Collision

In a dark room at night in Haan Castle, Hashim was pushing pins into a

map spread across a desk. One by one, the pins spread across the Empire.

At a glance, it was unclear what they might represent. Then...

"Go."

With that curt word from Hashim, a person standing in the shadows

silently disappeared. They were a spy in the service of the House of Chima,

one who supported Hashim in his plots.

After the figure was gone, Hashim let out a long sigh.

"...Brother," a voice hesitantly called out to him from behind.

"Mutsumi?" Hashim turned to see his younger sister, Mutsumi, the wife

of his master. "No, should I call you Your Majesty?"

"Call me...whatever you like." Mutsumi shrugged, pulling up a chair and

sitting down next to Hashim. "Is your plan to invade the Gran Chaos

Empire going well?"

"Yes. Without a hitch." Hashim smiled coldly as he stroked the map.

"Heh heh... I'm grateful to Lord Fuuga. He's let me devise plans I never

would have had the chance to see while living in the Duchy of Chima. The

men, materiel, and allies I have access to are on an entirely different scale.

As a strategist, nothing could make me more excited."

"I'm glad to see you're satisfied... And this is why you cut father

loose?"

"Heh, of course." Hashim laughed at Mutsumi's question. "I made the

decision that Father would have in his younger years. This is how the

House of Chima has always survived and built our name. I'm sure...when

Father died, he entrusted that dream to me."

"Knowing Father, I'm sure he was content with that..."

Given that their father Mathew Chima's last act was to pass Hashim a

list of capable people in the Union of Eastern Nations, he likely recognized

his son's abilities and was satisfied dying the way he did. Still, Mutsumi felt

it was wrong that Sami and others had to be sacrificed, but she wouldn't say

this. Her beloved Fuuga had benefited from those sacrifices, so she didn't

feel she had the right to object.

Mutsumi shook her head and returned to the matter at hand.

"You're using a lot of spies, aren't you? Are their activities going well?"

"Everything proceeds apace. I will seize the initiative with my first

stroke."

Seeing the bold smile on his face, Mutsumi said, "I'll be counting on

you, Brother."

◇ ◇ ◇

Broadly speaking, Souma had taken three military actions since he'd

been given the throne.

First, there was the series of wars involving the traitors Georg Carmine

and Castor Vargas, as well as the Principality of Amidonia. He'd fought

against the former of the two differently than he did the latter, but because it

all happened in a connected series of events, it was understood to all be one

military action.

Second, there was his dispatch of troops to the Union of Eastern Nations

during the demon wave.

And third, there was his dispatch of the fleet to the (then) Nine-Headed

Dragon Archipelago Union to put down Ooyamizuchi.

One thing that proved useful on these three occasions was a type of

broadcast that used jewels. In the war with Amidonia, he broadcast his

defeat of Georg and the rebels to reduce confusion in his own country and

to declare war on Gaius VIII, pulling him onto a well-prepared battlefield.

This allowed the forces of the Kingdom to use their greater numbers to

overwhelm those of the Principality.

In Souma's third action, the dispatch of the fleet to the Nine-Headed

Dragon Archipelago Union, he used the broadcast to hold talks with NineHeaded Dragon King Shana in front of all the soldiers on both sides. Then,

with the "convenient" appearance of Ooyamizuchi, the two countries

formed a joint front to slay the massive unidentified creature. If not for

those broadcast talks, there would have been a delay in coming to a

common agreement, and the soldiers from the two countries wouldn't have

been able to coordinate their efforts.

Truly, broadcasts had a major role in Souma's battles. When word of this

spread to other countries, there were people in those countries who studied

the great impact they could have. You could even say Maria's activities as a

lorelei were part of that. And this wasn't limited to the rulers of countries

like the Empire, Republic, and Archipelago Kingdom that were friendly to

the Kingdom of Friedonia. Hashim Chima, advisor to Fuuga Haan of the

Great Tiger Kingdom, was also a student of Souma's use of broadcasts.

—1552nd year, Continental Calendar—

"People of the Gran Chaos Empire—"

In the fountain plazas of cities small and large across the Empire, the

projected image of Fuuga began to speak. It was a clear day. His voice was

heard in towns, cities, fishing villages, the mountains, military bases, and in

Valois Castle.

"I am Fuuga Haan, king of the Great Tiger Kingdom of Haan."

Hashim's first strike was a broadcast jack. The jewel broadcasts ran on a

sort of magic frequency, and any jewel could project images on receivers

around the continent. This meant that with an insider who knew the

Empire's frequencies, the Great Tiger Kingdom could broadcast throughout

the Empire using their own jewel.

That night, Hashim had been sticking pins in the map to show the

locations of broadcast receivers, and he had used a sizable portion of his

resources on making this broadcast possible.

"People of the Empire. We have risen up to rid mankind of the threat of

the Demon Lord's Domain."

