by Kasugamaru
And then... Oh, I guess I’m supposed to explain this as though I’ll be editing it later so... Oh, right, you see, the human army’s taking part in this battle! Did I say that earlier? Anyway, a picture’s worth a hundred words! Take a look.
There’s 1,600 mounted knights, 800 infantry... and a really sketchy looking group of 300 wrapped in red cloaks.
What the hell are those?
300 dudes with red cloaks, black boots, and black staves? They just look like some suspicious cult or something. Totally can’t tell what they are.
I mean, I know what they’re supposed to be. Whether real or not, they’re a company of fire mages. But they sure as hell weren’t wearing those cloaks yesterday... Creepy... Man, that’s some awful fashion sense...
Hm? They’re nodding at me pretty confidently.
Oh? Ohhh! Hey, look! They’ve started chanting all at once... Still though... this is still really sketchy! They just look like a weird cult of some sort! They’re stroking their black staves pretty weirdly, too! Hm? Just trying to get heat from friction?
Whoa! Here it comes! Three hundred red tentacles... Err... I mean, flames!
Fire magic, Fire Ray!
Three hundred rays of fire arc into the nearly dark sky and... rain onto the vampires!
Cripes! Looks hellish down there.
There’s no precision here, just carpet bombing with fire. A hundred vampires are all aflame. Since it’s magical fire they can’t just pat it out either... But hey, wait a sec, even considering it’s a DoT spell, the vampires are all turning to ash one after another...?
Wait, are you serious? Yes, that’s gotta be it! Fire magic’s got special effects against vampires!
This one’s in the bag. Totally in the bag. Last time I was showing off, I was just dominating with my sword, so I didn’t realize this, but I’m certain we’re gonna win this one. Why, you ask? Kuroi’s got Flame Blade, which adds fire elemental damage to weapons. And so long as she just keeps it constantly active...!
No time to waste!
Get on that black horse and charge the enemy! Woohoo!
Weapons? A pair of Accept Blades! I mean, mounted two-weapon fighting has such low DPS, it’s mostly something you pick for looks, but with Flame Blade...!
Yep, guess I’m right! Even a little damage sends them up like a roman candle!
Ahahahahaha! Doesn’t matter that I’m tipsy, I’ve got this! Take that! And that! Is there something wrong there, oh vampires? Turning to ash with a look of dumb shock on your faces!
Oh, there’s one that won’t go up in flames. A lightning wielder, huh? Must’ve used some sort of physical boost spell or something.
Good, but you’re still getting smoked like a cigar! Don’t overlook Kuroi’s stats. Just need to focus a little bit and land one more blow... Ah-ha! And up in flames you go. As for the other lightning user, I’m just gonna chop your head off. Schwing! Ahahahaha!
Man, this is fun. This doesn’t feel like DDR, but it’s still damned fun.
This must’ve been what I was after. To just dominate the battlefield like this.
I just wanted to fuck up the strong. The chosen of the Demon God. Cut through the vampires like they’re butter.
I never found it that satisfying playing as an elf character. It just wasn’t the same. I found satisfaction when we’d win big, but that was the satisfaction of playing well. There wasn’t this sort of catharsis. Well, elves are favored, after all.
I guess it’s because I’m playing as a human.
Humans—the oppressed, inferior race. The ones who are pathetic in life and pathetic in death... That’s why it’s so satisfying. I’m so happy I could scream.
Go, Kuroi! Go get them.
Attack, attack, and kill every last one of them. Give that bastard a taste of his own medicine. Let him suffer as he’s made others suffer.
The pretentiously named Golden, the vengeance you’re owed for all of your pain, take her out on this battlefield.
Screw the elves.
Sakiel? I’ve got enough healing, so forget her.
The human army... Whatever. I mean, it’s rare, but it was plenty fun, so who cares?
Here we go, Kuroi! Let’s go! Keep going!
30 The Middle Son Charges Through the Vampire’s Ranks/The Officer Smiles and Glimpses Hope
God, give me strength. God, give me strength.
Provide through thy tumultuous spirit the strength to crush my enemies.
