by Kasugamaru
Oh, the sound of the bells has changed. No more vampires are coming, eh? Just as the commander predicted, this night raid was just a slight bit of foreplay.
“All right, men! Keep up the oil! Don’t let the flames die!” I bark my orders and strike at any vampires I see.
Steadily, I make my way through the camp, killing vampires and watching my comrades being killed, I fight on. I stab, stab, and stab some more. My spear and I are one.
Before the sun even begins to rise, the noise of battle fades. The flames, too, lose their intensity.
A new bell sound... the enemy is withdrawing. For the moment, we’ve won.
“All platoons, roll-call! Odd-numbered platoons are on perimeter patrol! Even-numbered platoons are to gather up the injured and draw a circle! Don’t forget your fire preparations!”
My spear is done for, the shaft is completely broken. I’ll have to borrow yours, my fallen brother. I won’t forget your spirit. I’ll take this hatchet, too. I won’t forget your bravery, either.
Oh, God. God of fire, war, and us humans. Please, grant these warriors’ souls rest... Deus Ex.
“Hey, Zakkow! Burning nicely, I see,” the commander jokes. For someone whose crotch is injured, he’s sure got a spring in his step. He has no intention of running away, does he?
“Your guard is lacking, sir. At least bring fifty soldiers with you.”
“If things get hairy, I’ll jump into the midst of the soldiers. More importantly, tell me about the rabbits. How reliable are they?”
“Quite reliable, sir. They don’t have the strength to finish off an enemy, but they are good for sowing chaos.”
“I see. Perhaps we can use them to deal with the vampires’ black wolves.” Now that he mentions it, I begin to wonder. Where were the black wolves? I didn’t see a single one. It would have been a slightly more difficult battle with them in the mix. “A rough count would put tonight’s raid at about four to five hundred vampires. An okay number, but most likely the selfish actions of the more reckless ones. The lack of familiars speaks to this.”
The commander picks up a rabbit that scampers over to his feet. The damned man looks so happy as he strokes its back.
“You little ones aren’t divine vassals, oh no. You serve God directly and pray to Him in your own way... you have a unique way of doing things,” he speaks while addressing the rabbit.
“Wolves value the pack, and will not disobey their leader. The black wolves are no different.”
“Exactly. Thanks to Marius, we discerned a bit of the enemy’s plan, but now I’m sure.” In nights previous, Marius repeatedly harassed the enemy camp... but the vampires never attacked his horse’s exposed sides as he rounded the battlefield. “Whoever their leader is, they’re akin to an Apostle and they wish to fight here for as long as possible.”
“Then they don’t understand their own army. Their leadership is naive.”
“I’ve seen this sort of thing many times in the Church and the Capital. When there is an imbalance between achievements and status, one tends to be isolated. Disproportionate power compared to authority creates chaos. When the two are combined, it creates a self-righteous nuisance. They seek the reason for their failures outside of themselves. It only ends in frustration.”
“So if we leave them alone, they’ll self-destruct?”
“If only... but the Demon God is not so naive. Their sudden declaration of a final battle is a testament to that. And with such a deity’s authority behind them, this mysterious new leader is planning something...” Hmph. The commander’s eyes narrow as he gazes toward the enemy forces, or possibly even further. He’s observing something beyond the bounds of our vision... Perhaps even beyond the bounds of time. What that might be, I have no idea. What I do know is that this man is a schemer—the sort of warmonger that stinks of blood more than anyone.
“The place of Golden’s death is so close, yet we are here,” he continues. “If they feared Ten Thousand Bells, then surely we would be fighting much further out, yet here we are. An extended battle in this land... for what purpose? Their own designs? God’s will?”
No matter what happens, I can’t let this man die. Warriors like me and Marius can be trained, but he is irreplaceable. He can’t fool me, either—I see that he wishes to die.
“Would it be possible to evacuate the citizens to the Frontier now?” I ask.