The image of Fuuga was addressing the Empire's populace.

"I have unified the Union of Eastern Nations, and thrown myself into the

struggle to liberate the Demon Lord's Domain for years now. I am sure you

all know the task is more than half done. The Great Tiger Kingdom's reach

has spread far to the north, and we are now the sole nation shielding

mankind from the monsters of the Demon Lord's Domain. However! What

has Maria, who issued the Mankind Declaration—claiming the nations of

mankind must unite against the Demon Lord's Domain—been doing all this

time?"

Fuuga pumped his fist into the air as he made this impassioned speech.

"If I was feeling generous, I could say she was fortifying her defenses.

But the fact is, she did nothing to further the liberation of the Demon Lord's

Domain! Without proper equipment, we took in the weak and dispossessed,

and reclaimed a huge swath of land with our passion alone! There's no way

that the Empire, the largest and most powerful of all mankind's nations,

couldn't have done the same! And yet Maria did nothing!"

If Souma were listening, he'd have said "framing is everything." Yes,

Maria could have liberated those territories, but it would be costly to

maintain them. Making other regions foot the bill for this would have bred

discontent. If the Empire were a group of people with nothing, like Fuuga's

forces were, then the people would be used to austerity and think nothing of

it. However, under Maria's rule, the people of the Empire had enjoyed a life

of stability, so there was great risk in dissatisfying them that had to be

avoided. That was why Maria had worked with other nations to fortify their

defenses and ensure things didn't get any worse. But for those who didn't

understand this, Fuuga's words only stirred their emotions.

"She took in refugees, but never tried to take back their homelands! She

trampled on the feelings of those who longed to return north! This is idle

complacency! We are trying to fully liberate the Demon Lord's Domain and

truly save mankind, but for as long as someone so complacent rules this

great nation, mankind can never be united! The people of the north have

endured and endured! But they have limits! They can wait for Maria to act

no longer!"

Fuuga thrust his fist forward.

"That is why we will raise an army to pull the complacent empress

down! This is a battle to remove Maria and bring the Empire under our

command. If the Empire follows us, the Maritime Alliance will too. I've

wed my own sister, Yuriga, to Souma, leader of the Maritime Alliance. If

the will of the people is focused on conquering the Demon Lord's Domain

—as a man who sees the flow of the times—Souma will go with us too. All

mankind can embark on the conquest of the Demon Lord's Domain! Our

allies in the Lunarian Orthodox Papal State and Mercenary State Zem have

already raised their troops to fight with us!"

When he said that, Fuuga stepped aside and Anne, dressed as a Lunarian

Orthodox saint, appeared in his place. Anne put her hands together in front

of her and quietly spoke.

"Empress Maria of the Empire has falsely assumed the title of saint. Yet,

despite this, she has done nothing against the Demon Lord's Domain. Lady

Lunaria would never forgive such a person. Faithful believers of Lady

Lunaria, please return to the correct path. I beg you, give your strength to

the holy king, Lord Fuuga."

These plainly spoken words were a powerful blow against the Empire.

Unlike how the Kingdom of Friedonia had done, the Empire had yet to

sever the believers in their country from the Lunarian Orthodox Papal State.

Because of this, the faithful inside the Empire were confused whether or not

they should heed Anne's call. And the nonbelievers had to question whether

those believers might be collaborating with their enemies. Hashim had used

Anne to hammer a huge wedge into the Empire.

The image changed again as Fuuga took Anne's place once more.

"We will march on Valois, where Empress Maria is, with our allies.

People of the Empire! If you would join us in this great endeavor, we will

welcome you! If you would reject and resist us, then we will answer you

with our swords! The choice is yours!" Then, raising his voice, Fuuga

declared, "The Great Tiger Kingdom of Haan, the Lunarian Orthodox Papal

State, and Mercenary State Zem hereby declare war on the Gran Chaos

Empire!"

◇ ◇ ◇

The combined forces of the Great Tiger Kingdom of Haan, Lunarian

Orthodox Papal State, and Mercenary State Zem (hereafter referred to as

Fuuga's forces) crossed the border and invaded the Gran Chaos Empire.

Their forces totaled roughly 350,000 men.

Of those, 200,000 were from the Great Tiger Kingdom, 80,000 were

Zemish mercenaries, and 70,000 were from the Orthodox Papal State.

Because of the size of this force, they could boldly march down roads large

enough to accommodate rhinosaurus trains, but they came to a stop at the

Empire's Jamona Fortress.

"Hmm, in front of us, the fortress is like an iron wall. And far to our rear

is a river, huh?" The Wisdom of the Tiger, Hashim, was at the very front of

Fuuga's forces, giving them orders. There was an open area in front of the

fortress where he could deploy a great army.