-Origis II-
Damn, she’s strong. There aren’t any words to describe her solitary charge.
The magic that burned away the vampires was strong, but Lady Kuroi’s strength drives even that power from my memory. It’s overwhelming. Like a spirit of war playing on a field of blades. As far as my eyes can follow, she slashes, she burns, and she destroys. She gives no sign of stopping.
But, just how far is she going? Is she going to charge through the vampire lines and charge their command?
Say that’s not so. Tell me that’s not so.
By shielding her horse... she takes blows from rocks and lightning. But because she keeps pushing... the horse’s legs start to give way beneath her.
“Brother! I beg you, let me go join her!”
“Origis... Very well, go! Catch up to her, whatever you do! We’ll press from the south!”
“We’re with you. By your leave, acting Lord Lieutenant?”
“Captain... fortune favor you!”
“Leave it to us! Hah! I’m starting to enjoy this!” The captain and the 300 knights from the Cliff Fortress intend to follow me. No, they’re the ones with the most right to accompany me. They’re here solely to follow Lady Kuroi into battle.
“We move at a canter! Form lines!” We move forward, five hundred in a single line. I position the three hundred from the Cliff Fortress behind us.
They’re brave, but they’re no dragoons. They don’t understand the radius effect of fire and fire bombs. I have no choice but to closely direct their advance.
“Weapons free! Use fire lances at will! Each man will advance! Follow me!” We spur into a gallop. Our horses kick up the vampire ashes that had settled on the ground. The vampires and elves are slow. The incredible power of Lady Kuroi has the entire battlefield numbed in shock. She’s bought us time to win precious speed and distance.
A flick of my pole-arm. A vampire stares mutely in shock. The flick sends the vampire’s head flying. Trampling the head beneath my horse’s hooves, I move onward.
The glimmer of flame. Someone casts a burning spell. They have no other choice. The sound of a collapsing cavalry horse. The black wolves. The familiars, not the vampires themselves, are the bigger threat.
A vampire stands in front of me, steel club ready in its hands. It plans to bludgeon me, horse and all.
Damn you.
I signal to my horse with a shift of body weight. We jump, horse and rider together, above the enemy’s head. As we pass overhead, a blow from my pole-arm. I feel the impact against my arm. A muffled scream. I split its face in two.
More enemies. Black wolves pounce on horses. I thrust at those vicious jaws. Down into their heads.
The concussive sound of an explosion. Seven, eight of them from behind. Someone’s set off their explosives. They were the ones who’d been dismounted. It wasn’t against orders. They have the freedom to do as they please when surrounded, facing death by mauling. The right to take at least one of the bastards with them.
Lady Kuroi is over in that direction. Deep, behind the enemy lines. The enemy begins to gather around her. Lady Kuroi’s slowed so much that the enemy can now swarm around her.
“Cliff Knights! This is where we split up! Go around us and head to Lady Kuroi!”
“Certainly, but what about you?”
“We’ll keep running headlong into the enemy! We’ll throw them into chaos! Use that to get through!”
“Got it! We’ll make it, I swear!” Of course. They’ll reach Lady Kuroi. Or at least they’ll force one or two to
reach her. That’s why they charge.
“All units! Form wedge!” With myself as the spearpoint, we form into a pointed edge, sharpening. And then...
“Follow me!” Now’s the time. The time for death, the time for glory.
We collide at full tilt. Braced on horseback, pole-arm outstretched, scything through. Momentum is everything. Stopping means death. Even a loss of speed is a death sentence.
An enormous sense of claustrophobia. There are times where it feels the momentum is about to ebb. Each time, someone imposes himself between me and death. Each death brings a flash of magic, and we accelerate once more, regaining momentum.
We make it through. Through the throng of vampires. How many we killed, how many we lost, we don’t count any of it; we keep moving forward.
We can still see Lady Kuroi. But... the obstacle ahead was tough.
A surge of bodies in front of us. Vampires gather so thick they form a wall. Some are heavily armored. I bite my spear’s shaft with my teeth and pull out a fire lance. Gripping it with both hands, I pour in my magic, my overflowing heart into it... Good, I’ll hit them with this. They’ll taste the full wrath of my very soul.