He can take command of that operation. If it’s just fighting, and not winning that is the focus here, we can make do.
“No, we should do the opposite: tomorrow, we shall mount an offensive.” What is he saying? No, what is he seeing? “I have a bad feeling about this—a very bad feeling. As long as we don’t know our enemy’s goal, I think it is a bad idea to prolong this any more. Perhaps focusing on this extended battle is the true trap.”
A trap. I doubt it’s out of paranoia that he repeatedly insists on that. And there are only two things that I can think of that would unsettle this man: threats to Lady Kuroi, and the annihilation of our species. Depending on the situation, both might be possible.
Silently, I listen to the damage report. Tonight’s dead: fifty-eight. Injured soldiers requiring transport to the city: a hundred and ten. All together, almost two hundred casualties. Despite our fire traps, we lost ten percent of our forces. Dozens of rabbits probably died as well. This is the reality of engaging in battle with the vampires.
“Can we win?” I ask. It’s a pointless question. It’s not like we can run away.
“If we are to win, then tomorrow morning would be our only opportunity. Press the attack while they’re still reeling from their failed raid.”
“A full-scale assault, then? How manly.”
“If we do not succeed, then there is no future for us. Of that, I am sure.”
Damn. His callous remarks make me want to sigh in defeat. One of his greatest shortcomings is that he tends to give up on life easily at decisive moments. This is the danger of those who have survived a brush with death.
I’ll show him. I’ll fight and fight, all to make sure he and Marius survive. If I am to entrust my spirit to the men that will be instrumental in future battles, well... I could ask for no better fortune.
I order my men to perform maintenance to their weapons and get some rest, then wait for the morning glow. I refuse to sleep as I await the crimson rays that shall decorate my grave.
51 The Youngest Brother Makes the First Strike with His Swift Horse / DDR Video Data
Ride. Ride towards the oncoming enemy.
It’s cold. Why? I do not fear anything, and yet...
-Marius II-
“Allow me to impress upon you one thing Marius, youngest son of House Willow: do not die.”
That’s what Commander Jashan son Peine said to me earlier this morning, before I set out. The first attack against the vampires is up to my discretion. With only one strike, I need to be able to seize their initiative without failure.
“Men, prepare your magics... and proceed forward,” I command.
Leading the left wing, I head out. The right wing follows in sync. Leaving a gap in the center, where the foot soldiers would be, two thousand cavalry sortie. The ground shakes and dust clouds rise from their horses’ hooves.
Heh heh, the vampires are watching. Good. The vampires and elves would do well to observe us carefully. That way, they can learn what happens when a species is locked into a corner of the world and left to die. Then they can rethink their ways. We are not to be looked down upon. We are not to be treated carelessly. Once they realize that, they’ll surely understand the necessity of diplomacy. War is subtraction, but it does not need to continue until one side reaches zero. A “final battle” is not something any living being should consider. We shall rip through their reckless declaration with our fierce fighting.
“Fire bombs at the ready.”
The goblin corpses scattered across the field are a slight nuisance to those of us on horseback. The foot soldiers will be joining the fight soo
n, too. This is certain to become a brawl—which is why our first strike is going to be with maximum firepower.
“Here we go!” I ride forward, leaving the cavalry to its own devices.
The enemy doesn’t need to think of us as one strong unit; I want them to see us as a horde of powerful individuals. See? The vampires charge at us straight-on. Recklessness invites recklessness. One after the other, they hurry to join the fray, glaring fiercely with no signs of fear.
“Line up! Prepare to release!”
My men slide quickly and effortlessly into formation, which startles the vampires.
“Fire!” I throw a fire bomb as hard as I can.
Our Infernos go off before the vampires can even start conjuring their thunder magics. We’re a little too far away to do any real damage, but that’s fine. My goal was to fill the battlefield with heat, explosive noises, and smoke.
Bear witness to our will—our fighting spirit and guts!
“Chip away at the right side!”