However, the river was not far, and they would need to cross it to

invade. Jamona Fortress, which had been built to repel invaders, was built

between steep mountains, and they had changed the flow of the river to

make retreat difficult for their enemies. It was an impregnable fortress with

nature itself on its side.

This fortress was constructed because the Empire had been prioritizing

expansion to the north at the time—not into the infertile lands of the

Republic of Turgis and Zem, or into the Orthodox Papal State, whose

religious authority made them difficult to handle. Jamona Fortress was there

to keep the nations of the east from interfering as they expanded north, so it

was the hardest point in the Empire's defenses.

This also meant they were fully reliant on this fortress to deal with

invasions from the east, so they didn't have any defensible positions behind

it. If the enemy ever broke through here, they could walk through

essentially empty plains all the way to Valois.

Jeanne's 200,000 soldiers had come to the fortress to fight off Fuuga's

forces. They had somewhat less than Fuuga, but many of them were loyal

supporters of the Euphoria sisters like Gunther, and morale was high.

Although Hashim's broadcast jack had shaken up people inside the Empire,

it hadn't had that effect on these forces.

A messenger rushed into the forward camp where Gaten the Flag of the

Tiger, Moumei the Hammer of the Tiger, and Nata the Battle Ax of the

Tiger were serving with Hashim.

"I have a message! The Imperial forces have come out of Jamona

Fortress!"

"What?! They're coming out to meet us?! Awesome!"

Nata hefted his ax bravely, but the messenger hurriedly shook his head.

"No! The Imperial forces have come out and are forming into ranks! It

looks like they plan to face us on the field instead of in a siege!"

"Huh? They aren't settling in for a siege even though we outnumber

them?"

Nata looked perplexed by this report. He'd expected the Empire to shut

themselves up inside the fortress because they were at a numerical

disadvantage. However, contrary to most expectations, Jeanne had led her

soldiers out of the fortress to fight a field battle.

"Ha ha ha! The Imperials sure are bold!" Gaten, the showiest man in

Fuuga's forces, said with a jolly laugh. "What do you think they're playing

at, Commander?" he asked Hashim, who was beside him, looking through a

telescope.

Hashim had been entrusted with commanding the front lines by Fuuga,

so he was in charge of the brave and fierce warriors assembled here. He set

his telescope down and snorted.

"Now I'm sure of it. This area in front of the fortress is too wide open.

Normally, the road would narrow as you approached a fortress like this, but

this place has enough room for two great armies to clash. And the river is

too far to serve as a natural moat."

"So that means?"

"The terrain lets them fight a field battle before the fortress is attacked.

And if the attackers are defeated and try to retreat, the river will be in their

way. It's a well-designed layout."

"Do they think we're not worthy enough opponents that they need to use

the fortress?" Gaten asked, and Hashim patted the telescope next to him.

"There's nothing strange about that. Like us, the Empire has expanded

by invading other countries. Their recent rulers have been on a defensive

footing, but they understand an army is most valuable on the field of

battle."

"I see. They're not good at defending, then?"

"No, I couldn't say one way or the other. But they must be confident in

their ability to fight a field battle. They may be thinking that rather than

holing up, they'll be able to defend better if they can beat us once on the

field of battle first."

"That's how it is, huh... We really can't afford to underestimate them."

Gaten crossed his arms and groaned. "So, Commander, how do we attack?"

Hashim smirked. "Let's make this straightforward at first. We'll face

them in a straight-up skirmish."

"Oh-hoh. I trust you'll let me lead the vanguard."

Despite the show-off's request, Hashim shook his head. "That, I can't

do, I'm afraid. It would be foolish to send you, who won't underestimate

the Empire. We must have our men who are underestimating them learn

what we're up against."

"So deliberately let them feel the pain?"

"Exactly. After winning all our battles, we're becoming arrogant. They

think Fuuga's forces are invincible, we have double the enemy's number,

and the Empire is an Empire in decline, unworthy of their fear."

"And you see it differently, Commander?"

"This skirmish is to teach them otherwise. Although, it would be best if

we could simply tear through them... Sir Moumei."

Hashim called over Moumei, who was leading the Zemish soldiers on

Fuuga's behalf.

This mountain of muscle, riding a giant steppe yak and swinging a giant

hammer, looked like he had dumped all his stat points into power, but he

was also learned enough to be trusted to rule in Zem. He was a talented

commander, and the best example of not being able to judge a man by his

appearance in all of Fuuga's forces.

Once Moumei slowly walked over, Hashim told him, "I want Zemish

mercenaries in the vanguard. But you—you're not to get too far forward."

"So you mean to teach them to fear the Imperial soldiers..."

"Precisely. Of all our forces, the Zemish mercenaries are the most likely

to underestimate the Empire. They probably still think of themselves as

swords for hire. To them, the vain Imperial soldiers are no more than a

source of money."

"You must be right. I understand what needs to be done." Moumei

bowed and walked away with lumbering steps.

