# 015. Chronicle Legion

## 01. Volume 1 - Invading Legions ( Full Text )

### 001. Afterword

The new publishing label of Dash X Bunko has finally arrived.

Chronicle Legion has also entered the market as part of the label's initial lineup.

In fact, it was one year ago when the editorial department asked me to write a proposal for a fantasy war story as part of the label's launch.

I was very lazy at the time and said I was in no mood to write this type of story.

Rather, it would be better to say that there were many similar works in the market already (wry smile.)

By the time Dash X Bunko launched, there would surely be even more works of the same genre. Either way, there will always be other willing authors even if I didn't write one.

During my discussion with the editor, I said "at least let me use an outrageous setting, like 'the ancient Roman hero Caesar establishes a new empire in the modern world' for example, then I'll write it. Oh, you're really okay with that?"

"Then collective fights between armies of giants are okay too? And I don't mean robots."

"Ah, but it doesn't feel exciting enough unless there are showdowns between heroes from various time periods—Oh? You're okay with that too?"

In the end, I decided to use these ideas to create my own Romance of the Three Kingdoms , thus giving birth to this series.

Volume 1's plot is about the heroine, who plays the part of Liu Bei, recruiting the protagonist who is in Guan Yu's position.

Volume 2 will begin by expanding the stage beyond Suruga and the fights will get more intense. However, the school idol, (tentative) Zhang Fei, has yet to awaken while the protagonist's circle hasn't gotten too familiar with the katana girl who plays Zhao Yun either.

Will the school festival and beauty contest in December actually go ahead without issue?

It is still unknown how many volumes this " Romance of the Three Kingdoms set on a fictional 20th-century stage plus armies of giants" can go on for. I am hoping I can count on your strong support, dear readers.

Now, let's talk about Campione! which is also published by Shueisha.

In that series, I added in a lot of little known facts related to mythology from around the world.

In the case of this series, the content includes collective battles between giant soldiers and depictions of warfare, strategy, and tactics from ancient, medieval and modern times.

Please look forward to it... is what I would really like to say. In the event that it's not your cup of tea, I won't be offended if you simply skimmed through it. Of course, I sincerely request your loving support (smile).

Personally, exploring the military theme of "back in the time of the ancient Greeks, the number of rows and columns in heavy infantry formations was the key to deciding victory in war!!" is really up my alley. Anyway, I will be careful to avoid putting in knowledge that's way too esoteric (wry smile.)

The stage for this story is set in Imperial Japan.

It is a world whose culture and conventions are slightly different from reality. For example, the prevalence of traditional Japanese-style clothing is far higher than in the real Japan. After all, the "another world" elements of giants, fairies and spirits are all present, yet Japanese proclivities and living standards happen to be similar to the late twentieth century in the real world. Likewise, anime and doujinshi exist (laugh).

Also, I decided on many setting details from the Bakumatsu to the Meiji Restoration as well as the fictional history of how the Great Empire of Japan transitioned into Imperial Japan. It was only later when it occurred to me that "a war story about Hijikata Toshizō surviving the Boshin War to go on and lead the Wolves of Mibu to fight across Hokkaidō and the northeast" would be a nice idea too... But it's too late for all that now.

Having caused trouble for the various departments involved in editing, design and proofreading, I would like to take this opportunity to express my deepest apologies and gratitude.

Illustrator BUNBUN-sama, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to complete these exquisite illustrations. Personally, the color illustration of the Crusade Legions in a showdown against the Kamuy Legions, featuring no girls at all, is my favorite.

Well then, everyone, let us meet again with Volume 2.

### 002. Chapter 1

Crusade (クルセイド): The British Empire's mainstay Legion model. Massive in physique and exhibiting strong power and speed, its physical specs are outstanding among Legions.

Knights of Her Majesty (女王騎士): A title bestowed upon heroes of outstanding abilities and accomplishments among the Chevaliers serving in the British Imperial Forces. A Chevalier strength of 90 is a minimum requirement.

British Empire (大英帝国): A great empire with Victoria II as the monarch and territory all over the world. Vying against the Eastern Roman Empire for supremacy in East Asia, the British Empire has been aggressively intervening in Imperial Japan's affairs in recent years.

Noetic Control (念導術): A system of techniques for sensing and transmitting noetic waves. Noetic control is a specialty of spirits and familiars but humans with great noetic aptitude are born every now and then.

Genie (念導精靈 / ジーニー): A female self-sustaining noetic spirit, specializing in noetic control and capable of causing various mystic phenomena. They are actually avatars of noetic divinities, the ifrits, and responsible for listening to human requests and controlling their "main body."

### 003. Chapter 2

Kamuy (神威): Imperial Japan's mainstay Legion model. Fierce and agile, the Kamuy exhibits greater loyalty than other Legions, showing utmost devotion to the Chevalier to whom it owes allegiance. Nicknamed the "blue samurai."

Chevalier (騎士侯): Wielders of the special power to summon Legions. Chevaliers enjoy many privileges and honors because they frequently rush to the front lines to fight on behalf of their country and military. They occupy high-ranking positions in the military as officers and receive preferential treatment in society as a privileged class.

Pipe Fox (管狐): A small retainer beast used by the Japanese military, responsible for reconnaissance and relaying commands. Has the ability to teleport but only across short distances.

Nation-Protecting Keep (護国塔): The central command tower at a tutelary fort. The top level is a genie control room while important facilities such as water shrines are kept underground.

Retainer Beast (随獣): A familiar sent to the human realm by the godlike sacred beasts. Retainer beasts possess mystic powers and serve mankind. They are mostly used in military and police agencies. Imperial Japan's retainer beasts include pipe foxes and Mibu wolves. They are also called shikigami or tsukaima .

Bayonet Rifle (銃槍): Standard-issue equipment for Legions. A weapon formed by fitting a stabbing blade to a military rifle, allowing it to be used for both automatic gunfire and as a spear.

Seiryuu (青龍): One type out of Imperial Japan's four great ifrits, known collectively as the Four Gods together with Suzaku, Byakko and Genbu.

Provincial Army (州軍): The local armed forces independently maintained by each province.

Twelve Fiefdoms (十二将家): The local governments empowered by the Empress to rule each of the twelve provinces of Hokkaido, Ōshū, Hokuriku, Kantō, Tōsandō, Tōkaidō, Kinai, Ōsaka, Chūgoku, Shikoku, Kyūshū, and Okinawa. Like the states in the United States of America, the Twelve Fiefdoms enjoy a very high degree of autonomy. Furthermore, the Kantō Fiefdom maintains close ties to the imperial family and central government. They were the ones who forged the tributary alliance under the suzerainty of the Eastern Roman Empire. Critical of the central faction, the fiefdoms of western Japan are anti-Rome in outlook. The fiefdoms of eastern Japan, excluding Kantō, all take a pro-imperial family stance.

Fiefdoms (将家) and Governor Generals (総督): Each fiefdom is ruled by a hereditary Governor General. The Governor General's administration is composed of civilian officials and soldiers to assist the Governor General. These Governor Generals essentially hold the same position and authority as feudal lords did in the past during the Edo Period.

Tutelary Fort (鎮守府): Among military installations, it refers specifically to "a base where Chevaliers and Legions operate from."

Meteorological Decree (天象勅令): a mystic weapon allowing weather phenomena to be controlled and used effectively against Legions. Only top-class spirits and retainer beasts are capable of using them. Divided into lightning, wind, rain, snow and other types.

Britain Faction (ブリテン派): Imperial Japan is in a tributary alliance with the Eastern Roman Empire as the suzerain. In recent years, voices have arisen to advocate for signing a "Treaty of Friendship" with the British Empire. This is the so-called Britain Faction.

Protective Barrier (防御結界): A glow enveloping a Legion's body, has the effect of weakening incoming gunfire. In a situation of melee combat, the protective barriers from both parties will cancel out, rendering them ineffective.

Noetic Master (念導術師): Used in a broad sense, the term means "a human possessing noetic aptitude." Such humans are extremely rare. Used in a specific sense, the term refers to "a person who has achieved national certification as a noetic master."

Ifrit (念導神格 / イフリート): Wielding powerful noetic energy, these noetic divinities stand as the highest ranked beings among spirits. Stationed at tutelary forts or military ships, they serve as "guardian deities" to bring about all kinds of supernatural abilities. Genies are their avatars. The avatars are responsible for listening to the requests of their human allies and controlling the main bodies, the ifrits.

Wyvern (翼竜): A mid-sized retainer beast used by the military in every country. Apart from transporting people as flying mounts, they also take on various missions such as reconnaissance, surveillance and anti-personnel combat.

### 004. Chapter 3

Restoration Alliance (維新同盟): An alliance that Imperial Japan's Kinai Fiefdom entered with the British Imperial Forces for the purpose of "reforming Japan," rising up in rebellion against the central government in Tokyo.

Emperor Karl the Great (カール大帝): Also known as Charlemagne, a Resurrectee in the west standing equal to Lord Caesar in the east. He is the leader who united the countries of Europe to form the Chivalric King Alliance.

Charter of Chivalry (騎士道協定): A product called for by Emperor Karl the Great of the Chivalric King Alliance, ratified with strong support from Generalissimo Caesar and Victoria II, Queen of Britain. These rules of international warfare strictly prohibit wanton violence, atrocities and plunder subjecting civilians to intentional harm, etc... Detractors point out that "one should strive for adherence to this charter, but bluntly speaking, it is nothing more than a public stance of hypocrisy."

Chevalier Strength (騎力): Each Chevalier can only summon up to a fixed total number of Legions. This quantity is called Chevalier strength.

Mixed Bath (混浴): The ancient Roman Empire's territory used to cover Europe, spreading Roman baths and bathing customs across the continent. After the Empire collapsed, people continued to indulge in their bathing habits every now and then. However, due to the spread of infectious diseases, public baths were deemed "locations exposing one to the risk of dangerous infections," thus leading to more and more regions giving up bathing and mixed baths...

Retainer Beast Talisman (随獣符): A noetic catalyst made of paper or wood, capable of transforming into all kinds of retainer beasts after being activated using noesis.

Water Shrine (水霊殿): A reservoir of artificial ectoplasmic fluid. An essential facility located underground of every tutelary fort.

Noetic Disruption (念導攪乱): An overall term for noetic control techniques to cancel out electromagnetic waves and wireless communications. There also exists a type of noetic disruption that neutralizes noetic waves.

Stronghold (本拠地): When near a water shrine of his/her stronghold, a Chevalier can summon Legions for an unlimited number of times. Furthermore, Legions killed in combat within the stronghold's range can be revived extremely quickly. In principle, a Chevalier can only summon 10% of the Legions supported by his/her Chevalier strength when outside a stronghold. However, the fluid reactor, such as the one installed in the destroyer Tintagel , is a power mechanism driven by artificial ectoplasmic fluid and provides functionality that emulates a water shrine. By using a fluid reactor as a stronghold, a Chevalier can summon 50% of the Legions supported by his/her Chevalier strength, but with the drawback that casualties cannot be revived within the short term.

Appellation (銘): A name or title symbolizing a Feat of Arms. People who inherited an Appellation have the power to summon Legions and can become Chevaliers. These Appellations include "names of warriors who were active in the past," "names of weapons with distinguished backgrounds," "titles or medals awarded to heroes," "names of armies or fortresses," etc.

Tutelary Pact (鎮守の契約): By praying at a water shrine at various locations, a Chevalier can enter a pact to become "a knight in defense of that particular region." After that, the land functions as the Chevalier's stronghold.

Ectoplasmic Fluid (霊液): A blue liquid for enacting various miracles, it is also the power source of Legions, coursing through their bodies like blood. When mass-produced with the aid of sacred beasts, it is known as "artificial ectoplasmic fluid."

Legatus Legionis (レガトゥス・レギオニス): A title of honor used for warriors revived from the ancient past—the Resurrectees. The term legatus legionis is Latin for "legion commander." As a means for emphasizing status, it is used relatively infrequently.

### 005. Chapter 4

Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada (和泉守兼定): The Japanese sword owned by the Bakumatsu hero, Hijikata Toshizō. It is revived in the modern era due to Tachibana Masatsugu inheriting its Appellation.

War Cry (戰場之歌 / ウォークライ): Roars or howls emitted by Legions from beneath their masks. Has the effects of causing noetic disruption and intimidating retainer beasts or spirits.

Onikiri Yasutsuna (鬼切安綱): A Genji trenchant blade. Its Appellation was inherited by Akigase Rikka. Manifests as a Japanese sword.

Spherical Formation (球状陣形): Used by Legions in flight, a spherical formation allows for vigilance and defense in all directions.

Sprite (小型妖精 / スプライト): A small retainer beast used by the British military. Like Japan's pipe fox, it has the ability to teleport.

Vanguard (先鋒): Modern Chevaliers are able to summon their Legions out of thin air. Consequently, it is very difficult to make an accurate prediction before a battle as to how much combat potential the enemy is holding in reserve. The vanguard is in charge of scouting or luring out the enemy's forces, which is quite a dangerous job. Even among Chevaliers, it is considered a post of honor.

Noesis Barrier (念障壁): A shield of noetic energy projected around a tutelary fort or a military ship. Since it is created by ifrits, conglomerates of noetic energy, by using a part of themselves, the collapse of a noesis barrier will cause severe damage to the ifrit.

Noetic Officer (念導士官): The overall term for noetic masters enlisted in the military.

Feat of Arms (武勲): A power used by Resurrectees and inheritors of Appellations. This special power enacts miraculous phenomena by recreating illustrious feats of battle from the past.

Feat of Arms—Onikiri no Tachi (武勲《鬼切の太刀》): Onikiri Yasutsuna's Feat of Arms, used by the inheritor to recreate the trenchant blade's legend of "slaying Shuten-dōji, the oni of Ooe-yama." This allows the user of Onikiri Yasutsuna to become a Legion-slaying swordsman.

Packed Formation (密集陣形): Legions enter packed formations in order to strengthen the protective barrier between friendly forces, thus raising defensive power. When comparable numbers of Legions fire upon one another, the majority of shots tend to be neutralized, resulting in a melee showdown to decide the battle.

Mibu Wolf (壬生狼): A mid-sized retainer beast used by Imperial Japan's military, a massive wolf almost the size of a horse. Silver fur. Used for a variety of missions such as combat, security and lookout. In the past, the hero Hijikata Toshizō led Mibu wolves to fight the Meiji administration.

### 006. Chapter 5

Chevalier Conferment (騎士敘勳): Inheriting an Appellation and wielding the special power of summoning Legions are not enough for someone to establish their social standing as a Chevalier. They must demonstrate their abilities to either the state or the military in order to obtain Chevalier Conferment. Furthermore, Conferment alone simply endows one with the small privilege of being authorized to carry weapons. In most countries, one can only enjoy a proper Chevalier's privileges and honors by enlisting in the military to become an officer. Chevaliers who retire after completing their military term will retain equivalent privileges as though still in active service.

Tennen Rishin Style (天然理心流): An ancient style of swordsmanship established in the late Edo Period. Incorporates techniques from iai, jujutsu, and stick-fighting. Due to its 4th generation master, Kondō Isami becoming the leader of the Shinsengumi, the school of Tennen Rishin Style became well-known. Many fictional stories depict it as a "plain and rural style of the sword" and this impression has taken root widely. In truth, Tennen Rishin Style enjoys support from the wealthy farming class and is widely practiced with Tama in Bushū as a major center. Due to its subtle techniques combined with systematic theory of the sword, the school has risen to become the most influential faction in Kantō swordsmanship circles.

Hijikata Toshizō (土方歳三): A warrior during the Bakumatsu years, he was the deputy leader of the Shinsengumi serving the Tokugawa Shogunate and known for his decisive and brutal methods. He escaped to Hokkaidō after meeting defeat in the Boshin War at the hands of the Imperial forces of the new government. Thereafter, he led a band of retainer beasts, Mibu wolves, battling across various locations to protect Hokkaidō from the invading Meiji administration. Locally, he became known as the Man-Eating Demon as the subject of stories. He passed away in 1910 at the age of seventy-five.

Feudalism (封建制): A system of government where vassals swear fealty to the king in exchange for territory. With medieval European aristocracy and Japanese samurai society as prime examples, the king did not hold absolute power in such a system. Rather than unconditionally obedient followers, the vassals were more akin to business partners under contract.

### 007. Chapter 6

Knight of the Garter (ナイト・オブ・ガーター): A type of Legion only summonable by Sir Black Knight. Very similar to the Crusade in appearance, except both its armor and uniform are black. Can invoke terrifying Feats of Arms such as the "Chevalier de Noir" at Sir Black Knight's command...

Feat of Arms—Gankouken (武勲《雁行剣》): Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada's Feat of Arms, which bestows a katana and Tennen Rishin Style swordsmanship upon every Legion under his command, at the same time recreating the Shinsengumi's "infantry tactics" as taught by Hijikata Toshizō. The orderly flight formation resembles a flock of migratory geese, hence its literal name which means "Geeseflight Sword." There is an identically-named Tennen Rishin Style technique, which is what this Feat of Arms was named after.

### 008. Epilogue

Chevaliers of the Kinai Fiefdom had led an army of roughly two hundred Kamuys to invade Suruga.

The following day after this army's defeat at the hands of Tachibana Masatsugu ...

Akigase Rikka recovered early in the morning from her unconscious state.

Hearing news of victory, she nodded contentedly. She was currently at the tutelary fort's office, reviewing combat videos recorded by the genie Sakuya.

The red-purple Kamuys active on the screen were apparently named Kanesadas.

"Impressive."

Watching the Kanesadas' battle and Tachibana Masatsugu's command, Rikka could not help but offer praise.

Using noetic control to play the records, Sakuya was standing quietly in front of the desk. Of course, she was a non-corporeal image.

"Say, he only summoned a hundred Legions? As suspected, he is hiding his true name and Chevalier Strength, isn't he...? Sakuya, share your thoughts."

"Impossible to speculate. I cannot answer."

The spirit's response left Rikka hanging. She recalled Masatsugu's handsome face.

Fine, whatever. She would ask him personally the next time she saw him. Or perhaps, she could pay a visit to the princess' residence today to have a unhurried discussion.

"I must thank him. As fellow Chevaliers, there are also topics to chat about..."

Justifying herself, Rikka looked at the top of the desk.

While she was unconscious, a pipe fox messenger had arrived from outside of Suruga City, bringing many news and orders.

First of all, Rikka's attention fell to "The British forces confirmed so far."

The British Imperial Forces aiding—no, leading—the Restoration Alliance belonged to the Far East Fleet's First Expeditionary Brigade.

The Legion-deploying knightly fleet included seven Chevaliers and three large destroyers.

In addition, there were four landing crafts crewed by their respective marines. Others included supply vessels in charge of military logistics, special enchanted ships of the retainer beast task force, etc...

After that, Rikka read the message sent by her father, Akigase Shouzan.

There was no personal letter at all, purely orders issued by the Tōkaidō region's Governor General.

"Defend the Suruga tutelary fort until further instructions... That is simply unreasonable. But to think that he ordered me to remain here..."

Rikka smiled wryly. She originally thought her father would order her to leave Suruga City, just as the princess had speculated a few days earlier.

"This means he has a plan to counterattack—?"

It was the fourth day since Suruga's invasion.

After the eventful weekend, it was finally Monday. However, the imposition of martial law in Suruga City had not changed.

With the Restoration Alliance blockading the surroundings, no one could leave Suruga City.

However, at Rinzai High's Black Lily Dorm—the imperial princess' residence—there were a number of changes.

The lady of the house had recruited a knight, and that man had obtained both a dangerous Japanese sword and an army of Legions within a few short days.

It was after 9am. After a late breakfast...

Shiori, Masatsugu, and Hatsune were gathered in the conversation lounge.

"Oh no! It's raining!"

The lady-in-waiting, Hatsune, left the room in a rush.

Large raindrops were falling outside the window. She must have gone to retrieve the laundry.

"It feels kind of strange." Left alone with the princess, Masatsugu told his new liege, "This city is facing war, yet as residents, we're simply going about with our relatively normal lives."

Likewise, everyone was busy with their own laundry and cooking. Random shops in the city were still in business.

After the proclamation of martial law, educational institutions had suspended classes. Taisei had sent a message earlier to say that many students were still gathering in Rinzai High's school building. Masatsugu and company also planned to check it out later.

"Times are different nowadays compared to the ancient or medieval world. Besides, with the Charter of Chivalry in place, doing anything too heinous would lead to international isolation. But of course..." replied Shiori, relaxing while sitting on the sofa.

Masatsugu was at the window side, looking out at the rain that was getting heavier.

"There are many battlefields in this world where such 'ideology' does not apply."

"I see," Masatsugu nodded in agreement.

More precisely, this concerned the difference between "expansionist warfare" and "civil war / coup d'etat."

"By the way, Masatsugu-sama..." Shiori asked him a question, "Do you still... not know what era and country you were born in?"

"No, I don't, Princess. There aren't enough clues in the fragmented memories you helped me to see."

At the water shrine, Masatsugu had gotten a glimpse of his past. He actually could not recall most of the details, such as what kind of armor he wore or how the horses were outfitted in his former life.

It was like the ambiguous contents of a dream.

If he could recall the style of equestrian gear, there might be a chance to unravel the mystery of his past.

"To be honest," Masatsugu said candidly, "I'm not interested in my past at all. For the past two years, it's been very clear to me that I can live on despite amnesia."

"Well..."

"It's just that knowing my true name will make it easier to replenish ectoplasmic fluid. With that accomplished, it should be possible... for me to match that Chevalier from last night," said Masatsugu, gazing out the window.

Having become Princess Shiori's knight, a clash with that top general of the British was inevitable. Before that showdown, he must bolster his own combat strength.

Yet he still had not found the key to opening the door to his memories.

What a worrying future—Just as Masatsugu thought that, he noticed something.

He was at the window looking at the rain scenery. The glass reflected the scene behind him, which happened to include the princess sitting on the sofa.

Shiori seemed a bit restless.

It looked like she wanted to say something but stopped herself every time.

After seeing it repeat four times, Masatsugu spoke up, "Princess, what's with you?"

"N-Nothing, please do not mind me!" Greatly shaken, Shiori coughed lightly before saying, "M-Masatsugu-sama, could you please come over?"

Shiori inexplicably made such a request but Masatsugu had no reason to refuse. He walked over to the sofa and sat down on Shiori's left. She extended her left hand—

Her delicate hand settled gently on top of Masatsugu's right hand.

So warm. Masatsugu could feel a comfortable warmth from her palm.

"I knew it..." Shiori sighed. "Masatsugu-sama, your body normally tends to be cold."

"I guess. I've had my body temperature measured a few times. The average is thirty-four degrees Celsius."

"Th-This number is clearly abnormal. My guess is that is undoubtedly related to the problem of ectoplasmic fluid supply!"

"I see, so that's why."

For the past two years, whenever Masatsugu had his temperature taken at places like hospitals, everyone always found it unbelievable.

After knowing the reason, Masatsugu nodded.

Turning her head away, deliberately avoiding Masatsugu's face, Shiori said, "Consequently... We must properly prepare on a regular basis."

"Prepare?"

"Indeed. Daily or once every few days, if I were to share the precursor of ectoplasmic fluid—the warmth of my blood—with you in suitable quantities..."

The princess kept her warm palm on top of Masatsugu's right hand the whole time.

"Masatsugu-sama, you should be able to use even more Kanesadas."

Masatsugu was instantly enlightened. So there was this solution too. However, how much energy he could store and how great a burden this would impose on Shiori's health were questions that could only be answered after trying it.

Regardless, this experiment was worth trying for sure.

"Princess."

Masatsugu called out to Shiori in gratitude, gazing intently at the side of her face.

Shiori still refused to make eye contact. The reason was very simple. Holding hands was very embarrassing already and she was too bashful to look upon Masatsugu's face.

However, Shiori replied, "P-Please pay no mind to it. Masatsugu-sama, we share the same destiny now... I have also promised to assist you in every way possible."

"That's true, then I'd better hurry and liberate Suruga City before the date of the school festival."

"A-Are you referring to the beauty contest...?"

"Don't forget to wear a swimsuit, Princess."

"Ooooooh..."

Masatsugu's reminder prompted Shiori to hang her head in embarrassment.

During the whole time, their hands remained superimposed together. Then—

"Princess, Onii-sama! I successfully retrieved the laundry without getting a single raindrop on it at all!"

A patter of running footsteps could be heard from the corridor. They heard Hatsune's cheerful report.

Having fulfilled her duties as lady-in-waiting and chorewoman, Hatsune returned to the conversation lounge.

"Princess, what's going on here?"

"Nothing at all, I am simply checking the stains on the ceiling."

Hatsune was astonished by Shiori's elegant reply.

Five seconds earlier, the princess was still sitting next to Masatsugu, holding his hand. Now, she was standing on the low table in front, wearing a serene smile.

Indeed, the instant she heard Hatsune's voice...

Shiori was very afraid of letting Hatsune witness the sight of them holding hands.

Hence, she had released Masatsugu's hand and stood up from the sofa in such a rush that she ended up jumping onto the table.

Considering her poor athleticism, this was quite a feat of agility.

The maiden's sense of shame must have awakened dormant potential (?) within herself.

"May I trouble you to prepare a cup of black tea...? I am so sorry for asking you to do this immediately after your return."

"No problem, right away~" answered Hatsune cheerfully to the princess standing on the table.

Blessed with outstanding intelligence and beauty, Fujinomiya Shiori was a master of facades.

However, she often tripped up in Tachibana Masatsugu's presence, exposing her panicking and anxious sides once in a while. Masatsugu's liege in the modern world was truly a fascinating girl.

As for Tachibana Masatsugu himself, he was an ancient warrior with a forgotten name and lost memories, a powerful Chevalier... Unfortunately, he could not draw upon his power freely.

In any case, the battles facing these two were only just beginning.

Imperial Japan, the Eastern Roman Empire, and the British Empire. The ever-shifting alliances and rivalries between these three countries would plunge the islands of Japan into conflict and turmoil—

The curtain had risen upon a dramatic tripartite era, mirroring that of the Three Kingdoms.

### 009. Part 1

Second-year student in high school. Male. Living in Suruga City of Shizuoka Prefecture in the Tōkaidō region.

If one had to explain his identity, the previous sentences were enough to describe Tachibana Masatsugu, who was neither a celebrity nor an elite national athlete.

Bluntly stated, putting aside certain idiosyncrasies, Tachibana Masatsugu was nothing more than an ordinary high school student.

However, the ordinary Masatsugu still had his own ambitions.

"Speaking of the final event to be held before the end of the second term, Taisei, do you know what that is?"

"Of course the final exams, Masatsugu-kun."

"Wrong, it's the beauty contest held in December, an event taking place on the last day of the school festival."

"......"

Masatsugu's friend, Okonogi Taisei, reacted with silence somewhat akin to consternation.

They were currently at the cafeteria of Rinzai Private High School. Masatsugu was drinking a juicebox of green tea while Taisei was having canned coffee. The cafeteria was always packed during lunch time, but quite unoccupied now because it was after school.

As a side note, Taisei had a head of brown hair, dyed, and a face whose features could be considered handsome.

Unfortunately, perhaps due to his excellent character and upbringing, combined with outstanding common sense, he was not a particularly conspicuous person. And now, Taisei spoke gently as always, "By the way, Masatsugu-kun, I heard you're serving as part of the school festival's executive committee?"

"Yeah. I'm filling in for Takeda who transferred out at the end of the first term."

Compared to his friend's soft posture and tone, Masatsugu seemed rather rigid in comparison.

Occasionally, Masatsugu would give off an impression like some kind of samurai. This was actually correct since the Tachibana family had served the Tokugawa as jikisan hatamoto in the past, samurai in direct service of the Shogunate.

Even though his disposition did not stem from bloodline, if one had to classify Masatsugu as hard or soft in an analogy, he was clearly the former.

Masatsugu spoke in solemn tones and his posture was quite rigid and upright. He never clamored in restlessness, seldom told jokes, and rarely broke school rules. Consequently, he did not have many friends in class.

Including Taisei, he had only three or four close friends.

If he were to stare in a mirror this very moment, he would surely look like a gloomy man with a slightly furrowed brow.

...Unexpectedly, contrary to such a hardline disposition, Masatsugu took out from his schoolbag the list of beauty contestants.

"To be honest, when I first started serving on the executive committee and was assigned to be in charge of the beauty pageant, I found it a hassle and thought I wasn't suited to it. However, after looking at these contestants who either volunteered or were recommended by friends..."

Masatsugu browsed through the file.

There were roughly twenty girls planning to participate. Each profile included the girl's name, portrait photo, self-introduction and swimsuit photo. There were many cute girls among the candidates competing to become Miss Rinzai High.

Revealing a nihilistic smile of indifference, Masatsugu was the splitting image of an evil homicidal samurai.

"I discovered that this isn't actually half bad... No, I should say I'm enjoying it. I didn't realize that for the past two years —I might actually be a guy who likes girls quite a bit."

"I guess so. I never noticed before either."

"I'd like to liven up this beauty contest, but unfortunately, there's no one good enough to give the shoo-in candidate to be queen, Matsuki-san, a run for her money..."

"Oh, you're talking about the girl who's getting scouted by talent agencies."

"I want to find one or two more contenders for the top spot."

"Hey, Masatsugu-kun, if you're going to talk with such a dour face, could you at least discuss a topic related to the nation's future? Like the hike in various taxes next year or the large sums of tribute that Japan pays to Rome for undisclosed purposes."

Seeing Masatsugu with arms crossed and a solemn expression, his friend poked fun at him.

Okonogi Taisei's father worked at the Shizuoka branch of the Tōkaidō News Agency. Perhaps due to his family environment, Taisei would often bring up social issues to discuss despite being a teenager. This was probably the reason why he got along with the "overly serious" Masatsugu.

Incidentally, it was October 1 today, still quite some time before the beauty contest in December.

"By the way, Masatsugu-kun, are you returning to the dorm now?"

"No, I'm planning to go to my house to do some cleaning."

"It's very easy for messes and dust to accumulate in a house when no one's living in it, I guess. If you're okay with it, I'll go along and help out? Since there's no student council work today, I happen to be free."

"I'm glad you're offering to help. Thanks a lot."

Taisei held the job and title of Student Council Vice-President.

Manners were essential even when dealing with close friends. After Masatsugu bowed his head in gratitude, the two of them left the cafeteria together.

Rinzai High was located in the eastern outskirts of Suruga City near the mountains, quite some distance from the city center.

In fact, since their school was known as a place where prestigious families attended, there were many students who came to enroll from far away.

Most of these students lived in the dormitories and Masatsugu was one of them. His parent's house was located in Suruga City, like the school, but he did not have family. His parents and grandparents had all passed away and he did not have any siblings.

Thanks to the inheritance and orphan's annuity left from his father who had been a soldier, Masatsugu could still live without financial worries.

He could have lived alone in his house, but he chose the convenience of dorm life which included domestic help.

"Getting away from the school for once, I finally get a strong feeling of 'visiting the city.'"

"Since the school is so close to the mountains, there are very few residences nearby."

Suruga City was located on a coastal plain facing Suruga Bay.

On this coastal plain was a quiet regional town. But along the way, there were two small mountains protruding in a series slightly abruptly and standing at an elevation of roughly three hundred meters—Mount Udo and Mount Kunou—forming a mountainous area of greenery.

Masatsugu and Taisei's school was located on the west side of Mount Kunou.

The two of them took a bus to the city center.

This route led to the commercial district in front of Suruga Station. On the way, a military truck passed by them, traveling in the school's direction, probably making its way to the military installation known as a tutelary base .

"Did you know? Tokugawa Ieyasu once said that 'Kunou Castle is the inner citadel of Sunpu Castle.'"

"Kunou Castle... Are you referring to the fort that used to stand on Mount Kunou?"

"Yeah, it's now a set of castle ruins that has almost nothing remaining. But taking its place is the tutelary base—something like a castle—built nearby, so it means that Lord Ieyasu was right."

After Tokugawa Ieyasu stepped down from his position as the first shogun of the Edo bakufu, he returned to his hometown of Suruga and built Sunpu Castle as his retirement residence.

Suruga City here was a land with intimate ties to "Divine Lord" Tokugawa Ieyasu.

While the two of them were chatting, the bus took them across Suruga City. There were many commercial districts and office neighborhoods near the station but far less bustling than Tokyo. This was an idyllic regional town. Masatsugu and Taisei did not get off even when the bus neared the station.

The bus continued for ten-odd minutes when they finally disembarked at a stop near the Abe River.

After walking through a residential neighborhood for five minutes, they arrived at Tachibana Masatsugu's house.

It was a one-story house built in Japanese style. The main dwelling had a living room and at least five spacious Japanese-style rooms. In addition, there was an earthen floor area. There was a magnificent gate with a thatched roof.

This place was way too big for a single high school boy to clean up.

Opening the ancient wooden gate, Masatsugu looked at the entrance up ahead, not too far away. He frowned.

"...Hmm?"

He noticed that the entrance door was open.

He had clearly shut the door properly when he came by last month to clean.

"Did a burglar leave the door open?"

"I'll go in to check it out. Wait outside for me."

Directing the surprised Taisei to go out, Masatsugu went into the entrance himself.

Suppose a trespasser had left the door open, a burglary was very likely to be in progress. Masatsugu did not want to expose his friend to danger. Taisei immediately nodded and stayed outside the gate alone.

Well aware of his special skills , Masatsugu's friend did not nag.

Rather than calling the police, it would be more efficient to let Masatsugu confront the criminal.

"...Boots?"

As soon as he entered the entrance, Masatsugu muttered to himself.

Arranged neatly there was a pair of women's boots, roughly ankle-high without significant heels.

This was not the only suspicious part. Masatsugu would only clean this house once a month. However, the corridor was now sparkling clean, obvious from a single glance that it had been carefully wiped with a wet cloth.

Furthermore, he could smell the fragrance of incense from inside the house—

Masatsugu took off his shoes and went to the Buddhist altar room where the fragrance was coming from. Taking a closer look, he found a girl kneeling before the altar with her palms held together in prayer.

She was dressed like a student in Japanese style with a hakama. This look was supposedly commonplace in the capital.

The girl's gorgeous black hair was tied with a scarlet ribbon. She was looking at the portraits of Masatsugu's late parents—namely, his mother who had passed away during Masatsugu's childhood and his father who had fallen in battle three years ago.

The girl was around fifteen or sixteen. Though some childlike elements remained, her face was very beautiful and adorable.

Before Masatsugu could speak, the female student turned around, presumably sensing Masatsugu's arrival.

"Welcome home, Onii-sama. It has been so long since we last met. Twelve years, I believe?"

The girl smiled tenderly and greeted Masatsugu. However, Masatsugu did not recognize her. Speaking of which—After giving the matter some thought, he nodded and said, "I see now. I have a long lost little sister, is that it?"

"No, that's wrong."

"Then who are you?"

After calmly rejecting Masatsugu's speculation, she mused, "Hatsune's relationship with Onii-sama... I wonder what's the best way of putting it?"

"Were you a childhood friend who used to live near me, so you call me your older brother to reflect the age difference?"

"Wrong again. Childhood friends or close relatives would've been easy, but the truth happens to be more subtle than that, which makes it hard for me to explain. Let me see, our relationship is slightly more removed than cousins."

"Meaning partially cousins or some kind of distant relative, right?"

"Yes, that's right, pretty much. I'm sure you can find a link if you scour the family tree carefully, but that takes too much work, so I'll just call you 'Onii-sama' directly."

"Definitely, addressing you as 'possibly a distant relative' would be a hassle too."

"I know, right? So this is what the two of us decided long ago, fufufufu."

Masatsugu was conversing with the trespasser in the Buddhist altar room whose floor was laid with tatami.

The smiling girl maintained her formal sitting posture in seiza, so Masatsugu sat down in the same way in front of her too. This girl was apparently a relative with a first name of Hatsune, but Masatsugu had no recollection at all, so he continued his inquiry.

"What's your name? I want to know your full name."

"Oh, you are so awful, Onii-sama! You forgot about me, didn't you? I can't believe you forgot Tachibana Hatsune, who's in the same clan, that's so awful of you."

Miss Tachibana Hatsune began to pout like a child. Masatsugu bowed his head in apology.

"We lived very near each other back in kindergarten and we played together all the time."

"Really? Then allow me to ask a question, sister—Sorry, I mean Tachibana Hatsune-kun."

"Feel free to call me whatever you prefer. Go ahead and use 'my little sister.' I don't mind."

"Then let's go with Hatsune. Is there any other special relationship between us? Like an old marriage promise or faint feelings of love for each other."

"Feelings of love?"

"Yeah. Actually, I've been wondering a lot lately. Like whether a girl would suddenly fall from the sky and confess to me or a childhood fiancee might suddenly show up," said Masatsugu in a halting manner.

Hatsune clapped her hands together in front of him and replied, "I've read stories of that type too. Like in Weekly Shounen Junk " or Shoujo Margarita ."

"You can find similar tropes in many light novels and love simulation games aimed at teenagers."

"Is that the type you enjoy, Onii-sama?"

"I took a brief look when a friend recommended them to me some time ago. Thanks to those stories, there are some nights when I feel painfully aware of how unbearably lonely it is to be single."

"I see now, you poor thing!"

"That's why I wanted to ask about our past."

"Yes, understood. There's absolutely nothing like that in our past!"

"Such sad news..."

Although Hatsune denied it outright, Masatsugu remained unfazed.

"No helping it, the past cannot be changed. Oh, but I remember now. I think you did propose to marry me when we were young."

"Then why did you say 'absolutely nothing' just now?"

"Sorry, but I'm careless sometimes."

"I see, that does seem to be the case."

"There's more. This is how I answered: 'I'll seriously consider it if you grow up to become as strong as a yokozuna-ranked sumo wrestler in the future.'"

"Why a yokozuna-ranked sumo wrestler?"

"The ones I used to like were powerful men like yokozunas, no holds barred champion wrestlers, or lethwei masters. In fact, they're still my type even now, you know?"

"I sense some kind of insider obsession in your last example..."

Myanmar in Southeast Asia was currently part of the Eastern Roman Empire. Masatsugu was very impressed that Hatsune would bring up a legendary martial art from that place. He began to assess his own eligibility.

Medium stature at a height of 175cm. Slender physique with virtually no fat.

He had been working out, more or less, but was not a macho man with bulging muscles.

"Looks like my training aimed at seeking future happiness has failed."

"First crushes from childhood never bear fruit, Onii-sama."

"By the way, Hatsune, why did you come to my house?"

"I came to pay respects to my late Uncle and Auntie. It's only manners to say hi when visiting my home town, but I apologize for coming in without permission."

"If memory serves me correctly, I did lock up."

"Don't worry, I'm very resourceful. That kind of lock only takes me sixty seconds to open."

Hatsune puffed out her chest proudly. Despite her childlike face, she was extremely voluptuous. Then she reached for her bag on the tatami floor.

Her pale and slender fingers took out a hairpin that had been deliberately stretched into a needle-like shape.

"Meaning you used that thing to pick the entrance lock..."

"That's how I opened the door and came in."

"Then the one who cleaned up the house was also—"

"I noticed the house was a bit messy, so I helped clean up."

"I thought so. Thanks. But you do know you are currently caught in the act of trespassing, right?"

"You're so mean, Onii-sama. I'm the same as a little sister to you. Trespassing doesn't apply to family!"

"I wouldn't bet on that. It's mainly up to the judge to decide."

"Huh, really?"

"...Excuse me, Masatsugu-kun and Tachibana-san."

Masatsugu's calm rebuttal had taken Hatsune aback in surprise. Having arrived at the Buddhist altar room unnoticed some point earlier, Taisei interrupted them.

Taisei must have come to observe the situation after hearing the sound of conversation.

He said tactfully, "Sundown will be here soon if your comedy act keeps going without a straight man to rein things in."

In any case, this was the encounter between Tachibana Hatsune and Masatsugu—Or rather, their reunion.

### 010. Part 1

"By the way, Her Highness Shiori certainly made quite a bold move."

Akigase Rikka offered her sincere reaction.

It was the middle of October, on a sunny Friday afternoon.

Rikka was visiting Suruga's city hall, located roughly ten minutes' walking distance from Suruga Station. This building of over seventy years and featuring red glazed tiles had been constructed next to the historical site of Sunpu Castle where Tokugawa Ieyasu once lived.

Rikka had come to the mayor's office in the elegant city hall, in other words, the room of the city's highest authority.

"Even though it was a local program, to think that a princess of the imperial family dared to make a public appearance on television..."

Rikka smiled. She did not dislike the princess' style of audacity.

Her comments were made to the mayor, a dignified man in his early sixties, dressed in traditional Japanese attire of haori and hakama. On the other hand, Akigase Rikka was only seventeen years old—

Her gorgeous black hair reached waist length and she was a maiden with a lovely and dignified face.

However, her lips were shaped into a smile of resilience. Her attire was also different from the female high school students in the city. Her black military uniform was only worn by high-ranking officers in the Imperial Army and she even had a Japanese sword at her waist.

Incidentally, her excellent figure was visible even beneath the military uniform.

Her bountiful bosom was bulging generously while the round curves of her hips also indicated appropriate voluptuousness.

"Did you watch the interview?"

Despite Rikka being young enough to be his granddaughter, the mayor spoke to her with unusual reverence in his tone.

One would hardly blame him. Rikka was the holder of two positions. First of all, she was the eldest daughter of the Tōkaidō Governor General who ruled over the three prefectures of Aichi, Shizuoka and Yamanashi. Secondly, she was a Chevalier of the Tōkaidō provincial army—

Either one of these positions would rank her above a mayor or a prefectural governor.

Facing the one who was in charge of Suruga City's administration on her father's behalf, Rikka replied, "Yes, I watched it. Her Highness is surely refreshing in her manner of doing things. I am simply pleased as part of the Twelve Houses serving the imperial family. Besides, this is just so thrilling. If those ladies-in-waiting in the Empress' service were to find out about the television program, I am certain it would vex them to no end."

Imagining the sight, Rikka laughed again.

"If Her Highness Shiori is not simply an obedient princess... Then it would seem that an audience with her would not turn out to be a boring meeting or a waste of time. It is certainly worth celebrating."

"...Akigase-sama."

The elderly mayor smiled uncomfortably and tactfully cautioned Rikka.

Seeing as she was a member of one of the Twelve Houses and also the Akigase's Chevalier princess, it was very rare for anyone to dare make such suggestions to her. Most people tended to shower her with sycophancy.

Grateful for the mayor's well-intentions, Rikka smiled wryly and swallowed the rest of her irreverent words.

Ever since the end of Second World War and Japan accepted Lord Tenryuu's protection...

The islands of Japan had been divided into twelve provinces, each ruled by a hereditary Governor General. Bluntly stated, it had returned to the Edo period's feudal clan system.

The twelve regional Governor Generals each had their respective army and Chevaliers, thus giving rise to the name of the Twelve Fiefdoms.

The Hokkaidō Fiefdom. The Ōshū Fiefdom. The Hokuriku Fiefdom. The Kantō Fiefdom. The Tōsandō Fiefdom. The Tōkaidō Fiefdom.

The Kinai Fiefdom. The Ōsaka Fiefdom. The Chūgoku Fiefdom. The Shikoku Fiefdom. The Kyūshū Fiefdom. The Okinawa Fiefdom.

Rikka was the eldest daughter of the Akigase family ruling over Tōkaidō.

"As I recall, tomorrow is when you will pay the princess a visit, is that correct?"

"Indeed, I wish to make a trip to the tutelary fort if time permits, so as to meet with Sakuya. Her condition has not been the best for the past few months. It seems that currying her good favor might be even harder than the princess."

After the amiable conversation, Rikka put on a serious expression and said, "However... I must first speak to that man today."

"Are you referring to Kawazoe-dono? The castellan of the Suruga tutelary fort—Or rather, the former castellan. It is such a shame that he engaged in such clandestine dealings," the mayor remarked painfully.

Rikka shrugged and said, "He was an avaricious man to begin with, so taking bribes is not surprising at all. What is truly problematic is the fact that he made contact with agents of the British Empire."

The Chevalier serving as the castellan of the Suruga tutelary fort had been arrested by the military police two days ago due to allegations of corruption. Reportedly, he had accepted bribes from someone in the construction business seeking illicit gains—

It was during this case's investigation that his second crime was uncovered.

"To think that the Britain Faction has appeared in our Tōkaidō, and even a Chevalier too," the mayor sighed in dismay.

The Eastern Roman Empire and Japan had "entered an alliance" for over ten years now.

But in recent years, more and more politicians, mainly in western Japan, were advocating an alliance with "the other major power" involved in Asia, so as to cleanse Japan of Rome's influence.

This was the so-called "Britain Faction," which had many adherents in the fiefdoms of Kyūshū, Chūgoku and Shikoku.

"The fiefdoms in the west had established intimate ties with England ever since the Bakumatsu era—since the Satchō Alliance—but the same cannot be said for Tōkaidō," said Rikka with a nod.

"This is not only the place where Lord Tokugawa Ieyasu was born and raised but also his long-term base of operations, as well as where he retired after stepping down as the shogun. In honor of the Tokugawa legacy, we must uphold absolute loyalty to the imperial family and demonstrate our unyielding mettle as a samurai family."

After expressing her principles as a descendant of samurai, Rikka smiled ironically.

"Regrettably, whom the current imperial family currently trusts is not us but the powerful Roman Empire."

"Akigase-sama..."

"Oh, my apologies. It is time for me to go see Kawazoe-sama."

The mayor cautioned Rikka again and she hastily took her leave.

Rikka was a Chevalier answering directly to the Tōkaidō Governor General and normally served at Nagoya.

She had come to Suruga City to meet the suspect on her father's behalf. After that, she was scheduled to have an audience with princess of rumor, Fujinomiya Shiori.

### 011. Part 1

The water shrine was located deep underground below the Suruga tutelary fort.

Inside the vast space built from stone was a pool of marine-blue holy water. With dozens of giant pillars standing inside it, there was a solemnity reminiscent of ancient Greek temples.

The water shrine was an important military facility as well as a quiet sanctuary.

"It has been so long since I last visited Suruga's water shrine."

Akigase Rikka was walking alone in the water shrine. This place's abundant body of blue water was crisscrossed by a thread-like network of paths three meters wide, allowing people to walk without getting wet.

Only personnel involved with mystic powers or Legions were allowed to enter water shrines.

Most representative of them were the Chevaliers, followed by noetic masters, monks, priests, shrine maidens, alchemist guilds, researchers at noetic associations, as well as genies and retainer beasts, etc—

Rikka walked over to the "bath" in the back of the water shrine. There was no door. Inside a space roughly the size of a basketball court, there was a round pool filled with a marine-blue liquid. At the center of the pool was a fountain supplying the blue liquid.

"Let us begin..."

Rikka unfastened her clothing and removed her black military uniform as an officer of the Imperial Army.

As the princess of the Tōkaidō Fiefdom, Rikka had trained in all kinds of etiquette but never had the meticulous inclination to put her clothing away properly. Her removed garments were scattered all over the floor in a demonstration of a bold warrior's nature, roaming battlefields without concern for trivial details.

However, she did carefully set down the Japanese sword hanging at her waist.

Completely naked, Rikka entered the pool—namely, the vat of ectoplasmic fluid used for bathing.

The marine-blue liquid filling the water shrine was artificial ectoplasmic fluid. This liquid had the same composition as the blood flowing in the veins of Legions.

The vat of ectoplasmic fluid was not deep. One could sit down in the vat and the fluid would not reach the top of one's shoulders.

Rikka stretched out her limbs in the vat. There was very little flab on her well-trained body, although the soft curves of her bust and hip regions fully expressed her womanly beauty.

The cold ectoplasmic fluid was mercilessly chilling her flawless nude body.

Rikka endured the cold of soaking herself in the pool. Her body began to heat up gradually. This was the best evidence that the source of mystic powers was seeping into Akigase Rikka's body.

This ectoplasmic fluid would turn into the power source for the Kamuy army under her command.

"Ectoplasmic fluid is synthesized from the blood of the godlike sacred beasts to serve as a nourishment for beings not of this world... Knights must store ectoplasmic fluid in their bodies and souls to feed their armies—Isn't that right?"

This was what Rikka had learned about Legions through oral tradition.

Bathing in a vat of ectoplasmic fluid was like resupplying rations to feed a massive army. In addition, there was one important significance.

"...Upon my Appellation of Onikiri Yasutsuna, I pray to the local shrine of Suruga. Now that my soldiers and I have bathed in local holy water, pray grant me the authorizing seal of warfare to become a war god to defend Suruga."

Rikka shut her eyes and prayed to Suruga's water shrine.

This was to approve Akigase Rikka and her army to become guardian knights of the local land and grant them power...

Before long, Rikka's entire body was glowing with faint radiance to signify the establishment of a "contract." With this accomplished, she could now sortie any moment. Once the light subsided, she prepared to handle another unresolved problem.

"Sakuya, please come out. I am not angry at you."

Rikka called out to the genie hiding in the Suruga tutelary fort. Sakuya might not be present at the water shrine currently but she should be able to sense the noetic waves "calling" her.

"It stands to reason that you could have done better yesterday. Fortunately, I arrived in the nick of time and this tutelary fort did not fall to the enemy."

Rikka's tone was gentle as though consoling a frightened child or animal.

However, Rikka did not want to feign a sweet voice to coax others. She could not do it either. Aware of her warrior disposition, Rikka spoke rigidly, "Since the worst-case scenario was avoided and I am not a woman who nags and clings to grudges, will you please forget about yesterday? Hurry and come help me. Starting today, we will be very busy for the foreseeable future."

As soon as she finished, a roughly nine-year-old girl appeared out of thin air next to the vat of ectoplasmic fluid. The young girl with shoulder-length black hair was dressed as shrine maiden, Sakuya's projected image.

The genie's image was looking at Rikka with timid eyes with a sad look on her face.

Rikka deliberately refrained from speaking. She shrugged in an exaggerated manner to imply "what am I going to do with you?"

Immediately, a pipe fox appeared next to Sakuya with a bell's ringing sound.

Glancing at the pipe fox, the image said quietly, "The princess is coming. She wishes for you... to go upstairs."

"Really? Her Highness arrived so soon."

One night had gone by since the attack of the Crusades. It was currently 9:24am.

Reportedly, Princess Shiori happened to be at the tutelary fort yesterday. After Rikka rushed to the scene, she had returned to her temporary residence in the city, hence the two of them had missed each other. Rikka was going to meet the rumored princess at last. They also needed to discuss the current incident.

"No helping it. The situation has become very serious," murmured Rikka to herself, recalling the reports on television last night.

At 7:00pm the previous evening, the Kyoto government in the Kinai region had held a press conference.

The host was the Kinai Governor General, Izumi Tenzen. He was the premier Chevalier and ruler of Kinai, a renowned fierce general who stood on the front lines personally to lead his army of Legions.

In front of the media which included television stations, newspapers and magazines, he cursed extremely emotionally.

The target of his verbal abuse was Lord Caesar, the great generalissimo from the neighboring country and protector of Imperial Japan.

The gist of the speech was as follows:

'Lord Caesar calls himself the protector of our nation's Empress but exerts wanton control over our imperial government and the Kantō Fiefdom to interfere unjustly in our internal affairs. Expelling Lord Caesar and the Roman Army from Her Majesty's presence is the first step to rebuilding our proud nation. We pledge our lives to accomplish this monumental endeavor.'

In addition, he even said the following:

'The friend of our nation, the British Empire, agrees with us wholeheartedly.'

'I hereby declare the formation of the Restoration Alliance between the Kinai Fiefdom and the British Empire. All Fiefdoms wishing to pursue the same dream are welcome to join the alliance to save our great nation.'

'As revolutionaries to bring about our nation's rebirth, the Restoration Alliance will presently march upon Tokyo.'

The Restoration Alliance's manifesto was instantly spread throughout Japan via airwaves.

It raised a huge uproar in the imperial palace and the National Diet Building.

The Tōkaidō region, sandwiched between Kinai and Kantō, was also the location of Rikka and the princess. The Restoration Alliance's army would inevitably pass through Tōkaidō.

"Anyway, I must have a discussion with the princess at length."

Although feared by the Empress faction, Shiori was still a legitimate princess of the imperial family.

As a knight, Rikka had no choice but to express her respect and concern. Leaving the blue ectoplasmic fluid, Rikka walked over to her military uniform that was scattered on the floor.

"Thank you for taking the trouble to come here, Your Highness, and gracing me with your presence."

Arriving at a room in the Suruga tutelary fort, Akigase Rikka bowed as soon as she saw the princess.

Shiori smiled gently in return to this young maiden who was both the Tōkaidō Governor General's daughter and a Chevalier.

"I am truly pleased that we were able to meet as scheduled today despite the current times we are in."

"Definitely," Rikka smiled wryly. Their appointment had been set for today in the first place.

Shiori was dressed in her usual blouse and skirt while Rikka had her black military uniform that was exclusive to officers.

"Is your father currently at Nagoya, Rikka-sama?"

"Yes. By the way, my father has apparently paid his respects to Your Highness before—"

"We met a few times at the capital. I have also seen him once after my return from Rome."

The two of them were sitting on sofas to talk face to face across a table for receiving guests.

This was the personal office for the castellan, in other words, the top commander in charge of a tutelary fort.

Naturally, the commander's room was furnished with elegance and majesty. Four days prior, the previous castellan whom this room belonged to had been arrested on corruption charges. He was imprisoned at the military police headquarters in the outskirts of Suruga City and his Appellation, the key for summoning Legions, was also sealed.

Yesterday, the temporary castellan had died in combat.

"Speaking of which... Rikka-sama, you are currently the Suruga tutelary fort's castellan, is that correct?"

"Yes, that is correct. Of course, returning to Nagoya would currently be quite a challenge. Since encountering them here counts as a sort of fate, I shall engage the Restoration Alliance for a bit."

The Chevalier princess smiled cheerfully and Shiori asked, "Then the urban areas around Suruga have been sealed off?"

"Yes, all major roads and railways have fallen under the Restoration Alliance's control."

A map of Tōkaidō was laid out on the table.

The Tōkaidō region consisted of the three prefectures of Aichi, Shizuoka and Yamanashi. Suruga City was the central metropolis of Shizuoka Prefecture.

"Apart from this place, all tutelary forts in Shizuoka have been subjugated by the Restoration Alliance."

Rikka pointed at five locations on the map—Hamamatsu, Kakegawa, Suruga, Fuji, and Nagahama respectively.

"Suruga's previous castellan not only took bribes but even had secret dealings with agents of Britain. Had we discovered this sooner, we might have been able to discover the invasion at the earliest opportunity... However, it could have been his arrest that prompted the Restoration Alliance to act ahead of schedule," explained Rikka wryly.

Shiori said to her, "Regardless, Suruga is currently akin to an isolated island on land."

"Yes. Telephone circuits have stopped working since last night while surrounding base stations have apparently been taken over. Moreover, the whole Suruga region is under large-scale interference from noetic waves, so even wireless communications and airwaves have been very unstable."

Indeed, since late last night, television and radio signals could no longer be received.

Shiori had confirmed this too.

Rikka continued, "Getting a hold of outside information requires the use of retainer beasts to scout or pass messages. At the moment, I have dispatched roughly a hundred pipe foxes."

"Is it possible for humans to enter or leave?"

"The British forces have deployed many retainer beasts to surround Suruga. Whether taking air routes or going through the Southern Alps, there is a high risk of being detected."

"Retainer beasts... In that case, reckless escape attempts would be even more dangerous."

Shiori began to assess the situation. Shizuoka Prefecture's plains were mostly located along the shore.

Not only were urban areas concentrated there but the old highway dating before the Edo period was also built along the coast. That was why the name of Tōkaidō equated to "sea road."

The five tutelary forts of Shizuoka Prefecture were also built along the old highway or on the Pacific coast.

"As one might expect, the Restoration Alliance's army—" Shiori spoke after some contemplation, "—will be advancing east along the old highway to take over Hakone Checkpoint."

"Assuredly so. Rome has a garrison stationed in Kantō, which means that failure is all but assured unless the Restoration Alliance secures their base of operations prior to attacking."

The higher the altitude at which a Legion flew, the greater the consumption of ectoplasmic fluid.

Consequently, movement was essentially limited to low-altitude flight or sea travel while avoiding mountainous regions. (If a fight against Legions was not expected after the movement of troops, there were also cases of super high-altitude travel through the stratosphere.)

Sitting formally and upright, Rikka said solemnly, "Your Highness, now that Suruga is surrounded, the situation is quite dire. If you wish to escape to the capital, perhaps I could—"

"No need for that, but I do appreciate the gesture."

"Oh?"

The Chevalier princess narrowed her eyes with interest.

Shiori smiled and said, "I have no idea whether Suruga will be my final resting place, but I did come here with intentions to stay for the long term. Besides, those people at the capital... probably do not welcome my return."

"True."

Rikka also knew why Shiori was feared.

Just as she was smiling awkwardly and feeling ridiculous, Shiori said to her, "Rikka-sama, speaking of escaping Suruga, wouldn't it be natural for you to receive orders to escape yourself?"

Akigase Rikka's father was the Governor General of Tōkaidō, Akigase Shouzan.

He was both a man of impressive magnanimity and an experienced politician. Even disregarding their relationship of parent and child, it was possible for him to secretly order his daughter to leave Suruga, so as to prevent Tōkaidō's top Chevalier from perishing along with the Suruga tutelary fort.

Hearing Shiori's speculation, Rikka laughed candidly.

"This I cannot deny. Either way, there are ways to handle it. If my father were to send a pipe fox to issue such an order... I will simply claim that the pipe fox went missing."

"Oh dear."

Akigase Rikka was not only a mighty warrior but also a noble-minded Chevalier of utmost integrity.

Shiori smiled elegantly with other intentions in her mind. Since she had reasons preventing her from leaving this place, her only choice was to decline Rikka's kind offer. There was an issue that Shiori must take care of here.

This issue was precisely Tachibana Masatsugu. Shiori needed to clarify the relationship between him and her.

Shiori hoped for Masatsugu to be her knight, but no one could guarantee for certain that he would be willing to assist her.

Nevertheless, Shiori committed her resolve. She must accomplish this goal no matter what.

### 012. Part 1

"They came as expected..."

Akigase Rikka came to the pinnacle of the nation-protecting keep and looked out at the scenery of Suruga.

The Suruga tutelary fort was located at the highest elevation in the area. At its center, the nation-protecting keep stood at forty meters, providing an expansive view.

Rikka saw with her own eyes—Crusades invading from Suruga Bay in the south.

Roughly a hundred Crusades were flying towards the land in a dense sphere, about to reach the sky over the coast. The tutelary fort was located on mountainous terrain facing the bay. The enemy would arrive soon.

"I guessed they would come either today or tomorrow. Just as expected."

Rikka shrugged. The Crusades were flying over the sea at around fifty or sixty kilometers per hour.

This was low-speed flight, since in principle, they were capable of going faster. The reason for this was very simple too. This sort of low-speed flight required negligible consumption of ectoplasmic fluid, allowing them to conserve energy for an all-out battle.

"Defending the tutelary fort would be an option, but unfortunately, Sakuya is in poor condition. Proceed with arrangements."

Rikka was alone on the roof facing howling winds while conventional military forces were standing by on the outskirts of the tutelary fort. The noetic officers inside the nation-protecting keep were listening to Akigase Rikka's whispers through noetic waves while confirming the current situation.

It was precisely a knight's duty to shoulder the expectations of fellow comrades-in-arms and to respond to their feelings—

Dressed in military uniform, Rikka drew the sword at her waist and released her own noetic waves.

"Upon my Appellation of Onikiri Yasutsuna—Assemble, my Legions!"

Rikka's powerful noetic waves radiated from the air over the nation-protecting keep.

The noesis swiftly manifested into Kamuys, bringing into the sky a blue army, ninety strong.

"Excellent."

Rikka re-sheathed her personal sword at her waist.

A famous treasured sword of Genji pedigree. Its name had been inherited by Akigase Rikka as an Appellation.

Her act of drawing out this Japanese sword was precisely the manifestation of an Appellation. Exhibiting clear curvature, the slender blade of this rare and renowned sword featured a slightly wavy temper-line. Unlike the Zuihou held by the majority of Japanese Chevaliers, Onikiri Yasutsuna remained physically by the user's side even when Legions were not being summoned. This aspect was also proof of a high-level Appellation.

"Come— Carry me!"

Rikka called to the ninety Kamuys above.

One of them descended, bringing its shoulder to the nation-protecting keep's roof level. With a nimble leap, Rikka went over the rooftop railing without hesitation, landing on the right shoulder of the hovering Legion.

"We will establish a ground formation. Go."

Carrying its commander, the blue Kamuy flew south towards Suruga Bay.

The remaining eighty-nine Kamuys followed.

The commander-in-chief was leading the fight against the enemy on the front lines. Rikka could not help but smile wryly. This fighting style was reminiscent of military records dating back to the time of the Genpei period, but it was also how modern wars were fought too.

By transmitting noetic waves, Chevaliers directed their Legion armies to fight.

In fact, it was possible to control Legions under one's command from far away—for example, out of visual range.

However, doing so would render oneself vulnerable to noetic disruption. Certain forms of noetic disruption were specialized to counter noetic waves rather than electromagnetic signals. Under interference, one would run the risk of losing command of one's Legions.

"The sea breeze is cold as expected."

It was currently 15:18 with a strong breeze blowing inland from the sea..

Rikka was standing on a Legion flying at sixty kilometers per hour at an altitude of two hundred meters. Nevertheless, Rikka remained warm thanks to her own resilient body.

The vitality and physical abilities of a Chevalier was much higher than that of ordinary people.

Taking large volumes of ectoplasmic fluid into their bodies and minds, they were enhanced by mystic powers.

"Square formation. Make haste!"

Her army landed at the Suruga Bay shore.

Along the coast were military zones created from reclaimed land where various facilities of the Tōkaidō provincial army were situated.

The chosen landing spot was an open plain. The instant they landed, apart from the one carrying Rikka, all remaining eighty-nine Kamuys sprinted at top speed. Their movements were swift and nimble as their agile silhouettes would suggest.

Of course, this was a group of eight-meter-tall giants running.

With every step they took, the Suruga coast would shake and rumble. Be that as it may, the eighty-nine Kamuys ran rather swiftly.

Despite their gigantic body size and commensurate weight, their movements were not sluggish.

Just as winged birds were quick and agile even when moving on the ground, the Kamuys' movements were very dynamic with plenty of acceleration.

This was a characteristic common to Imperial Japan's blue Legions.

Agility, tireless diligence, courage—The ninety Kamuys swiftly entered an almost square formation of ten rows by nine columns.

Occupying the center of the square formation was the Kamuy carrying the commander, Rikka.

The Kamuy army raised their bayonet rifles in perfect unison.

Their muzzles were aimed at the incoming British Crusades flying over Suruga Bay.

"The Japanese Legions, called Kamuys, aren't they? Numbering ninety—The one taking over as Suruga's castellan happens to be on our level... Poor guy."

The number of invading British Crusades over Suruga Bay totaled ninety-eight.

The commander, Steven was muttering to himself while riding a white wyvern, flying together with the airborne army.

"He would've had the chance to be honored as a Knight of Her Majesty had he been born like us under Her Majesty's reign."

In the British Empire, only warriors with outstanding Chevalier Strength were eligible for the title of "Knight of Her Majesty."

Steven's Chevalier Strength was 98 while his brother-in-arms Sir Lampard's was 90. Today, they had sortied from Fuji after establishing a tutelary pact, a situation completely different from yesterday's.

It had been a while since the last time they commanded the full number of Legions supported by their Chevalier Strength.

Steven snapped his fingers to summon a small retainer beast for communications.

Unlike the pipe fox of Japan, the British armed forces used sprites, whose appearances were palm-sized maidens with butterfly wings on their backs. The sprite was fluttering delightfully in front of Steven.

"Inform Sir Lampard on my behalf, 'I will charge as the vanguard according to plan. In the event I should fail, I leave the rest in your hands.

The sprite nodded and disappeared.

Retainer beasts responsible for relaying messages were capable of teleporting within four or five kilometers. Retainer beasts were not as convenient as phones, but were able to substitute for wireless communications. However, small retainer beasts run the risk of dying from overexhaustion if forced to invoke this ability ten-odd times in continuous succession, hence users must pay particular attention.

"My men, the prince—Sir Black Knight—has tasked us with the glorious mission of the vanguard. I look forward to your valor in battle!" Steven rallied the Crusades under his command.

Meanwhile, Sir Lampard's army was lurking further back, standing by as a reserve unit.

They were only four kilometers from the coast where Suruga's samurai were in formation.

The ninety-eight Crusades were flying in a spherical formation.

When advancing through the air, one would arrange their Legions in a close-packed sphere to create a formation devoid of blind spots in any direction.

This was one of the basics in Legion tactics.

Serving as the commander, the Chevalier would stay in the center of the formation—the more secure position—to be able to issue the most appropriate commands to the troops at any given moment.

"Agents of Her Majesty... Crush the enemy."

As soon as Steven issued the order, the Crusades forming the front of the "sphere" aimed and fired continuously at the coast four kilometers away.

The rifles shot heat beams capable of slicing through heavy concrete.

Ninety-eight bayonet rifles were firing flashing rays at the same rate as machine guns.

Had this barrage been directed at Tokyo's city center, the clustered buildings would definitely be punctured and sliced apart like plastic. In a few short minutes, a metropolis would be rendered a tragic wasteland.

However, the Suruga army in its square formation four kilometers away remained unscathed.

"As expected, having equal numbers shooting at each other isn't going to work that easily."

Steven smile wryly. Chevaliers were able to sense everything seen and heard by the Legions under their control. These mysterious winged giant soldiers also possessed outstanding five senses far surpassing those of humans.

At his command, the Crusades observed the scene four kilometers away.

Glowing particulates—the particles of protective barriers—were suspended in the air around the Japanese Kamuys.

"The denser the formation, the greater the defensive power of Legions... Since my side's attacks are not working, it should be the same for the other party."

No sooner had Steven spoken than the enemy side counterattacked.

Staying in their square formation, the Japanese Legions pulled their triggers. Naturally, their targets were the Crusades in the air over Suruga Bay, in other words, Steven's army.

Flashing rays were shot continually as the Japanese side's anti-air fire attacked Steven's forces mercilessly.

However, the British Legions were virtually unharmed too. Around the ninety-eight Crusades, particles of protective barriers glowed as well.

The light of protective barriers had the effect of reducing enemy gunfire.

The particles from Legions of the same army would superimpose to increase their density, producing greater defensive strength. In other words, packing Legions densely in greater numbers would dramatically increase an army's overall defensive strength.

Consequently, square and spherical formations with their high density were commonly used in battles between Legions.

"Continued exchange of fire between air and land will disfavor my side. My men, let us land on the ground and switch to barbaric tactics."

Legions were winged warriors and were capable to standing on the ground with their own two feet like humans. The consumption of ectoplasmic fluid was greater when traveling through the air.

The army led by Steven was flying towards the shore.

They gradually lowered their flying altitude, preparing for a protracted battle on the ground.

Using the same formation as the enemy, Steven arranged his Legions in a ten by ten array, keeping them as densely packed together as possible even during the change in formation. While they were landing, the enemy's anti-air fire did not cease for a single moment. Thus, several unfortunate Crusades located on the fringes where the barrier's particles were weaker were shot down.

A total of four Crusades were killed in combat, pierced in vitals such as the head or the chest, thus crashing into Suruga Bay.

The remaining ninety-four remained completely unharmed.

"Now the numbers are even... No, my side holds the advantage. Let us proceed to crush them with brute force."

The Crusades landed successfully on the beach at last.

Maintaining their square formation, they marched forward neatly at the same speed.

Their targets were Suruga's Kamuy Legions, in formation one kilometer ahead.

As soon as they entered melee range, the protective barriers of both sides would neutralize each other and lose effectiveness. What followed would be slaying enemies using the bayonets on their rifles, following the way of ancient battlefields to stab and decapitate foes.

Riding his wyvern, Steven slowly circled in the air over his Crusades.

Looking at the enemy army from an overhead view, he was stunned.

"Do the descendants of samurai still believe in the blessings of divine wind and intend to attack to the bitter end?"

The Japanese Legions had changed their packed formation.

In other words, the Kamuys had abandoned the security of the high-density square formation in favor of lining themselves in a row of ninety with their bayonet rifles raised anew.

"However... Don't expect favorable divine wind to blow every time," declared Steven boldly.

Visually confirmed by the Crusades, a female knight was spotted standing sternly on the right shoulder of a Kamuy in the center of the Japanese ranks.

Taking out the Chevalier in control of the Legions would be equivalent to winning the battle.

### 013. Part 1

"The die is cast." "I came, I saw, I conquered." "Et tu, Brute?"

These were all famous quotes of Julius Caesar.

Although the name of Caesar later became the etymological source of "kaiser," meaning emperor, Julius Caesar himself had not ascended to the throne during his lifetime. His final position was "dictator in perpetuity."

Caesar was born in 100 BCE.

He hailed from a patrician family but one limited in wealth and influence.

Not an empire yet at the time, ancient Rome was nearing the end of its republican era. It was a large and prosperous nation with expanding borders and vast territories. Seeking even greater power, those in power kept engaging in political struggles and internal strife.

This was the kind of political scene that Caesar had entered.

Over the course of decades, he rose from being just a young politician with nothing of note except for his family background to become a consul of the Roman Republic and governor of the province of Gaul.

He succeeded as a military commander to put down rebellions in Gaul, defeated political rivals on the battlefield, and wielded unrivaled authority within Rome's borders.

Finally, Julius Caesar obtained the position of dictator.

Unfortunately, he was assassinated at the age of fifty-six after laying the foundations of the future Roman Empire.

His heir, Octavian, became the first emperor, styling himself as Augustus—

One could call Caesar a rare politician and soldier, but he was clearly not so "simple" a character.

A great orator, excellent prose author, master strategian, popular with the people, charming, brazen...

One time when he was kidnapped by pirates, he even complained that they were asking for too low a ransom.

He accumulated massive debts equivalent to a country's defense budget and it never weighed on his conscience. Only after more than a decade when he attained ascendancy did he finally repay all his debts.

Rumor had it that he had slept with the wives of fully a third of the Roman senators.

Hair loss accompanying advanced age was reportedly one of the things that troubled him.

The soldiers in Caesar's army also nicknamed their commander "the balding womanizer." Caesar accepted it with a laugh, cultivating a camaraderie of sorts between himself and his army.

In any case, Caesar was neither a saint nor a noble-minded man.

Fast forward to the year 1998 at the end of the twentieth century. After careful contemplation, Julius Caesar solemnly declared, "Perhaps it is time that I made up my mind to go through with surgery. What do you say?"

"Your Excellency's appearance has become our national symbol and that includes your receding hairline. Please do not stoop down to cheating with methods such as hair transplantation."

Caesar's staff officer cautioned the generalissimo who was checking his hairline with a mirror in his hand.

This was Lantau Island in Hong Kong, part of the Eastern Roman Empire's territory.

Their location included the Roman army's tutelary fort and the East Asian Administration Region Command Center.

The two of them were talking in the commander's office belonging to Generalissimo Caesar. Ever year, he spent one third of his time in Hong Kong, another third in Japan, and the remainder spread over other places.

Speaking to Caesar was Alexis Yang, a member of the military staff.

This man's Chinese name was Yang Zhongda. Thirty-four years old. His slender appearance could be considered handsome and graceful, but the unkempt facial hair around his mouth and chin contributed to an impression of wildness.

"Putting that aside, please listen to a report about the rebellion in Japan first."

Yang projected a visual image. He was a noetic master. A map of Imperial Japan appeared before them along with a report on the Restoration Alliance.

"The Restoration Alliance formed by self-proclaimed loyalists worrying about their country... Bluntly stated, the Kinai Fiefdom is nothing more than a puppet while the British Empire plays triple roles as mastermind, supporter, and provider of combat troops."

"Britain's target is Lord Tenryuu the sacred beast of Japan, isn't it?"

"According to rumors, the sacred beasts back at England will not live much longer. Your guess could very well be correct."

Natural resources such as oil and precious metals were often the seeds of international conflict.

And the godlike sacred beasts were the sources of mystic powers. The possession of potent mystic powers allowed countries to secure wealth, prosperity, and military strength. This was how the modern world worked.

Adhering to this golden rule, the Eastern Roman Empire succeeded. Failing to do so, America fell into decline.

An imperialist state's top priority was to ensure the continued blessings of sacred beasts.

"The Restoration Alliance's proposal of 'reforming Imperial Japan starting from the west and rescuing the Empress' seems to be garnering favorable reactions from the western fiefdoms of Japan. Perhaps they wish to reenact the Meiji Restoration where Satsuma and Chōshū took over the imperial court."

Yang extended his index finger and drew a circle on the west side of Japan on the map.

Over there were the regions of Kyūshū, Chūgoku, and Shikoku. Yang was an expert on the Far East region and well-versed in Japanese affairs and history.

"Then again, the Alliance is rallying behind a slogan of 'The Empress must be rid of Caesar's corrupting influence and the Eastern Roman army has to be expelled from the islands of Japan.'"

"That sounds very familiar."

"They are raising a banner of great justice, just as a certain guy called Caesar did in the past."

Ten years ago, there had been American military bases distributed across the islands of Japan.

Condemning the American military for "unjust interference in the internal affairs of Rome's ally, Japan, and infringing upon the rights of the Japanese Empress," Caesar had led an army of a thousand Legions to march on Japan. Styling himself as the protector of Japan and the Empress, he defeated the American forces garrisoned in Japan.

Riding in as the triumphant conqueror, Caesar became Japan's true ruler in all but name.

This was identical to how he had become Queen Cleopatra's lover and the conqueror of Egypt way back before the Common Era.

"By the way..." Caesar raised a point of doubt, "Ten years ago, I won over the incumbent Empress' trusted advisers and the Kantō Fiefdom, who then invited me to lead an expeditionary force to Japan. Now the British Empire wishes to employ the same method... What I fail to understand is why the Kinai Fiefdom would be willing to assist them."