My men gather up, sharpening our front line. Our target is the tear in their forces to the far right. We gallop hard and break through, cutting off about two hundred vampires and running them through. No need to fuss about decapitating them; as we advance, we throw Inferno bombs behind us. Those who should die, die. My goal is not maximum subtraction.
Normally, I would retreat at this point, but this time we continue. We circle around and charge in again, deep into the enemy forces towards their backline.
There, found them—a single group that remained resolute despite repeated taunts and fire magic assaults. Their unvampire-like defensive formation tells me exactly who’s hiding within.
The enemy commander of this battle. The one whose grand strategy disturbed Commander Jashan son Peine is right there.
I will crush them.
Perhaps it is meaningless. Perhaps their plan can no longer be stopped. Even so, I will kill them. I do not know the details, and I cannot see the big picture, but they have committed the sin of making us feel even slightly threatened. I cannot forgive this insult. They shall pay with their life.
I kick my spurs into my horse’s sides. Faster!
Our right wing is closing in; a pincer strike two thousand strong. We will destroy their thousand soldiers. Just you wait and see.
Hm? That older-looking female vampire in the heavy armor... Why is she sticking her warhammer into the ground? There’s also a bunch of other vampires who all have their hands on the ground. I sense mana building up.
“No! Scatter!” But before I can get it out, the ground swells.
It’s earth magic. A dozen stone walls burst forth, blocking our path. They’re so tall our horses can’t even leap over them. The air is filled with the sounds of crashings and horses falling against the vampires’ absolute defense.
Then they attack; roaring savagely, the vampires charge. We’ve been stripped of our speed and escape route... there’s no running away.
“Don’t stop! Spiral formation!”
The spiral formation: an attack carried out by ten separate cavalry platoons. A brawl on horseback. This is our only option now.
I swing my spear head-on at a leaping vampire. It doesn’t hit, but it knocks him off balance. I follow up with a swing of my sword and take off in another direction. Another vampire presents himself before me. I stab him with my spear, shattering the shaft in the process. I keep riding. Once again, another vampire appears. I’m clearly being targeted. I whip out my sword, clashing its white steel against the black iron of the enemy’s warhammer. Sparks fly as shockwaves ripple up my arm. In a straight-up slugfest, a vampire’s brute strength shines.
“So you’re the leader!” A newer, more fearsome foe presents herself against me—the earth mage from earlier. She easily hefts her warhammer above her head. It must be a trap.
“And if I am?” I taunt her.
I issue a single hand signal and leap; horse and rider are as one. Below me, I can see the ground caving in. The ten riders behind me scatter to avoid the chasm.
“Dieee!” curses the vampire.
“I’d prefer not to.”
The warhammer comes racing to meet me as I land. It whistles through the air and slams into my sword. Blade on hammer, I push back, altering its course. I have to protect my horse. Somehow I manage it, but my shoulder and elbow are shot. What a fierce blow.
“You running away?!”
“Try and catch me if you can!”
I order ten of my men to follow me. We race through the maze of earthen walls, dodging or cutting down vampires depending on the situation as we make our way out of the battlefield. I swing my sword above my head, rallying the Bomber Knights as we retreat. Behind me, I can hear the sounds of sporadic explosions.
I screwed up, and many men paid for my mistake with their lives. I shouldn’t have gone straight for their leader. However, it wasn’t a total failure—I did manage to spot a lone female vampire with a scared expression and no weapon. That spell that she used to sink into the ground must have been a new one. It sure kicked up a lot of dirt, though.
In any case, that was certainly their leader. I’ll remember her face for the next time. There will be a next time. We have the initiative, after all. And there’s no way the vampires will be able to stay calm after being run over like that. Nor will their leader be able to stop pissing herself long enough to prevent them from attacking. The floodgates of violence have been busted wide open.
Now, for the fight that will decide it all.
A pack of black wolves is sweeping across the plains, like a dark gust of wind mowing through the grass. The vampires follow close behind, kicking up a dust cloud so large that they look like a landslide. Both enemy forces are akin to natural disasters—impossible to avoid or resist. They are death incarnate.