At this point, Nata stood up, unable to sit still any longer.

"Hey, Hashim, my bro. You don't mind me going too, right? I wanna

have a go with some Imperial soldiers!"

"We had another idiot here..." Hashim sighed, waving at his brother

dismissively. "Oh, very well. Go and do as you please."

"Aw, yeah! I'm gonna scatter those Imperial losers!" Nata grinned now

that he had the go-ahead. He hefted his ax and left in a jovial mood.

"Was that all right?" Gaten asked as he watched Nata go.

"Even the finest doctors have no cure for idiocy," Hashim said bluntly.

"It will do him good to almost die at least once."

"Ha ha ha..."

Even Gaten, who was known for his raucous laughter, could only smile

wryly when he heard that.

Getting back on track, Hashim gave orders to the waiting messenger.

"This is a message for all non-Zemish units! We will be fighting a battle

with the Imperial soldiers in front of us. When the mercenaries make

contact with the enemy, we will support them! However, this is a skirmish

to determine the enemy's strength, so don't move too far up! Steel

yourselves for battle!"

Thus began the first battle between Fuuga's forces and the Empire.

"Let's cut into the Imperial forces! Show those soldiers from the

Empire, the Great Tiger Kingdom, and the Orthodox Papal State the might

of Zemish mercenaries!"

"""Yeahhhh!"""

Moumei the Hammer of the Tiger gave the order, and the Zemish

mercenaries eagerly charged towards the Imperial forces. To support their

charge, the archers and mages of the Great Tiger Kingdom and the

Orthodox Papal State let loose on the Imperials as well. The Imperial forces

returned fire on the Great Tiger Kingdom and the Orthodox Papal State,

starting a long-range battle.

"Have at 'em, boys!"

Meanwhile, the Zemish mercenaries left the shooting to their allies and

rushed headlong at the Imperials, polearms at the ready. They blocked the

hail of arrows with the bucklers fastened to their arms and prayed that the

magic wouldn't strike them as they ran forward.

An infantry charge. It looked reckless, and a cavalry charge would

scatter them in an instant, sending them fleeing in defeat. However, the

Zemish mercenaries were expecting that cavalry charge. Because, as

mercenaries, the cavalry was their golden goose.

There was a sharp glint in their eyes as they looked at the Imperial

forces.

"I want someone real showy to come at us!"

"Because the higher their rank, the more ransom they pay!"

"The Empire's wealthy, so we'll make a killing!"

"They'll probably pay good money just to get the heads back!"

"Their weapons and armor'll sell for a good price too!"

"If we can't get ransom money, we'll sell them as slaves. And if we

catch any female knights... Ga ha ha!"

"Maria's little sister, Jeanne, was it? She's a fine woman! I wanna

capture her!"

The mercenaries made their money on the battlefield. Half of what they

were paid went to the country, but whatever they could plunder in terms of

weapons, armor, and prisoners was theirs to keep. Career soldiers made

money even in peacetime, but mercenaries wouldn't be paid until they

moved on to their next battlefield. Their need to earn enough to support

themselves during peacetime made them fight harder and act more

fiendishly.

In Machiavelli's The Art of War, he said of mercenaries, "War makes

thieves, and peace hangs them." When people are unable to make a living

any other way and are unable to find someone to hire them as soldiers, they

become highwaymen in peacetime. That's why the Republic of Florence,

which Machiavelli belonged to, worked to establish an army of the people

when they attacked the city-state of Pisa.

When she saw these rapacious mercenaries coming at her, Jeanne's face

remained calm.

"We know how Zemish mercenaries fight. And their weaknesses... Sir

Gunther."

"Yes, ma'am!"

As Gunther stood tall at her side, Jeanne gave him his orders.

"Take command of the Magic Armor Corps and crush the Zemish

mercenaries. However, if they begin to flee, don't overextend to pursue

them. Just chasing them off for now is fine."

"Yes, ma'am."

With that short acknowledgment, Gunther donned his helmet and

shouldered his big shield before quickly walking away. Jeanne watched him

go before looking back to the battlefield.

"Fuuga's forces are sacrificing the mercenaries, so we will sacrifice

them too."

The Zemish mercenaries specialized in clustering together with long

spears, surrounding their enemies to defeat them. In a way, they were a sort

of highly mobile phalanx. The magic armor soldiers of the Empire's Magic

Armor Corps wore heavy mail that was stained black. They clustered close

together with similarly stained black shields and pikes, marching towards

the enemy in a neat formation that was either a proper phalanx or a push of

pike.

Strangely, this had turned into a battle of polearms versus polearms.

"If they're clustered that tight, we can't surround them! Split 'em up!"

the mercenaries shouted when they saw magic armor soldiers on the front

line. Those who had bows or could use magic moved forward and began

unleashing on the magic armor soldiers.