"My sentiments exactly," Staff Officer Yang nodded in agreement. "I wouldn't be surprised had it been Kyūshū or Shikoku helping the British since those fiefdoms have kept their distance from both Rome and the current imperial family. However, the Kinai Fiefdom's Governor General... I recall that he is supposed to bear dislike for Rome and hatred for Britain."

"Furthermore, he is a stubborn guy who never listens to advice." Caesar smiled with amusement. He had met all twelve Governor Generals who served as Japan's regional lords and was familiar with their personalities. "Well, were he the selfish boss of an old-fashioned corporation, he might actually have a chance to shine in the business world."

"In that case, why would he let the British be in control?"

"Perhaps someone used a kind of magic to melt the Kinai Governor General's stubborn heart, instilling warm feelings of friendship for Britain."

"Magic huh? That sounds especially convincing coming from a guy who died two thousand years ago," Staff Officer Yang responded seriously to his commander's joke.

After all, in this modern age where Legions, retainer beasts, spirits, and other mysterious beings played an active role, positing "this kind of possibility" was frequently necessary.

"The spellcaster might not necessarily be a noetic master. It is not the kind of miracle that can be performed by ordinary human-level masters. Spirits and retainer beasts are impossible too, because those things don't understand the intricacies of the human heart. The high-level skills of 'mind control' are beyond them."

The noetic master and staff officer of the Roman army analyzed on his own initiative.

As a side note, he was only a middling noetic master. The most he could accomplish was "using noesis to deceive targets with illusions" like a Japanese ninja.

"Wouldn't such an ability be a specialty of Your Excellency's peers, the Resurrectees?"

"Of course, we are capable of many supernatural feats, but this sort of thing is beyond us too," replied Caesar with a shrug.

"You are well aware, yes? Our Feats of Arms ... are purely abilities to take the illustrious accomplishments from our past lives and reenact them in the present. They are useless outside of the battlefield."

"Then magic is out of the question?"

"It would be premature to jump to conclusions." Winking to Staff Officer Yang, Caesar said, " They have always been the ones to bring brand-new mystic powers to the world. When those women prayed to the exalted sacred beasts for 'weapons to protect their nations,' the sacred beasts granted them Legions. When they prayed for 'victorious heroes,' we were revived."

The man whose name became synonymous with emperor smiled confidently.

"In this world—The sacred beasts are willing to listen to certain people's selfish and personal requests."

### 014. Part 1

The moment Akigase Rikka fainted was 16:04.

Two hours later, the Suruga tutelary fort received news. A wyvern in charge of perimeter reconnaissance had discovered the enemies .

It was after 6pm. The sky of the setting sun was gradually turning dark.

Roughly two hundred enemy Legions were approaching Suruga City under the cover of the autumn night.

Setting off from the Fuji tutelary fort, the enemies had used low-speed flight which did not consume ectoplasmic fluid, flying across Suruga Bay. However, the enemies were not Crusades.

They were an army of Imperial Japan's prided blue samurai, the Kamuys.

The Kinai Fiefdom and the British had joined forces to establish the Restoration Alliance. Opposing the Alliance meant that infighting between Kamuys would eventually happen one day.

And this one day was tonight.

The nation-protecting keep was the tutelary fort's core. Tachibana Hatsune was waiting in the ground floor hall. Soldiers of the Tōkaidō provincial army were hurrying in and out, which meant that they were working hard in response to the enemy attack.

Hatsune was standing alone in a corner to avoid getting in their way.

Were this a party, Hatsune would probably be a "wallflower," but the current situation was the opposite.

"Civil war... People from the same country killing one another."

Hatsune sighed, feeling uncharacteristically depressed.

Viewed through rosy glasses, the so-called Sengoku era was a time when ambitious daimyo lords vied for supremacy to unify the nation—But it was nothing more than a bloodbath where Japanese slaughtered one another in civil war. Similarly, the Meiji Restoration saw reformists in the Bakumatsu era rallying to usher in a new age—But it too was a time of civil unrest full of tragedy.

Perhaps such an era was about to arrive again.

"Onii-sama and the princess, I wonder if they're okay...?"

Hatsune was not only part of the princess and a Chevalier's entourage but had also distinguished herself by rescuing the castellan.

Hence, she was allowed to stay in the nation-protecting keep. Hatsune did not want to act entitled, but at least she felt thankful for securing a spot for herself in the hall.

Staying here allowed her to keep a close watch on the battle situation.

For example, she could check in real-time how her Onii-sama from the Tachibana clan fought and his safety on the battlefield.

"To be honest, the situation is quite unfavorable. You've got to do your best, Onii-sama...!"

The Chevalier originally supposed to fight alongside him, Akigase Rikka was unconscious.

The ifrit and spirit guarding the tutelary fort were also in poor condition.

Masatsugu had become everyone's final hope. Together with his liege Shiori, he had gone underground of the nation-protecting keep but still had not returned.

Suppressing her anxiety, Hatsune quietly waited for the battle to begin.

"H-How is it?"

"As I suspected... The water here seems unsuitable for me."

Masatsugu was underground of the tutelary fort, currently in the water shrine's bath.

Shiori was also by his side. The vat of ectoplasmic fluid, resembling a round swimming pool, was filled with marine-blue artificial ectoplasmic fluid. The center was designed like a fountain where the blue liquid flowed out continuously.

Masatsugu was soaking in the vat alone.

In charge of accompanying and instructing him, Shiori remained outside the bath with her back towards Masatsugu.

"What do you mean by unsuitable?"

"Princess, you said the ectoplasmic fluid here would seep into my body and soul to help me resupply, right? Unfortunately, I don't feel like I'm absorbing any ectoplasmic fluid at all."

"I see..."

Shiori listened attentively but insistently refused to look towards the vat of ectoplasmic fluid.

She kept her back to Masatsugu the whole time because he was naked. As soon as he arrived at the vat of ectoplasmic fluid, Masatsugu had undressed because clothing was in the way.

Turning bright red, Shiori had hastily turned her back to Masatsugu.

Evidently, she was neither used to "looking at others" nor being looked at herself. Moreover, the princess was dressed in the school uniform as before.

"By the way, Princess. From what I've heard... Highborn women usually have ladies-in-waiting to help them change, so they don't mind disrobing in front of other people. This doesn't seem to apply to you, Princess, why is that?"

"Y-You are talking about customs from almost a century ago!"

Masatsugu's honest question received a scolding answer in response.

"Even though we are royalty, it would be problematic living as modern humans if one were to lack basic life skills such as dressing oneself. Please do not raise questions like these which are tantamount to sexual harassment!"

"I shouldn't have asked."

"Putting that aside, Masatsugu-sama, is the resupply of ectoplasmic fluid completely ineffective?"

"Yes, though... coming here did accomplish something at least."

As soon as he finished, Masatsugu's entire body shone with a faint glow.

The tutelary pact had been established between Masatsugu and Suruga's water shrine. This now allowed him to make effective use of the home advantage, to be able to summon Legions at will near the tutelary fort and revive casualties within shorter time frames...

That being said, all this was rather meaningless for Masatsugu who still did not have a single soldier under his command.

"The ability to form a tutelary pact but not replenish ectoplasmic fluid—" Shiori murmured to herself in surprise.

However, she did not give up hope. With her back to Masatsugu, she entered deep thought. Twenty seconds later, she shared her conclusion decisively.

"This leaves me no choice. I shall ask for the reason."

"Ask? Who will you ask?"

"My grandfather. In fact... I already have an idea as to the identity of the witch who had just attacked Rikka-sama. She is probably the same as me."

The same? Masatsugu was quite surprised. The princess slowly turned her head towards him.

Their gazes met. Despite facing the naked Masatsugu, Shiori was no longer nervous.

This was probably a combination of Masatsugu's lower body being submerged in ectoplasmic fluid and the fact that they were confronting a serious matter—In any case, it was a very poignant topic.

"The witch is probably a member of royalty. She descends from a princess who married a sacred beast as a priestess to become the sacred beast's consort... In other words, she is either a daughter or a granddaughter with a sacred beast's blood flowing within her."

"The witch Hatsune saw is royalty like you, Princess?"

"Yes. When we pray to our forefathers, the sacred beasts, there is a chance that our wishes come true. Normally, we pray for major national matters, such as asking sacred beasts to grant the likes of Legions or Appellations... As for me," Shiori tossed her glittering platinum blonde hair lightly, "I am able to pray for personal wishes more arbitrarily. My dragon blood is stronger than any of the other princesses, which seems to facilitate communing with my grandfather. That transforming witch is probably—no, she must be a princess whose heritage of sacred beast blood must be even stronger than mine."

Yesterday, Shiori had revealed that Lord Tenryuu granted Masatsugu to her.

Stronger ties to a sacred beast also implied greater proximity to the mystical.

"Masatsugu-sama, please come out and stand before me... O-Of course, kindly make yourself presentable first."

Shiori became a little flustered at the end. After speaking, she turned her back to Masatsugu again.

Masatsugu left the vat of ectoplasmic fluid and wrapped a bath towel around his waist. With a slender build, he was not a big man with bulging muscles. But overall, his body was quite well-trained without the slightest flab, approaching the physique of a boxer before a match.

Thus, the two of them were now face to face.

Sitting on the edge of the vat of ectoplasmic fluid, Masatsugu lowered his head. Shiori reached out and placed her right hand on the forehead of the amnesiac Resurrectee.

Then the eyes of the girl with dragon blood instantly shone blue.

"...I know the answer."

Shiori's whispering voice was very solemn. This was only to be expected as it was the voice of a shrine maiden speaking an oracle.

"Ectoplasmic fluid must merge with the body and soul in order to activate mystic powers... However, Masatsugu-sama, you have lost your name and memories..."

Shiori's expression vanished. Her face had a cold and inorganic beauty like a doll's.

"This condition is equivalent to losing a portion of one's soul. An incomplete vessel. A damaged soul cannot carry ectoplasmic fluid... and consequently cannot ensure an army's nourishment..."

Masatsugu frowned. He never expected his memory loss to cause such a problem.

Furthermore, he noticed that something was escaping from the expressionless Shiori. Masatsugu understood instinctively through a Chevalier's ability to sense noesis.

"The reason why you are unable to materialize Legions is as I suspected... A shortage of ectoplasmic fluid reserves after all. Let me take this opportunity... to pray for the restoration of your memory. Whether it will succeed or not, can only be known after the attempt is made..."

Masatsugu felt very skeptical. Could Shiori really pray for the restoration of his memories?

In that case, why had she not attempted it earlier? The certain something escaping from the princess—the flow was increasing. Could it be that...

"Masatsugu-sama, please close your eyes."

Despite his surprise, Masatsugu followed Shiori's instructions.

He closed his eyes and saw some kind of scene.

First there was a classroom with many students of Rinzai High there. However, it was not class time but a meeting of thte school festival's executive committee. The scene shifted again to a classroom where a lesson was in progress, then to a bedroom in the boys dorm, then Masatsugu and Taisei heading out after school together...

Scenes of his everyday life was flashing past like in a kaleidoscope.

Masatsugu saw his memories from the past two years, tracing backwards slowly from the most recent. One month ago, two months ago, three months ago, a year ago, a year and a half ago.

Finally, it was two years ago, the first time he gained consciousness after his memory loss.

He was lying on a futon in some kind of house. Someone from the Tachibana clan was next to him and told him many things while he was awake. A few days after that, he had come to Suruga.

Masatsugu had no recollection of anything earlier, but the backtracking of memories continued.

—Inside a cave deep in a certain mountain. It was raining outside.

Just woken, Masatsugu was naked. In front of him was a beautiful young girl.

That gorgeous platinum blonde hair undoubtedly belonged to Shiori. However, she was two years younger than the present, only fourteen. Back then, she should have been studying abroad.

Perhaps this happened in Eastern Rome's territory or she had returned to Japan for a brief visit.

Either way, the princess requested for Masatsugu to be her knight and he agreed magnanimously.

'As thanks for summoning me back to the world, I pledge to do everything in my power.'

However, Masatsugu then lost consciousness—

The scene changed again.

This time, it was in the center of a vast plain of grassland. There were no buildings in sight. The horizon was out in the distance.

It did not seem like Japanese scenery, but it could be. Because this was a scene from the past, not the present.

Masatsugu... No, it was before he received this name. This was his previous life.

He was riding a galloping horse. His mount was definitely no thoroughbred. Its skinny body did not look impressive at all. However, the horse ran well. Even now, it was racing strongly across the grassland. This breed's staying power was its most important trait.

The horse ran on and on, eating weeds in the wilderness, slaking its thirst with the morning dew.

Crossing a thousand miles, skinny yet strong and resilient.

This was truly the type of horse most suited for war. Riding on horseback with sword in hand, a bow and a quiver of arrows hanging from the saddle, rushing to the battlefield with an army that shared his meager rations. The soldiers under his command were riding equally skinny horses.

The enemies... Who were they? Which country was he in, fighting whom?

What is my name?

Just as the answer was about to be revealed...

Masatsugu opened his eyes and said to the princess who was relying on the power of her grandfather, Lord Tenryuu, "Enough, Princess... No need to consume your life any further."

"Huh?"

Instantly, surprise surfaced on Shiori's expressionless face.

She probably thought Masatsugu would not notice. However, Masatsugu had discerned the secret.

"The sacred beasts have great powers, even enough to change the world. It is only natural that asking the sacred beasts to invoke that kind of power would require a corresponding price."

"Masatsugu-sama..."

"From what I can tell, the price is paid using the lives of royalty like you—Am I right?"

"......"

Shiori bowed her head without saying a word. Silence was the most effective confirmation.

Currently, the princess and Masatsugu's minds had returned to the bath at the water shrine. From the grassy plains of an unknown era back to the year 1998, the Suruga tutelary fort at the end of the twentieth century.

The moment this ritual began, Shiori had been losing something from her body.

Namely, life, longevity, vitality. Masatsugu used to be a warrior whose path crossed closer to death than anyone's, hence he instinctively sensed what Shiori had lost was valuable life.

"You already paid a corresponding price to revive me."

"The exact number eludes me... Regardless, my lifespan decreased approximately by five years, maybe a decade or two. But it matters not."

Shiori lifted her head with determination.

"The lifespans of women inheriting the blood of sacred beasts are always very extreme. They either die tragically young or live to a ripe old age. Inheriting my grandfather's blood so strongly, I will surely be long-lived. Besides..."

The princess feigned a calm expression and continued to put on a brave face.

"Rather than a long life in shallows and in miseries, bullied by the Empress and her closest followers... A short life burning as brilliantly as fireworks would be far more stylish."

"Even so, you have paid enough." Finding Shiori's tough front rather cute as well, he said, "Since you reduced your own life to obtain me... My life will be yours to use, Princess."

These were the words of a general, conveying a promise to his liege.

Shiori looked surprised as she gazed back at Masatsugu.

### 015. Part 2

In early October, Rinzai High gained a new transfer student coming from the capital Tokyo.

She was prim and adorable while outgoing and lively, virtuous in conduct while innocent and pure. Such was her peerless beauty that one could apply every flowery literary device to describe her—A beautiful maiden practically loved by everyone in the school.

The new goddess of the campus had a family name of Tachibana paired with a given name of Hatsune.

Reportedly, she was a well-bred young lady hailing from the Tachibana clan, a prestigious samurai family fairly renowned in Suruga City, and had served at the imperial palace at Tokyo to learn all kinds of etiquette...

"Everyone is talking about me like this! It's quite troubling. These kinds of comments only got six out of seven things correct!"

"In other words, they approach 85% in accuracy? I think your self-image is overrated."

Despite saying she felt troubled, Hatsune looked quite happy. When Masatsugu tried to warn Hatsune, Taisei also nodded on the side and concurred, "If a girl fitting this description actually existed, she'd have become a national idol a long time ago."

"Sheesh. Onii-sama and Taisei-san, you're far too obsessed with numbers!"

Mocked by Masatsugu and Taisei, Hatsune grumbled unhappily.

During the lunch break, the three of them were having their meal at the cafeteria. The next day after visiting Masatsugu's house, Hatsune had transferred to Rinzai High.

As a first year, Hatsune was a junior student relative to Masatsugu in the second year.

While eating the daily special, a ham cutlet meal, Taisei said, "Let me take a guess. Everyone is overreacting to the detail about 'a well-bred young lady who had frequented the imperial palace' and projecting their fantasies on you, thus resulting in the illusion of a school idol."

"T-Taisei-san, sometimes you really speak without any delicacy..."

"Don't let it bother you, Hatsune. Taisei doesn't mean any harm, he simply enjoys analyzing things like this. All he did was share his deductions."

After offering reconciliatory words that totally did not patch up the situation, Masatsugu picked up a rice ball and took a bite.

He had bought a pickled plum rice ball at the snack shop. This was his entire lunch. He was actually not a small eater, but he did have an odd natural habit where he felt uneasy unless he ate humble meals that only made him 60% full.

"When you mentioned qualities such as 'prim,' 'adorable,' or 'outgoing and lively,' I believe it did match your self-proclaimed 85% accuracy."

"Really!? I'm so happy, Onii-sama!"

"As for virtuous in conduct or school idol, I'd say let's forget about that..."

"Y-You should've kept that comment to yourself, Onii-sama!"

Alternating through joy and despair, Hatsune was having a lunch comprising raw tuna on a bed of sushi rice, a seaweed salad, mini udon, as well as meat and potato stew.

This was quite a hearty appetite for a girl. Naturally, Hatsune did not wolf down her food like an unrefined boy.

Smiling cheerfully, she carefully savored every dish.

It was obvious at a glance that she sincerely enjoyed her mealtime.

"However, your family has extraordinary status since you were able to gain access to the imperial palace."

"This is my first time hearing about it too. Previously, I only knew that our ancestors were samurai in the direct service of the shogunate."

"Our clan merely holds empty status without any wealth. Fortunately, we are valued for our skills and valor, which is what allowed us to have dealings with the upper class."

In more recent times, there was no one more famous as an example of a samurai in the service of upper society than Yamaoka Tetsushuu.

A renowned master swordsman and calligrapher, he had served in the Bakumatsu era as a shogunate vassal then as a retainer of the imperial family after the Meiji Restoration. The Tachibana clan must have had individuals with similar exploits.

"My father cautioned me to be a good lady-in-waiting trainee, to learn etiquette and how to get along with upper society, as a part-time job after school."

In fact, Hatsune's use of chopsticks during meals was very pretty.

Sitting on a cafeteria chair, her posture was very upright. Although she was a very friendly and approachable girl, her behavior and poise hinted at excellent upbringing.

"Then as expected, that rumor turns out to be related to how you're receiving special treatment, Hatsune-san?"

"Special treatment? What do you mean?" asked Masatsugu curiously, prompting Taisei to explain immediately.

"Uh, basically Hatsune-san's uniform."

"Is it not allowed? This older style of female uniform is approved in schools all over Tokyo. There's nothing in the school rules forbidding it either."

As before, Hatsune was dressed in a retro style like in the Haikara-san manga.

This combination of meisen kimono with a hakama was the female student look prior to the Second World War.

"There's a retro wave of fashion over there recently and I liked it a lot after trying it out."

"Unfortunately, this counts as a modified uniform that's not officially recognized. However, the school has given tacit consent since they did not reprimand you, Hatsune-san."

Five days had gone by since Hatsune's transfer, so the excuse of not having a uniform was no longer justified. Taisei continued.

"During this awkward timing of October, would your reason for moving here from the capital be related to 'a certain VIP' coming to Suruga?"

Hatsune shuddered. It looked like Taisei's hunch was correct so Masatsugu asked his friend, "Who are you referring to?"

"According to rumors, a princess of the imperial family—Shiori-sama, a highborn daughter of House Fujinomiya—has recently left the capital to come to her late father's hometown of Suruga."

"A princess of House Fujinomiya...?" asked Masatsugu, tilting his head in puzzlement at the unfamiliar name. "Right, apart from the current Empress—Her Majesty Teruhime—I've never heard the name of anyone else in the imperial family."

"Members of royalty in certain countries would take part in public events or diplomatic occasions, but it seems to be different in Japan."

Due to certain circumstances , Masatsugu was slightly lacking in what would be considered common knowledge. Well aware of this, Taisei patiently explained in detail.

"Her name and information about her have been released to the public to some extent, but there are no photos. The media is also forbidden from reporting about her in the same manner they do celebrities, so the policy of confidentiality is upheld very thoroughly."

Prior to the Second World War, back when Japan was still the "Great Empire of Japan," even ordinary families would put up portraits of upper society but now, the situation had completely reversed.

After their defeat in the war, Japan had undergone monumental changes.

The original Japan was transformed into Imperial Japan, a country worshiping the godlike sacred beast Lord Tenryuu as their guardian deity.

Nowadays, it was the Empress—the priestess whose destiny was intertwined with Lord Tenryuu—who ruled the nation of Japan.

"Shiori-sama had been studying abroad in Rome until recently, so that's probably one of the reasons. In addition, this so-called studying abroad is actually closer to being a hostage."

"A tool of diplomatic relations, in other words."

"Perhaps weary of such a life steeped in politics, she hoped to spend her life somewhere peaceful... This is what I hear occasionally."

Taisei's father worked at a news agency, hence as his son, Taisei would work part-time there whenever there was a lull in student council work. He often picked up insider information at home or in the workplace.

Meanwhile, Hatsune coughed lightly and said, "Ahem, in any case, the reason why I came back is top secret. Onii-sama, could you two not start any weird rumors, okay? Please!"

The school idol (tentative) simply cautioned Masatsugu with a cold expression without bothering to deny anything, apparently.

A few more days passed. Rumors about Fujinomiya Shiori the mysterious princess were the talk of the town. Just like Taisei, countless people were discussing information about her.

The princess who had returned from Eastern Rome was about to come to her ancestral hometown of Suruga City—

Masatsugu also heard girls in his class discuss the "Return of the Princess" story.

However, everyone still did not know anything detailed about Shiori's past.

There was a dearth of released information... Just the bare facts at most, that she was a young princess, currently sixteen years of age, while her mother was the younger sister of the second Empress.

"Hatsune, what is the princess like as a person?"

After school, Masatsugu inquired of his relative who happened to be on her way home with him.

Masatsugu lived at a boys dorm twenty minutes away from the school by foot. Hatsune also lived in the girls dorm in the same area.

Her father, Tachibana Genzou, was currently still in Tokyo.

His workplace was House Fujinomiya's imperial villa—In other words, Hatsune was here on a work assignment alone.

"The princess is very pretty and smart too... Wait, why are asking about this, Onii-sama? It's not like I have a chance to be particularly close to VIPs like her."

Noticing his distant cousin making a slip of the tongue, Masatsugu pressed on.

"Taisei speculates that you came back to serve as the princess' lady-in-waiting to attend to her everyday life, is that right?"

"La la la! I can't hear you. Onii-sama! Let's talk about something else!"

As expected, the naive Hatsune was not very good at hiding things. She forcefully changed the subject.

"Is the old candy store still around, the one we used to visit together? Want to check it out right now?"

"Candy store huh..."

"Did it go out of business? Or you can't remember?"

"In truth, I have no recollection at all."

"Sheesh, Onii-sama. So you've forgotten more than just about me."

"You're right. Let me be honest with you. I lost my memory two years ago, so I can't recall anything before that at all."

"Huh?"

Masatsugu's sudden confession made Hatsune jump in surprise. He continued unfazed.

"They said that I fell down the stairs and had a violent concussion, which resulted in amnesia."

"Th-Then even about your parents—"

"I've forgotten them too. Fortunately, I still know how they look thanks to the photos in the Buddhist altar room."

After Masatsugu's memory loss, relatives in the area had looked after him.

Initially, the clueless Masatsugu spent his days in a daze. Those relatives told him what "Tachibana Masatsugu was like as a person" and taught him basic life skills.

It was all thanks to the thoughtful care of those relatives that he was now able to handle high school life.

Amnesia did not feel particularly troubling, but he ought to properly recall things about his own parents at least... Many a time, this thought had occupied Masatsugu's mind.

Stunned for a moment, Hatsune then slowly nodded and said, "I see... So that's why my father said it that way."

"What did your father say?"

"A few days ago, he phoned me and said that he would be coming to Suruga soon to explain something important about you, Masatsugu-oniisama."

Hatsune's father worked as something like a butler at the Fujinomiya household.

Masatsugu had never met him. More precisely, Masatsugu had not met him for the past two years. Perhaps Hatsune's father had heard something about him from other relatives—Just as Masatsugu fell into deep thought...

Hatsune suddenly whispered, "P-Princess? Why are you here at school?"

Masatsugu followed Hatsune's gaze. They were near the school gates and a girl had entered from outside.

Probably not native Japanese given her blue eyes and hair the color of platinum, the young maiden was quite a striking beauty. Walking gracefully, she approached the two of them decisively.

"Do you know that girl, Hatsune?"

"S-Stop speaking so rudely! She is Shiori-sama, the princess I serve in other words. We have to receive her carefully!"

"What?"

The girl with the glittering hair smiled cordially at the puzzled Masatsugu and the panicking Hatsune.

Imperial Japan's noble princess, Fujinomiya Shiori. However, this girl possessed platinum blonde hair that did not belong to those of Japanese ancestry—

Furthermore, Masatsugu noticed something odd.

For some reason, the princess was dressed in Rinzai High's female uniform.

Hatsune rushed over to the princess' side before he could find an answer. The mistress and her personal lady-in-waiting engaged in whispers.

"I'm sorry, Onii-sama, but something came up and I have to go now!" Hatsune bade Masatsugu goodbye energetically.

The platinum blonde beauty beside her nodded elegantly to Masatsugu before making her departure. Naturally, Hatsune followed her.

The two of them were headed towards Rinzai High's school building.

### 016. Part 2

After school, Masatsugu left Rinzai High with Hatsune immediately.

Riding a military truck that came to pick them up, they made their way to the Suruga tutelary fort.

The vehicle drove to the mountainous region formed from two adjacent 300m-tall hills. On the Mount Udo peak on the north side was a slightly sloping plateau known as "Nihondaira." Built on this military land and wilderness that stretched as far as the eye could see was a tutelary fort, something that could be described as a modernized "castle."

The truck finally stopped climbing the mountain and arrived at the Suruga tutelary fort.

"So this is the place huh," muttered Masatsugu to himself.

The Surugu tutelary fort occupied roughly five times the area of the Tokyo Dome stadium at the imperial capital.

The fortification walls surrounding this vast area were approximately seven meters tall.

From an overhead view, the walls formed a five-pointed star, the same shape as the famous Hakodate tutelary fort bearing the name of Goryōkaku Fortress. In fact, fortification walls were completely useless in combat against flying Legions.

The most convincing explanation was... Building a fort in a magnificent star shape could serve to boast of military might.

"Let's go, Onii-sama."

Leaving the military truck, Hatsune hurried Masatsugu.

She still dressed as a student in the style of the Haikara-san manga.

Masatsugu was wearing the stiff-collar male uniform of Rinzai High. The Imperial Army and the provincial armies led by the Twelve Houses all used black stiff-collar military uniforms which were not too different from high school uniforms. Consequently, he did not look too out of place surrounded by soldiers here despite being a student.

In contrast, Hatsune was very conspicuous in her meisen kimono, hakama and boots.

The two students walked for a while and arrived at a side gate at the wall. Masatsugu was treated to quite a sight.

Standing on the two sides of the gate were two blue giants .

They were eight meters tall and equipped with blue armor and military uniforms. Each of them had a white mask on their face which seemed like porcelain in texture. Their compact physique looked quite agile with excellent figures too.

The two giants were equipped with "bayonet rifles."

These were weapons consisting of a military rifle fitted with a stabbing blade, thus offering functionality as both a gun and a spear. Both giants were standing at attention with their guns in upright position.

They suddenly turned their necks, pointing their faces and gazes slightly downwards.

From behind their masks—the eyes could be seen from the eye holes, glaring sternly at the approaching Masatsugu and Hatsune.

This meant that they were alive, staying actively vigilant of their surroundings as door guards!

"So these are Japan's Legions... The type known as 'Kamuy,' right?"

Today was Masatsugu's first time seeing Legions in action.

Masatsugu's height was 175cm, roughly the distance from a giant's foot up to the knee. He was deeply impressed by the blue body standing almost eight meters tall.

"That's right. The castellan probably stationed them here. People who like to show off or keep up appearances generally do this kind of thing."

"Keep up appearances?"

"Think about it. Inexperienced recruits and visitors would all react like you, Onii-sama."

Masatsugu understood the nugget of common sense that Hatsune was imparting to him.

In the modern world, Legions were both the mainstay weapons and the decisive weapons. One would easily conclude from a moment's thought that using something like this to guard a gate would be an absolute waste. However, it definitely looked very impressive.

Hatsune seemed used to it already. Nothing less expected from a girl who had been a trainee at the imperial palace.

"Do these Legions only follow the castellan's orders?"

"Strictly speaking, yes. However, if the Chevalier serving as castellan carries out a ceremony to delegate command to genies and noetic masters, they can also issue simple orders."

There was also a human soldier posted next to the side gate as a guard.

Hatsune presented her authorization document and made cheerful conversation with him. In the meantime, Masatsugu looked up at the massive bodies of the two Legions.

The blue armor of these Kamuy were spotlessly clean, shining under the sunlight.

They were not only magnificent in appearance but also gave off an awe-inspiring vibe of seasoned veterancy. In fact, every Legion was not only tall and imposing but also a master of martial arts and marksmanship.

With a pull of the trigger, they could easily strike and kill targets several kilometers away.

Were Tachibana Masatsugu an enemy soldier attacking the tutelary fort, he would probably have been "instantly slaughtered" in a single second—

In that moment, a strange notion surfaced in Masatsugu's mind.

Inexplicably, Masatsugu doubted. Would he actually be "instantly slaughtered"? The Kamuy Legions in front of him were definitely powerful but oddly enough, he did not think he was going to lose.

Without any grounds, Masatsugu believed... If necessary, he should have the ability to defeat these giant soldiers.

What was up with this? While Masatsugu was grappling with his puzzling thoughts, Hatsune said to him, "This way, Onii-sama."

"...Okay."

Passing through the side gate, the two of them entered the Suruga tutelary fort.

The premises inside the walls were very vast. The ground was a large stretch of green lawn, making Masatsugu feel like he was visiting a golf course. However, there were surprisingly few buildings.

Masatsugu recalled one explanation he had heard. Since battles between Legions might take place within tutelary forts, important facilities were mostly built underground to minimize casualties...

Of the structures above ground, there was nothing more striking that the central "tower."

It was a tower built with red bricks, roughly forty meters tall. There was a giant round clock at the very top, reminiscent of a clock tower—Wrong.

"Isn't that what people call a fengshui wheel?"

The object at the top of the tower was not a giant clock.

A magnet was installed in the center, surrounded by multiple concentric circles. Fine lines were used to divide each ring into equal-area sections, resulting in a wheel packed with characters, symbols and terms, such as the bagua series of "qian, dui, li, zhen, xun, kan, gen, kun," the heavenly stems of "jia, yi, bing, ding, wu, ji, geng, xin" and the earthly branches of "zi, chou, yin, mao, chen, si, wu, wei, shen, you, xu, hai."

"I don't know the details but tutelary forts apparently need to be a sanctuary where spirits and noesis can gather easily in addition to functioning as a military base. That's why they installed something like that."

"It's definitely quite difficult to understand."

Looking at the tower with the fengshui wheel, the two of them continued.

"By the way, Hatsune, it's time you told me why the princess summoned me here... I haven't got the slightest clue."

"No, Onii-sama, you'll know when you see the princess."

Besides, why have an audience at a military facility?

Finally, Masatsugu was taken into a certain building. A one-story building constructed from steel, probably where the likes of accounting and administrative departments worked. The military staff walking past them in the corridor seemed more like government officials than "soldiers."

The two of them arrived at what appeared to be a reception room.

There was leather sofa and a classy business desk and office chair that would presumably be used by military officers normally. A beautiful girl with platinum blonde hair was sitting there.

Fujinomiya Shiori, a princess of Imperial Japan.

Dressed in Rinzai High's female uniform, the princess greeted Masatsugu with a smile, "Thank you for the trouble of coming all the way out here. I have heard so much about you from Hatsune and Old Man Tachibana."

"Did my relatives mention me on purpose?"

Masatsugu accidentally responded to this surprising news, but he regretted it greatly.

It was important to adhere to etiquette when conversing with nobility and the correct way would be to speak through the lady-in-waiting, Hatsune.

Although Masatsugu was bothered by his rash slip of the tongue, Shiori immediately replied, "Didn't you know? The Tachibana clan of Suruga has served House Fujinomiya ever since my mother's generation."

"First time I am hearing it."

Their gazes met. Shiori looked back at Masatsugu with a gentle smile. Her brilliant platinum blonde hair was undoubtedly the same color as Lord Tenryuu as seen on television.

"May I ask why you wanted to meet me at a military base?"

"There is a matter ill-suited to discussion within the city. Please allow me to explain later," Shiori replied gracefully, picked up a summoning bell and rang it gently.

A female soldier soon arrived from the corridor and entered through the door.

She was pushing a trolley that carried all kinds of tea ware. The princess was apparently inviting Masatsugu for tea. Standing on the side, Hatsune gestured for Masatsugu to sit on the sofa.

"Onii-sama, please be seated."

Masatsugu hesitated momentarily, wondering if he should decline, then shrugged.

After some thought, Masatsugu sat down simply. By this point, there was no point trying to be formal. After all, bridges would be crossed when he got to them. He would find a solution otherwise. Having decided so, Masatsugu sat down facing the princess who was behind the business desk.

In front of Masatsugu was a low glass table.

The young female soldier placed the teacup there and poured black tea. Then she walked to the princess' desk and likewise poured a cup of tea.

...At that very instant, Masatsugu was struck by a sense of dissonance.

Even if he was the invited guest, what logic is there in serving the high school student before the princess? Consequently, Masatsugu was able to react to the trouble coming at him immediately without warning. The teacup that the female soldier had placed on the desk—

Shiori picked it up and threw it hard.

Her target was Tachibana Masatsugu, sitting on the sofa a few meters away!

"!"

Widening his eyes, Masatsugu saw that the teacup was undoubtedly aimed at his face.

However, Masastsugu's body reacted automatically as usual . His head tilted to the side by 10cm, dodging the rapidly flying cup.

The teacup passed through where his face had been moments ago.

The cup was thrown with such force that it rolled off the sofa and onto the carpet before Masatsugu could see it land.

His body moved automatically the instant he sensed danger behind him.

Indeed, someone had secretly circled behind Masatsugu's back to attack him with a wooden sword!

Masatsugu's head would have split open if he had dodged a second later. With fluid motions, Masatsugu stood up swiftly.

He turned to face the assailant behind the sofa and saw her identity clearly.

"It's you, Hatsune!"

"Impressive as always, Onii-sama!"

Wielding a wooden sword, Hatsune was standing behind the sofa.

Sixteen years of age, Tachibana Hatsune was a girl with a slender build. Currently, she was exuding an accomplished master's aura. Holding a mid-level seigan stance, she had the wooden sword's tip pointed straight at Masatsugu's face.

With brilliant footwork, Hatsune instantly closed in on him.

Attacking from the front, she swung the wooden sword with a sharp sound of slicing wind. Masatsugu hastily moved right and dodged the slash nimbly.

"Here I come again!"

Hatsune executed a fierce thrust at Masatsugu's face.

Masatsugu tilted his head to evade but a second strike immediately aimed at his throat. Masatsugu took a great jump backwards, distancing himself from his distant cousin the young swordswoman.

Hatsune seized the chance to take a great stride forward and delivered a downward diagonal slash.

Masatsugu avoided the strike deftly. Missing its target, the wooden sword proceeded with an upward diagonal slash in a fluid combination offense. Hatsune's swordsmanship was sharp and fast as the wind.

The wooden sword used by Hatsune was very short, comparable to a kodachi in length.

Swinging a massive sword like in historical dramas would easily cause damage to the ceiling or the walls. Hence, Hatsune had chosen the handy and convenient kodachi.

Impressed with such impeccable attention to detail one would not expect from a young girl, Masatsugu did his best to survive these attacks.

...Also, the female soldier who was serving tea had already left. It looked like she knew in advance this was going to happen.

Meanwhile, Hatsune entered another mid-level stance and laughed fiercely.

"Fufufufu, you can't win if all you do is run, Onii-sama!"

"Is the purpose of this farce to test my abilities?"

"Indeed, the head of the Tachibana clan has decided to select from the younger generation two bodyguards for the princess. Onii-sama, you have been chosen."

"Why me?"

"Onii-sama, the only youngsters left in our clan are you and me."

Masatsugu accepted this clear and simple reason. On further thought, all the relatives he had met for the past two years were all adults over forty.

"By the way, I really had no idea you were this amazing."

"The Tachibana clan prides itself most on strength and valor. I've trained in martial arts since childhood, whereas getting into slight trouble is regarded as part of a warrior's training, so this level of ability is only to be expected."

"Listening to your confession, I'm quite curious about how serious the troubles you got yourself into..."

"Have you had enough warming up? Okay, let's begin for real. We will decide who is the strongest of the young Tachibanas!"

Masatsugu was quite troubled to see his adorable cousin pressuring him.

"Now that puts me in a dilemma. I don't really want to hurt you."

"Ah, that's quite a lovely line, Onii-sama. It feels like a fated rival is about to release his power, what a great vibe. Attack with this sort of spirit!"

"I don't mind doing as you wish... But as I've said before, I don't have any memory of my past."

Hatsune's attitude was flippant but her abilities were the real deal.

Masatsugu spoke earnestly, "It's true that I use martial arts when I encounter danger. I suppose I must have trained in martial arts in my youth, so it became ingrained into my body. But..."

Tachibana Masatsugu had apparently learned unarmed combat and swordsmanship since childhood. At least, this was what his relatives had told him. However, for the past two years since losing his memory, he had not practiced at all.

Incredibly, he did not feel any urge to practice either.

Hence, he could not remember anything that might be considered a move or a skill in swordsmanship or unarmed combat.

He could more than handle himself if it was just resisting the opponent's attacks, however...

"When I attack—It tends to be a bit dangerous."

"You're getting more and more amazing, Onii-sama! What you're saying sounds a lot like 'Get out of my sight unless you want to die. Settle down, my left arm...!'"

Hatsune's eyes were getting excited for some reason.

Masatsugu nodded and said, "Yeah, more specifically, 'I'm gonna snatch that teapot over there to scald you with boiling water, then straddle you and beat your face to a pulp.' That's my combat style, I guess?"

"...Eh? Really?"

"The martial arts I learned before seems to be a style quite focused on real-world combat. Every strike is brutal without any holding back. If there are beer bottles nearby, I'll grab them to smash on people. When an opponent tries to stare me down, I'll suddenly headbutt him, knocking him out directly."

Back when they first entered high school, Masatsugu and Taisei had accidentally found themselves downtown at night.

Unfortunately, they encountered seven or eight low-lifes and were taken to a deserted back alley. This was when Masatsugu demonstrated how dirty a fighter he could be.

After that, Masatsugu had gotten into similar troubles a few times...

"Shouldn't you fight more honorably like in shounen manga?"

"I agree, but you don't really have any moral ground to say that when you ambushed me with a wooden sword."

"On the contrary, all the men in our Tachibana clan are superbly skilled. They'd never feel bothered by little tricks of this sort. Aren't you alive and kicking right now? B-Besides, I-I don't have a choice!"

Hatsune smiled guiltily while she spoke.

"After a discussion with the princess, I decided 'this would be more exciting,' you know? The princess consented too, so..."

"...The princess authorized this farce?"

Masatsugu frowned at the revelation of the unexpected truth.

However, on further thought, he recalled that Princess Shiori was precisely the first person to make a move. Furthermore, she had attacked with full force. Masatsugu stole a glance at the problematic character in question.

"Technically, this is a test for bodyguard aptitude."

The beautiful princess smiled tenderly at Masatsugu.

Her dignified smile conveyed elegance that was the talk of the town all over Suruga.

"An easily cleared test would be pointless. Hence, we decided to step things up a little."

Evidently, the princess was nowhere near "obedient" as her appearance would suggest—

This was Masatsugu's first glimpse at Fujinomiya Shiori's true self. She was the noble princess, the intelligent and elegant beauty, yet hidden inside her were all kinds of secret aspects...

Shiori continued to speak to the pensive Masatsugu, "That being said, this test has proceeded long enough. Tachibana-sama, you are plenty qualified to serve as my bodyguard. The last requirement is your consent."

"I see."

Having been given the right to decide, Masatsugu agreed quite readily.

"Since serving Your Highness is the business of my clan, I have no objections..."

Masatsugu did not feel any loyalty to the imperial family but he was indebted to his clan. Furthermore, he had some talents so assisting Hatsune in her work should not be a problem... Just as he made his decision, a certain notion crossed his mind. Perhaps this was an excellent chance to solve "a certain problem" too.

Masatsugu decided that he needed to review the matter properly, but unfortunately, he did not have the luxury of time right now.

Unexpectedly, a siren blared at the scene to signal an emergency situation.

### 017. Part 2

"Urgh...!"

The young private first-class serving as the guide suddenly clutched his stomach and groaned in pain.

Hatsune looked him in the face and feigned concern.

"Oh my? What's the matter with you?"

"M-My stomach suddenly—Ow... Urghhhhhhh!"

"Oh no! I'll help you get medicine! Uh, should I go to a shop or the infirmary in a situation like this?"

"P-Please excuse me for a moment."

The unfortunate soldier got up from his pipe chair and fled the scene. The Tachibana youngster combo, Masatsugu and Hatsune, watched the soldier leave.

The location was the tearoom at the tutelary fort. There was plenty of natural lighting and a wide open space.

Inside there were vending machines selling drinks and cigarettes as well as several round tables for visitors to take a break. It was currently the next day after the British Legions had attacked.

Princess Shiori was visiting the tutelary fort again, this time for a meeting with Chevalier Akigase Rikka.

As her followers, Masatsugu and Hatsune came as well, but had no choice but to wait on standby during the meeting. A certain considerate military officer had sent a guide to show them around the tutelary fort.

...Naturally, now that it was the following day after the attack of the Crusades, martial law had already been imposed on the city.

In this chaotic situation, a visit from two outsiders would be tantamount to creating trouble, so the officer had sent someone to monitor them under the euphemism of "a guide."

However, Masatsugu and Hatsune had been tasked with secret orders requiring them to evade surveillance.

When Hatsune first arrived at the tearoom, she bought two paper cups of coffee from a vending machine, cheerfully offering one to the soldier as thanks for showing them around. She had secretly slipped a black pill into the cup of coffee. Accepting it gratefully, the soldier drank the tampered coffee with a smile. Presumably, Hatsune's adorable appearance combined with the rare sight of Japanese clothing in a military base had sealed the deal.

"How was that, Onii-sama? My ninja technique of the honey trap worked!"

"So that's your idea of a honey trap..."

The curves of Hatsune's bust were very obvious even under her kimono top. She puffed out her chest proudly.

Masatsugu was not having coffee. Taking a swig of drinking water, he asked Hatsune, "You gave him a laxative, right?"

"Something like that, a secret drug passed down the Tachibana family. One pill is enough to turn someone into a toilet guardian god for two hours, completely incapable of leaving."

"It does feel ninja-like when you call it a secret passed down the family."

"That goes without saying. The Tachibana clan used to be a family of master ninjas who commanded lower ninjas."

"They were like Hattori Hanzou? Our clan keeps way too many secrets."

Hatsune brought up the Tachibana family history, prompting Masatsugu to remark poignantly.

Hattori Hanzou Masanari, who had served Tokugawa Ieyasu, was not only known as the fierce general with the nickname "Hanzou the Spear" but also a master ninja. This was a very well-known legend.

"Actually, there was once a Tachibana Chevalier two generations before us."

"But our Tachibana clan leads a very low-key life nowadays."

"Can't be helped. The honored title of Chevalier is non-hereditary. However, the Appellation is still under our clan's safekeeping, so anyone who inherits it can become a Chevalier."

Hatsune pouted, somewhat annoyed.

"I heard it is quite a high-level Appellation. Anyone who fails in the succession ritual ends up dead. That's why the ritual is forbidden unless there is an emergency."

"Sorry, I don't understand what you mean by appellation or succession."

"Oh, sorry about that. A so-called Appellation refers to a universally recognized title of someone known for martial valor. Someone who inherits this title can become a Chevalier to summon Legions."

Masatsugu leaned forward, listening attentively to Hatsune's explanation, because the one who had ordered a Japanese Legion, the Kamuy, to fight yesterday was precisely Masatsugu himself.

"Most of them are named after medals. Take Japan's Imperial Army for example. The most common one is the medal named Zuihou, the Order of the Sacred Treasure. But occasionally, there are Appellations that are different. A Chevalier worthy of inheriting that kind of high-level title will be able to use amazing killer moves!"

"I see."

"However, these special inheritances are very difficult. If someone ineligible takes on the succession ritual, failure results in instant death."

"What's this so-called eligibility?"

"It's a bit ambiguous, but pretty much 'someone who is equivalent to a ton of military strength will be fine' or something along those lines."

"Military strength huh... So superior combat ability isn't enough?"

"Hmm, apart from martial prowess, you also need to be versed in military strategy, know how to raise your troops' morale, be undefeated on the battlefield, etc. These are all aspects of 'military strength.'"

Hatsune interrupted the explanation and stared straight at Masatsugu.

"Yesterday, Onii-sama, when you demonstrated supernatural strength, I thought you had inherited the Appellation at some point, the one specially kept by the Tachibana clan."

"Sorry, I have no memory of that at all," Masatsugu gave a negative answer and said, "Are there many people who fight Legions like me... using a body of flesh?"

"I've never seen it and no one in our clan has managed it before. Generally speaking, you'd definitely be flattened. Oh, however..."

Hatsune clapped her hands together and said with her eyes glimmering, "I mentioned just now that 'those with high-level Appellations' can use amazing killer moves, right? This is a rumor I heard in the imperial palace, so it's very rare."

"At least there are known cases..."

"We'll delve deeper in these matters later. Either way, Onii-sama, you're definitely no ordinary person... So, it's time for me to get going and finish the princess' command sooner."

Hatsune stood up from her seat, shaking the pipe chair.

Masatsugu's distant cousin left swiftly, still cheerful and outgoing in personality. Masatsugu also got up to take a leisurely stroll. He had to kill time while waiting for his master and Hatsune to take care of their respective business.

While walking, Masatsugu pondered what had transpired the day before.

Drawing out unusual power from within himself, he had kept himself and the princess safe.

Back then, hot blood had coursed through his body and mind. Very naturally, he figured out the origin of Legions and how to use them and was able to apply this knowledge on the spot.

When the Crusades were destroyed, the princess had asked him, 'Masatsugu-sama... Have you finally awakened?'

'A legatus legionis at last—A true Chevalier.'

Masatsugu was unable to answer, simply confused.

After the brief battle, the feeling of blood boiling had vanished. At the same time, he also forgot how to control Legions.

In the end, Masatsugu had no way of answering Shiori's question.

However, the term "legatus legionis" had left a deep impression in his mind.

When Masatsugu asked Shiori what it meant, she responded with a smile. He presumed that smile was to hide her disappointment.

'One who keeps a legion—It is an ancient Roman term meaning legion commander.'

Legatus Legionis. Masatsugu ruminated over the term.

"Princess! I've fulfilled your instructions!"

They were on the way back from the Suruga tutelary fort.

The tutelary fort was located at the top of a mountainous region east of the city, so going back and forth required transport by car. Naturally, they were taking a car back.

The princess was riding a black domestic luxury car with Hatsune as the driver.

Sixteen was the legal age for a driving license. Masatsugu had obtained his last year. However, his distant cousin was clearly more skilled than him as a driver.

While demonstrating fancy cornering techniques on the mountain road, Hatsune said to the lady she served, "It was so much trouble you know~? Like putting on a masquerade, using a hidden key, seeking help from the old mister Tachibana who had infiltrated the place. It'd take a long time if I had to report the details of all these tasks—"

"Good work, I shall rely on you again when the next opportunity arises."

"Sob. Princess, you're too insensitive, I was trying to say what an ordeal it was for me... This sadistic disposition does feel very princess-like. At least let me brag a bit."

"Fufufufu, didn't you know that bragging about one's glorious exploits is a pleasure that belongs to the elderly♪"

Shiori was sitting leisurely in the spacious back seat all alone.

Masatsugu was in the front passenger seat, holding the hard-won fruit of Hatsune's efforts. It was a thin slab of wood the size of an A3 sheet with kanji and Sanskrit characters written in cursive with a brush. Masatsugu could only recognize the four words of "summon the great god" and the picture of a dog-like animal drawn beneath them.

Not only was this a retainer beast talisman used by noetic techniques but also a valuable military-grade item.

Today, Hatsune had "borrowed" something like this from the tutelary fort's underground storage.

"Hatsune, go for a spin inside the city before returning to the dormitory."

"Understood."

Hatsune followed the princess' instruction and turned the steering wheel.

The car drove through the neighborhoods and streets of Suruga that Masatsugu knew so well. However, there was very little traffic in every street. Most shops were also closed temporarily. All this was due to the imposition of martial law. Most of the vehicles on the road belonged to either the Tōkaidō provincial army or the police.

Along the way, this car was stopped by soldiers and police many times too.

Fortunately, the princess had already become a celebrity known in every Suruga household. The influence and respect accorded to her as well as the calling card of Chevalier Akigase Rikka received at the tutelary fort proved to be handy in these situations. Rikka had written "please provide assistance to the princess" on the back of the card, which had a profound effect.

After that, Hatsune drove north of Suruga City.

Continuing forward along this direction would take one near the Southern Alps and Mount Ryuusou. In other words, they had gone from the countryside around a bus station to what was truly deep in the mountains.

Masatsugu looked out the window into the sky and noticed something.

Flying in the air were three wyverns, a type of retainer beast used by many countries. Their common characteristics were "a lizard-like appearance except with wings growing out of their shoulders" and "being roughly two to three times the size of a horse."

However, every country's wyvern variant had its own unique color.

Imperial Japan's wyverns were blue. The wyverns currently in the air were white.

White was the color of the British Empire's wyverns.

"So British retainer beasts have trespassed all the way here..." lamented the princess gloomily.

They were not the only car traveling on the road. Every now and then, they would see local cars driving to the urban zone adjacent to Suruga Station to seek refuge.

There were many flyers scattered on the ground.

Distributed by wyverns all over the place, the flyers were signed jointly by the British Imperial Forces and the Kinai Fiefdom.

Masatsugu's party had picked them up to read earlier. 'Residents are strongly encouraged to seek refuge in areas deemed appropriate by the Charter of Chivalry ' was written on them. People living in the area had acted according to the flyer's instructions.

Masatsugu asked the princess in the back seat, "Does the Kinai Fiefdom intend to oppose the Roman army with British assistance?"

"Indeed. For the past fifty years, Japan's Chevaliers had seen very little action in the field... In contrast, Chevaliers of both the Eastern Roman Empire and the British Empire have been fighting on battlefields across the globe. Whether Chevalier Strength or experience, Japan is no match on either front."

"What is Chevalier Strength?"

"The number of Legions a Chevalier can summon at a time constitutes 'Chevalier Strength.' Chevaliers with a higher Chevalier Strength can summon a greater quantity of Legions—One could think of it as a power indicator. Take yesterday's battle for instance... Despite holding home field advantage, the Suruga side lost to the invading Crusades due to numerical inferiority."

The princess shrugged and sighed.

"The power disparity between the two armies was too obvious."

"From what I have heard, a Chevalier can use more Legions when fighting at a friendly tutelary fort."

The mystic beings, Legions, were summoned out of thin air at a Chevalier's command.

However, effects were different depending on the summoning location.

The quantity of summoned Legions would decrease drastically unless the summoning took place in a land holding powerful mystic energies known as divine precincts or sanctuaries. As nature would have it, these sanctuaries were very rare and the few that existed were located deep in the mountains or in the middle of nature, places of scant military value...

Masatsugu recalled knowledge he had heard before.

Shiori said to him, "Tutelary forts have water shrines underground—In other words, reservoirs of artificial ectoplasmic fluid. Thanks to large quantities of this mysterious liquid that 'nourishes beings not of this world,' the region surrounding a water shrine will naturally become spiritually purified—"

"Meaning that it becomes a sacred domain, right?"

After comprehending the explanation, Masatsugu was struck by another question. From his position in the front passenger seat, he somehow felt as though Shiori was staring at him continuously from the back.

### 018. Part 2

"Fire!"

At Rikka's command, the ninety Kamuys pulled their triggers simultaneously.

Their target was the formation of landed Crusades. The Kamuy's bayonet rifles flashed continuously, producing a dense barrage against the enemy.

"The other side intends to settle the battle using melee combat and won't fire back in full force. Seize this opportunity to shoot with impunity!"

Rikka rallied her troops. The Crusades were gunned down one after another.

This was the outcome of the Kamuys' change of formation. Making a single row meant putting every Legion on the front rank. Thus, the ninety Kamuys were able to focus fire on the front rank of the approaching British army.

The British Legions were in a 10x10 square formation.

The ninety Kamuys focused their firepower on the ten Crusades standing in the front rank.

These ten Crusades were now under more intense fire than the barrage earlier.

The incessant flashes attacked the British Legions' gigantic bodies dozens of times, trying to break through the weakest parts of the protective barriers. The probability of striking vitals became much higher than before.

Consequently, enemy troops in the front rank fell successively.

The Crusades in the front row also returned fire but rarely inflicted injuries on the Kamuys.

Incidentally, the Suruga army led by Rikka was not at a significant advantage either. Whenever Crusades in the front rank were taken out by the Kamuys' focus fire, Crusades from the back would immediately step forward to maintain the formation.

Under heavy fire, the British army courageously advanced without any disarray.

Initially, the two armies were separated by roughly a kilometer.

Once that separation had halved, the Crusades were whittled down to ninety from ninety-four.

When the separation halved again, there were eighty-four Crusades remaining.

The distance between the two armies was finally no more than fourteen or fifteen meters.

Almost about to enter melee range, the British Crusades were down to seventy-five while there were still eighty-eight Japanese Kamuys. Numerically speaking, the Kamuys held the advantage, but...

Riding his wyvern, circling in the air, the British Chevalier roared as though victory was firmly in his grasp.

"My men, your persistence is commendable! As agents of Her Majesty, it is now your turn to fight all-out. Crush those puny Japanese soldiers!"

The Kamuys were a size smaller than the Crusades. This difference in build could not be ignored in close quarter combat. The Kamuys were inferior in strength and there were precious few precedents where their physique disadvantage were overcome.

Rikka clicked her tongue.

"Anyone at all, take out that blabbering Knight of Her Majesty!"

The Kamuys at Rikka's side obeyed and fired. Every Legion was master of combat with first-rate expertise in marksmanship and close-range fighting. An accurate shot through the target should not be beyond them.

However, the Knight of Her Majesty flew behind the square formation of Crusades.

The barrier particles surrounding the British Legions formed an invisible shield, blocking the Kamuys' sniping offensive.

Next, the British army pressed forward. A melee battle commenced at last.

The bayonet rifle was the weapon used by Kamuys and Crusades alike. Brandishing the bayonets fitted on their long barrels, both sides stabbed at enemy Legions.

The Japanese side held superiority in numbers but the tide of battle clearly favored the British army.

First of all, the seventy-five Crusades maintained their square formation as they charged at the row of Suruga troops.

The Kamuys were arranged in a row to prioritize firepower. The Crusades charged fiercely, thrusting their bayonets to stab their enemies.

Overpowered by the British Legions' pressure and strength, Kamuys were getting skewered in their masks and necks.

Of course, a small proportion of the Japanese Kamuys did manage to evade the Crusades' bayonets and struck back. However, the enemy formation remained secure.

Brandishing their bayonets, whenever any Crusades fell in the front rank, they would be immediately replaced by Crusades from the back rows.

Ultimately, the British army continued to charge at the Japanese army with perfect retention of momentum and formation. During the time of the ancient Greeks, the mighty phalanx had dominated battlefields using the same tactics of packed formations.

In contrast, the row of Kamuys was a formation offering no thickness at all.

The paper-thin formation was about to break up, torn to shreds.

"Warriors of Her Majesty, kill the enemy Chevalier! The battle ends as soon as that person dies!"

At the British Chevalier's command, the Crusades attacked even more ferociously.

Among the row of Suruga troops, Rikka was standing on the right shoulder of the center Kamuy, facing the onslaught of dozens of British Legions.

Pressured by the enemy's charge, the Suruga formation shifted from a straight line to a V-shape instead.

The center, Rikka's position, slowly retreated, causing the formation to buckle. The nearby Kamuys fought desperately to protect their lady commander but the tide had completely turned against the Japanese side.

No more than fifty Kamuys remained out of the eighty-eight.

Defeat was all but assured at this rate. Rikka took a deep breath from her position on a Kamuy's shoulder.

"Fortunately, they fell for the trap. I am relieved."

The trenchant blade at Rikka's waist was renowned as the "oni slayer."

Smiling belligerently, she drew her personal sword. The two-feet-seven-inch blade featured a slightly wavy temper-line.

Then Rikka leaped to the ground.

"My Appellation of Onikiri Yasutsuna... O trenchant blade of universal renown, demonstrate to the world the martial feat of oni slaying once more!"

No sooner had she spoken when a lone Crusade charged at Rikka head on.

The faltering Kamuys had mustered a circular formation to surround their lady commander and prevent the enemy from attacking her. However, the British Legions finally broke through the defensive line.

The opponent was a British giant soldier over eight meters tall.

Even the blade fitted on the bayonet rifle stood taller than Rikka's height.

With a moment's hesitation, the Crusude aimed a bayonet thrust down at Rikka. The Legion's giant body moved nimbly despite its great weight. An acute thrust.

As for Rikka...

Sweeping her Japanese sword horizontally, she parried the Crusade's bayonet strike.

Even though the opponent's weapon was bigger than Rikka, she effortlessly blocked the attack. Furthermore, the gigantic bayonet was sliced into two, sending the broken fragment flying before it fell and embedded itself into the Suruga ground.

Wielding her weapon of choice, Rikka slashed with ridiculous power.

Despite losing its blade, the Crusade was still a seasoned warrior after all.

Instead of using the bayonet, the Crusade instantly attacked with a kick, aiming for Rikka on the ground as though she were a football.

Rikka jumped in a somersault, evading the kick splendidly.

In addition to holding the ability to summon Legions, she had also attained extraordinary mastery of martial arts and physical skills.

"Yahhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

With a mighty shout, Rikka jumped into the air again. Stepping on the kneecap of the Crusade that had just attacked her, she jumped in front of the giant winged soldier's mask.

The treasured sword named Onikiri Yasutsuna was then stabbed into the Crusade's mask.

This strike of the sword was fatal.

The eight-meter-tall giant soldier was cut down by a 170-cm-tall girl.

"—Mibu wolf!" Rikka hastily called out after a spectacular landing.

A wolf responded to her summon, appearing out of thin air.

Featuring silver fur and a physique similar to a horse in size, this was the "Mibu wolf," a mid-size retainer beast employed by the Japanese Imperial Army.

Noetic officers observing the battle using pipe foxes had dispatched this retainer beast immediately at Rikka's command.

Rikka leaped onto the giant wolf's back. The Mibu wolf dashed across the ground.

This time, the retainer beast jumped on Rikka's behalf. Carrying the female knight with the trenchant blade, the Mibu wolf pounced at a nearby Crusade's face.

However, instead of having the wolf attacking with its teeth, Rikka swung her blade instead.

Slash. The horizontal strike sliced through the Crusade's mask, cleanly bifurcating its head.

"What a fearsome sword...!"

The British Knight of Her Majesty was stunned. He had been flying dozens of meters behind his army as though sightseeing on a wyvern tour, but was now utterly terrified. Few Chevaliers existed in the world who were capable of cutting down Legions by their own hand.

"Is that sword your Appellation—a testament to a Feat of Arms!?"

"Indeed you are correct. I, Akigase Rikka, hold the treasured sword of Genji pedigree, Onikiri no Taichi, Yasutsuna. I shall cut down mere Crusades endlessly, no matter how many you throw at me!"

The Knight of Her Majesty questioned from his wyvern mount and Rikka answered back from the giant wolf's back.

The treasured sword, Onikiri Yasutsuna. This was the title given to "the famous blade that had slain Shuten-dōji, the oni of Ooe-yama." Heroes inheriting this Appellation were able to reenact the mighty feat of slaying oni—

This was the Feat of Arms —Onikiri no Tachi, which was also the secret technique conferred to Rikka by Onikiri Yasutsuna.

"My apologies, Knight of Her Majesty," caressing her beloved sword while astride her Mibu wolf, Rikka continued to speak.

"Exchanging gunfire from a distance is not my cup of tea, hence I shall win this battle as quickly as possible. By this juncture, victory undoubtedly belongs to my Kamuys."

"What did you say?"

Her bold declaration angered the British Knight of Her Majesty.

Standing before the enemy, Rikka smiled quietly with full confidence.

### 019. Part 2

Today was the third day since the British forces showed up at Suruga.

On the first day, Tachibana Masatsugu rescued Princess Shiori's life and took control of a Kamuy to strike back. On the second day, Masatsugu led sixty-four Kamuys to defeat an army of Crusades.

On the morning of the third day, it happened to be Sunday.

At about 7am, Masatsugu went to Rinzai High's sports field. Shiori was there on the side.

Refreshing sunlight was illuminating the world. The morning air was crisp and fresh.

"Masatsugu-sama, direct the unruly noesis in your heart and shape it into soldiers, ordering them to materialize... This is how Legions are summoned. The word 'legion' has the meaning of army."

The well-educated Shiori was giving explanations.

"From the New Testament of the Bible... The Gospel of Mark, have you heard of it? When Jesus asked a group of evil spirits to name themselves, they answered 'My name is Legion, for we are many.' Our Legions are the same. They are simultaneous armies and singular life forms. And what gives rise to Legions is precisely the noesis of Chevaliers."

Masatsugu understood. Next, he had to put it into practice.

He concentrated his mind on the vast sky above. Formless, colorless power naturally surged out from the depths of his soul, spreading out above him.

This was noesis or Masatsugu's willpower and thoughts in other words.

All Chevaliers summoned Legions in the same manner, but for illustration purposes, take the noesis released by Akigase Rikka during summoning for example—

It was less than one fifth of Masatsugu's.

Resurrectees were warriors who had lived in the ancient world, accumulating countless illustrious victories through hellish battlefields.

Modern Chevaliers could not hope to hold a candle to them at all.

"Then using the Appellation you hold, give definite form to the noesis."

These so-called Appellations were born when sacred beasts breathed life into names symbolizing martial feats immortalized in legend.

For example, both Zuihou and Onikiri Yasutsuna were created by Lord Tenryuu, Japan's sacred beast.

Consequently, by using them, one would manifest the Legions bestowed by Lord Tenryuu, namely, the Kamuys...

"For Resurrectees like you, Masatsugu-sama, their own names can be used directly as Appellations," Shiori told Masatsugu. "Rather than manifesting in the form of an Appellation, the name symbolizing feats of arms is reborn as a living human—That is the kind of being you Resurrectees are."

"But Princess, I don't know my real name."

Masatsugu was summoned to the human world by the sacred beast Lord Tenryuu. If he were to use his lost name to summon Legions, surely a great army of Kamuys should appear.

"Please use Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada that I gave you yesterday. Since that Appellation is also a name that my grandfather had breathed life into, it might be able to summon Kamuys."

"I see." Masatsugu picked up the Japanese sword at his feet and said, "My Appellation of Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada, I summon an army in your name."

Nothing happened. The large amount of noesis released by Masatsugu remained hanging in the sky.

"Still not working..."

In fact, they had experimented until late into the night yesterday.

Masatsugu and Shiori had come to the sports field of Rinzai High, but he failed to summon even a single Legion. That was why they decided to try again in the morning.

"So this method does not work either... We must find a different solution." With a troubled look, Shiori said, "In any case, let us return to the dormitory for breakfast."

Tachibana Masatsugu was a Chevalier—and a legatus legionis who had returned from the underworld to boot.

His fellow Resurrectee, Julius Caesar, commanded over a thousand Legions, yet Masatsugu could not even summon one.

They did not know why this was the case when he clearly had been able to control Rikka's Kamuys.

Now that the sixty-four Kamuys had already returned to Rikka, Masatsugu did not have a single soldier to use.

The location shifted to the conversation lounge at the Black Lily Dorm assigned exclusively for the princess' use.

It was 8am on Sunday. Due to martial law in effect in Suruga City, no one was in any mood to enjoy the holiday.

The atmosphere in the city was tense, although not to an urgent degree.

Japan, Britain, and Eastern Rome were all signatories of the Charter of Chivalry. These rules of international engagement, akin to sports regulations, strictly prohibited armed forces from attacking settlements beyond a certain population threshold. Rather than fleeing recklessly, it would be safer to stay in one's own home in the city—

This was one reason why the situation was relatively stable.

"Many people... are remembering scenes from when Lord Caesar swept through Japan with his army of a thousand Legions, I suppose," remarked the princess quietly, having reassured the boarding students the day before.

Masatsugu and Hatsune were present too. Gathered in the conversation lounge, the trio were having breakfast. The menu included green salad, consomme soup, grilled tomatoes, smoked chicken, and hard-boiled eggs.

There was also black tea, toast, and yogurt.

Laden on the table was a western breakfast with balanced nutrition.

"Lord Caesar especially loves his grand entrances after all," Shiori poked fun at Japan's true ruler. "After the defeat of the Americans was sealed, he actually had no need to visit every part of Japan. He ended up personally leading an expedition from Hokkaidō to Okinawa... Deliberately sending out Centuriae to hunt down the American military, he showed off his power to the Japanese citizens."

The Centuria was the mainstay Legion of the Eastern Roman Empire.

"It was said that he studied the Charter of Chivalry enthusiastically at the time to prevent the fighting from affecting the Japanese populace. Even newspapers and television made special reports about it..."

Incidentally, back in ancient Rome before Caesar reached his position of authority...

His debts were astronomical. And the money he borrowed had been spent on dressing fashionably , giving gifts to women , holding personal parades or gladiator matches for the general public to attend, thereby gaining popularity , etc, all expenses that would cause any decent person to frown upon hearing about them.

"I remember too. I saw those news reports when I was young."

Hatsune, the lady-in-waiting, was also having breakfast at the table.

Behaving naturally when seated at the same table as the princess, even chomping on toast covered with butter and jam, it was evident that Hatsune was no ordinary character.

However, the girl from the Tachibana clan suddenly stared at Masatsugu and asked suspiciously, "Onii-sama, this has been bugging me for a while now. You're clearly a young man, but why is your appetite so small?"

"That's true, you're very right."

Masatsugu normally went through his morning routine in the boys dorm, but ever since Shiori's move-in, he always came to the Black Lily Dorm early in the morning to do random chores and fulfill his duty as bodyguard. Also, during breakfast with the girls today, he only had a salad (without dressing), a hard-boiled egg (with only a pinch of salt), a slice of toast (plain), and a cup of water.

No one knew what the future was like, but at least for the time being, Suruga City did not have any problem with food shortages.

Masatsugu was not forced by circumstance to diet. This was his usual appetite.

"I'm not used to eating too much delicious food, so this is enough."

He felt that something inside him would get sluggish if he became accustomed to eating full meals.

Inexplicably, that was what Masatsugu felt. At this moment, an idea struck him. Perhaps this was because he was not a modern person.

However, he still could not recall his past memories or his true name.

It was very possible that he had lived in a time of famine or had originated from an impoverished land.

Masatsugu pondered various possibilities while Hatsune stared intently at him.

"I never thought you had become a Chevalier before losing your memory, Onii-sama. I was so surprised. Also, you even inherited an Appellation related to the Shinsengumi."

"Sorry for telling you so late. I only found out yesterday myself."

After the battle yesterday, that was how Masatsugu had explained the story to Hatsune.

Masatsugu had not revealed the true reason why he was able to control Legions. Perhaps one day, he would have to tell Hatsune "we're actually not blood related and I'm not from the modern age." However, that could definitely wait until the situation had settled.

"Say, Onii-sama, so your Appellation isn't that one huh..."

"That one?" Masatsugu asked in response to Hatsune's murmuring.

"The one secretly passed down our Tachibana family. I think it's still under the elders' safekeeping. It's a treasure that every Japanese citizen knows."

At that moment, they heard the doorbell from the entrance. A visitor had evidently arrived.

"Your Highness, pray forgive me for paying an uninvited visit."

The visitor was taken to the Black Lily Dorm's reception room.

It was Chevalier Akigase Rikka. She was dressed in a black military officer's uniform with a Japanese sword hanging at her waist.

Naturally, Shiori was the host. Masatsugu was present as "the princess' knight" while Hatsune helped out as the lady-in-waiting by serving green tea to their guest.

"......"

Masatsugu was observing Rikka's Japanese sword rather than her person.

The sword was in its scabbard, but still exuded powerful noesis as befitted a blade of great renown. Masatsugu could tell that the sword was equal to his own Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada—No.

Purely judging them as swords, Rikka's was probably several grades higher.

However, their respective feats and accomplishments were comparable... Simply stated, since Akigase Rikka had inherited such a sword, she was evidently a talented general.

Incidentally, after the battle yesterday, Masatsugu had accompanied Shiori to meet Rikka.

'This is Tachibana Masatsugu-sama. Due to certain reasons, he has yet to receive Chevalier Conferment... But he is definitely a genuine Chevalier and my personal staff officer of sorts.'

'Please forget the name of Hijikata. It was merely a ploy of convenience used during a emergency.'

That was how Shiori had introduced Masatsugu, who had led Legions to fight on the battlefield.

After that, Rikka had invoked her authority as an official Chevalier to carry out a simplified acknowledgement of Tachibana Masatsugu's Chevalier Conferment. With this, Masatsugu could now carry Izumi-no-Kami openly. Otherwise, ordinary civilians were forbidden from wearing swords and blades.

"B-By the way, Your Highness."

After exchanging pleasantries with Shiori, the lady Chevalier sneaked a glance at Masatsugu and said in a bit of a stammer.

"May I... Would it be possible for me to have a brief word with him? As a fellow Chevalier, I am curious about a few things."

"Most certainly. Please go ahead, Masatsugu-sama."

"Understood."

At Shiori's urging, Masatsugu came before Rikka.

The courageous lady Chevalier was unbelievably looking down in embarrassment, too shy to make eye contact with Masatsugu when clearly, she was the one who came to visit during this time of emergency.

In the end, the two of them sat down face to face on the sofa in the reception room.

Rikka coughed dryly and said slowly, "Hijikata-dono, thank you so much for yesterday."

"My name is Tachibana."

Seeing her address him with the name of convenience, Masatsugu instantly corrected her.

"E-Excuse me, Hijikata-dono."

"My name is Tachibana."

"...I see, do you insist on denying it? W-Well then, Tachibana-dono, there is a question I would like to ask. Do people often say you are as handsome as a celebrity?"

Rikka had asked a very odd question. Didn't she say she wanted a conversation between fellow Chevaliers?

Besides, her expression was very nervous. This young maiden with the honored title of the "Chevalier princess of House Akigase" was acting like a shy little girl in front of Masatsugu.

Masatsugu did not know what was going on, but anyway, he answered, "Someone did say that recently."

"I knew it... Then how do you feel about haiku poetry?"

"I guess I like them. It's just that I don't have talent for writing them."

"I knew it!"

Masatsugu became more and more confused. Why would this girl know that the haikus he wrote in Japanese class were terrible? Totally inexplicable.

In contrast, Rikka seemed quite excited by this exchange. She hastily asked, "Well then, Tachibana-dono. Your sword is Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada, is that correct?"

"Yes."

"I knew it..."

Despite Masatsugu's expressionless answers, Rikka was very moved.

Observing from the side, Hatsune said, "As handsome as a celebrity, an interest in haiku but bad at writing them, Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada is his sword, that's totally Hijikata Toshizō, you know? Going with this flow, Onii-sama is definitely quite similar to the 'Merciless Vice-Commander'."

"Really?"

"That's right. I've read Roar, My Sword and Heroic Impressions of the Shinsengumi at least. I've also studied the trio of Hijikata-san, Commander Kondō, and Okita Sōji in great detail."

"Hatsune, you think I'm good-looking too?"

"It's true, but one can't help but wish your personality was more normal."

"You should keep that last part to yourself."

"That's the way things are. What's inside a man counts more than his face♪"

After listening to Hatsune's comments, Masatsugu finally understood.

Rikka was apparently taken in by their ploy of convenience, mistakenly believing "Tachibana Masatsugu is Hijikata Toshizō."

That was not all. Masatsugu gazed at Rikka, who was looking downwards with a blush, clearly bashful. A hunch... surfaced in Masatsugu's mind.

Perhaps she had some kind of personal feelings for Hijikata Toshizō.

Must be something like a fervent fan or a worshiper. Seeing the situation make a turn for the bizarre, Masatsugu glanced at Shiori. She was the most suitable person to handle this.

After some contemplation, Shiori said, "Rikka-sama, since it would be best to avoid leaving the tutelary fort undefended for extended durations, please return for now. Later on... I will surely bring Masatsugu-sama to pay you a visit."

When delivering this statement, Shiori spoke Masatsugu's name suggestively.

"When the time comes, I hope you will permit us to use the water shrine."

"Indeed, that is a request that would not be granted lightly, but given the emergency circumstances and the fact that this Hi—Tachibana-dono has Your Highness' recommendation, I shall permit it."

As soon as the words "water shrine" were mentioned, Rikka's expression immediately changed.

The hero-worshiping maiden turned back into an awe-inspiring female warrior.

Finally, Rikka prepared to leave. On her way to the entrance, she no longer exhibited any maidenly fluster.

Masatsugu secretly concluded to himself that this was Akigase Rikka's original demeanor.

He accompanied Shiori and Hatsune to see Rikka off at the entrance. After bidding the princess goodbye, Rikka stared straight at Hatsune and said, "It has been bothering me since earlier... May I ask if we have met before?"

