sacred words to suions
However, the location pictured in her mind was the northern plateau several kiloa tutelary fort With that, her insurance was delivered to the tutelary fort at least
”I actually wanted to use them to take care of the enemy forces here”
However, Rikka had no choice Defense of the fort required ”paper tigers” to intimidate the enemy
She could only hope that this method would hold until she rushed back to the rescue However, the problem was that the eneht of Her Majesty
”Masatsugu-sama Another army of Crusades!”
shi+ori pointed at a certain direction in the sky
The ifrit Seiryuu and a a tutelary fort at the plateau A spherical for—
Masatsugu and the princess had gone outdoors together
There was a barove nearby They were at the courtyard of Ryouzan Manor, a secluded residence belonging to House Fujinomiya
Slightly earlier, a pipe fox returning fro Crusades as well as Chevalier Akigase Rikka's advantageous position
”Princess, this is an excellent chance”
”Eh?”
For a u's suggestion
She had changed out of the undershi+rt and back into her one-piece dress, black leggings and knee-high boots, except oe
Too rushed to dry her hair thoroughly, her platinum blonde hair still had a layer of moisture on it
”Please tell me immediately what I should do”
”Masatsugu-sama?”
”Your wish is for me to help you take over the nation In that case, you should be telling me what to do at times like these I want to hear you say it personally Of course, you can feel free to say 'I aht now'”
”If I really were to say that”
shi+ori smiled mischievously
Masatsugu was satisfied with her response Her wit and intelligence hadthe intent behind Masatsugu's question, shi+ori answered seriously, ”Masatsugu-sama, would you stand aside and watch me die?”
”Since the Tachibana clan took care of uard to repay that debt”
”Then I shall pass on that option Allow me to think for a moment first”
Although shi+ori was called an imperial princess, this did not hter” in modern japan
I to all princesses carrying Lord Tenryuu's bloodline There were other iher ranked seats at the imperial palace than shi+ori's
The self-styled ostracized ”forsaken princess” said, ”To begin with, the japanese government and the Eional rulers, Twelve Fiefdoendas And now, there is the Kinai Fiefdom's coup d'etat declaration and the British Empire's armed invasion and excessive interference in domestic affairs There is no easy way out of the current upheaval no matter how much I think about it”
shi+ori shrugged while speaking in a sardonic tone
”Without a doubt, the current japan is literally in a state of disunity Although I adosters totimes of turmoil—”
For exa rebel areneral to head of state
Such opportunities to rise above the rabble were i times of peace and stability Conversely, the difficulty bar was instantlytimes of turmoil
The princess had swiftly grasped the key points of the question
Masatsugu said to her, ”Princess, your next decision is to choose a side to sell the favor to”
”I already have an idea regarding that Favors can only be considered ful merchandise when sold to those in need It would be pointless to sell favors to a faction that already possesses strong generals and vast armies”
”In other words, Princess?”
”The Tōkaidō Fiefdoht the Restoration Alliance I wish to use this opportunity to establish closer ties to the men of influence in Tōkaidō I will make proper use of my name and favor to turn them into my future backers or allies”
Masatsugu's cheeks twitched slightly It was a smile
He are that his expression tended to be stiff nor suit Nevertheless, he did occasionally show this type of smile, except that no one around him noticed
This tiht judgment call
In truth, which side she had chosen to aid was uniu personally did not wish to hara's interests because his friends and acquaintances were there, but there were alays around that
The issue here hether she had the guts to take action when confronted by an excellent opportunity right before her eyes
All the knowledge and strategy in the world would be less if one remained indecisive in the face of opportunity
So to try their hardest in the future while failing to give it their best in the present would be worthy of zero credibility Fortunately, there was no need to worry about Princess shi+ori on this front
”Masatsugu-saa tutelary fort Would you be willing to grant my wish?”
”Consider it done”
Al towards the tutelary fort on high ground
Watching this scene frohtly
”I soainst enemies of that sort There shouldn't be a problem”
”But would victory truly be possible without a single soldier under your command?”