Countless ranged attacks rained down on the magic armor soldiers.

But...

Plink, plink!

"Wha?!"

They could hear their attacks make contact, but the magic armor soldiers

continued unfazed—their steps beating a steady rhythm. When they saw

this, the mercenaries finally understood what they were facing.

"Magic and arrows don't work on these guys!"

"There's no mistaking that black armor! They're a heavy infantry unit

meant for anti-magic combat!"

"The shields of the Empire...the Magic Armor Corps?"

The Magic Armor Corps all wore armor enchanted to nullify magic and

marched forward with iron defenses, trampling the enemies of the Empire

underfoot. While their march was slow, it was said to be impossible to stop

them with ranged attacks.

Gunther, who was in the center of their formation, lifted his spear and

said, "Crush them."

"""Yeahhhh!"""

With his command, their raised pikes swung sharply down on the

mercenaries who were looking up in shock.

"Gyargh!"

"Gwugh!"

The pikes didn't stab them, they bludgeoned them to death with a heavy

mass of iron. The strikes were powerful enough to cave in their iron

helmets, and many mercenaries fell, bleeding from their heads. The magic

armor soldiers then marched over the bodies or kicked them out of the way

as they advanced.

"If they split us up, we're done for! Form up and push back!" one

mercenary shouted.

The other Zemish mercenaries massed together in a line of spears to

match their opponents. Many of them had muscles for brains, so it was easy

for them to jump on the first suggestion someone made in a rapidly

developing situation. This did mean they weren't thinking for themselves,

but you could say that it allowed them to work together efficiently. In fact,

by forming a line of spears, they were just barely able to stop the magic

armor soldiers' advance.

However, once they were massed together... Boom! Ka-blam! Suddenly,

a black mass came down on them.

It blew apart the mercenaries at the point of impact before digging into

the ground. The mercenaries who escaped peered into the newly formed

hole to see a cannonball there. The moment they processed what had

happened, they felt the ground vibrate under their feet.

They looked up to see a number of creatures with armaments mounted

on their backs lumbering towards them. It was the Empire's cannon

rhinosauruses—a seemingly self-propelled artillery. The cannon

rhinosauruses accompanied the infantry and provided supporting fire.

The mercenaries couldn't have known this, but when Souma was

occupying Van, the capital of the Principality of Amidonia, he and Hakuya

didn't know what to do when they saw the magic armor soldiers and cannon

rhinosauruses surrounding the city. Those were the same cannon

rhinosauruses that Jeanne had sent along to support the magic armor

soldiers.

After being bombarded with cannonballs when they were already under

pressure from the magic armor soldiers, the mercenaries couldn't take

anymore. They were ready to flee at any moment.

"Out of my way!"

Suddenly, a big man charged through the mercenaries to the front. Then,

using his big ax, he came out swinging at the magic armor soldiers.

"Take this!"

Simply put, he swung the ax with all his might. However, with that one

strike, he struck first blood against the as-yet-unharmed magic armor

soldiers, knocking some backwards and sending them colliding with ones

positioned in the rear.

"Oh. You're just hard, that's all."

Shouldering his ax and glaring at them, it was Nata, the Battle Ax of the

Tiger. The magic armor soldiers swung their pikes at Nata, but he deflected

them with a powerful swing of his ax, and his next strike sent more of them

flying.

"You're relying on how hard your armor is? That's not gonna stop me!"

When Nata swung his ax down, his blows were powerful enough to

deform their armor, even if he couldn't cut it clean in half. It was horrible

enough that whoever was inside couldn't survive. Because the magic armor

soldiers advanced in formation, it was difficult for them to take on a single

opponent. The rhinosaurus cannons that were supporting them couldn't

target an individual either.

If you looked at the larger picture, the magic armor soldiers were

pushing back the mercenaries, but there was a strange indentation in their

formation where Nata was.

Elated to finally have the chance he'd wanted to let loose, Nata roared,

"Who's next?!"

"I won't let you do this."

Clang! Gunther knocked Nata's big ax away using only his shield. The

deflected blow tore into a mercenary who happened to be in its way.

"Gwargh!"

"Damn it! Who are you?!"

"Gunther... The Euphoria sisters' shield."

Having answered Nata's question, Gunther cast aside the pike he was

holding and drew his sword.

Nata watched him with the eyes of a predator. "So you're a renowned

general. This is gonna be fun! I'll take you on!"

"You cur."

The sound of the impact echoed as Nata's ax and Gunther's shield

collided. Gunther used his shield to redirect Nata's ax, looking for an

opening to strike back with his sword—which Nata avoided as he kept on

swinging. With each swing of Nata's ax, Gunther's shield became more and

more crushed. The power between these two men was incredible.

"Sir Gunther!"

"Ngh?!"

A person appeared behind Gunther and used his shoulders as a

springboard to leap over Nata's head and get behind him.