"Eh? Me and you, Rikka-sama?"

"Not recently, but long ago... As children. I remember the Tōkaidō Fiefdom organizing a martial arts tournament at Nagoya Castle and we were both competing in the youth division. What is your full name?"

"Uh, Tachibana Hatsune."

"I knew it. The Tachibana of Suruga—The clan that had Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune bestowed upon them."

Minamoto no Yoshitsune was known as Ushiwakamaru and Shanaou during childhood. His exploits included fighting Musashibō Benkei at Gojō Bridge, leading a cavalry charge down a cliff to launch a surprise attack in the Battle of Ichi-no-Tani, and complete victory over the Taira clan at Dan-no-ura. Kurou Hougan was one of his other nicknames.

Rikka looked at the Tachibana maiden and asked, "Has no one inherited that Appellation yet?"

"Oh, not yet. It is quite high-level and seems pretty difficult."

"I suppose. However, it would be quite a shame for such a powerful Appellation to lie dormant. Please let me know if there is any way I could help and I will provide full assistance. It would be more reassuring to have as many powerful Chevaliers as possible, especially given the current circumstances under the threat of war."

After saying that, Akigase Rikka departed from Black Lily Dorm.

It looked like the Tachibana clan's treasured Appellation had quite the distinguished pedigree.

### 020. Part 2

Together with Shiori, Masatsugu left the bath. In front of them was a vast reservoir of marine blue, all of it artificial ectoplasmic fluid. This was the original purpose of a water shrine.

There was a network of paths over the blue reservoir.

Walking along the paths, Masatsugu reached the center of the water shrine.

Shiori followed him. She had not said anything after listening to his promise earlier. She seemed unsettled and quite embarrassed.

Masatsugu had already dried himself and put on his uniform, so his appearance should not be the cause.

"U-Umm, Masatsugu-sama... Thank you for your kindness," Shiori said timidly. "You not only stopped me from using more of my life, but even said such words..."

"It's too early to thank me. I still haven't proven that I have the power to serve you, Princess."

"That is fine. Even if you fail to acquire the power of Legions in the future, Masatsugu-sama, I am overjoyed. Your words to me were very precious."

Shiori finally smiled cheerfully.

Thanking someone to their face was an awkward and embarrassing affair.

"I am sincerely thankful that I was able to meet you."

Perhaps this was a first experience in Shiori's entire life.

Having sought a legatus legionis , she was thoroughly impressed with Tachibana Masatsugu's character and did not mind the extent of his abilities—

In front of the princess, Masatsugu narrowed his eyes and increased his noesis.

"Please watch, Princess."

The water shrine was very spacious with a very tall ceiling, a vast and majestic sanctuary. Thanks to that, Masatsugu was able to release the massive noesis hidden within himself in one go. BOOM!

A strong wind suddenly blew, swirling around Masatsugu like a tornado.

"Kyah!"

Close by, Shiori emitted a small scream.

This gust of wind was Masatsugu's noesis. Noesis itself had neither color nor form, but the presence of powerful noetic waves would manifest in such a manner.

The wind rushed into every corner of the water shrine while Masatsugu conjured images in his mind.

He imagined an army of winged giant soldiers assembling under his command. Inside the vast water shrine, red-purple Kamuys suddenly appeared. They were the "Kanesadas" that he had named yesterday.

Standing almost eight meters tall, the soldiers were equipped with bayonet rifles. And not just one of them.

An astounding number of Kanesadas were occupying all of the water shrine.

"Thanks to your prayer earlier, Princess, I was able to catch a slight glimpse of my past. I suppose this counts as the prayer's achievement. I am now able to use power to this extent."

"But... Masatsugu-sama, this still does not solve any problems," Shiori replied sadly.

The Kanesadas in the water shrine were translucent spiritual entities.

They numbered roughly a thousand. In fact, no matter how vast the water shrine, it could not hold such a large army. The thousand Kanesadas could only fit by overlapping with one another. This would not be possible unless they were non-corporeal spiritual entities.

The army of Kanesadas had merely appeared without materializing.

"Just as I thought, ectoplasmic fluid is essential to materializing Legions."

"I've got an idea for that too."

"Eh!?"

Masatsugu smiled at the surprised princess. Instead of his usual twitch of the cheek, it was a rare and natural smile.

Presumably, the conversation with Shiori had allowed his heart and soul to relax more than ever before.

"The godlike sacred beasts are kind enough to look after their kin by blood. Assuming my hunch is current, this is truly an interesting fact."

"How... so?"

"Rather than sending a perfect specimen of a Resurrectee, giving you a defective one with amnesia would consume less of your life. To choose me out of thousands of generals from the past... The reason is probably because I am capable of fighting in spite of memory loss ."

"You are telling me that it was my grandfather's doing?"

Surprised by his suggestion, Shiori was at a loss for words.

"It was for my sake that he chose you, Masatsugu-sama, and deprived you of your memories—?"

"I don't have any evidence, but it is a possibility. The lord I served in my previous life... would not be considered a capable man. Or perhaps, he held some kind of grudge against me."

Masatsugu shrugged. He still lacked memories of his past.

However, he was now fully aware of his own strengths and weaknesses, as well as what kind of general he used to be.

"Whenever war broke out, I never had enough rations or funds. Every time, I had to rush to battle in a hurry, going on expeditions across thousands of miles with a shortage of supplies."

"Well..."

"Which is why we became so tough. My soldiers were always drinking muddy water to stave off thirst and sharing meager rations with the horses. Winning battle after battle—we became an army of elite troops."

"......"

"Of course, this was not a disciplined army. We often plundered food and water, even slaughtering our comrade-like horses at times of emergency, drinking their blood to replenish our energy."

"Masatsugu-sama, your previous life might be..."

Listening to Masatsugu's anecdotes, Shiori was reminded of certain facts of history.

"A commander leading an army of cavalry... Perhaps?"

"Is that what you figured out? Impressive. The Feat of Arms belonging to a general like me—"

Feat of Arms. An ability to reenact illustrious feats of battle from the past.

Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada bestowed a katana upon every Legion under one's command, allowing them to use Tennen Rishin Style swordsmanship. Akigase Rikka's oni-slaying treasured sword, Onikiri Yasutsuna, also possessed a Feat of Arms allowing the user to cut down Legions personally.

Like these Appellations, Resurrectees were the result of ancient martial feats reborn as humans.

"My Feat of Arms is a technique to continue animating Legions after depleting ectoplasmic fluid."

"Masatsugu-sama...!"

"Unfortunately, it can't be activated in isolation and I need someone to help me. Princess, I would like to ask for your assistance."

"Most certainly! I am willing to do anything to help!"

The princess agreed happily but Masatsugu shook his head and said to her, "No, as I've said before, I'm not a man who likes to coerce others. If you feel unwilling at any moment, Princess, push me away immediately."

"Eh...? Masatsugu-sama? Kyahhh!?"

Without permission, Masatsugu simply picked up the surprised Shiori in his arms.

He gently laid down the princess' delicate body on the path in the water shrine. Then with a word of sorry, he positioned his entire body over her.

This posture was similar to how Masatsugu had blocked the Kamuy's crash for her two days earlier.

The princess' face was right in front of him. Just by closing this gap of twenty centimeters, Masatsugu could easily take her lips by force.

Close enough to feel each other's breath, Masatsugu whispered, "The water shrine is a facility for supplying ectoplasmic fluid. When fighting somewhere without a water shrine, what does one do when ectoplasmic fluid runs out? The answer is simple."

The thousand Kanesadas occupying the water shrine—

This illusory army instantly vanished. Taking their place were countless blue spheres of light, glowing with fantastical radiance to illuminate the water shrine. The spheres of light were roughly the size of fireflies dancing along river banks.

This was proof that the Feat of Arms of Ectoplasmic Blood Steal had activated.

"One could take ectoplasmic fluid from those who still have reserves. It's not difficult."

"Or, plundering from others..."

Pinned under Masatsugu, Shiori speculated quietly.

She looked up at his face with a nervous expression. Intelligent as she was, she instantly understood the key principle behind this Feat of Arms.

"Indeed... Mystic powers only activate after ectoplasmic fluid combines with the soul. Then if one were to take ectoplasmic fluid that someone else already absorbed—"

"Then there's no problem. In other words, the ones I should be seeking help from are..."

"...Chevaliers, whose bodies and souls store ectoplasmic fluid to nourish their Legions..."

"Or women of royalty, whose blood can be used as a precursor to ectoplasmic fluid."

This situation was similar to spending the wedding night with one's husband after exchanging marriage vows.

Currently, Shiori was giving off airs like a new bride. One could also call it vibes of innocence.

Looking at the endearing Shiori, Masatsugu said gently, "Princess, please share with me the power of the sacred beasts that resides within you."

"I-I certainly do not mind. B-But why are we taking this posture? There is no need to lie together if simply sharing ectoplasmic fluid—"

"I need what flows beneath your skin."

Masatsugu caressed the princess' cheek.

Shiori trembled and could not help feeling nervous. Masatsugu smiled calmly at her, trying to ease her emotions.

Incredibly, Masatsugu had been smiling naturally for a while now, an expression he normally had trouble showing.

"I will feel the texture of your skin and the warmth of your blood. Then transfer your heat into my body, stealing it, to transform into nourishment for battle... This is how my ability works."

"In other words, it requires skin contact!?"

Shiori was greatly stunned and Masatsugu answered very simply.

"If you are unwilling, forget it."

"N-Not at all, why would I dislike helping you, Masatsugu-sama? I-It is just that, this is a bit too close!"

"Since you are uncomfortable with it, I guess I'll—"

"I-I did not say that. I-I find you quite a nuisance sometimes, Masatsugu-sama, but you do have a sort of unbelievable charm..."

The princess relaxed her body and her nervousness subsided somewhat.

She spoke softly as though whispering.

"Besides, with you so close to me, Masatsugu-sama, I cannot help but feel my heart pounding..."

"That's true, your cheeks are heating up."

"I-I cannot help it either!" Shiori spoke, blushing in embarrassment from under Masatsugu.

Meanwhile, Masatsugu kept stroking her cheek, boldly savoring the warmth of the princess' face.

"This is my first time being treated in such a manner..."

"Princess, if you don't mind, I'd like you to prepare yourself a bit."

Shiori originally wanted to avoid eye contact with Masatsugu.

With Masatsugu gazing at her beautiful face, the embarrassed and trembling princess nodded and slowly sat up.

Masatsugu also got up to give her room.

Next, Shiori reached for her buttons.

Shiori was wearing Rinzai High's uniform. She unfastened the buttons of her blouse in sequence, exposing her upper body, and also withdrew her arms from the sleeves.

Currently, her blouse was merely draped over her shoulders.

With only a brassiere remaining on her upper torso, her pale and supple skin was in clear view.

This included her wantonly maturing body that Masatsugu had witnessed in a swimsuit last time.

"Princess."

"Masatsugu-sama!"

Masatsugu embraced Shiori tightly again. The instant he pushed Shiori down, she hugged him back on her own initiative.

She was doing this to suppress her unease and embarrassment. At the same time, excitement and passion finally broke through the depths of her sheltered upbringing.

Masatsugu pressed his face tightly against Shiori's lovely neck.

"Your hands and face feel so cold... They are like ice."

"It's because I summoned Legions while short on ectoplasmic fluid. That's why I need you, Princess."

"Y-Yes!"

Shiori wrapped her arms tightly around Masatsugu's back.

Their bodies came together more intimately. For Masatsugu, whose body was freezing, Shiori's soft skin felt boiling. Even with his black stiff-collar uniform in between, he could feel her warmth clearly.

This felt plenty pleasurable already, but it was far from enough.

Maintaining close contact with Shiori's neck, Masatsugu kissed her warm and tender skin.

His tongue and lips did not forget to lick and suck.

"Ah—"

The princess moaned instantly from the sucking on her neck.

Masatsugu absorbed heat from her noble body and from the blood flowing under her tender skin—the precious blood inherited from Lord Tenryuu and the raw material for ectoplasmic fluid.

In this manner, Masatsugu's tongue and lips moved against her pale neck and the base of her ear.

He sucked on the maiden's bare skin, licking it, even nibbling on occasion.

This felt very nostalgic. Masatsugu was reminded of a past life on and off the battlefield. Back then, whenever he needed to drink his steed's blood to stave off hunger and thirst, he would gently slice them in the neck with his knife.

Drinking the blood that flowed out directly, he savored and swallowed it.

The blood's warmth would seep into his weakened body and soul, turning into energy for battle. In almost the same manner, Masatsugu sucked on Shiori's skin.

"Mm... Ahhh," Shiori's moaning was getting slightly louder.

Despite the heat forcibly stolen from her, there was a growing feeling of two bodies united as one, and she experienced an indescribable sense of rapture and connection.

Her voice sounded like sobbing yet with a slither of ecstasy.

"Masatsugu... -sama. Mmmmm."

The pale throat, nape, shoulder—Masatsugu kept kissing her lovely silken skin without pausing for even a moment. While enjoying the warm and soft sensation, he stole heat from Shiori's blood.

In the process, Shiori said in surprise, "Your body, it still feels so cold..."

While Masatsugu was sucking her skin and warmth, Shiori gently stroked his face and neck.

Her palms ran over every inch of him not covered by the uniform—his temples, the back of his head, his hands, for example—as though trying to warm up his cold body.

This was Shiori's thoughtful care. Using her own palms, she tried to share her body warmth with Masatsugu as much as possible.

Intimately connected, the two of them did not separate at any moment. The princess' bountiful bosom was compressed under Masatsugu's weight.

"Princess..."

Masatsugu's lips were the first to let go of her skin.

During this brief interruption, the two of them stared passionately into each other's eyes.

Instantly, Masatsugu knew from instinct. If he were to take Shiori's lips this moment, she would definitely not refuse.

He could smother the beauty's lips and easily take pleasure in a kiss.

However, he did not do so. That sort of thing should wait until their hearts and souls were in greater harmony.

He believed that Shiori would naturally seek a kiss when that moment arrived. Then he would be able to follow the affection in his heart and shower her with tender loving. There was no need to force a kiss on her right now.

Again, Masatsugu made eye contact with the princess.

He then buried his face into her pale neck, moving his lips over her skin again.

Shiori gently accepted Masatsugu's unruliness and took his hand naturally, holding it firmly. Their hands became tightly clasped together.

"Mmmm—Mmmmmmmmmmmm!"

Shiori moaned seductively without words.

Her sense of connection with Masatsugu reached a climax.

With an "ah...", the princess lost consciousness, fainting under Masatsugu. The symptoms were very similar to anemia. Her body would not be able to take further kissing.

Moderation was key and it was time to stop. Masatsugu got up from the ground.

His body was now burning hot. The heat stolen from the blood in his lady liege—the essence of ectoplasmic fluid—entered Masatsugu's blood, quietly waiting to be released.

"I guess I'll use this power to get through this battle first..."

Ultimately, this was an irregular method. Resupplying the normal way should provide far more ectoplasmic fluid.

However, he had no choice but to make effective use of the limited means available. Masatsugu nodded with satisfaction and gently stroked the unconscious Shiori's cheek.

### 021. Part 3

News of the imperial princess' arrival spread through the streets of Suruga like wildfire.

The rumored character was finally making an appearance. Furthermore, the purpose of her visit was not sightseeing.

"Perhaps I might be summoned back to the capital one day... But personally, I wish to make this place my residence for the long term."

She had moved here to settle instead of a short-term stay.

This was the public statement that Princess Fujinomiya Shiori issued during an interview with the local television station.

It was customary for members of the imperial family to eschew appearing in public so as to avoid unnecessary risk—The sole exception being the incumbent Empress who stood as the mother figure of the nation.

But this time, Shiori had appeared before the media intentionally.

The very day she arrived at Suruga, she was featured on a local television's news program that was not broadcast nationally, sharing her views with a news anchor, a woman in her early thirties.

This one-on-one interview had taken place in a hotel room.

The anchorwoman had asked why did she come to Suruga after concluding her period of study in the Eastern Roman Empire as a foreign student.

"I was invited by Rome when I was twelve and learned many things there... However, one could hardly call it normal student life, after all. I wish to enroll in high school somewhere quiet and peaceful, as a way to gain some social experience of sorts."

The interview was broadcast around 6pm and gathered an audience share of over 60% in the greater Suruga region. During the program, the local television station's anchorwoman nervously conducted the interview with apprehension.

"And the place you have chosen for this is—"

"Indeed, Suruga is the hometown of my late father. I decided to move to Suruga after returning to Japan because I wanted to begin a new life here. Perhaps doing so might cause a nuisance to the residents, in which case I beg for everyone's forgiveness in advance."

"Your Highness, would you mind if I were to ask you to talk about your hair...?"

"In truth, my hair is not dyed."

Princess Shiori had a head of brilliant platinum blonde hair. There was a mysterious beauty to her hair color, one that did not belong to someone of pure Japanese descent.

"As most people already know... The first Empress, Her Majesty Himiko, called upon the sacred spirit of Lord Tenryuu to possess her. While in a state of divine union, she gave birth to twin princesses, who were respectively the second Empress, Toyo-sama, and my mother, Her Highness Fujinomiya—"

This anecdote was identical to the virgin birth of the messiah, Jesus Christ, from Mary, Mother of God.

The priestesses serving Lord Tenryuu and all other sacred beasts would produce offspring through parthenogenesis using their partner's spiritual energy.

Princess Shiori stroked her hair gently and revealed a slightly troubled smile.

"The royal families of the various nations worshiping sacred beasts were all born in the same manner. One peculiarity of these bloodlines is that only girls are conceived. There is also one phenomena that no one apparently understands... Every now and then, a child like me is born."

"May I ask you to elaborate what you mean?"

"My hair is identical in color to my grandfather , wouldn't you agree?"

Lord Tenryuu was a giant platinum dragon whose entire body shone with the same luster as Shiori's hair.

The anchorwoman comprehended the implication and nodded vigorously. "In other words, Shiori-sama, there is a particularly strong resemblance between you and your grandfather... Would that be correct to say?"

"Fufufufu, I suppose that would be one way of putting it."

The interview was on air for roughly half an hour.

During this time, the princess had responded fluently, expressing her views with clarity. Furthermore, she remained smiling elegantly the whole time, fully demonstrating a princess' noble character.

...The program's broadcast caused a huge effect.

Starting the next day, Princess Fujinomiya Shiori's popularity rose dramatically among the Suruga populace.

"I'm guessing she didn't do it on purpose, but it was definitely very effective."

Masatsugu's good friend, Okonogi Taisei was impressed too and said, "The princess accepted a television interview just as rumors about her were all the rage. Using her own words, she flawlessly explained her reason for coming to Suruga. This is already enough to impress upon others a 'young yet reliable' image. Furthermore, as a beautiful blonde young woman, she already makes a massive visual impact."

"Definitely," Masatsugu agreed. In just a few short days, Fujinomiya Shiori had advanced from "an unknown princess" to "the local princess known to every resident of Suruga City."

"If this was intentional, she would be a very good manipulator."

"Hahahaha, I doubt it. Everyone sympathizes with the princess who was sent to Rome as a hostage, so they naturally view her favorably. She's already secured a firm support from the elderly. The younger generation too—"

At least at Rinzai High where Masatsugu was studying, Shiori commanded overwhelming popularity.

The princess had stated explicitly that she wanted to enroll in high school at Suruga. Rinzai High was expected to be where she would transfer into.

Most surprising of all, she intended to move into the student dormitories.

On the Friday of Princess Shiori's imminent arrival, Masatsugu was sought out by his distant cousin.

"Naturally, we can't allow the princess to live in an ordinary dorm."

Hatsune finally admitted to Masatsugu that she was the "princess' personal lady-in-waiting."

Using time in the early morning before commuting to school, they were talking in the student dorm area.

"That's why we requested the school to provide an unused dorm building. Starting tonight, the princess and I will be staying here."

"Right, so that's why there were workers remodeling the place earlier..."

Masatsugu and Hatsune were standing in front of the "Black Lily Dorm" that was assigned exclusively to the princess.

With the decrease in boarders, the place had not been used for the past five years. Thanks to speedy remodeling, its outer appearance had become quite fashionable.

Moreover, it was the day before yesterday when the princess had shown up before Masatsugu.

That night, the interview had appeared on television. The next day, Her Highness Shiori had visited city hall to meet with the major of Suruga City.

It was Friday today and the princess would start attending classes next Monday.

Masatsugu felt impressed by the princess' efficient schedule.

Hatsune said to him, "By the way, Onii-sama, could you accompany me after school today?"

"I don't mind... But what's the occasion?"

After school today would be part of the precious weekend, which included time after the end of Friday's classes as well as Saturday and Sunday.

Be that as it may, Masatsugu had no prior commitments to go out, so he easily agreed to Hatsune's request.

However, Hatsune proceeded to surprise him with what she said next. "The princess summons you, Onii-sama."

"Me? Summoned by the princess?"

Never in his wildest dreams did he expect Hatsune to ask him to call upon the princess.

When Hatsune revealed the location for their meeting, Masatsugu became even more confused.

"The tutelary fort at Nihondaira...?"

Masatsugu's confusion was at a max. He had no idea why he was asked to go to that sort of place.

Going east by car from Rinzai High would reach the highlands formed from Mount Udo and the adjacent Mount Kunou. The region around Mount Udo's peak was known as "Nihondaira," the tallest plateau in the region.

A tutelary fort was located there—i.e. Suruga's military base.

Furthermore, it was no ordinary base. Serving as "castellan" (the name of a position in charge of managing a castle and its surrounding territory on behalf of a daimyo in the past) to hold a tutelary fort was a Chevalier's job.

A so-called Chevalier was a person with the special ability to summon powerful Legions, winged giant soldiers. They were also commanders who would lead their troops to fight on the front lines.

Fighting on the behalf of their military and the nation, they took on incalculable risk and responsibility.

Hence, Chevaliers were honored with all kinds of privileged treatment. They were respected heroes in the military and high-ranking officers at the top of the command chain. Those who had attained the rank of Chevalier would receive generous salaries and be treated as nobles in civilian society.

Indeed, tutelary forts were the strongholds from where Chevaliers and Legions operated.

...Thus began the day when Tachibana Masatsugu's life was changed dramatically.

### 022. Part 3

The sudden siren sounded throughout the Suruga tutelary fort.

Fujinomiya Shiori immediately left the reception room and exited the building. Taking Tachibana Hatsune and her new subordinate, Tachibana Masatsugu, she led the way.

"Where are we going, Princess?"

"The nation-protecting keep. It is where information is pooled. We will head there to find out exactly what happened," replied Shiori to Hatsune following behind her.

"But will they be willing to tell outsiders like us...?"

"Worry not. Such matters are easy to resolve by relying on my clout—No, I will assuredly resolve it."

"As expected of the princess. A cheerful smile paired with villainous lines, it's absolutely lovely."

Shiori's words and behavior did not seem like a sheltered princess'.

Already used to it, Hatsune joked around to liven up the mood, following Shiori dutifully.

In contrast, Tachibana Masatsugu followed last, apparently not too fazed. Shiori's sudden demonstration of initiative did not raise his doubts much either.

No one knew if it was because he had a calm personality or he simply did things at his own pace. Or perhaps elements of both?

The previous scene had shown that he was no ordinary person, but that was not enough. He must awaken into one of the greatest heroes to grace the annals of history for all time.

This was also the Shiori's intent in summoning him to the tutelary fort on purpose.

To let him breathe air related to the battlefield. Perhaps it would offer him some sort of stimulation, triggering a new change within Tachibana Masatsugu—

Shiori had done this with such hopes.

In any case, Shiori led them briskly and arrived at the heart of the tutelary fort after five minutes. This was the red-brick tower standing in the center of the premises, the nation-protecting keep.

A tower roughly forty meters tall with a gigantic fengshui wheel installed at the top.

The facility itself had been built a few decades ago and was quite old in style. Shiori stepped into the ground floor hall boldly.

The multiple entrances were all open, providing free access to the ground floor.

There were fourteen or fifteen soldiers of the Tōkaidō provincial army in the hall. Noticing the platinum blonde princess, half of the soldiers saluted and cast gazes of surprise at her one after another.

Shiori originally wanted to ask for one of the officers but then it occurred to her that there should be someone higher ranked at the scene.

"Chevalier Kamamoto, may I trouble you for a moment?"

"Certainly, Princess, I am at your service."

The elderly Chevalier serving as the temporary castellan was surrounded by several of his subordinates.

These subordinates stepped back to provide a path for Shiori as soon as they saw her approach, allowing her party to reach the old man in the black officer's uniform.

"What caused the earlier siren? Please explain to me as much as is permissible."

"Pirates... apparently. The dragons at Suruga Bay are currently handling them."

"In other words, armed ships are approaching Suruga City?"

"There are no confirmed reports of ships yet, but it is very likely."

Shiori had already contacted the old man a few hours earlier to borrow a room in the tutelary fort.

As part of the privileged class, Chevaliers often turned into stubborn and arrogant old men in their advanced age. However, Old Man Kamamoto was a good-natured old man.

The elderly man's tone was cordial, probably in an attempt to reassure Princess Shiori.

"Please rest assured. I do not believe this would develop into a major incident. Please feel free to return safely to the city, Princess."

Three days earlier, the Suruga tutelary fort had lost the official serving as its castellan. The previous castellan had been arrested on charges of corruption and was currently detained at the military police headquarters in the countryside.

Taking over his duties was Chevalier Kamamoto who had retired for seven years and more.

Unless there was a shortage of personnel, the castellan of a tutelary fort must be a Chevalier—Due to this unwritten rule, a retired old man had to be recalled to take on the role for the time being.

"Pirates, is that it...?" murmured Shiori to herself.

Ten years ago, when Imperial Japan became the Eastern Rome's tributary ally...

Some soldiers had deserted the army, determined to oppose Rome to the bitter end. There were also radicals who launched terror attacks, rallying to drive Rome's advance detachment out of Japan. These people would engage in piracy on occasion when they faced shortages in funding.

Pirate ships of this sort would all be equipped with firearms and ammunition—

The coast guard deployed sea dragon retainer beasts in nearby waters to detect the smell of gunpowder as early as possible. Did a sea dragon raise the alarm this time too?

However, were the enemies really pirates? Just as Shiori pondered...

A sound resembling bells echoed in midair.

The mystic power producing this sound was not great. Shiori witnessed a white fox, roughly palm-size, on Old Man Kamamoto's shoulder.

This was the pipe fox, a small retainer beast used by the Imperial Army.

"Oh."

Old Man Kamamoto widened his eyes and the pipe fox jumped off his shoulder.

The pipe fox ran adorably to the wall where there was an unoccupied rocking chair.

Then after the pipe fox ran under the chair, a girl appeared out of thin air and onto the chair.

Dressed as a shrine maiden, the girl had bangs reaching her eyebrows and black, shoulder-length hair. Very adorable, the girl resembled a Ichimatsu doll and seemed to be eight or nine years old.

"Sakuya, do you have something to tell me?"

Old Man Kamamoto asked and the girl named Sakuya turned her head towards him.

The girl's slender figure and the outline of her shrine maiden garments were slightly blurred. Rather than a real human, she was an image projected by a spirit, a means to substitute for possessing a simulacrum.

She was probably the genie protecting the Suruga tutelary fort.

"Invading... Le... gions... Enemy, alert..."

Sakuya reported the battle situation choppily and transmitted noetic waves.

The view projected by noetic waves covered the ceiling of the nation-protecting keep's ground floor hall. It was like a giant screen at a cinema.

...The overhead view showed the situation on the sea.

There were three bodies floating on the sea surface, resembling ten-meter-long sea serpents. However, the dead bodies had golden scales, which meant they were the sea dragon used by the coast guard. All three were decapitated, possibly shot dead by the enemy.

...The screen switched to a new view.

This was the surface of the distant sea, several kilometers away from the coast. There were seven or eight heads bobbing up and down, swimming towards the beach while treading water.

However, these "humanoid" entities were not humans.

Standing eight meters tall, their silhouettes greatly resembled Legions.

Furthermore, their bodies were releasing black haze, preventing a clear view to confirm their appearance...

"Right now, multiple Legions have killed three sea dragons... and are advancing towards the Suruga tutelary fort. The enemy has stealth noetic camouflage applied, type and affiliation unidentified. Also, this video was obtained through noetic techniques... from one of the coast guard's wyverns, which had witnessed the scene..."

Sakuya's image sat on the rocking chair while giving her report.

Her voice was extremely quiet and low, rather difficult to understand due to its choppiness. To Shiori's ears, it sounded like the grim reaper paying an ominous visit.

Fortification walls and moats were unable to stop flying Legions.

However, tutelary forts had modern defensive barriers to do the job instead. Like pipe foxes, these were spirits bestowed by Lord Tenryuu, and high-ranking beings at that.

"Ifrit, Seiryuu..."

When Sakuya's image spoke this name, a gigantic magic circle appeared in the sky.

A circle of blue light, seventy meters in diameter, manifested in the air over the tutelary fort. There were complicated patterns and Sanskrit characters inside it.

Behind the magic circle, an equally gigantic dragon took form.

More precisely, it was the "image of a giant dragon."

The slender and serpentine body was covered with sapphire-blue scales.

The giant dragon also had two antlers and four short limbs—The majesty of its sacred and solemn form undoubted belonged to the oriental symbol of the king, the holy beast known as the "dragon." The translucent body indicated it was a projected image.

The Suruga tutelary fort was not at a high elevation, but it was situated on a mountain peak at least.

The surrounding urban areas could see Seiryuu's image too. Urban areas neighboring the tutelary fort were already sounding the alarm to proclaim martial law.

"Legions of unidentified affiliation are advancing on the tutelary fort? Who exactly are pretending to be pirates...?" Suruga's temporary castellan, Chevalier Kamamoto, quietly muttered.

Currently, he was riding a blue wyvern and flying over the tutelary fort. The wyvern was identical to a lizard in appearance except with wings sprouting from the shoulders instead of forelimbs.

The wyvern's was more than twice as big as a purebred horse, a mid-sized retainer beast roughly four meters in length.

Mounted on the saddle, Chevalier Kamamoto said, "In the name of Zuihou, the Appellation bestowed upon us warriors of Imperial Japan—Assemble."

A round mirror appeared in the elderly knight's right hand.

The plain round mirror seemed to be polished copper and was the size of a palm. This was Zuihou, a Chevalier seal for summoning Imperial Japan's Legion, the Kamuy, as well as a glorious badge of valor.

Soaring while mounted on his wyvern, the old man released a large amount of noesis.

The noesis immediately materialized, turning into a flying army of Legions.

A total of twenty-seven Kamuys, equipped with armor and uniforms colored with the world-famous "samurai blue." All armed with the standard issue bayonet rifle, the Legions followed Old Man Kamamoto into battle.

The old Chevalier noticed the enemy approaching from the south—Suruga Bay.

"Incoming?"

The view was quite expansive from the Suruga tutelary fort on the plateau.

Suruga Bay was to the south, Shimizu Harbor was to the east while the northeast offered a magnificent view of the sacred peak, Mount Fuji. Unlike ordinary towns or locations surrounded by mountains, the geography here was very diverse.

Within this top-class view, signs of the unknown enemy army were lurking.

There were about thirty "human figures" flying in from over Suruga Bay, the enemy army hidden behind stealth noetic techniques. After being discovered by sea dragons, they had flown into the air directly.

Without organizing themselves, the "human figures" were flying in a scattered formation.

Suruga's sea and cityscape were gradually dyed red by the setting sun. It was almost sundown.

A more careful count yielded thirty-four enemies. Chevalier Kamamoto had twenty-seven Kamuys under his command. The enemy held numerical superiority but the defenders had support from the ifrit, Seiryuu.

The image of a gigantic azure dragon, with a magic circle behind its back, occupied the air over the tutelary fort.

To the south, Chevalier Kamamoto led twenty-seven Kamuys, standing by in the air.

A minute or two later, the enemy "human figures" reached the shore. Only several kilometers stood between them at the Suruga tutelary fort. At this time, Seiryuu made a move.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...

Seiryuu emitted a sonorous roar from its gigantic jaws.

Then the sky turned dark with a gathering of storm clouds. Lightning began to descend from above.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

The dark clouds kept releasing lightning nonstop. Seiryuu had invoked a meteorological decree—This was a spiritual power to control weather phenomena, bestowed by Lord Tenryuu the sacred beast.

Struck by lightning, a certain "human figure" was blown away greatly.

However, the giant shrouded in haze did not take too much damage. Mere lightning was not enough to neutralize Legions.

The lightning turned into a continuous barrage to impede the enemy's advance. This was the purpose of the meteorological decree as a weapon.

Amid the sky filled with descending lightning, a lone "human figure" howled.

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

This was probably some kind of command.

The thirty-odd "human figures" began accelerate, moving apart from one another. Maintaining a scattered formation, they charged at high speed.

Unerringly, the enemy rushed at the Kamuy army led by Chevalier Kamamoto.

"Hmm!?"

Chevalier Kamamoto was taken by surprise. The instant they accelerated, the enemy abandoned their camouflage. Flying swiftly without fear of the lightning barrage, they were no longer an army of "human figures."

"Crusades..!"

The Crusades were larger in build than the Kamuys.

They also wore thicker armor. A refreshing white in overall coloring, they were adorned by red lines at various positions. This appearance belonged to the Crusade, the mainstay Legion of the British Imperial Forces.

"So a British knight has come to invade!?"

This was actually understandable. Imperial Japan was allied with Eastern Rome. If anyone would dare attack a Japanese tutelary fort, "the other empire" in Asia was the only logical candidate.

That being said, Chevalier Kamamoto clicked his tongue.

"The tutelary fort has yet to deploy a noesis barrier...? Right, Sakuya had mentioned her poor condition."

The enemy had launched a fierce assault in an attempt to conquer the Suruga tutelary fort.

As they called it in the olden days, a "siege battle" was about to begin. In charge of defense, the ifrit Seiryuu continued to rain down lightning in resistance, equivalent to the likes of arrows and cannons as "anti-air fire."

The problem was that without "walls," there would be no castle —

Meanwhile, the Crusades continued to fly swiftly, unfazed by the lightning strikes from the sky.

They soldiered on relentlessly even when their comrades were struck directly. Advancing in a straight line, the British Legions began to use their bayonet rifles for suppressive fire. Rather than bullets, heat beams were fired from the barrels.

Dozens of flashes flew through the air as magic arrows, approaching Imperial Japan's twenty-seven Kamuys.

"Activate barriers!"

The Kamuys swiftly executed Chevalier Kamamoto's command.

Tiny lights fluttered like particulate matter, suspended in the air around the twenty-seven Kamuys.

This type of light had the effect of weakening enemy gunfire. As a result, despite sustaining some damage, Kamamoto's Kamuys were able to meet the thirty-four charging Crusades without any loss in numbers.

A melee battle unfolded in the air.

The rifle bayonets used by both sides functioned as "spears," clashing in combat through thrusts and slashes.

Like humans, the heads, chests and abdomens of Legions were vital parts. Legions injured in these areas would lose the ability to fly and crash down.

"The tide is... against my side huh?"

The Crusade was superior to the Kamuy in both physical build and strength.

The only way for Kamuys to oppose Crusades was to make use of their agility in hit-and-run tactics. But once both sides engaged in close combat with soldiers mixed together chaotically, the side with superior strength would hold absolute advantage.

No sooner had the old Chevalier spoken than a Crusade stabbed a Kamuy in the face with its bayonet and pulled the trigger directly.

The rifle bayonet was a weapon consisting of a military rifle with a blade fitted on its front end of its barrel.

Naturally, the beam fired from the muzzle caused the Kamuy's head to explode.

Furthermore, the beam continued in a straight line, piercing a new target. Unfortunately, Chevalier Kamamoto's wyvern mount was shot.

"Ohhhhhh!?"

The beam blew away one of the wyvern's wings.

Losing the ability to fly, the wyvern fell, taking its rider along with it. The height of the fall was roughly sixty or seventy meters.

Chevalier Kamamoto crashed into a green hill. Fortunately, the wyvern's giant body helped to cushion the fall, so he survived with only a few fractures and bruises.

However—

A giant descended before Chevalier Kamamoto the survivor.

It was a Crusade, intending to assassinate Chevalier Kamamoto. The British Legion's landing caused the ground to shake and rumble. Up close, it looked as big as a three or four-story building.

The rifle bayonet in the giant's hand was roughly four meters long.

More than twice the old man's height.

Either the bayonet fitted on the gun or the beam from the muzzle could easily smash Chevalier Kamamoto to pieces. Upholding his pride as a soldier of the Imperial Army, Old Man Kamamoto spurred his injured body to stand up as quickly as possible. At the same time, he drew the 9mm semi-automatic pistol from the holster at his waist.

However, this sort of thing could not stop a gigantic Legion.

Without even using its bayonet rifle, the Crusade swung its left leg as though kicking a pebble.

This small movement struck Chevalier Kamamoto hard, kicking him into the air. Just as he was about to lose consciousness, he desperately ordered the Kamuys under his command.

He commanded the Kamuys to defend the tutelary fort to the bitter end on his behalf. This thought became the old man's final will and testament.

### 023. Part 3

Masatsugu and the others returned to Rinzai High before noon.

More precisely, it was the high school's dormitories. Princess Shiori and Hatsune were both boarders.

After the princess' personal car was parked at the staff parking lot, Masatsugu and Hatsune stayed at Shiori's side while heading to the dorm.

Unlike yesterday, Shiori did not walk in the lead.

On campus, she intended to keep up her facade as the "gentle and virtuous princess."

"...Taisei?" Masatsugu asked doubtfully upon seeing Okonogi Taisei in front of the boys dorm.

Concerned about the presence of the princess, Taisei gestured with a wave of his hand, wanting to have a word with Masatsugu in private.

Living in the city, Taisei was not a boarder. Besides, now that martial law was in effect, educational institutions were basically all on holiday. Masatsugu had no idea why he was here.

"Your Highness, may I have a word with my friend?"

Masatsugu glanced at Taisei before seeking permission from the princess.

"I don't mind... However, I would like to meet him too. I wish to know about the reactions of the school and the students," replied Shiori.

When Masatsugu brought Hatsune and the princess along, Taisei greeted the VIP with a look of confusion while questioning Masatsugu with a look of "What the hell is this?"

Completely unfazed, Masatsugu said, "What's up, Taisei? Didn't you want to talk to me?"

"Oh, yeah. Given these unusual times, information is hard to come by. I was thinking 'maybe Masatsugu-kun might have some legit info since he's serving the princess?' to myself."

"And you came all the way to the dorm for that?"

"Yeah, I rode my bike. As a member of the student council, I'm also quite curious whether the boarding students are acting out of line. I observed the boys dorm briefly and it's pretty chaotic."

Only then did Masatsugu remember that his good friend was vice-president of the student council.

Taisei's face was handsome yet nondescript. He sighed, "Due to the military's noetic disruption, it's virtually impossible to receive television and radio signals, but there are occasional images or sound. Using fragmentary information, everyone is making all kinds of speculation to make sense of the situation—or more like imagining the situation, I guess."

From what Masatsugu had heard, there once existed companies that developed pocket-size portable telephones.

However, the presence of noetic waves has become one of the reasons hindering widespread adoption of this equipment—

Noetic waves consisted of the energy of thoughts produced by retainer beasts, genies and Chevaliers. The overall term for noetic control techniques to cause destructive interference with electromagnetic waves by using powerful noetic waves was "noetic disruption."

According to a kind of urban legend, using a microwave oven next to a Chevalier will make it explode.

Ten years ago, when Lord Caesar led a thousand Legions to fight the US military stationed in Japan, electrical interference had occurred all over Japan.

Humans had yet to invent ways of producing electromagnetic waves strong enough to counter powerful noetic waves.

"Furthermore, among students from outside the city or the prefecture, there are people who plan on using unblockaded back roads to get home on bicycle."

"The act of leaving in and of itself isn't prohibited..."

"Right, when I said 'the military' just now... It's probably not the British Empire but the forces of the domestic Kinai Fiefdom, right? This isn't a foreign invasion but a rebellion or a coup d'etat, right?"

7pm last night, the Kinai Fiefdom had held a press conference.

The press conference had been held prior to the noetic disruption and could be watched on the news in Suruga City. Always keeping up with current affairs, Taisei had not missed this information.

Just as Masatsugu was about to respond to his good friend's inquires, the lady he was serving spoke up first.

Smiling gently, the princess offered a suggestion.

"Well then, since it happens to be noon... Why don't we assemble all the boarding students for a lunch gathering? It has been weighing on my conscience since yesterday that I have not formally greeted everyone upon my arrival. —Hatsune, please assist with the necessary arrangements."

"Y-Yes, Princess."

An hour later, the lunch gathering was ready.

There was a total of seventy-odd boys and girls living in the dorms. The school cafeteria was chosen as the venue because there was no space in the dorms where everyone could fit. Furthermore, Shiori made use of the school's public announcement system to invite other students and staff present to join in the lunch gathering.

Due to insufficient preparation time, the food offerings were nothing special.

Nevertheless, the fact that enough tea and rice balls could be mustered to serve so many people was all thanks to the leadership of the princess who had proposed the idea.

"My dear fellow students, would the ladies be so kind as to join me to help out in the kitchen? And gentlemen, could you kindly assist in setting up the venue. Ah yes, and could the members of the student council please come to the broadcast room—"

Her ideas were conveyed through Hatsune, Masatsugu and Taisei then executed by the community.

Shiori remembered Taisei's position in the student council, so she made her requests to the student council members at school through their vice-president (in truth, they were more like directions than requests).

Furthermore, Shiori also went to the cafeteria kitchen to make rice balls together with the girls.

The princess was not skilled in culinary arts, but conscious of her noble status, the female students quickly got along with her.

When the lunch gathering started, Shiori bowed her head to address everyone.

"Greetings, ladies and gentlemen. Suruga is currently facing a time of tribulation."

"The British forces and the Kinai Fiefdom have formed the Restoration Alliance, intending to start an insurrection against our imperial government. This is indisputable."

"However, excessive panic or wariness would only bring greater danger to yourselves."

"The Charter of Chivalry strictly forbids armed forces from attacking, plundering and intentionally harming civilians and their residential areas. This agreement, spearheaded by Emperor Karl the Great of the Chivalric King Alliance, was strongly supported by Lord Caesar and Victoria II the Queen of England, thus coming into existence as a set of international rules of engagement."

"In other words, we are protected by this charter."

"It is extremely likely that further attacks will be launched against the Suruga tutelary fort, but arbitrarily leaving the city—to head towards areas protected by the Charter of Chivalry—would actually be the most dangerous choice."

The princess explained the situation , cautioning the students against acting recklessly.

Then she smiled and said half-jokingly, "I quit school in Rome half-way and transferred to this campus... Now that I have come to Suruga, I do intend to attend school properly, all the way until I graduate. I would appreciate it if everyone could look after me, please?"

Her light-hearted words managed to dispel the nervousness in the audience, bringing waves of laughter below the stage.

After ending her speech, Shiori did not sit down. She walked throughout the venue to make friendly conversation with the students. When asked about the current commotion, she would elucidate the situation as best as she could. There was never a lack of smiles around her at any given moment.

Just before the lunch gathering was about to end, Taisei said to Masatsugu, "How amazing. With this single gathering, Her Highness has become 'the princess of the student dormitories,' acting even more reliable than the teachers or us of the student council. At this rate, she'll take over the world within the school in less than a month."

The Black Lily Dorm was assigned to the princess exclusively.

It was a double-story building constructed with a steel frame. There was a great hall, dining room, conversation lounge, reading room, etc on the ground floor with several single rooms for boarders on the second floor. The layout was the same as ordinary boys and girls dorms.

However, Black Lily Dorm clearly felt classier and cleaner.

Thanks to the remodeling work, all of the wallpaper was new. Chic furniture also made the interior very elegant.

The interior decoration alone was practically "Rokumeikan style."

After the lunch gathering, Masatsugu, Shiori and Hatsune went to the conversation lounge at Black Lily Dorm. There were three large sofas arranged around an ivory low table.

As the lady in charge, Shiori was sitting leisurely on a sofa. Standing, Masatsugu reported to the princess, "...And that's what my best friend said just now."

"Take over the world, is that so? Your friend has an amusing way with words."

Masatsugu had repeated what Taisei had said, causing Shiori to smile.

Unlike the "obedient smile aimed at the outside world" that Shiori bore during the lunch gathering, this smile conveyed a kind of irony along with strong willpower and intellect.

"However, he did put it rather well. I must become the most influential person in this school and Suruga. Otherwise, my future plans will be affected... I must first take over the world of Suruga before advancing along the goals of reigning supreme in Shizuoka Prefecture, Tōkaidō, eastern Japan, then western Japan."

"...What?"

Shiori had said several words that one would not expect from a sheltered princess.

While Masatsugu was stunned on the spot, Hatsune said excitedly, "You have to remember this well, Onii-sama, our princess has a very ambitious plan. First, she will make a name for herself and teach a lesson to the Empress faction that has been bullying her and her mother. In the future, she will become the mastermind secretly ruling all of Japan from the shadows."

"What?"

"Simply stated, our princess will take over Japan. We of the Tachibana clan are the trusted aides and spies to assist her in achieving her goals♪"

Hatsune's reveal was startling, but it was possible to find the underlying logic.

The intimate relationship between the Tachibana clan and Princess Fujinomiya Shiori was definitely quite similar to the deep bond between 'a Sengoku-period general and a secret ninja clan.'

Even the domestic helpers at Black Lily Dorm were all older women from the Tachibana clan.

Also, Hatsune had changed out of her kimono and hakama and into the school's official uniform. Seeing her dressed like that, Masatsugu was struck by a thought.

Perhaps Hatsune liked wearing the hakama out of awareness as her master's bodyguard.

After all, it was much easier to move in a hakama than a skirt. Currently, inside the dorm, the likelihood of an attack on the princess would be rather low, hence Hatsune had changed her uniform.

"...You actually pay attention to details. It's surprising."

"Onii-sama, could you not make such rude comments out of the blue?"

"Oh, sorry. Midterms are coming up and I had you pegged as the type who'd borrow notes to copy from friends and pass the exams by last-minute cramming."

"How did you know my exam strategy!?"

Naturally, given the current situation of turmoil, it was anyone's guess whether midterms would be held.

However, Masatsugu now stared at Shiori for he had a question for her.

"I now understand Your Highness' intent. The question is, why tell me? Although I'm part of the Tachibana clan, we barely know each other for a few days."

Not too long ago, Masatsugu was still an ordinary student without the slightest clue about his clan's secrets.

Besides, he had lost his memory too. It would be ill-considered for a princess to take as a trusted subordinate someone whose personality and disposition were unknown.

Shiori replied, "Indeed, there are many matters that I need to discuss with you, Masatsugu-sama, including this one. Please accompany me."

"Understood. Is this... like a private meeting?"

"No, this is an invitation to a personal date ," the princess responded surprisingly with a solemn expression.

Hence, Masatsugu and the princess decided to "meet up at their date."

They chose to meet in front of a convenience store near the dormitories half an hour later. This local chain had shops in the greater Suruga region, the kind that did not operate on a 24-hour basis.

Masatsugu arrived five minutes early. Immediately, someone spoke to him.

"Thank you for your patience."

He turned around to see the princess as expected. She had apparently just arrived.

Instead of her usual blouse and skirt, Shiori had changed into a one-piece dress and black leggings paired with knee-high boots. She was also wearing a pair of glasses.

Perhaps due to the glasses, she looked even smarter than usual.

"This isn't really a disguise... But a bit of preparation to avoid attention."

"Excuse me if I am being rude but this is totally not enough. Your Highness appeared on television previously and many residents have seen your face. That goes even more so for those who live in the school's vicinity."

Shiori was a very striking platinum blonde beauty.

Her presence alone already attracted plenty of attention. However, Shiori smiled nonchalantly and said, "Relax, so long as I do this..."

Instantly, Masatsugu was surprised. He seemed to hear a shrill sound from the princess' person.

"If I use noesis to disguise my image, I will not be noticed so easily. People who have only seen Fujinomiya Shiori on television will not be able to discern my identity."

"Noesis... So this is noetic control?"

"Indeed. This method has no effect against those who are familiar with me, or you and Hatsune... The Crusades yesterday also used camouflage falling under the same branch of techniques."

"Understood. Looks like I was too shallow in my thinking."

Indeed, if he examined Shiori carefully now, her face seemed slightly blurred.

Masatsugu apologized after understanding the whole story. When speaking to the princess, he always stuck to a simple and reserved manner, maintaining a "respectful attitude as though interacting with someone with seniority in martial arts."

He conversed with the princess, fully aware that elegant use of vocabulary was beyond him.

However, Shiori said to him, "Masatsugu-sama, may I issue you a command ?"

"As you wish."

"Please stop speaking in this manner. Just talk to me as though you were talking to Hatsune."

This unexpected command took Masatsugu aback.

"No, that would be too disrespectful—"

"As I already said... This is a command, isn't it? Now refusing a command would be truly disrespectful."

Shiori smiled mischievously.

This princess enjoyed teasing others for her amusement on occasion. Masatsugu had observed this yesterday already, so it did not surprise him, except he was unsure how to respond.

"Are you unable to follow my directions no matter what?"

"Uh."

"In that case, at least stop addressing me as 'Your Highness.' I said the same to Hatsune, that I dislike being treated with reservation."

"Understood. Then I will call you 'Princess' too."

"Please feel free to refer to yourself using the masculine pronoun."

Masatsugu contemplated for a moment. The princess had specially chosen Hatsune as her personal lady-in-waiting.

In that case, behaving more naturally would suit her tastes better. Masatsugu's ability to march at the beat of his own drum was well-known to those acquainted with him. He decided to let this aspect of his personality loose.

"Princess, where are we going today?"

"Since I called this a date earlier, Masatsugu-sama, you could take the lead and decide the entire itinerary for us, you know?"

"That'd be too heavy a responsibility for me. Please allow me to decline."

"Well."

Masatsugu's tone had shifted from before. Shiori smiled contentedly.

"Then it cannot be helped. I have an idea so please follow me."

Masatsugu went along with Shiori, but a thought immediately occurred to him.

They were being confined in a regional city under martial law, yet the princess was walking with a spring in her step. She was in quite a good mood.

What Shiori said next confirmed Masatsugu's hunch.

"Despite the current emergency, I am still rather happy."

"...How so?"

"So far, I have kept my true personality and abilities secret, to live under the guise of a harmless princess. But as soon as I attracted a little too much attention in the imperial palace, I was targeted, finally forsaken and sent to the Roman capital as a hostage."

The princess' tone of voice seemed less reserved than before.

"However, after spending a number of years to plan, I am finally about to complete preparations to strike back. I shall use Suruga as the starting point to expand my sphere of influence. Consequently, I cannot feign docility all the time as before, I must also work hard using my wits and abilities... Frankly speaking, this is actually quite delightful."

The two of them conversed while walking along a rural road. This area was near the foot of Mount Kunou, not far from the highlands.

Speakers in the city broadcasted a piece of news.

'Hello everyone, there is something I must inform all of you right now—'

It was issued by the municipal government through a female announcer. With public airwaves such as television and radio signals affected by noetic disruption, this simple means of communication was the most effective way to transmit information.

The announcement was no different in content from what Shiori had said at the lunch gathering earlier.

However, the princess' speech had struck deeper chords in people's hearts, possibly because of the leadership airs belonging to a noble princess.

"Noetic disruption persists... In other words, the British forces continue to cause interference from Suruga's outskirts."

Shiori deduced the situation after hearing the broadcast.

"Perhaps the British forces intend to resume yesterday's offensive."

"...In that case, they're still aiming to conquer the Suruga tutelary fort?"

"Yes, the British forces and the Kinai Fiefdom probably intend to use Shizuoka Prefecture as a base of operations to invade Hakone."

Shiori's accurate analysis showed that she had dappled somewhat in military strategy.

"Attacking from tutelary forts within Shizuoka Prefecture while supplied with ectoplasmic fluid from water shrines—That is the situation they wish to secure. Given that is the case, they ought to take the Fuji tutelary fort first, which is closest to Hakone, before subjugating Suruga and Nagahama near Fuji to avoid getting attacked in the rear."

Princess Shiori seemed as though she was thinking through a strategy game.

The profile of her bespectacled face looked very smart and intelligent, a style more suited to her than feigned submissive virtuousness. That was the kind of impression Masatsugu gathered from her expression.

"Princess, I don't understand Legions at all. Yet in spite of that, I managed to do that yesterday. Could it be that the term legatus legionis ..."

While noting the princess' beauty in his mind, Masatsugu spoke to her.

"...Does this term have some relation to Legions?"

"Well... It is to explain these matters that I invited you out today. My apologies, Masatsugu-sama. I shall be more focused on the date."

"...?"

Masatsugu was confused, unsure why the princess had bowed her head to apologize.

Besides, why did the princess insist on calling an outing with her bodyguard a "date"? Meanwhile, Shiori gazed upon Masatsugu—There was a hint of sadness in her eyes.

"Masatsugu-sama, you still do not remember, do you?"

"Remember what?"

"You still do not remember me. Long ago, we met once."

Masatsugu jumped. So it turned out he had met the princess before. If something major like this had truly happened, it must have been prior to his memory loss. However, he could not remember a thing.

"We will continue the discussion after we enter. This is the place I wished to bring you."

The two of them had been talking while they walked.

At that moment, the princess halted in front of a bamboo forest at the foot of the mountain.

Closer examination revealed a small path in the bamboo forest. Masatsugu followed Shiori into the depths where there was a serene, wooden Japanese house.

It was a small yet elegant building.

### 024. Part 3

"...The battle is unfolding as you predicted, Sir Black Knight."

The doll possessed by the genie Morrigan spoke to the one in her company.

She was riding a flying wyvern, looking at Suruga Bay below. There was another rider on the wyvern, the aristocratic Sir Black Knight who was holding the reins. Morrigan was sitting in front of him.

Flying further would take them to the zone of reclaimed land on the coast.

The British and Japanese Legions were locked in a deadly battle there and the victor was gradually emerging.

"Yet I did not want to be right. Predicting the defeat of a Knight of Her Majesty would be too inauspicious."

Sir Black Knight sighed, because he had shared an ominous prediction. When the Legions under Sir Steven first started engaging the Japanese troops in melee, the handsome aristocrat had said, "Stevie is going to lose now."

He had quietly shared this opinion despite the British army's advantageous position at the time.

Soon after, the Suruga army had made a spectacular comeback. Leading her Kamuys on the battlefield, Suruga's lady Chevalier had invoked her treasured sword's Feat of Arms to personally cut down the Crusades.

The lady Chevalier had charged straight into the enemy ranks to slay them.

Serving as her mount, the Mibu wolf retainer beast carried her as she carved her way into the Crusades' square formation—

Weaving between the densely packed British Legions, she swung her treasured sword, slicing through a Crusade's armor and vitals on every strike, inflicting heavy casualties.

This performance of an unstoppable lone rider actually persisted for merely two or three minutes.

However, once she had disrupted the British army's formation, the Kamuys launched a counterattack in one fell swoop.

Using herself as bait to divert the British army's attention for a few short minutes, the Japanese Chevalier had ordered her troops to discreetly circle around Steven's army, thus launching an assault on the back of the square formation.

After the Kamuy army started a one-sided massacre.

Crusades fell one after another while Sir Steven desperately controlled his wyvern to dodge the enemy's sniping attacks and tried to reorganize his army's formation.

"Did that treasured sword's Feat of Arms decide the battle?"

A so-called "Feat of Arms" was a supernatural technique used by Chevaliers and Resurrectees. To slay gigantic Legions by a human's hand—This was quite an incredible Feat of Arms.

Sir Black Knight shook his head and said, "If Stevie really thinks that, it means his abilities only go so far. Their fates had been sealed the moment the female knight succeeded in luring him into melee combat. Pretending to be overwhelmed by the Crusades, the enemy was actually preparing for a pincer attack."

"I, see."

Morrigan thought back to how the battle situation had developed.

The Tōkaidō army's Chevalier had lined up the Kamuys in a row to fire.

The Crusades chose to charge in a dense square formation, leading to a melee battle. Pressed by the British army, the Tōkaidō army's formation changed from a straight line to a V-shape, but then the two sides of the V circled to the back of the British army, turning into guerrilla units.

"Ultimately, it was a spectacular battle demonstrating destruction through encirclement and pincer movement. Props to the enemy commander who used this. This is enough for today, Stevie will be held accountable for his failure another time."

"May I, ask another, question?"

Sir Black Knight had expressed his admiration for the opponent in a strange manner, hence Morrigan asked him, "How did you know... the enemy commander wanted to lure our forces into melee combat?"

"Huh?"

Sir Black Knight was taken aback in surprise. This sort of expression looked very out of place on his noble and handsome face.

At a loss for words, after some contemplation, he looked up, straightened his posture and said, "It might be difficult for you to comprehend as a spirit, but matters of this sort can be understood instinctively. Like looking at the enemy army afar and sensing changes in the air, something along those lines."

"I, see."

Even among fellow humans, few would be able to agree with Sir Black Knight's explanation.

Morrigan was deeply certain of this, but her response of "I see" carried a different meaning. She was convinced that this man was a natural counter to the likes of "strategists" or "staff officers."

Sir Black Knight possessed profound mastery of strategy, tactics and the art of war, yet he did not bind himself rigidly to such knowledge.

The instincts, sensitivity, sudden inspiration, perceptiveness, judgment, and experience honed on the battlefield would turn out to be the crucial keys to victory instead during extreme circumstances—

Rather than learned through the mind, people like him were born with innate understanding of this harsh fact of reality.

Theoretical correctness did not imply victory over the enemy. On the battlefield, correctness was determined by victory , in other words, the victor is always right .

Those who studied the art of war as a field of research could never reach this realm.

"As expected of, a legatus legionis ," Morrigan praised from the bottom of her heart.

"Despite compelling arguments regarding tactics, you still fail to conceal the innate savagery in your soul... Suppose you were to proceed with irrational courses of action, I, the genie Morrigan, shall still support you wholeheartedly."

"Why does that sound like a back-handed compliment...?" said Sir Black Knight, tilting his head.

"Never mind. Although Stevie has met defeat in the vanguard battle, he has accomplished the most basic job at least. He has succeeded in wearing down the enemy's battle strength and currently has yet to be defeated completely. It is time for Lamps to enter the stage."

Immediately, Crusades flew out of the sea in the outer waters of Suruga Bay.

Using as a reference the reclaimed land where the Anglo-Japanese battle had been taking place, this was to the east. Leading ninety Legions, Sir Lampard had lurked in the sea as a reserve force and was now taking action.

The Crusades broke out of the sea surface and flew towards the Suruga tutelary fort.

Instead of reinforcing their allies, this army intended to assault and subdue the Suruga tutelary fort while the castellan was occupied with Sir Steven.

The Crusades were roughly ten kilometers away from the tutelary fort on high ground.

They could reach their destination presently without wasting ectoplasmic fluid on high-speed flight. Conversely, on the Suruga tutelary fort side—

"I remember that is Seiryuu, isn't it?" Sir Black Knight muttered to himself.

An ifrit appeared in the air over the Suruga tutelary fort.

A giant oriental dragon, reaching seventy meters in length, with a huge magic 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 materializing a gigantic 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 almost like a mirage phenomenon. The space around the tutelary fort was warped, causing the scenery to become blurred and twisted as though seen through 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? Furthermore, they even detected the noesis released by the Legions hidden in the water and immediately prepared countermeasures."

After analyzing, Sir Black Knight commented loudly, "Lamps might very well face a tough 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 get me wrong. What I mean is this—Perhaps Britain might be willing to let me fight seeing as we are up against a castle that two Knights 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 from going out on the battlefield.

This command had come from Sir Grayson, the captain of the Tintagel . 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 names, Edward the Black Prince and Knights of the Garter... will have grave effects on future strategy. Please be prudent."

Born in the medieval English royal family, a supreme military genius.

The former Plantagenet crown prince shrugged wryly and accepted Morrigan's counsel.

"I can't believe they deployed two armies, Knights of Her Majesty in level. Now that's way too generous!"

Seeing the new enemies flying towards the tutelary fort, Rikka cursed from the back of her Mibu wolf mount.

The Kamuys were still fighting the vanguard 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 commander, controlling the Kamuys' battle situation from the back.

While the enemy resisted valiantly, the Kamuys had them surrounded in one spot. Holding a round formation with their protective barriers deployed, the Crusades fired desperately to fight back against Rikka's army.

"Living up to the name of the Knights of Her Majesty, how resilient."

If this battle continued, wiping out the Crusades would not be a problem.

However, the British had sent another army, flying in Suruga's airspace. The enemy was clearly targeting the tutelary fort, but Rikka's army was occupied with the ground 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 enemy vanguard would be able to catch its breath and muster its remaining forces to strike at Rikka's Kamuy army from behind. Unlike human soldiers, Legions were capable of executing extremely unreasonable battle commands.

Hence, it was imperiative to kill off enemy numbers before rushing 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—was more stable than yesterday and succeeded in having her principal image activate the noesis barrier, completing preparations for the defensive battle. Rikka had arranged for several noetic officers to assist Sakuya. Furthermore, there was additional insurance .

"Upon my Appellation of Onikiri Yasutsuna... Assemble, my Legions."

Rikka recited the sacred words to summon Legions.

However, the location pictured in her mind was the northern plateau several kilometers away—in other words, the location of the Suruga 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 enemy's ambush force was led by a battle-hardened Knight of Her Majesty.

"Masatsugu-sama... Another army of Crusades!"

Shiori pointed at a certain direction in the sky.

The ifrit Seiryuu and a magic circle was occupying the sky over the Suruga tutelary fort at the plateau. A spherical formation of Crusades, almost a hundred strong, was approaching—

Masatsugu and the princess had gone outdoors together.

There was a bamboo grove nearby. They were at the courtyard of Ryouzan Manor, a secluded residence belonging to House Fujinomiya.

Slightly earlier, a pipe fox returning from the Suruga tutelary fort had informed them of the attacking Crusades as well as Chevalier Akigase Rikka's advantageous position.

"Princess, this is an excellent chance."

"Eh...?"

For a moment, Shiori did not know how to react to Masatsugu's suggestion.

She had changed out of the undershirt and back into her one-piece dress, black leggings and knee-high boots, except omitting the glasses used for camouflage.

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 am unable to make decision right now.'"

"If I really were to say that..."

Shiori smiled mischievously.

Masatsugu was satisfied with her response. Her wit and intelligence had met his expectations. Instantly discerning the intent behind Masatsugu's question, Shiori answered seriously, "Masatsugu-sama, would you stand aside and watch me die?"

"Since the Tachibana clan took care of me in the past, I'll continue to serve as your bodyguard to repay that debt."

"Then I shall pass on that option. Allow me to think for a moment first."

Although Shiori was called an imperial princess, this did not mean she was the "emperor's daughter" in modern Japan.

Imperial princess was a title referring to all princesses carrying Lord Tenryuu's bloodline. There were other imperial princesses in Japan, all with higher ranked seats at the imperial palace than Shiori's.

The self-styled ostracized "forsaken princess" said, "To begin with, the Japanese government and the Empress are under Lord Caesar's control while the regional rulers, Twelve Fiefdoms, each have their own agendas. 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..."

Shiori shrugged while speaking in a sardonic tone.

"Without a doubt, the current Japan is literally in a state of disunity. Although I am not Liu Bei of the Three Kingdoms, it is rather easy for unassuming youngsters to make a name for themselves during times of turmoil—"

For example, young men from the impoverished countryside joining rebel armies, rising in position from soldier to general to head of state...

Such opportunities to rise above the rabble were impossible to come by during times of peace and stability. Conversely, the difficulty bar was instantly much lowered if one held military power and soldiers during times 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 meaningful 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 Fiefdom has been forced to fight 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 was aware that his expression tended to be stiff normally. Smiling was not his strong suit. Nevertheless, he did occasionally show this type of smile, except that no one around him noticed.

This time, he was smiling in celebration of Shiori making the right judgment call.

In truth, which side she had chosen to aid was unimportant. Of course, Masatsugu personally did not wish to harm Suruga's interests because his friends and acquaintances were there, but there were always ways around that.

The issue here was whether 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 meaningless if one remained indecisive in the face of opportunity.

Someone pledging 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 Shiori on this front.

"Masatsugu-sama, if I were to ask you to defend the Suruga tutelary fort... Would you be willing to grant my wish?"

"Consider it done."

Almost a hundred Crusades were currently advancing towards the tutelary fort on high ground.

Watching this scene from afar, Masatsugu shrugged lightly.

"I somehow feel like I can't possibly lose against 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 Shiori's turn to test Masatsugu this time.

"A strategian once wrote, 'against any enemy, one must make thorough 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 military strategy 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 important, but in real warfare, the enemy will also be doing their best to calculate and prepare. And war is always accompanied by all kinds of bad luck and misfortune. It's impossible to be always fighting under 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!"

Smiling, Shiori nodded.

"Had any ordinary person said the same thing, 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."

Shiori's demure expression looked extremely lovely.

If she were nothing more than a crafty girl, Masatsugu probably would not have taken an interest in her.

However, the contradictory qualities of merciless intellect and refreshing sincerity coexisted inside her. This felt particularly interesting and also provided a feeling of reliability. She was a girl harboring the commingling of not only good 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 Fujinomiya Shiori might become a great figure 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 promise, I'll be counting on your support in the future. You said you were willing to pay any price—including your own body as a woman, right..."

"!? A-As you wish!"

"Relax. I'm not the type who enjoys coercing girls."

Masatsugu's cheek muscles twitched again to smile at the flustered princess.

"I promise I will never do anything against your will, Princess. All I'm asking from you is a small favor at most."

"A-Alright."

"Much obliged. Well then, let's get started."

### 025. Part 3

"You four are volunteering to attack Suruga...? Well, that is certainly not a problem."

Sir Black Knight was taken aback for a moment, surprised by the sudden suggestion.

However, he immediately gave a cordial smile and accepted graciously. The four standing before him were Chevaliers serving the Kinai Fiefdom.

"We British have failed to invade Suruga on two occasions already. Undeniably, it is time for you gentlemen of the Kinai Fiefdom to take a shot."

Their location was Fuji City at the base of the sacred mountain of Fuji. The Fuji tutelary fort was located in the wetlands in the countryside.

Currently, this military facility had been conquered by the British forces of the Restoration Alliance.

It was the third day since the operation began. The time was 10:26. Sir Black Knight was taking a break, having coffee in the dining hall reserved for high-ranking officers.

Four Japanese men had come to pay him a visit.

They were the Chevaliers the Kinai Fiefdom had sent as reinforcements.

'Lord Black Knight, we have a proposal. It weighs heavily on our conscience that your British knights have been burdened with taking the lead thus far. The four of us are willing to conquer the Suruga tutelary fort on your behalf—'

They refused to let Britain take complete credit no matter what.

Despite courteous wording on the Japanese men's part, their ambition was clear as day.

Sir Black Knight listened courteously to their explanation. These four Japanese were planning to sortie either tomorrow or the day after.

Sir Black Knight told them very candidly, "As the saying goes, strike while the iron is hot. Why not set off tonight? We of the British Empire will provide full support."

In the end, the Kinai provincial army's Chevaliers accepted Sir Black Knight's suggestion and took their leave.

"Sigh, what a hassle."

After the Japanese left, two remained in the dining hall.

They were Sir Black Knight, shrugging with a smile, and the genie Morrigan sitting on the side.

"...You seem, rather pleased."

"The more knights under one's command, the more a hassle it is, naturally. I was simply reminiscing."

Currently, the Fuji tutelary fort was occupied by one contingent of the Restoration Alliance.

This occupying force consisted of soldiers from the Far East fleet of the British Imperial Forces, most prominently the destroyer Tintagel . Most of its numbers came from thousands of marines transported by landing crafts.

The captain of the Tintagel , Sir Grayson, served as the commanding officer.

Main combatants were two Chevaliers, Sir Steven and Sir Lampard, both Knights of Her Majesty.

However, the Kinai Fiefdom had dispatched Japanese Chevaliers and several thousand soldiers yesterday. These reinforcements converged with the British forces at the Fuji tutelary fort after reaching the port of Tagonoura.

"Everyone wants to get out there and fight, right? Assigning manpower is part of the commander's job."

"Are you referring, to ambition for glory?"

"This is one of the reasons, though expenses in modern warfare are funded by the state and the military. In the past, knights had to fully fund themselves, which meant that heading out to battle entailed exorbitant expenditure."

A vassal received territory from the king but had to pay taxes and contribute military service in exchange.

One had to shoulder all necessary expenses on their own. Bluntly stated, this was the life of the medieval European knight. Japanese daimyo also adhered to a similar system to serve the shogunate government.

In fact, the relationship between the modern Japanese imperial family and the Twelve Houses was not much different from that.

"Armor is astoundingly expensive while keeping a military horse carries heavy costs. Likewise, followers and infantry all require money. There was absolutely no point in going to battle unless there was a chance to win spoils of victory."

"...What a tough life, the world of medieval knights."

"There is more. Plundering and robbery were ways to take a hefty profit while enemy knights could be captured as hostages in exchange for handsome ransoms. Hence, knights of high standing generally lived long."

Modern people had too many fantasies about "what it was to be a knight."

Sir Black Knight smiled wryly. In his past life , he was a dreamer who had pursued "the ideals of chivalry" but had also experienced many challenging battles.

"Taking 'rules of warfare' of this sort from our past and repackaging them in modern style to be more palatable to the common people who are tamed by the sweet life of civilization... That was probably what went through His Majesty Karl's mind when he thought up the Charter of Chivalry."

"Are you, projecting your own, small-mindedness onto others?"

"No, reborn from the abyss of the underworld yet still seeking to sate our hunger for the thrill of war—We Resurrectees are all people of this sort. It is only normal to think in such a way."

"I, see."

"Besides, wars are very convenient in this era, which is truly wonderful. Legions are generated from our noesis and we do not need authority or vast fortunes to raise armies. As long as water shrines could be requisitioned, the maintenance of Legions requires little labor or money."

As a "prince" in the past, Sir Black Knight never had to worry about living expenses.

However, he had plenty of experience with financial troubles in raising war funds. In contrast, starting a battle in the modern era was as easy as having a game of chess. What a lovely time to live in.

"By the way, how is the Chevalier Strength of the Kinai Chevaliers who were here just now?"

"According to records, every one of them at 50 or so."

"Then the four of them together totals two hundred. Suruga's lady knight has roughly a hundred and fifty combined with home advantage. We do not have overwhelming odds in our favor... Morrigan, could you please check the location of our princess?"

The genie instantly sat up straight after hearing this instruction.

"Princess Eleanor?"

"Yes, please ask the princess to execute that preparatory task. I heard that the lady knight is the Tōkaidō Governor General's daughter, definitely worth recruiting to our camp."

"The Chevalier using the katana-wielding Legions... Is it alright to leave him alone?"

Yesterday, Morrigan and Sir Black Knight had watched the Suruga siege from overhead.

Unexpectedly, an army had shown up midway and used katanas with astounding swordsmanship. The Legions were identical to Kamuys in appearance except red-purple in color. Furthermore, their commander's noesis was extremely strong and unyielding...

Morrigan brought up the very memorable character, prompting Sir Black Knight to smile and reply, "Forget about him. After all, the princess can't handle him either. Besides, aren't you curious? How will this character, who seems to harbor some kind of secret, handle new enemies this time?"

"S-Sometimes, Resurrectees would hide their true names."

While speaking, Princess Shiori cringed in embarrassment.

"In every case... they are Chevaliers whose Chevalier Strength exceeds 500, allowing them to bring out potent power on the battlefield. H-However, they attract too much attention."

"Attract too much attention?" Masatsugu asked while pressing his small camera's shutter button.

Shiori bowed her head momentarily to avoid the lens but she still answered very carefully.

"Take for example how the Kamuys under your control were red-purple, Masatsugu-sama. M-Many Resurrectees will summon special Legions... Or use Feats of Arms originating from illustrious accomplishments in their past lives."

"That's true. Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada's Feat of Arms is 'Hijikata Toshizō's swordsmanship'."

"Since they are such striking existences, their identities are easily deduced at a glance by discerning eyes. Consequently, they all use aliases and never participate in large-scale warfare until they are deployed in a crucial battle... So as to conceal their existence. This way, the mere participation of a Resurrectee is already a s-surprise attack of great magnitude."

"I see, no wonder Akigase-dono mistook me for Hijikata Toshizō."

Nodding in acknowledgement, Masatsugu kept snapping photos with his camera.

Every time he pressed the shutter, Shiori cringed in embarrassment.

"She thinks I'm hiding my identity while the name of Hijikata used last time is my real name, right?"

"I believe so. M-Masatsugu-sama, why must I wear a swimsuit!?"

In a rare moment, the platinum blonde princess protested in a raised voice.

Currently, Shiori was wearing just a white bikini in Masatsugu's presence.

Their location was an empty classroom in Rinzai High. Under double effects from the imposition of martial law and it being Sunday, there was virtually no one in school. Chances of being seen were vanishingly small.

"This is an application requirement for the beauty contest planned for the school festival."

"Beauty contest!?"

"Princess, didn't I mention yesterday that I will need you to do me a small favor as a woman?"

Masatsugu's instant reveal of the answer made Shiori recall her earlier promise in a sudden realization.

"I am the school festival executive committee member in charge of the beauty contest. I've waited desperately for beautiful female students to enter and liven up this contest."

"Y-You are asking me to enter a beauty contest!? And dressed in such a revealing swimsuit!"

"Yes."

"Ughhhhhh!"

The ever intelligent Shiori was at a loss for words and greatly flustered.

Showing so much skin in front of others seemed to be making her very embarrassed.

"Princess, if you are unwilling, I will cancel it..."

"N-No, I am willing to work for your sake in exchange for your assistance—Those were the terms of our contract and promise. Th-This is nothing."

Shiori finally straightened her posture and faced the camera lens.

However, she still could not dispel her feelings of embarrassment, crossing her arms to hide her body. This ended up squeezing and lifting her bosom, further highlighting the princess' magnificent figure.