Fire magic, Fire Storm. A flame erupts from the thrown fire lance. Tongue after tongue of flames bursts forth, swallowing everything around it as it spreads. Taste that, you bastards!
A flame large enough to swallow a house. The result of trying to use Leaping Flame, not having the fine control, and instead putting all my effort behind intensifying my flames. It’s only fire. Not enough to be lethal, is it? But I know, you bastards hate fire. I see you edge away.
We’re the opposite. Fire draws us in. We give our lives over to it.
“Line formation! Make them burn!” I use another Fire Storm. Others follow with Leaping Flame. We steadily build up the flames that way. They gain in intensity. From a single house to a tenement, then even larger.
It’s like with us. We started small, built it up and grew bigger, stronger.
It’s beautiful. So very beautiful.
“All troopers! Fire wheel formation!” We rush forward with the flames to our right. We circle around the right flank of the vampires, attacking as the flames throw them into confusion. We continue our charge even as they hurl stones and lightning, pounce with their supernatural strength. We’ll be damned before we stop. No matter how many we lose, we continue our encirclement without fail.
What’s the hesitation? Come at us. Gather round. Around us, the ones who feed and shoulder the flame. That’s what it means to face off against humans. It’s what it means to fight us.
The three hundred from the Cliffs... they’re down to about two hundred, but they’re in a good spot. They’d better be paying attention.
“Ready fire bombs! Deploy at will!” Now’s the time. Time to let loose with all the Exploding Flames we can manage.
We throw everything we have at them: the light, the sound, the heat, the impacts. Yelling is allowed. Hell, scream out, you lot!
Give them a taste of what humans can do.
-Captain Jashan son Peine I-
We’ll show you what humans can do, damned blood-sucking beasts!
“Did you see that, you lot? Of course you saw it, yeah?” I look to the soldiers who had survived the charge through the fields of death, gazing into their faces.
“I, the awesome Peine witnessed! The third brat of Lord Willow dramatically going out in a blast! That’s how a man should go out!” I make a stupid comment and wait expectantly for a response.
“Wait, wait, his third sonship is still alive, sir! That’s not a blaze of glory!”
“Uh, who’s this awesome Peine anyway? There’s a Jaks on Peine, who is our commander...”
“Fire bomb cavalry, that’s a wonderful innovation! A type of trooper that deserves full praise!”
“Indeed, indeed. And they’re quite the gentlemen, to boot, letting us have the moment of glory.” Good, we’re having fun. That’s enough. We can charge in laughing.
“Gentlemen! We are now fighting for the right to an embrace! The winner wins the right to embrace the beautiful and invincible Lady Kuroi! The rest of you will have to make do with each other! It’s a wide world out there, with plenty of love and fetishes for everyone! I like to think of myself as an understanding fellow!” The big laugh before the charge goes well, too. Good. I’ve no regrets.
“Alright boys, charge!” We charge in as a single body.
Despite all the confidence I had in this style of charging, it feels slow compared to the movements of the Bomber Knights. But, well, it’s about making do.
Looks like the various blood-sucking beasts to the left and right have noticed us. We’ll leave them to you, oh comrades on the outside. Go with the lances. If that’s not enough, hit them with your mount. And if that’s not enough, then grapple with them. Good, buy us as much time as you can. Kill them if you can. Stop them, even if you have to tear their throats out with your teeth. Further, and further ahead. We can still do this. We’ll make it. That third son of House Willow’s done us proud. Not only did he grab the attention of the blood-suckers, he’s got their wolves on him, too.
There. I see her. Lady Kuroi. She’s lost her horse and is fighting alone on foot. She’s a hell of a sight. A damned impressive sight.
The Waltzing Blade Maiden. The Dance of Demon Slaying.
She kills demons as though she’s dancing. Her raven mane sweeps away nightmares. The platinum flash of her sword cuts through the monsters, as though elegantly blowing away humanity’s despair... Yep.