"What?!"

Before Nata could turn and swing, the person in question had closed in,

placing their palm on his muscular torso.

"Hahhhh!"

With a cry of exertion, they unleashed a bolt of lightning. The stabbing

pains that raced through Nata's entire body made him grunt and stumble as

he tried to cut his assailant down.

Gunther held up his battered shield and charged in, knocking the larger

Nata away.

Standing with the person who had arrived safely behind him, he said,

"Madam Jeanne... What did you come here for?"

"Because I'd be in a tough spot if anything were to happen to you so

early in the battle!"

The person who'd intervened was none other than the Little Sister

General of the Empire, Jeanne Euphoria.

Jeanne saw this first exchange as no more than a skirmish for them to

gauge each other's abilities, but Nata had charged in despite it being that

early stage. When she saw Gunther struggling against him, she'd rushed in

to prevent the worst from happening. Although Gunther was angry at her

recklessness, he restrained himself.

"When we return, I'll have Lady Maria give you a talking-to," Gunther

said.

"Normally, it's the other way around. I wouldn't mind something

different for a change."

Jeanne smiled, but she didn't take her eyes off Nata. Her point-blank

lightning and Gunther's powerful tackle had hit Nata hard enough that he

still couldn't move very well yet.

"Damn it all!"

He might have broken a rib. However, he was still eager and willing to

fight.

"I'd say it's about time..."

Meanwhile, Moumei, who had been watching from the rear, decided the

mercenaries had seen enough to instill a proper fear of the Imperials in

them.

He raised his hammer aloft, and shouted, "We're done here! Everyone,

retreat! And don't forget to retrieve Sir Nata!"

With the order to withdraw given, the mercenaries fell over one another

fleeing. Some mercenaries were slow to retreat and ended up taking a magic

armor soldier's pike in the back, but the scattered withdrawal actually made

it harder for the slower magic armor soldiers to give chase. As Moumei,

Nata, and the mercenaries fled, the forces of the Great Tiger Kingdom and

the Orthodox Papal State pulled back too.

After watching this, Jeanne and Gunther pulled their own forces back

into the fortress.

It was fair to call this first exchange a victory for the Empire.

The battle between Fuuga's forces and the Empire's raged on. The once

enthusiastic Zemish mercenaries grew cautious after their initial loss, and

followed Moumei's (and by extension Hashim's) orders. In a winning

battle, mercenaries were courageous in order to maximize their profit and

accomplishments. But in the face of a tough opponent, saving their own

lives took priority. They wanted money—just without risking their lives for

it. They were just being true to that natural human instinct.

Nata the battle maniac was sent to the rear with the heavy wounds he

took on the first day, so there was no one left on the front line to charge in

like a barbarian. The attackers didn't overextend, and the defenders were

careful. In a straightforward battle like this, it was the forces of the

Orthodox Papal State that proved most effective.

"This is a crusade for Holy King Fuuga," Anne, the saint of Lunarian

Orthodoxy, said to her countrymen. "Defeat the pawns of the false saint

Maria and offer victory to our Lady Lunaria."

Anne wasn't large, but her voice carried well. Her expression was

unchanging—her tone bereft of emotion, as if a doll were speaking, but in a

way that lent her an unearthly air.

To the believers, her words were a literal message from the heavens.

"Ohh! Victory to our Holy King! And to our saint!"

"The blessing of Lady Lunaria is upon us! What do we have to fear?!"

"Even if we die, we will be taken to Lady Lunaria's side!"

The forces of the Orthodox Papal State included many volunteers in

addition to the regular military. They were peasant soldiers without proper

equipment, but they lived for the faith, and would gladly die for it too. They

attacked the Imperial forces prepared to do so.

"Here they come! Defend!" Gunther ordered the magic armor soldiers.

The Empire's magic armor soldiers were terrifyingly strong, and

Fuuga's forces would not forget the terror of that first day. But the Orthodox

Papal State's forces charged in without hesitation.

"Bring God's judgment on the evil Empire!"

"For Lady Lunaria! For the saint!"

The people who shouted these things—carrying equipment that paled in

comparison to the mercenaries'—rushed heedlessly onward until they were

impaled on a wall of pikes. They believed dying here would let them go to

Lady Lunaria's paradise.

The two main pillars of Lunarian Orthodox teaching were mutual

support and helping the weak. It was simple and easy to understand. And

yet, religious leaders interpreted the teachings to their own benefit, creating

a system of holy war and believers who would fight for the faith. Their

religious zeal meant they didn't fear death. That's why they would charge in

regardless of who they faced. Like the Ikko-ikki of Japan's Sengoku period.

Naturally, the Orthodox Papal State's forces took heavy losses. It looked

like a massacre or even a mass suicide. However, faced with these men

who, unafraid of death, climbed over the dead bodies of their brothers-inarms to attack them, the elite magic armor soldiers were worn down and

pushed back.