Without any change in expression, Masatsugu kept taking photos nonstop.

Shyness on her beautiful face, paired with a sexy figure, Shiori was undoubtedly an attractive magazine model this moment.

"P-Please stop photographing me so much. This swimsuit was acquired on my behalf by a lady-in-waiting at Rome's imperial capital last year... It is skimpy to begin with and my wearing it is a bit... Furthermore, it has gotten tighter after a year."

"Oh?"

In other words, the princess' figure had been maturing rather willfully.

The fruits of her bosom were reminiscent of small cantaloupes, her waist exhibited curves whose beauty words failed to do full justice, and her buttocks were round and voluptuous. This excellent figure, normally hidden beneath conservative attire or a uniform, was now quietly displayed before Masatsugu.

After Akigase Rikka's departure...

Shiori originally wanted to invite Masatsugu for a trip to the tutelary fort.

Masatsugu told her he needed a favor before going to the tutelary fort and carefully reminded Shiori to bring her swimsuit. Incidentally, the small camera used by Masatsugu was part of the school festival executive committee's inventory.

"B-By the way, Masatsugu-sama, how many people will be taking part in the application approval process?" asked Shiori timidly. "I do not wish to be seen in a swimsuit by too many individuals..."

"Rest assured, the approval committee consists of three or four people, but I make the final decision as the one in charge. There's no problem even if I check it alone—"

"Eh? Then doesn't that imply it was never necessary for me to wear a swimsuit in the first place?"

When Shiori pointed out a suspicious point, Masatsugu pondered for a moment before answering, "Indeed that is true."

"Masatsugu-sama! Then it is your fault that I wore a swimsuit for nothing!"

The princess yelled at him but Masatsugu shook his head.

"Not at all. This session was not a waste in the slightest."

"Why is that!?"

"I feel very lucky to have witnessed such a beautiful body. This already makes it worth my while to serve a princess for the past two days."

"!?"

Masatsugu's honest opinion caused Shiori to freeze inexplicably.

She looked as though his words had startled her unexpectedly and she did not know how to react.

"Masatsugu-sama... One would have you pegged as a straitlaced person at first glance."

Shiori walked angrily to Masatsugu's side.

After the photo session, she had put on her uniform on top of the swimsuit and they were now walking back. It took them twenty minutes to arrive before the dorm from Rinzai High's school building.

"Could it be that you are very accustomed to interacting with girls? Yesterday, you teased me at every opportunity and today, you showered me with abundant flattery..."

"I guess that's the kind of person I was before losing my memory."

"Huh?"

Shiori was taken aback by this explanation. Masatsugu continued, "Recently, while reviewing the beauty contestant applications, I've discovered that I seem to be a man with broad tastes when it comes to ladies."

"W-What are you implying?"

"I mean I'm a guy who appreciates all kinds of ladies."

"You appreciate all kinds of ladies!?"

"For example, Year 3 Class 3's Sawanobori-san has a mature air that I find quite alluring. In contrast, Year 2 Class 2's Itou-san has this grade schooler look that seems like a rare advantage. Horiike-san from track and field has the kind of natural beauty you find in athletic clubs. Hasegawa-san, who's always sick in the infirmary, has a frail endearing quality that's quite nice. The English teacher Toda-sensei, who just signed her divorce papers a month ago, is already a thirty-seven-year-old woman, but she's got this charm you can't find in high schoolers."

"Y-You are simply lusting after everything female!"

"I don't deny that. Ah, Oriha-san, who manages the girls dorms, also has this warmth and open-mindedness that I really like."

"A-As far as I recall, isn't she in her late fifties...?"

"Yes. Perhaps her looks have faded over the years, but she has this inner beauty that's been distilled through the passage of time."

"......"

"I've lost my past memories, but my body and soul still remember how to fight. As a result, I was able to enter the battlefield extremely naturally to kill enemies and control Legions... In fact, I think it's the same for how I deal with women."

Masatsugu was talkative in a rare moment, perhaps because the subject of women came up.

"My body and soul haven't forgotten how to build deep relationships with women. I'd like to try it out as soon as I get a chance—"

"M-Masatsugu-sama!"

"Just kidding. I know these are no joking matters."

"Hearing you say that, I am finally relieved..."

Only after Masatsugu expressionless admitted he was joking did Shiori look reassured.

He was struck by a thought. This highly intelligent princess was full of cunning but handled this type of conversation poorly. That made her extremely cute.

While chatting, the two of them returned to the conversation lounge at Black Lily Dorm.

The residents of Shiori and Hatsune, the domestic helper ladies from the Tachibana clan, and Masatsugu were the only ones authorized to enter this building.

The lady-in-waiting who would normally come out to greet Shiori with a cheerful "welcome home~" was nowhere to be seen. It seemed like she had gone out.

"Where did Hatsune go? I was thinking of asking her to drive."

"Princess, are you talking about visiting Akigase-sama at the tutelary fort?"

"I believe that ectoplasmic fluid is essential if you are to fully awaken, Masatsugu-sama. Active Legions consume ectoplasmic fluid but you have not replenished your reserves for many years."

"Is that why I can't summon my own Legions?"

"Yes. Thanks to the misunderstanding regarding Hijikata Toshizō's name last time, Rikka-sama is willing to support us actively. We should take this opportunity to resupply at the water shrine and establish a pact."

Masatsugu accepted Shiori's suggestion but he had another idea.

Would this really be enough to solve the problem? For some reason, Masatsugu did not agree with the princess. However, unable to offer an alternative, he could only look around the room silently.

"Hmm?"

Masatsugu noticed a note left on the table in the conversation lounge.

"Princess, Hatsune has gone to the tutelary fort."

"On her own? What is she doing there?"

"This... is what she wrote."

The note signed by Hatsune read "Princess and Onii-sama: I am going out for a bit because my heroic ambitions have suddenly awakened. Anyway, I will be visiting a relative's house in the city before heading to the tutelary fort. Don't worry about me even if I'm out late."

### 026. Part 3

The princess ended up waking two minutes later. Discovering that she had collapsed on the path over the blue reservoir of ectoplasmic fluid, she hastily got up.

Masatsugu was by her side, watching over her.

Furthermore, Shiori's only upper body garment was a brassiere. Masatsugu had covered the unconscious princess with her removed blouse and his own uniform jacket.

"E-Excuse me."

Shiori lowered her head in shame because she had allowed her sleeping appearance to be seen.

She hastily put on her blouse and fastened the buttons with fingers trembling in embarrassment, then fixed up her attire in sequence.

"P-Please stop staring at me while I am dressing. I-It feels very embarrassing."

"Sorry, this feels kind of nostalgic, which is why I..."

"Nostalgic?"

"Yes. I used to watch women dress up after sessions of intimacy—"

"M-M-M-M-Masatsugu-sama! Do not mention such past experiences in my presence ever again!"

While they were talking, there was a sudden ringing sound in the air.

A pipe fox appeared next to Shiori to report on the battle situation.

"An enemy army from the Fuji tutelary fort—A total of two hundred Kamuys... A noesis barrier has been deployed at ground level to defend against the enemy attack."

"Two hundred... From one Chevalier?"

"No, the scouting wyvern confirmed four Chevaliers from the Kinai Fiefdom."

"Four of them..."

"Masatsugu-sama, how many Legions are you able to summon after the resupplying just now?" asked Shiori worriedly after Masatsugu listened expressionlessly to the situation report.

Shiori was certainly observant. She knew that the method they had used was merely a "stopgap measure." Feeling truly fortunate for serving such an intelligent princess, Masatsugu replied truthfully without reservation, "Roughly a hundred, which is about half the enemy numbers."

Masatsugu's Chevalier Strength was supposed to be 1000 or so.

Unfortunately, he had not obtained a lot of ectoplasmic fluid. Currently, he was only able to summon 102.

"I see... I am terribly sorry."

"Why are you apologizing, Princess?"

"It is my fault that you must fight an uphill battle again, just as in your previous life."

"This is nothing so please don't let it weigh on your mind. You can save the apologies for when we're surrounded by enemies outnumbering us five or ten-fold."

Masatsugu smiled and joked about, but it was not the natural smile he had earlier.

Worried about Masatsugu, Shiori said, "This tutelary fort's ifrit is still in poor shape. If the noesis barrier is breached as easily as it did yesterday, it would be akin to having a great hole in a castle wall—"

"That's fine. It'll actually be easier if the enemy targets that hole."

"Eh?"

"We just need to set up an ambush at the hole. A collapsed castle wall still has its uses."

Calmly, Masatsugu told his surprised lady liege, "Princess, all you need to do is command me to wipe out the enemy."

The Suruga tutelary fort was located in the mountainous region east of Suruga City.

The surroundings of this fortress were twisting and shimmering like a mirage.

This phenomenon was caused by a noesis barrier. Inside the barrier and above the tutelary fort, a giant image of a blue dragon—the ifrit Seiryuu—appeared to face off against the Restoration Alliance army outside the shield.

However, Seiryuu was unable to invoke meteorological decrees tonight.

All power had been diverted to the noesis barrier so that it could hold for as long as possible.

"Fufufufu, a bluff huh..."

The four enemy commanders led two hundred and five Kamuys.

One of them, Chevalier Miura, laughed. His Chevalier Strength was 52.

The remaining three were Maruki, Shinbu, and Doro, whose Chevalier Strengths were respectively 53, 49, and 51. The four of them had petitioned the British Empire's "strategist" to allow them to conduct the attack.

The Black Knight, rumored to be a Resurrectee, had readily agreed.

Prior to their departure, the mysterious English aristocrat had told them, 'From yesterday's battle, we know that Suruga's ifrit does not pose much of a threat. Furthermore, there is more disappointing news. The Akigase Chevalier is injured and unconscious. If the rumor is true, then this will be a boring battle...'

Receiving this news on their departure, the four of them sortied from the Fuji tutelary fort.

...The Kinai Fiefdom they belonged to was composed from the five prefectures of Hyōgo, Wakayama, Nara, Mie, and Shiga along with Kyoto. A total of seventy-two Chevaliers served the fiefdom.

These four would be considered first-rate within the Kinai Fiefdom. They were all men in their forties or early fifties, similar in age and Chevalier Strength. Individually, they were no match for Britain's Knights of Her Majesty, but if the four of them joined forces—

Confident of victory, the four of them rode blue wyverns to lead their force of Kamuys to attack.

Each Chevalier ordered their own Legions to maintain a spherical formation centered around him.

The area surrounding the Suruga tutelary fort was a lovely hill covered by green grassland and low trees. It was a shame that night had fallen and obscured the beautiful scenery.

The Kinai army went straight for the noesis barrier and Seiryuu at the tutelary fort.

At that moment, Chevalier Miura noticed signs of the enemy.

"Are they Tōkaidō Kamuys!?"

The noesis barrier surrounding the tutelary fort shimmered like heat haze while fifty blue Kamuys appeared in front of the barrier. They had flown into the air from the ground.

Chevaliers were able to sense the noesis from Legions, instantly distinguishing friend from foe.

These Kamuys were identical to the four Chevaliers' Kamuys in appearance but were neither Miura's, Maruki's, Shibu's, nor Doro's.

Surely they must belong to Tōkaidō's Chevalier princess, Akigase Rikka.

" " " "Fire!" " " "

At the four knights' command, the Kinai army's two hundred and five Legions all started firing repeatedly.

In response, the Suruga army's fifty Kamuys deployed their protective barriers and fired back. The two armies clashed but the disparity in strength was too great.

In merely a minute or two, the Kinai army's two hundred and five Legions shot Suruga's fifty to death.

Even at a numerical disadvantage, the battle should not have been so one-sided.

"Merely puppets!"

Chevalier Miura sneered.

The enemy had manifested Legions beforehand and stationed them as defense troops.

Legions would fight autonomously even when their master was absent or asleep. This was a very important way of using them. However, their performance would be much weaker than when receiving orders from a Chevalier nearby. In particular, their agility and barrier strength would be halved.

No wonder Legions in this state were known as puppets.

The fifty Kamuys just now had been positioned ahead of time by the currently unconscious Akigase Rikka.

"Comrades, time to attack!"

Chevalier Miura sent out a pipe fox to inform the other three knights.

The orders were to attack the noesis barrier from four directions and break through.

"Indeed, this method just might work."

Masatsugu and Princess Shiori had arrived at the nation-protecting keep's roof together.

In the elevator, Masatsugu had talked about how to "lay a trap to destroy the enemy." Shiori had expressed strong agreement.

"It could very well turn the unfavorable situation around."

"May I trouble you to issue a command to the ifrit, Princess—"

"No problem, leave it to me."

It was their first time at the rooftop of the nation-protecting keep. The view was quite expansive there.

It was nighttime. On this forty-meter tower situated on a plateau, one was not only lucky enough to see Suruga Bay under the light of the moon and the stars but also a clear view of the night scenery of Suruga City and Shimizu City nearby.

If this place was not a military installation, it would definitely be the best night viewing spot.

However, war was breaking out close by. The repeated flashes were not lights from cities but came from heat beams fired by bayonet rifles instead. Such light was shot from weapons with the purpose of destruction and slaughter.

Directly above the nation-protecting keep was the hovering image of the ifrit Seiryuu.

The image was seventy meters in total length, a majestic giant dragon. However, the giant dragon roared in pain when the noesis barrier was attacked.

A great mass of air, shimmering like a mirage, surrounded the entire tutelary fort.

The Kinai Fiefdom's two hundred and five Kamuys kept attacking the shimmering barrier with gunfire and bayonets, even colliding with their bodies.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...!

The giant dragon ifrit howled many times, writhing its body in pain.

Masatsugu knew that if an ifrit still had the strength to roar loudly, it meant that it was not at its limit yet. He still had plenty of time to put his plan into motion.

As for the Kinai Fiefdom's Kamuys—

The four Chevaliers were leading roughly fifty Kamuys each. A total of four armies.

These four armies were entrenched east, west, south, and north of the tutelary fort respectively, firing from those four directions. The ifrit Seiryuu was desperately enduring with limbs withdrawn like a turtle.

At this rate, the Suruga tutelary fort would fall before long.

Strangely enough, Masastsugu's cheeks twitched to smile. He had found an opportunity for victory.

The Kinai army of fifty-two on the east were beginning to enter a formation. Rather than a square, it was a scrum.

Yesterday, the British Knight of Her Majesty had combined all troops together for a tackle.

Imitating that tactic, the Kinai army was trying to break the noesis barrier in one go. The situation was going more and more as Masatsugu hoped.

"Princess, please give the command."

"Yes... Masatsugu-sama, please defeat the enemy. Wipe them out."

Solemnly, Shiori issued the order with determination.

She was well aware of the significance behind her order. Even though the opponents were non-human winged giant soldiers, this was still no different from murder. However, those in the position of kingship must issue orders decisively in full awareness of that.

This decisiveness was the rightful responsibility borne by those who sent generals and soldiers to the battlefield.

Masatsugu received the order calmly.

"Acknowledged. I will now take care of them."

Leaving Shiori's side, Masatsugu went to the edge of the roof, stopping in front of the security railing.

The only weapon on him was his sword, Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada, just like yesterday. But tonight, Masatsugu had acquired new power.

"Let's go, guys. Gather under my forgotten name... No." Halfway through, Masatsugu changed his mind and said, "Gather under the noble name of Her Highness."

My Legions, this is a command to assemble.

Next to the nation-protecting keep, numerous Legions materialized in the air in front of Masatsugu.

Red-purple Kamuys—Kanesadas. Masatsugu summoned fifty of them first, all equipped with bayonet rifles. Seeing an army on her side finally appear, Princess Shiori shouted, "The castellan... Rikka-sama's proxy hereby issues a command!"

Shiori transmitted noetic waves, calling to the image of Seiryuu that was enduring painfully over the nation-protecting keep.

"Allow the Restoration Alliance's Kamuys attacking from the east to break through the barrier. Do not stop them. Let them go straight into the tutelary fort!"

### 027. Part 4

On board the Tintagel , a Class A Type 27 destroyer...

This was the newly built military ship that had come under her management two months ago.

The ship had a total length of 183m and a loaded displacement of 15 thousand tons. Its streamlined body resulted from the application of stealth designs. The anti-air weapon control system, the Evil Eye, was linked to her through noetic waves and control. The installed fluid reactor that used artificial ectoplasmic fluid not only served as a power source but also enabled the use of mystic powers essential to deploying the giant winged soldiers that were the Legions.

In other words, the functionality of this ship would make it a carrier for the mainstay weapon of the modern era, the Legions.

This ship was named the Tintagel and belonged to the Far East fleet of the British Imperial Forces—

"Good morning, my lady. How are you today?" said Sir Grayson, the captain of the ship.

She—the self-sustaining noetic spirit, the genie Morrigan—replied by transmitting noetic waves.

(Good morning... Captain. Status... Good. Presently, begin possession.)

Morrigan had transmitted noetic waves to respond to the captain, Sir Grayson.

Holding the rank of lieutenant colonel, Sir Grayson was an elderly gentleman. However, his delayed response did not stem from hearing deterioration.

Humans without noetic aptitude had difficulty hearing the contents of noetic waves.

To handle this problem, Morrigan began the process of possession .

What she possessed was a doll that she used regularly. Sitting on a rocking chair in the Tintagel 's first operations room was a doll of a young girl, roughly 150cm tall—

The doll's appearance was that of a twelve or thirteen-year-old girl, with slightly curly blonde hair reaching shoulder length.

This doll was exquisitely crafted although the excessively pale skin was made of hard porcelain while the blue eyes were glassware. The pink nails were painted using a dye extracted from Nitidotellina nitidula , a type of shellfish.

The skin not only made a sound when tapped lightly but also had blood vessels hidden beneath it.

Plastic blood vessels extended throughout the entire body, filled with blue blood , the artificial ectoplasmic fluid that also served to power Legions. Morrigan infused the liquid with part of her spirit.

(Divide spirit, possession... Success. Awakening imminent.)

The blue blood inside the doll's blood vessels began to flow.

Artificial ectoplasmic fluid, which could also be used to fuel fluid power generation systems, enabled a miracle to occur in this small doll, turning it into Morrigan's avatar.

...Having possessed the doll, Morrigan slowly sat up straight.

Originally hard in texture, her porcelain skin was now as soft as a young maiden's flesh.

However, the joints driven by gears and cranks remained as mechanical constructs, producing sounds of friction when they moved. Tubes filled with blue ectoplasmic fluid and gears could be found all over the body, indicating that this was a temporary life at most.

The doll was dressed in a sailor suit with a skirt plus a beret.

Using the glass eyeballs that were equipped with vision, Morrigan stared at Sir Grayson.

Sir Grayson was a slender white-haired elderly gentleman as well as a naval officer who exemplified the image of a "solemn gentleman."

"So long ago... The last time we met in this manner, Lieutenant Colonel."

"Greetings, my lady. Excuse me for being forward, but I have come to inform you of a certain gentleman who wishes to meet with you. From here on, your body will be assigned under his command."

Sir Grayson always treated Morrigan with utmost respect.

Sitting on the rocking chair, Morrigan nodded in acknowledgement of his notification, producing a clicking sound from her neck joints.

Sir Grayson brought Morrigan to the deck.

On the destroyer Tintagel , there was a bridge in the center shaped like a "tower." The two of them went behind the tower.

"Thank you for your patience, Prince."

Sir Grayson addressed the figure standing on the edge of the deck.

He was looking out across the surface of the Pacific Ocean.

The Tintagel was currently sailing within Japan's territorial waters—Off the coast of the Shima Peninsula, heading east. Continuing along this bearing, it would reach Enshunada, Omaezaki and Suruga Bay.

Japan's airspace and territorial waters were watched over by the sacred beast Lord Tenryuu and the sea dragons and wyverns serving him.

Sailing close to the coast would risk eventual detection, but Morrigan had used noetic control to apply stealth enchantments to the entire ship.

"Please allow me to introduce Morrigan, the genie of this ship. Her appearance as an adorable young girl belies her heroic exploits in defeating pirates with me in the Indian Ocean."

"So she is the one you have specially assigned to serve me..."

The "prince" who turned around to speak was a young man roughly twenty years old.

The young man had silver hair with a handsome face—No, one ought to call him a splendid specimen of a handsome man. Not only were his facial features exquisite, but his expression was also glowing with astounding ambition and an awe-inspiring vibe.

"Then in that case, I expect a seasoned warrior... However, since we are not at Buckingham Palace or the battlefields of Aquitaine, I am a bit uncomfortable being addressed as 'Prince.'"

The handsome man was dressed as a military officer like Sir Grayson.

His military uniform consisted of a white shirt, a necktie and a pair of black pants. However, the prince also had a black jacket and black cape in addition to that.

Furthermore, there was a long sword hanging at his waist. It was almost like a military uniform for formal occasions.

Perfectly at ease in this magnificent attire, the handsome man pondered for a moment before speaking.

"Morrigan, please call me Sir Black Knight."

"Affirmative, Sir Black Knight."

After answering, Morrigan emitted noetic waves.

She connected her mind to the Tintagel 's memory realm, the database, and searched its vast contents. She searched for titles such as "Prince" and "Sir Black Knight" as well as people bearing a resemblance to the young man before her, but came out empty-handed. All information had been classified.

"Unfortunately, my true identity is classified."

The silver-haired Black Knight smiled cheerfully. He had sensed Morrigan's noetic waves.

This meant that he was a noetic master or a Chevalier—

"I see... You are a knight, is that correct?"

"That goes without saying. Otherwise, why would I call myself the Black Knight?"

"My, apologies."

Morrigan's hearing was normal but she was not good at conversations. As a result, her speech tended to be choppy.

"No need for it to weigh on your mind. I am currently assigned as an observer, so my intention is to get a look at how you and your crew fight, as well as Japan's cultural climate."

Sir Black Knight then turned to the other soldier.

"Grayson, in accordance with your request, I have reassigned two Knights of Her Majesty from England to join us on short notice. Namely, Stevie and Lamps. That should be enough for the landing operation, I suppose?"

Morrigan searched her database again.

This time, the search succeeded. The only Knights of Her Majesty matching these two nicknames were Sir Steven and Sir Lampard. They were both brave warriors who had been awarded the Appellation of the Knight's Medal of the Great Cross.

In response, Grayson laughed and said rather sardonically, "Much appreciated. However, I must make one correction. In this instance, I simply relayed a request from our allies in Japan back home. By no means did I make a personal call to—"

"I see. I spoke too imprudently."

"Now that imprudence is a done deal, I have no objections to Your Highness taking part in battle personally."

"In my own opinion, I would like to do that too, but there are many lords back home who love to engage in petty criticism. Making such a disobedient move before officially assuming my position would have them making allegations of me being 'outdated' or 'medieval'."

Sir Black Knight smiled wryly.

"Getting lectured after the fact would be quite a nuisance too, so I shall decline on this occasion. Of course, if we happen to encounter Lord Caesar who is currently in Japan, I would not mind enduring that sort of nuisance."

"In other words... You are fine with serving as the strategist for now?"

"Yes. It gives them no grounds to complain."

"...May I, ask a question?"

Morrigan interjected in the conversation between Sir Black Knight and the captain.

"From just now, judging from the conversation, you are ranked higher than both the Knights of Her Majesty and Sir Grayson. You also have intimate ties to, our nation's ruling elite..."

"Yes. Furthermore—I am your future boss," Sir Black Prince replied rather simply.

"Acknowledged."

"In that case, Morrigan, please bear with me until I take over my position officially. Could you please show the map?"

Morrigan's doll nodded, making metallic friction noises.

From the database, she pulled out visual images of Japan and projected them into the air using noetic waves. A two-dimensional map of the islands of Japan appeared before Sir Black Knight.

"In order for the Gifu Fiefdom partnering with us to march on the imperial capital of Tokyo, there is one route that must be secured—Hence, Tōkaidō is our target this time. There are five tutelary forts between Shizuoka and Hakone Checkpoint... Hamamatsu, Kakegawa, Suruga, Fuji, and Nagahama, which we will conquer all at once."

Pointing at five locations on the map, Sir Black Knight issued combat orders.

"Due to the trouble at Suruga , we were forced to hasten our operation by two weeks, though there are no issues apart from that. If everything proceeds according to plan, the operation will be completed without issue."

Soon, they were about to make a landing in Japan in a battle to subjugate Tōkaidō.

After Morrigan used a noetic search for precise details, the sky over the Tintagel was filled with a vast quantity of noesis .

"So the two of you have arrived?"

As soon as Sir Black Knight spoke, two officers came to join Morrigan and Grayson.

They were the ones who had released the current noesis. Both were strapping young men in their twenties. Wearing jackets and capes with a sword each, they were dressed the same as Sir Black Knight.

These were the two Knights of Her Majesty that Morrigan had searched just now, Sir Steven and Sir Lampard.

"Stevie and Lamps, are you ready to sortie?"

"Certainly, Black Knight."

"Using the Appellation bestowed upon us, we will summon an army to fight on Her Majesty's behalf."

Despite not addressing their superior too formally, they spoke with great affection.

Lightly touching the breast pocket of their respective jackets, they then opened their palms. A cross-shaped medal, shining brilliantly, appeared over their pockets out of thin air where nothing had been there a moment ago.

This was the Knight's Medal of the Great Cross.

A holy emblem for summoning the British Empire's mainstay Legion, the "Crusade."

Wearing cross medals on their chests, Sir Steven and Sir Lampard looked up at the sky. The noesis filling the air began to manifest into a contingent of soldiers.

Emitting noetic waves, Morrigan swiftly calculated the headcount.

A total of ninety-four. Each Legion stood over eight meters tall and was fully equipped with a white mask and uniform, even armor. An impressive army practically a hundred strong.

Their weapons were rifles fitted with bayonets. Feathered wings adorned their backs.

"Very good. Stevie will attack Fuji while Lamps will march on the tutelary fort at Nagahama... By the way, who is responsible for the most troublesome Suruga?"

"Sir Philneville. He is on the Caerleon", not this ship," Morrigan answered Sir Black Night's question.

The Caerleon and her Tintagel were destroyers of the same model.

"Sir Terry, also on that ship, is assigned to take Hamamatsu while Sir Ashley is responsible for Kakegawa. By the way, Sir Black Knight, may I ask another question?"

Staring at the handsome man's face, Morrigan asked, "You mentioned previously, you would not mind taking part in battle, if Lord Caesar were to make his presence. How do you, intend to engage Lord Caesar?"

"Very simple, I shall personally head to the forefront and have a duel with the Roman hero," boasted Sir Black Knight nonchalantly.

Behind him, a black Legion slowly manifested.

Its design was very similar to the Crusade except that its uniform and armor were all black. The mask on its face and the wings on its back were also black.

This Legion was precisely the reason why he styled himself as "Sir Black Knight."

"Very few generals are able to match him on the battlefield. Fortunately, I am one of the rare exceptions, hence it would be quite a welcome development I am hoping for."

In command of winged giant soldiers that were not Crusades, the silver-haired aristocrat murmured.

Morrigan finally understood his true identity. The noetic waves linking this black pair of master and servant were far stronger than those of the two Knights of Her Majesty here—Hundreds of times stronger.

"In that case, your wish is my command... legatus legionis . O hero who has returned from the underworld where the dead are gathered, I, the genie Morrigan, pledge my loyalty to your feats of arms."

The commander of an army, a true Chevalier—

Listening to these profound titles, Sir Black Knight smiled with pride.

### 028. Part 4

Inside the ground floor hall of the nation-protecting keep, Masatsugu sighed.

Floating in midair, a giant window was serving as a screen, playing a certain video.

It was showing the aerial battle between Legions in the sky near the Suruga tutelary fort—An intense clash between the army of Kamuys led by Chevalier Kamamoto against the British army of Crusades.

"So one-sided..." groaned Masatsugu.

After Chevalier Kamamoto's death in battle, the Kamuys clearly became more sluggish.

Whenever the Crusades approached, the Kamuys would swing their bayonet rifles to engage. Unfortunately, they were too slow, completely failing to dodge or parry enemy attacks. Conversely, the Kamuys' attacks all missed.

Like this, it was impossible to stand up to the British army with their strength advantage.

Even so, the twenty-seven Kamuys did not give up fighting. Even though their attacks frequently missed, they persisted in firing their guns at the Crusades and stabbing with their bayonets.

Normally speaking, when a Chevalier died, the Legions under his command would disappear.

"Is it the Chevalier's final will...?" Masatsugu whispered to himself. Inexplicably, he felt a sense of certainty.

Occasionally, Legions would carry out their late master's final command as though to uphold their dying wish. This was especially true for Japan's mainstay Legion, the Kamuy, whose loyalty to commands was particularly notable.

As soon as he figured out the reason why the Kamuys were fighting relentlessly, Masatsugu felt troubled.

Tachibana Masatsugu was a student who knew nothing about Legions. He could not understand why he knew such things with certainty.

Meanwhile, another unfavorable element appeared on the battlefield.

"The dragon disappeared...?"

Masatsugu doubted his eyes. The dragonoid image of Seiryuu the guardian deity had vanished without warning from the air over the tutelary fort it had occupied until now.

The soldiers in the nation-protecting keep's hall also clamored among themselves, unable to hide their loss of composure.

One officer ran over to a corner of the hall, to where Sakuya's image had been sitting on the rocking chair.

"Sakuya-sama? What happened to you, Sakuya-sama!?"

The shrine maiden's image had disappeared, vanishing from sight the same moment as Seiryuu.

Thereafter, people began to talk all at once. Someone suggested to find a noetic master while others wanted to know what actually happend to the dragon. Chevalier Kamamoto's condition was also a focus of discussion. The scene was filled with angry shouts and orders.

Desperation to break out of the predicament had infected every officer and the soldiers under them. However, without the crucial Chevalier, it was anyone's guess how much their efforts could achieve—

"...Masatsugu- sama and Hatsune, come this way."

The princess suddenly called Masatsugu and Hatsune.

Shiori walked briskly out of the hall in the nation-protecting keep and Hatsune followed decisively. Masatsugu did the same.

To be honest, this was not leadership one would expect from a sheltered princess.

Ever since the siren, Shiori had issued various precise instructions. Her obedient docility was purely a facade meant to obfuscate the world.

As soon as they left the keep, a small animal appeared on Shiori's shoulder.

It was a white fox roughly the size of a hamster, namely, the small retainer beast called the pipe fox. The spirit named Sakuya had used the same kind of animal.

Masatsugu said, "A retainer beast... Today is my first time seeing one for real."

"It is something that I asked Hatsune's father to procure for me. Keeping one around is extremely useful."

The small white animal on Shiori's shoulder exhaled through its nostrils.

Lord Tenryuu had bestowed many retainer beasts upon Imperial Japan and the pipe fox was one type. Using inborn noetic powers, they were able to serve mankind by enacting small miracles.

Like firearms, retainer beasts were only allowed to be used by military and police agencies in principle.

There were rumors of illegal retainer beasts in civilian society...

Shiori said to the mysterious little animal, "The genie of this tutelary fort... is called Sakuya, isn't she? I need to speak to her, so please locate her. You should be able to find her at the underground water shrine."

The pipe fox squealed and disappeared just like that.

It swiftly obeyed orders, leaving as suddenly as it had arrived.

"Princess, couldn't you have summoned her from where we were just now?"

"Not in front of others. I need to speak to her confidentially," replied Shiori instantly to Hatsune's question.

"That genie—seemed a bit odd."

There was a sense of certainty in the princess' tone of voice.

"A so-called genie is the will of an ifrit, something akin to an avatar. I believe that she and Seiryuu were unable to sustain their manifestations due to spiritual instabilities."

"How are you so sure?" Masatsugu could not help but interject. He was very curious about Shiori's tone of certainty.

On behalf of her master, Hatsune the lady-in-waiting puffed out her chest proudly and said, "Remember this well, Onii-sama, our princess is not only smart but also blessed with noetic aptitude. She is literally the epitome of brains and beauty, an exemplar of the Yamato Nadeshiko ideal!"

Noetic aptitude referred to the ability to sense and transmit noetic waves.

The title of noetic master was bestowed upon those who worked hard to obtain state certification. Compared to ordinary humans, these people were more able to commune with spirits and retainer beasts, which likewise specialized in noetic control.

Hatsune looked very smug, but Shiori said indifferently, "Like my hair, this sort of ability simply comes from my grandfather's bloodline. Many princesses inheriting a sacred beast's blood have aptitude for the mystical, just that my disposition is stronger."

"Amazing."

Masatsugu's ordinary praise prompted Shiori to shrug and say, "Is that so? The current Empress has rather thin dragon blood... Which is why her closest supporters have always regarded me with hostility. These people believe it is a great affront for me to bear such close resemblance to my grandfather despite belonging to a junior branch. Strictly speaking, the disadvantages are more numerous."

The princess' brilliant platinum blonde hair originated from Lord Tenryuu's bloodline.

However, the current Empress, Her Majesty Teruhime, had black hair, the same as a typical Japanese. Masatsugu now understood the reason.

Shiori continued, "Please keep this a secret for I have only told those who are close to me."

"As you command."

"Apart from noetic matters, I have also kept many other secrets. This includes my actual personality as well as the fact that I am more shrewd than most people imagine me to be."

"...Shrewd, is it?"

"Indeed. On matters of the mind, I seldom lose to anyone."

The princess' matter-of-fact expression made it sound like being shrewd was a virtue. The highly impolite word "shrew" came to Masatsugu's mind.

At that moment, a bell sound was heard.

The pipe fox that had been on Shiori's shoulder earlier appeared out of thin air. The small retainer beast had returned.

"How did it go?"

The pipe fox shook its little head.

Its lady master sighed and said in vexation, "The spirit named Sakuya... I cannot believe she closed off her heart and refused to listen to anyone. In human terms, she seems to be a very shy child. If she were to swear to secrecy, I would be willing to help her..."

Mid-sentence, the princess could no longer be heard.

A sudden crash overwhelmed her voice. Something hard and heavy collapsed, accompanied by an explosion. This was what they had heard.

The Suruga tutelary fort's star-shaped fortification walls—It had been breached at one point.

...Needless to say, the enemy Crusades were responsible.

Two Crusades kept firing their bayonet rifles from the air. Breaking past the Kamuys tasked with Old Man Kamamoto's dying wish, they charged into the tutelary fort's immediate area.

After that, the two Crusades landed inside the tutelary fort.

The heavy impact shook the ground. One of the Crusades landed on the roof of a one-story steel-frame building.

The British Legion stood over eight meters tall.

Its estimated weight of several hundred tons easily crushed the structure of steel-reinforced concrete.

Anyone inside would have died for sure. Next, the two Crusades began to spray gunfire.

The beams shot out of the muzzles in a torrent, blasting the interior of the tutelary fort.

The Crusades were not aiming in particular. Firing at a rate of ten shots per second, there was no need to aim.

The various structures inside the tutelary fort—buildings, hangars, barracks, etc were all built from steel-reinforced concrete, yet they were all pierced by the beams like styrofoam props. Blown away. Crushed. Burned. Melted. Explosions erupted.

The destructive heat beams melted and sliced through steel metal and concrete.

The was the power of the bayonet rifle.

Hatsune cried out in panic, "Princess! We have to hurry and find shelter!"

"...No, it would be safer to stay still."

Shiori looked at a certain building. It was the nation-protecting keep they had just exited.

"This tower is the core of the tutelary fort. Assuming it has concealed information inside and underground, the ifrit's principal image or a water shrine must be present. The enemy side needs to take over these facilities for their own use... Hence the Crusades will definitely not attack our position."

Shiori was right.

The two Crusades did not stop shooting but their guns were never aimed in the trio's direction at the nation-protecting keep.

Hatsune smiled and Shiori exhaled in relief. Despite speaking out to assure everyone of their safety, she could not help but feel nervous inside.

Next, the princess looked up sternly.

"Let us take this opportunity to call for reinforcements."

Shiori's entire body glowed white. It was the light of noetic power.

Ordinary people were essentially unable to sense noetic waves, but powerful noetic waves would release light, producing radiance that anyone could see—

Witnessing this rumored phenomenon, Masatsugu was deeply impressed.

"O braves who have exhausted your strength, may your courage be crowned by glory. Praise be to your courage."

The imperial princess spoke solemnly amid the white light of noesis.

Curious, Hatsune asked the Shiori, "Princess, what are you doing?"

"These Kamuys continue to fight relentlessly in honor of Kamamoto-sama's dying wish—I am gathering them to defend the tutelary fort that is about to fall to the enemy. However, I have no idea how many Kamuys will rush over here..." murmured Shiori with worry.

Indeed, the Kamuys were currently fighting valiantly against the Crusades outside the tutelary fort as well. It was anyone's guess how many Kamuys were still intact and whether they had the luxury of diverting some of their numbers back to the tutelary fort.

Surprisingly, reinforcements arrived immediately.

Firing their bayonet rifles, two Kamuys entered the premises from the tutelary fort's side gate.

"The ones guarding the gate!"

Masatsugu realized that they were the two Kamuys that had been stationed at the side gate for the purpose of prestige. Obeying their late commander's dying wish, they too had yet to disappear from the battlefield.

### 029. Part 4

The Fuji tutelary fort was located in the Ukishimagahara wetlands of Fuji City in the prefecture of Shizuoka.

Most of the area featured an abundance of nature and even the tutelary fort's surroundings were lush and verdant.

Sites for building tutelary forts would be chosen to avoid densely populated urban centers as much as possible. A low-key rural location would be a sort of second choice—

This was an unwritten rule stemming from the Charter of Chivalry ratified by various nations. With Emperor Karl the Great as the most prominent example, the Resurrectees loved engaging in the inhumane final resort of diplomacy known as "war." Hypocritical though it may be, the Charter established terms for universally approved justification for war and all nations must abide by it.

...The above were Sir Black Knight's thoughts.

He was also a Resurrectee himself, hence this was quite a pressing matter.

Currently, the Fuji tutelary fort had been taken over by a British contingent of the Restoration Alliance.

The Chevalier castellan and his officers and soldiers had fought valiantly, but had been captured and disarmed in the British victory, and were currently under close guard.

There were unfortunate casualties during the battle, but such unavoidable facts of war did not bear mentioning.

(...In fact, the true meaning of the Charter of Chivalry is to beautify the game known as war, to make it more palatable to the populace. )

Right now, Sir Black Knight was in the underground water shrine.

At this majestic reservoir of ectoplasmic fluid, dozens of pillars stood towering, creating a solemn atmosphere like an ancient Greek temple's. There was also a "bath" inside.

The architectural style of water shrines was practically universal across the globe. Sir Black Knight had seen plenty of them already.

Entering the blue liquid used for bathing, he recited words.

"Shame be to him who thinks ill of it—Upon my true name and soul, I petition the shrine of this land. Pray share the nourishment of holy water with my soldiers and recognize us as knights of the local land."

Sir Black Knight closed his eyes and prayed, his entire body glowing faintly.

Within his closed and dark field of view, a certain image surfaced.

Giant winged soldiers of black, bearing a strong resemblance to the Crusades. Their jet-black armor shone with the light of fighting spirit and glory. An army of a thousand glorious black knights—

"O Knights of the Garter, are you urging me to hurry and take to the field?"

Listening to the pleas of his army, Sir Black Knight smiled wryly and opened his eyes.

At that moment, he heard footsteps. Someone had stepped into the bath in leather boots. There was also the rustling of clothing. Presumably, the visitor had entered without undressing.

The entrance was behind Sir Black Knight. He did not know who had arrived, yet he spoke without looking back, "I am not going to say that... I forbid others to share the bath when I am using it, for that would be too boorish. I know not who you are, but I welcome you to undress and join me in here. It is nice to have bonding moments with young knights in the bath once in a while."

Knights were required to maintain composure at all times to exemplify character and principles as dictated by chivalry.

Sir Black Knight would often remind himself of this. However, he heard a "click" behind him, making him very curious what it was.

"Affirmative. As a spirit and not a Chevalier, replenishing ectoplasmic fluid at a water shrine is not quite necessary—Nevertheless, I shall comply with this command."

As soon as he heard the girl's answering voice, Sir Black Knight hastily turned his head back.

Arriving at the bath was the doll possessed by the genie Morrigan, dressed in a sailor uniform with a beret. She moved her hands to untie the scarf around her neck, producing another "click" from her joints.

"Furthermore, after this event, I shall file a report to the higher-ups—My superior has subjected me to sexual harassment. Please be forewarned."

The simulacra used by genies were expressionless for the most part, but currently, Morrigan was looking coldly at Sir Black Knight.

"Morrigan, this is not a command. It was my misunderstanding, furthermore..."

Sir Black Knight tried to keep his voice calm but still could not help but raise his voice, "You are the one who is sexually harassing others...! A female coming out here to enter a nude man's presence and even staring at me so rudely!"

"The water shrine is, a facility of particular importance. I wished to verify, by my own eyes."

"Then you could have picked another time in my absence!"

Replenishment of ectoplasmic fluid at water shrines, cold-water ablutions or purification rites were all sacred rituals.

Clothing was not allowed in the bath, hence Sir Black Knight was completely nude. He normally looked quite slim but that was purely a visual effect of his clothing. In fact, his muscular body was steeled through and through.

With his spectacular body thoroughly exposed, Sir Black Knight scolded his subordinate harshly.

"According to my search..." said the genie Morrigan's simulacrum as she walked over to Sir Black Knight.

They had already left the underground water shrine. Walking on the lawn in the Fuji tutelary fort, they were having a stroll within the premises.

"The practice of mixed baths, existed in medieval England and France too. I cannot comprehend, the reason of, your shock and alarm."

"You raise a fair point, but it is a knight's prerogative to uphold virtue and dignity—"

Just as he was about to argue back, Sir Black Knight came to a realization. Medieval England and France. These words could not have been spoken by someone ignorant of his identity.

"Morrigan, have you figured out my identity?"

"Yes, indeed... Frankly speaking, the riddle's difficulty is not high. There are plenty of hints, simply from observing your words and behavior."

"I see. I suppose that would be the drawback to leaving a name in history."

"No, I believe, it is purely the product of your imprudence."

"You seem to have a talent for biting remarks..."

"This too, is one of our English traditions."

The genie Morrigan had inherited the English customs of biting sarcasm and black humor.

Sir Black Knight deliberately looked up to hide his feelings of embarrassment. Over a hundred British Legions, the Crusades, were on standby in the sky over the Fuji tutelary fort.

Hovering motionless, holding their bayonet rifles in their right hands, they awaited further orders.

These Legions, about to march on Suruga, were commanded by the two Knights of Her Majesty, Sir Steven and Sir Lampard, whom Sir Black Knight had brought with him from England.

It was currently 14:53. The Tōkaidō sky was very clear.

"Yesterday, it was Sir Philneville who attacked Suruga. Are you, going to relieve him of his command?"

"Phil's army has not recovered its numbers yet."

Chevaliers were able to summon Legions, winged giant soldiers, out of thin air.

These mysterious beings could easily recover in a day from wounds, relying only on their innate regeneration. This may sound outrageous, but in any case, they did not need treatment or repairs.

However, the same did not apply to those incapacitated by death or severe injuries.

Critically injured Legions required one or two weeks before they could fully regenerate and return to the battlefield.

"Besides, the Akigase princess taking over as the Suruga castellan... seems to be quite a powerful warrior. According to unverified reports, her Chevalier Strength is outstanding, possibly much higher than Phil's."

"I, see," Morrigan nodded and looked up at the Crusades in the air.

The white British Legions totaled 188. Compared to yesterday, these Legions summoned by Sir Steven and Sir Lampard at the destroyer Tintagel were increased by more than double.

"Including me, Stevie and Lamps have also finished their tutelary pact at Fuji's water shrine. Currently, this Fuji tutelary fort has become our stronghold..."

The greater a sanctuary's mystic powers, the easier it was to summon large numbers of Legions.

Tutelary forts equipped with water shrines also fulfilled the conditions of a sanctuary. But since tutelary forts were also military facilities, there was no reason for such divine blessings to benefit invaders.

Hence, the "tutelary pact" was a ritual for distinguishing friend from foe.

"...Due to this rule, the way we wage war has become rather archaic." Sir Black Knight smiled wryly and said, "In the end, war has evolved back to tactics of conquering and holding fortresses to use as strongholds. Currently, I would expect the Akigase princess to be forming a new pact at the Suruga water shrine, to turn that area into her own stronghold."

"Yes, indeed. A knight is limited to one, contracted water shrine at a time."

The destroyer Tintagel was managed by Morrigan.

The ship's power source, a fluid reactor, circulated artificial ectoplasmic fluid to generate mystic powers. Consequently, the ship itself was equivalent to a sanctuary, allowing Legions to be summoned more easily than ordinary land.

However, as a "substitute," its effectiveness could not match a water shrine after all.

This was why the British forces had prioritized conquering the various tutelary forts in Shizuoka, to use them as strongholds.

"The revolution brought by firearms and gunpowder as well as the invention of flying machinery made fortifications easy to obliterate. The word 'siege warfare' disappeared from the battlefield for almost a century... However, we are once again building tutelary forts and devoting effort towards taking castles and defending our own territory."

The medieval Black Knight laughed while he spoke. It really was quite a funny matter.

"Once your principal image—the Tintagel 's ifrit, Morgan le Fay—is transplanted to the Fuji tutelary fort, we will sortie along with Stevie and Lamps to witness their abilities."

"As you, wish."

The period from the nineteenth to the twentieth century...

...was a time when methods of warfare evolved rapidly.

Dramatic advances in the accuracy and ammunition capacity of firearms, the replacement of horse-drawn vehicles by automobiles, the advent of wireless technologies and the airplane, the disappearance of cavalry from the battlefield, supplanted by chariots of steel roaming across the plains.

The progress of industrial technology led to the trend of mechanization—

At the same time, the miracles brought by the sacred beasts also promoted "mystic" developments.

Radar technology first appeared during the Second World War, but fell into disuse once noetic control techniques became established. Furthermore, the bodies of Legions had the property of neutralizing radar waves, thus leading to its obsolescence in the modern world. Intelligence gathered by retainer beasts or human observation was more useful.

In addition, aircraft had failed to become the rulers of the skies.

The skies were controlled by flight-capable retainer beasts and the godlike sacred beasts. Workers in the field of aviation would always go about their days in devout fear, watching out for storms and turbulence caused by these beings on whim. One could inflict severe damage upon human aircraft simply by using noetic waves to summon flocks of birds to collide against the cockpit or engines.

It was currently the year 1998 at the end of the twentieth century, an era when mankind was no longer the lord of all creation.

### 030. Part 4

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 was what was 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 image—the visual likeness of a young girl dressed as a shrine maiden.

The nation-protecting keep was forty meters tall. Ordinary towers would usually have an observation room at the top, but nation-protecting keeps ran contrary to that norm. The vast room at the top level was completely dark without any windows on the outer walls.

The flickering light from candles in the surroundings served to illuminate this interior space.

A magic circle was drawn on the floor of stone, identical in pattern with the seventy-meter magic circle on the ifrit Seiryuu's back. Sakuya's image was sitting on top of the magic circle.

"Naumaku sanmandabodanan beishiramandaya, sowaka. Naumakuarratannoutaratayaya, atakyarobotarayachishaya, baishiramandaya, makarajaya, yakyashachibataba, sototasoshitsurabarasowaka—"

To increase her noetic energy, the girl recited a mantra as though singing a song.

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 was twisting and shimmering like being seen through steaming hot air.

A "distortion" formed a physical barrier to block enemy attacks and invasions, this was the "noesis barrier." Simply by using waves of thought and turning them into physical power sufficient to defend a fortress, it was a noetic control technique of the highest rank.

Furthermore, there were ten-odd noetic officers sitting in meditation next to Sakuya.

Within the Tōkaidō provincial army, only noetic masters wore uniforms similar to monk's working clothes. To help control Seiryuu, they were focused on chanting mantras just like Sakuya.

"Crusades—One army approaching, 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 hundred meters, a distance where fighting could break out any moment.

The enemy's ninety Crusades stopped in the air, maintaining their spherical formation.

The front half of the Legions opened fire.

Naturally, they employed continuous fire. This wave of flashing light mercilessly barraged the noesis barrier surrounding the tutelary fort, shaking it violently through firepower and impact.

However, the firepower was insufficient to break through the castle walls of noetic energy.

Sakuya's principal image, Seiryuu, was in the air above the nation-protecting keep. Protected by the noesis barrier, there was no risk of getting shot.

"Meteorological decree, activate."

At Sakuya's command, Seiryuu roared from above the nation-protecting 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 formation, the greater the defensive power of the particles. A meteorological decree did not have the firepower to breach a formation of ninety Legions.

"Stalemate... Maintain status quo for now."

Sakuya remained unfazed and continued to attack using the meteorological 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 from an unknown number of Legions in the east, probably lurking in the sea to evade noetic recon.

In response, Rikka had commanded them that in the event of an ambush, they must defend with everything 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 formations such as squares or spheres, they were forming a rugby "scrum." Bending their postures down, the ninety Legions 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 was multiplied by speed for a full-body impact, shaking the noesis barrier violently.

"...Kyahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!?"

Sakuya screamed.

Damage 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 morning, she finally managed to return to her duties.

However, her subpar mental state had not improved. Genies were not simple beings and could not recover in a few short days. Activating noesis under such circumstances would not bring 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 simple tactic of "charging at high speed using ninety giants as one unit" did yield far greater impact than the continuous firing 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, Lampard decided to give it a try. He ordered his ninety Legions to charge with all their strength.

His maneuver inflicted unexpectedly heavy damage. The giant image of a blue dragon over the Suruga tutelary fort roared in pain behind the shimmering barrier. At this rate, it looked like a few more charges was all it would take to collapse the ifrit's materialization and the noesis barrier simultaneously.

Ultimately, ifrits were categorized as "conglomerates of powerful noesis."

Without a corporeal body, they were a type of "illusory" existence. Since a noesis barrier was formed by separating out a part of themselves to materialize, the barrier's collapse was equivalent to their own collapse.

"One more time, my men. I'm counting on you."

Lampard ordered his Crusades after ramming the noesis barrier.

Receiving Lampard's orders, the ninety Legions retreated a couple hundred meters nimbly while maintaining their packed formation and formed another scrum. Four of the Crusades left the cluster and came to their commander's side to serve as bodyguards.

"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 from the ground.

On the mountainous region of the Suruga 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 ambush consisted of Imperial Japan's Kamuys, numbering sixty-four in total.

The blue samurai charged swiftly at the packed formation of sixty-four Crusades. Instead of organizing themselves in a formation, the Kamuys spread themselves apart to soar the sky like birds of prey, intending 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 immediately. Moreover, staying 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 samurai kept slicing the British Legions.

The Kamuys did not hang around the numerically superior Crusades after launching their surprise assault. After attacking, they scattered in all directions to engage in guerrilla tactics.

This momentary engagement inflicted mortal wounds on quite a few Crusades.

Twenty or so of them crashed down, having suffered stabs or slashes on their heads, necks or gaps in their armor. The eighty-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 Kamuys remained scattered, flying in the distance at low speed to observe the British army, biding 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 commander leading the Kamuys. Supposing the enemy Chevalier was absent in the area rather than hiding, 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. Furthermore, the howling sound boomed and echoed like thunder, persisting through time.

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh—

This roaring of Legions was known as the War Cry.

The Legions released huge amounts of noise from beneath the masks on their faces, forming 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 become unable to receive noetic waves, thereby losing 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.

"Some of them are still hanging on. Japanese troops are truly persistent."

Thirty Kamuys remained in the air, flying unsteadily over the tutelary fort.

Lampard recalled the traits of Japanese Legions. Agile, diligent, brave—and loyal. Even when noetic wave reception was weakened, 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 remaining 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 them. When she summoned ninety Kamuys to take on the vanguard 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 summon Legions 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 name of the Knights of Her Majesty. He selected with such accuracy the tactic most unfavorable to my side."

Rikka clicked her tongue impatiently. She was still staying at the zone of reclaimed land on the coast of Suruga Bay.

Of the valiantly resisting British vanguard, only twenty Crusades to face off against Rikka. There were fifty-five Kamuys remaining in Rikka's unit. Both armies had taken up square formations and were exchanging fire from a slight distance. In a few more minutes, it would be Rikka's victory.

However, Rikka could hear a loud and ominous noise coming from the sky.

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh—

The Kamuys sent to assist in the Suruga tutelary fort's defense were under the effects of noetic disruption and unable to receive Rikka's commands. Worst of all, the song was still in progress.

"Please, hang in there a while longer..."

Rikka sent noetic waves towards her subordinates in the distance, praying for them to fight 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 problem was that her side could very well be wiped out during these few minutes.

### 031. Part 4

"Grandpa! I came to get what the princess wanted!"

Using this excuse, Tachibana Hatsune obtained what she wanted for herself.

The Tachibana clan's most venerable elder, the hundred-and-two-year-old Tachibana Bunzaemon, initially refused, saying "Hmm~ Then let's hold a meeting for the clan's approval..."

"What nonsense are you talking about, Grandpa? Suruga is in a crisis right now, it's an emergency!"

The word emergency overturned the elder's objections.

As a result, Hatsune left Bunzaemon's residence near Suruga Station.

Her next destination was the eastern part of Suruga City where Rinzai High was located. But rather than the dorm, she was heading to the plateau in the mountainous region east of the city—The Suruga tutelary fort.

Riding a scooter, Hatsune sped along the road.

She was dressed in her usual kimono, hakama, and low boots in Haikara-san style. In addition, she was wearing a helmet and carrying a certain object next to her bosom.

"Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune's Appellation... Every challenge is worth a try."

Hatsune was an accomplished martial artist but was never inspired to become a Chevalier.

However, now that Suruga City and the princess were caught up in the Restoration Alliance's coup d'etat, the situation was very dire. There was no downside to holding combat power—

For a mere school girl to have such sense, she truly belonged to the Tachibana clan that prided themselves on strength and valor.

Besides, it did not feel fair for Masatsugu-oniisama, the other young Tachibana, to be fighting alone. It bothered her. She did not want to lose to him.

"By the way, my father in Tokyo said he wanted to come talk about Onii-sama. What the heck is that about?"

With Suruga's surrounding area blockaded by the Restoration Alliance, her father could not possibly visit in such circumstances.

In any case, Hatsune arrived near the tutelary fort on her scooter. Yesterday, a great number of Kamuys and Crusades were killed in combat and many Legions had crashed in this area.

Now, the dead bodies from either the Japanese or the British side were no longer visible.

Legions were giants created from the noesis of Chevaliers. Their bodies would vanish an hour after death.

Hence, Hatsune reached the side gate without running into any corpses.

Of course, this was not a place where civilians could freely frequent. Fortunately, Hatsune had accompanied the princess on her frequent visits recently, so the soldier guarding the gate remembered her face.

Moreover, she had a trump card.

"I have a matter to discuss with the castellan Rikka-sama... Oh, I forgot the appointed time but Rikka-sama said I was welcome to drop by any time♪ Please have a look at this."

She brought up the earlier verbal promise and took out Akigase Rikka's calling card.

This was the card Shiori had handed to Hatsune recently, on which the words "please provide assistance to the princess" had been written. Hatsune was holding onto the card for Shiori as her lady-in-waiting and was now making use of it.

Half-convinced, the guard still confirmed with the tutelary fort for clearance.

In the end, Rikka gave the go ahead and the guard readily allowed Hatsune in.

Happy-go-lucky in other people's eyes, Hatsune was actually quite meticulous and careful—at least she thought so herself—and rather slick in her comings and goings.

This time, she succeeded in infiltrating the tutelary fort through impulse and initiative.

Hatsune's goal was to show "a certain object" to Rikka for appraisal, thus taking the opportunity to ask about her successful experience. Hatsune wanted to know how Chevalier Akigase Rikka had inherited the Appellation of the famous Onikiri.

"Onii-sama has forgotten his past of inheriting an Appellation... So asking someone else to share their experience is a good idea."

This was not a place one could arbitrarily visit on optimistic impulse and spirit alone.

Hatsune understood this much. Following the soldier guiding her, she walked into the tutelary fort's premises.

She saw the barracks and hangars that had been wrecked two days earlier.

There were also the nervous and weary soldiers of the Tōkaidō provincial army.

Witnessing these images, Hatsune was taken to a small three-story building.

It was a bit similar to mixed tenant buildings in the city. The castellan's office was located there. Shiori had visited this place yesterday.

...Arriving at the entrance, Hatsune asked the soldier guide in curiosity, "Excuse me, did you just see something weird run inside?"

"No, I didn't," answered the soldier immediately, but Hatsune did not believe him.

Just now, a "human figure shrouded in black haze" had slipped into the building. The figure was roughly Hatsune's height but unfortunately, she could not get a good look at the face obscured by the haze.

However, did the soldier guide not even see the black haze...?

At that moment, a certain object next to Hatsune's bosom vibrated.

Hatsune hastily took it out, a blue scroll. Old Japanese paper had been rolled up then bound using scarlet string. This was the Tachibana clan's treasured item for Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune's manifestation—

The scroll symbolizing the seal of a Feat of Arms vibrated again.

It was trying to convey something. Certain beyond a doubt, Hatsune charged forward to chase the human figure!

"They should be contacting me any time now..."

Rikka muttered quietly.

She was in the castellan's office, facing the desk on her own.

Blockaded by the Restoration Alliance, Suruga City was like a land-locked island with no way to communicate with the outside. But today was already the third day.

The pipe foxes sent out of the city should have returned by now.

Nagoya Castle—the headquarters of the Tōkaidō Fiefdom and House Akigase—should be relaying messages to her too.

If only there was a way to exchange information and establish communications, Rikka would be able to work in concert with friendly forces outside instead of being stuck inside the tutelary fort on defense duty.

"...I suppose the Restoration Alliance is well aware of this too."

The Alliance's forces had taken over the Fuji tutelary fort.

Perhaps they were going to lay siege to Suruga in full force within the next two days.

Naturally, the enemy's two Knights of Her Majesty had suffered major losses and could not fight again so soon.

In contrast, Rikka with her Chevalier Strength of 154 still had Kamuys to use.

Including previous casualties, all one hundred and fifty-four of Rikka's Legions had fully recovered.

"I don't really enjoy defending castles, but I am thankful for this one fact."

The greatest advantage of fighting on home turf was that Legions that had fallen in combat near the tutelary fort where the tutelary pact was established only needed one day to revive.

Furthermore, a Chevalier also gained toughness from a water shrine's blessing.

There was once a Chevalier who fought for seven days straight, neither resting nor sleeping, and succeeded in defending a tutelary fort.

In the past, siege battles favored the defending side. The same principle applied to modern Legion combat too. Hence, Rikka was able to maintain composure without getting too neurotic.

In fact, the body would not hold up for long if one remained tense continuously during times of crisis.

"Indeed, which is why reading this is fine too."

Rikka coughed lightly and reached out for a book on the desk.

The paperback on the desk was Roar, My Sword , written by a national history novelist. Featuring Hijikata Toshizō the Shinsengumi vice-commander as the protagonist, it was a brilliant masterpiece depicting bloody battles and stories of youth.

Rikka flipped the pages casually. She had fallen in love with this book back in Grade 6.

Taking this book to Suruga was purely coincidence. Originally, she had picked it off her bookshelves at home on a whim, wanting to savor this famous title again after so long.

Never had Rikka expected to encounter Hijikata Toshizō in the land of Suruga through destiny's mischievous twists—

"The power to take my Kamuys... That was certainly no ordinary Chevalier."

The young man calling himself Tachibana Masatsugu had a handsome face, carried Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada, and specialized in Tennen Rishin Style swordsmanship.

All elements corroborated Rikka's guess. Furthermore, there were no extant photographs of Hijikata Toshizō.

One theory was that Hijikata Toshizō never appeared before the camera his whole life as a precaution against assassination by the Meiji government. He did not want his image to spread.

However, he was as good-looking as a celebrity—

Many people had attested to that fact. And likewise, Tachibana Masatsugu was so handsome...

Just as Rikka was thinking about Masatsugu's face, someone knocked at the office's door. Recalling news that the princess' lady-in-waiting had arrived, she wondered if he might have come too.

Rikka could not help but feel a little nervous. She put the paperback away inside a drawer.

"P-Please enter."

Rikka put on a calm face intentionally.

However, she frowned as soon as she saw the visitor. It was a human figure shrouded in black haze, obscuring the face and figure, presumably a powerful noetic technique for masking one's appearance.

That being said, noesis of this strength—Rikka was quite doubtful.

Human noetic masters were not capable of such output. This had already reached the level of high-ranking retainer beasts.

Ordinary people would not even register this black haze crossing before their eyes, right? Such was the strength of the noesis used for identity concealment.

"Excuse me, but this technique is useless on me. At most, it just makes it harder to see clearly."

Rikka shrugged and raised her right hand.

She picked up her personal blade, Onikiri Yasutsuna. Noetic techniques had limited effect on Chevaliers like Rikka who possessed a high-level Appellation.

"I acknowledge your ability in sneaking into the tutelary fort through unknown means. If you are an assassin, I shall meet you with this sword of mine."

Drawing Onikiri Yasutsuna, Rikka stood up and slowly approached the figure. Even though the outline was blurred, severing parts of the body would not be any problem.

However, the figure immediately dispelled the disguise.

"A bold declaration. Fufufu."

A young woman appeared, her laughter as beautiful as the sound of silver bells.

Furthermore, she was a blonde maiden whose gorgeous hair reached waist length. Her figure was so svelte that her limbs seemed delicate enough to break with a gentle squeeze. Most striking of all was her beautiful face.

Delicate, exquisite, as lovely as a fairy. Her skin was also perfectly pale and pristine like porcelain.

She was wearing a black fur coat that reached her waist. Her slender legs were clad in black tights. Her black attire was reminiscent of funeral wear, probably due to the femme fatale aura she exuded.

"I would like to make a request to the fierce and courageous knight—Please acknowledge me, Eleanor, as your master. Bow down before me and pledge your allegiance."

"What rubbish are you speaking..."

The blonde girl looked straight at Rikka, causing her to shudder.

Rikka could not exert any strength in her body. Her body even began to move on its own. Bending slightly forward at the waist, her knees were almost about to kneel. Her view was dominated by the blonde girl.

If she were to bow her head and swear an oath of loyalty—

Akigase Rikka would become the girl's possession. This provoked Rikka's anger.

"Gah—!"

Mustering all her strength, Rikka gripped Onikiri Yasutsuna's blade tightly with her left hand.

The blade sliced open the surface of her palm. Pain arrived with the shedding of fresh blood, but thanks to this pain, the mysterious control lessened somewhat. Rikka glared viciously at the girl before her.

Though her limbs were still weak, slashing the enemy would not be a problem.

"Oh dear, to think that there exist Chevaliers in the Japan who can resist binding curses. How surprising."

The blonde girl smiled at Rikka who had regained presence of mind.

Holding a .38 revolver in her right hand, she aimed at Rikka's head.

"Even among the Knights of Her Majesty, few are able to resist my power. Someone as dangerous as you should be killed as a precaution..."

The enchantress smiled with mockery.

Rikka lamented inside. An ordinary swordsman facing firearms would be a very unfavorable situation, but she was a Chevalier with the ability to sense and control noesis.

She was capable of reading the witch's bloodlust to evade the moment before the trigger was pulled.

Then swiftly closing in, she would slay the enemy with an instantaneous slash of the sword.

Unfortunately, Rikka was in poor condition at the moment and unable to rush into attack range. Most troublesome of all, the witch Eleanor was staring intently into Rikka's eyes, hypnotizing her with enchanted words.

"Let me ask you again... Please will you become my knight?"

Golden light flashed from the witch's eyes.

Rikka gritted her teeth. The witch's eyes were draining her body of strength. The situation was getting worse with each passing moment. She needed some kind of opportunity to enable her to counterattack!

"This ends here, villain!"

A girl's courageous and energetic voice was heard at the scene.

The princess' lady-in-waiting, Tachibana Hatsune, charged into the office. Able to see the witch that ordinary people could not see, she threw the blue scroll in her hand at the witch.

Living up to the name of Tachibana blood, she had responded without the slightest hesitation.

"!?"

The witch reflexively dodged the scroll flying at her face.

Eleanor's movements were nimble. Despite looking weak and frail, she had reflexes like a beast. However, her course of action was undeniably a mistake—

"Yahhhhhhhhhhh!"

Spurring her exhausted body, Rikka stepped forward.

Giving it her all, she sent a thrust of the sword at the witch's throat. However, her weakened body could not move as normal. In the end, her sword only managed to pierce the witch's left shoulder.

"Guuuh!"

The witch Eleanor groaned in pain as red blood splattered—No.

What flowed out of the slender girl's shoulder was blue blood, unbelievably. It was almost like the marine blue of ectoplasmic fluid.

"Looks like this really is the end."

Eleanor spoke in chagrin and turned to flee as soon as she finished.

She dashed at the window in the room instead of toward Rikka or Hatsune. The office was located on the third floor but she went for the window without hesitation.

When Eleanor collided with the glass, Rikka saw the witch's slender body transform into a black dog .

It was a fierce hunting hound. In the form of a hound, the witch Eleanor broke through the glass and flew into the air.

"W-What's with that girl...?" Utterly drained, Rikka could no longer move at will.

She stumbled over to the window side. Hatsune went over to support her.

"S-She's gone..."

Hatsune looked out the window and scanned the ground, speaking in confusion.

The black hound had ran at full speed, racing across the tutelary fort's lawn as fast as the wind. Along the way, she transformed again—This time into a raven.

The black raven spread its wings and took flight.

The image of the witch's gliding departure was undoubted some kind of inauspicious omen.

"However, it is understandable why Rikka-sama would get the wrong idea."

Saying this, Shiori was walking in the Suruga tutelary fort's parking lot.

Masatsugu was also on the side after having just playing the driver's role. With Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada hanging at his waist, he was now serving as the princess' knight.

"Tōkaidō is a land with deep ties to Lord Tokugawa Ieyasu. Hijikata Toshizō served the Tokugawa shogunate as a samurai until the very end and later acted as the imperial family's protector. He is a special hero. Besides..."

Shiori glanced at Masatsugu.

"I too have entertained suspicions whether your true identity is Lord Hijikata, Masatsugu-sama. My guess was that my grandfather might have sent me a hero with intimate ties to the imperial family... Rumors of Lord Hijikata's appearance are quite similar to yours too, Masatsugu-sama."

"I see."

"However, my guess was overturned when the Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada treasured by House Fujinomiya failed to show any reaction."

Masatsugu now understood too. Hijikata Toshizō was rumored to be quite handsome and both Shiori and Rikka had shown great interest in Tachibana Masatsugu's visage.

"By the way, Masatsugu-sama, your driving skills... could use some improvement."

"Sorry about that. To be honest, I'm not used to driving four-wheeled transportation."

"Once we find Hatsune, leave the return trip to her..."

Tachibana Masatsugu had a bad habit of turning into a speed demon when not paying attention.

After experiencing how dangerously he drove, Shiori was thoroughly haggard in mind and body.

Along the winding mountain roads to the tutelary fort's plateau, the princess had to suppress her fear and screams on every turn. (Furthermore, since the experience would be more terrifying downhill, Masatsugu had absolute confidence he could make Shiori scream out loud.)

While chatting, the two of them approached the building containing the castellan's office.

They then found out about the mysterious intruder's attack on Akigase Rikka as well as Hatsune's arrival to the rescue.

Outside the building of the castellan's office, Masatsugu and the Tachibana girl were talking.

"...So that's what happened. We barely managed to fight off that transforming girl."

In a rare state of listlessness, Hatsune reported the whole story.

Her expression was mixed with doubt, unsure whether what she had seen was real. It felt like she had been bewitched by a fox spirit.

"Well, we do live in an age where dead people revive and roam the world. A transforming witch is nothing surprising."

"Onii-sama, I've never heard of anyone like that. Noetic techniques can only be used for camouflage at most."

A group of soldiers had gathered in front of the building.

Lying on a stretcher, Rikka was being transported out of the entrance with a number of people waiting on the side, including paramedics and Shiori. They went forward to examine Rikka's condition.

"Masatsugu-sama!"

Shiori called his name and Masatsugu hurried over to the princess and Rikka's side.

"Rikka-sama has a request for you."

"A request for me?"

Arriving at the two girls' side, Masatsugu could not help feeling a little puzzled by what Shiori said.

Meanwhile, Rikka smiled faintly while lying weakly on the stretcher. She only managed to curl the corners of her lips, but her fortitude was evident.

"...Just as you all can see, I was careless. Truth be told, I am not confident I can recover immediately."

Rikka's voice also lacked vitality but she gazed at Masatsugu firmly.

"Hiji—No, Tachibana-dono. I hope you could defend Suruga in my stead for the time being. The princess has also given her consent."

The assassin was an unknown blonde woman, but definitely involved with the Restoration Alliance.

Now would be the perfect chance to conquer the tutelary fort while the castellan was unconscious.

Masatsugu said, "Since Her Highness Shiori has given her consent, I have no objections. I will defend Suruga on your behalf despite my humble talents."

"Much appreciated," Rikka closed her eyes after thanking him.

She lost consciousness. Unexpectedly, Tachibana Masatsugu was now tasked with the castellan's duties. Unable to summon a single Legion, how was he going to oppose the enemy?

Masatsugu shrugged. There was no point in worrying before the battle. The only way to know if things would work out was to do it for real.

### 032. Part 4

Akigase Rikka had appointed Tachibana Masatsugu as her proxy.

In other words, this meant assuming a castellan's full authority—assuming top command of a tutelary fort.

For an ordinary high school student, this was quite an irregular request. However, Tachibana Masatsugu was currently the only Chevalier capable of defending Suruga... This fact made a stronger argument than any other.

The officers and soldiers of the Suruga tutelary fort turned out to accept this order with unexpected readiness.

The greatest reasons were Rikka's firm directive and the fact that he was backed by Princess Shiori.

The ifrit Seiryuu's consciousness, the spirit Sakuya, was not a soldier but she still acknowledged Tachibana Masatsugu as the commander and followed his commands obediently.

Partly because his command was equivalent to saying "it's okay to slack off."

In any case, after receiving the princess' noetic waves...

"Noesis barrier... Output, decreasing," Sakuya commanded quietly.

She was at the nation-protecting keep's top floor, a vast room without windows. Ten-odd noetic officers were around her on standby, chanting mantras nonstop to augment her noesis.

The fifty-two Kinai Legions attacking from the east were about to break through the noesis barrier.

According to Sakuya's verification, their commander's characteristics matched a Chevalier named Miura. He was ordering all his Kamuys to charge as one unit—

The enemy Kamuys finally crashed into the mirage-like curtain.

Previously, the barrier generated by noetic energy would repel entry with maximum force.

However, the force blocking the fifty-two Kinai Kamuys was weak this time, only a quarter of its usual strength.

Roughly ten meters thick, the mirage curtain was easily penetrated by the enemy's blue Kamuys. The army from the Kinai Fiefdom had successfully breached the Suruga tutelary fort.

The premises within the fort were vast, almost five times the area of the Tokyo Dome at the imperial capital.

The nation-protecting keep, which served as the command center, was at the tutelary fort's center. This was the target.

The fifty-two Kinai Kamuys had invaded the airspace over the tutelary fort.

Flying at top speed had depleted the Legions' ectoplasmic fluid significantly. Forming a scrum also prevented them from reacting to close quarter combat immediately.

This was an excellent chance to attack which Akigase Rikka had seized last time too.

Copying this wise move, Masatsugu added a twist of his own.

"Five of you, attack and charge into the enemy formation first then draw your swords. Give them hell."

Masatsugu issued commands from the roof of the nation-protecting keep. Five Kanesadas instantly left the keep and flew into the air, firing on the fifty-two Kinai Legions.

The five Kanesadas rushed into enemy ranks and their bayonet rifles transformed into Japanese swords.

The five Kanesadas slashed the fifty-two Kinai Legions in their scrum formation, targeting one after another. Tennen Rishin Style swordsmanship severed enemy limbs and necks, spurting out a bloody mist of ectoplasmic fluid.

A melee battle of five against fifty-two was not a challenge for the Kanesadas equipped with katanas.

In less than twenty seconds, seven enemies were chopped dead by the Kanesadas. Hijikata Toshizō's relic, Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada, its Feat of Arms—Gankouken brought forth astounding power. It was said that within Tennen Rishin Style swordsmanship, there was an identically named move.

Realizing their bad situation, the remaining forty-five Kinai Legions hastily scattered.

They engaged the five vanguard Kanesadas while staying wary of the main Kanesada force on standby next to the nation-protecting keep—But it was too late. Masatsugu instantly gave the order.

"Fire."

The forty-five airborne Kanesadas were waiting next to the nation-protecting keep.

All of them raised their rifles, aiming the muzzles at the Kinai Legions invading the tutelary fort.

After a round of flashing rapid fire, the blue Kinai Kamuys suffered from the barrage, pierced by beams in vulnerabilities not protected by armor such as their masks and throats. One after another crashed down from the sky.

When equal numbers of Legions engaged in a shootout...

Entering a packed formation to activate protective barriers would counter the power of gunfire.

However, the five vanguard Kanesadas had employed fierce Tennen Rishin Style swordsmanship, slicing their way through enemy ranks, preventing the Kinai army from mustering a packed formation.

Kamuys attempting to cluster with one other kept getting slaughtered by the five Kanesadas.

In the end, the Kinai Kamuys in the tutelary fort were effortlessly shot dead by Masatsugu's army.

In no time, only ten-odd enemies were left.

The Kinai Chevalier who had led the charge personally also perished along with his Legions.

Of course, the five Kanesadas in charge of disrupting the enemy also got caught by friendly fire. Pierced by their comrades' beams, all five of them died.

Thanks to their sacrifice, this localized battle's victory was at hand.

Furthermore, it had been won in merely one or two minutes. This was the only logical outcome when the enemy left themselves wide open to bayonet rifles each firing at a rate of ten shots per second.

That being said, this was at most one quarter of the invading force.

The remaining three quarters—A hundred and fifty Kinai Kamuys were still outside the tutelary fort. Originally, they were supposed to rush to the rescue when their comrades were in trouble.

However, the remaining three quarters were blocked by the noesis barrier.