Ah, now I understand Felipo’s almost drunken prose of praise. She’s not backing down in spite of being surrounded by the blood-suckers. She keeps creating new weapon after new weapon and slaying the enemy. Burning the enemy. She fights as the ashes flutter around her. She shows no sign of worrying about the blood crusted on her. The divine power around her sparkles, making her almost too bright to look at. Such intensity. Lady Kuroi is roaring out as humanity’s representative.
To that I feel gratitude. Nothing but gratitude.
I’ve felt nothing but frustration since I was a child. There’s so much wrong with the world you see the moment you catch a glimpse of reality. Human life is too cheap. Human life is all too often just the plaything for others. I’ve been roaring out in defiance ever since.
Of course, when you actually roar out, there’s plenty of problems there, too. I wound up almost getting kicked out of home, then I actually got kicked out of seminary... Inevitably, keeping quiet starts piling up the frustration, too. I’m sure that’s the case with everyone. Everyone who tries to live without taking their eyes off the world; they deal with things they simply can’t tolerate. If it was just about weakness, that’d be one thing. You could give up. But mockery by the strong, well that’s not something that’s bearable.
Don’t underestimate me. Don’t dismiss people precious to me.
Don’t mock all the things around me, all that I consider valuable.
Don’t look down upon humanity. Don’t treat us like pathetic refuse.
And now, witness.
Lady Kuroi is impressive, isn’t she? She’s our representative. She speaks for us all.
Which is why... Lady Kuroi, you’re done for this day. This isn’t the only place you need to roar. There’s plenty of other bastards we need you to defeat, Lady Kuroi. There’s so many other scumbags that need to learn of your presence. Because we don’t want you to finish your primal scream on this battlefield in the middle of nowhere.
“Go forward, lads! Keep going! Lady Kuroi is over there!” I leave holding off the throng to the desperate, bodily charge of the remaining cavalry troopers, somehow dive under the blood-sucker’s claws, force my way through, and reach out my arms.
“Yes! I win!” Hurrah! I got to embrace Lady Kuroi!
Let me through. Let me through, with the precious, slender waisted, surprisingly light cargo in my arms... the saint who will shoulder all our hopes and prayers. To som
e place where she can take a breath.
“...Patience, Lady Kuroi.” I see it. The dust kicked up by the human army as it attacks from the south. The main body surrounding our mage company.
“You don’t need to win every fight from start to finish to win the battle, Lady Kuroi. You just need to win at the right opportunity.” Behind me... Mmh, not a single trooper left, huh? I guess they were all obsessed with embracing one another. Well, that’s fine.
“As for finding the right opportunities, well, you can leave that to the Willow brothers or Felipo. That’s why everyone is here.” There’s still a problem in getting to the main body... No, it’ll be fine. Third Boy’s unit is clinging on. Damn, they’re impressive.
Aren’t you jealous? I’m embracing Lady Kuroi.
“This is the end for us, ma’am... but you’ll let us fight with you again, right? That’s what Odysson told us. Please, give us that honor, I pray you.” Hope I’m still smiling properly. It’s cold, I’m starting to shiver. My cheeks are numb, so I don’t feel like I’m able to smile right. I’m also thirsty. Guess this is what happens when you’re bleeding out. There’s a hole in my thigh and back, after all.
“Please, go on straight ahead.” I set Lady Kuroi on the saddle and give my horse one last smack on the rump. I hear one final whinny before I dismount. No, I lied, I fell off. That’s pretty lame, isn’t it? Oh well. That’s fine. Anyway.
I wanted my last opponent to be a bloodsucker, but I guess a black wolf’s more my lot in life.
All right, come. I won’t let a single one of you through.
“Heheh... Ahahahaha! Oh, that was so much fun! Hurrah for humanity!”
31 The Priest Praises the Brave Host/The Dragon Warrior Accepts the People of Fire
I have given everything to be here.
There shouldn’t have been anything left to lose.
-Father Felipo V-
Lady Kuroi’s return appears to have succeeded thanks to the support from Origis’s company... A fine result. In the end, it’s the only thing that matters. What else we sacrifice to obtain it is of no importance.