The battle was at a standstill. The attackers couldn't push through, but

the defenders couldn't push back. It was a war of attrition.

Saint Anne was watching it unfold from the Orthodox Papal State's

main camp. The men she'd stirred up fought, shed blood, and fell dead. She

had simply performed her role as a saint, and as a tool. But as she stood

there, unable to do more, she heard a voice that was still echoing in her

ears.

"Do you understand the fate that awaits you?"

They were the words of Mary, who had fled the Orthodox Papal State.

Anne remembered their brief meeting in their homeland. She recalled

the mixture of sadness, hesitation, and pity in Mary's eyes as she'd regarded

her. Anne didn't understand why Mary looked at her that way. She'd been

chosen as a saint, so she would fulfill her duties as one.

Even now, Anne was doing as people expected of her, assuming the

attitude of a saint. Her voice delighted the believers, allowing them to cast

aside their fear of death and go to the battlefield. She was being useful. It

gave her a reason to exist. For Anne, an orphan who'd had no place in

society, this was something to be happy about. Yet, why had Mary looked at

her that way?

"Once you see the broader world... In the Kingdom, you'll be able to

find a life other than as a saint."

That's what she'd said as she extended her hand to Anne.

But Anne couldn't see the value in what she was proposing. After that,

Mary had left the Orthodox Papal State with a large number of other saint

candidates. They were excommunicated, but the church of Lunarian

Orthodoxy in the Kingdom of Friedonia took them in.

If I took Mary's hand then, would it have changed anything?

That was what Anne pondered in the copious amounts of free time she

had after sending the soldiers to the battlefield. Though, think as she

might...there was no answer forthcoming, so she stopped.

As she did, a soldier, pale of face and bleeding from the chest, was

carried in. He must have taken a serious wound on the battlefield.

"Ah! Your Grace!"

"Please, leave!"

Ignoring her bodyguards, Anne approached the wounded soldier. He

groaned in pain, but his joy was evident when he saw Anne's face.

"Ohh... Your Grace... I'm sorry to show myself before you in this

piteous state..."

"There is nothing piteous about it. You have fought well as a believer in

Lady Lunaria."

"Thank you for your kind words... Now, will I be able to go to her

side...?"

He reached out his right hand, seemingly bloodied from holding his

wounds, towards Anne. The guards tried to come between them, but Anne

held her ground, taking the man's hand without hesitation and unconcerned

as the sleeve of her white raiment was stained with crimson.

"Yes. Lady Lunaria sees everything you have done," Anne answered in a

calm voice.

The man seemed satisfied with this. He smiled and said no more. Anne

placed the hand she'd taken gently on the man's chest, and then he was

carried away.

Anne clutched her bloodstained sleeve. The man had looked so

incredibly peaceful. As a saint, she had sent him to his death. As a saint, she

was able to grant him salvation. Both were her job as a saint.

However...Anne neither regretted nor relished any of it. She had merely

played the role she had been given.

"Lady Anne... Do you require a change of clothes?" one of her guards

said, unable to watch her just stand there.

"This is the blood of a noble spirit who fell for our faith. How is that

unclean?" Anne said, looking to the battlefield once more.

Souma struggled with the title of king, and Maria with the title of saint.

But despite this, they never stopped thinking as normal people. Even if the

weight of their positions nearly crushed them, their love for their countries

made them hold back at the brink, never falling into just playing a role.

Anne, on the other hand, shut her heart off, committing to the role of

saint entirely, in order to protect herself. So that even as she got blood on

her hands, she could continue to be a saint.

One night, after several days of fighting...

"Well, the Empire sure knows how to put up a fight," Gaten said with a

hearty laugh.

Inside a large tent with a campfire, Hashim, Gaten, Moumei, and Kasen

were holding a council around a model of the battlefield and the

surrounding terrain.

"Their defenses are hard, and their morale high. None of them are

intimidated by Lord Fuuga's glory. They're definitely the toughest

opponents we've fought so far."

"It's nothing to laugh about, Sir Gaten," the serious Crossbow of the

Tiger, Kasen Shuri, remonstrated him.

"Their tactics are precise too. We tried to send a detachment around the

back of the fortress, but were intercepted by troops who'd anticipated the

move. They're limiting their losses while gradually grinding us down. I

thought that maybe the Empress's little sister got her post through nepotism,

but she's no ordinary general," Kasen said, frustrated because he was the

one to lead that detachment.

Jamona Fortress was built on naturally defensible terrain, making it

remarkably resilient against a frontal attack, but there were narrow gaps in

the mountains that looked like they went through to the other side. Kasen's

detachment had used those narrow paths to try and attack the fortress from

the inside, but there had been enemies lying in wait, forcing them to retreat.

The experience had given Kasen an idea of what Jeanne's goals were.