The ifrit Seiryuu had increased noesis output again, reinforcing the barrier's strength.

This resulted in fifty Legions stuck inside the tutelary fort, isolated from the hundred and fifty outside. Masatsugu had deliberately let in one small fraction of the enemy to divide their numbers.

Of course, the hundred and fifty Legions outside were attacking the noesis barrier.

In an effort to help their comrades that were getting slaughtered inside, they fired their bayonet rifles without rest.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...!

Every time the noesis barrier was attacked, Seiryuu above the nation-protecting keep wailed in pain. However, the ifrit should be able to hold longer.

"Masatsugu-sama, look over there!"

Shiori came over to remind Masatsugu, who also noticed.

The hundred and fifty Kinai Legions outside were led by three Chevaliers. One of them had ordered the forty-nine Kamuys under his command to form a scrum and charge at the noesis barrier.

The enemy thought that he could charge inside and rescue his comrades.

The problem was that the hundred Legions commanded by the other two Chevaliers did not act in concert. This was another excellent opportunity.

"Perfect, pass on the order to let them through."

"Understood!"

Shiori relayed the command again and the ifrit Seiryuu did as told.

The forty-nine Kinai Legions broke through the mirage curtain, reaching the interior of the Suruga tutelary fort.

"Kanesadas, assemble again under the noble name of Her Highness."

Masatsugu summoned the fifty-two Kanesadas he had held in reserve beforehand.

The Kanesadas manifested on the ground rather than in the air. This was to initiate anti-air fire against the new batch of Kinai Legions trespassing into the tutelary fort.

Furthermore, the fifty Kanesadas that were summoned previously also started shooting at the enemy.

Now the Suruga side outnumbered the enemy two to one inside the tutelary fort despite their overall numerical inferiority. The Kinai army was clobbered, unable to resist.

A total of a hundred bayonet rifles focused rapid fire on the forty-nine Kinai Legions.

Even by using a packed formation to enhance their protective barriers' effects, the enemy could not resist firepower from a force double their size.

"The enemy has four Chevaliers... but conversely, it's hard for them to act with unity. Once their coordination breaks down, it is our chance for victory."

The Kinai army's operation was based on a foundation of multiple units working together.

Victory would naturally be guaranteed if they maintained secret contact and adhered to the battle plan. However, perfect communications in the heat of battle were unlikely while enemy valor and unexpected events would often disrupt the original plan.

Under noetic disruption preventing the use of wireless communications, they had encountered the Kanesadas, a force of elite troops.

It came as no surprise there were openings in the Kinai army's coordination. This idea had floated in Masatsugu's mind the whole time.

At that moment, Shiori murmured, "I am reminded of the Great Wall... A story about that defensive fortification."

"You mean the one China had in the past?"

"Yes. Even now, there are remains of the Great Wall from the Ming Dynasty."

The Great Wall had existed in China since long ago, prior to the Common Era.

It was a massive fortification wall, stretching over twenty thousand kilometers across China's northern border. It had been built at the command of the First Emperor, the earliest emperor to unify China.

In the past, China's north was where barbaric equestrian tribes roamed.

With the Xiongnu and the Tujue as foremost examples, these nomadic tribes had always been powerful external threats that troubled successive Chinese dynasties greatly.

The massive fortification that impeded their invasions was the Great Wall of China.

"That kind of wall could not possibly defend China's vast territories... In the past, many people said that building it was useless. They believed that the Great Wall failed to protect many areas and that man-made structures were not impregnable."

"Meaning it was full of openings?"

"Yes. However, thanks to this Great Wall that was full of openings, the Chinese dynasties were able to predict the northern invaders' routes of advance. It also delayed their rate of advance. Consequently, it was an extremely valuable wall from the perspective of border security forces..."

"An imperfect wall has many uses." Masatsugu expressed his view, "Used correctly, it could be used to divide the enemy, force them into dead ends, or cut off their paths of retreat."

"This is your current tactic, Masatsugu-sama, isn't it? The enemy's remaining Chevaliers have decided to stand back and observe, having given up on rescuing their comrades."

Inside and outside of the tutelary fort's noesis barrier were two completely different worlds.

The interior was a scene from hell.

The red-purple Kanesadas were firing continuously on the invading Kinai Legions, only a step from wiping them out. The Kanesadas' fierce offensive showed no mercy to any soldier. The Kinai army was going to be completely annihilated in a few more minutes.

In contrast, the exterior of the tutelary fort was different.

Roughly a hundred blue Kinai Kamuys had remained outside.

This army was accomplishing nothing and could not be bothered to rescue their comrades that were being slaughtered inside. They had decided to stand back and watch the Kanesadas carry out the bloody and violent massacre.

The difference was like heaven and hell.

As a result, Masatsugu and the princess had the leisure to have a conversation.

"They intend to abandon their comrades so as to tire out my troops," Masatsugu analyzed. "Then in the ensuing showdown, the numbers will be even. On the other hand, the Kanesadas would have consumed a lot of ectoplasmic fluid, thus tipping the odds in their favor—That's probably what they're thinking."

Currently, Masatsugu had ninety-one Kanesadas remaining under his command. After the intense fighting that had wiped out half of the enemy forces, the Kanesadas only suffered losses of ten or so. Such was the massive disparity in power.

"They foolishly believe... They can oppose my soldiers with equal numbers?"

Masatsugu's cheek muscles twitched as he mocked the enemy's wishful thinking.

At that precise moment, the Kinai Kamuys inside the noesis barrier were completely exterminated.

"Please order the spirit to release the barrier completely. I will correct their foolish minds."

"Hahahaha! They cannot possibly win by this juncture!"

"Ally's defeat. Please do not, act so delighted."

Near the Suruga tutelary fort...

The sky above was full of stars. On the battlefield, the red-purple Kamuys kept shooting and cutting down blue Kamuys. Perhaps it would be more apt to call it a hunting ground instead.

After the noesis barrier disappeared, a battle of a hundred versus a hundred began.

Sir Black Knight was on the ground, watching the battle unfold.

The genie Morrigan's simulacrum was close by, frowning.

Behind the two of them, a towering giant, eight meters tall, stood as their bodyguard. Only one. It looked very similar to the Crusade in appearance, except its armor and uniform were all black.

A black knight. A Garter Knight.

A Knight of the Garter, abbreviated "KOG."

Within the British Empire, only the general holding the true name of Edward the Black Prince was capable of summoning this type of Legion.

"Seeking confirmation... Those Kinai Fiefdom knights, you set them up, right?" Morrigan asked her heartily laughing superior. "The Chevalier who summons the katana Legions. You wanted to see, his power, while conserving, Knights of Her Majesty. So, you readily agreed... to those four's request."

"Don't make it sound so bad." Sir Black Knight's smile turned wry. "I concede that I exploited the Kinai knights, but we already gave them a good enough opportunity by neutralizing the enemy's lady knight."

The battle in the sky was about to end.

There were eighty-one red-purple Kamuys active, most of them switched to wielding katanas to cut down the few remaining Kinai samurai.

Of the Kinai Chevaliers, one of them had apparently retreated, leaving the rest missing in action.

"Besides, I wanted to see for myself how well the knights of the Kinai provincial army could fight. It is just that... Frankly speaking, I wish they could have drawn out more of the enemy's power. Simply judging from his leadership and the strength of his noesis, his Chevalier Strength cannot possibly be as low as a hundred."

Him—The Chevalier controlling the red-purple Kamuys.

Sir Black Knight examined his appearance carefully.

A young oriental man, dressed in a black student uniform, carrying a sheathed Japanese sword in his left hand. His expression looked a little obstinate though his facial features were quite handsome.

Sir Black Knight was currently on a grassy knoll with Morrigan somewhere.

Conversely, the young Suruga Chevalier was standing on the roof the nation-protecting keep at the center of the tutelary fort.

Even though they were separated by a distance of a kilometer or so, Sir Black Knight could still see his face clearly.

Chevaliers were able to check what their Legions saw or heard at any moment.

Currently, through the vision of the Garter Knight behind him, Sir Black Knight was gazing upon the Suruga tutelary fort's nation-protecting keep.

"Let us send him a casual greeting. Counting on you, my knight."

Sir Black Knight called to the black Legion behind him.

"Dating back to the distant past, the martial feat of archery demonstrated at the Battle of Crécy... Manifest upon the world once more."

This was one of the Feats of Arms belonging to Edward the Black Prince—Archers of Crécy.

Once the Feat of Arms activated, a change was brought forth to the scene. Behind him, the Garter Knight's bayonet rifle transformed into a longbow of steel.

Furthermore, it was an unbelievable longbow even taller than a Legion.

The Garter Knight suddenly conjured an arrow of steel into its right hand.

The black winged giant soldier readied the gigantic bow and the lethal arrow, aiming to blow away the katana Chevalier on the nation-protecting keep's roof.

At that very instant, the katana Chevalier on the tower glared in their direction.

This was no accident. Sensing the Garter Knight's movement, he stared sharply in the direction of the Black Knight Edward.

"Impressive. As expected, sniping attacks do not work against powerful Chevaliers."

Sir Black Knight shrugged. His noesis had been detected.

Suruga's young Chevalier had detected the Garter Knight's attack noesis and the aim of its bow and arrow—

"Let us be on our way, Morrigan. Since he refuses to show anything more than his army of a hundred, there is no point staying any longer. We will go back to revise future plans."

Since firing this arrow would be fruitless, he would send his greeting at some other opportunity.

The black Legion that had turned into an archer sensed its master's thoughts and released its posture of the drawn bow. Meanwhile, the spirit Morrigan quietly gave her opinion.

"Assemble British knights now, and take Suruga, tonight. That too, is an option."

"Forget it. If my hunch is correct, he is a 'warrior from the past' too, which could spell a tragic total loss of our assembled forces. We should wait until his hand is revealed. Besides, after we take Hakone, circumstances permitting..." A dignified smile surfaced on Sir Black Knight's noble and handsome face. "I would very much enjoy a personal showdown against him... That is what I think."

Under the bright moon, a white wyvern was soaring over Suruga's sky.

The wyvern's rider was a gallant silver-haired British soldier. Sitting behind him was a young girl in a sailor outfit, looking twelve or thirteen in age.

A pitch-black Crusade followed them as a bodyguard—

From the nation-protecting keep's roof, Masatsugu watched as they departed. Next to him, Shiori asked, "What is the matter, Masatsugu-sama?"

"There's someone unbelievable on the enemy side," Masatsugu answered before quietly adding, "The outcome would've been completely different if that man had joined the battle. There is absolutely no way I can oppose him using the current forces at my command."

"Is he... that powerful?"

Shiori gazed intently. She had also noticed the wyvern's receding figure.

At the same time, the Kanesadas above finished slaughtering the Kinai army, returning peace to the Suruga tutelary fort again.

Incidentally, the noesis projected towards him from afar just now...

That noesis was not simply strong beyond compare but also conveyed pressure and ferocity that bayonet rifles lacked. If that power were to be directed towards the battlefield, how many Kanesadas would survive?

Masatsugu and Shiori had no idea at the time...

...Of the terrifying Feats of Arms and the true name possessed by this Chevalier who had crossed paths with them tonight.

In the near future, he was going to be their first major enemy—and one of their rivals of immense greatness.

In any case, the victory tonight belonged to Masatsugu and company.

### 033. Part 5

The water shrine was located between a hundred to two hundred meters beneath the nation-protecting keep.

Compared to the nation-protecting keep's ground floor hall above the surface, the water shrine was ten times more spacious. One could call it an extremely vast space. Simply stated, it was a "wide open space enclosed in stone," built entirely from white marble.

The ceiling was very tall, at least twenty meters high.

Dozens of round pillars were distributed evenly within, every pillar identical in size with a diameter of six or seven meters. The style was reminiscent of ancient Greek temples.

There were no signs of humans in this serene environment.

Conversely, there was a great quantity of "blue water" on the ground.

As far as the eye could see, it was a marine-blue surface, similar in color to the beautiful southern seas. The water was crisscrossed by narrow pieces of stone, presumably to use as paths. They were not numerous but people could walk on them.

This place, filled with blue holy water, was a sacred temple of water.

There was one corner connected to this network of paths over the blue water surface.

A certain girl dressed as a shrine maiden was standing there, unmoving. It was the image of the genie Sakuya. However, her outline was even more blurred than before.

Her current condition was very weak, not even able to sustain a projection.

(Invading, Le, gion... Seiryuu, sustain, failure—)

Sakuya was pondering blankly.

Despite her young appearance, Sakuya was actually a genie that had lived for close to a century. Her soul had accumulated much fatigue. Her personality was also "timid" and "fragile."

For delicate girl like her, the invasion of Crusades has been a painful trial.

Coming into contact at close range with noetic waves from the fighting spirit, bloodlust and offensive intent exuding from the two Chevaliers and many Legions had subjected Sakuya's soul to severe damage, as though she had been physically attacked.

Contact with the outside world was currently a heavy burden for her.

Just now, she had driven away an unwelcome pipe fox. That being said, she still wanted to fulfill her duties.

(Attempt to re-summon Seiryuu... Failure. Calling reinforcements... Attempting noetic communication—)

Sakuya dutifully engaged in several tasks slowly.

Progress was as slow as a turtle. She patiently waited for the tasks to complete. She noticed a certain task had finished, the status of friendly forces had been verified.

(Chevalier Kamamoto... Killed in action. However, the battle continues...)

Normally speaking, when the commanding Chevalier died in battle, his Legions would also vanish completely.

However, the Kamuys were obeying the old man's final will on this occasion and refused to give up fighting.

Imperial Japan's Legion, the Kamuy, was noted for its utmost loyalty to their lords. The secret to the current inspirational story probably stemmed from these Kamuys' decades-long bonds with the elderly knight in addition to their loyal dispositions.

However, reality was harsh after all. An army that had lost its commander could not possibly be in strong position.

The Kamuys valiantly resisted the enemy's thirty-odd Crusades but that was the limit. Most likely, in a few more minutes, the army of Kamuys were going to be wiped out. Or perhaps the final will's effects would weaken and they were going to disappear on their own.

It was during these few minutes...

The situation changed. Two Crusades broke through the defensive line, freed themselves of the Kamuys obstructing them, and successfully invaded the tutelary fort.

Together with Princess Shiori and his distant cousin Hatsune, Masatsugu was within the tutelary fort's premises.

Two British Legions, Crusades, had finally descended from the sky. The Kamuys guarding the side gate had rushed over to intercept the enemy.

Imperial Japan's two blue samurai fired consecutively while approaching the Crusades.

Naturally, the British forces shot back. Both sides deployed protective barriers while exchanging fire. In terms of numbers, they were evenly matched two against two.

However, having lost their commander, the Kamuys moved sluggishly and were easily shot and killed by the Crusades.

Pierced by beams in the abdomen, they vanished like morning mist.

"Princess!? Those two gate guards were easily dispatched by the enemy!" Hatsune shrieked in alarm, but there were also others fighting against the British Legions.

Neither Chevaliers nor Legions, they were the soldiers of the Suruga tutelary fort.

Driving a number of lightly armored vehicles, they approached the two Crusades. One soldier opened the top hatch and exposed his upper torso. He was carrying an anti-tank rocket launcher on his shoulder.

This weapon fired 110mm rocket-propelled grenades, specialized for countering heavy tank armor.

Furthermore, there was a small military truck carrying a small surface-to-air missile launcher platform.

Using the weapons of conventional forces, they attempted to oppose the Legions.

Ten-odd grenades and missiles were shot in succession at the invading Crusades.

Every projectile met its mark. Explosions and shockwaves produced a raging storm to ravage the two British Legions. Unfortunately, their white armor suffered no damage at all.

Witnessing this scene, Shiori sighed, "Attacks without mystic powers have a 90% chance of having no effect. This is a property shared by all Legions. Without a massive stroke of good fortune, it is impossible to defeat them using conventional weaponry..."

After that, the sound of propellers arrived at the scene.

Two combat helicopters were flying at the Crusades in a pincer attack.

Anti-tank missile launchers were hanging beneath the helicopters, and of course, the pilots launched them, but it was pointless.

The two Crusades fired indiscriminately in merciless retribution.

Armored vehicles, trucks, and helicopters were all shot and exploded. This could not be helped. Even a tank division with heavy armor and superior firepower would not be able to handle a single Legion...

"Good heavens!"

Hatsune gasped. Fortunately, these brave soldiers did not sacrifice themselves in vain. While they were holding the Crusades' attention, another four Kamuys arrived from the sky.

Sensing Shiori's noetic waves earlier, the Kamuys had rushed to assist in defense of the tutelary fort.

The Blue Samurai and the two Crusades were no more than ten meters apart. This was a distance where the bayonet part of their weapons would play their role, engaging in close quarter combat with a clash of blades.

...However, the two Crusades were more agile than the four Kamuys.

Whenever the Crusades swung their rifles, the vicious blades fitted on the tips would tear through the Kamuys' blue armor and uniform, splattering blue blood.

Indeed, the blood coursing through the veins of Legions was blue. More precisely, it should be called ectoplasmic fluid.

This blue liquid was the source of all kinds of mystic powers, for things as small as automatons possessed by spirits or entities as large as Legions or water shrines. Such was the purpose of ectoplasmic fluid.

"Princess, Onii-sama! Look!" Hatsune pointed to one of the Crusades and yelled.

The winged giant soldier of white was holding a Kamuy by the neck with its right hand. The Kamuy was raised up and tossed far away.

The Kamuy's exhausted and giant body flew through the air under the setting sun's rays.

Following a parabolic trajectory, the eight-meter body was about to fall upon Masatsugu's group...

"Hurry and run! Immediately!"

Shiori issued orders swiftly. Hatsune and Masatsugu reacted just as quickly.

Hatsune dashed as speedily as a gazelle and was the first to escape the Legion's likely crash site. Of course, Masatsugu did not fall behind by much.

As a fellow youngster of the Tachibana clan, Masatsugu was just about to demonstrate his explosive acceleration when...

"Kyah...!"

Unexpectedly, the girl beside him fell. The ground was clearly flat with no obstacles nearby, yet the girl tripped while running, falling flat on the grassy lawn.

Masatsugu halted just as he was about to sprint.

He forcibly interrupted his dash. The gigantic Kamuy was about to hit the ground in less than five seconds.

He did not have enough time to pick up the fallen girl and run away at full speed.

"......!"

Having just been appointed as the girl's bodyguard, Masatsugu felt inclined to rescue her. Even if he were not a bodyguard, there was no way he could leave a girl to her own devices in the face of imminent death.

Based on these thoughts, his body executed a certain action, but definitely not out of pure recklessness.

He believed with certainty that he could save the girl this way and that he himself would definitely survive.

"Masatsugu-sama!?"

Masatsugu threw himself on top of the stunned Shiori.

He supported himself on his arms and legs as though performing push-ups to avoid resting his weight on the princess. Thus, Shiori was positioned in the small space between Masatsugu and the ground.

Immediately, a strong impact struck Masatsugu's back.

"Guhhhhhhhhhhh!"

The Kamuy weighed several hundred tons.

Masatsugu clenched his teeth, enduring the impact and the weight of the fallen Legion. He held on, painfully, excruciatingly... A minute or two passed. his push-ups posture did not collapse.

Weighing on Masatsugu's back was the giant's chest area.

The fallen Kamuy was lying face down.

"Masatsugu-sama, Masatsugu-sama!?"

Hearing the princess crying out anxiously under him, Masatsugu breathed a sigh of relief.

The fact that Shiori could still speak meant that she was unharmed. He noticed that Fujinomiya Shiori's surprised but beautiful face was just in front of his eyes, extremely close to him.

Now that he thought about it, this posture was like he was pinning the princess down to have his way with her.

Naturally, they were not embracing each other. Neither was he experiencing the lovely softness of a woman. Nevertheless, because they were in close proximity, Masatsugu noticed something.

Despite the princess' slim figure, she was quite mature and sexy as a woman.

The curves of her bust and hips were quite voluptuous. If she and Hatsune were to stand side by side in their swimsuits, it would definitely be a close competition.

"Masatsugu-sama... Masatsugu-sama! A-Are you unharmed!?"

"I'm fine. By the way, Your Highness, may I ask you a question?"

"P-Please proceed."

"You tripped over just as we started running... Do you happen to be very bad at sports?"

"Th-This is one of my secrets and an especially important one at that. I cannot tell you easily!"

"Since it affects my work as a bodyguard, I have to make sure. However..."

Pinned under a Legion's massive body, Masatsugu was lying on top of the imperial princess. One hour ago, never in his wildest dreams would he have expected this to happen. However, Masatsugu was calm to an unbelievable degree.

Indeed, this trivial situation was no crisis.

"No need to answer the question. I already understand from your response just now."

"What!? Oh, by the way, Masatsugu-sama, this strength of yours—"

Masatsugu did not wait for the princess to finish speaking.

Mustering all his strength, he slowly pushed himself up.

"Gu... uhh... G—uhhhhhhhhhh!"

Using his back, Masatsugu slowly lifted the several-hundred-ton Kamuy and tried to stand up from the ground.

He finally managed a half-crouching posture. Currently, Masatsugu was acting like a human industrial jack, lifting the several hundred ton weight of a Kamuy's chest by a height of eighty or ninety centimeters.

Next, he finished his action in one go.

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

Accompanied by a violent shout, Masatsugu straightened his posture, standing up with an imposing form.

Finally, he pushed the Kamuy off his head as though flipping a pancake on a griddle. This monstrous strength was truly ridiculous.

Spinning half a circle, the blue giant fell on the ground again.

Previously, the Kamuy was lying face down, but this time, its back hit the ground, producing a heavy impact sound at the scene.

Standing next to the Kamuy, Masatsugu relaxed his shoulders casually.

He was bleeding somewhere on the top of his head and the blood slid down his forehead. Masatsugu felt deeply impressed. To think that he only suffered this bit of injury. An ordinary human could not possibly be this strong and sturdy.

Thanks to this power, he had protected the princess. Lying on the ground, the princess looked at him blankly.

Over to the side, Hatsune was frozen on the spot. She asked Masatsugu in astonishment, "Onii-sama... Th-Thank goodness you're okay. No wait, what the heck did you just do!?"

Turning his back to the two girls, Masatsugu moved forward. A detailed discussion would have to wait until things were settled.

He slowly approached the two Crusades. Of the Kamuy that had been fighting, only one remained while the rest were all lying on the ground as corpses. (As a side note, the lone survivor was the Kamuy that had been lying on top of Masatsugu and Shiori just now.)

The white Crusades of Britain no longer had opponents to fight for a while already.

However, they halted simultaneously.

Staring at the tiny mortal, they acted as though they had met a terrifying enemy.

The Crusades lifted their rifles and aimed at Masatsugu on the ground.

Masatsugu himself walked leisurely at the Crusades and merely issued a simple order. Againt such small fry , there was no need for him to get his hands dirty.

"Finish them."

The Kamuy lying on the ground behind Masatsugu reacted after almost crushing the princess and Masatsugu to death earlier. Eyes lighting up, the samurai crawled back up to its feet in fluid motions.

The Kamuy's method of getting up was reminiscent of a beast's speed and agility—

The Kamuy then flew over Masatsugu's head, charging at the two Crusades like a leopard.

Thrusting its bayonet rifle with lightning speed, the Kamuy pierced a British Legion in the chest with the blade. However, the assault was far from over.

Pulling out the bayonet rifle, the Kamuy slashed upwards at a slant.

This slash severed the other Crusade's carotid artery.

The battle had ended. The Kamuy's swift offensive struck vitals with precision, easily slaughtering the two Crusades.

"Red-purple...?" muttered Masatsugu to himself.

The Kamuy following his orders had quietly changed color.

Originally blue, its armor and military uniform had turned "a shade of purple mixed with the color of blood." Neither plain nor glamorous, it was quite a striking shade of red-purple, however.

...At this moment, the loud noise of propeller blades resounded in the air over the tutelary fort.

A military helicopter had flown in from the west, flanked by ten-odd blue Kamuys. Reinforcements had finally arrived.

"It should be Rikka-sama from House Akigase. Leave the rest to her."

By the time Masatsugu noticed, Shiori had come to his side.

"Masatsugu-sama... Have you finally awakened? A legatus legionis at last—A true Chevalier."

The princess had spoken unfamiliar words.

Imperial Japan's princess was gazing at Masatsugu's face.

### 034. Part 5

The house in the depths of the bamboo forest had been carefully maintained.

One could tell from a glance at the door, the entryway and the corridor. There was not the slightest speck of dust anywhere and various wooden surfaces were all polished spick and span.

The relatively small courtyard was styled like a Japanese garden.

"This Ryouzan Manor belongs to distant relatives on my father's side. Thanks to their generosity, I am free to use this place at my discretion during my stay in Suruga."

Shiori led the way, explaining the origin of this building while advancing through the corridor. Masatsugu recalled what Hatsune had said about the princess' father being former peerage who used to live in Suruga.

Moreover, Masatsugu could detect the presence of other people (probably domestic help).

However, they did not show themselves, practically like air. Masatsugu believed that they would immediately appear to respectfully carry out Shiori's commands as soon as she called for them.

The serene atmosphere of this house was definitely beyond the unrefined Tachibana clan's ability to emulate.

"This way please, Masatsugu-sama."

Masatsugu was taken to a Japanese-style room. Sitting down formally in seiza, Shiori motioned with her eyes to Masatsugu for him to take a seat in front of her. He complied as directed.

Never in his wildest dreams would he have expected a chance to converse with the princess alone in private.

"Rather than a date... This would seem more like a tryst."

"Princess, you've been using these words for romantic liaisons for a while now."

Speaking candidly, Masatsugu said to the princess who was in serious contemplation.

"Could it be that you've fallen in love with me in this short time and you're confessing to me today?"

"W-What nonsense are you speaking of!? It has only been mere days since our reunion! To develop romance on the basis of such a relationship would be too improper!"

"My bad. It's just that I happen to have heard a lot of conversations about this topic lately."

Shiori's reaction was very flustered while Masatsugu bowed his head in apology, completely unfazed.

More precisely, he had not "heard" these conversations. Instead, he had read them in romantic comedy novels targeted towards high school boys. Putting this aside, Masatsugu had another thought.

So she did have certain a side to her personality that was like a sheltered princess.

Conversely, the princess spoke with displeasure, "Good grief... I would have expected you to be a more serious person based on your appearance. I am apparently mistaken."

"Sorry about that. May I ask what my appearance is like?"

"Has no one ever told you that you have a handsome face like a celebrity?"

"Oh sure, I've heard that a few times, except they always add 'if only you had a normal personality' at the end."

"...Indeed, your cooperativeness and sensitivity are somewhat flawed," the princess quietly commented on Masatsugu, prompting him bow his head with another "sorry about that."

"However, Princess, since my looks are suited to your tastes, then I suppose your purpose of bringing me here is still to confess, right? Yet you are telling me all this because you're too embarrassed to speak up, is that it...?"

"I certainly am not thinking that!" Shiori denied vehemently then hastily lowered her voice. "N-Naturally, I am very grateful to you for saving me yesterday. To come forward to the rescue like that... My appreciation knows no bounds."

Shiori bowed her head deeply and thanked in seiza posture, even employing the respectful ritual of pressing three fingers of each hand upon the ground.

What a princess, adhering to etiquette despite her headstrong personality, thought Masatsugu. The princess lifted her head and gazed directly at Masatsugu.

Meeting her gaze squarely, Masatsugu looked back at Shiori and said, "I was simply fulfilling my duties as a bodyguard. No need to let it weigh on your mind. On the other hand, I am curious. Why does our outing today count as a 'date'?"

"Yes. My wish is for us to develop a closer relationship, Masatsugu-sama. Oh..." Shiori answered sincerely before adding in a fluster, "D-Do know that I am referring to amicable relations between a princess and her subordinate, not romance between man and woman—I wish to confirm whether we are able to cultivate the sort of candid congeniality that exists between men. That is the reason why I asked for your company. Since I have important matters to discuss, this is a 'date' with special meaning."

The princess took a breath then asserted immediately, "Masatsugu, prior to your memory loss, you were supposed to become my knight."

As one would expect, Shiori knew about Masatsugu's amnesia. Given her attention to detail, the princess could not possibly have failed to find out, hence Masatsugu was not surprised, however...

"I was to become your knight? But I'm not a Chevalier—"

"You are a Chevalier too. Like Lord Caesar and the British Empire's Admiral Nelson, you are a Resurrectee who has been reborn from the ancient world. As you may know, they are all Chevaliers with their own armies."

Shiori continued explaining. "Furthermore, they are all powerful Chevaliers without exception. There are many accomplished Chevaliers born in contemporary times... But none of them can summon more than a hundred or two hundred Legions. They are no match for the likes of Lord Caesar or Karl the Great who are able to command armies over a thousand strong."

"Speaking of which, that title you addressed me with last time..."

"Yes, the term legatus legionis signifies a 'true Chevalier,' and is a secret title for the Resurrectees, those who have returned from the land of the dead."

Shiori explained that this title was only known to royalty, politicians and soldiers.

"I was the one who asked Hatsune's father to prepare the Tachibana identity for you to avoid attracting unwarranted attention. Coincidentally, the Tachibana clan happened to have a young man who died in an accident, so we borrowed his family registration."

"...I see."

After listening carefully to the explanations, Masatsugu simply nodded and responded concisely.

Smiling with slight wryness, Shiori said, "You don't seem to be perturbed the slightest."

"I already found out yesterday that I am no ordinary person. Besides, there's no way for me to verify statements about Lord Caesar and the others, so I don't need to draw any conclusions here... That's simply the long and short of it."

Masatsugu was always calm and collected, going about at his own pace. Making the most of his natural disposition, he expressed his honest thoughts.

"Naturally, I'm quite curious how a man like me lost my memory."

"Perhaps... Your resurrection did not proceed smoothly."

"What do you mean?"

"I awakened you two years ago. More precisely, I prayed to my grandfather, Lord Tenryuu, to send me 'an ancient warrior' and he agreed to my request."

"Why did you make such a request?"

Masatsugu had heard that the godlike sacred beasts would heed requests from young maidens betrothed to them or children of their bloodline and bestow mystic powers such as Legions or retainer beasts upon them.

Lord Tenryuu's granddaughter Shiori must have invoked this sort of privilege. The question was, for what purpose?

"My goal is the same as the Kinai Fiefdom's. I wish to obtain sufficient military strength to stand up against Lord Caesar even if I cannot defeat him. Otherwise, participation in the power struggle of contemporary Japan would be impossible. I need a powerful Chevalier to fight for me, to actualize my ideals."

Fujinomiya Shiori was a sixteen-year-old princess. In other words, she was only fourteen two years ago.

What surprised Masatsugu the most today was the discovery that she had harbored such ambitions and aspirations at her young age. In front of the dumbfounded Masatsugu, Shiori bowed deeply again, bringing three fingers of each hand against the floor.

"Masatsugu-sama, I have another request."

"......"

"I would like you to lend me your aid. As for whether I am worthy, please think it through carefully before giving me your answer within the next few days. Thank you."

"This isn't an order?" asked Masatsugu in response to the princess' earnest plea.

Shiori lifted her head, nodded, and said, "Although you have lost your memory, Masatsugu-sama, you used to be a warrior with illustrious feats of arms in the past after all. Only one such as you could bear the title of legatus legionis . It would be far too insolent to order a hero of such caliber."

Masatsugu now understood why Shiori had been addressing him with the "-sama" honorific since the beginning.

"What I demand is assistance rather than loyalty. In exchange for this assistance, I am willing to pay any price."

"Price?"

"Indeed. Be it status, fame or wealth, anything so long as it is within my ability to give."

Thus, Masatsugu and the princess' "date" concluded.

Deciding to continue serving as her bodyguard for now, Masatsugu prepared to depart from the elegant house together with Shiori.

"Could you wait here briefly? I need to materialize a retainer beast."

"To materialize a retainer beast? May I observe the technique?"

Noetic masters were able to materialize retainer beasts through the power of noesis. Masatsugu had only heard rumors about such techniques, so he asked to satisfy his curiosity as soon as he heard Shiori mention that she was going to do it.

For some reason, the princess was at a loss for words. After a moment's hesitation, she said awkwardly, "Well... I suppose you may. It is possible that witnessing the use of mystic powers or ectoplasmic fluid might jog your memory as it did during yesterday... This is a good opportunity."

Saying she had to prepare first, Shiori left the Japanese-style room.

She returned twenty minutes later, startling Masatsugu as soon as he saw her. The platinum blonde princess had her hair done up and was appearing before Masatsugu while dressed in nothing but a white Japanese-style undershirt.

Thanks to the princess' change of attire, Masatsugu was able confirm her perfect figure and feminine allure once again.

"Please follow me. A change of location is necessary."

Shiori cringed, perhaps embarrassed by her attire.

She walked in the lead to avoid making eye contact with Masatsugu. She brought Masatsugu to the back garden where there was an open-air bath. An elegant and classic bathtub made from Japanese cypress.

In addition, the location was surrounded by groves of bamboo, allowing one to enjoy the pleasure of bathing in a bamboo forest.

The house resembled a low-key Japanese inn to begin with, but little did Masatsugu expect it to be fully equipped with an open-air bath too. While impressed by all this, Masatsugu noticed that the bathtub was not filled with ordinary hot water.

The tub was brimming with a marine-blue liquid, as beautiful as the southern seas.

"This is called artificial ectoplasmic fluid... The same substance is also found underground of tutelary forts."

"A military resource, in other words. How did you get your hands on it?"

"Mainly through my grandfather's blessings. Artificial ectoplasmic fluid is synthesized from the precious blood granted by sacred beasts in conjunction with pure water that has spiritually cleansing properties... Small quantities of ectoplasmic fluid can also be produced using the blood of a sacred beast's daughter or granddaughter."

Chuckling with a smile, Shiori added, "In terms of blood donations, this amount would be the limit. I have no intention of depleting my own blood, hence I will not be too greedy... Masatsugu-sama, please bring that to me."

Masatsugu took the A3-size board and placed it on the floor of the bath. This board was the retainer beast talisman that Hatsune had borrowed. On its surface was a drawn animal resembling a dog as well as written kanji of "summon the great god" and various Sanskrit characters.

Shiori was kneeling next to the tub of mysterious blue liquid.

Holding a wooden bucket, she scooped up ectoplasmic fluid and doused herself on the head.

She repeated this multiple times. Even standing on the side, Masatsugu was splashed a little by flying droplets. The liquid felt quite cold. This was a cold-water ablution for purifying one's mind and body.

An acute ringing could also be heard from the princess' body.

Masatsugu instinctively understood—There was a strengthening of mystic powers.

The blue holy water was seeping into Shiori's body and mind, augmenting her noesis and mystic qualities.

"Beings meant to descend upon the world, may God be with you."

Shiori touched the "dog illustration" on the board with her moist hands. The retainer beast talisman instantly expanded, transforming the A3-size board into a gigantic wolf.

A silver wolf, almost the size of a horse, had appeared.

The silver wolf growled ferociously and instantly vanished.

"...Excuse me. I had to absorb ectoplasmic fluid and purify my body and mind first, because it has been a long while since I last summoned a Mibu wolf—"

The replenishment of ectoplasmic fluid was essential to those wielding mystic powers, such as Chevaliers and noetic masters.

Masatsugu asked Shiori, "So that wolf is called a Mibu wolf?"

"Indeed. Given the current emergency situation, I wish to have another retainer beast apart from the pipe fox, which is why I asked Hatsune to obtain it. Uh... Masatsugu-sama. C-Could you please stop staring at me...?"

"Excuse me."

The drenched undershirt was clinging tightly to the princess' body.

Shiori's curves became even more obvious than before, displaying the perfect shape of her breasts to Masatsugu. Hatsune seemed to have reached the "G" realm but the princess rivaled her, having crossed the "F" boundary...

Distracted by random thoughts, Masatsugu was just about to shift his gaze—He interrupted himself.

An idea had occurred to him by chance and now was the perfect chance to bring it up.

"Princess, you just said you're willing to pay any price within your ability to give, right?"

"Yes."

"Excuse me, but I don't think you are currently capable of paying any large reward. The status, fame and wealth you pledged... It's an empty promise at best, no different from drawing a cake to satisfy hunger."

"Well—true. You do raise a fair point."

Shiori looked up and straightened her back resolutely, accepting Masatsugu's criticism.

Such behavior was probably not intentional. Masatsugu smiled in response, thinking what an amusing person the princess was. Despite priding herself on shrewdness and political machinations, she was willing to treat "people" in earnest.

During the lunch gathering today, she actively interacted with the boarding students.

Weaving through the students on her own, she did not keep Hatsune or Masatsugu at her side. She could definitely have saved herself a lot of trouble had she brought either one of them along with her. During the date today, she had also treated him earnestly, speaking her mind without reservation, trying to win Masatsugu's approval.

Masatsugu could see the "pure" and "murky" sides of Princess Shiori.

"My hope is that you could accept redemption of your reward in the future."

"That is one solution, but Princess, there are rewards you are able to offer right away. You are a very attractive woman and satisfying me in womanly ways—"

"!?"

"—would be an option."

"I-I concede that you have a point. B-But how should I say this!?"

Shiori instantly became very flustered while she tried her hardest to feign calmness.

"I-I do know that I possess a pretty face, which ought to be quite attractive to men..."

"Do you have such self-awareness?"

"Y-Yes. It is just that, regarding love, romantic relationships, one night stands, purely physical relationships... I lack experience and comprehension in such matters, which is why I felt reluctant to offer such rewards on my own initiative."

Shiori recovered a dignified gaze and did not shy away from making eye contact with Masatsugu.

"Assuming you find me worthy, Masatsugu-sama, I-I am willing to be your lover. As a daughter of the imperial family, I might have difficulty entering an official marriage with you, but as your mistress—"

"Princess, I was only joking."

"Eh......!? Masatsugu-sama!"

Masatsugu admitted to joking with a straight face, instantly angering Shiori. Unfazed, he said, "I understand after listening to you. You are fully aware what kind of price is required to advance in a single bound—using unscrupulous methods..."

"......"

"For the sake of obtaining the trump card that is "me," you have already paid the corresponding price, haven't you?"

"Masatsugu-sama... This is not something you need to concern yourself with."

Shiori smiled faintly and did not provide any other response.

Masatsugu found it very amusing to find out that Fujinomiya Shiori was a woman of this sort. At the same time, he found himself unbelievable. For the past two years, he had never appraised other people like this before, yet now, he was able to read the princess' character very naturally.

It would appear that he must have been a soldier or a warrior in the ancient past after all.

Just as he thought that, a bell-like sound was heard at the scene, the arrival of a pipe fox. Shiori glanced at the fox's furry face and her expression turned solemn again.

"Almost a hundred Crusades are advancing towards the Suruga tutelary fort!?"

Evidently, the battle for Suruga was not going to be settled peacefully any time soon.

### 035. Part 5

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, emitting a War Cry that resounded through the heavens. Hearing the song, the Kamuys turned into an unsteady and disorganized mess. Many of them had already crashed to the ground.

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 own power, 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, Shiori spoke with pity in her voice.

They had rushed here from the house near the student dorms, riding a Mibu wolf, the retainer beast that Shiori had summoned earlier. Mounted on the giant silver wolf, the two of them had traversed mountain paths in the most direct route with frightening speed, 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 seem to hold her in high regard, 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 Rome's capital, serving as a hostage in all but name. Rikka-sama was also sent to the Roman army and spent three years fighting as part of an allied contingent."

A so-called allied contingent was a tradition dating back to ancient Rome.

Shiori explained that it was a unit of troops formed by borrowing soldiers from allied tribes or nations and sending them to the front lines.

"Rikka-sama became a Chevalier at the age of thirteen and was immediately sent to fight 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 came up with an idea. Since she was a general whose merits were recognized by the princess, she probably would cooperate with his plan, right? Masatsugu felt this sense of anticipation.

"Princess, may I trouble you to send a message to Akigase-dono as quickly as possible?"

"It is certainly no problem since I have a pipe fox at hand... What do you wish for me to convey?"

"Very simple, tell her to do nothing—Order her Legions to cease all resistance."

"Eh!?"

"That's all I need. Then after that, I'll crush the British Empire's knights."

An astonished expression was hanging on Shiori's face. She had yet to understand Masatsugu's intent, perhaps because Masatsugu had omitted a detailed explanation in favor of saving time.

Without questioning him, she simply said, "...However, it is quite unlikely for her to accept the message as it is right now. Perhaps she might be willing to read it if sent in my name—"

Shiori simply pointed out a practical issue. She had apparently decided to place her faith in Tachibana Masatsugu.

This princess had outstanding courage despite her highborn upbringing. She did not get hung up over trivial matters. A rare talent as befitted leaders.

Due to this, Masatsugu found her endearing and likeable. Shiori pondered for a moment.

She then opened her right palm and her pipe fox appeared on it.

"Deliver a message to Chevalier Akigase on my behalf. The contents are as dictated by Masatsugu-sama just now. Sign it jointly in the name of Fujinomiya Shiori and Hijikata ."

The white little animal vanished into thin air after receiving the princess' orders.

While the pipe fox had gone to relay the message, Masatsugu was puzzled by what Shiori meant by Hijikata.

"Rikka-sama should be able to figure it out instantly as soon as she hears this magical name. A lie of convenience purely to handle the crisis, but it might work. By the way, Masatsugu-sama."

They had traveled here by riding a silver retainer beast, the Mibu wolf.

Walking over to the giant wolf that was about the size of a horse, Shiori retrieved the sheathed Japanese sword it was holding in its mouth.

This was something the princess had asked the Mibu wolf to carry when they left Ryouzan Manor.

Shiori presented the Japanese sword to Masatsugu.

"Please accept this. It is an heirloom passed down the Fujinomiya family—A testament to a Feat of Arms. It is a relic from a certain hero... I took this out in hopes that it could aid you, Masatsugu-sama."

"A testament to a Feat of Arms, in other words, it's an Appellation?"

Shiori nodded in affirmation and Masatsugu took it from her hand.

Instantly, Masatsugu felt an electric current rush through him as though he had been struck by lightning. His entire body kept trembling and it felt like his heart was being squeezed—

This extraordinary treasured sword was questioning Masatsugu.

It was questioning Masatsugu's body and soul, "Are you worthy of my company through life and death?"

This was a very brutal method of confirmation. The impact could very well rupture the heart of even a seasoned warrior, let alone an ordinary person. Masatsugu smiled wryly. Twitching his cheeks slightly, he shook his head. What Masatsugu implied was, Who do you think you're testing?

A trial of this level cannot best my body.

After that, the abnormal symptoms vanished from Masatsugu's body.

The treasured sword had accepted Masatsugu. Acknowledging Masatsugu, it apologized for its rudeness.

"What a sword with a fierce temper. I like it."

"It was the personal sword belonging to a hero known as 'the merciless.' Have you already tamed it without recalling your own mighty name? ...As expected of Lord Caesar's peer."

"It's not like the lack of a name prevents me from fighting. I'll always find a solution somehow."

Shiori smiled wryly. More than praising him, there were elements of exasperation there.

Masatsugu calmly answered his lady liege as usual and looked up at the sky.

The Crusades were still singing, their War Cry resonating across the Suruga sky. Conversely, the remaining twenty or so Kamuys had stopped resisting valiantly.

One after another, they fell to the ground like wild birds that had been shot by hunting rifles.

Were they depleted of power, defeated? ...No, the "magic word" sent by the princess must have worked.

"Please wait a moment while I take care of the enemy."

Turning his back to Shiori, Masatsugu walked forward.

He was armed with nothing but a sword in his left hand—A Japanese sword in its scabbard. Apart from that, he had no other weapons.

However, this was enough to deal with an army of this size. Perhaps due to stepping into the battlefield on his own volition, by his own initiative, Masatsugu was now fully aware of how Chevaliers fought.

"Sorry, I don't have a name to summon you guys, but please help me for now."

Advancing with just a lone sword, he released noesis towards the battlefield.

Noesis—The strength of a Chevalier's thoughts was determined by all kinds of crucial factors.

Strength of personality, strength of character, mental strength, physical strength, competitiveness, composure, wrath, hatred, love, friendship, sadness, enlightenment, life experience, combat experience, charisma, etc...

The noesis released by Masatsugu was far stronger than anyone else's on this battlefield.

"Attack as soon as I give the order without the slightest delay."

After quietly issuing his order, Masatsugu looked up at the sky again.

There were sixty-five Crusades in the air. Figuring out how to use noesis, Masatsugu was able to rapidly detect the Legions' noesis, instantly obtaining a count of enemy numbers.

The sixty-five Crusades began to speed up again.

The whole army was flying straight at the noesis barrier protecting the Suruga tutelary fort.

This time, the enemy did not form a rugby scrum. Wielding their rifles with bayonets raised, every Crusade was flying at maximum combat speed.

It was like a lance charge of medieval knights.

Riding war horses to charge full speed at the enemy with a thrust of a barbed cavalry lance. Even in full armor, the enemy would be pierced by the lances or killed by the collision, knight and horse altogether.

The sixty-five Crusades were planning to break the noesis barrier by using the killer move of the cavalry charge.

Masatsugu issued a concise command, "Begin."

The Legions responding to this order were on the ground rather than in the air.

They were the sixty-four Kamuys sent by Chevalier Akigase Rikka, having crashed to the ground due to the War Cry—No, that was not the only reason why they had crashed.

Chevalier Akigase had trusted the instructions sent by Masatsugu in the princess' name.

Due to the effects of noetic disruption, unable to receive their master's noetic waves, the sixty-four Kamuys ended up crashing to the ground one after another.

Sending his noetic waves to the Kamuys that had lost their commander, Masatsugu had forcibly assumed command.

This method was just as coercive as how he had ordered the Kamuy yesterday, almost like snatching by force.

The Kamuys that had been lying on the ground like corpses... They stood up like ghosts. Many of the crashed Kamuys were injured, but not enough to prevent them from fighting. Legions had very high resistance against non-mystical damage.

Kamuys were revived all over the battlefield's mountainous terrain.

Their armor and military uniforms used to be blue.

All the Kamuys were now red-purple. Every single one of them had taken on this color—This was proof that they had fallen under Masatsugu's command.

"Do it."

At Masatsugu's brief order, the sixty-four Kamuys all flew at once.

The Kamuys had taken off from different locations but they all had the same target—The sixty-five Crusades, having just charged at full strength at the Suruga tutelary fort's noesis barrier. The Kamuys were flying at them from behind.

The British Legions had executed a lance charge with all their might.

Struck in sixty-five places by this attack, the shimmering noesis barrier was greatly weakened. Parts of the scenery exhibiting no heat haze effect also became very obvious.

Moreover, Seiryuu above the tutelary fort was about to vanish.

After the Crusades' fierce attack came the onslaught of the sixty-four Kamuys that had turned red-purple.

Having just executed a strenuous offensive, the British winged soldiers were severely depleted in ectoplasmic fluid and wide open.

Seizing this opportunity, the Kamuys fired their rifles' heat beams.

Shot in the back, the sixty-five Crusades were reduced to twenty-nine in an instant.

Masatsugu had sent "that message" earlier precisely for the sake of this moment. While luring the British knight into complacency, it simultaneously ensured enough remaining troops for him to use.

"Now I owe Akigase-dono one. Thanks to her being so reasonable, I was able to win easily."

Currently, Masatsugu was looking at the sky confidently.

The "red-purple Kamuys" were preparing to tighten the net in the aerial battlefield. Closing in on the British Legions, they were going to stab the enemies in the vitals using their bayonets.

"They're on their last legs. Wipe them out in melee," Masatsugu calmly commanded.

There were only twenty-nine Crusades left. They were not only at a numerical disadvantage but also exhausted.

With the odds stacked firmly in his favor, Masatsugu ordered the sixty-four "red-purples" to charge at the battered Crusades. Victory was virtually guaranteed.

However, Masatsugu still decided to press the offensive thoroughly.

Before the enemy could muster a last stand in desperation, he would annihilate them with extreme prejudice.

"Thank you for waiting. It's finally your turn to debut."

The sheathed Japanese sword in Masatsugu's left hand was the Appellation bestowed to him by Princess Shiori.

The treasured sword hummed in resonance to respond to Masatsugu.

"My Appellation of Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada... The man bearing the title of 'the merciless' once wielded you to demonstrate feats of arms to the world. Share these feats with my soldiers too."

Masatsugu chanted a certain name that had surfaced in his mind when he inherited the sword.

Then he drew it out. A great sword two feet and eight inches long. Curving gently, the blade exhibited the kind of beauty unique to Japanese swords but was not especially ornate. There was a spirit of austerity and fortitude in its appearance—craftsmanship prioritizing practical combat to forge a trenchant blade specialized for slaying enemies. The blade exuded a keen aura of sharpness.

"All Kamuys, draw your sword."

The "red-purple" army met the airborne Crusades in melee combat.

Their sixty-four weapons transformed all at once. The bayonet rifles serving as spears suddenly transformed into Japanese swords, identical to Masatsugu's Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada.

With this sword in hand, the "red-purples" fought with greater ferocity than ever before.

The sixty-four Legions under Masatsugu's command had all transformed into swordsmen like fierce demons.

Slash. Thrust. Slash. Thrust. Slash. Slash. Slash. Slash. Thrust. Slash.

Slash. Slash. Slash. Slash. Slash. Slash. Slash. Slash. Slash. Slash. Slash—

The sixty-four Legions kept swinging their swords in the air, brutally slicing and piercing the Crusades' bodies, splattering the ectoplasmic fluid that served as blood.

Vertical slashes. Horizontal slashes. Diagonal slashes. Straight thrusts.

Every sword technique was so precise and merciless, almost to a bone-chilling degree. As though chopping vegetables, the Kamuys severed the Crusades' limbs, bodies, necks, and masks.

Some of the Crusades tried to swung their bayonets in an attempt to resist the onslaught of the Japanese swords.

However, the "red-purples" simply sliced through the rifles or the bayonet blades outright, rendering their enemies' weapons neutralized.

Against such incisive swordsmanship, protective gear was meaningless.

The Crusades' armor was sliced through like paper, completely useless.

This was totally one-sided slaughter, a massacre.

Masatsugu's Kamuys were using what appeared to be Tennen Rishin Style of the sword...

"Hmm?"

At that moment, a Crusade fell down.

The enemy crashed into the ground roughly twenty meters from Masatsugu.

A "red-purple Kamuy" had slashed a deep cut on the Legion's back, but the wound was not fatal. Furthermore, the Crusade seemed to realize Masatsugu was the commander. Unable to get up, the Legion strained to lift its upper torso, aiming its gun at Masatsugu from a prone posture.

In the next second, the trigger was pulled.

The beam of deadly light shot out, but Masatsugu dodged .

In truth, his reflexes were not outrageous enough to dodge light. It was simply because the enemy had released noesis filled with bloodlust prior to attacking.

By detecting that kind of noesis, it was naturally possible to dodge the heat beams that followed in succession.

Masatsugu slowly made his way to the fallen enemy soldier.

The opponent was a Legion, a giant capable of destroying large cities and slaughtering tens of thousands of people. Nevertheless, Masatsugu's footsteps were confident and unhurried.

In the end, he had to dodge three beams before he reached the Crusade.

Lifting its upper body was already the British Legion's limit. Unable to attack Masatsugu with its gigantic body, it only had the strength to pull the trigger.

Lying on the ground, the enemy's face happened to be right in front of Masatsugu.

The Crusade was a white giant with a full height of eight meters. In terms of proportion, the head was one-eighth of the body in height. In other words, the face was close to a meter long.

The massive face was hidden under the thick helmet and a mask—

Masatsugu stabbed Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada into the enemy's forehead, easily piercing the helmet's armor.

The pair of eyes behind the mask lost their glow and the Crusade went limp. It died.

...Masatsugu had a faint feeling that he was a warrior capable of fighting Legions in the flesh. In fact, prior to coming here, a notion had occurred to him. Even without an army to command, he did not mind personally cutting down enemies of this scale—

Currently, Masatsugu was clearly aware of his extraordinary fortitude.

Instinctively, Masatsugu was certain that other Resurrectees were the same. This was presumably a power unique to heroes reborn from the ancient past, but the ease with which he had pierced the Legion's armor was not his credit alone.

He praised Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada in his hand, "Your blade is very sharp."

Up in the aerial battlefield, a Crusade was slashed dead every ten seconds.

This was all due to the Japanese sword wielded by the red-purple Kamuys—the peerless sharpness of the blades. Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada hummed, asking him not to point out the obvious.

"I guess I'll simply call them 'Kanesadas' from now on."

Referring to them as "red-purple Kamuys" was a pain, so Masatsugu came up with this name on a whim.

The Crusades in the air had given up all resistance and were like lambs to the slaughter.

Taking a closer look, Masatsugu noticed that the British Empire's Chevalier on the wyvern mount had disappeared from the air at some point. Presumably, he had taken some Crusades as bodyguards and retreated.

The troops borrowed at a moment's notice had won a victory for Tachibana Masatsugu.

"What is going on with those Kamuys...?" muttered Akigase Rikka in puzzlement.

Next to the tutelary fort's noesis barrier, a group of Kamuys were dogfighting in the air.

Every Kamuy was red-purple in color. They were using Japanese swords to attack the British Legions instead of bayonet rifles.

—After defeating the vanguard Crusades at the coastal reclaimed land, Rikka had hurried back to the Suruga tutelary fort with her troops.

Leading her remaining forty-eight Kamuys, Rikka had flown across the sky over the battlefield.

Just as when she had sorties, she was standing on a Legion's shoulder. Beneath them was the mountainous region formed by Mount Kunou and Mount Udo. Dead Crusades were scattered all over the place...

They had all been killed by the army of "red-purple Kamuys."

Currently, that army was slaughtering the last remnants of the Crusades using fierce swordsmanship that would even make gods weep.

Rikka could tell that the red-purple Kamuys were using Japanese swordsmanship, and an ancient style too. As a specialist in Yagyū Shinkage Style herself, Rikka could tell from a single glance.

A commonly used stance was called the slant seigan.

Ancient sword styles called the middle stance the seigan. Standing sideways towards the opponent, one would aim the sword tip at the opponent's throat or eyes. The slant seigan was a variation of this type of stance.

With the blade slanted slightly to the left, it was also known as the suigetsu stance.

"The flat seigan..."

Among ancient schools of the sword, Tennen Rishin Style also called the slant seigan as the "flat seigan." There was no one more famous than a certain figure as a swordsman of this style. Rikka spoke his name.

"Hijikata—Toshizō."

Hijikata Toshizō was a warrior in the Bakumatsu era, serving as the vice-commander of the Shinsengumi under the Tokugawa shogunate. He was known for his brutal methods.

Indeed, he was the "Merciless Vice-Commander" of legend. During the Boshin War that began the Meiji Restoration, the defeated shogunate army retreated to Hokkaidō and Hijikata Toshizō went with them.

Hijikata Toshizō's later exploits were very well-known to history enthusiasts.

Entering an audience with Lord Tenryuu, the sacred beast that had descended upon the plains of Hokkaidō, he obtained a pack of retainer beasts, the Mibu wolves. Fighting as the commander of the shogunate troops across various battlefields with the Mibu wolves by his side, he protected Hokkaidō from the Meiji government's invasion.

The current imperial family had roots in the northern court that had fled to Hokkaidō. Consequently, after the Second World War, the name of Hijikata Toshizō came to the forefront as a hero who had protected the nation.

Furthermore, national historical novelists had written a series of masterpieces using the Shinsengumi as a theme.

"Princess, why did you mention that hero's name...?" murmured Rikka to herself. Fujinomiya Shiori's message was jointly signed with Hijikata, a name associated with the warrior who had intimate ties to Japan's sacred beast and imperial family.

Precisely because of that, Rikka had followed the instruction while half in doubt.

Currently, the army of Kamuys was using Tennen Rishin Style on a rampage, crushing the British attackers.

However, these Kamuys that had turned red-purple were Akigase Rikka's Legions originally. Contrary to Rikka's expectations, there was no response even when she transmitted noetic waves. She could not regain command of them at all.

In other words—

Someone possessing noesis surpassing hers was commanding this "red-purple" army.

Rikka's heart pounded in excitement. Japan lacked a Resurrectee of Lord Caesar or Admiral Nelson's caliber, but now, a hero who could very well overturn this disadvantage had shown up.

Besides, that hero was not only the Merciless Vice-Commander but also a famous swordsman and experienced soldier—At that moment, Rikka came to a sudden stop. She shook her head hastily to caution herself. This was no time to be concerned with such matters.

Meanwhile, the "red-purple" Kamuys had completely wiped out the army of British Legions.

### 036. Prologue

The 58th year of the Tenryuu Era, Tenryuu 58, was otherwise known as 1998 CE.

Reportedly, Tokyo's weather this September had been cooler and more comfortable than in previous years.

Frankly speaking, Shiori had no basis for comparison. Despite being a princess of the imperial family, she had been absent from the capital of Tokyo for four whole years. During this time, she had not even remained within Japanese borders.

Shiori's previous city of residence was located somewhere on the Indochinese Peninsula, facing the South China Sea.

Every summer, that subtropical port city was far hotter than anywhere in Japan.

"Compared to the scorching heat at the imperial cap... I mean Xanadu, Tokyo is definitely much cooler," Shiori said with a gentle smile.

In a slip of the tongue just now, she almost said "imperial capital" and corrected herself mid-sentence. Mentions of the imperial capital within the borders of the Eastern Roman Empire inevitably referred to Xanadu, situated in the center of East Asia, but her current location was Imperial Japan.

"Comfortable weather is fine and all, but of course, I spent most of my time overseas in air-conditioned environments as I am now."

Since this was merely small talk to create a relaxing atmosphere, Shiori used a joking tone of voice.

She was sitting in the back seat of a domestic limousine while it sped along a highway, speaking to her aides-de-camp in the driver and front passenger's seats. Shiori was sixteen-years-old while the other two were older men.

The two retainers smiled cordially in response to the princess' joke.

Naturally, Shiori was thinking about other matters.

(To think that I, an imperial princess, would have merely two attendants.)

Normally speaking, an official state car transporting royalty was supposed to be escorted by security vehicles and a motorcycle convoy. However, this limousine was unaccompanied.

...Nothing could be done about that. After all, she was the "forsaken princess" who had finally returned to the country after four years.

Shiori did not take offense. She looked out the window to observe the imperial capital for the first time in a long while. This was not entirely bad seeing as it freed her from the pressure of scrutiny and made certain undertakings more convenient.

"Dear me."

Spotting a familiar face in the streets, Shiori smiled wryly.

Along the way from Roppongi to the imperial palace at Aoyama, a certain building had a massive billboard ad for a business magazine. The magazine was running a special this month on "10 Years of Alliance—The Future of Japan and Rome." Printed on the cover was the arrogant smile of the Eastern Roman Empire's founder.

The man was in his late forties with deep-set facial features and a dignified countenance.

His forehead was very high and prominent. More precisely, it was a severe case of a receding hairline.

"I never expected to see Lord Caesar in such a place..."

That smile of confidence seemed to be bragging.

This self-satisfied look was a very fitting image for him. He was also clad in armor and military garb in ancient Roman style. Very few people would be bold enough to openly wear this type of clothing resembling cosplay.

The billboard ad was promoting a thirty-page interview with Lord Caesar as the headline for the magazine's current issue.

Feeling a buying impulse, Shiori immediately spoke, "Major, I would like to make a trip to a bookstore. Could you kindly lead the way?"

"...Your Highness, must you go in person?"

Sitting in the front passenger seat, the aide-de-camp in his thirties was somewhat surprised.

Required to serve at imperial palaces and engage in confidential conversations with the Empress and court ladies, candidates for this job were chosen from officers in the Imperial Guard. Furthermore, a certain crucial talent was a prerequisite for aides-de-camp.

"If there is a need for a purchase, I would gladly go in your stead," said her aide-de-camp, the major, with a wry smile.

For a chamberlain or a soldier, his tone of voice was not too reserved. On the other hand, this handsome man looked excellent in the Imperial Army's black uniform. This sort of tone also felt approachable. Such traits were necessary considerations when selecting aides-de-camp to avoid offending the Empress or the court ladies.

Shiori replied mischievously to this thoughtful military officer, "What is there to worry about? During my days over in the Empire, I often wandered around on my own. A quick shopping trip is no big deal."

"In other words, Your Highness, do you wish to go for a stroll?"

"Fufufufu."

Shiori was a princess of Imperial Japan as well as the Fujinomiya family's eldest daughter.

Her status in the Eastern Roman Empire had been a hostage with the glorified title of "foreign student." She had not enjoyed generous hospitality as befitted a state guest, but neither was she a sheltered princess in ignorance.

Knowing this, the major did not try to argue further.

"In that case, your will is my command, Your Highness. However, please listen to a word of advice from me."

"Certainly. Please speak your mind."

"Since anonymity is required, you and I will have to get changed first."

"Indeed, let us do as you suggest."

Shiori smiled in response to the thoughtful suggestion.

They were currently on their way to attend a garden party held at the imperial palace. The major was in military uniform while Shiori was wearing a kimono with long flowing sleeves. Very striking in appearance to begin with, it would be only natural for Shiori to attract even more attention in her current attire.

Seeing her own facial reflection on the limousine window, she nodded in agreement.

Shiori did not mind being called a beauty. She was aware of her exquisite face. Moreover, her long hair, which she had spent many years growing out, was shining with platinum splendor. How could such an appearance not draw attention?

Her hair color was natural and had never been dyed. A pure native of Japan was not supposed to have this sort of hair.

"...?"

Arriving at an intersection near the imperial palace, Shiori was slightly perplexed.

A sudden call from the sky prompted her to look out the limousine window at the sky.

As suspected, she saw a dragon flying in the air over the palace.

A serpentine body, roughly a hundred meters long. Four short limbs featuring sharp talons. An unusually shaped head with long horns—A creature brimming with divine beauty.

The dragon's entire body was glowing with platinum radiance.

This glow was the exact same color as Shiori's hair.

"Has Grandfather been flying a lot at the imperial capital lately?"

"No, as far as I can recall, nothing similar has happened for the past few years."

From his position at the front passenger seat, the major also looked up at the dazzling sky.

The platinum dragon was moving his serpentine body as though swimming, flying gracefully over the imperial palace. He was heading north.

Having remained silent until now, the elderly driver spoke, "It is with great fortune that one can witness Lord Tenryuu in all his glory... What a magnificent sign of auspiciousness."

Lord Tenryuu was the sacred beast protecting Imperial Japan.

In addition to being among the ranks of the "Old Great Ones," ancient deities manifesting in animal form, he was also Shiori's grandfather . Presumably, he had flown here all the way from the divine precinct in northern Kantō to see his granddaughter returning after an absence of four years.

Certain of her grandfather's intent, Shiori nodded firmly.

Ever since the nineteenth century, dozens of theriomorphic deities, known as sacred beasts, had descended upon the world.

Society changed dramatically as a result.

Sacred beasts became the guardian gods of various human nations and also brought magic and the occult into human society. This also accelerated revolutionary progress in scientific developments.

The birth of the Eastern Roman Empire was one of these changes. It was during the Second World War—also known as the Hero War or the Second Napoleonic War— when this country came into existence in Southeast Asia.

Gaius Julius Caesar was the name of its founder.

This man bearing the same name as an ancient Roman hero had conquered Southeast Asia and half of China in no time, establishing a new empire in the land of the east...

And today, this hero named Caesar was present at Imperial Japan's capital.

Over a thousand celebrities, politicians, high-ranking military officials, diplomats, as well as soldiers and civilian officials from the Eastern Roman Empire were gathered in the imperial palace's garden, chatting away amiably.

The center of the crowd revolved around Generalissimo Caesar, hero of the Eastern Roman Empire.

Cabinet ministers, Diet members and big shots in financial circles were also present. One after another, they took turns to approach Caesar to offer greetings and exchange pleasantries.

This was not hospitality as one would offer a state guest.

The true reason was that this soldier from a neighboring country was "the most powerful man" in Asia and Japan.

Shiori's turn arrived. Coming before the exalted Caesar, Shiori bowed her head respectfully.

"Greetings to you, Lord Caesar, it has been a while."

"Your face truly brings back memories. The last time we met was a year ago at a banquet back home, wasn't it? I am greatly honored for the chance to meet you again, beautiful princess of Japan."

Caesar was noble and dignified but not pretentious. Jovial and approachable, yet still retaining an air of classiness.

He received Shiori with his unique tone and cordial smile. His ranks included Generalissimo of the Eastern Roman Imperial Army and Supreme Commander of the East Asian Administrative Region, as well as other titles such as Special Advisor to the Japanese Empress and Commander-in-Chief of the Army Garrison in Japan.

Despite being the founder of the Empire, this man only ruled for fifteen years as the first emperor.

After that, in his desire to return to the front lines as a soldier, he abdicated and yielded his throne to a courtier.

"Sitting on a throne deep in a palace without enemies or excitement... I would not call such a job enjoyable. My desire for an exhilarating life is overwhelming" was what he said.

Former Emperor Caesar spent the next half a century racking up feats of conquest.

During that time period, the United States of America was restless in its desire to become the world's only superpower, thus leading to a showdown against Caesar on various battlefields across Asia. Leading a thousand Legions , Caesar emerged victorious on every occasion. This was ostensibly one of the causes for the USA's eventual partitioning into two countries.

Then ten years ago...

This neighboring country's great generalissimo even went as far as to defeat the US military stationed in Okinawa, Yokosuka and other places in Japan.

Thereafter, Caesar would visit Tokyo several times a year from his base of operations in Hong Kong. During his stays in Japan, he would meet proactively with Japanese royals and movers and shakers of the financial and political world, upholding his duties as "the fatherly patronus who guided Japan and the Empress."

"By the way, Shiori, every time I see you, lovely lady that you are, I am struck by a certain notion—"

Caesar suddenly smiled with pride and said, "If you were to consent, I would like to have you play the same role as a certain Queen of Egypt did in the past."

"Japan already has Her Majesty the Empress..." Shiori smiled and declined Caesar tactfully. "I would not dare to dream of such a transgression."

"Be that as it may, Her Majesty has only reached the tender age of thirteen. That combined with her introverted personality, it would be quite problematic to pursue a romantic liaison even though she is quite an adorable girl."

Such an indiscreet joke truly lived up to Caesar's reputation as a womanizer.

Back in ancient Roman times, this hero had made Queen Cleopatra of Egypt his lover, thereby consolidating her grip on the throne through his support. This was a very well-known story.

...Additional explanation was warranted here.

The "Caesar" currently conversing with Shiori was not a mental patient with delusions of heroic grandeur.

The twin silver wolves, Remus and Romulus, sacred beasts like Lord Tenryuu of Japan, had summoned the deceased Caesar back to the human world seventy-odd years prior.

The current twentieth century was known as the Century of War.

It was a time when a number of ancient heroes were resurrected and restored to supreme positions of power.

This list included Emperor Karl the "Chivalric King" and leader of Europe, "Holy King" Saladin of the Ayyubid Dynasty, Napoleon I who was rumored to be sleeping underground in Moscow—And the hero Caesar was one of them too.

"Then what of your future plans, Princess?" Caesar asked an unexpected question.

Shiori had only returned from the Eastern Roman Empire two days ago and was currently staying at a hotel in Tokyo. Of course, the imperial capital had no lack of royal palaces or territory exclusive to imperial use.

However, for an "outcast princess," it was not a particularly comfortable environment.

"I wish to be somewhere more tranquil. The flamboyance of the imperial capital is too dazzling for me."

"Are you serious? It would be such a shame for a girl like you to retire from active life at such a young age," said Caesar with an exaggerated sigh. Although he was a great hero and his name became the etymological source of Kaiser, the German word for "emperor," he was not particularly large in build. Standing 175cm or so, his greatness came from his mind rather than his body.

His attire at this garden party consisted of ancient Roman military garments.

A red cape draped over his armor. Leather sandals on his feet.

This getup was identical to what Shiori had seen on the billboard ad earlier. It was anyone's guess whether he dressed like this out of nostalgia or preference, but in any case, this was how he always appeared in public.

"Please feel free to knock on the door of my army any time. I would be willing to enlist you as my adviser... Naturally, Princess, I would gladly accept your consent to become the wife of I, Julius!"

"Thank you for the compliment. I am honored even if it was made in jest."

Shiori reacted with a slightly wry smile to the womanizer who made a joke befitting his historical reputation.

"I am not worthy of being your subordinate, much less wife."

"On the contrary, I have often heard of the Japanese princess' brilliance, rumors originating from my country."

Caesar smiled and winked at her, shocking Shiori.

However, she suppressed her shaken emotions perfectly and maintained her doll-like smile. Shiori was very talented at feigning docility and hiding her abilities.

...Be that as it may, she had spent four years living in the Roman Empire as a hostage. During that kind of life without anyone to rely on, there were times when she had to call upon "abilities" she had kept hidden in the past. Truth be told, she would have greatly preferred to maintain her facade of the "princess whose only merit was her beauty" for the entirety of her study abroad duration—

"As a token of my feelings, to celebrate a new beginning for you... Allow me to demonstrate a little trick, even though it isn't anything amazing."

Before Shiori could decline, Caesar already made a move.

He raised his right index finger and called out loudly.

"By this name of mine, Julius Caesar, I summon you—Assemble, my Legions!"

The garden party had started at 2pm.

It was very sunny today with clear skies over the garden serving as the venue.

In the sky— roughly a hundred silver soldiers appeared out of thin air .

Reaching almost eight meters tall, the soldiers were undoubtedly impressive giants.

The giants were equipped with silver chain mail and crested helmets. They were wearing red military uniforms with a pair of "wing"-like feathery accessories on their backs. These accessories... did not seem to function as wings but the silver giant soldiers were still flying freely in the air.

After appearing, the hundred giant soldiers scattered. Flying deftly, they approached the garden party venue.

When they were at low altitude, fifty meters above the ground, the giant soldiers assembled into a neat formation consisting of four rows.

Each of them was carrying a large rectangular shield in their left hand and a rifle with a bayonet attachment in their right. All hundred of them had the same armaments and appearance.

In addition, the giant soldiers' faces were covered by white masks—

This was an army of Legions of type Centuria.

It was also the army that had enabled the Eastern Roman Empire and the great Generalissimo Caesar to rise to dominance.

Caesar's sudden summoning filled the garden party participants with surprise and panic. Everyone immediately turned their gaze to the Legions' commander—Caesar the hero.

The weight of these gazes came from not just a dozen or two but from over a thousand people.

With all eyes upon him, Caesar continued to smile with leisurely confidence. Openly and intimately putting his arm around Shiori's shoulders, he shouted to the crowd present.

"Ladies and gentlemen, could you demonstrate more fervor in celebrating the friendship between Rome and Japan!? Furthermore, do not neglect to cheer for Japan's beautiful princess!"

Caesar's call was answered by a thousand voices. The crowd's thunderous applause and cheering shook the venue.

The army of red and silver also brandished their bayonet-affixed rifles, raising the blades up to the heavens. This action held no significance in particular, but the performance of a hundred winged giant soldiers moving in unison was quite an intimidating and impressive sight to behold.

Not only that but the Roman soldiers stationed all over the venue also shouted loudly.

"Glory to Caesar! Those ordained unto death salute you in reverence!"

The words here, "those ordained unto death," were referring to the army serving Caesar.

This was a customary salutation of the Eastern Roman Empire, used exclusively to extol Julius Caesar the hero. After the Roman soldiers chanted in unison for several repetitions, Shiori said quietly, "Your Excellency—My gratitude knows no bounds... Thank you for doing this specially for me."

"You are too kind. I am sorry that I can only do this little. Consider it a token parting gift."

Caesar's expression and behavior were full of youthful vigor when he replied cheerfully.

On the other hand, his age seemed to be late forties based on appearance. Reportedly, his appearance had hardly aged since his founding of the Eastern Roman Empire seventy years ago.

Eternal youth and the ability to summon Legions, these were the powers wielded by the Resurrectees, heroes who had returned to the present world.

They were superhumans sent to the earth by the godlike sacred beasts. Such was the truth behind Resurrectees such as Caesar. Witnessing the power of the enemy she must surpass, Shiori ignited her fighting spirit within herself. She had to acquire an opposing power as soon as possible—

However, she maintained her ladylike smile towards Caesar the whole time.

Indeed, feigning docility was Shiori's number one skill.

"True to his name, Lord Caesar loves to put on a grand display as always."

The garden party was still in progress an hour after the sudden summoning of Legions. Shiori had secretly slipped away from the party after leaving Caesar's side and was now visiting a rose garden in a corner of the premises.

All alone, she thought back to the scene earlier.

Despite being a peerless hero, Caesar's behavior was childish.

But once again, Shiori experienced his mighty power. This included his extraordinary ability to summon over a thousand giant soldiers at will, his brilliance as a strategist who led his army to victory, as well as the absolute power held by his position as a major world power's generalissimo—

"Since the enemy is a Roman hero, I need support from a commensurate power."

Dressed in a kimono with flowing sleeves, Shiori was holding a cloth bag containing a small item.

From inside it, she took out a photo depicting a male student in a stiff-collar uniform. Roughly seventeen or eighteen in age. His face was well-proportioned but the expression was stiff. One could call him expressionless too.

Since the young man's slender eyes were not focused on the camera, it seemed to be a photo taken in secret.

"This is the man who is going to become my trump card. When will he awaken?"

After exclaiming that, Shiori suddenly spoke out, "Tachibana, you are here, aren't you?"

There was no one in the rose garden apart from Shiori, but she could sense the noesis present in all personnel secretly protecting Princess Fujinomiya Shiori. And this noesis belonged to a person who had been a retainer for the Fujinomiya family since the generation of Shiori's mother.

Given Shiori's excellent sensitivity, it was only natural for her to notice.

"...At your service, ma'am. You're sharp as always."

A large man in a black suit silently walked out of the shadows.

He was dressed very much like a member of the Security Police, but his fierce countenance, height of 190cm and body mass of 100kg made him seem like a professional wrestler.

Tachibana Genzou here would be akin to the Fujinomiya family's butler.

"How are things over in Suruga? You have observed the subject in question, haven't you?"