It was shi+ori's turn to test Masatsugu this time
”A strategian once wrote, 'against any eneh preparations so as to seize victory with absolute certainty, anything less would be imprudent'”
”You need to burn that guy's books and forget what he wrote”
Masatsugu had heard these words before but he summarily dismissed the theory
Incredibly, Masatsugu was able to argue y extremely naturally in the same way as his body would automatically defeat opponents in brawls
”Making preparations ahead of time to ensure victory is admittedly i their best to calculate and prepare And war is always accompanied by all kinds of bad luck andunder conditions of assured victory”
”I see”
”I think that man's theory is pure delusion written on paper”
”So that is your opinion, Masatsugu-sama? I understand!”
S, shi+ori nodded
”Had any ordinary person said the sa, I would merely consider it an excuse for insufficient preparation—However, since you are a hero who has survived countless bloodbaths in the ancient world, I shall believe you for now”
”Much obliged”
”I never expected you to accept my request so readily”
shi+ori's demure expression looked extremely lovely
If she were nothing u probably would not have taken an interest in her
However, the contradictory qualities ofsincerity coexisted inside her This felt particularly interesting and also provided a feeling of reliability She was a girl harboring the coood and evil but also purity and murkiness And the application of such duality was required in certain positions in the world, such as politicians and kings
Perhaps Fujinoure in recorded history one day
Harboring such thoughts, Masatsugu took this opportunity to change the subject A subject that was quite important too
”By the way, Princess, about the earlier pro on your support in the future You said you illing to pay any price—including your own body as a woht”
”!? A-As you wish!+”
”Relax I'irls”
Masatsugu's cheek ain to smile at the flustered princess
”I proainst your will, Princess All I' from you is a small favor at most”
”A-Alright”
”Much obliged Well then, let's get started”
Part 4[edit]
Every tutelary fort in japan was equipped with a water shrine
Furthermore, almost every tutelary fort had an ifrit The conscious will and avatar of this guardian deity as called a genie
Hence, Sakuya's subpar condition would also cause Seiryuu's loss of performance
Sakuya was currently at the top level of the nation-protecting keep at the Suruga tutelary fort
More precisely, it was her projected iirl dressed as a shrine maiden
The nation-protecting keep was forty meters tall Ordinary toould usually have an observation roo keeps ran contrary to that norm The vast room at the top level was completely dark without any s on the outer walls
The flickering light fros served to illuminate this interior space
A ic circle was drawn on the floor of stone, identical in pattern with the seventy-e was sitting on top of the ic circle
”Naumaku sanmandabodanan beishi+ramandaya, sowaka Naumakuarratannoutaratayaya, atakyarobotarayachishaya, baishi+ramandaya, makarajaya, yakyashachibataba, sototasoshi+tsurabarasowaka—”
To increase her noetic energy, the girl recited a
Sakuya's legs were stretched out and her sitting posture was not quite presentable However, Sakuya's increased noetic energy took form in the air over the tutelary fort as the ifrit Seiryuu and even succeeded in deploying a noesis barrier
The space surrounding the Suruga tutelary fort isting and shi+ hot air
A ”distortion” formed a physical barrier to block enemy attacks and invasions, this was the ”noesis barrier” Si them into physical power sufficient to defend a fortress, it was a noetic control technique of the highest rank
Further in meditation next to Sakuya
Within the Tōkaidō provincial army, only noeticclothes To help control Seiryuu, they were focused on chanting mantras just like Sakuya
”Crusades—One ar, ninety in number”
Sakuya stopped reciting the mantra and reported the battle situation quietly
Ninety flying British Legions had finally arrived before Seiryuu The two sides were separated by four hundredcould break out any moment
The ene their spherical formation
The front half of the Legions opened fire
Naturally, they ehtthe tutelary fort, shaking it violently through firepower and impact
However, the firepoas insufficient to break through the castle walls of noetic energy
Sakuya's principal i keep Protected by the noesis barrier, there was no risk of getting shot
”Meteorological decree, activate”
At Sakuya's co keep
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
Thunderclouds instantly filled the sky and rained down lightning to attack the top dome of the enemy's spherical formation
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
The Suruga side also used continuous fire, attacking the ninety Crusades with a fierce lightning offensive—Unfortunately, they remained unharmed
Clustered in a spherical formation, the Crusades were defended by the protective barrier's particles
The denser a forreater the defensive power of the particles A ical decree did not have the firepower to breach a forions
”Stalemate Maintain status quo for now”
Sakuya reical decree
The current situation was proceeding according to Chevalier Akigase Rikka's battle plan as devised earlier
Prior to Rikka's sortie, noetic officers had reported the presence of noetic waves fro in the sea to evade noetic recon
In response, Rikka had commanded them that in the event of an a they had until her return—
Rikka had issued these orders in consideration of Sakuya's subpar condition Based on the current situation, Sakuya originally thought the plan would succeed, but before long, she sighed in disappointment
”The paper tiger has been seen through”
The airborne Crusades stopped firing and changed formation
Instead of using orderly forby ”scruions held onto one another's shoulders and waists to start accelerating forward!