"She's left gaps deliberately because she knows the narrow paths well.

It's easier for her to do damage to a small detached force than it is against a

full-frontal assault by the main army."

"On top of that, she has the guts to charge in solo like Nata. She's a great

general with both brains and brawn," Moumei offered a few words of praise

for Jeanne.

Gaten shrugged in exasperation. "I guess that makes her like our

Shuukin? Could we have Sir Shuukin come here from the rear?"

Shuukin was in the rear, defending their supply lines. He'd been placed

there because the debt of gratitude he felt towards the Kingdom and the

Empire for saving him from Magic Bug Disease raised concerns that it

might blunt his willingness to fight. Hashim was unwilling to trust someone

hesitant to manage the front lines, and Fuuga didn't want to lose Shuukin to

any blunders caused by that hesitation.

However, that conservative decision had proved effective.

Hashim shook his head and said, "The Empire never misses an

opportunity. If we neglect to defend our rear, they will target us there in no

time. If our supply lines are cut, we would struggle to maintain such a large

army without food. We need a great general like Sir Shuukin defending

them."

"In other words, we have to do something about the front line

ourselves," Gaten said, shrugging.

"Oh, it won't be much longer now," Hashim retorted, a smirk forming

on his face.

"I have a report!"

As if spoken into existence, a messenger came up. They saluted, then

approached Hashim to whisper in his ear. As he listened, the corners of

Hashim's mouth turned up to form a shape like a crescent moon. That

deranged grin sent chills down the other three commanders' spines.

Hashim rose to his feet and told them, "The preparations are complete.

Let's go put on the finishing touches."

To make tomorrow's sun the setting sun of the Empire.

The next day...

Jeanne and Gunther stood on the walls of Jamona Fortress, surveying

the camps of the Imperial forces.

"We're pushing them back...for now," Jeanne said to Gunther, who was

beside her. "Their assault is fierce, but if we keep knocking them back,

they're the ones who'll run out of breath first. We need to hold out as long

as we can and wait for their morale to decrease."

"That is the only way we can win, after all," Gunther said gravely. Maria

had called for a common front between all of mankind, so she had no

intention of counterinvading the Empire. That forced them onto a defensive

footing.

At the same time, as the mightiest of all nations, they had no allies they

could ask to support them. Even the Kingdom of Friedonia, which they had

a secret pact against the Demon Lord's Domain with, would have had

trouble moving against the Great Tiger Kingdom. If the Empire was going

to win this and achieve something in this war, they had to win the battle of

attrition, then pursue the enemy as they fled and deal major damage.

Jeanne crossed her arms and touched her chin. "What concerns me is

that no one has seen Fuuga yet. I heard he was a wild man who enjoys

fighting on the front lines..."

"Would it not be a bad idea for the commander-in-chief of a composite

force like theirs to go too far to the front?"

It was true that while Fuuga was used to fighting alongside the soldiers

of the Great Tiger Kingdom, there were also Zemish mercenaries and

soldiers from the Orthodox Papal State in his current army. If he went to the

front and went down like Nata did on the first day, that would be a major hit

to his forces' morale. Were Jeanne his advisor, she'd have told him in no

uncertain terms that he absolutely should not go to the front. Nonetheless, it

still concerned her.

"Fuuga's forces sent a diversionary force to the north too, right? I'm

suspecting that Fuuga could be with them..."

"Given the intensity of their attacks, I'd say the bulk of their forces must

be here."

"Agreed. I don't doubt this is their main force."

Even if Fuuga was with the diversionary force, he wouldn't be able to

lead a vastly inferior army to any great military victory. Krahe alone ought

to be enough to deal with him.

Still, Jeanne couldn't wipe her concerns away. And they would prove to

be well-founded.

On that day, even once the sun rose, there was no attack on the fortress.

Jeanne was wary, wondering what was happening. In the afternoon, she saw

a massive water ball forming over Fuuga's camp.

Jeanne ordered her forces to remain alert as she glared at the ball.

They must mean to use the broadcast again, she thought.

Before this battle, Hashim had used it to sow confusion inside the

Empire, so Jeanne expected more propaganda.

But what are they going to broadcast now...?

Now that the broadcasts had been used to sow confusion once, if the

Empire was shown information they already knew, the viewers would

simply think, "This again?" The effect wouldn't be as strong the second

time around nor cause the same chaos as before.

Does he have another trick up his sleeve?

Suddenly—

"Ah?!"

When they saw the scene projected on that ball of water, Jeanne and

every other person in Jamona Fortress gulped. It was a shocking image, but

there wasn't pandemonium. That was because the scenery they were shown

was unbelievable.

"This is absurd! Fuuga's main army is here!" Jeanne shouted, punching

the edge of the fortress wall.

Gunther's eyes were wide too. For the image projected in the water ball

was Valois, surrounded by a massive force...