"Nothing has changed. That bastard is still useless."

Normally, one's word choice ought to be more elegant when working in a courtly environment.

However, this huge man replied to the princess' question in a sloppy tone of voice while rubbing his chin that was overgrown with stubble. On the other hand, Shiori did not mind.

An impolite but competent subordinate was far more valuable than rigid adherence to etiquette.

"Attending school dutifully every day and paying attention in class, returning straight home in the evening to the student dormitory with its curfew and strict rules, doesn't have the slightest clue about drinking and partying, he even lacks experience in stealing alcoholic beverages to drink in secret."

"What exemplary conduct."

"At most, some occasional mischief. Like giving seven or eight hicks or army delinquents a good loving for example."

" Loving ... You mean he got into fights?"

"No, he is evidently capable of taking care of them within two or three minutes before the situations develop into major incidents of violence. In that sense, he is not ordinary after all."

"Neutralizing seven or eight people in a few minutes—"

This martial prowess was quite extraordinary for an ordinary person.

However, Shiori shrugged and said, "Too much of a gap... Against commoners, taking out a hundred thousand or a million at a time would be the bare minimum."

"Fair point. No less would be expected from any of the Chevaliers."

This content of was far too radical for a conversation between a sheltered princess and her retainer.

"It looks like... I have to see him in person after all."

"I'd prefer if you didn't put yourself at risk, ma'am. You should act more like a princess, trembling while hidden behind a curtain—"

"Easier to guard, right?"

"One of the reasons. Besides, it'd make you more worthwhile to protect."

Tachibana's manner of speaking made him sound more like a deputy leader of bandits or pirates instead of a butler.

However, Shiori simply smiled without answering. Her smile was just as polite and ladylike as the one she had presented to Caesar, except with a slight teasing quality added this time.

"Please rest assured. I intend to have your daughter serve as my bodyguard in Suruga."

"You want to rely on my stupid daughter!?"

"Indeed. Many matters would be easier to handle since we are both girls. Besides, I have heard rumors about the daughter of the Tachibana family. She seems to be an outgoing girl accomplished in martial arts, isn't she?"

"On the other hand, she is also a great big idiot."

"No matter. I nominated her precisely because I find this point amusing."

Watching her troubled subordinate, Shiori chuckled heartily.

"In order to acquire the power for opposing the British Empire's Knights of the Queen and defying Lord Caesar... I have decided to retire from active life, making Suruga my residence for the time being."

"Don't say you're gonna retire when you're only sixteen years old, okay?"

"Why not? It is a lovely place where Lord Tokugawa Ieyasu spent the remainder of his life as the retired shogun."

Fujinomiya Shiori was a princess of Imperial Japan.

Known as the Century of War, the twentieth century was drawing to an end.

However, Japan was definitely not a strong country. The imperial administration in Tokyo and the Kantō region was under the Eastern Roman Empire's control, making Japan almost a vassal state. Furthermore, interference from "another major world power," the British Empire, in Japan's domestic affairs for the past few years had reached an intolerable level.

Amid this turmoil, Shiori had devised a plan.

"Despite being part of the imperial family, the House of Fujinomiya has been ostracized due to the Empress faction's fear against us... Nevertheless, it does not suit my personality to pursue a cowardly lifestyle."

Royal families all over the world were hotbeds of power struggles. Imperial Japan was no exception. The ones hostile to Fujinomiya Shiori were all relatives among the highest ranks of royalty and nobility.

Shiori did not make any effort to hide one of the reasons for their hostility—Her "platinum hair."

"Regardless, I must make something out of myself. I have to become the rumored mastermind controlling the Japanese government from the shadows."

"Ma'am, isn't a mastermind the wrong kind of aspiration for someone of your age?"

Tachibana's look was rather disapproving.

"You've got to declare 'I will become king of this nation!' with more ambition."

"I am not interested in the Empress' position. It's purely a figurehead without real authority. First of all, I must remodel this country to become a more suitable living environment for me... In the process of doing so, I might as well work towards the wellbeing of the Japanese people too. Here on, I will be counting on your active support, Tachibana."

"Even if you have to lie, please claim you're putting the people first, ma'am."

Tenryuu 58, mid-September.

The photo currently in the princess' hand depicted a certain male student.

Fujinomiya Shiori did not know his true name. She only knew the alias she had bestowed upon him for obfuscation purposes. Mustering her determination, she read out his name.

"Tachibana Masatsugu... You must build a chivalric order for me, to gather soldiers under the banner of your lost name—"

Imperial Japan, the Eastern Roman Empire, and the British Empire.

The ever-shifting alliances and rivalries between these three countries would plunge the islands of Japan into conflict and turmoil.

The curtain was about to rise upon a tripartite era of dramatic vicissitudes of fortune, mirroring that of the Three Kingdoms. Unbeknownst to anyone at this point in time, the scene today would come to hold monumental significance in the future.

### 037. Prologue

Sacred Beast (聖獣): Godlike beings that protect countries and bestow miracles upon them. One after another, they arrived in the world starting in the mid-nineteenth century. There are dozens of them; examples include Romulus and Remus of the Eastern Roman Empire or The Three Lions of the British Empire. They are precisely the ones who resurrected ancient heroes and brought about mysterious powers and beings such as the Legions.

Lord Tenryuu (天龍公): The dragon deity protecting Imperial Japan. 100m in length, his entire body shines with platinum splendor.

Eastern Roman Empire (東方ローマ帝国): The new country founded in the early 20th century by the hero Caesar upon his return to the contemporary world. Currently the empire with the greatest territory in Asia.

Patronus of the Japanese Empress (日本国女皇の保護者): The Eastern Roman Empire's hero, Caesar, providing political and military protection to the Japanese Empress in a fatherly capacity, in the same manner as he had protected Cleopatra the Queen of Egypt before the Common Era.

Resurrectee (復活者 / リザレクト): Deceased warriors revived from the ancient past. Confirmed instances include Caesar the ancient Roman hero, Chivalric King Karl the Great of the Frankish Empire, Admiral Nelson the supreme commander of the British Imperial Forces, etc.

Legion (レギオン): Standing eight meters tall, a being with the appearance of an "armed giant with a mask." Most Legions have wings on their backs. They are active in battlefields both on the ground and in the air.

### 038. Chapter 1 - Invading Legions (1)

### Part 1

Second-year student in high school. Male. Living in Suruga City of Shizuoka Prefecture in the Tōkaidō region.

If one had to explain his identity, the previous sentences were enough to describe Tachibana Masatsugu, who was neither a celebrity nor an elite national athlete.

Bluntly stated, putting aside certain idiosyncrasies, Tachibana Masatsugu was nothing more than an ordinary high school student.

However, the ordinary Masatsugu still had his own ambitions.

"Speaking of the final event to be held before the end of the second term, Taisei, do you know what that is?"

"Of course the final exams, Masatsugu-kun."

"Wrong, it's the beauty contest held in December, an event taking place on the last day of the school festival."

"......"

Masatsugu's friend, Okonogi Taisei, reacted with silence somewhat akin to consternation.

They were currently at the cafeteria of Rinzai Private High School. Masatsugu was drinking a juicebox of green tea while Taisei was having canned coffee. The cafeteria was always packed during lunch time, but quite unoccupied now because it was after school.

As a side note, Taisei had a head of brown hair, dyed, and a face whose features could be considered handsome.

Unfortunately, perhaps due to his excellent character and upbringing, combined with outstanding common sense, he was not a particularly conspicuous person. And now, Taisei spoke gently as always, "By the way, Masatsugu-kun, I heard you're serving as part of the school festival's executive committee?"

"Yeah. I'm filling in for Takeda who transferred out at the end of the first term."

Compared to his friend's soft posture and tone, Masatsugu seemed rather rigid in comparison.

Occasionally, Masatsugu would give off an impression like some kind of samurai. This was actually correct since the Tachibana family had served the Tokugawa as jikisan hatamoto in the past, samurai in direct service of the Shogunate.

Even though his disposition did not stem from bloodline, if one had to classify Masatsugu as hard or soft in an analogy, he was clearly the former.

Masatsugu spoke in solemn tones and his posture was quite rigid and upright. He never clamored in restlessness, seldom told jokes, and rarely broke school rules. Consequently, he did not have many friends in class.

Including Taisei, he had only three or four close friends.

If he were to stare in a mirror this very moment, he would surely look like a gloomy man with a slightly furrowed brow.

...Unexpectedly, contrary to such a hardline disposition, Masatsugu took out from his schoolbag the list of beauty contestants.

"To be honest, when I first started serving on the executive committee and was assigned to be in charge of the beauty pageant, I found it a hassle and thought I wasn't suited to it. However, after looking at these contestants who either volunteered or were recommended by friends..."

Masatsugu browsed through the file.

There were roughly twenty girls planning to participate. Each profile included the girl's name, portrait photo, self-introduction and swimsuit photo. There were many cute girls among the candidates competing to become Miss Rinzai High.

Revealing a nihilistic smile of indifference, Masatsugu was the splitting image of an evil homicidal samurai.

"I discovered that this isn't actually half bad... No, I should say I'm enjoying it. I didn't realize that for the past two years —I might actually be a guy who likes girls quite a bit."

"I guess so. I never noticed before either."

"I'd like to liven up this beauty contest, but unfortunately, there's no one good enough to give the shoo-in candidate to be queen, Matsuki-san, a run for her money..."

"Oh, you're talking about the girl who's getting scouted by talent agencies."

"I want to find one or two more contenders for the top spot."

"Hey, Masatsugu-kun, if you're going to talk with such a dour face, could you at least discuss a topic related to the nation's future? Like the hike in various taxes next year or the large sums of tribute that Japan pays to Rome for undisclosed purposes."

Seeing Masatsugu with arms crossed and a solemn expression, his friend poked fun at him.

Okonogi Taisei's father worked at the Shizuoka branch of the Tōkaidō News Agency. Perhaps due to his family environment, Taisei would often bring up social issues to discuss despite being a teenager. This was probably the reason why he got along with the "overly serious" Masatsugu.

Incidentally, it was October 1 today, still quite some time before the beauty contest in December.

"By the way, Masatsugu-kun, are you returning to the dorm now?"

"No, I'm planning to go to my house to do some cleaning."

"It's very easy for messes and dust to accumulate in a house when no one's living in it, I guess. If you're okay with it, I'll go along and help out? Since there's no student council work today, I happen to be free."

"I'm glad you're offering to help. Thanks a lot."

Taisei held the job and title of Student Council Vice-President.

Manners were essential even when dealing with close friends. After Masatsugu bowed his head in gratitude, the two of them left the cafeteria together.

Rinzai High was located in the eastern outskirts of Suruga City near the mountains, quite some distance from the city center.

In fact, since their school was known as a place where prestigious families attended, there were many students who came to enroll from far away.

Most of these students lived in the dormitories and Masatsugu was one of them. His parent's house was located in Suruga City, like the school, but he did not have family. His parents and grandparents had all passed away and he did not have any siblings.

Thanks to the inheritance and orphan's annuity left from his father who had been a soldier, Masatsugu could still live without financial worries.

He could have lived alone in his house, but he chose the convenience of dorm life which included domestic help.

"Getting away from the school for once, I finally get a strong feeling of 'visiting the city.'"

"Since the school is so close to the mountains, there are very few residences nearby."

Suruga City was located on a coastal plain facing Suruga Bay.

On this coastal plain was a quiet regional town. But along the way, there were two small mountains protruding in a series slightly abruptly and standing at an elevation of roughly three hundred meters—Mount Udo and Mount Kunou—forming a mountainous area of greenery.

Masatsugu and Taisei's school was located on the west side of Mount Kunou.

The two of them took a bus to the city center.

This route led to the commercial district in front of Suruga Station. On the way, a military truck passed by them, traveling in the school's direction, probably making its way to the military installation known as a tutelary base .

"Did you know? Tokugawa Ieyasu once said that 'Kunou Castle is the inner citadel of Sunpu Castle.'"

"Kunou Castle... Are you referring to the fort that used to stand on Mount Kunou?"

"Yeah, it's now a set of castle ruins that has almost nothing remaining. But taking its place is the tutelary base—something like a castle—built nearby, so it means that Lord Ieyasu was right."

After Tokugawa Ieyasu stepped down from his position as the first shogun of the Edo bakufu, he returned to his hometown of Suruga and built Sunpu Castle as his retirement residence.

Suruga City here was a land with intimate ties to "Divine Lord" Tokugawa Ieyasu.

While the two of them were chatting, the bus took them across Suruga City. There were many commercial districts and office neighborhoods near the station but far less bustling than Tokyo. This was an idyllic regional town. Masatsugu and Taisei did not get off even when the bus neared the station.

The bus continued for ten-odd minutes when they finally disembarked at a stop near the Abe River.

After walking through a residential neighborhood for five minutes, they arrived at Tachibana Masatsugu's house.

It was a one-story house built in Japanese style. The main dwelling had a living room and at least five spacious Japanese-style rooms. In addition, there was an earthen floor area. There was a magnificent gate with a thatched roof.

This place was way too big for a single high school boy to clean up.

Opening the ancient wooden gate, Masatsugu looked at the entrance up ahead, not too far away. He frowned.

"...Hmm?"

He noticed that the entrance door was open.

He had clearly shut the door properly when he came by last month to clean.

"Did a burglar leave the door open?"

"I'll go in to check it out. Wait outside for me."

Directing the surprised Taisei to go out, Masatsugu went into the entrance himself.

Suppose a trespasser had left the door open, a burglary was very likely to be in progress. Masatsugu did not want to expose his friend to danger. Taisei immediately nodded and stayed outside the gate alone.

Well aware of his special skills , Masatsugu's friend did not nag.

Rather than calling the police, it would be more efficient to let Masatsugu confront the criminal.

"...Boots?"

As soon as he entered the entrance, Masatsugu muttered to himself.

Arranged neatly there was a pair of women's boots, roughly ankle-high without significant heels.

This was not the only suspicious part. Masatsugu would only clean this house once a month. However, the corridor was now sparkling clean, obvious from a single glance that it had been carefully wiped with a wet cloth.

Furthermore, he could smell the fragrance of incense from inside the house—

Masatsugu took off his shoes and went to the Buddhist altar room where the fragrance was coming from. Taking a closer look, he found a girl kneeling before the altar with her palms held together in prayer.

She was dressed like a student in Japanese style with a hakama. This look was supposedly commonplace in the capital.

The girl's gorgeous black hair was tied with a scarlet ribbon. She was looking at the portraits of Masatsugu's late parents—namely, his mother who had passed away during Masatsugu's childhood and his father who had fallen in battle three years ago.

The girl was around fifteen or sixteen. Though some childlike elements remained, her face was very beautiful and adorable.

Before Masatsugu could speak, the female student turned around, presumably sensing Masatsugu's arrival.

"Welcome home, Onii-sama. It has been so long since we last met. Twelve years, I believe?"

The girl smiled tenderly and greeted Masatsugu. However, Masatsugu did not recognize her. Speaking of which—After giving the matter some thought, he nodded and said, "I see now. I have a long lost little sister, is that it?"

"No, that's wrong."

"Then who are you?"

After calmly rejecting Masatsugu's speculation, she mused, "Hatsune's relationship with Onii-sama... I wonder what's the best way of putting it?"

"Were you a childhood friend who used to live near me, so you call me your older brother to reflect the age difference?"

"Wrong again. Childhood friends or close relatives would've been easy, but the truth happens to be more subtle than that, which makes it hard for me to explain. Let me see, our relationship is slightly more removed than cousins."

"Meaning partially cousins or some kind of distant relative, right?"

"Yes, that's right, pretty much. I'm sure you can find a link if you scour the family tree carefully, but that takes too much work, so I'll just call you 'Onii-sama' directly."

"Definitely, addressing you as 'possibly a distant relative' would be a hassle too."

"I know, right? So this is what the two of us decided long ago, fufufufu."

Masatsugu was conversing with the trespasser in the Buddhist altar room whose floor was laid with tatami.

The smiling girl maintained her formal sitting posture in seiza, so Masatsugu sat down in the same way in front of her too. This girl was apparently a relative with a first name of Hatsune, but Masatsugu had no recollection at all, so he continued his inquiry.

"What's your name? I want to know your full name."

"Oh, you are so awful, Onii-sama! You forgot about me, didn't you? I can't believe you forgot Tachibana Hatsune, who's in the same clan, that's so awful of you."

Miss Tachibana Hatsune began to pout like a child. Masatsugu bowed his head in apology.

"We lived very near each other back in kindergarten and we played together all the time."

"Really? Then allow me to ask a question, sister—Sorry, I mean Tachibana Hatsune-kun."

"Feel free to call me whatever you prefer. Go ahead and use 'my little sister.' I don't mind."

"Then let's go with Hatsune. Is there any other special relationship between us? Like an old marriage promise or faint feelings of love for each other."

"Feelings of love?"

"Yeah. Actually, I've been wondering a lot lately. Like whether a girl would suddenly fall from the sky and confess to me or a childhood fiancee might suddenly show up," said Masatsugu in a halting manner.

Hatsune clapped her hands together in front of him and replied, "I've read stories of that type too. Like in Weekly Shounen Junk " or Shoujo Margarita ."

"You can find similar tropes in many light novels and love simulation games aimed at teenagers."

"Is that the type you enjoy, Onii-sama?"

"I took a brief look when a friend recommended them to me some time ago. Thanks to those stories, there are some nights when I feel painfully aware of how unbearably lonely it is to be single."

"I see now, you poor thing!"

"That's why I wanted to ask about our past."

"Yes, understood. There's absolutely nothing like that in our past!"

"Such sad news..."

Although Hatsune denied it outright, Masatsugu remained unfazed.

"No helping it, the past cannot be changed. Oh, but I remember now. I think you did propose to marry me when we were young."

"Then why did you say 'absolutely nothing' just now?"

"Sorry, but I'm careless sometimes."

"I see, that does seem to be the case."

"There's more. This is how I answered: 'I'll seriously consider it if you grow up to become as strong as a yokozuna-ranked sumo wrestler in the future.'"

"Why a yokozuna-ranked sumo wrestler?"

"The ones I used to like were powerful men like yokozunas, no holds barred champion wrestlers, or lethwei masters. In fact, they're still my type even now, you know?"

"I sense some kind of insider obsession in your last example..."

Myanmar in Southeast Asia was currently part of the Eastern Roman Empire. Masatsugu was very impressed that Hatsune would bring up a legendary martial art from that place. He began to assess his own eligibility.

Medium stature at a height of 175cm. Slender physique with virtually no fat.

He had been working out, more or less, but was not a macho man with bulging muscles.

"Looks like my training aimed at seeking future happiness has failed."

"First crushes from childhood never bear fruit, Onii-sama."

"By the way, Hatsune, why did you come to my house?"

"I came to pay respects to my late Uncle and Auntie. It's only manners to say hi when visiting my home town, but I apologize for coming in without permission."

"If memory serves me correctly, I did lock up."

"Don't worry, I'm very resourceful. That kind of lock only takes me sixty seconds to open."

Hatsune puffed out her chest proudly. Despite her childlike face, she was extremely voluptuous. Then she reached for her bag on the tatami floor.

Her pale and slender fingers took out a hairpin that had been deliberately stretched into a needle-like shape.

"Meaning you used that thing to pick the entrance lock..."

"That's how I opened the door and came in."

"Then the one who cleaned up the house was also—"

"I noticed the house was a bit messy, so I helped clean up."

"I thought so. Thanks. But you do know you are currently caught in the act of trespassing, right?"

"You're so mean, Onii-sama. I'm the same as a little sister to you. Trespassing doesn't apply to family!"

"I wouldn't bet on that. It's mainly up to the judge to decide."

"Huh, really?"

"...Excuse me, Masatsugu-kun and Tachibana-san."

Masatsugu's calm rebuttal had taken Hatsune aback in surprise. Having arrived at the Buddhist altar room unnoticed some point earlier, Taisei interrupted them.

Taisei must have come to observe the situation after hearing the sound of conversation.

He said tactfully, "Sundown will be here soon if your comedy act keeps going without a straight man to rein things in."

In any case, this was the encounter between Tachibana Hatsune and Masatsugu—Or rather, their reunion.

### Part 2

In early October, Rinzai High gained a new transfer student coming from the capital Tokyo.

She was prim and adorable while outgoing and lively, virtuous in conduct while innocent and pure. Such was her peerless beauty that one could apply every flowery literary device to describe her—A beautiful maiden practically loved by everyone in the school.

The new goddess of the campus had a family name of Tachibana paired with a given name of Hatsune.

Reportedly, she was a well-bred young lady hailing from the Tachibana clan, a prestigious samurai family fairly renowned in Suruga City, and had served at the imperial palace at Tokyo to learn all kinds of etiquette...

"Everyone is talking about me like this! It's quite troubling. These kinds of comments only got six out of seven things correct!"

"In other words, they approach 85% in accuracy? I think your self-image is overrated."

Despite saying she felt troubled, Hatsune looked quite happy. When Masatsugu tried to warn Hatsune, Taisei also nodded on the side and concurred, "If a girl fitting this description actually existed, she'd have become a national idol a long time ago."

"Sheesh. Onii-sama and Taisei-san, you're far too obsessed with numbers!"

Mocked by Masatsugu and Taisei, Hatsune grumbled unhappily.

During the lunch break, the three of them were having their meal at the cafeteria. The next day after visiting Masatsugu's house, Hatsune had transferred to Rinzai High.

As a first year, Hatsune was a junior student relative to Masatsugu in the second year.

While eating the daily special, a ham cutlet meal, Taisei said, "Let me take a guess. Everyone is overreacting to the detail about 'a well-bred young lady who had frequented the imperial palace' and projecting their fantasies on you, thus resulting in the illusion of a school idol."

"T-Taisei-san, sometimes you really speak without any delicacy..."

"Don't let it bother you, Hatsune. Taisei doesn't mean any harm, he simply enjoys analyzing things like this. All he did was share his deductions."

After offering reconciliatory words that totally did not patch up the situation, Masatsugu picked up a rice ball and took a bite.

He had bought a pickled plum rice ball at the snack shop. This was his entire lunch. He was actually not a small eater, but he did have an odd natural habit where he felt uneasy unless he ate humble meals that only made him 60% full.

"When you mentioned qualities such as 'prim,' 'adorable,' or 'outgoing and lively,' I believe it did match your self-proclaimed 85% accuracy."

"Really!? I'm so happy, Onii-sama!"

"As for virtuous in conduct or school idol, I'd say let's forget about that..."

"Y-You should've kept that comment to yourself, Onii-sama!"

Alternating through joy and despair, Hatsune was having a lunch comprising raw tuna on a bed of sushi rice, a seaweed salad, mini udon, as well as meat and potato stew.

This was quite a hearty appetite for a girl. Naturally, Hatsune did not wolf down her food like an unrefined boy.

Smiling cheerfully, she carefully savored every dish.

It was obvious at a glance that she sincerely enjoyed her mealtime.

"However, your family has extraordinary status since you were able to gain access to the imperial palace."

"This is my first time hearing about it too. Previously, I only knew that our ancestors were samurai in the direct service of the shogunate."

"Our clan merely holds empty status without any wealth. Fortunately, we are valued for our skills and valor, which is what allowed us to have dealings with the upper class."

In more recent times, there was no one more famous as an example of a samurai in the service of upper society than Yamaoka Tetsushuu.

A renowned master swordsman and calligrapher, he had served in the Bakumatsu era as a shogunate vassal then as a retainer of the imperial family after the Meiji Restoration. The Tachibana clan must have had individuals with similar exploits.

"My father cautioned me to be a good lady-in-waiting trainee, to learn etiquette and how to get along with upper society, as a part-time job after school."

In fact, Hatsune's use of chopsticks during meals was very pretty.

Sitting on a cafeteria chair, her posture was very upright. Although she was a very friendly and approachable girl, her behavior and poise hinted at excellent upbringing.

"Then as expected, that rumor turns out to be related to how you're receiving special treatment, Hatsune-san?"

"Special treatment? What do you mean?" asked Masatsugu curiously, prompting Taisei to explain immediately.

"Uh, basically Hatsune-san's uniform."

"Is it not allowed? This older style of female uniform is approved in schools all over Tokyo. There's nothing in the school rules forbidding it either."

As before, Hatsune was dressed in a retro style like in the Haikara-san manga.

This combination of meisen kimono with a hakama was the female student look prior to the Second World War.

"There's a retro wave of fashion over there recently and I liked it a lot after trying it out."

"Unfortunately, this counts as a modified uniform that's not officially recognized. However, the school has given tacit consent since they did not reprimand you, Hatsune-san."

Five days had gone by since Hatsune's transfer, so the excuse of not having a uniform was no longer justified. Taisei continued.

"During this awkward timing of October, would your reason for moving here from the capital be related to 'a certain VIP' coming to Suruga?"

Hatsune shuddered. It looked like Taisei's hunch was correct so Masatsugu asked his friend, "Who are you referring to?"

"According to rumors, a princess of the imperial family—Shiori-sama, a highborn daughter of House Fujinomiya—has recently left the capital to come to her late father's hometown of Suruga."

"A princess of House Fujinomiya...?" asked Masatsugu, tilting his head in puzzlement at the unfamiliar name. "Right, apart from the current Empress—Her Majesty Teruhime—I've never heard the name of anyone else in the imperial family."

"Members of royalty in certain countries would take part in public events or diplomatic occasions, but it seems to be different in Japan."

Due to certain circumstances , Masatsugu was slightly lacking in what would be considered common knowledge. Well aware of this, Taisei patiently explained in detail.

"Her name and information about her have been released to the public to some extent, but there are no photos. The media is also forbidden from reporting about her in the same manner they do celebrities, so the policy of confidentiality is upheld very thoroughly."

Prior to the Second World War, back when Japan was still the "Great Empire of Japan," even ordinary families would put up portraits of upper society but now, the situation had completely reversed.

After their defeat in the war, Japan had undergone monumental changes.

The original Japan was transformed into Imperial Japan, a country worshiping the godlike sacred beast Lord Tenryuu as their guardian deity.

Nowadays, it was the Empress—the priestess whose destiny was intertwined with Lord Tenryuu—who ruled the nation of Japan.

"Shiori-sama had been studying abroad in Rome until recently, so that's probably one of the reasons. In addition, this so-called studying abroad is actually closer to being a hostage."

"A tool of diplomatic relations, in other words."

"Perhaps weary of such a life steeped in politics, she hoped to spend her life somewhere peaceful... This is what I hear occasionally."

Taisei's father worked at a news agency, hence as his son, Taisei would work part-time there whenever there was a lull in student council work. He often picked up insider information at home or in the workplace.

Meanwhile, Hatsune coughed lightly and said, "Ahem, in any case, the reason why I came back is top secret. Onii-sama, could you two not start any weird rumors, okay? Please!"

The school idol (tentative) simply cautioned Masatsugu with a cold expression without bothering to deny anything, apparently.

A few more days passed. Rumors about Fujinomiya Shiori the mysterious princess were the talk of the town. Just like Taisei, countless people were discussing information about her.

The princess who had returned from Eastern Rome was about to come to her ancestral hometown of Suruga City—

Masatsugu also heard girls in his class discuss the "Return of the Princess" story.

However, everyone still did not know anything detailed about Shiori's past.

There was a dearth of released information... Just the bare facts at most, that she was a young princess, currently sixteen years of age, while her mother was the younger sister of the second Empress.

"Hatsune, what is the princess like as a person?"

After school, Masatsugu inquired of his relative who happened to be on her way home with him.

Masatsugu lived at a boys dorm twenty minutes away from the school by foot. Hatsune also lived in the girls dorm in the same area.

Her father, Tachibana Genzou, was currently still in Tokyo.

His workplace was House Fujinomiya's imperial villa—In other words, Hatsune was here on a work assignment alone.

"The princess is very pretty and smart too... Wait, why are asking about this, Onii-sama? It's not like I have a chance to be particularly close to VIPs like her."

Noticing his distant cousin making a slip of the tongue, Masatsugu pressed on.

"Taisei speculates that you came back to serve as the princess' lady-in-waiting to attend to her everyday life, is that right?"

"La la la! I can't hear you. Onii-sama! Let's talk about something else!"

As expected, the naive Hatsune was not very good at hiding things. She forcefully changed the subject.

"Is the old candy store still around, the one we used to visit together? Want to check it out right now?"

"Candy store huh..."

"Did it go out of business? Or you can't remember?"

"In truth, I have no recollection at all."

"Sheesh, Onii-sama. So you've forgotten more than just about me."

"You're right. Let me be honest with you. I lost my memory two years ago, so I can't recall anything before that at all."

"Huh?"

Masatsugu's sudden confession made Hatsune jump in surprise. He continued unfazed.

"They said that I fell down the stairs and had a violent concussion, which resulted in amnesia."

"Th-Then even about your parents—"

"I've forgotten them too. Fortunately, I still know how they look thanks to the photos in the Buddhist altar room."

After Masatsugu's memory loss, relatives in the area had looked after him.

Initially, the clueless Masatsugu spent his days in a daze. Those relatives told him what "Tachibana Masatsugu was like as a person" and taught him basic life skills.

It was all thanks to the thoughtful care of those relatives that he was now able to handle high school life.

Amnesia did not feel particularly troubling, but he ought to properly recall things about his own parents at least... Many a time, this thought had occupied Masatsugu's mind.

Stunned for a moment, Hatsune then slowly nodded and said, "I see... So that's why my father said it that way."

"What did your father say?"

"A few days ago, he phoned me and said that he would be coming to Suruga soon to explain something important about you, Masatsugu-oniisama."

Hatsune's father worked as something like a butler at the Fujinomiya household.

Masatsugu had never met him. More precisely, Masatsugu had not met him for the past two years. Perhaps Hatsune's father had heard something about him from other relatives—Just as Masatsugu fell into deep thought...

Hatsune suddenly whispered, "P-Princess? Why are you here at school?"

Masatsugu followed Hatsune's gaze. They were near the school gates and a girl had entered from outside.

Probably not native Japanese given her blue eyes and hair the color of platinum, the young maiden was quite a striking beauty. Walking gracefully, she approached the two of them decisively.

"Do you know that girl, Hatsune?"

"S-Stop speaking so rudely! She is Shiori-sama, the princess I serve in other words. We have to receive her carefully!"

"What?"

The girl with the glittering hair smiled cordially at the puzzled Masatsugu and the panicking Hatsune.

Imperial Japan's noble princess, Fujinomiya Shiori. However, this girl possessed platinum blonde hair that did not belong to those of Japanese ancestry—

Furthermore, Masatsugu noticed something odd.

For some reason, the princess was dressed in Rinzai High's female uniform.

Hatsune rushed over to the princess' side before he could find an answer. The mistress and her personal lady-in-waiting engaged in whispers.

"I'm sorry, Onii-sama, but something came up and I have to go now!" Hatsune bade Masatsugu goodbye energetically.

The platinum blonde beauty beside her nodded elegantly to Masatsugu before making her departure. Naturally, Hatsune followed her.

The two of them were headed towards Rinzai High's school building.

### Part 3

News of the imperial princess' arrival spread through the streets of Suruga like wildfire.

The rumored character was finally making an appearance. Furthermore, the purpose of her visit was not sightseeing.

"Perhaps I might be summoned back to the capital one day... But personally, I wish to make this place my residence for the long term."

She had moved here to settle instead of a short-term stay.

This was the public statement that Princess Fujinomiya Shiori issued during an interview with the local television station.

It was customary for members of the imperial family to eschew appearing in public so as to avoid unnecessary risk—The sole exception being the incumbent Empress who stood as the mother figure of the nation.

But this time, Shiori had appeared before the media intentionally.

The very day she arrived at Suruga, she was featured on a local television's news program that was not broadcast nationally, sharing her views with a news anchor, a woman in her early thirties.

This one-on-one interview had taken place in a hotel room.

The anchorwoman had asked why did she come to Suruga after concluding her period of study in the Eastern Roman Empire as a foreign student.

"I was invited by Rome when I was twelve and learned many things there... However, one could hardly call it normal student life, after all. I wish to enroll in high school somewhere quiet and peaceful, as a way to gain some social experience of sorts."

The interview was broadcast around 6pm and gathered an audience share of over 60% in the greater Suruga region. During the program, the local television station's anchorwoman nervously conducted the interview with apprehension.

"And the place you have chosen for this is—"

"Indeed, Suruga is the hometown of my late father. I decided to move to Suruga after returning to Japan because I wanted to begin a new life here. Perhaps doing so might cause a nuisance to the residents, in which case I beg for everyone's forgiveness in advance."

"Your Highness, would you mind if I were to ask you to talk about your hair...?"

"In truth, my hair is not dyed."

Princess Shiori had a head of brilliant platinum blonde hair. There was a mysterious beauty to her hair color, one that did not belong to someone of pure Japanese descent.

"As most people already know... The first Empress, Her Majesty Himiko, called upon the sacred spirit of Lord Tenryuu to possess her. While in a state of divine union, she gave birth to twin princesses, who were respectively the second Empress, Toyo-sama, and my mother, Her Highness Fujinomiya—"

This anecdote was identical to the virgin birth of the messiah, Jesus Christ, from Mary, Mother of God.

The priestesses serving Lord Tenryuu and all other sacred beasts would produce offspring through parthenogenesis using their partner's spiritual energy.

Princess Shiori stroked her hair gently and revealed a slightly troubled smile.

"The royal families of the various nations worshiping sacred beasts were all born in the same manner. One peculiarity of these bloodlines is that only girls are conceived. There is also one phenomena that no one apparently understands... Every now and then, a child like me is born."

"May I ask you to elaborate what you mean?"

"My hair is identical in color to my grandfather , wouldn't you agree?"

Lord Tenryuu was a giant platinum dragon whose entire body shone with the same luster as Shiori's hair.

The anchorwoman comprehended the implication and nodded vigorously. "In other words, Shiori-sama, there is a particularly strong resemblance between you and your grandfather... Would that be correct to say?"

"Fufufufu, I suppose that would be one way of putting it."

The interview was on air for roughly half an hour.

During this time, the princess had responded fluently, expressing her views with clarity. Furthermore, she remained smiling elegantly the whole time, fully demonstrating a princess' noble character.

...The program's broadcast caused a huge effect.

Starting the next day, Princess Fujinomiya Shiori's popularity rose dramatically among the Suruga populace.

"I'm guessing she didn't do it on purpose, but it was definitely very effective."

Masatsugu's good friend, Okonogi Taisei was impressed too and said, "The princess accepted a television interview just as rumors about her were all the rage. Using her own words, she flawlessly explained her reason for coming to Suruga. This is already enough to impress upon others a 'young yet reliable' image. Furthermore, as a beautiful blonde young woman, she already makes a massive visual impact."

"Definitely," Masatsugu agreed. In just a few short days, Fujinomiya Shiori had advanced from "an unknown princess" to "the local princess known to every resident of Suruga City."

"If this was intentional, she would be a very good manipulator."

"Hahahaha, I doubt it. Everyone sympathizes with the princess who was sent to Rome as a hostage, so they naturally view her favorably. She's already secured a firm support from the elderly. The younger generation too—"

At least at Rinzai High where Masatsugu was studying, Shiori commanded overwhelming popularity.

The princess had stated explicitly that she wanted to enroll in high school at Suruga. Rinzai High was expected to be where she would transfer into.

Most surprising of all, she intended to move into the student dormitories.

On the Friday of Princess Shiori's imminent arrival, Masatsugu was sought out by his distant cousin.

"Naturally, we can't allow the princess to live in an ordinary dorm."

Hatsune finally admitted to Masatsugu that she was the "princess' personal lady-in-waiting."

Using time in the early morning before commuting to school, they were talking in the student dorm area.

"That's why we requested the school to provide an unused dorm building. Starting tonight, the princess and I will be staying here."

"Right, so that's why there were workers remodeling the place earlier..."

Masatsugu and Hatsune were standing in front of the "Black Lily Dorm" that was assigned exclusively to the princess.

With the decrease in boarders, the place had not been used for the past five years. Thanks to speedy remodeling, its outer appearance had become quite fashionable.

Moreover, it was the day before yesterday when the princess had shown up before Masatsugu.

That night, the interview had appeared on television. The next day, Her Highness Shiori had visited city hall to meet with the major of Suruga City.

It was Friday today and the princess would start attending classes next Monday.

Masatsugu felt impressed by the princess' efficient schedule.

Hatsune said to him, "By the way, Onii-sama, could you accompany me after school today?"

"I don't mind... But what's the occasion?"

After school today would be part of the precious weekend, which included time after the end of Friday's classes as well as Saturday and Sunday.

Be that as it may, Masatsugu had no prior commitments to go out, so he easily agreed to Hatsune's request.

However, Hatsune proceeded to surprise him with what she said next. "The princess summons you, Onii-sama."

"Me? Summoned by the princess?"

Never in his wildest dreams did he expect Hatsune to ask him to call upon the princess.

When Hatsune revealed the location for their meeting, Masatsugu became even more confused.

"The tutelary fort at Nihondaira...?"

Masatsugu's confusion was at a max. He had no idea why he was asked to go to that sort of place.

Going east by car from Rinzai High would reach the highlands formed from Mount Udo and the adjacent Mount Kunou. The region around Mount Udo's peak was known as "Nihondaira," the tallest plateau in the region.

A tutelary fort was located there—i.e. Suruga's military base.

Furthermore, it was no ordinary base. Serving as "castellan" (the name of a position in charge of managing a castle and its surrounding territory on behalf of a daimyo in the past) to hold a tutelary fort was a Chevalier's job.

A so-called Chevalier was a person with the special ability to summon powerful Legions, winged giant soldiers. They were also commanders who would lead their troops to fight on the front lines.

Fighting on the behalf of their military and the nation, they took on incalculable risk and responsibility.

Hence, Chevaliers were honored with all kinds of privileged treatment. They were respected heroes in the military and high-ranking officers at the top of the command chain. Those who had attained the rank of Chevalier would receive generous salaries and be treated as nobles in civilian society.

Indeed, tutelary forts were the strongholds from where Chevaliers and Legions operated.

...Thus began the day when Tachibana Masatsugu's life was changed dramatically.

### Part 4

On board the Tintagel , a Class A Type 27 destroyer...

This was the newly built military ship that had come under her management two months ago.

The ship had a total length of 183m and a loaded displacement of 15 thousand tons. Its streamlined body resulted from the application of stealth designs. The anti-air weapon control system, the Evil Eye, was linked to her through noetic waves and control. The installed fluid reactor that used artificial ectoplasmic fluid not only served as a power source but also enabled the use of mystic powers essential to deploying the giant winged soldiers that were the Legions.

In other words, the functionality of this ship would make it a carrier for the mainstay weapon of the modern era, the Legions.

This ship was named the Tintagel and belonged to the Far East fleet of the British Imperial Forces—

"Good morning, my lady. How are you today?" said Sir Grayson, the captain of the ship.

She—the self-sustaining noetic spirit, the genie Morrigan—replied by transmitting noetic waves.

(Good morning... Captain. Status... Good. Presently, begin possession.)

Morrigan had transmitted noetic waves to respond to the captain, Sir Grayson.

Holding the rank of lieutenant colonel, Sir Grayson was an elderly gentleman. However, his delayed response did not stem from hearing deterioration.

Humans without noetic aptitude had difficulty hearing the contents of noetic waves.

To handle this problem, Morrigan began the process of possession .

What she possessed was a doll that she used regularly. Sitting on a rocking chair in the Tintagel 's first operations room was a doll of a young girl, roughly 150cm tall—

The doll's appearance was that of a twelve or thirteen-year-old girl, with slightly curly blonde hair reaching shoulder length.

This doll was exquisitely crafted although the excessively pale skin was made of hard porcelain while the blue eyes were glassware. The pink nails were painted using a dye extracted from Nitidotellina nitidula , a type of shellfish.

The skin not only made a sound when tapped lightly but also had blood vessels hidden beneath it.

Plastic blood vessels extended throughout the entire body, filled with blue blood , the artificial ectoplasmic fluid that also served to power Legions. Morrigan infused the liquid with part of her spirit.

(Divide spirit, possession... Success. Awakening imminent.)

The blue blood inside the doll's blood vessels began to flow.

Artificial ectoplasmic fluid, which could also be used to fuel fluid power generation systems, enabled a miracle to occur in this small doll, turning it into Morrigan's avatar.

...Having possessed the doll, Morrigan slowly sat up straight.

Originally hard in texture, her porcelain skin was now as soft as a young maiden's flesh.

However, the joints driven by gears and cranks remained as mechanical constructs, producing sounds of friction when they moved. Tubes filled with blue ectoplasmic fluid and gears could be found all over the body, indicating that this was a temporary life at most.

The doll was dressed in a sailor suit with a skirt plus a beret.

Using the glass eyeballs that were equipped with vision, Morrigan stared at Sir Grayson.

Sir Grayson was a slender white-haired elderly gentleman as well as a naval officer who exemplified the image of a "solemn gentleman."

"So long ago... The last time we met in this manner, Lieutenant Colonel."

"Greetings, my lady. Excuse me for being forward, but I have come to inform you of a certain gentleman who wishes to meet with you. From here on, your body will be assigned under his command."

Sir Grayson always treated Morrigan with utmost respect.

Sitting on the rocking chair, Morrigan nodded in acknowledgement of his notification, producing a clicking sound from her neck joints.

Sir Grayson brought Morrigan to the deck.

On the destroyer Tintagel , there was a bridge in the center shaped like a "tower." The two of them went behind the tower.

"Thank you for your patience, Prince."

Sir Grayson addressed the figure standing on the edge of the deck.

He was looking out across the surface of the Pacific Ocean.

The Tintagel was currently sailing within Japan's territorial waters—Off the coast of the Shima Peninsula, heading east. Continuing along this bearing, it would reach Enshunada, Omaezaki and Suruga Bay.

Japan's airspace and territorial waters were watched over by the sacred beast Lord Tenryuu and the sea dragons and wyverns serving him.

Sailing close to the coast would risk eventual detection, but Morrigan had used noetic control to apply stealth enchantments to the entire ship.

"Please allow me to introduce Morrigan, the genie of this ship. Her appearance as an adorable young girl belies her heroic exploits in defeating pirates with me in the Indian Ocean."

"So she is the one you have specially assigned to serve me..."

The "prince" who turned around to speak was a young man roughly twenty years old.

The young man had silver hair with a handsome face—No, one ought to call him a splendid specimen of a handsome man. Not only were his facial features exquisite, but his expression was also glowing with astounding ambition and an awe-inspiring vibe.

"Then in that case, I expect a seasoned warrior... However, since we are not at Buckingham Palace or the battlefields of Aquitaine, I am a bit uncomfortable being addressed as 'Prince.'"

The handsome man was dressed as a military officer like Sir Grayson.

His military uniform consisted of a white shirt, a necktie and a pair of black pants. However, the prince also had a black jacket and black cape in addition to that.

Furthermore, there was a long sword hanging at his waist. It was almost like a military uniform for formal occasions.

Perfectly at ease in this magnificent attire, the handsome man pondered for a moment before speaking.

"Morrigan, please call me Sir Black Knight."

"Affirmative, Sir Black Knight."

After answering, Morrigan emitted noetic waves.

She connected her mind to the Tintagel 's memory realm, the database, and searched its vast contents. She searched for titles such as "Prince" and "Sir Black Knight" as well as people bearing a resemblance to the young man before her, but came out empty-handed. All information had been classified.

"Unfortunately, my true identity is classified."

The silver-haired Black Knight smiled cheerfully. He had sensed Morrigan's noetic waves.

This meant that he was a noetic master or a Chevalier—

"I see... You are a knight, is that correct?"

"That goes without saying. Otherwise, why would I call myself the Black Knight?"

"My, apologies."

Morrigan's hearing was normal but she was not good at conversations. As a result, her speech tended to be choppy.

"No need for it to weigh on your mind. I am currently assigned as an observer, so my intention is to get a look at how you and your crew fight, as well as Japan's cultural climate."

Sir Black Knight then turned to the other soldier.

"Grayson, in accordance with your request, I have reassigned two Knights of Her Majesty from England to join us on short notice. Namely, Stevie and Lamps. That should be enough for the landing operation, I suppose?"

Morrigan searched her database again.

This time, the search succeeded. The only Knights of Her Majesty matching these two nicknames were Sir Steven and Sir Lampard. They were both brave warriors who had been awarded the Appellation of the Knight's Medal of the Great Cross.

In response, Grayson laughed and said rather sardonically, "Much appreciated. However, I must make one correction. In this instance, I simply relayed a request from our allies in Japan back home. By no means did I make a personal call to—"

"I see. I spoke too imprudently."

"Now that imprudence is a done deal, I have no objections to Your Highness taking part in battle personally."

"In my own opinion, I would like to do that too, but there are many lords back home who love to engage in petty criticism. Making such a disobedient move before officially assuming my position would have them making allegations of me being 'outdated' or 'medieval'."

Sir Black Knight smiled wryly.

"Getting lectured after the fact would be quite a nuisance too, so I shall decline on this occasion. Of course, if we happen to encounter Lord Caesar who is currently in Japan, I would not mind enduring that sort of nuisance."

"In other words... You are fine with serving as the strategist for now?"

"Yes. It gives them no grounds to complain."

"...May I, ask a question?"

Morrigan interjected in the conversation between Sir Black Knight and the captain.

"From just now, judging from the conversation, you are ranked higher than both the Knights of Her Majesty and Sir Grayson. You also have intimate ties to, our nation's ruling elite..."

"Yes. Furthermore—I am your future boss," Sir Black Prince replied rather simply.

"Acknowledged."

"In that case, Morrigan, please bear with me until I take over my position officially. Could you please show the map?"

Morrigan's doll nodded, making metallic friction noises.

From the database, she pulled out visual images of Japan and projected them into the air using noetic waves. A two-dimensional map of the islands of Japan appeared before Sir Black Knight.

"In order for the Gifu Fiefdom partnering with us to march on the imperial capital of Tokyo, there is one route that must be secured—Hence, Tōkaidō is our target this time. There are five tutelary forts between Shizuoka and Hakone Checkpoint... Hamamatsu, Kakegawa, Suruga, Fuji, and Nagahama, which we will conquer all at once."

Pointing at five locations on the map, Sir Black Knight issued combat orders.

"Due to the trouble at Suruga , we were forced to hasten our operation by two weeks, though there are no issues apart from that. If everything proceeds according to plan, the operation will be completed without issue."

Soon, they were about to make a landing in Japan in a battle to subjugate Tōkaidō.

After Morrigan used a noetic search for precise details, the sky over the Tintagel was filled with a vast quantity of noesis .

"So the two of you have arrived?"

As soon as Sir Black Knight spoke, two officers came to join Morrigan and Grayson.

They were the ones who had released the current noesis. Both were strapping young men in their twenties. Wearing jackets and capes with a sword each, they were dressed the same as Sir Black Knight.

These were the two Knights of Her Majesty that Morrigan had searched just now, Sir Steven and Sir Lampard.

"Stevie and Lamps, are you ready to sortie?"

"Certainly, Black Knight."

"Using the Appellation bestowed upon us, we will summon an army to fight on Her Majesty's behalf."

Despite not addressing their superior too formally, they spoke with great affection.

Lightly touching the breast pocket of their respective jackets, they then opened their palms. A cross-shaped medal, shining brilliantly, appeared over their pockets out of thin air where nothing had been there a moment ago.

This was the Knight's Medal of the Great Cross.

A holy emblem for summoning the British Empire's mainstay Legion, the "Crusade."

Wearing cross medals on their chests, Sir Steven and Sir Lampard looked up at the sky. The noesis filling the air began to manifest into a contingent of soldiers.

Emitting noetic waves, Morrigan swiftly calculated the headcount.

A total of ninety-four. Each Legion stood over eight meters tall and was fully equipped with a white mask and uniform, even armor. An impressive army practically a hundred strong.

Their weapons were rifles fitted with bayonets. Feathered wings adorned their backs.

"Very good. Stevie will attack Fuji while Lamps will march on the tutelary fort at Nagahama... By the way, who is responsible for the most troublesome Suruga?"

"Sir Philneville. He is on the Caerleon", not this ship," Morrigan answered Sir Black Night's question.

The Caerleon and her Tintagel were destroyers of the same model.

"Sir Terry, also on that ship, is assigned to take Hamamatsu while Sir Ashley is responsible for Kakegawa. By the way, Sir Black Knight, may I ask another question?"

Staring at the handsome man's face, Morrigan asked, "You mentioned previously, you would not mind taking part in battle, if Lord Caesar were to make his presence. How do you, intend to engage Lord Caesar?"

"Very simple, I shall personally head to the forefront and have a duel with the Roman hero," boasted Sir Black Knight nonchalantly.

Behind him, a black Legion slowly manifested.

Its design was very similar to the Crusade except that its uniform and armor were all black. The mask on its face and the wings on its back were also black.

This Legion was precisely the reason why he styled himself as "Sir Black Knight."

"Very few generals are able to match him on the battlefield. Fortunately, I am one of the rare exceptions, hence it would be quite a welcome development I am hoping for."

In command of winged giant soldiers that were not Crusades, the silver-haired aristocrat murmured.

Morrigan finally understood his true identity. The noetic waves linking this black pair of master and servant were far stronger than those of the two Knights of Her Majesty here—Hundreds of times stronger.

"In that case, your wish is my command... legatus legionis . O hero who has returned from the underworld where the dead are gathered, I, the genie Morrigan, pledge my loyalty to your feats of arms."

The commander of an army, a true Chevalier—

Listening to these profound titles, Sir Black Knight smiled with pride.

### 039. Chapter 2 - Invading Legions (2)

### Part 1

"By the way, Her Highness Shiori certainly made quite a bold move."

Akigase Rikka offered her sincere reaction.

It was the middle of October, on a sunny Friday afternoon.

Rikka was visiting Suruga's city hall, located roughly ten minutes' walking distance from Suruga Station. This building of over seventy years and featuring red glazed tiles had been constructed next to the historical site of Sunpu Castle where Tokugawa Ieyasu once lived.

Rikka had come to the mayor's office in the elegant city hall, in other words, the room of the city's highest authority.

"Even though it was a local program, to think that a princess of the imperial family dared to make a public appearance on television..."

Rikka smiled. She did not dislike the princess' style of audacity.

Her comments were made to the mayor, a dignified man in his early sixties, dressed in traditional Japanese attire of haori and hakama. On the other hand, Akigase Rikka was only seventeen years old—

Her gorgeous black hair reached waist length and she was a maiden with a lovely and dignified face.

However, her lips were shaped into a smile of resilience. Her attire was also different from the female high school students in the city. Her black military uniform was only worn by high-ranking officers in the Imperial Army and she even had a Japanese sword at her waist.

Incidentally, her excellent figure was visible even beneath the military uniform.

Her bountiful bosom was bulging generously while the round curves of her hips also indicated appropriate voluptuousness.

"Did you watch the interview?"

Despite Rikka being young enough to be his granddaughter, the mayor spoke to her with unusual reverence in his tone.

One would hardly blame him. Rikka was the holder of two positions. First of all, she was the eldest daughter of the Tōkaidō Governor General who ruled over the three prefectures of Aichi, Shizuoka and Yamanashi. Secondly, she was a Chevalier of the Tōkaidō provincial army—

Either one of these positions would rank her above a mayor or a prefectural governor.

Facing the one who was in charge of Suruga City's administration on her father's behalf, Rikka replied, "Yes, I watched it. Her Highness is surely refreshing in her manner of doing things. I am simply pleased as part of the Twelve Houses serving the imperial family. Besides, this is just so thrilling. If those ladies-in-waiting in the Empress' service were to find out about the television program, I am certain it would vex them to no end."

Imagining the sight, Rikka laughed again.

"If Her Highness Shiori is not simply an obedient princess... Then it would seem that an audience with her would not turn out to be a boring meeting or a waste of time. It is certainly worth celebrating."

"...Akigase-sama."

The elderly mayor smiled uncomfortably and tactfully cautioned Rikka.

Seeing as she was a member of one of the Twelve Houses and also the Akigase's Chevalier princess, it was very rare for anyone to dare make such suggestions to her. Most people tended to shower her with sycophancy.

Grateful for the mayor's well-intentions, Rikka smiled wryly and swallowed the rest of her irreverent words.

Ever since the end of Second World War and Japan accepted Lord Tenryuu's protection...

The islands of Japan had been divided into twelve provinces, each ruled by a hereditary Governor General. Bluntly stated, it had returned to the Edo period's feudal clan system.

The twelve regional Governor Generals each had their respective army and Chevaliers, thus giving rise to the name of the Twelve Fiefdoms.

The Hokkaidō Fiefdom. The Ōshū Fiefdom. The Hokuriku Fiefdom. The Kantō Fiefdom. The Tōsandō Fiefdom. The Tōkaidō Fiefdom.

The Kinai Fiefdom. The Ōsaka Fiefdom. The Chūgoku Fiefdom. The Shikoku Fiefdom. The Kyūshū Fiefdom. The Okinawa Fiefdom.

Rikka was the eldest daughter of the Akigase family ruling over Tōkaidō.

"As I recall, tomorrow is when you will pay the princess a visit, is that correct?"

"Indeed, I wish to make a trip to the tutelary fort if time permits, so as to meet with Sakuya. Her condition has not been the best for the past few months. It seems that currying her good favor might be even harder than the princess."

After the amiable conversation, Rikka put on a serious expression and said, "However... I must first speak to that man today."

"Are you referring to Kawazoe-dono? The castellan of the Suruga tutelary fort—Or rather, the former castellan. It is such a shame that he engaged in such clandestine dealings," the mayor remarked painfully.

Rikka shrugged and said, "He was an avaricious man to begin with, so taking bribes is not surprising at all. What is truly problematic is the fact that he made contact with agents of the British Empire."

The Chevalier serving as the castellan of the Suruga tutelary fort had been arrested by the military police two days ago due to allegations of corruption. Reportedly, he had accepted bribes from someone in the construction business seeking illicit gains—

It was during this case's investigation that his second crime was uncovered.

"To think that the Britain Faction has appeared in our Tōkaidō, and even a Chevalier too," the mayor sighed in dismay.

The Eastern Roman Empire and Japan had "entered an alliance" for over ten years now.

But in recent years, more and more politicians, mainly in western Japan, were advocating an alliance with "the other major power" involved in Asia, so as to cleanse Japan of Rome's influence.

This was the so-called "Britain Faction," which had many adherents in the fiefdoms of Kyūshū, Chūgoku and Shikoku.

"The fiefdoms in the west had established intimate ties with England ever since the Bakumatsu era—since the Satchō Alliance—but the same cannot be said for Tōkaidō," said Rikka with a nod.

"This is not only the place where Lord Tokugawa Ieyasu was born and raised but also his long-term base of operations, as well as where he retired after stepping down as the shogun. In honor of the Tokugawa legacy, we must uphold absolute loyalty to the imperial family and demonstrate our unyielding mettle as a samurai family."

After expressing her principles as a descendant of samurai, Rikka smiled ironically.

"Regrettably, whom the current imperial family currently trusts is not us but the powerful Roman Empire."

"Akigase-sama..."

"Oh, my apologies. It is time for me to go see Kawazoe-sama."

The mayor cautioned Rikka again and she hastily took her leave.

Rikka was a Chevalier answering directly to the Tōkaidō Governor General and normally served at Nagoya.

She had come to Suruga City to meet the suspect on her father's behalf. After that, she was scheduled to have an audience with princess of rumor, Fujinomiya Shiori.

### Part 2

After school, Masatsugu left Rinzai High with Hatsune immediately.

Riding a military truck that came to pick them up, they made their way to the Suruga tutelary fort.

The vehicle drove to the mountainous region formed from two adjacent 300m-tall hills. On the Mount Udo peak on the north side was a slightly sloping plateau known as "Nihondaira." Built on this military land and wilderness that stretched as far as the eye could see was a tutelary fort, something that could be described as a modernized "castle."

The truck finally stopped climbing the mountain and arrived at the Suruga tutelary fort.

"So this is the place huh," muttered Masatsugu to himself.

The Surugu tutelary fort occupied roughly five times the area of the Tokyo Dome stadium at the imperial capital.

The fortification walls surrounding this vast area were approximately seven meters tall.

From an overhead view, the walls formed a five-pointed star, the same shape as the famous Hakodate tutelary fort bearing the name of Goryōkaku Fortress. In fact, fortification walls were completely useless in combat against flying Legions.

The most convincing explanation was... Building a fort in a magnificent star shape could serve to boast of military might.

"Let's go, Onii-sama."

Leaving the military truck, Hatsune hurried Masatsugu.

She still dressed as a student in the style of the Haikara-san manga.

Masatsugu was wearing the stiff-collar male uniform of Rinzai High. The Imperial Army and the provincial armies led by the Twelve Houses all used black stiff-collar military uniforms which were not too different from high school uniforms. Consequently, he did not look too out of place surrounded by soldiers here despite being a student.

In contrast, Hatsune was very conspicuous in her meisen kimono, hakama and boots.

The two students walked for a while and arrived at a side gate at the wall. Masatsugu was treated to quite a sight.

Standing on the two sides of the gate were two blue giants .

They were eight meters tall and equipped with blue armor and military uniforms. Each of them had a white mask on their face which seemed like porcelain in texture. Their compact physique looked quite agile with excellent figures too.

The two giants were equipped with "bayonet rifles."

These were weapons consisting of a military rifle fitted with a stabbing blade, thus offering functionality as both a gun and a spear. Both giants were standing at attention with their guns in upright position.

They suddenly turned their necks, pointing their faces and gazes slightly downwards.

From behind their masks—the eyes could be seen from the eye holes, glaring sternly at the approaching Masatsugu and Hatsune.

This meant that they were alive, staying actively vigilant of their surroundings as door guards!

"So these are Japan's Legions... The type known as 'Kamuy,' right?"

Today was Masatsugu's first time seeing Legions in action.

Masatsugu's height was 175cm, roughly the distance from a giant's foot up to the knee. He was deeply impressed by the blue body standing almost eight meters tall.

"That's right. The castellan probably stationed them here. People who like to show off or keep up appearances generally do this kind of thing."

"Keep up appearances?"

"Think about it. Inexperienced recruits and visitors would all react like you, Onii-sama."

Masatsugu understood the nugget of common sense that Hatsune was imparting to him.

In the modern world, Legions were both the mainstay weapons and the decisive weapons. One would easily conclude from a moment's thought that using something like this to guard a gate would be an absolute waste. However, it definitely looked very impressive.

Hatsune seemed used to it already. Nothing less expected from a girl who had been a trainee at the imperial palace.

"Do these Legions only follow the castellan's orders?"

"Strictly speaking, yes. However, if the Chevalier serving as castellan carries out a ceremony to delegate command to genies and noetic masters, they can also issue simple orders."

There was also a human soldier posted next to the side gate as a guard.

Hatsune presented her authorization document and made cheerful conversation with him. In the meantime, Masatsugu looked up at the massive bodies of the two Legions.

The blue armor of these Kamuy were spotlessly clean, shining under the sunlight.

They were not only magnificent in appearance but also gave off an awe-inspiring vibe of seasoned veterancy. In fact, every Legion was not only tall and imposing but also a master of martial arts and marksmanship.

With a pull of the trigger, they could easily strike and kill targets several kilometers away.

Were Tachibana Masatsugu an enemy soldier attacking the tutelary fort, he would probably have been "instantly slaughtered" in a single second—

In that moment, a strange notion surfaced in Masatsugu's mind.

Inexplicably, Masatsugu doubted. Would he actually be "instantly slaughtered"? The Kamuy Legions in front of him were definitely powerful but oddly enough, he did not think he was going to lose.

Without any grounds, Masatsugu believed... If necessary, he should have the ability to defeat these giant soldiers.

What was up with this? While Masatsugu was grappling with his puzzling thoughts, Hatsune said to him, "This way, Onii-sama."

"...Okay."

Passing through the side gate, the two of them entered the Suruga tutelary fort.

The premises inside the walls were very vast. The ground was a large stretch of green lawn, making Masatsugu feel like he was visiting a golf course. However, there were surprisingly few buildings.

Masatsugu recalled one explanation he had heard. Since battles between Legions might take place within tutelary forts, important facilities were mostly built underground to minimize casualties...

Of the structures above ground, there was nothing more striking that the central "tower."

It was a tower built with red bricks, roughly forty meters tall. There was a giant round clock at the very top, reminiscent of a clock tower—Wrong.

"Isn't that what people call a fengshui wheel?"

The object at the top of the tower was not a giant clock.

A magnet was installed in the center, surrounded by multiple concentric circles. Fine lines were used to divide each ring into equal-area sections, resulting in a wheel packed with characters, symbols and terms, such as the bagua series of "qian, dui, li, zhen, xun, kan, gen, kun," the heavenly stems of "jia, yi, bing, ding, wu, ji, geng, xin" and the earthly branches of "zi, chou, yin, mao, chen, si, wu, wei, shen, you, xu, hai."

"I don't know the details but tutelary forts apparently need to be a sanctuary where spirits and noesis can gather easily in addition to functioning as a military base. That's why they installed something like that."

"It's definitely quite difficult to understand."

Looking at the tower with the fengshui wheel, the two of them continued.

"By the way, Hatsune, it's time you told me why the princess summoned me here... I haven't got the slightest clue."

"No, Onii-sama, you'll know when you see the princess."

Besides, why have an audience at a military facility?

Finally, Masatsugu was taken into a certain building. A one-story building constructed from steel, probably where the likes of accounting and administrative departments worked. The military staff walking past them in the corridor seemed more like government officials than "soldiers."

The two of them arrived at what appeared to be a reception room.

There was leather sofa and a classy business desk and office chair that would presumably be used by military officers normally. A beautiful girl with platinum blonde hair was sitting there.

Fujinomiya Shiori, a princess of Imperial Japan.

Dressed in Rinzai High's female uniform, the princess greeted Masatsugu with a smile, "Thank you for the trouble of coming all the way out here. I have heard so much about you from Hatsune and Old Man Tachibana."

"Did my relatives mention me on purpose?"

Masatsugu accidentally responded to this surprising news, but he regretted it greatly.

It was important to adhere to etiquette when conversing with nobility and the correct way would be to speak through the lady-in-waiting, Hatsune.

Although Masatsugu was bothered by his rash slip of the tongue, Shiori immediately replied, "Didn't you know? The Tachibana clan of Suruga has served House Fujinomiya ever since my mother's generation."

"First time I am hearing it."

Their gazes met. Shiori looked back at Masatsugu with a gentle smile. Her brilliant platinum blonde hair was undoubtedly the same color as Lord Tenryuu as seen on television.

"May I ask why you wanted to meet me at a military base?"

"There is a matter ill-suited to discussion within the city. Please allow me to explain later," Shiori replied gracefully, picked up a summoning bell and rang it gently.

A female soldier soon arrived from the corridor and entered through the door.

She was pushing a trolley that carried all kinds of tea ware. The princess was apparently inviting Masatsugu for tea. Standing on the side, Hatsune gestured for Masatsugu to sit on the sofa.

"Onii-sama, please be seated."

Masatsugu hesitated momentarily, wondering if he should decline, then shrugged.

After some thought, Masatsugu sat down simply. By this point, there was no point trying to be formal. After all, bridges would be crossed when he got to them. He would find a solution otherwise. Having decided so, Masatsugu sat down facing the princess who was behind the business desk.

In front of Masatsugu was a low glass table.

The young female soldier placed the teacup there and poured black tea. Then she walked to the princess' desk and likewise poured a cup of tea.

...At that very instant, Masatsugu was struck by a sense of dissonance.

Even if he was the invited guest, what logic is there in serving the high school student before the princess? Consequently, Masatsugu was able to react to the trouble coming at him immediately without warning. The teacup that the female soldier had placed on the desk—

Shiori picked it up and threw it hard.

Her target was Tachibana Masatsugu, sitting on the sofa a few meters away!

"!"

Widening his eyes, Masatsugu saw that the teacup was undoubtedly aimed at his face.

However, Masastsugu's body reacted automatically as usual . His head tilted to the side by 10cm, dodging the rapidly flying cup.

The teacup passed through where his face had been moments ago.

The cup was thrown with such force that it rolled off the sofa and onto the carpet before Masatsugu could see it land.

His body moved automatically the instant he sensed danger behind him.

Indeed, someone had secretly circled behind Masatsugu's back to attack him with a wooden sword!

Masatsugu's head would have split open if he had dodged a second later. With fluid motions, Masatsugu stood up swiftly.

He turned to face the assailant behind the sofa and saw her identity clearly.

"It's you, Hatsune!"

"Impressive as always, Onii-sama!"

Wielding a wooden sword, Hatsune was standing behind the sofa.

Sixteen years of age, Tachibana Hatsune was a girl with a slender build. Currently, she was exuding an accomplished master's aura. Holding a mid-level seigan stance, she had the wooden sword's tip pointed straight at Masatsugu's face.

With brilliant footwork, Hatsune instantly closed in on him.

Attacking from the front, she swung the wooden sword with a sharp sound of slicing wind. Masatsugu hastily moved right and dodged the slash nimbly.

"Here I come again!"

Hatsune executed a fierce thrust at Masatsugu's face.

Masatsugu tilted his head to evade but a second strike immediately aimed at his throat. Masatsugu took a great jump backwards, distancing himself from his distant cousin the young swordswoman.

Hatsune seized the chance to take a great stride forward and delivered a downward diagonal slash.

Masatsugu avoided the strike deftly. Missing its target, the wooden sword proceeded with an upward diagonal slash in a fluid combination offense. Hatsune's swordsmanship was sharp and fast as the wind.

The wooden sword used by Hatsune was very short, comparable to a kodachi in length.

Swinging a massive sword like in historical dramas would easily cause damage to the ceiling or the walls. Hence, Hatsune had chosen the handy and convenient kodachi.

Impressed with such impeccable attention to detail one would not expect from a young girl, Masatsugu did his best to survive these attacks.

...Also, the female soldier who was serving tea had already left. It looked like she knew in advance this was going to happen.

Meanwhile, Hatsune entered another mid-level stance and laughed fiercely.

"Fufufufu, you can't win if all you do is run, Onii-sama!"

"Is the purpose of this farce to test my abilities?"

"Indeed, the head of the Tachibana clan has decided to select from the younger generation two bodyguards for the princess. Onii-sama, you have been chosen."

"Why me?"

"Onii-sama, the only youngsters left in our clan are you and me."

Masatsugu accepted this clear and simple reason. On further thought, all the relatives he had met for the past two years were all adults over forty.

"By the way, I really had no idea you were this amazing."

"The Tachibana clan prides itself most on strength and valor. I've trained in martial arts since childhood, whereas getting into slight trouble is regarded as part of a warrior's training, so this level of ability is only to be expected."

"Listening to your confession, I'm quite curious about how serious the troubles you got yourself into..."

"Have you had enough warming up? Okay, let's begin for real. We will decide who is the strongest of the young Tachibanas!"

Masatsugu was quite troubled to see his adorable cousin pressuring him.

"Now that puts me in a dilemma. I don't really want to hurt you."

"Ah, that's quite a lovely line, Onii-sama. It feels like a fated rival is about to release his power, what a great vibe. Attack with this sort of spirit!"

"I don't mind doing as you wish... But as I've said before, I don't have any memory of my past."

Hatsune's attitude was flippant but her abilities were the real deal.

Masatsugu spoke earnestly, "It's true that I use martial arts when I encounter danger. I suppose I must have trained in martial arts in my youth, so it became ingrained into my body. But..."

Tachibana Masatsugu had apparently learned unarmed combat and swordsmanship since childhood. At least, this was what his relatives had told him. However, for the past two years since losing his memory, he had not practiced at all.

Incredibly, he did not feel any urge to practice either.

Hence, he could not remember anything that might be considered a move or a skill in swordsmanship or unarmed combat.

He could more than handle himself if it was just resisting the opponent's attacks, however...

"When I attack—It tends to be a bit dangerous."

"You're getting more and more amazing, Onii-sama! What you're saying sounds a lot like 'Get out of my sight unless you want to die. Settle down, my left arm...!'"

Hatsune's eyes were getting excited for some reason.

Masatsugu nodded and said, "Yeah, more specifically, 'I'm gonna snatch that teapot over there to scald you with boiling water, then straddle you and beat your face to a pulp.' That's my combat style, I guess?"

"...Eh? Really?"

"The martial arts I learned before seems to be a style quite focused on real-world combat. Every strike is brutal without any holding back. If there are beer bottles nearby, I'll grab them to smash on people. When an opponent tries to stare me down, I'll suddenly headbutt him, knocking him out directly."

Back when they first entered high school, Masatsugu and Taisei had accidentally found themselves downtown at night.

Unfortunately, they encountered seven or eight low-lifes and were taken to a deserted back alley. This was when Masatsugu demonstrated how dirty a fighter he could be.

After that, Masatsugu had gotten into similar troubles a few times...

"Shouldn't you fight more honorably like in shounen manga?"

"I agree, but you don't really have any moral ground to say that when you ambushed me with a wooden sword."

"On the contrary, all the men in our Tachibana clan are superbly skilled. They'd never feel bothered by little tricks of this sort. Aren't you alive and kicking right now? B-Besides, I-I don't have a choice!"

Hatsune smiled guiltily while she spoke.

"After a discussion with the princess, I decided 'this would be more exciting,' you know? The princess consented too, so..."

"...The princess authorized this farce?"

Masatsugu frowned at the revelation of the unexpected truth.

However, on further thought, he recalled that Princess Shiori was precisely the first person to make a move. Furthermore, she had attacked with full force. Masatsugu stole a glance at the problematic character in question.

"Technically, this is a test for bodyguard aptitude."

The beautiful princess smiled tenderly at Masatsugu.

Her dignified smile conveyed elegance that was the talk of the town all over Suruga.

"An easily cleared test would be pointless. Hence, we decided to step things up a little."

Evidently, the princess was nowhere near "obedient" as her appearance would suggest—

This was Masatsugu's first glimpse at Fujinomiya Shiori's true self. She was the noble princess, the intelligent and elegant beauty, yet hidden inside her were all kinds of secret aspects...

Shiori continued to speak to the pensive Masatsugu, "That being said, this test has proceeded long enough. Tachibana-sama, you are plenty qualified to serve as my bodyguard. The last requirement is your consent."

"I see."

Having been given the right to decide, Masatsugu agreed quite readily.

"Since serving Your Highness is the business of my clan, I have no objections..."

Masatsugu did not feel any loyalty to the imperial family but he was indebted to his clan. Furthermore, he had some talents so assisting Hatsune in her work should not be a problem... Just as he made his decision, a certain notion crossed his mind. Perhaps this was an excellent chance to solve "a certain problem" too.

Masatsugu decided that he needed to review the matter properly, but unfortunately, he did not have the luxury of time right now.

Unexpectedly, a siren blared at the scene to signal an emergency situation.

### Part 3

The sudden siren sounded throughout the Suruga tutelary fort.

Fujinomiya Shiori immediately left the reception room and exited the building. Taking Tachibana Hatsune and her new subordinate, Tachibana Masatsugu, she led the way.

"Where are we going, Princess?"

"The nation-protecting keep. It is where information is pooled. We will head there to find out exactly what happened," replied Shiori to Hatsune following behind her.

"But will they be willing to tell outsiders like us...?"

"Worry not. Such matters are easy to resolve by relying on my clout—No, I will assuredly resolve it."

"As expected of the princess. A cheerful smile paired with villainous lines, it's absolutely lovely."

Shiori's words and behavior did not seem like a sheltered princess'.

Already used to it, Hatsune joked around to liven up the mood, following Shiori dutifully.

In contrast, Tachibana Masatsugu followed last, apparently not too fazed. Shiori's sudden demonstration of initiative did not raise his doubts much either.

No one knew if it was because he had a calm personality or he simply did things at his own pace. Or perhaps elements of both?

The previous scene had shown that he was no ordinary person, but that was not enough. He must awaken into one of the greatest heroes to grace the annals of history for all time.

This was also the Shiori's intent in summoning him to the tutelary fort on purpose.

To let him breathe air related to the battlefield. Perhaps it would offer him some sort of stimulation, triggering a new change within Tachibana Masatsugu—

Shiori had done this with such hopes.

In any case, Shiori led them briskly and arrived at the heart of the tutelary fort after five minutes. This was the red-brick tower standing in the center of the premises, the nation-protecting keep.

A tower roughly forty meters tall with a gigantic fengshui wheel installed at the top.

The facility itself had been built a few decades ago and was quite old in style. Shiori stepped into the ground floor hall boldly.

The multiple entrances were all open, providing free access to the ground floor.

There were fourteen or fifteen soldiers of the Tōkaidō provincial army in the hall. Noticing the platinum blonde princess, half of the soldiers saluted and cast gazes of surprise at her one after another.

Shiori originally wanted to ask for one of the officers but then it occurred to her that there should be someone higher ranked at the scene.

"Chevalier Kamamoto, may I trouble you for a moment?"

"Certainly, Princess, I am at your service."

The elderly Chevalier serving as the temporary castellan was surrounded by several of his subordinates.

These subordinates stepped back to provide a path for Shiori as soon as they saw her approach, allowing her party to reach the old man in the black officer's uniform.

"What caused the earlier siren? Please explain to me as much as is permissible."

"Pirates... apparently. The dragons at Suruga Bay are currently handling them."

"In other words, armed ships are approaching Suruga City?"

"There are no confirmed reports of ships yet, but it is very likely."

Shiori had already contacted the old man a few hours earlier to borrow a room in the tutelary fort.

As part of the privileged class, Chevaliers often turned into stubborn and arrogant old men in their advanced age. However, Old Man Kamamoto was a good-natured old man.

The elderly man's tone was cordial, probably in an attempt to reassure Princess Shiori.

"Please rest assured. I do not believe this would develop into a major incident. Please feel free to return safely to the city, Princess."

Three days earlier, the Suruga tutelary fort had lost the official serving as its castellan. The previous castellan had been arrested on charges of corruption and was currently detained at the military police headquarters in the countryside.

Taking over his duties was Chevalier Kamamoto who had retired for seven years and more.