Indeed, the enemy army intended to execute a scrum tackle
As one unit, the ninety winged giant soldiers flew at high speed towards the noesis barrier
Accelerating, accelerating, accelerating, accelerating The ninety Legions' weight wasthe noesis barrier violently
”Kyahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!?”
Sakuya screamed
Dae to the noesis barrier was transmitted to its creator, the ifrit Seiryuu The aftershock also reached the avatar that was Sakuya's soul
”Prediction Can only endure one or two more collisions Current situation unsustainable”
Sakuya slumped her shoulders sadly
Thanks to Rikka consoling her this ed to return to her duties
However, her subpar s and could not recover in a few short days Activating noesis under such circu out their true power at all—
The Knight of Her Majesty who discerned this ought to be praised for keen vision
Besides, the apparently barbaric yet siiants as one unit” did yield far greater i of rifles
”It actually worked Thank goodness”
Riding his wyvern flying mount, Lampard forced a smile
Yesterday, Suruga's ifrit Seiryuu was clearly in poor condition Seiryuu had currently strained to deploy a noesis barrier of unknown strength
Struck by inspiration, Laions to charge with all their strength
His e of a blue dragon over the Suruga tutelary fort roared in pain behind the shi+es was all it would take to collapse the ifrit's materialization and the noesis barrier simultaneously
Ultilomerates of powerful noesis”
Without a corporeal body, they were a type of ”illusory” existence Since a noesis barrier was for out a part of themselves to materialize, the barrier's collapse was equivalent to their own collapse
”Oneon you”
La the noesis barrier
Receiving Laions retreated a couple hundredtheir packed formation and formed another scrum Four of the Crusades left the cluster and cauards
”I don't want to disgrace myself with a serious failure in front of the Black Prince, so please make this an easy victory for me,” muttered Lampard to himself
The eighty-six Crusades were preparing to accelerate in a scrum formation when
Dozens of blue Legions flew up froround
On the a tutelary fort, there was a patch of greenery on a stepped hillside These Legions had been hiding in various locations behind the stepped terrain
”The enemy has prepared an ambush too!”
Naturally, this a sixty-four in total
The blue saed swiftly at the packed for themselves in a formation, the Kamuys spread the to use their bayonets in close quarter combat
”Prepare to engage!” Lampard also commanded instantly
However, the Crusades had all put away their rifles on their backs in order to form a scrum
They were unable to fire back i in a packed formation also hindered one another's evasion The sixty-four Kamuys mercilessly attacked the immobilized Crusade army
Swinging their blades, the blue saions
The Ka around the nu their surprise assault After attacking, they scattered in all directions to engage in guerrilla tactics
This ement inflicted mortal wounds on quite a few Crusades
Twenty or so of the suffered stabs or slashes on their heads, necks or gaps in their arhty-six Crusades were down to sixty-five now
The surviving British Legions hastily raised their bayonet rifles, preparing to strike back
The sixty-four opposing Ka in the distance at low speed to observe the British ar their time for another chance to attack
”Should we pursue? Or regroup for a frontal assault—” Lampard swiftly decided his next move
Surveying this airspace, there were no signs of a co the ene, then he should pick a third option
”Roar, my troops War Cry!”