However, that is precisely why we were given fire and blades: to drive back all such threats. With valiant battle cries and reassuring footsteps, we face them head-on, creating a tight formation. Meanwhile, our fire-resistant foot soldiers march forward, their shields like scales, bristling with spears. Vials of oil sway under fluttering banners. The dawn burns red. Rabbits leap forwards from under our feet, front teeth bared and ears laid back. Their sword-like horns are positioned evenly with the ground.
Vampires are nothing to us—our spirit is beautiful. In the whole world, there are no species abandoned by God. Let them come; we shall crush them. And then, for the first time, we shall be the victors.
-DDR Stream/VOD Part 5-
They say that ignorance is bliss... but what do you do once you’re no longer ignorant?
Hey all, it’s PotatoStarch. Sorry, I’m on the verge of crying from worry and fear. I just realized that my parents don’t know my address. The process of moving out was so complicated with the housing application and the rent allowance that I told them I’d contact them once things had calmed down. However, I forgot that I forgot all that! My company would never tell them my address, either. After all, my boss told me I am essentially “working overseas.” After contacting him, he said their information security control is perfect and laughed it off. Technically, I’m keeping their secret for a paid vacation.
The thing is, I had some steak today... it was really good. But I’m lower middle class, so I felt guilty that I might have eaten someone else’s meat. Therefore, I double-checked the package, and it was addressed to me! Who? Who gave me meat as a present? I mean, it was an online order, so anyone who knows my address could have done it. But then, why did they put my mother’s family name under the sender? They even added a message: “Be sure to eat some meat every now and again!” Now I realize that I’ve never once been told that before. Well, my parents always were a bit inattentive... which makes using my mother’s name even more confusing. It must have been a mix-up.
Actually, hold on. Does this mean... I’m under observation? I-Is that my job now? Game addiction and infrastructure stuff? Ha ha ha... I felt stupid just by saying that. As if that could be
true.
Oh, by the way, I just realized that the access dates on the video data I’m recording are off. Who’s been sneaking a peek in my stuff? What are they after? What do they want from me? Well, they probably want me to play more DDR, I’m guessing. That makes sense. It’s still weird, but at least it makes me a bit relieved... Ugh.
Perhaps the person behind this is the one who sent me that email in Romanian? If they were spying on my video data, then yeah, they’d totally send me that stupid message about hope and whatever. Yup, could be. This mystery about the steak, however, is incredibly strange.
I-I’m scared. Simply scared. I feel like a big hole has opened up beneath me.
Ugh... At least Kuroi has already reached the Hell Expanse... whoa! A battle event already? A pack of black wolves is clashing against militant rabbits! What a great fight! Wow! A revolution of the food chain! Go, Kuroi! It’s time for battle!
52 The Shadow Orders a Deadly Surprise Attack / The Commander Orders a Deadly Charge
I wish to God. I pray to God. I offer myself to God.
And after receiving His blessing, we fight—for our own sake.
-Shadow Tamika II-
What crime did I commit to be forced into doing this?
“Lady Tamika, it’s dangerous here.”
Is this the Demon God’s doing? Maybe some sort of curse... or have I incurred Her wrath? Is that why my soldiers are ignoring my orders and the enemy is attacking recklessly?
“Lady Tamika, please step back a bit...”
“Shut up! I was at the very back, and I was attacked! That’s why I’m sticking to the center!”
I’ve selected a hundred earth mages to be my personal guards. Their orders are to immediately cast Stone Shield and Earth Wall if anything happens. It’s also very important that no thunder mages are around me. I just need shadows. As long as I have them, I can cast Sink. The light from the humans’ fire magic is annoying, but if worst comes to worst, I can hide in the shadow of some soot-covered armor. Moreover, there’s always the option to hide in the shadow of a human corpse. I’d even take a shield; just give me a shadow I can sink into.