Unless there was a shortage of personnel, the castellan of a tutelary fort must be a Chevalier—Due to this unwritten rule, a retired old man had to be recalled to take on the role for the time being.

"Pirates, is that it...?" murmured Shiori to herself.

Ten years ago, when Imperial Japan became the Eastern Rome's tributary ally...

Some soldiers had deserted the army, determined to oppose Rome to the bitter end. There were also radicals who launched terror attacks, rallying to drive Rome's advance detachment out of Japan. These people would engage in piracy on occasion when they faced shortages in funding.

Pirate ships of this sort would all be equipped with firearms and ammunition—

The coast guard deployed sea dragon retainer beasts in nearby waters to detect the smell of gunpowder as early as possible. Did a sea dragon raise the alarm this time too?

However, were the enemies really pirates? Just as Shiori pondered...

A sound resembling bells echoed in midair.

The mystic power producing this sound was not great. Shiori witnessed a white fox, roughly palm-size, on Old Man Kamamoto's shoulder.

This was the pipe fox, a small retainer beast used by the Imperial Army.

"Oh."

Old Man Kamamoto widened his eyes and the pipe fox jumped off his shoulder.

The pipe fox ran adorably to the wall where there was an unoccupied rocking chair.

Then after the pipe fox ran under the chair, a girl appeared out of thin air and onto the chair.

Dressed as a shrine maiden, the girl had bangs reaching her eyebrows and black, shoulder-length hair. Very adorable, the girl resembled a Ichimatsu doll and seemed to be eight or nine years old.

"Sakuya, do you have something to tell me?"

Old Man Kamamoto asked and the girl named Sakuya turned her head towards him.

The girl's slender figure and the outline of her shrine maiden garments were slightly blurred. Rather than a real human, she was an image projected by a spirit, a means to substitute for possessing a simulacrum.

She was probably the genie protecting the Suruga tutelary fort.

"Invading... Le... gions... Enemy, alert..."

Sakuya reported the battle situation choppily and transmitted noetic waves.

The view projected by noetic waves covered the ceiling of the nation-protecting keep's ground floor hall. It was like a giant screen at a cinema.

...The overhead view showed the situation on the sea.

There were three bodies floating on the sea surface, resembling ten-meter-long sea serpents. However, the dead bodies had golden scales, which meant they were the sea dragon used by the coast guard. All three were decapitated, possibly shot dead by the enemy.

...The screen switched to a new view.

This was the surface of the distant sea, several kilometers away from the coast. There were seven or eight heads bobbing up and down, swimming towards the beach while treading water.

However, these "humanoid" entities were not humans.

Standing eight meters tall, their silhouettes greatly resembled Legions.

Furthermore, their bodies were releasing black haze, preventing a clear view to confirm their appearance...

"Right now, multiple Legions have killed three sea dragons... and are advancing towards the Suruga tutelary fort. The enemy has stealth noetic camouflage applied, type and affiliation unidentified. Also, this video was obtained through noetic techniques... from one of the coast guard's wyverns, which had witnessed the scene..."

Sakuya's image sat on the rocking chair while giving her report.

Her voice was extremely quiet and low, rather difficult to understand due to its choppiness. To Shiori's ears, it sounded like the grim reaper paying an ominous visit.

Fortification walls and moats were unable to stop flying Legions.

However, tutelary forts had modern defensive barriers to do the job instead. Like pipe foxes, these were spirits bestowed by Lord Tenryuu, and high-ranking beings at that.

"Ifrit, Seiryuu..."

When Sakuya's image spoke this name, a gigantic magic circle appeared in the sky.

A circle of blue light, seventy meters in diameter, manifested in the air over the tutelary fort. There were complicated patterns and Sanskrit characters inside it.

Behind the magic circle, an equally gigantic dragon took form.

More precisely, it was the "image of a giant dragon."

The slender and serpentine body was covered with sapphire-blue scales.

The giant dragon also had two antlers and four short limbs—The majesty of its sacred and solemn form undoubted belonged to the oriental symbol of the king, the holy beast known as the "dragon." The translucent body indicated it was a projected image.

The Suruga tutelary fort was not at a high elevation, but it was situated on a mountain peak at least.

The surrounding urban areas could see Seiryuu's image too. Urban areas neighboring the tutelary fort were already sounding the alarm to proclaim martial law.

"Legions of unidentified affiliation are advancing on the tutelary fort? Who exactly are pretending to be pirates...?" Suruga's temporary castellan, Chevalier Kamamoto, quietly muttered.

Currently, he was riding a blue wyvern and flying over the tutelary fort. The wyvern was identical to a lizard in appearance except with wings sprouting from the shoulders instead of forelimbs.

The wyvern's was more than twice as big as a purebred horse, a mid-sized retainer beast roughly four meters in length.

Mounted on the saddle, Chevalier Kamamoto said, "In the name of Zuihou, the Appellation bestowed upon us warriors of Imperial Japan—Assemble."

A round mirror appeared in the elderly knight's right hand.

The plain round mirror seemed to be polished copper and was the size of a palm. This was Zuihou, a Chevalier seal for summoning Imperial Japan's Legion, the Kamuy, as well as a glorious badge of valor.

Soaring while mounted on his wyvern, the old man released a large amount of noesis.

The noesis immediately materialized, turning into a flying army of Legions.

A total of twenty-seven Kamuys, equipped with armor and uniforms colored with the world-famous "samurai blue." All armed with the standard issue bayonet rifle, the Legions followed Old Man Kamamoto into battle.

The old Chevalier noticed the enemy approaching from the south—Suruga Bay.

"Incoming?"

The view was quite expansive from the Suruga tutelary fort on the plateau.

Suruga Bay was to the south, Shimizu Harbor was to the east while the northeast offered a magnificent view of the sacred peak, Mount Fuji. Unlike ordinary towns or locations surrounded by mountains, the geography here was very diverse.

Within this top-class view, signs of the unknown enemy army were lurking.

There were about thirty "human figures" flying in from over Suruga Bay, the enemy army hidden behind stealth noetic techniques. After being discovered by sea dragons, they had flown into the air directly.

Without organizing themselves, the "human figures" were flying in a scattered formation.

Suruga's sea and cityscape were gradually dyed red by the setting sun. It was almost sundown.

A more careful count yielded thirty-four enemies. Chevalier Kamamoto had twenty-seven Kamuys under his command. The enemy held numerical superiority but the defenders had support from the ifrit, Seiryuu.

The image of a gigantic azure dragon, with a magic circle behind its back, occupied the air over the tutelary fort.

To the south, Chevalier Kamamoto led twenty-seven Kamuys, standing by in the air.

A minute or two later, the enemy "human figures" reached the shore. Only several kilometers stood between them at the Suruga tutelary fort. At this time, Seiryuu made a move.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...

Seiryuu emitted a sonorous roar from its gigantic jaws.

Then the sky turned dark with a gathering of storm clouds. Lightning began to descend from above.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

The dark clouds kept releasing lightning nonstop. Seiryuu had invoked a meteorological decree—This was a spiritual power to control weather phenomena, bestowed by Lord Tenryuu the sacred beast.

Struck by lightning, a certain "human figure" was blown away greatly.

However, the giant shrouded in haze did not take too much damage. Mere lightning was not enough to neutralize Legions.

The lightning turned into a continuous barrage to impede the enemy's advance. This was the purpose of the meteorological decree as a weapon.

Amid the sky filled with descending lightning, a lone "human figure" howled.

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

This was probably some kind of command.

The thirty-odd "human figures" began accelerate, moving apart from one another. Maintaining a scattered formation, they charged at high speed.

Unerringly, the enemy rushed at the Kamuy army led by Chevalier Kamamoto.

"Hmm!?"

Chevalier Kamamoto was taken by surprise. The instant they accelerated, the enemy abandoned their camouflage. Flying swiftly without fear of the lightning barrage, they were no longer an army of "human figures."

"Crusades..!"

The Crusades were larger in build than the Kamuys.

They also wore thicker armor. A refreshing white in overall coloring, they were adorned by red lines at various positions. This appearance belonged to the Crusade, the mainstay Legion of the British Imperial Forces.

"So a British knight has come to invade!?"

This was actually understandable. Imperial Japan was allied with Eastern Rome. If anyone would dare attack a Japanese tutelary fort, "the other empire" in Asia was the only logical candidate.

That being said, Chevalier Kamamoto clicked his tongue.

"The tutelary fort has yet to deploy a noesis barrier...? Right, Sakuya had mentioned her poor condition."

The enemy had launched a fierce assault in an attempt to conquer the Suruga tutelary fort.

As they called it in the olden days, a "siege battle" was about to begin. In charge of defense, the ifrit Seiryuu continued to rain down lightning in resistance, equivalent to the likes of arrows and cannons as "anti-air fire."

The problem was that without "walls," there would be no castle —

Meanwhile, the Crusades continued to fly swiftly, unfazed by the lightning strikes from the sky.

They soldiered on relentlessly even when their comrades were struck directly. Advancing in a straight line, the British Legions began to use their bayonet rifles for suppressive fire. Rather than bullets, heat beams were fired from the barrels.

Dozens of flashes flew through the air as magic arrows, approaching Imperial Japan's twenty-seven Kamuys.

"Activate barriers!"

The Kamuys swiftly executed Chevalier Kamamoto's command.

Tiny lights fluttered like particulate matter, suspended in the air around the twenty-seven Kamuys.

This type of light had the effect of weakening enemy gunfire. As a result, despite sustaining some damage, Kamamoto's Kamuys were able to meet the thirty-four charging Crusades without any loss in numbers.

A melee battle unfolded in the air.

The rifle bayonets used by both sides functioned as "spears," clashing in combat through thrusts and slashes.

Like humans, the heads, chests and abdomens of Legions were vital parts. Legions injured in these areas would lose the ability to fly and crash down.

"The tide is... against my side huh?"

The Crusade was superior to the Kamuy in both physical build and strength.

The only way for Kamuys to oppose Crusades was to make use of their agility in hit-and-run tactics. But once both sides engaged in close combat with soldiers mixed together chaotically, the side with superior strength would hold absolute advantage.

No sooner had the old Chevalier spoken than a Crusade stabbed a Kamuy in the face with its bayonet and pulled the trigger directly.

The rifle bayonet was a weapon consisting of a military rifle with a blade fitted on its front end of its barrel.

Naturally, the beam fired from the muzzle caused the Kamuy's head to explode.

Furthermore, the beam continued in a straight line, piercing a new target. Unfortunately, Chevalier Kamamoto's wyvern mount was shot.

"Ohhhhhh!?"

The beam blew away one of the wyvern's wings.

Losing the ability to fly, the wyvern fell, taking its rider along with it. The height of the fall was roughly sixty or seventy meters.

Chevalier Kamamoto crashed into a green hill. Fortunately, the wyvern's giant body helped to cushion the fall, so he survived with only a few fractures and bruises.

However—

A giant descended before Chevalier Kamamoto the survivor.

It was a Crusade, intending to assassinate Chevalier Kamamoto. The British Legion's landing caused the ground to shake and rumble. Up close, it looked as big as a three or four-story building.

The rifle bayonet in the giant's hand was roughly four meters long.

More than twice the old man's height.

Either the bayonet fitted on the gun or the beam from the muzzle could easily smash Chevalier Kamamoto to pieces. Upholding his pride as a soldier of the Imperial Army, Old Man Kamamoto spurred his injured body to stand up as quickly as possible. At the same time, he drew the 9mm semi-automatic pistol from the holster at his waist.

However, this sort of thing could not stop a gigantic Legion.

Without even using its bayonet rifle, the Crusade swung its left leg as though kicking a pebble.

This small movement struck Chevalier Kamamoto hard, kicking him into the air. Just as he was about to lose consciousness, he desperately ordered the Kamuys under his command.

He commanded the Kamuys to defend the tutelary fort to the bitter end on his behalf. This thought became the old man's final will and testament.

### Part 4

Inside the ground floor hall of the nation-protecting keep, Masatsugu sighed.

Floating in midair, a giant window was serving as a screen, playing a certain video.

It was showing the aerial battle between Legions in the sky near the Suruga tutelary fort—An intense clash between the army of Kamuys led by Chevalier Kamamoto against the British army of Crusades.

"So one-sided..." groaned Masatsugu.

After Chevalier Kamamoto's death in battle, the Kamuys clearly became more sluggish.

Whenever the Crusades approached, the Kamuys would swing their bayonet rifles to engage. Unfortunately, they were too slow, completely failing to dodge or parry enemy attacks. Conversely, the Kamuys' attacks all missed.

Like this, it was impossible to stand up to the British army with their strength advantage.

Even so, the twenty-seven Kamuys did not give up fighting. Even though their attacks frequently missed, they persisted in firing their guns at the Crusades and stabbing with their bayonets.

Normally speaking, when a Chevalier died, the Legions under his command would disappear.

"Is it the Chevalier's final will...?" Masatsugu whispered to himself. Inexplicably, he felt a sense of certainty.

Occasionally, Legions would carry out their late master's final command as though to uphold their dying wish. This was especially true for Japan's mainstay Legion, the Kamuy, whose loyalty to commands was particularly notable.

As soon as he figured out the reason why the Kamuys were fighting relentlessly, Masatsugu felt troubled.

Tachibana Masatsugu was a student who knew nothing about Legions. He could not understand why he knew such things with certainty.

Meanwhile, another unfavorable element appeared on the battlefield.

"The dragon disappeared...?"

Masatsugu doubted his eyes. The dragonoid image of Seiryuu the guardian deity had vanished without warning from the air over the tutelary fort it had occupied until now.

The soldiers in the nation-protecting keep's hall also clamored among themselves, unable to hide their loss of composure.

One officer ran over to a corner of the hall, to where Sakuya's image had been sitting on the rocking chair.

"Sakuya-sama? What happened to you, Sakuya-sama!?"

The shrine maiden's image had disappeared, vanishing from sight the same moment as Seiryuu.

Thereafter, people began to talk all at once. Someone suggested to find a noetic master while others wanted to know what actually happend to the dragon. Chevalier Kamamoto's condition was also a focus of discussion. The scene was filled with angry shouts and orders.

Desperation to break out of the predicament had infected every officer and the soldiers under them. However, without the crucial Chevalier, it was anyone's guess how much their efforts could achieve—

"...Masatsugu- sama and Hatsune, come this way."

The princess suddenly called Masatsugu and Hatsune.

Shiori walked briskly out of the hall in the nation-protecting keep and Hatsune followed decisively. Masatsugu did the same.

To be honest, this was not leadership one would expect from a sheltered princess.

Ever since the siren, Shiori had issued various precise instructions. Her obedient docility was purely a facade meant to obfuscate the world.

As soon as they left the keep, a small animal appeared on Shiori's shoulder.

It was a white fox roughly the size of a hamster, namely, the small retainer beast called the pipe fox. The spirit named Sakuya had used the same kind of animal.

Masatsugu said, "A retainer beast... Today is my first time seeing one for real."

"It is something that I asked Hatsune's father to procure for me. Keeping one around is extremely useful."

The small white animal on Shiori's shoulder exhaled through its nostrils.

Lord Tenryuu had bestowed many retainer beasts upon Imperial Japan and the pipe fox was one type. Using inborn noetic powers, they were able to serve mankind by enacting small miracles.

Like firearms, retainer beasts were only allowed to be used by military and police agencies in principle.

There were rumors of illegal retainer beasts in civilian society...

Shiori said to the mysterious little animal, "The genie of this tutelary fort... is called Sakuya, isn't she? I need to speak to her, so please locate her. You should be able to find her at the underground water shrine."

The pipe fox squealed and disappeared just like that.

It swiftly obeyed orders, leaving as suddenly as it had arrived.

"Princess, couldn't you have summoned her from where we were just now?"

"Not in front of others. I need to speak to her confidentially," replied Shiori instantly to Hatsune's question.

"That genie—seemed a bit odd."

There was a sense of certainty in the princess' tone of voice.

"A so-called genie is the will of an ifrit, something akin to an avatar. I believe that she and Seiryuu were unable to sustain their manifestations due to spiritual instabilities."

"How are you so sure?" Masatsugu could not help but interject. He was very curious about Shiori's tone of certainty.

On behalf of her master, Hatsune the lady-in-waiting puffed out her chest proudly and said, "Remember this well, Onii-sama, our princess is not only smart but also blessed with noetic aptitude. She is literally the epitome of brains and beauty, an exemplar of the Yamato Nadeshiko ideal!"

Noetic aptitude referred to the ability to sense and transmit noetic waves.

The title of noetic master was bestowed upon those who worked hard to obtain state certification. Compared to ordinary humans, these people were more able to commune with spirits and retainer beasts, which likewise specialized in noetic control.

Hatsune looked very smug, but Shiori said indifferently, "Like my hair, this sort of ability simply comes from my grandfather's bloodline. Many princesses inheriting a sacred beast's blood have aptitude for the mystical, just that my disposition is stronger."

"Amazing."

Masatsugu's ordinary praise prompted Shiori to shrug and say, "Is that so? The current Empress has rather thin dragon blood... Which is why her closest supporters have always regarded me with hostility. These people believe it is a great affront for me to bear such close resemblance to my grandfather despite belonging to a junior branch. Strictly speaking, the disadvantages are more numerous."

The princess' brilliant platinum blonde hair originated from Lord Tenryuu's bloodline.

However, the current Empress, Her Majesty Teruhime, had black hair, the same as a typical Japanese. Masatsugu now understood the reason.

Shiori continued, "Please keep this a secret for I have only told those who are close to me."

"As you command."

"Apart from noetic matters, I have also kept many other secrets. This includes my actual personality as well as the fact that I am more shrewd than most people imagine me to be."

"...Shrewd, is it?"

"Indeed. On matters of the mind, I seldom lose to anyone."

The princess' matter-of-fact expression made it sound like being shrewd was a virtue. The highly impolite word "shrew" came to Masatsugu's mind.

At that moment, a bell sound was heard.

The pipe fox that had been on Shiori's shoulder earlier appeared out of thin air. The small retainer beast had returned.

"How did it go?"

The pipe fox shook its little head.

Its lady master sighed and said in vexation, "The spirit named Sakuya... I cannot believe she closed off her heart and refused to listen to anyone. In human terms, she seems to be a very shy child. If she were to swear to secrecy, I would be willing to help her..."

Mid-sentence, the princess could no longer be heard.

A sudden crash overwhelmed her voice. Something hard and heavy collapsed, accompanied by an explosion. This was what they had heard.

The Suruga tutelary fort's star-shaped fortification walls—It had been breached at one point.

...Needless to say, the enemy Crusades were responsible.

Two Crusades kept firing their bayonet rifles from the air. Breaking past the Kamuys tasked with Old Man Kamamoto's dying wish, they charged into the tutelary fort's immediate area.

After that, the two Crusades landed inside the tutelary fort.

The heavy impact shook the ground. One of the Crusades landed on the roof of a one-story steel-frame building.

The British Legion stood over eight meters tall.

Its estimated weight of several hundred tons easily crushed the structure of steel-reinforced concrete.

Anyone inside would have died for sure. Next, the two Crusades began to spray gunfire.

The beams shot out of the muzzles in a torrent, blasting the interior of the tutelary fort.

The Crusades were not aiming in particular. Firing at a rate of ten shots per second, there was no need to aim.

The various structures inside the tutelary fort—buildings, hangars, barracks, etc were all built from steel-reinforced concrete, yet they were all pierced by the beams like styrofoam props. Blown away. Crushed. Burned. Melted. Explosions erupted.

The destructive heat beams melted and sliced through steel metal and concrete.

The was the power of the bayonet rifle.

Hatsune cried out in panic, "Princess! We have to hurry and find shelter!"

"...No, it would be safer to stay still."

Shiori looked at a certain building. It was the nation-protecting keep they had just exited.

"This tower is the core of the tutelary fort. Assuming it has concealed information inside and underground, the ifrit's principal image or a water shrine must be present. The enemy side needs to take over these facilities for their own use... Hence the Crusades will definitely not attack our position."

Shiori was right.

The two Crusades did not stop shooting but their guns were never aimed in the trio's direction at the nation-protecting keep.

Hatsune smiled and Shiori exhaled in relief. Despite speaking out to assure everyone of their safety, she could not help but feel nervous inside.

Next, the princess looked up sternly.

"Let us take this opportunity to call for reinforcements."

Shiori's entire body glowed white. It was the light of noetic power.

Ordinary people were essentially unable to sense noetic waves, but powerful noetic waves would release light, producing radiance that anyone could see—

Witnessing this rumored phenomenon, Masatsugu was deeply impressed.

"O braves who have exhausted your strength, may your courage be crowned by glory. Praise be to your courage."

The imperial princess spoke solemnly amid the white light of noesis.

Curious, Hatsune asked the Shiori, "Princess, what are you doing?"

"These Kamuys continue to fight relentlessly in honor of Kamamoto-sama's dying wish—I am gathering them to defend the tutelary fort that is about to fall to the enemy. However, I have no idea how many Kamuys will rush over here..." murmured Shiori with worry.

Indeed, the Kamuys were currently fighting valiantly against the Crusades outside the tutelary fort as well. It was anyone's guess how many Kamuys were still intact and whether they had the luxury of diverting some of their numbers back to the tutelary fort.

Surprisingly, reinforcements arrived immediately.

Firing their bayonet rifles, two Kamuys entered the premises from the tutelary fort's side gate.

"The ones guarding the gate!"

Masatsugu realized that they were the two Kamuys that had been stationed at the side gate for the purpose of prestige. Obeying their late commander's dying wish, they too had yet to disappear from the battlefield.

### Part 5

The water shrine was located between a hundred to two hundred meters beneath the nation-protecting keep.

Compared to the nation-protecting keep's ground floor hall above the surface, the water shrine was ten times more spacious. One could call it an extremely vast space. Simply stated, it was a "wide open space enclosed in stone," built entirely from white marble.

The ceiling was very tall, at least twenty meters high.

Dozens of round pillars were distributed evenly within, every pillar identical in size with a diameter of six or seven meters. The style was reminiscent of ancient Greek temples.

There were no signs of humans in this serene environment.

Conversely, there was a great quantity of "blue water" on the ground.

As far as the eye could see, it was a marine-blue surface, similar in color to the beautiful southern seas. The water was crisscrossed by narrow pieces of stone, presumably to use as paths. They were not numerous but people could walk on them.

This place, filled with blue holy water, was a sacred temple of water.

There was one corner connected to this network of paths over the blue water surface.

A certain girl dressed as a shrine maiden was standing there, unmoving. It was the image of the genie Sakuya. However, her outline was even more blurred than before.

Her current condition was very weak, not even able to sustain a projection.

(Invading, Le, gion... Seiryuu, sustain, failure—)

Sakuya was pondering blankly.

Despite her young appearance, Sakuya was actually a genie that had lived for close to a century. Her soul had accumulated much fatigue. Her personality was also "timid" and "fragile."

For delicate girl like her, the invasion of Crusades has been a painful trial.

Coming into contact at close range with noetic waves from the fighting spirit, bloodlust and offensive intent exuding from the two Chevaliers and many Legions had subjected Sakuya's soul to severe damage, as though she had been physically attacked.

Contact with the outside world was currently a heavy burden for her.

Just now, she had driven away an unwelcome pipe fox. That being said, she still wanted to fulfill her duties.

(Attempt to re-summon Seiryuu... Failure. Calling reinforcements... Attempting noetic communication—)

Sakuya dutifully engaged in several tasks slowly.

Progress was as slow as a turtle. She patiently waited for the tasks to complete. She noticed a certain task had finished, the status of friendly forces had been verified.

(Chevalier Kamamoto... Killed in action. However, the battle continues...)

Normally speaking, when the commanding Chevalier died in battle, his Legions would also vanish completely.

However, the Kamuys were obeying the old man's final will on this occasion and refused to give up fighting.

Imperial Japan's Legion, the Kamuy, was noted for its utmost loyalty to their lords. The secret to the current inspirational story probably stemmed from these Kamuys' decades-long bonds with the elderly knight in addition to their loyal dispositions.

However, reality was harsh after all. An army that had lost its commander could not possibly be in strong position.

The Kamuys valiantly resisted the enemy's thirty-odd Crusades but that was the limit. Most likely, in a few more minutes, the army of Kamuys were going to be wiped out. Or perhaps the final will's effects would weaken and they were going to disappear on their own.

It was during these few minutes...

The situation changed. Two Crusades broke through the defensive line, freed themselves of the Kamuys obstructing them, and successfully invaded the tutelary fort.

Together with Princess Shiori and his distant cousin Hatsune, Masatsugu was within the tutelary fort's premises.

Two British Legions, Crusades, had finally descended from the sky. The Kamuys guarding the side gate had rushed over to intercept the enemy.

Imperial Japan's two blue samurai fired consecutively while approaching the Crusades.

Naturally, the British forces shot back. Both sides deployed protective barriers while exchanging fire. In terms of numbers, they were evenly matched two against two.

However, having lost their commander, the Kamuys moved sluggishly and were easily shot and killed by the Crusades.

Pierced by beams in the abdomen, they vanished like morning mist.

"Princess!? Those two gate guards were easily dispatched by the enemy!" Hatsune shrieked in alarm, but there were also others fighting against the British Legions.

Neither Chevaliers nor Legions, they were the soldiers of the Suruga tutelary fort.

Driving a number of lightly armored vehicles, they approached the two Crusades. One soldier opened the top hatch and exposed his upper torso. He was carrying an anti-tank rocket launcher on his shoulder.

This weapon fired 110mm rocket-propelled grenades, specialized for countering heavy tank armor.

Furthermore, there was a small military truck carrying a small surface-to-air missile launcher platform.

Using the weapons of conventional forces, they attempted to oppose the Legions.

Ten-odd grenades and missiles were shot in succession at the invading Crusades.

Every projectile met its mark. Explosions and shockwaves produced a raging storm to ravage the two British Legions. Unfortunately, their white armor suffered no damage at all.

Witnessing this scene, Shiori sighed, "Attacks without mystic powers have a 90% chance of having no effect. This is a property shared by all Legions. Without a massive stroke of good fortune, it is impossible to defeat them using conventional weaponry..."

After that, the sound of propellers arrived at the scene.

Two combat helicopters were flying at the Crusades in a pincer attack.

Anti-tank missile launchers were hanging beneath the helicopters, and of course, the pilots launched them, but it was pointless.

The two Crusades fired indiscriminately in merciless retribution.

Armored vehicles, trucks, and helicopters were all shot and exploded. This could not be helped. Even a tank division with heavy armor and superior firepower would not be able to handle a single Legion...

"Good heavens!"

Hatsune gasped. Fortunately, these brave soldiers did not sacrifice themselves in vain. While they were holding the Crusades' attention, another four Kamuys arrived from the sky.

Sensing Shiori's noetic waves earlier, the Kamuys had rushed to assist in defense of the tutelary fort.

The Blue Samurai and the two Crusades were no more than ten meters apart. This was a distance where the bayonet part of their weapons would play their role, engaging in close quarter combat with a clash of blades.

...However, the two Crusades were more agile than the four Kamuys.

Whenever the Crusades swung their rifles, the vicious blades fitted on the tips would tear through the Kamuys' blue armor and uniform, splattering blue blood.

Indeed, the blood coursing through the veins of Legions was blue. More precisely, it should be called ectoplasmic fluid.

This blue liquid was the source of all kinds of mystic powers, for things as small as automatons possessed by spirits or entities as large as Legions or water shrines. Such was the purpose of ectoplasmic fluid.

"Princess, Onii-sama! Look!" Hatsune pointed to one of the Crusades and yelled.

The winged giant soldier of white was holding a Kamuy by the neck with its right hand. The Kamuy was raised up and tossed far away.

The Kamuy's exhausted and giant body flew through the air under the setting sun's rays.

Following a parabolic trajectory, the eight-meter body was about to fall upon Masatsugu's group...

"Hurry and run! Immediately!"

Shiori issued orders swiftly. Hatsune and Masatsugu reacted just as quickly.

Hatsune dashed as speedily as a gazelle and was the first to escape the Legion's likely crash site. Of course, Masatsugu did not fall behind by much.

As a fellow youngster of the Tachibana clan, Masatsugu was just about to demonstrate his explosive acceleration when...

"Kyah...!"

Unexpectedly, the girl beside him fell. The ground was clearly flat with no obstacles nearby, yet the girl tripped while running, falling flat on the grassy lawn.

Masatsugu halted just as he was about to sprint.

He forcibly interrupted his dash. The gigantic Kamuy was about to hit the ground in less than five seconds.

He did not have enough time to pick up the fallen girl and run away at full speed.

"......!"

Having just been appointed as the girl's bodyguard, Masatsugu felt inclined to rescue her. Even if he were not a bodyguard, there was no way he could leave a girl to her own devices in the face of imminent death.

Based on these thoughts, his body executed a certain action, but definitely not out of pure recklessness.

He believed with certainty that he could save the girl this way and that he himself would definitely survive.

"Masatsugu-sama!?"

Masatsugu threw himself on top of the stunned Shiori.

He supported himself on his arms and legs as though performing push-ups to avoid resting his weight on the princess. Thus, Shiori was positioned in the small space between Masatsugu and the ground.

Immediately, a strong impact struck Masatsugu's back.

"Guhhhhhhhhhhh!"

The Kamuy weighed several hundred tons.

Masatsugu clenched his teeth, enduring the impact and the weight of the fallen Legion. He held on, painfully, excruciatingly... A minute or two passed. his push-ups posture did not collapse.

Weighing on Masatsugu's back was the giant's chest area.

The fallen Kamuy was lying face down.

"Masatsugu-sama, Masatsugu-sama!?"

Hearing the princess crying out anxiously under him, Masatsugu breathed a sigh of relief.

The fact that Shiori could still speak meant that she was unharmed. He noticed that Fujinomiya Shiori's surprised but beautiful face was just in front of his eyes, extremely close to him.

Now that he thought about it, this posture was like he was pinning the princess down to have his way with her.

Naturally, they were not embracing each other. Neither was he experiencing the lovely softness of a woman. Nevertheless, because they were in close proximity, Masatsugu noticed something.

Despite the princess' slim figure, she was quite mature and sexy as a woman.

The curves of her bust and hips were quite voluptuous. If she and Hatsune were to stand side by side in their swimsuits, it would definitely be a close competition.

"Masatsugu-sama... Masatsugu-sama! A-Are you unharmed!?"

"I'm fine. By the way, Your Highness, may I ask you a question?"

"P-Please proceed."

"You tripped over just as we started running... Do you happen to be very bad at sports?"

"Th-This is one of my secrets and an especially important one at that. I cannot tell you easily!"

"Since it affects my work as a bodyguard, I have to make sure. However..."

Pinned under a Legion's massive body, Masatsugu was lying on top of the imperial princess. One hour ago, never in his wildest dreams would he have expected this to happen. However, Masatsugu was calm to an unbelievable degree.

Indeed, this trivial situation was no crisis.

"No need to answer the question. I already understand from your response just now."

"What!? Oh, by the way, Masatsugu-sama, this strength of yours—"

Masatsugu did not wait for the princess to finish speaking.

Mustering all his strength, he slowly pushed himself up.

"Gu... uhh... G—uhhhhhhhhhh!"

Using his back, Masatsugu slowly lifted the several-hundred-ton Kamuy and tried to stand up from the ground.

He finally managed a half-crouching posture. Currently, Masatsugu was acting like a human industrial jack, lifting the several hundred ton weight of a Kamuy's chest by a height of eighty or ninety centimeters.

Next, he finished his action in one go.

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

Accompanied by a violent shout, Masatsugu straightened his posture, standing up with an imposing form.

Finally, he pushed the Kamuy off his head as though flipping a pancake on a griddle. This monstrous strength was truly ridiculous.

Spinning half a circle, the blue giant fell on the ground again.

Previously, the Kamuy was lying face down, but this time, its back hit the ground, producing a heavy impact sound at the scene.

Standing next to the Kamuy, Masatsugu relaxed his shoulders casually.

He was bleeding somewhere on the top of his head and the blood slid down his forehead. Masatsugu felt deeply impressed. To think that he only suffered this bit of injury. An ordinary human could not possibly be this strong and sturdy.

Thanks to this power, he had protected the princess. Lying on the ground, the princess looked at him blankly.

Over to the side, Hatsune was frozen on the spot. She asked Masatsugu in astonishment, "Onii-sama... Th-Thank goodness you're okay. No wait, what the heck did you just do!?"

Turning his back to the two girls, Masatsugu moved forward. A detailed discussion would have to wait until things were settled.

He slowly approached the two Crusades. Of the Kamuy that had been fighting, only one remained while the rest were all lying on the ground as corpses. (As a side note, the lone survivor was the Kamuy that had been lying on top of Masatsugu and Shiori just now.)

The white Crusades of Britain no longer had opponents to fight for a while already.

However, they halted simultaneously.

Staring at the tiny mortal, they acted as though they had met a terrifying enemy.

The Crusades lifted their rifles and aimed at Masatsugu on the ground.

Masatsugu himself walked leisurely at the Crusades and merely issued a simple order. Againt such small fry , there was no need for him to get his hands dirty.

"Finish them."

The Kamuy lying on the ground behind Masatsugu reacted after almost crushing the princess and Masatsugu to death earlier. Eyes lighting up, the samurai crawled back up to its feet in fluid motions.

The Kamuy's method of getting up was reminiscent of a beast's speed and agility—

The Kamuy then flew over Masatsugu's head, charging at the two Crusades like a leopard.

Thrusting its bayonet rifle with lightning speed, the Kamuy pierced a British Legion in the chest with the blade. However, the assault was far from over.

Pulling out the bayonet rifle, the Kamuy slashed upwards at a slant.

This slash severed the other Crusade's carotid artery.

The battle had ended. The Kamuy's swift offensive struck vitals with precision, easily slaughtering the two Crusades.

"Red-purple...?" muttered Masatsugu to himself.

The Kamuy following his orders had quietly changed color.

Originally blue, its armor and military uniform had turned "a shade of purple mixed with the color of blood." Neither plain nor glamorous, it was quite a striking shade of red-purple, however.

...At this moment, the loud noise of propeller blades resounded in the air over the tutelary fort.

A military helicopter had flown in from the west, flanked by ten-odd blue Kamuys. Reinforcements had finally arrived.

"It should be Rikka-sama from House Akigase. Leave the rest to her."

By the time Masatsugu noticed, Shiori had come to his side.

"Masatsugu-sama... Have you finally awakened? A legatus legionis at last—A true Chevalier."

The princess had spoken unfamiliar words.

Imperial Japan's princess was gazing at Masatsugu's face.

### 040. Chapter 3 - Knights and Feats of Arms (1)

## Chapter 3 - Knights and Feats of Arms

### Part 1

The water shrine was located deep underground below the Suruga tutelary fort.

Inside the vast space built from stone was a pool of marine-blue holy water. With dozens of giant pillars standing inside it, there was a solemnity reminiscent of ancient Greek temples.

The water shrine was an important military facility as well as a quiet sanctuary.

"It has been so long since I last visited Suruga's water shrine."

Akigase Rikka was walking alone in the water shrine. This place's abundant body of blue water was crisscrossed by a thread-like network of paths three meters wide, allowing people to walk without getting wet.

Only personnel involved with mystic powers or Legions were allowed to enter water shrines.

Most representative of them were the Chevaliers, followed by noetic masters, monks, priests, shrine maidens, alchemist guilds, researchers at noetic associations, as well as genies and retainer beasts, etc—

Rikka walked over to the "bath" in the back of the water shrine. There was no door. Inside a space roughly the size of a basketball court, there was a round pool filled with a marine-blue liquid. At the center of the pool was a fountain supplying the blue liquid.

"Let us begin..."

Rikka unfastened her clothing and removed her black military uniform as an officer of the Imperial Army.

As the princess of the Tōkaidō Fiefdom, Rikka had trained in all kinds of etiquette but never had the meticulous inclination to put her clothing away properly. Her removed garments were scattered all over the floor in a demonstration of a bold warrior's nature, roaming battlefields without concern for trivial details.

However, she did carefully set down the Japanese sword hanging at her waist.

Completely naked, Rikka entered the pool—namely, the vat of ectoplasmic fluid used for bathing.

The marine-blue liquid filling the water shrine was artificial ectoplasmic fluid. This liquid had the same composition as the blood flowing in the veins of Legions.

The vat of ectoplasmic fluid was not deep. One could sit down in the vat and the fluid would not reach the top of one's shoulders.

Rikka stretched out her limbs in the vat. There was very little flab on her well-trained body, although the soft curves of her bust and hip regions fully expressed her womanly beauty.

The cold ectoplasmic fluid was mercilessly chilling her flawless nude body.

Rikka endured the cold of soaking herself in the pool. Her body began to heat up gradually. This was the best evidence that the source of mystic powers was seeping into Akigase Rikka's body.

This ectoplasmic fluid would turn into the power source for the Kamuy army under her command.

"Ectoplasmic fluid is synthesized from the blood of the godlike sacred beasts to serve as a nourishment for beings not of this world... Knights must store ectoplasmic fluid in their bodies and souls to feed their armies—Isn't that right?"

This was what Rikka had learned about Legions through oral tradition.

Bathing in a vat of ectoplasmic fluid was like resupplying rations to feed a massive army. In addition, there was one important significance.

"...Upon my Appellation of Onikiri Yasutsuna, I pray to the local shrine of Suruga. Now that my soldiers and I have bathed in local holy water, pray grant me the authorizing seal of warfare to become a war god to defend Suruga."

Rikka shut her eyes and prayed to Suruga's water shrine.

This was to approve Akigase Rikka and her army to become guardian knights of the local land and grant them power...

Before long, Rikka's entire body was glowing with faint radiance to signify the establishment of a "contract." With this accomplished, she could now sortie any moment. Once the light subsided, she prepared to handle another unresolved problem.

"Sakuya, please come out. I am not angry at you."

Rikka called out to the genie hiding in the Suruga tutelary fort. Sakuya might not be present at the water shrine currently but she should be able to sense the noetic waves "calling" her.

"It stands to reason that you could have done better yesterday. Fortunately, I arrived in the nick of time and this tutelary fort did not fall to the enemy."

Rikka's tone was gentle as though consoling a frightened child or animal.

However, Rikka did not want to feign a sweet voice to coax others. She could not do it either. Aware of her warrior disposition, Rikka spoke rigidly, "Since the worst-case scenario was avoided and I am not a woman who nags and clings to grudges, will you please forget about yesterday? Hurry and come help me. Starting today, we will be very busy for the foreseeable future."

As soon as she finished, a roughly nine-year-old girl appeared out of thin air next to the vat of ectoplasmic fluid. The young girl with shoulder-length black hair was dressed as shrine maiden, Sakuya's projected image.

The genie's image was looking at Rikka with timid eyes with a sad look on her face.

Rikka deliberately refrained from speaking. She shrugged in an exaggerated manner to imply "what am I going to do with you?"

Immediately, a pipe fox appeared next to Sakuya with a bell's ringing sound.

Glancing at the pipe fox, the image said quietly, "The princess is coming. She wishes for you... to go upstairs."

"Really? Her Highness arrived so soon."

One night had gone by since the attack of the Crusades. It was currently 9:24am.

Reportedly, Princess Shiori happened to be at the tutelary fort yesterday. After Rikka rushed to the scene, she had returned to her temporary residence in the city, hence the two of them had missed each other. Rikka was going to meet the rumored princess at last. They also needed to discuss the current incident.

"No helping it. The situation has become very serious," murmured Rikka to herself, recalling the reports on television last night.

At 7:00pm the previous evening, the Kyoto government in the Kinai region had held a press conference.

The host was the Kinai Governor General, Izumi Tenzen. He was the premier Chevalier and ruler of Kinai, a renowned fierce general who stood on the front lines personally to lead his army of Legions.

In front of the media which included television stations, newspapers and magazines, he cursed extremely emotionally.

The target of his verbal abuse was Lord Caesar, the great generalissimo from the neighboring country and protector of Imperial Japan.

The gist of the speech was as follows:

'Lord Caesar calls himself the protector of our nation's Empress but exerts wanton control over our imperial government and the Kantō Fiefdom to interfere unjustly in our internal affairs. Expelling Lord Caesar and the Roman Army from Her Majesty's presence is the first step to rebuilding our proud nation. We pledge our lives to accomplish this monumental endeavor.'

In addition, he even said the following:

'The friend of our nation, the British Empire, agrees with us wholeheartedly.'

'I hereby declare the formation of the Restoration Alliance between the Kinai Fiefdom and the British Empire. All Fiefdoms wishing to pursue the same dream are welcome to join the alliance to save our great nation.'

'As revolutionaries to bring about our nation's rebirth, the Restoration Alliance will presently march upon Tokyo.'

The Restoration Alliance's manifesto was instantly spread throughout Japan via airwaves.

It raised a huge uproar in the imperial palace and the National Diet Building.

The Tōkaidō region, sandwiched between Kinai and Kantō, was also the location of Rikka and the princess. The Restoration Alliance's army would inevitably pass through Tōkaidō.

"Anyway, I must have a discussion with the princess at length."

Although feared by the Empress faction, Shiori was still a legitimate princess of the imperial family.

As a knight, Rikka had no choice but to express her respect and concern. Leaving the blue ectoplasmic fluid, Rikka walked over to her military uniform that was scattered on the floor.

"Thank you for taking the trouble to come here, Your Highness, and gracing me with your presence."

Arriving at a room in the Suruga tutelary fort, Akigase Rikka bowed as soon as she saw the princess.

Shiori smiled gently in return to this young maiden who was both the Tōkaidō Governor General's daughter and a Chevalier.

"I am truly pleased that we were able to meet as scheduled today despite the current times we are in."

"Definitely," Rikka smiled wryly. Their appointment had been set for today in the first place.

Shiori was dressed in her usual blouse and skirt while Rikka had her black military uniform that was exclusive to officers.

"Is your father currently at Nagoya, Rikka-sama?"

"Yes. By the way, my father has apparently paid his respects to Your Highness before—"

"We met a few times at the capital. I have also seen him once after my return from Rome."

The two of them were sitting on sofas to talk face to face across a table for receiving guests.

This was the personal office for the castellan, in other words, the top commander in charge of a tutelary fort.

Naturally, the commander's room was furnished with elegance and majesty. Four days prior, the previous castellan whom this room belonged to had been arrested on corruption charges. He was imprisoned at the military police headquarters in the outskirts of Suruga City and his Appellation, the key for summoning Legions, was also sealed.

Yesterday, the temporary castellan had died in combat.

"Speaking of which... Rikka-sama, you are currently the Suruga tutelary fort's castellan, is that correct?"

"Yes, that is correct. Of course, returning to Nagoya would currently be quite a challenge. Since encountering them here counts as a sort of fate, I shall engage the Restoration Alliance for a bit."

The Chevalier princess smiled cheerfully and Shiori asked, "Then the urban areas around Suruga have been sealed off?"

"Yes, all major roads and railways have fallen under the Restoration Alliance's control."

A map of Tōkaidō was laid out on the table.

The Tōkaidō region consisted of the three prefectures of Aichi, Shizuoka and Yamanashi. Suruga City was the central metropolis of Shizuoka Prefecture.

"Apart from this place, all tutelary forts in Shizuoka have been subjugated by the Restoration Alliance."

Rikka pointed at five locations on the map—Hamamatsu, Kakegawa, Suruga, Fuji, and Nagahama respectively.

"Suruga's previous castellan not only took bribes but even had secret dealings with agents of Britain. Had we discovered this sooner, we might have been able to discover the invasion at the earliest opportunity... However, it could have been his arrest that prompted the Restoration Alliance to act ahead of schedule," explained Rikka wryly.

Shiori said to her, "Regardless, Suruga is currently akin to an isolated island on land."

"Yes. Telephone circuits have stopped working since last night while surrounding base stations have apparently been taken over. Moreover, the whole Suruga region is under large-scale interference from noetic waves, so even wireless communications and airwaves have been very unstable."

Indeed, since late last night, television and radio signals could no longer be received.

Shiori had confirmed this too.

Rikka continued, "Getting a hold of outside information requires the use of retainer beasts to scout or pass messages. At the moment, I have dispatched roughly a hundred pipe foxes."

"Is it possible for humans to enter or leave?"

"The British forces have deployed many retainer beasts to surround Suruga. Whether taking air routes or going through the Southern Alps, there is a high risk of being detected."

"Retainer beasts... In that case, reckless escape attempts would be even more dangerous."

Shiori began to assess the situation. Shizuoka Prefecture's plains were mostly located along the shore.

Not only were urban areas concentrated there but the old highway dating before the Edo period was also built along the coast. That was why the name of Tōkaidō equated to "sea road."

The five tutelary forts of Shizuoka Prefecture were also built along the old highway or on the Pacific coast.

"As one might expect, the Restoration Alliance's army—" Shiori spoke after some contemplation, "—will be advancing east along the old highway to take over Hakone Checkpoint."

"Assuredly so. Rome has a garrison stationed in Kantō, which means that failure is all but assured unless the Restoration Alliance secures their base of operations prior to attacking."

The higher the altitude at which a Legion flew, the greater the consumption of ectoplasmic fluid.

Consequently, movement was essentially limited to low-altitude flight or sea travel while avoiding mountainous regions. (If a fight against Legions was not expected after the movement of troops, there were also cases of super high-altitude travel through the stratosphere.)

Sitting formally and upright, Rikka said solemnly, "Your Highness, now that Suruga is surrounded, the situation is quite dire. If you wish to escape to the capital, perhaps I could—"

"No need for that, but I do appreciate the gesture."

"Oh?"

The Chevalier princess narrowed her eyes with interest.

Shiori smiled and said, "I have no idea whether Suruga will be my final resting place, but I did come here with intentions to stay for the long term. Besides, those people at the capital... probably do not welcome my return."

"True."

Rikka also knew why Shiori was feared.

Just as she was smiling awkwardly and feeling ridiculous, Shiori said to her, "Rikka-sama, speaking of escaping Suruga, wouldn't it be natural for you to receive orders to escape yourself?"

Akigase Rikka's father was the Governor General of Tōkaidō, Akigase Shouzan.

He was both a man of impressive magnanimity and an experienced politician. Even disregarding their relationship of parent and child, it was possible for him to secretly order his daughter to leave Suruga, so as to prevent Tōkaidō's top Chevalier from perishing along with the Suruga tutelary fort.

Hearing Shiori's speculation, Rikka laughed candidly.

"This I cannot deny. Either way, there are ways to handle it. If my father were to send a pipe fox to issue such an order... I will simply claim that the pipe fox went missing."

"Oh dear."

Akigase Rikka was not only a mighty warrior but also a noble-minded Chevalier of utmost integrity.

Shiori smiled elegantly with other intentions in her mind. Since she had reasons preventing her from leaving this place, her only choice was to decline Rikka's kind offer. There was an issue that Shiori must take care of here.

This issue was precisely Tachibana Masatsugu. Shiori needed to clarify the relationship between him and her.

Shiori hoped for Masatsugu to be her knight, but no one could guarantee for certain that he would be willing to assist her.

Nevertheless, Shiori committed her resolve. She must accomplish this goal no matter what.

### Part 2

"Urgh...!"

The young private first-class serving as the guide suddenly clutched his stomach and groaned in pain.

Hatsune looked him in the face and feigned concern.

"Oh my? What's the matter with you?"

"M-My stomach suddenly—Ow... Urghhhhhhh!"

"Oh no! I'll help you get medicine! Uh, should I go to a shop or the infirmary in a situation like this?"

"P-Please excuse me for a moment."

The unfortunate soldier got up from his pipe chair and fled the scene. The Tachibana youngster combo, Masatsugu and Hatsune, watched the soldier leave.

The location was the tearoom at the tutelary fort. There was plenty of natural lighting and a wide open space.

Inside there were vending machines selling drinks and cigarettes as well as several round tables for visitors to take a break. It was currently the next day after the British Legions had attacked.

Princess Shiori was visiting the tutelary fort again, this time for a meeting with Chevalier Akigase Rikka.

As her followers, Masatsugu and Hatsune came as well, but had no choice but to wait on standby during the meeting. A certain considerate military officer had sent a guide to show them around the tutelary fort.

...Naturally, now that it was the following day after the attack of the Crusades, martial law had already been imposed on the city.

In this chaotic situation, a visit from two outsiders would be tantamount to creating trouble, so the officer had sent someone to monitor them under the euphemism of "a guide."

However, Masatsugu and Hatsune had been tasked with secret orders requiring them to evade surveillance.

When Hatsune first arrived at the tearoom, she bought two paper cups of coffee from a vending machine, cheerfully offering one to the soldier as thanks for showing them around. She had secretly slipped a black pill into the cup of coffee. Accepting it gratefully, the soldier drank the tampered coffee with a smile. Presumably, Hatsune's adorable appearance combined with the rare sight of Japanese clothing in a military base had sealed the deal.

"How was that, Onii-sama? My ninja technique of the honey trap worked!"

"So that's your idea of a honey trap..."

The curves of Hatsune's bust were very obvious even under her kimono top. She puffed out her chest proudly.

Masatsugu was not having coffee. Taking a swig of drinking water, he asked Hatsune, "You gave him a laxative, right?"

"Something like that, a secret drug passed down the Tachibana family. One pill is enough to turn someone into a toilet guardian god for two hours, completely incapable of leaving."

"It does feel ninja-like when you call it a secret passed down the family."

"That goes without saying. The Tachibana clan used to be a family of master ninjas who commanded lower ninjas."

"They were like Hattori Hanzou? Our clan keeps way too many secrets."

Hatsune brought up the Tachibana family history, prompting Masatsugu to remark poignantly.

Hattori Hanzou Masanari, who had served Tokugawa Ieyasu, was not only known as the fierce general with the nickname "Hanzou the Spear" but also a master ninja. This was a very well-known legend.

"Actually, there was once a Tachibana Chevalier two generations before us."

"But our Tachibana clan leads a very low-key life nowadays."

"Can't be helped. The honored title of Chevalier is non-hereditary. However, the Appellation is still under our clan's safekeeping, so anyone who inherits it can become a Chevalier."

Hatsune pouted, somewhat annoyed.

"I heard it is quite a high-level Appellation. Anyone who fails in the succession ritual ends up dead. That's why the ritual is forbidden unless there is an emergency."

"Sorry, I don't understand what you mean by appellation or succession."

"Oh, sorry about that. A so-called Appellation refers to a universally recognized title of someone known for martial valor. Someone who inherits this title can become a Chevalier to summon Legions."

Masatsugu leaned forward, listening attentively to Hatsune's explanation, because the one who had ordered a Japanese Legion, the Kamuy, to fight yesterday was precisely Masatsugu himself.

"Most of them are named after medals. Take Japan's Imperial Army for example. The most common one is the medal named Zuihou, the Order of the Sacred Treasure. But occasionally, there are Appellations that are different. A Chevalier worthy of inheriting that kind of high-level title will be able to use amazing killer moves!"

"I see."

"However, these special inheritances are very difficult. If someone ineligible takes on the succession ritual, failure results in instant death."

"What's this so-called eligibility?"

"It's a bit ambiguous, but pretty much 'someone who is equivalent to a ton of military strength will be fine' or something along those lines."

"Military strength huh... So superior combat ability isn't enough?"

"Hmm, apart from martial prowess, you also need to be versed in military strategy, know how to raise your troops' morale, be undefeated on the battlefield, etc. These are all aspects of 'military strength.'"

Hatsune interrupted the explanation and stared straight at Masatsugu.

"Yesterday, Onii-sama, when you demonstrated supernatural strength, I thought you had inherited the Appellation at some point, the one specially kept by the Tachibana clan."

"Sorry, I have no memory of that at all," Masatsugu gave a negative answer and said, "Are there many people who fight Legions like me... using a body of flesh?"

"I've never seen it and no one in our clan has managed it before. Generally speaking, you'd definitely be flattened. Oh, however..."

Hatsune clapped her hands together and said with her eyes glimmering, "I mentioned just now that 'those with high-level Appellations' can use amazing killer moves, right? This is a rumor I heard in the imperial palace, so it's very rare."

"At least there are known cases..."

"We'll delve deeper in these matters later. Either way, Onii-sama, you're definitely no ordinary person... So, it's time for me to get going and finish the princess' command sooner."

Hatsune stood up from her seat, shaking the pipe chair.

Masatsugu's distant cousin left swiftly, still cheerful and outgoing in personality. Masatsugu also got up to take a leisurely stroll. He had to kill time while waiting for his master and Hatsune to take care of their respective business.

While walking, Masatsugu pondered what had transpired the day before.

Drawing out unusual power from within himself, he had kept himself and the princess safe.

Back then, hot blood had coursed through his body and mind. Very naturally, he figured out the origin of Legions and how to use them and was able to apply this knowledge on the spot.

When the Crusades were destroyed, the princess had asked him, 'Masatsugu-sama... Have you finally awakened?'

'A legatus legionis at last—A true Chevalier.'

Masatsugu was unable to answer, simply confused.

After the brief battle, the feeling of blood boiling had vanished. At the same time, he also forgot how to control Legions.

In the end, Masatsugu had no way of answering Shiori's question.

However, the term "legatus legionis" had left a deep impression in his mind.

When Masatsugu asked Shiori what it meant, she responded with a smile. He presumed that smile was to hide her disappointment.

'One who keeps a legion—It is an ancient Roman term meaning legion commander.'

Legatus Legionis. Masatsugu ruminated over the term.

"Princess! I've fulfilled your instructions!"

They were on the way back from the Suruga tutelary fort.

The tutelary fort was located at the top of a mountainous region east of the city, so going back and forth required transport by car. Naturally, they were taking a car back.

The princess was riding a black domestic luxury car with Hatsune as the driver.

Sixteen was the legal age for a driving license. Masatsugu had obtained his last year. However, his distant cousin was clearly more skilled than him as a driver.

While demonstrating fancy cornering techniques on the mountain road, Hatsune said to the lady she served, "It was so much trouble you know~? Like putting on a masquerade, using a hidden key, seeking help from the old mister Tachibana who had infiltrated the place. It'd take a long time if I had to report the details of all these tasks—"

"Good work, I shall rely on you again when the next opportunity arises."

"Sob. Princess, you're too insensitive, I was trying to say what an ordeal it was for me... This sadistic disposition does feel very princess-like. At least let me brag a bit."

"Fufufufu, didn't you know that bragging about one's glorious exploits is a pleasure that belongs to the elderly♪"

Shiori was sitting leisurely in the spacious back seat all alone.

Masatsugu was in the front passenger seat, holding the hard-won fruit of Hatsune's efforts. It was a thin slab of wood the size of an A3 sheet with kanji and Sanskrit characters written in cursive with a brush. Masatsugu could only recognize the four words of "summon the great god" and the picture of a dog-like animal drawn beneath them.

Not only was this a retainer beast talisman used by noetic techniques but also a valuable military-grade item.

Today, Hatsune had "borrowed" something like this from the tutelary fort's underground storage.

"Hatsune, go for a spin inside the city before returning to the dormitory."

"Understood."

Hatsune followed the princess' instruction and turned the steering wheel.

The car drove through the neighborhoods and streets of Suruga that Masatsugu knew so well. However, there was very little traffic in every street. Most shops were also closed temporarily. All this was due to the imposition of martial law. Most of the vehicles on the road belonged to either the Tōkaidō provincial army or the police.

Along the way, this car was stopped by soldiers and police many times too.

Fortunately, the princess had already become a celebrity known in every Suruga household. The influence and respect accorded to her as well as the calling card of Chevalier Akigase Rikka received at the tutelary fort proved to be handy in these situations. Rikka had written "please provide assistance to the princess" on the back of the card, which had a profound effect.

After that, Hatsune drove north of Suruga City.

Continuing forward along this direction would take one near the Southern Alps and Mount Ryuusou. In other words, they had gone from the countryside around a bus station to what was truly deep in the mountains.

Masatsugu looked out the window into the sky and noticed something.

Flying in the air were three wyverns, a type of retainer beast used by many countries. Their common characteristics were "a lizard-like appearance except with wings growing out of their shoulders" and "being roughly two to three times the size of a horse."

However, every country's wyvern variant had its own unique color.

Imperial Japan's wyverns were blue. The wyverns currently in the air were white.

White was the color of the British Empire's wyverns.

"So British retainer beasts have trespassed all the way here..." lamented the princess gloomily.

They were not the only car traveling on the road. Every now and then, they would see local cars driving to the urban zone adjacent to Suruga Station to seek refuge.

There were many flyers scattered on the ground.

Distributed by wyverns all over the place, the flyers were signed jointly by the British Imperial Forces and the Kinai Fiefdom.

Masatsugu's party had picked them up to read earlier. 'Residents are strongly encouraged to seek refuge in areas deemed appropriate by the Charter of Chivalry ' was written on them. People living in the area had acted according to the flyer's instructions.

Masatsugu asked the princess in the back seat, "Does the Kinai Fiefdom intend to oppose the Roman army with British assistance?"

"Indeed. For the past fifty years, Japan's Chevaliers had seen very little action in the field... In contrast, Chevaliers of both the Eastern Roman Empire and the British Empire have been fighting on battlefields across the globe. Whether Chevalier Strength or experience, Japan is no match on either front."

"What is Chevalier Strength?"

"The number of Legions a Chevalier can summon at a time constitutes 'Chevalier Strength.' Chevaliers with a higher Chevalier Strength can summon a greater quantity of Legions—One could think of it as a power indicator. Take yesterday's battle for instance... Despite holding home field advantage, the Suruga side lost to the invading Crusades due to numerical inferiority."

The princess shrugged and sighed.

"The power disparity between the two armies was too obvious."

"From what I have heard, a Chevalier can use more Legions when fighting at a friendly tutelary fort."

The mystic beings, Legions, were summoned out of thin air at a Chevalier's command.

However, effects were different depending on the summoning location.

The quantity of summoned Legions would decrease drastically unless the summoning took place in a land holding powerful mystic energies known as divine precincts or sanctuaries. As nature would have it, these sanctuaries were very rare and the few that existed were located deep in the mountains or in the middle of nature, places of scant military value...

Masatsugu recalled knowledge he had heard before.

Shiori said to him, "Tutelary forts have water shrines underground—In other words, reservoirs of artificial ectoplasmic fluid. Thanks to large quantities of this mysterious liquid that 'nourishes beings not of this world,' the region surrounding a water shrine will naturally become spiritually purified—"

"Meaning that it becomes a sacred domain, right?"

After comprehending the explanation, Masatsugu was struck by another question. From his position in the front passenger seat, he somehow felt as though Shiori was staring at him continuously from the back.

### Part 3

Masatsugu and the others returned to Rinzai High before noon.

More precisely, it was the high school's dormitories. Princess Shiori and Hatsune were both boarders.

After the princess' personal car was parked at the staff parking lot, Masatsugu and Hatsune stayed at Shiori's side while heading to the dorm.

Unlike yesterday, Shiori did not walk in the lead.

On campus, she intended to keep up her facade as the "gentle and virtuous princess."

"...Taisei?" Masatsugu asked doubtfully upon seeing Okonogi Taisei in front of the boys dorm.

Concerned about the presence of the princess, Taisei gestured with a wave of his hand, wanting to have a word with Masatsugu in private.

Living in the city, Taisei was not a boarder. Besides, now that martial law was in effect, educational institutions were basically all on holiday. Masatsugu had no idea why he was here.

"Your Highness, may I have a word with my friend?"

Masatsugu glanced at Taisei before seeking permission from the princess.

"I don't mind... However, I would like to meet him too. I wish to know about the reactions of the school and the students," replied Shiori.

When Masatsugu brought Hatsune and the princess along, Taisei greeted the VIP with a look of confusion while questioning Masatsugu with a look of "What the hell is this?"

Completely unfazed, Masatsugu said, "What's up, Taisei? Didn't you want to talk to me?"

"Oh, yeah. Given these unusual times, information is hard to come by. I was thinking 'maybe Masatsugu-kun might have some legit info since he's serving the princess?' to myself."

"And you came all the way to the dorm for that?"

"Yeah, I rode my bike. As a member of the student council, I'm also quite curious whether the boarding students are acting out of line. I observed the boys dorm briefly and it's pretty chaotic."

Only then did Masatsugu remember that his good friend was vice-president of the student council.

Taisei's face was handsome yet nondescript. He sighed, "Due to the military's noetic disruption, it's virtually impossible to receive television and radio signals, but there are occasional images or sound. Using fragmentary information, everyone is making all kinds of speculation to make sense of the situation—or more like imagining the situation, I guess."

From what Masatsugu had heard, there once existed companies that developed pocket-size portable telephones.

However, the presence of noetic waves has become one of the reasons hindering widespread adoption of this equipment—

Noetic waves consisted of the energy of thoughts produced by retainer beasts, genies and Chevaliers. The overall term for noetic control techniques to cause destructive interference with electromagnetic waves by using powerful noetic waves was "noetic disruption."

According to a kind of urban legend, using a microwave oven next to a Chevalier will make it explode.

Ten years ago, when Lord Caesar led a thousand Legions to fight the US military stationed in Japan, electrical interference had occurred all over Japan.

Humans had yet to invent ways of producing electromagnetic waves strong enough to counter powerful noetic waves.

"Furthermore, among students from outside the city or the prefecture, there are people who plan on using unblockaded back roads to get home on bicycle."

"The act of leaving in and of itself isn't prohibited..."

"Right, when I said 'the military' just now... It's probably not the British Empire but the forces of the domestic Kinai Fiefdom, right? This isn't a foreign invasion but a rebellion or a coup d'etat, right?"

7pm last night, the Kinai Fiefdom had held a press conference.

The press conference had been held prior to the noetic disruption and could be watched on the news in Suruga City. Always keeping up with current affairs, Taisei had not missed this information.

Just as Masatsugu was about to respond to his good friend's inquires, the lady he was serving spoke up first.

Smiling gently, the princess offered a suggestion.

"Well then, since it happens to be noon... Why don't we assemble all the boarding students for a lunch gathering? It has been weighing on my conscience since yesterday that I have not formally greeted everyone upon my arrival. —Hatsune, please assist with the necessary arrangements."

"Y-Yes, Princess."

An hour later, the lunch gathering was ready.

There was a total of seventy-odd boys and girls living in the dorms. The school cafeteria was chosen as the venue because there was no space in the dorms where everyone could fit. Furthermore, Shiori made use of the school's public announcement system to invite other students and staff present to join in the lunch gathering.

Due to insufficient preparation time, the food offerings were nothing special.

Nevertheless, the fact that enough tea and rice balls could be mustered to serve so many people was all thanks to the leadership of the princess who had proposed the idea.

"My dear fellow students, would the ladies be so kind as to join me to help out in the kitchen? And gentlemen, could you kindly assist in setting up the venue. Ah yes, and could the members of the student council please come to the broadcast room—"

Her ideas were conveyed through Hatsune, Masatsugu and Taisei then executed by the community.

Shiori remembered Taisei's position in the student council, so she made her requests to the student council members at school through their vice-president (in truth, they were more like directions than requests).

Furthermore, Shiori also went to the cafeteria kitchen to make rice balls together with the girls.

The princess was not skilled in culinary arts, but conscious of her noble status, the female students quickly got along with her.

When the lunch gathering started, Shiori bowed her head to address everyone.

"Greetings, ladies and gentlemen. Suruga is currently facing a time of tribulation."

"The British forces and the Kinai Fiefdom have formed the Restoration Alliance, intending to start an insurrection against our imperial government. This is indisputable."

"However, excessive panic or wariness would only bring greater danger to yourselves."

"The Charter of Chivalry strictly forbids armed forces from attacking, plundering and intentionally harming civilians and their residential areas. This agreement, spearheaded by Emperor Karl the Great of the Chivalric King Alliance, was strongly supported by Lord Caesar and Victoria II the Queen of England, thus coming into existence as a set of international rules of engagement."

"In other words, we are protected by this charter."

"It is extremely likely that further attacks will be launched against the Suruga tutelary fort, but arbitrarily leaving the city—to head towards areas protected by the Charter of Chivalry—would actually be the most dangerous choice."

The princess explained the situation , cautioning the students against acting recklessly.

Then she smiled and said half-jokingly, "I quit school in Rome half-way and transferred to this campus... Now that I have come to Suruga, I do intend to attend school properly, all the way until I graduate. I would appreciate it if everyone could look after me, please?"

Her light-hearted words managed to dispel the nervousness in the audience, bringing waves of laughter below the stage.

After ending her speech, Shiori did not sit down. She walked throughout the venue to make friendly conversation with the students. When asked about the current commotion, she would elucidate the situation as best as she could. There was never a lack of smiles around her at any given moment.

Just before the lunch gathering was about to end, Taisei said to Masatsugu, "How amazing. With this single gathering, Her Highness has become 'the princess of the student dormitories,' acting even more reliable than the teachers or us of the student council. At this rate, she'll take over the world within the school in less than a month."

The Black Lily Dorm was assigned to the princess exclusively.

It was a double-story building constructed with a steel frame. There was a great hall, dining room, conversation lounge, reading room, etc on the ground floor with several single rooms for boarders on the second floor. The layout was the same as ordinary boys and girls dorms.

However, Black Lily Dorm clearly felt classier and cleaner.

Thanks to the remodeling work, all of the wallpaper was new. Chic furniture also made the interior very elegant.

The interior decoration alone was practically "Rokumeikan style."

After the lunch gathering, Masatsugu, Shiori and Hatsune went to the conversation lounge at Black Lily Dorm. There were three large sofas arranged around an ivory low table.

As the lady in charge, Shiori was sitting leisurely on a sofa. Standing, Masatsugu reported to the princess, "...And that's what my best friend said just now."

"Take over the world, is that so? Your friend has an amusing way with words."

Masatsugu had repeated what Taisei had said, causing Shiori to smile.

Unlike the "obedient smile aimed at the outside world" that Shiori bore during the lunch gathering, this smile conveyed a kind of irony along with strong willpower and intellect.

"However, he did put it rather well. I must become the most influential person in this school and Suruga. Otherwise, my future plans will be affected... I must first take over the world of Suruga before advancing along the goals of reigning supreme in Shizuoka Prefecture, Tōkaidō, eastern Japan, then western Japan."

"...What?"

Shiori had said several words that one would not expect from a sheltered princess.

While Masatsugu was stunned on the spot, Hatsune said excitedly, "You have to remember this well, Onii-sama, our princess has a very ambitious plan. First, she will make a name for herself and teach a lesson to the Empress faction that has been bullying her and her mother. In the future, she will become the mastermind secretly ruling all of Japan from the shadows."

"What?"

"Simply stated, our princess will take over Japan. We of the Tachibana clan are the trusted aides and spies to assist her in achieving her goals♪"

Hatsune's reveal was startling, but it was possible to find the underlying logic.

The intimate relationship between the Tachibana clan and Princess Fujinomiya Shiori was definitely quite similar to the deep bond between 'a Sengoku-period general and a secret ninja clan.'

Even the domestic helpers at Black Lily Dorm were all older women from the Tachibana clan.

Also, Hatsune had changed out of her kimono and hakama and into the school's official uniform. Seeing her dressed like that, Masatsugu was struck by a thought.

Perhaps Hatsune liked wearing the hakama out of awareness as her master's bodyguard.

After all, it was much easier to move in a hakama than a skirt. Currently, inside the dorm, the likelihood of an attack on the princess would be rather low, hence Hatsune had changed her uniform.

"...You actually pay attention to details. It's surprising."

"Onii-sama, could you not make such rude comments out of the blue?"

"Oh, sorry. Midterms are coming up and I had you pegged as the type who'd borrow notes to copy from friends and pass the exams by last-minute cramming."

"How did you know my exam strategy!?"

Naturally, given the current situation of turmoil, it was anyone's guess whether midterms would be held.

However, Masatsugu now stared at Shiori for he had a question for her.

"I now understand Your Highness' intent. The question is, why tell me? Although I'm part of the Tachibana clan, we barely know each other for a few days."

Not too long ago, Masatsugu was still an ordinary student without the slightest clue about his clan's secrets.

Besides, he had lost his memory too. It would be ill-considered for a princess to take as a trusted subordinate someone whose personality and disposition were unknown.

Shiori replied, "Indeed, there are many matters that I need to discuss with you, Masatsugu-sama, including this one. Please accompany me."

"Understood. Is this... like a private meeting?"

"No, this is an invitation to a personal date ," the princess responded surprisingly with a solemn expression.

Hence, Masatsugu and the princess decided to "meet up at their date."

They chose to meet in front of a convenience store near the dormitories half an hour later. This local chain had shops in the greater Suruga region, the kind that did not operate on a 24-hour basis.

Masatsugu arrived five minutes early. Immediately, someone spoke to him.

"Thank you for your patience."

He turned around to see the princess as expected. She had apparently just arrived.

Instead of her usual blouse and skirt, Shiori had changed into a one-piece dress and black leggings paired with knee-high boots. She was also wearing a pair of glasses.

Perhaps due to the glasses, she looked even smarter than usual.

"This isn't really a disguise... But a bit of preparation to avoid attention."

"Excuse me if I am being rude but this is totally not enough. Your Highness appeared on television previously and many residents have seen your face. That goes even more so for those who live in the school's vicinity."

Shiori was a very striking platinum blonde beauty.

Her presence alone already attracted plenty of attention. However, Shiori smiled nonchalantly and said, "Relax, so long as I do this..."

Instantly, Masatsugu was surprised. He seemed to hear a shrill sound from the princess' person.

"If I use noesis to disguise my image, I will not be noticed so easily. People who have only seen Fujinomiya Shiori on television will not be able to discern my identity."

"Noesis... So this is noetic control?"

"Indeed. This method has no effect against those who are familiar with me, or you and Hatsune... The Crusades yesterday also used camouflage falling under the same branch of techniques."

"Understood. Looks like I was too shallow in my thinking."

Indeed, if he examined Shiori carefully now, her face seemed slightly blurred.

Masatsugu apologized after understanding the whole story. When speaking to the princess, he always stuck to a simple and reserved manner, maintaining a "respectful attitude as though interacting with someone with seniority in martial arts."

He conversed with the princess, fully aware that elegant use of vocabulary was beyond him.

However, Shiori said to him, "Masatsugu-sama, may I issue you a command ?"

"As you wish."

"Please stop speaking in this manner. Just talk to me as though you were talking to Hatsune."

This unexpected command took Masatsugu aback.

"No, that would be too disrespectful—"

"As I already said... This is a command, isn't it? Now refusing a command would be truly disrespectful."

Shiori smiled mischievously.

This princess enjoyed teasing others for her amusement on occasion. Masatsugu had observed this yesterday already, so it did not surprise him, except he was unsure how to respond.

"Are you unable to follow my directions no matter what?"

"Uh."

"In that case, at least stop addressing me as 'Your Highness.' I said the same to Hatsune, that I dislike being treated with reservation."

"Understood. Then I will call you 'Princess' too."

"Please feel free to refer to yourself using the masculine pronoun."

Masatsugu contemplated for a moment. The princess had specially chosen Hatsune as her personal lady-in-waiting.

In that case, behaving more naturally would suit her tastes better. Masatsugu's ability to march at the beat of his own drum was well-known to those acquainted with him. He decided to let this aspect of his personality loose.

"Princess, where are we going today?"

"Since I called this a date earlier, Masatsugu-sama, you could take the lead and decide the entire itinerary for us, you know?"

"That'd be too heavy a responsibility for me. Please allow me to decline."

"Well."

Masatsugu's tone had shifted from before. Shiori smiled contentedly.

"Then it cannot be helped. I have an idea so please follow me."

Masatsugu went along with Shiori, but a thought immediately occurred to him.

They were being confined in a regional city under martial law, yet the princess was walking with a spring in her step. She was in quite a good mood.

What Shiori said next confirmed Masatsugu's hunch.

"Despite the current emergency, I am still rather happy."

"...How so?"

"So far, I have kept my true personality and abilities secret, to live under the guise of a harmless princess. But as soon as I attracted a little too much attention in the imperial palace, I was targeted, finally forsaken and sent to the Roman capital as a hostage."

The princess' tone of voice seemed less reserved than before.

"However, after spending a number of years to plan, I am finally about to complete preparations to strike back. I shall use Suruga as the starting point to expand my sphere of influence. Consequently, I cannot feign docility all the time as before, I must also work hard using my wits and abilities... Frankly speaking, this is actually quite delightful."

The two of them conversed while walking along a rural road. This area was near the foot of Mount Kunou, not far from the highlands.

Speakers in the city broadcasted a piece of news.

'Hello everyone, there is something I must inform all of you right now—'

It was issued by the municipal government through a female announcer. With public airwaves such as television and radio signals affected by noetic disruption, this simple means of communication was the most effective way to transmit information.

The announcement was no different in content from what Shiori had said at the lunch gathering earlier.

However, the princess' speech had struck deeper chords in people's hearts, possibly because of the leadership airs belonging to a noble princess.

"Noetic disruption persists... In other words, the British forces continue to cause interference from Suruga's outskirts."

Shiori deduced the situation after hearing the broadcast.

"Perhaps the British forces intend to resume yesterday's offensive."

"...In that case, they're still aiming to conquer the Suruga tutelary fort?"

"Yes, the British forces and the Kinai Fiefdom probably intend to use Shizuoka Prefecture as a base of operations to invade Hakone."

Shiori's accurate analysis showed that she had dappled somewhat in military strategy.

"Attacking from tutelary forts within Shizuoka Prefecture while supplied with ectoplasmic fluid from water shrines—That is the situation they wish to secure. Given that is the case, they ought to take the Fuji tutelary fort first, which is closest to Hakone, before subjugating Suruga and Nagahama near Fuji to avoid getting attacked in the rear."

Princess Shiori seemed as though she was thinking through a strategy game.

The profile of her bespectacled face looked very smart and intelligent, a style more suited to her than feigned submissive virtuousness. That was the kind of impression Masatsugu gathered from her expression.

"Princess, I don't understand Legions at all. Yet in spite of that, I managed to do that yesterday. Could it be that the term legatus legionis ..."

While noting the princess' beauty in his mind, Masatsugu spoke to her.

"...Does this term have some relation to Legions?"

"Well... It is to explain these matters that I invited you out today. My apologies, Masatsugu-sama. I shall be more focused on the date."