The Crusades under his command immediately obeyed
Their fierce howling resounded across the entire Suruga Further sound booh time
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh—
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh—
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh—
This roaring of Legions was known as the War Cry
The Legions released huge a a unique song Also, the War Cry had the effect of noetic disruption
This time, the ones affected were the sixty-four newly arrived Kamuys
Legions were controlled by the noetic waves of Chevaliers Under noetic disruption, Legions beco control
The Kamuys crashed down one after another like mosquitoes that had been sprayed by pesticide
Lampard's hunch turned out to be the correct The enemy commander was absent after all All a nearby Chevalier needed to do was send out noetic waves to cancel out the noetic disruption It looked like victory was at hand—Not yet
”So on japanese troops are truly persistent”
Thirty Ka unsteadily over the tutelary fort
Laent, brave—and loyal Even when noetic wave reception eakened, they continued to carry out their master's orders loyally
”However, their defeat is only a matter of time”
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh—
The Crusades' War Cry continued At this rate, it would be trivial to strike down the re Kamuys
Then all that remained would be to demolish the noesis barrier and take the tutelary fort
Lampard was convinced of his victory
Of the two Knights of Her Majesty invading today, both had a Chevalier Strength of around a hundred
In truth, Akigase Rikka's Chevalier Strength was 154, higher than either of theuard Crusades, she still had a few dozen surplus Conserving the remainder as a reserve unit, she had initially kept a hidden hand
Experienced Chevaliers were able to suions from some distance away
Rikka had sent the remainder of her Kamuys to the tutelary fort to reinforce Sakuya's defense—
”The War Cry huh? Truly living up the nahts of Her Majesty He selected with such accuracy the tactic most unfavorable to my side”
Rikka clicked her tongue i at the zone of reclaia Bay
Of the valiantly resisting British vanguard, only twenty Crusades to face off against Rikka There were fifty-five Ka in Rikka's unit Both ar fire froht distance In a few more minutes, it would be Rikka's victory
However, Rikka could hear a loud and o from the sky
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh—
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh—
The Kaa tutelary fort's defense were under the effects of noetic disruption and unable to receive Rikka's coress
”Please, hang in there a while longer”
Rikka sent noetic waves towards her subordinates in the distance, praying for theht to the very end
Her noetic waves were very powerful and some of the Kamuys could still endure for a while, but one could not hope for a miracle If only Sakuya was in prime condition, then there would be no need for her to divide her troops—
In a few minutes, Rikka would be able to rush back to the tutelary fort
However, the proble these few minutes
Part 5[edit]
The Suruga tutelary fort was located on a plateau known as Nihondaira
Masatsugu finally arrived near the plateau There were sixty-odd Crusades clustered together in the air, e the song, the Kaanized round
The ifrit Seiryuu was also on the brink of collapse inside the barrier
This was a battlefield and Tachibana Masatsugu had finally arrived
”Suppose the genie was alright Combined with Rikka-sama's oer, it would have been possible to defeat the two Knights of Her Majesty and protect the tutelary fort But currently—”
Arriving with him to the scene, shi+ori spoke with pity in her voice
They had rushed here fro a Mibu wolf, the retainer beast that shi+ori had suiant silver wolf, the two of them had traversedspeed, reaching their destination in merely ten-odd minutes
Masatsugu was puzzled by the princess' comment
”I believe the Chevalier defending Suruga is Akigase-dono, isn't that right? Princess, you seeard, but didn't you say that japanese Chevaliers are unreliable?”
”Rikka-sama is different Her experience is similar to mine”
”Similar?”
”I used to study at Eastern Roe in all but name Rikka-sahting as part of an allied contingent”
A so-called allied contingent was a tradition dating back to ancient Rome
shi+ori explained that it was a unit of troops for soldiers fro them to the front lines
”Rikka-sae of thirteen and was iht on Rome's behalf in various battlefields She is a battle-hardened veteran despite her young age”
”I see, so she has that kind of past”
Masatsugu understood and caeneral whose nized by the