"...?"

Masatsugu was confused, unsure why the princess had bowed her head to apologize.

Besides, why did the princess insist on calling an outing with her bodyguard a "date"? Meanwhile, Shiori gazed upon Masatsugu—There was a hint of sadness in her eyes.

"Masatsugu-sama, you still do not remember, do you?"

"Remember what?"

"You still do not remember me. Long ago, we met once."

Masatsugu jumped. So it turned out he had met the princess before. If something major like this had truly happened, it must have been prior to his memory loss. However, he could not remember a thing.

"We will continue the discussion after we enter. This is the place I wished to bring you."

The two of them had been talking while they walked.

At that moment, the princess halted in front of a bamboo forest at the foot of the mountain.

Closer examination revealed a small path in the bamboo forest. Masatsugu followed Shiori into the depths where there was a serene, wooden Japanese house.

It was a small yet elegant building.

### Part 4

The Fuji tutelary fort was located in the Ukishimagahara wetlands of Fuji City in the prefecture of Shizuoka.

Most of the area featured an abundance of nature and even the tutelary fort's surroundings were lush and verdant.

Sites for building tutelary forts would be chosen to avoid densely populated urban centers as much as possible. A low-key rural location would be a sort of second choice—

This was an unwritten rule stemming from the Charter of Chivalry ratified by various nations. With Emperor Karl the Great as the most prominent example, the Resurrectees loved engaging in the inhumane final resort of diplomacy known as "war." Hypocritical though it may be, the Charter established terms for universally approved justification for war and all nations must abide by it.

...The above were Sir Black Knight's thoughts.

He was also a Resurrectee himself, hence this was quite a pressing matter.

Currently, the Fuji tutelary fort had been taken over by a British contingent of the Restoration Alliance.

The Chevalier castellan and his officers and soldiers had fought valiantly, but had been captured and disarmed in the British victory, and were currently under close guard.

There were unfortunate casualties during the battle, but such unavoidable facts of war did not bear mentioning.

(...In fact, the true meaning of the Charter of Chivalry is to beautify the game known as war, to make it more palatable to the populace. )

Right now, Sir Black Knight was in the underground water shrine.

At this majestic reservoir of ectoplasmic fluid, dozens of pillars stood towering, creating a solemn atmosphere like an ancient Greek temple's. There was also a "bath" inside.

The architectural style of water shrines was practically universal across the globe. Sir Black Knight had seen plenty of them already.

Entering the blue liquid used for bathing, he recited words.

"Shame be to him who thinks ill of it—Upon my true name and soul, I petition the shrine of this land. Pray share the nourishment of holy water with my soldiers and recognize us as knights of the local land."

Sir Black Knight closed his eyes and prayed, his entire body glowing faintly.

Within his closed and dark field of view, a certain image surfaced.

Giant winged soldiers of black, bearing a strong resemblance to the Crusades. Their jet-black armor shone with the light of fighting spirit and glory. An army of a thousand glorious black knights—

"O Knights of the Garter, are you urging me to hurry and take to the field?"

Listening to the pleas of his army, Sir Black Knight smiled wryly and opened his eyes.

At that moment, he heard footsteps. Someone had stepped into the bath in leather boots. There was also the rustling of clothing. Presumably, the visitor had entered without undressing.

The entrance was behind Sir Black Knight. He did not know who had arrived, yet he spoke without looking back, "I am not going to say that... I forbid others to share the bath when I am using it, for that would be too boorish. I know not who you are, but I welcome you to undress and join me in here. It is nice to have bonding moments with young knights in the bath once in a while."

Knights were required to maintain composure at all times to exemplify character and principles as dictated by chivalry.

Sir Black Knight would often remind himself of this. However, he heard a "click" behind him, making him very curious what it was.

"Affirmative. As a spirit and not a Chevalier, replenishing ectoplasmic fluid at a water shrine is not quite necessary—Nevertheless, I shall comply with this command."

As soon as he heard the girl's answering voice, Sir Black Knight hastily turned his head back.

Arriving at the bath was the doll possessed by the genie Morrigan, dressed in a sailor uniform with a beret. She moved her hands to untie the scarf around her neck, producing another "click" from her joints.

"Furthermore, after this event, I shall file a report to the higher-ups—My superior has subjected me to sexual harassment. Please be forewarned."

The simulacra used by genies were expressionless for the most part, but currently, Morrigan was looking coldly at Sir Black Knight.

"Morrigan, this is not a command. It was my misunderstanding, furthermore..."

Sir Black Knight tried to keep his voice calm but still could not help but raise his voice, "You are the one who is sexually harassing others...! A female coming out here to enter a nude man's presence and even staring at me so rudely!"

"The water shrine is, a facility of particular importance. I wished to verify, by my own eyes."

"Then you could have picked another time in my absence!"

Replenishment of ectoplasmic fluid at water shrines, cold-water ablutions or purification rites were all sacred rituals.

Clothing was not allowed in the bath, hence Sir Black Knight was completely nude. He normally looked quite slim but that was purely a visual effect of his clothing. In fact, his muscular body was steeled through and through.

With his spectacular body thoroughly exposed, Sir Black Knight scolded his subordinate harshly.

"According to my search..." said the genie Morrigan's simulacrum as she walked over to Sir Black Knight.

They had already left the underground water shrine. Walking on the lawn in the Fuji tutelary fort, they were having a stroll within the premises.

"The practice of mixed baths, existed in medieval England and France too. I cannot comprehend, the reason of, your shock and alarm."

"You raise a fair point, but it is a knight's prerogative to uphold virtue and dignity—"

Just as he was about to argue back, Sir Black Knight came to a realization. Medieval England and France. These words could not have been spoken by someone ignorant of his identity.

"Morrigan, have you figured out my identity?"

"Yes, indeed... Frankly speaking, the riddle's difficulty is not high. There are plenty of hints, simply from observing your words and behavior."

"I see. I suppose that would be the drawback to leaving a name in history."

"No, I believe, it is purely the product of your imprudence."

"You seem to have a talent for biting remarks..."

"This too, is one of our English traditions."

The genie Morrigan had inherited the English customs of biting sarcasm and black humor.

Sir Black Knight deliberately looked up to hide his feelings of embarrassment. Over a hundred British Legions, the Crusades, were on standby in the sky over the Fuji tutelary fort.

Hovering motionless, holding their bayonet rifles in their right hands, they awaited further orders.

These Legions, about to march on Suruga, were commanded by the two Knights of Her Majesty, Sir Steven and Sir Lampard, whom Sir Black Knight had brought with him from England.

It was currently 14:53. The Tōkaidō sky was very clear.

"Yesterday, it was Sir Philneville who attacked Suruga. Are you, going to relieve him of his command?"

"Phil's army has not recovered its numbers yet."

Chevaliers were able to summon Legions, winged giant soldiers, out of thin air.

These mysterious beings could easily recover in a day from wounds, relying only on their innate regeneration. This may sound outrageous, but in any case, they did not need treatment or repairs.

However, the same did not apply to those incapacitated by death or severe injuries.

Critically injured Legions required one or two weeks before they could fully regenerate and return to the battlefield.

"Besides, the Akigase princess taking over as the Suruga castellan... seems to be quite a powerful warrior. According to unverified reports, her Chevalier Strength is outstanding, possibly much higher than Phil's."

"I, see," Morrigan nodded and looked up at the Crusades in the air.

The white British Legions totaled 188. Compared to yesterday, these Legions summoned by Sir Steven and Sir Lampard at the destroyer Tintagel were increased by more than double.

"Including me, Stevie and Lamps have also finished their tutelary pact at Fuji's water shrine. Currently, this Fuji tutelary fort has become our stronghold..."

The greater a sanctuary's mystic powers, the easier it was to summon large numbers of Legions.

Tutelary forts equipped with water shrines also fulfilled the conditions of a sanctuary. But since tutelary forts were also military facilities, there was no reason for such divine blessings to benefit invaders.

Hence, the "tutelary pact" was a ritual for distinguishing friend from foe.

"...Due to this rule, the way we wage war has become rather archaic." Sir Black Knight smiled wryly and said, "In the end, war has evolved back to tactics of conquering and holding fortresses to use as strongholds. Currently, I would expect the Akigase princess to be forming a new pact at the Suruga water shrine, to turn that area into her own stronghold."

"Yes, indeed. A knight is limited to one, contracted water shrine at a time."

The destroyer Tintagel was managed by Morrigan.

The ship's power source, a fluid reactor, circulated artificial ectoplasmic fluid to generate mystic powers. Consequently, the ship itself was equivalent to a sanctuary, allowing Legions to be summoned more easily than ordinary land.

However, as a "substitute," its effectiveness could not match a water shrine after all.

This was why the British forces had prioritized conquering the various tutelary forts in Shizuoka, to use them as strongholds.

"The revolution brought by firearms and gunpowder as well as the invention of flying machinery made fortifications easy to obliterate. The word 'siege warfare' disappeared from the battlefield for almost a century... However, we are once again building tutelary forts and devoting effort towards taking castles and defending our own territory."

The medieval Black Knight laughed while he spoke. It really was quite a funny matter.

"Once your principal image—the Tintagel 's ifrit, Morgan le Fay—is transplanted to the Fuji tutelary fort, we will sortie along with Stevie and Lamps to witness their abilities."

"As you, wish."

The period from the nineteenth to the twentieth century...

...was a time when methods of warfare evolved rapidly.

Dramatic advances in the accuracy and ammunition capacity of firearms, the replacement of horse-drawn vehicles by automobiles, the advent of wireless technologies and the airplane, the disappearance of cavalry from the battlefield, supplanted by chariots of steel roaming across the plains.

The progress of industrial technology led to the trend of mechanization—

At the same time, the miracles brought by the sacred beasts also promoted "mystic" developments.

Radar technology first appeared during the Second World War, but fell into disuse once noetic control techniques became established. Furthermore, the bodies of Legions had the property of neutralizing radar waves, thus leading to its obsolescence in the modern world. Intelligence gathered by retainer beasts or human observation was more useful.

In addition, aircraft had failed to become the rulers of the skies.

The skies were controlled by flight-capable retainer beasts and the godlike sacred beasts. Workers in the field of aviation would always go about their days in devout fear, watching out for storms and turbulence caused by these beings on whim. One could inflict severe damage upon human aircraft simply by using noetic waves to summon flocks of birds to collide against the cockpit or engines.

It was currently the year 1998 at the end of the twentieth century, an era when mankind was no longer the lord of all creation.

### Part 5

The house in the depths of the bamboo forest had been carefully maintained.

One could tell from a glance at the door, the entryway and the corridor. There was not the slightest speck of dust anywhere and various wooden surfaces were all polished spick and span.

The relatively small courtyard was styled like a Japanese garden.

"This Ryouzan Manor belongs to distant relatives on my father's side. Thanks to their generosity, I am free to use this place at my discretion during my stay in Suruga."

Shiori led the way, explaining the origin of this building while advancing through the corridor. Masatsugu recalled what Hatsune had said about the princess' father being former peerage who used to live in Suruga.

Moreover, Masatsugu could detect the presence of other people (probably domestic help).

However, they did not show themselves, practically like air. Masatsugu believed that they would immediately appear to respectfully carry out Shiori's commands as soon as she called for them.

The serene atmosphere of this house was definitely beyond the unrefined Tachibana clan's ability to emulate.

"This way please, Masatsugu-sama."

Masatsugu was taken to a Japanese-style room. Sitting down formally in seiza, Shiori motioned with her eyes to Masatsugu for him to take a seat in front of her. He complied as directed.

Never in his wildest dreams would he have expected a chance to converse with the princess alone in private.

"Rather than a date... This would seem more like a tryst."

"Princess, you've been using these words for romantic liaisons for a while now."

Speaking candidly, Masatsugu said to the princess who was in serious contemplation.

"Could it be that you've fallen in love with me in this short time and you're confessing to me today?"

"W-What nonsense are you speaking of!? It has only been mere days since our reunion! To develop romance on the basis of such a relationship would be too improper!"

"My bad. It's just that I happen to have heard a lot of conversations about this topic lately."

Shiori's reaction was very flustered while Masatsugu bowed his head in apology, completely unfazed.

More precisely, he had not "heard" these conversations. Instead, he had read them in romantic comedy novels targeted towards high school boys. Putting this aside, Masatsugu had another thought.

So she did have certain a side to her personality that was like a sheltered princess.

Conversely, the princess spoke with displeasure, "Good grief... I would have expected you to be a more serious person based on your appearance. I am apparently mistaken."

"Sorry about that. May I ask what my appearance is like?"

"Has no one ever told you that you have a handsome face like a celebrity?"

"Oh sure, I've heard that a few times, except they always add 'if only you had a normal personality' at the end."

"...Indeed, your cooperativeness and sensitivity are somewhat flawed," the princess quietly commented on Masatsugu, prompting him bow his head with another "sorry about that."

"However, Princess, since my looks are suited to your tastes, then I suppose your purpose of bringing me here is still to confess, right? Yet you are telling me all this because you're too embarrassed to speak up, is that it...?"

"I certainly am not thinking that!" Shiori denied vehemently then hastily lowered her voice. "N-Naturally, I am very grateful to you for saving me yesterday. To come forward to the rescue like that... My appreciation knows no bounds."

Shiori bowed her head deeply and thanked in seiza posture, even employing the respectful ritual of pressing three fingers of each hand upon the ground.

What a princess, adhering to etiquette despite her headstrong personality, thought Masatsugu. The princess lifted her head and gazed directly at Masatsugu.

Meeting her gaze squarely, Masatsugu looked back at Shiori and said, "I was simply fulfilling my duties as a bodyguard. No need to let it weigh on your mind. On the other hand, I am curious. Why does our outing today count as a 'date'?"

"Yes. My wish is for us to develop a closer relationship, Masatsugu-sama. Oh..." Shiori answered sincerely before adding in a fluster, "D-Do know that I am referring to amicable relations between a princess and her subordinate, not romance between man and woman—I wish to confirm whether we are able to cultivate the sort of candid congeniality that exists between men. That is the reason why I asked for your company. Since I have important matters to discuss, this is a 'date' with special meaning."

The princess took a breath then asserted immediately, "Masatsugu, prior to your memory loss, you were supposed to become my knight."

As one would expect, Shiori knew about Masatsugu's amnesia. Given her attention to detail, the princess could not possibly have failed to find out, hence Masatsugu was not surprised, however...

"I was to become your knight? But I'm not a Chevalier—"

"You are a Chevalier too. Like Lord Caesar and the British Empire's Admiral Nelson, you are a Resurrectee who has been reborn from the ancient world. As you may know, they are all Chevaliers with their own armies."

Shiori continued explaining. "Furthermore, they are all powerful Chevaliers without exception. There are many accomplished Chevaliers born in contemporary times... But none of them can summon more than a hundred or two hundred Legions. They are no match for the likes of Lord Caesar or Karl the Great who are able to command armies over a thousand strong."

"Speaking of which, that title you addressed me with last time..."

"Yes, the term legatus legionis signifies a 'true Chevalier,' and is a secret title for the Resurrectees, those who have returned from the land of the dead."

Shiori explained that this title was only known to royalty, politicians and soldiers.

"I was the one who asked Hatsune's father to prepare the Tachibana identity for you to avoid attracting unwarranted attention. Coincidentally, the Tachibana clan happened to have a young man who died in an accident, so we borrowed his family registration."

"...I see."

After listening carefully to the explanations, Masatsugu simply nodded and responded concisely.

Smiling with slight wryness, Shiori said, "You don't seem to be perturbed the slightest."

"I already found out yesterday that I am no ordinary person. Besides, there's no way for me to verify statements about Lord Caesar and the others, so I don't need to draw any conclusions here... That's simply the long and short of it."

Masatsugu was always calm and collected, going about at his own pace. Making the most of his natural disposition, he expressed his honest thoughts.

"Naturally, I'm quite curious how a man like me lost my memory."

"Perhaps... Your resurrection did not proceed smoothly."

"What do you mean?"

"I awakened you two years ago. More precisely, I prayed to my grandfather, Lord Tenryuu, to send me 'an ancient warrior' and he agreed to my request."

"Why did you make such a request?"

Masatsugu had heard that the godlike sacred beasts would heed requests from young maidens betrothed to them or children of their bloodline and bestow mystic powers such as Legions or retainer beasts upon them.

Lord Tenryuu's granddaughter Shiori must have invoked this sort of privilege. The question was, for what purpose?

"My goal is the same as the Kinai Fiefdom's. I wish to obtain sufficient military strength to stand up against Lord Caesar even if I cannot defeat him. Otherwise, participation in the power struggle of contemporary Japan would be impossible. I need a powerful Chevalier to fight for me, to actualize my ideals."

Fujinomiya Shiori was a sixteen-year-old princess. In other words, she was only fourteen two years ago.

What surprised Masatsugu the most today was the discovery that she had harbored such ambitions and aspirations at her young age. In front of the dumbfounded Masatsugu, Shiori bowed deeply again, bringing three fingers of each hand against the floor.

"Masatsugu-sama, I have another request."

"......"

"I would like you to lend me your aid. As for whether I am worthy, please think it through carefully before giving me your answer within the next few days. Thank you."

"This isn't an order?" asked Masatsugu in response to the princess' earnest plea.

Shiori lifted her head, nodded, and said, "Although you have lost your memory, Masatsugu-sama, you used to be a warrior with illustrious feats of arms in the past after all. Only one such as you could bear the title of legatus legionis . It would be far too insolent to order a hero of such caliber."

Masatsugu now understood why Shiori had been addressing him with the "-sama" honorific since the beginning.

"What I demand is assistance rather than loyalty. In exchange for this assistance, I am willing to pay any price."

"Price?"

"Indeed. Be it status, fame or wealth, anything so long as it is within my ability to give."

Thus, Masatsugu and the princess' "date" concluded.

Deciding to continue serving as her bodyguard for now, Masatsugu prepared to depart from the elegant house together with Shiori.

"Could you wait here briefly? I need to materialize a retainer beast."

"To materialize a retainer beast? May I observe the technique?"

Noetic masters were able to materialize retainer beasts through the power of noesis. Masatsugu had only heard rumors about such techniques, so he asked to satisfy his curiosity as soon as he heard Shiori mention that she was going to do it.

For some reason, the princess was at a loss for words. After a moment's hesitation, she said awkwardly, "Well... I suppose you may. It is possible that witnessing the use of mystic powers or ectoplasmic fluid might jog your memory as it did during yesterday... This is a good opportunity."

Saying she had to prepare first, Shiori left the Japanese-style room.

She returned twenty minutes later, startling Masatsugu as soon as he saw her. The platinum blonde princess had her hair done up and was appearing before Masatsugu while dressed in nothing but a white Japanese-style undershirt.

Thanks to the princess' change of attire, Masatsugu was able confirm her perfect figure and feminine allure once again.

"Please follow me. A change of location is necessary."

Shiori cringed, perhaps embarrassed by her attire.

She walked in the lead to avoid making eye contact with Masatsugu. She brought Masatsugu to the back garden where there was an open-air bath. An elegant and classic bathtub made from Japanese cypress.

In addition, the location was surrounded by groves of bamboo, allowing one to enjoy the pleasure of bathing in a bamboo forest.

The house resembled a low-key Japanese inn to begin with, but little did Masatsugu expect it to be fully equipped with an open-air bath too. While impressed by all this, Masatsugu noticed that the bathtub was not filled with ordinary hot water.

The tub was brimming with a marine-blue liquid, as beautiful as the southern seas.

"This is called artificial ectoplasmic fluid... The same substance is also found underground of tutelary forts."

"A military resource, in other words. How did you get your hands on it?"

"Mainly through my grandfather's blessings. Artificial ectoplasmic fluid is synthesized from the precious blood granted by sacred beasts in conjunction with pure water that has spiritually cleansing properties... Small quantities of ectoplasmic fluid can also be produced using the blood of a sacred beast's daughter or granddaughter."

Chuckling with a smile, Shiori added, "In terms of blood donations, this amount would be the limit. I have no intention of depleting my own blood, hence I will not be too greedy... Masatsugu-sama, please bring that to me."

Masatsugu took the A3-size board and placed it on the floor of the bath. This board was the retainer beast talisman that Hatsune had borrowed. On its surface was a drawn animal resembling a dog as well as written kanji of "summon the great god" and various Sanskrit characters.

Shiori was kneeling next to the tub of mysterious blue liquid.

Holding a wooden bucket, she scooped up ectoplasmic fluid and doused herself on the head.

She repeated this multiple times. Even standing on the side, Masatsugu was splashed a little by flying droplets. The liquid felt quite cold. This was a cold-water ablution for purifying one's mind and body.

An acute ringing could also be heard from the princess' body.

Masatsugu instinctively understood—There was a strengthening of mystic powers.

The blue holy water was seeping into Shiori's body and mind, augmenting her noesis and mystic qualities.

"Beings meant to descend upon the world, may God be with you."

Shiori touched the "dog illustration" on the board with her moist hands. The retainer beast talisman instantly expanded, transforming the A3-size board into a gigantic wolf.

A silver wolf, almost the size of a horse, had appeared.

The silver wolf growled ferociously and instantly vanished.

"...Excuse me. I had to absorb ectoplasmic fluid and purify my body and mind first, because it has been a long while since I last summoned a Mibu wolf—"

The replenishment of ectoplasmic fluid was essential to those wielding mystic powers, such as Chevaliers and noetic masters.

Masatsugu asked Shiori, "So that wolf is called a Mibu wolf?"

"Indeed. Given the current emergency situation, I wish to have another retainer beast apart from the pipe fox, which is why I asked Hatsune to obtain it. Uh... Masatsugu-sama. C-Could you please stop staring at me...?"

"Excuse me."

The drenched undershirt was clinging tightly to the princess' body.

Shiori's curves became even more obvious than before, displaying the perfect shape of her breasts to Masatsugu. Hatsune seemed to have reached the "G" realm but the princess rivaled her, having crossed the "F" boundary...

Distracted by random thoughts, Masatsugu was just about to shift his gaze—He interrupted himself.

An idea had occurred to him by chance and now was the perfect chance to bring it up.

"Princess, you just said you're willing to pay any price within your ability to give, right?"

"Yes."

"Excuse me, but I don't think you are currently capable of paying any large reward. The status, fame and wealth you pledged... It's an empty promise at best, no different from drawing a cake to satisfy hunger."

"Well—true. You do raise a fair point."

Shiori looked up and straightened her back resolutely, accepting Masatsugu's criticism.

Such behavior was probably not intentional. Masatsugu smiled in response, thinking what an amusing person the princess was. Despite priding herself on shrewdness and political machinations, she was willing to treat "people" in earnest.

During the lunch gathering today, she actively interacted with the boarding students.

Weaving through the students on her own, she did not keep Hatsune or Masatsugu at her side. She could definitely have saved herself a lot of trouble had she brought either one of them along with her. During the date today, she had also treated him earnestly, speaking her mind without reservation, trying to win Masatsugu's approval.

Masatsugu could see the "pure" and "murky" sides of Princess Shiori.

"My hope is that you could accept redemption of your reward in the future."

"That is one solution, but Princess, there are rewards you are able to offer right away. You are a very attractive woman and satisfying me in womanly ways—"

"!?"

"—would be an option."

"I-I concede that you have a point. B-But how should I say this!?"

Shiori instantly became very flustered while she tried her hardest to feign calmness.

"I-I do know that I possess a pretty face, which ought to be quite attractive to men..."

"Do you have such self-awareness?"

"Y-Yes. It is just that, regarding love, romantic relationships, one night stands, purely physical relationships... I lack experience and comprehension in such matters, which is why I felt reluctant to offer such rewards on my own initiative."

Shiori recovered a dignified gaze and did not shy away from making eye contact with Masatsugu.

"Assuming you find me worthy, Masatsugu-sama, I-I am willing to be your lover. As a daughter of the imperial family, I might have difficulty entering an official marriage with you, but as your mistress—"

"Princess, I was only joking."

"Eh......!? Masatsugu-sama!"

Masatsugu admitted to joking with a straight face, instantly angering Shiori. Unfazed, he said, "I understand after listening to you. You are fully aware what kind of price is required to advance in a single bound—using unscrupulous methods..."

"......"

"For the sake of obtaining the trump card that is "me," you have already paid the corresponding price, haven't you?"

"Masatsugu-sama... This is not something you need to concern yourself with."

Shiori smiled faintly and did not provide any other response.

Masatsugu found it very amusing to find out that Fujinomiya Shiori was a woman of this sort. At the same time, he found himself unbelievable. For the past two years, he had never appraised other people like this before, yet now, he was able to read the princess' character very naturally.

It would appear that he must have been a soldier or a warrior in the ancient past after all.

Just as he thought that, a bell-like sound was heard at the scene, the arrival of a pipe fox. Shiori glanced at the fox's furry face and her expression turned solemn again.

"Almost a hundred Crusades are advancing towards the Suruga tutelary fort!?"

Evidently, the battle for Suruga was not going to be settled peacefully any time soon.

### 041. Chapter 4 - Knights and Feats of Arms (2)

### Part 1

"They came as expected..."

Akigase Rikka came to the pinnacle of the nation-protecting keep and looked out at the scenery of Suruga.

The Suruga tutelary fort was located at the highest elevation in the area. At its center, the nation-protecting keep stood at forty meters, providing an expansive view.

Rikka saw with her own eyes—Crusades invading from Suruga Bay in the south.

Roughly a hundred Crusades were flying towards the land in a dense sphere, about to reach the sky over the coast. The tutelary fort was located on mountainous terrain facing the bay. The enemy would arrive soon.

"I guessed they would come either today or tomorrow. Just as expected."

Rikka shrugged. The Crusades were flying over the sea at around fifty or sixty kilometers per hour.

This was low-speed flight, since in principle, they were capable of going faster. The reason for this was very simple too. This sort of low-speed flight required negligible consumption of ectoplasmic fluid, allowing them to conserve energy for an all-out battle.

"Defending the tutelary fort would be an option, but unfortunately, Sakuya is in poor condition. Proceed with arrangements."

Rikka was alone on the roof facing howling winds while conventional military forces were standing by on the outskirts of the tutelary fort. The noetic officers inside the nation-protecting keep were listening to Akigase Rikka's whispers through noetic waves while confirming the current situation.

It was precisely a knight's duty to shoulder the expectations of fellow comrades-in-arms and to respond to their feelings—

Dressed in military uniform, Rikka drew the sword at her waist and released her own noetic waves.

"Upon my Appellation of Onikiri Yasutsuna—Assemble, my Legions!"

Rikka's powerful noetic waves radiated from the air over the nation-protecting keep.

The noesis swiftly manifested into Kamuys, bringing into the sky a blue army, ninety strong.

"Excellent."

Rikka re-sheathed her personal sword at her waist.

A famous treasured sword of Genji pedigree. Its name had been inherited by Akigase Rikka as an Appellation.

Her act of drawing out this Japanese sword was precisely the manifestation of an Appellation. Exhibiting clear curvature, the slender blade of this rare and renowned sword featured a slightly wavy temper-line. Unlike the Zuihou held by the majority of Japanese Chevaliers, Onikiri Yasutsuna remained physically by the user's side even when Legions were not being summoned. This aspect was also proof of a high-level Appellation.

"Come— Carry me!"

Rikka called to the ninety Kamuys above.

One of them descended, bringing its shoulder to the nation-protecting keep's roof level. With a nimble leap, Rikka went over the rooftop railing without hesitation, landing on the right shoulder of the hovering Legion.

"We will establish a ground formation. Go."

Carrying its commander, the blue Kamuy flew south towards Suruga Bay.

The remaining eighty-nine Kamuys followed.

The commander-in-chief was leading the fight against the enemy on the front lines. Rikka could not help but smile wryly. This fighting style was reminiscent of military records dating back to the time of the Genpei period, but it was also how modern wars were fought too.

By transmitting noetic waves, Chevaliers directed their Legion armies to fight.

In fact, it was possible to control Legions under one's command from far away—for example, out of visual range.

However, doing so would render oneself vulnerable to noetic disruption. Certain forms of noetic disruption were specialized to counter noetic waves rather than electromagnetic signals. Under interference, one would run the risk of losing command of one's Legions.

"The sea breeze is cold as expected."

It was currently 15:18 with a strong breeze blowing inland from the sea..

Rikka was standing on a Legion flying at sixty kilometers per hour at an altitude of two hundred meters. Nevertheless, Rikka remained warm thanks to her own resilient body.

The vitality and physical abilities of a Chevalier was much higher than that of ordinary people.

Taking large volumes of ectoplasmic fluid into their bodies and minds, they were enhanced by mystic powers.

"Square formation. Make haste!"

Her army landed at the Suruga Bay shore.

Along the coast were military zones created from reclaimed land where various facilities of the Tōkaidō provincial army were situated.

The chosen landing spot was an open plain. The instant they landed, apart from the one carrying Rikka, all remaining eighty-nine Kamuys sprinted at top speed. Their movements were swift and nimble as their agile silhouettes would suggest.

Of course, this was a group of eight-meter-tall giants running.

With every step they took, the Suruga coast would shake and rumble. Be that as it may, the eighty-nine Kamuys ran rather swiftly.

Despite their gigantic body size and commensurate weight, their movements were not sluggish.

Just as winged birds were quick and agile even when moving on the ground, the Kamuys' movements were very dynamic with plenty of acceleration.

This was a characteristic common to Imperial Japan's blue Legions.

Agility, tireless diligence, courage—The ninety Kamuys swiftly entered an almost square formation of ten rows by nine columns.

Occupying the center of the square formation was the Kamuy carrying the commander, Rikka.

The Kamuy army raised their bayonet rifles in perfect unison.

Their muzzles were aimed at the incoming British Crusades flying over Suruga Bay.

"The Japanese Legions, called Kamuys, aren't they? Numbering ninety—The one taking over as Suruga's castellan happens to be on our level... Poor guy."

The number of invading British Crusades over Suruga Bay totaled ninety-eight.

The commander, Steven was muttering to himself while riding a white wyvern, flying together with the airborne army.

"He would've had the chance to be honored as a Knight of Her Majesty had he been born like us under Her Majesty's reign."

In the British Empire, only warriors with outstanding Chevalier Strength were eligible for the title of "Knight of Her Majesty."

Steven's Chevalier Strength was 98 while his brother-in-arms Sir Lampard's was 90. Today, they had sortied from Fuji after establishing a tutelary pact, a situation completely different from yesterday's.

It had been a while since the last time they commanded the full number of Legions supported by their Chevalier Strength.

Steven snapped his fingers to summon a small retainer beast for communications.

Unlike the pipe fox of Japan, the British armed forces used sprites, whose appearances were palm-sized maidens with butterfly wings on their backs. The sprite was fluttering delightfully in front of Steven.

"Inform Sir Lampard on my behalf, 'I will charge as the vanguard according to plan. In the event I should fail, I leave the rest in your hands.

The sprite nodded and disappeared.

Retainer beasts responsible for relaying messages were capable of teleporting within four or five kilometers. Retainer beasts were not as convenient as phones, but were able to substitute for wireless communications. However, small retainer beasts run the risk of dying from overexhaustion if forced to invoke this ability ten-odd times in continuous succession, hence users must pay particular attention.

"My men, the prince—Sir Black Knight—has tasked us with the glorious mission of the vanguard. I look forward to your valor in battle!" Steven rallied the Crusades under his command.

Meanwhile, Sir Lampard's army was lurking further back, standing by as a reserve unit.

They were only four kilometers from the coast where Suruga's samurai were in formation.

The ninety-eight Crusades were flying in a spherical formation.

When advancing through the air, one would arrange their Legions in a close-packed sphere to create a formation devoid of blind spots in any direction.

This was one of the basics in Legion tactics.

Serving as the commander, the Chevalier would stay in the center of the formation—the more secure position—to be able to issue the most appropriate commands to the troops at any given moment.

"Agents of Her Majesty... Crush the enemy."

As soon as Steven issued the order, the Crusades forming the front of the "sphere" aimed and fired continuously at the coast four kilometers away.

The rifles shot heat beams capable of slicing through heavy concrete.

Ninety-eight bayonet rifles were firing flashing rays at the same rate as machine guns.

Had this barrage been directed at Tokyo's city center, the clustered buildings would definitely be punctured and sliced apart like plastic. In a few short minutes, a metropolis would be rendered a tragic wasteland.

However, the Suruga army in its square formation four kilometers away remained unscathed.

"As expected, having equal numbers shooting at each other isn't going to work that easily."

Steven smile wryly. Chevaliers were able to sense everything seen and heard by the Legions under their control. These mysterious winged giant soldiers also possessed outstanding five senses far surpassing those of humans.

At his command, the Crusades observed the scene four kilometers away.

Glowing particulates—the particles of protective barriers—were suspended in the air around the Japanese Kamuys.

"The denser the formation, the greater the defensive power of Legions... Since my side's attacks are not working, it should be the same for the other party."

No sooner had Steven spoken than the enemy side counterattacked.

Staying in their square formation, the Japanese Legions pulled their triggers. Naturally, their targets were the Crusades in the air over Suruga Bay, in other words, Steven's army.

Flashing rays were shot continually as the Japanese side's anti-air fire attacked Steven's forces mercilessly.

However, the British Legions were virtually unharmed too. Around the ninety-eight Crusades, particles of protective barriers glowed as well.

The light of protective barriers had the effect of reducing enemy gunfire.

The particles from Legions of the same army would superimpose to increase their density, producing greater defensive strength. In other words, packing Legions densely in greater numbers would dramatically increase an army's overall defensive strength.

Consequently, square and spherical formations with their high density were commonly used in battles between Legions.

"Continued exchange of fire between air and land will disfavor my side. My men, let us land on the ground and switch to barbaric tactics."

Legions were winged warriors and were capable to standing on the ground with their own two feet like humans. The consumption of ectoplasmic fluid was greater when traveling through the air.

The army led by Steven was flying towards the shore.

They gradually lowered their flying altitude, preparing for a protracted battle on the ground.

Using the same formation as the enemy, Steven arranged his Legions in a ten by ten array, keeping them as densely packed together as possible even during the change in formation. While they were landing, the enemy's anti-air fire did not cease for a single moment. Thus, several unfortunate Crusades located on the fringes where the barrier's particles were weaker were shot down.

A total of four Crusades were killed in combat, pierced in vitals such as the head or the chest, thus crashing into Suruga Bay.

The remaining ninety-four remained completely unharmed.

"Now the numbers are even... No, my side holds the advantage. Let us proceed to crush them with brute force."

The Crusades landed successfully on the beach at last.

Maintaining their square formation, they marched forward neatly at the same speed.

Their targets were Suruga's Kamuy Legions, in formation one kilometer ahead.

As soon as they entered melee range, the protective barriers of both sides would neutralize each other and lose effectiveness. What followed would be slaying enemies using the bayonets on their rifles, following the way of ancient battlefields to stab and decapitate foes.

Riding his wyvern, Steven slowly circled in the air over his Crusades.

Looking at the enemy army from an overhead view, he was stunned.

"Do the descendants of samurai still believe in the blessings of divine wind and intend to attack to the bitter end?"

The Japanese Legions had changed their packed formation.

In other words, the Kamuys had abandoned the security of the high-density square formation in favor of lining themselves in a row of ninety with their bayonet rifles raised anew.

"However... Don't expect favorable divine wind to blow every time," declared Steven boldly.

Visually confirmed by the Crusades, a female knight was spotted standing sternly on the right shoulder of a Kamuy in the center of the Japanese ranks.

Taking out the Chevalier in control of the Legions would be equivalent to winning the battle.

### Part 2

"Fire!"

At Rikka's command, the ninety Kamuys pulled their triggers simultaneously.

Their target was the formation of landed Crusades. The Kamuy's bayonet rifles flashed continuously, producing a dense barrage against the enemy.

"The other side intends to settle the battle using melee combat and won't fire back in full force. Seize this opportunity to shoot with impunity!"

Rikka rallied her troops. The Crusades were gunned down one after another.

This was the outcome of the Kamuys' change of formation. Making a single row meant putting every Legion on the front rank. Thus, the ninety Kamuys were able to focus fire on the front rank of the approaching British army.

The British Legions were in a 10x10 square formation.

The ninety Kamuys focused their firepower on the ten Crusades standing in the front rank.

These ten Crusades were now under more intense fire than the barrage earlier.

The incessant flashes attacked the British Legions' gigantic bodies dozens of times, trying to break through the weakest parts of the protective barriers. The probability of striking vitals became much higher than before.

Consequently, enemy troops in the front rank fell successively.

The Crusades in the front row also returned fire but rarely inflicted injuries on the Kamuys.

Incidentally, the Suruga army led by Rikka was not at a significant advantage either. Whenever Crusades in the front rank were taken out by the Kamuys' focus fire, Crusades from the back would immediately step forward to maintain the formation.

Under heavy fire, the British army courageously advanced without any disarray.

Initially, the two armies were separated by roughly a kilometer.

Once that separation had halved, the Crusades were whittled down to ninety from ninety-four.

When the separation halved again, there were eighty-four Crusades remaining.

The distance between the two armies was finally no more than fourteen or fifteen meters.

Almost about to enter melee range, the British Crusades were down to seventy-five while there were still eighty-eight Japanese Kamuys. Numerically speaking, the Kamuys held the advantage, but...

Riding his wyvern, circling in the air, the British Chevalier roared as though victory was firmly in his grasp.

"My men, your persistence is commendable! As agents of Her Majesty, it is now your turn to fight all-out. Crush those puny Japanese soldiers!"

The Kamuys were a size smaller than the Crusades. This difference in build could not be ignored in close quarter combat. The Kamuys were inferior in strength and there were precious few precedents where their physique disadvantage were overcome.

Rikka clicked her tongue.

"Anyone at all, take out that blabbering Knight of Her Majesty!"

The Kamuys at Rikka's side obeyed and fired. Every Legion was master of combat with first-rate expertise in marksmanship and close-range fighting. An accurate shot through the target should not be beyond them.

However, the Knight of Her Majesty flew behind the square formation of Crusades.

The barrier particles surrounding the British Legions formed an invisible shield, blocking the Kamuys' sniping offensive.

Next, the British army pressed forward. A melee battle commenced at last.

The bayonet rifle was the weapon used by Kamuys and Crusades alike. Brandishing the bayonets fitted on their long barrels, both sides stabbed at enemy Legions.

The Japanese side held superiority in numbers but the tide of battle clearly favored the British army.

First of all, the seventy-five Crusades maintained their square formation as they charged at the row of Suruga troops.

The Kamuys were arranged in a row to prioritize firepower. The Crusades charged fiercely, thrusting their bayonets to stab their enemies.

Overpowered by the British Legions' pressure and strength, Kamuys were getting skewered in their masks and necks.

Of course, a small proportion of the Japanese Kamuys did manage to evade the Crusades' bayonets and struck back. However, the enemy formation remained secure.

Brandishing their bayonets, whenever any Crusades fell in the front rank, they would be immediately replaced by Crusades from the back rows.

Ultimately, the British army continued to charge at the Japanese army with perfect retention of momentum and formation. During the time of the ancient Greeks, the mighty phalanx had dominated battlefields using the same tactics of packed formations.

In contrast, the row of Kamuys was a formation offering no thickness at all.

The paper-thin formation was about to break up, torn to shreds.

"Warriors of Her Majesty, kill the enemy Chevalier! The battle ends as soon as that person dies!"

At the British Chevalier's command, the Crusades attacked even more ferociously.

Among the row of Suruga troops, Rikka was standing on the right shoulder of the center Kamuy, facing the onslaught of dozens of British Legions.

Pressured by the enemy's charge, the Suruga formation shifted from a straight line to a V-shape instead.

The center, Rikka's position, slowly retreated, causing the formation to buckle. The nearby Kamuys fought desperately to protect their lady commander but the tide had completely turned against the Japanese side.

No more than fifty Kamuys remained out of the eighty-eight.

Defeat was all but assured at this rate. Rikka took a deep breath from her position on a Kamuy's shoulder.

"Fortunately, they fell for the trap. I am relieved."

The trenchant blade at Rikka's waist was renowned as the "oni slayer."

Smiling belligerently, she drew her personal sword. The two-feet-seven-inch blade featured a slightly wavy temper-line.

Then Rikka leaped to the ground.

"My Appellation of Onikiri Yasutsuna... O trenchant blade of universal renown, demonstrate to the world the martial feat of oni slaying once more!"

No sooner had she spoken when a lone Crusade charged at Rikka head on.

The faltering Kamuys had mustered a circular formation to surround their lady commander and prevent the enemy from attacking her. However, the British Legions finally broke through the defensive line.

The opponent was a British giant soldier over eight meters tall.

Even the blade fitted on the bayonet rifle stood taller than Rikka's height.

With a moment's hesitation, the Crusude aimed a bayonet thrust down at Rikka. The Legion's giant body moved nimbly despite its great weight. An acute thrust.

As for Rikka...

Sweeping her Japanese sword horizontally, she parried the Crusade's bayonet strike.

Even though the opponent's weapon was bigger than Rikka, she effortlessly blocked the attack. Furthermore, the gigantic bayonet was sliced into two, sending the broken fragment flying before it fell and embedded itself into the Suruga ground.

Wielding her weapon of choice, Rikka slashed with ridiculous power.

Despite losing its blade, the Crusade was still a seasoned warrior after all.

Instead of using the bayonet, the Crusade instantly attacked with a kick, aiming for Rikka on the ground as though she were a football.

Rikka jumped in a somersault, evading the kick splendidly.

In addition to holding the ability to summon Legions, she had also attained extraordinary mastery of martial arts and physical skills.

"Yahhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

With a mighty shout, Rikka jumped into the air again. Stepping on the kneecap of the Crusade that had just attacked her, she jumped in front of the giant winged soldier's mask.

The treasured sword named Onikiri Yasutsuna was then stabbed into the Crusade's mask.

This strike of the sword was fatal.

The eight-meter-tall giant soldier was cut down by a 170-cm-tall girl.

"—Mibu wolf!" Rikka hastily called out after a spectacular landing.

A wolf responded to her summon, appearing out of thin air.

Featuring silver fur and a physique similar to a horse in size, this was the "Mibu wolf," a mid-size retainer beast employed by the Japanese Imperial Army.

Noetic officers observing the battle using pipe foxes had dispatched this retainer beast immediately at Rikka's command.

Rikka leaped onto the giant wolf's back. The Mibu wolf dashed across the ground.

This time, the retainer beast jumped on Rikka's behalf. Carrying the female knight with the trenchant blade, the Mibu wolf pounced at a nearby Crusade's face.

However, instead of having the wolf attacking with its teeth, Rikka swung her blade instead.

Slash. The horizontal strike sliced through the Crusade's mask, cleanly bifurcating its head.

"What a fearsome sword...!"

The British Knight of Her Majesty was stunned. He had been flying dozens of meters behind his army as though sightseeing on a wyvern tour, but was now utterly terrified. Few Chevaliers existed in the world who were capable of cutting down Legions by their own hand.

"Is that sword your Appellation—a testament to a Feat of Arms!?"

"Indeed you are correct. I, Akigase Rikka, hold the treasured sword of Genji pedigree, Onikiri no Taichi, Yasutsuna. I shall cut down mere Crusades endlessly, no matter how many you throw at me!"

The Knight of Her Majesty questioned from his wyvern mount and Rikka answered back from the giant wolf's back.

The treasured sword, Onikiri Yasutsuna. This was the title given to "the famous blade that had slain Shuten-dōji, the oni of Ooe-yama." Heroes inheriting this Appellation were able to reenact the mighty feat of slaying oni—

This was the Feat of Arms —Onikiri no Tachi, which was also the secret technique conferred to Rikka by Onikiri Yasutsuna.

"My apologies, Knight of Her Majesty," caressing her beloved sword while astride her Mibu wolf, Rikka continued to speak.

"Exchanging gunfire from a distance is not my cup of tea, hence I shall win this battle as quickly as possible. By this juncture, victory undoubtedly belongs to my Kamuys."

"What did you say?"

Her bold declaration angered the British Knight of Her Majesty.

Standing before the enemy, Rikka smiled quietly with full confidence.

### Part 3

"...The battle is unfolding as you predicted, Sir Black Knight."

The doll possessed by the genie Morrigan spoke to the one in her company.

She was riding a flying wyvern, looking at Suruga Bay below. There was another rider on the wyvern, the aristocratic Sir Black Knight who was holding the reins. Morrigan was sitting in front of him.

Flying further would take them to the zone of reclaimed land on the coast.

The British and Japanese Legions were locked in a deadly battle there and the victor was gradually emerging.

"Yet I did not want to be right. Predicting the defeat of a Knight of Her Majesty would be too inauspicious."

Sir Black Knight sighed, because he had shared an ominous prediction. When the Legions under Sir Steven first started engaging the Japanese troops in melee, the handsome aristocrat had said, "Stevie is going to lose now."

He had quietly shared this opinion despite the British army's advantageous position at the time.

Soon after, the Suruga army had made a spectacular comeback. Leading her Kamuys on the battlefield, Suruga's lady Chevalier had invoked her treasured sword's Feat of Arms to personally cut down the Crusades.

The lady Chevalier had charged straight into the enemy ranks to slay them.

Serving as her mount, the Mibu wolf retainer beast carried her as she carved her way into the Crusades' square formation—

Weaving between the densely packed British Legions, she swung her treasured sword, slicing through a Crusade's armor and vitals on every strike, inflicting heavy casualties.

This performance of an unstoppable lone rider actually persisted for merely two or three minutes.

However, once she had disrupted the British army's formation, the Kamuys launched a counterattack in one fell swoop.

Using herself as bait to divert the British army's attention for a few short minutes, the Japanese Chevalier had ordered her troops to discreetly circle around Steven's army, thus launching an assault on the back of the square formation.

After the Kamuy army started a one-sided massacre.

Crusades fell one after another while Sir Steven desperately controlled his wyvern to dodge the enemy's sniping attacks and tried to reorganize his army's formation.

"Did that treasured sword's Feat of Arms decide the battle?"

A so-called "Feat of Arms" was a supernatural technique used by Chevaliers and Resurrectees. To slay gigantic Legions by a human's hand—This was quite an incredible Feat of Arms.

Sir Black Knight shook his head and said, "If Stevie really thinks that, it means his abilities only go so far. Their fates had been sealed the moment the female knight succeeded in luring him into melee combat. Pretending to be overwhelmed by the Crusades, the enemy was actually preparing for a pincer attack."

"I, see."

Morrigan thought back to how the battle situation had developed.

The Tōkaidō army's Chevalier had lined up the Kamuys in a row to fire.

The Crusades chose to charge in a dense square formation, leading to a melee battle. Pressed by the British army, the Tōkaidō army's formation changed from a straight line to a V-shape, but then the two sides of the V circled to the back of the British army, turning into guerrilla units.

"Ultimately, it was a spectacular battle demonstrating destruction through encirclement and pincer movement. Props to the enemy commander who used this. This is enough for today, Stevie will be held accountable for his failure another time."

"May I, ask another, question?"

Sir Black Knight had expressed his admiration for the opponent in a strange manner, hence Morrigan asked him, "How did you know... the enemy commander wanted to lure our forces into melee combat?"

"Huh?"

Sir Black Knight was taken aback in surprise. This sort of expression looked very out of place on his noble and handsome face.

At a loss for words, after some contemplation, he looked up, straightened his posture and said, "It might be difficult for you to comprehend as a spirit, but matters of this sort can be understood instinctively. Like looking at the enemy army afar and sensing changes in the air, something along those lines."

"I, see."

Even among fellow humans, few would be able to agree with Sir Black Knight's explanation.

Morrigan was deeply certain of this, but her response of "I see" carried a different meaning. She was convinced that this man was a natural counter to the likes of "strategists" or "staff officers."

Sir Black Knight possessed profound mastery of strategy, tactics and the art of war, yet he did not bind himself rigidly to such knowledge.

The instincts, sensitivity, sudden inspiration, perceptiveness, judgment, and experience honed on the battlefield would turn out to be the crucial keys to victory instead during extreme circumstances—

Rather than learned through the mind, people like him were born with innate understanding of this harsh fact of reality.

Theoretical correctness did not imply victory over the enemy. On the battlefield, correctness was determined by victory , in other words, the victor is always right .

Those who studied the art of war as a field of research could never reach this realm.

"As expected of, a legatus legionis ," Morrigan praised from the bottom of her heart.

"Despite compelling arguments regarding tactics, you still fail to conceal the innate savagery in your soul... Suppose you were to proceed with irrational courses of action, I, the genie Morrigan, shall still support you wholeheartedly."

"Why does that sound like a back-handed compliment...?" said Sir Black Knight, tilting his head.

"Never mind. Although Stevie has met defeat in the vanguard battle, he has accomplished the most basic job at least. He has succeeded in wearing down the enemy's battle strength and currently has yet to be defeated completely. It is time for Lamps to enter the stage."

Immediately, Crusades flew out of the sea in the outer waters of Suruga Bay.

Using as a reference the reclaimed land where the Anglo-Japanese battle had been taking place, this was to the east. Leading ninety Legions, Sir Lampard had lurked in the sea as a reserve force and was now taking action.

The Crusades broke out of the sea surface and flew towards the Suruga tutelary fort.

Instead of reinforcing their allies, this army intended to assault and subdue the Suruga tutelary fort while the castellan was occupied with Sir Steven.

The Crusades were roughly ten kilometers away from the tutelary fort on high ground.

They could reach their destination presently without wasting ectoplasmic fluid on high-speed flight. Conversely, on the Suruga tutelary fort side—

"I remember that is Seiryuu, isn't it?" Sir Black Knight muttered to himself.

An ifrit appeared in the air over the Suruga tutelary fort.

A giant oriental dragon, reaching seventy meters in length, with a huge magic 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 materializing a gigantic 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 almost like a mirage phenomenon. The space around the tutelary fort was warped, causing the scenery to become blurred and twisted as though seen through 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? Furthermore, they even detected the noesis released by the Legions hidden in the water and immediately prepared countermeasures."

After analyzing, Sir Black Knight commented loudly, "Lamps might very well face a tough 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 get me wrong. What I mean is this—Perhaps Britain might be willing to let me fight seeing as we are up against a castle that two Knights 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 from going out on the battlefield.

This command had come from Sir Grayson, the captain of the Tintagel . 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 names, Edward the Black Prince and Knights of the Garter... will have grave effects on future strategy. Please be prudent."

Born in the medieval English royal family, a supreme military genius.

The former Plantagenet crown prince shrugged wryly and accepted Morrigan's counsel.

"I can't believe they deployed two armies, Knights of Her Majesty in level. Now that's way too generous!"

Seeing the new enemies flying towards the tutelary fort, Rikka cursed from the back of her Mibu wolf mount.

The Kamuys were still fighting the vanguard 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 commander, controlling the Kamuys' battle situation from the back.

While the enemy resisted valiantly, the Kamuys had them surrounded in one spot. Holding a round formation with their protective barriers deployed, the Crusades fired desperately to fight back against Rikka's army.

"Living up to the name of the Knights of Her Majesty, how resilient."

If this battle continued, wiping out the Crusades would not be a problem.

However, the British had sent another army, flying in Suruga's airspace. The enemy was clearly targeting the tutelary fort, but Rikka's army was occupied with the ground 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 enemy vanguard would be able to catch its breath and muster its remaining forces to strike at Rikka's Kamuy army from behind. Unlike human soldiers, Legions were capable of executing extremely unreasonable battle commands.

Hence, it was imperiative to kill off enemy numbers before rushing 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—was more stable than yesterday and succeeded in having her principal image activate the noesis barrier, completing preparations for the defensive battle. Rikka had arranged for several noetic officers to assist Sakuya. Furthermore, there was additional insurance .

"Upon my Appellation of Onikiri Yasutsuna... Assemble, my Legions."

Rikka recited the sacred words to summon Legions.

However, the location pictured in her mind was the northern plateau several kilometers away—in other words, the location of the Suruga 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 enemy's ambush force was led by a battle-hardened Knight of Her Majesty.

"Masatsugu-sama... Another army of Crusades!"

Shiori pointed at a certain direction in the sky.

The ifrit Seiryuu and a magic circle was occupying the sky over the Suruga tutelary fort at the plateau. A spherical formation of Crusades, almost a hundred strong, was approaching—

Masatsugu and the princess had gone outdoors together.

There was a bamboo grove nearby. They were at the courtyard of Ryouzan Manor, a secluded residence belonging to House Fujinomiya.

Slightly earlier, a pipe fox returning from the Suruga tutelary fort had informed them of the attacking Crusades as well as Chevalier Akigase Rikka's advantageous position.

"Princess, this is an excellent chance."

"Eh...?"

For a moment, Shiori did not know how to react to Masatsugu's suggestion.

She had changed out of the undershirt and back into her one-piece dress, black leggings and knee-high boots, except omitting the glasses used for camouflage.

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 am unable to make decision right now.'"

"If I really were to say that..."

Shiori smiled mischievously.

Masatsugu was satisfied with her response. Her wit and intelligence had met his expectations. Instantly discerning the intent behind Masatsugu's question, Shiori answered seriously, "Masatsugu-sama, would you stand aside and watch me die?"

"Since the Tachibana clan took care of me in the past, I'll continue to serve as your bodyguard to repay that debt."

"Then I shall pass on that option. Allow me to think for a moment first."

Although Shiori was called an imperial princess, this did not mean she was the "emperor's daughter" in modern Japan.

Imperial princess was a title referring to all princesses carrying Lord Tenryuu's bloodline. There were other imperial princesses in Japan, all with higher ranked seats at the imperial palace than Shiori's.

The self-styled ostracized "forsaken princess" said, "To begin with, the Japanese government and the Empress are under Lord Caesar's control while the regional rulers, Twelve Fiefdoms, each have their own agendas. 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..."

Shiori shrugged while speaking in a sardonic tone.

"Without a doubt, the current Japan is literally in a state of disunity. Although I am not Liu Bei of the Three Kingdoms, it is rather easy for unassuming youngsters to make a name for themselves during times of turmoil—"

For example, young men from the impoverished countryside joining rebel armies, rising in position from soldier to general to head of state...

Such opportunities to rise above the rabble were impossible to come by during times of peace and stability. Conversely, the difficulty bar was instantly much lowered if one held military power and soldiers during times 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 meaningful 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 Fiefdom has been forced to fight 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 was aware that his expression tended to be stiff normally. Smiling was not his strong suit. Nevertheless, he did occasionally show this type of smile, except that no one around him noticed.

This time, he was smiling in celebration of Shiori making the right judgment call.

In truth, which side she had chosen to aid was unimportant. Of course, Masatsugu personally did not wish to harm Suruga's interests because his friends and acquaintances were there, but there were always ways around that.

The issue here was whether 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 meaningless if one remained indecisive in the face of opportunity.

Someone pledging 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 Shiori on this front.

"Masatsugu-sama, if I were to ask you to defend the Suruga tutelary fort... Would you be willing to grant my wish?"

"Consider it done."

Almost a hundred Crusades were currently advancing towards the tutelary fort on high ground.

Watching this scene from afar, Masatsugu shrugged lightly.

"I somehow feel like I can't possibly lose against 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 Shiori's turn to test Masatsugu this time.

"A strategian once wrote, 'against any enemy, one must make thorough 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 military strategy 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 important, but in real warfare, the enemy will also be doing their best to calculate and prepare. And war is always accompanied by all kinds of bad luck and misfortune. It's impossible to be always fighting under 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!"

Smiling, Shiori nodded.

"Had any ordinary person said the same thing, 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."

Shiori's demure expression looked extremely lovely.

If she were nothing more than a crafty girl, Masatsugu probably would not have taken an interest in her.

However, the contradictory qualities of merciless intellect and refreshing sincerity coexisted inside her. This felt particularly interesting and also provided a feeling of reliability. She was a girl harboring the commingling of not only good 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 Fujinomiya Shiori might become a great figure 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 promise, I'll be counting on your support in the future. You said you were willing to pay any price—including your own body as a woman, right..."

"!? A-As you wish!"

"Relax. I'm not the type who enjoys coercing girls."

Masatsugu's cheek muscles twitched again to smile at the flustered princess.

"I promise I will never do anything against your will, Princess. All I'm asking from you is a small favor at most."

"A-Alright."

"Much obliged. Well then, let's get started."

### Part 4

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 was what was 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 image—the visual likeness of a young girl dressed as a shrine maiden.

The nation-protecting keep was forty meters tall. Ordinary towers would usually have an observation room at the top, but nation-protecting keeps ran contrary to that norm. The vast room at the top level was completely dark without any windows on the outer walls.

The flickering light from candles in the surroundings served to illuminate this interior space.

A magic circle was drawn on the floor of stone, identical in pattern with the seventy-meter magic circle on the ifrit Seiryuu's back. Sakuya's image was sitting on top of the magic circle.

"Naumaku sanmandabodanan beishiramandaya, sowaka. Naumakuarratannoutaratayaya, atakyarobotarayachishaya, baishiramandaya, makarajaya, yakyashachibataba, sototasoshitsurabarasowaka—"

To increase her noetic energy, the girl recited a mantra as though singing a song.

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 was twisting and shimmering like being seen through steaming hot air.

A "distortion" formed a physical barrier to block enemy attacks and invasions, this was the "noesis barrier." Simply by using waves of thought and turning them into physical power sufficient to defend a fortress, it was a noetic control technique of the highest rank.

Furthermore, there were ten-odd noetic officers sitting in meditation next to Sakuya.

Within the Tōkaidō provincial army, only noetic masters wore uniforms similar to monk's working clothes. To help control Seiryuu, they were focused on chanting mantras just like Sakuya.

"Crusades—One army approaching, 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 hundred meters, a distance where fighting could break out any moment.

The enemy's ninety Crusades stopped in the air, maintaining their spherical formation.

The front half of the Legions opened fire.

Naturally, they employed continuous fire. This wave of flashing light mercilessly barraged the noesis barrier surrounding the tutelary fort, shaking it violently through firepower and impact.

However, the firepower was insufficient to break through the castle walls of noetic energy.

Sakuya's principal image, Seiryuu, was in the air above the nation-protecting keep. Protected by the noesis barrier, there was no risk of getting shot.

"Meteorological decree, activate."

At Sakuya's command, Seiryuu roared from above the nation-protecting 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 formation, the greater the defensive power of the particles. A meteorological decree did not have the firepower to breach a formation of ninety Legions.

"Stalemate... Maintain status quo for now."

Sakuya remained unfazed and continued to attack using the meteorological 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 from an unknown number of Legions in the east, probably lurking in the sea to evade noetic recon.

In response, Rikka had commanded them that in the event of an ambush, they must defend with everything 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 formations such as squares or spheres, they were forming a rugby "scrum." Bending their postures down, the ninety Legions 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 was multiplied by speed for a full-body impact, shaking the noesis barrier violently.

"...Kyahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!?"

Sakuya screamed.

Damage 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 morning, she finally managed to return to her duties.

However, her subpar mental state had not improved. Genies were not simple beings and could not recover in a few short days. Activating noesis under such circumstances would not bring 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 simple tactic of "charging at high speed using ninety giants as one unit" did yield far greater impact than the continuous firing 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, Lampard decided to give it a try. He ordered his ninety Legions to charge with all their strength.

His maneuver inflicted unexpectedly heavy damage. The giant image of a blue dragon over the Suruga tutelary fort roared in pain behind the shimmering barrier. At this rate, it looked like a few more charges was all it would take to collapse the ifrit's materialization and the noesis barrier simultaneously.

Ultimately, ifrits were categorized as "conglomerates of powerful noesis."

Without a corporeal body, they were a type of "illusory" existence. Since a noesis barrier was formed by separating out a part of themselves to materialize, the barrier's collapse was equivalent to their own collapse.

"One more time, my men. I'm counting on you."

Lampard ordered his Crusades after ramming the noesis barrier.

Receiving Lampard's orders, the ninety Legions retreated a couple hundred meters nimbly while maintaining their packed formation and formed another scrum. Four of the Crusades left the cluster and came to their commander's side to serve as bodyguards.

"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 from the ground.

On the mountainous region of the Suruga 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 ambush consisted of Imperial Japan's Kamuys, numbering sixty-four in total.

The blue samurai charged swiftly at the packed formation of sixty-four Crusades. Instead of organizing themselves in a formation, the Kamuys spread themselves apart to soar the sky like birds of prey, intending 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 immediately. Moreover, staying 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 samurai kept slicing the British Legions.

The Kamuys did not hang around the numerically superior Crusades after launching their surprise assault. After attacking, they scattered in all directions to engage in guerrilla tactics.

This momentary engagement inflicted mortal wounds on quite a few Crusades.

Twenty or so of them crashed down, having suffered stabs or slashes on their heads, necks or gaps in their armor. The eighty-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 Kamuys remained scattered, flying in the distance at low speed to observe the British army, biding 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 commander leading the Kamuys. Supposing the enemy Chevalier was absent in the area rather than hiding, 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. Furthermore, the howling sound boomed and echoed like thunder, persisting through time.

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh—

This roaring of Legions was known as the War Cry.

The Legions released huge amounts of noise from beneath the masks on their faces, forming 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 become unable to receive noetic waves, thereby losing 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.

"Some of them are still hanging on. Japanese troops are truly persistent."

Thirty Kamuys remained in the air, flying unsteadily over the tutelary fort.

Lampard recalled the traits of Japanese Legions. Agile, diligent, brave—and loyal. Even when noetic wave reception was weakened, 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 remaining 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 them. When she summoned ninety Kamuys to take on the vanguard 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 summon Legions 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 name of the Knights of Her Majesty. He selected with such accuracy the tactic most unfavorable to my side."

Rikka clicked her tongue impatiently. She was still staying at the zone of reclaimed land on the coast of Suruga Bay.

Of the valiantly resisting British vanguard, only twenty Crusades to face off against Rikka. There were fifty-five Kamuys remaining in Rikka's unit. Both armies had taken up square formations and were exchanging fire from a slight distance. In a few more minutes, it would be Rikka's victory.

However, Rikka could hear a loud and ominous noise coming from the sky.

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh—

The Kamuys sent to assist in the Suruga tutelary fort's defense were under the effects of noetic disruption and unable to receive Rikka's commands. Worst of all, the song was still in progress.

"Please, hang in there a while longer..."

Rikka sent noetic waves towards her subordinates in the distance, praying for them to fight 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 problem was that her side could very well be wiped out during these few minutes.

### Part 5

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, emitting a War Cry that resounded through the heavens. Hearing the song, the Kamuys turned into an unsteady and disorganized mess. Many of them had already crashed to the ground.

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 own power, 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, Shiori spoke with pity in her voice.

They had rushed here from the house near the student dorms, riding a Mibu wolf, the retainer beast that Shiori had summoned earlier. Mounted on the giant silver wolf, the two of them had traversed mountain paths in the most direct route with frightening speed, 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 seem to hold her in high regard, 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 Rome's capital, serving as a hostage in all but name. Rikka-sama was also sent to the Roman army and spent three years fighting as part of an allied contingent."

A so-called allied contingent was a tradition dating back to ancient Rome.

Shiori explained that it was a unit of troops formed by borrowing soldiers from allied tribes or nations and sending them to the front lines.

"Rikka-sama became a Chevalier at the age of thirteen and was immediately sent to fight 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 came up with an idea. Since she was a general whose merits were recognized by the princess, she probably would cooperate with his plan, right? Masatsugu felt this sense of anticipation.

"Princess, may I trouble you to send a message to Akigase-dono as quickly as possible?"

"It is certainly no problem since I have a pipe fox at hand... What do you wish for me to convey?"

"Very simple, tell her to do nothing—Order her Legions to cease all resistance."

"Eh!?"

"That's all I need. Then after that, I'll crush the British Empire's knights."

An astonished expression was hanging on Shiori's face. She had yet to understand Masatsugu's intent, perhaps because Masatsugu had omitted a detailed explanation in favor of saving time.

Without questioning him, she simply said, "...However, it is quite unlikely for her to accept the message as it is right now. Perhaps she might be willing to read it if sent in my name—"

Shiori simply pointed out a practical issue. She had apparently decided to place her faith in Tachibana Masatsugu.

This princess had outstanding courage despite her highborn upbringing. She did not get hung up over trivial matters. A rare talent as befitted leaders.

Due to this, Masatsugu found her endearing and likeable. Shiori pondered for a moment.

She then opened her right palm and her pipe fox appeared on it.

"Deliver a message to Chevalier Akigase on my behalf. The contents are as dictated by Masatsugu-sama just now. Sign it jointly in the name of Fujinomiya Shiori and Hijikata ."

The white little animal vanished into thin air after receiving the princess' orders.

While the pipe fox had gone to relay the message, Masatsugu was puzzled by what Shiori meant by Hijikata.

"Rikka-sama should be able to figure it out instantly as soon as she hears this magical name. A lie of convenience purely to handle the crisis, but it might work. By the way, Masatsugu-sama."

They had traveled here by riding a silver retainer beast, the Mibu wolf.

Walking over to the giant wolf that was about the size of a horse, Shiori retrieved the sheathed Japanese sword it was holding in its mouth.

This was something the princess had asked the Mibu wolf to carry when they left Ryouzan Manor.

Shiori presented the Japanese sword to Masatsugu.

"Please accept this. It is an heirloom passed down the Fujinomiya family—A testament to a Feat of Arms. It is a relic from a certain hero... I took this out in hopes that it could aid you, Masatsugu-sama."

"A testament to a Feat of Arms, in other words, it's an Appellation?"

Shiori nodded in affirmation and Masatsugu took it from her hand.

Instantly, Masatsugu felt an electric current rush through him as though he had been struck by lightning. His entire body kept trembling and it felt like his heart was being squeezed—

This extraordinary treasured sword was questioning Masatsugu.

It was questioning Masatsugu's body and soul, "Are you worthy of my company through life and death?"

This was a very brutal method of confirmation. The impact could very well rupture the heart of even a seasoned warrior, let alone an ordinary person. Masatsugu smiled wryly. Twitching his cheeks slightly, he shook his head. What Masatsugu implied was, Who do you think you're testing?

A trial of this level cannot best my body.

After that, the abnormal symptoms vanished from Masatsugu's body.

The treasured sword had accepted Masatsugu. Acknowledging Masatsugu, it apologized for its rudeness.

"What a sword with a fierce temper. I like it."

"It was the personal sword belonging to a hero known as 'the merciless.' Have you already tamed it without recalling your own mighty name? ...As expected of Lord Caesar's peer."

"It's not like the lack of a name prevents me from fighting. I'll always find a solution somehow."

Shiori smiled wryly. More than praising him, there were elements of exasperation there.

Masatsugu calmly answered his lady liege as usual and looked up at the sky.

The Crusades were still singing, their War Cry resonating across the Suruga sky. Conversely, the remaining twenty or so Kamuys had stopped resisting valiantly.

One after another, they fell to the ground like wild birds that had been shot by hunting rifles.

Were they depleted of power, defeated? ...No, the "magic word" sent by the princess must have worked.

"Please wait a moment while I take care of the enemy."

Turning his back to Shiori, Masatsugu walked forward.

He was armed with nothing but a sword in his left hand—A Japanese sword in its scabbard. Apart from that, he had no other weapons.

However, this was enough to deal with an army of this size. Perhaps due to stepping into the battlefield on his own volition, by his own initiative, Masatsugu was now fully aware of how Chevaliers fought.

"Sorry, I don't have a name to summon you guys, but please help me for now."

Advancing with just a lone sword, he released noesis towards the battlefield.

Noesis—The strength of a Chevalier's thoughts was determined by all kinds of crucial factors.

Strength of personality, strength of character, mental strength, physical strength, competitiveness, composure, wrath, hatred, love, friendship, sadness, enlightenment, life experience, combat experience, charisma, etc...

The noesis released by Masatsugu was far stronger than anyone else's on this battlefield.

"Attack as soon as I give the order without the slightest delay."

After quietly issuing his order, Masatsugu looked up at the sky again.

There were sixty-five Crusades in the air. Figuring out how to use noesis, Masatsugu was able to rapidly detect the Legions' noesis, instantly obtaining a count of enemy numbers.

The sixty-five Crusades began to speed up again.

The whole army was flying straight at the noesis barrier protecting the Suruga tutelary fort.

This time, the enemy did not form a rugby scrum. Wielding their rifles with bayonets raised, every Crusade was flying at maximum combat speed.

It was like a lance charge of medieval knights.

Riding war horses to charge full speed at the enemy with a thrust of a barbed cavalry lance. Even in full armor, the enemy would be pierced by the lances or killed by the collision, knight and horse altogether.

The sixty-five Crusades were planning to break the noesis barrier by using the killer move of the cavalry charge.

Masatsugu issued a concise command, "Begin."

The Legions responding to this order were on the ground rather than in the air.

They were the sixty-four Kamuys sent by Chevalier Akigase Rikka, having crashed to the ground due to the War Cry—No, that was not the only reason why they had crashed.

Chevalier Akigase had trusted the instructions sent by Masatsugu in the princess' name.

Due to the effects of noetic disruption, unable to receive their master's noetic waves, the sixty-four Kamuys ended up crashing to the ground one after another.

Sending his noetic waves to the Kamuys that had lost their commander, Masatsugu had forcibly assumed command.

This method was just as coercive as how he had ordered the Kamuy yesterday, almost like snatching by force.

The Kamuys that had been lying on the ground like corpses... They stood up like ghosts. Many of the crashed Kamuys were injured, but not enough to prevent them from fighting. Legions had very high resistance against non-mystical damage.

Kamuys were revived all over the battlefield's mountainous terrain.

Their armor and military uniforms used to be blue.

All the Kamuys were now red-purple. Every single one of them had taken on this color—This was proof that they had fallen under Masatsugu's command.

"Do it."

At Masatsugu's brief order, the sixty-four Kamuys all flew at once.

The Kamuys had taken off from different locations but they all had the same target—The sixty-five Crusades, having just charged at full strength at the Suruga tutelary fort's noesis barrier. The Kamuys were flying at them from behind.

The British Legions had executed a lance charge with all their might.

Struck in sixty-five places by this attack, the shimmering noesis barrier was greatly weakened. Parts of the scenery exhibiting no heat haze effect also became very obvious.

Moreover, Seiryuu above the tutelary fort was about to vanish.

After the Crusades' fierce attack came the onslaught of the sixty-four Kamuys that had turned red-purple.

Having just executed a strenuous offensive, the British winged soldiers were severely depleted in ectoplasmic fluid and wide open.

Seizing this opportunity, the Kamuys fired their rifles' heat beams.

Shot in the back, the sixty-five Crusades were reduced to twenty-nine in an instant.

Masatsugu had sent "that message" earlier precisely for the sake of this moment. While luring the British knight into complacency, it simultaneously ensured enough remaining troops for him to use.

"Now I owe Akigase-dono one. Thanks to her being so reasonable, I was able to win easily."

Currently, Masatsugu was looking at the sky confidently.

The "red-purple Kamuys" were preparing to tighten the net in the aerial battlefield. Closing in on the British Legions, they were going to stab the enemies in the vitals using their bayonets.

"They're on their last legs. Wipe them out in melee," Masatsugu calmly commanded.

There were only twenty-nine Crusades left. They were not only at a numerical disadvantage but also exhausted.

With the odds stacked firmly in his favor, Masatsugu ordered the sixty-four "red-purples" to charge at the battered Crusades. Victory was virtually guaranteed.

However, Masatsugu still decided to press the offensive thoroughly.

Before the enemy could muster a last stand in desperation, he would annihilate them with extreme prejudice.

"Thank you for waiting. It's finally your turn to debut."

The sheathed Japanese sword in Masatsugu's left hand was the Appellation bestowed to him by Princess Shiori.

The treasured sword hummed in resonance to respond to Masatsugu.

"My Appellation of Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada... The man bearing the title of 'the merciless' once wielded you to demonstrate feats of arms to the world. Share these feats with my soldiers too."

Masatsugu chanted a certain name that had surfaced in his mind when he inherited the sword.

Then he drew it out. A great sword two feet and eight inches long. Curving gently, the blade exhibited the kind of beauty unique to Japanese swords but was not especially ornate. There was a spirit of austerity and fortitude in its appearance—craftsmanship prioritizing practical combat to forge a trenchant blade specialized for slaying enemies. The blade exuded a keen aura of sharpness.

"All Kamuys, draw your sword."

The "red-purple" army met the airborne Crusades in melee combat.

Their sixty-four weapons transformed all at once. The bayonet rifles serving as spears suddenly transformed into Japanese swords, identical to Masatsugu's Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada.

With this sword in hand, the "red-purples" fought with greater ferocity than ever before.

The sixty-four Legions under Masatsugu's command had all transformed into swordsmen like fierce demons.

Slash. Thrust. Slash. Thrust. Slash. Slash. Slash. Slash. Thrust. Slash.

Slash. Slash. Slash. Slash. Slash. Slash. Slash. Slash. Slash. Slash. Slash—

The sixty-four Legions kept swinging their swords in the air, brutally slicing and piercing the Crusades' bodies, splattering the ectoplasmic fluid that served as blood.

Vertical slashes. Horizontal slashes. Diagonal slashes. Straight thrusts.

Every sword technique was so precise and merciless, almost to a bone-chilling degree. As though chopping vegetables, the Kamuys severed the Crusades' limbs, bodies, necks, and masks.

Some of the Crusades tried to swung their bayonets in an attempt to resist the onslaught of the Japanese swords.

However, the "red-purples" simply sliced through the rifles or the bayonet blades outright, rendering their enemies' weapons neutralized.

Against such incisive swordsmanship, protective gear was meaningless.

The Crusades' armor was sliced through like paper, completely useless.

This was totally one-sided slaughter, a massacre.

Masatsugu's Kamuys were using what appeared to be Tennen Rishin Style of the sword...

"Hmm?"

At that moment, a Crusade fell down.

The enemy crashed into the ground roughly twenty meters from Masatsugu.

A "red-purple Kamuy" had slashed a deep cut on the Legion's back, but the wound was not fatal. Furthermore, the Crusade seemed to realize Masatsugu was the commander. Unable to get up, the Legion strained to lift its upper torso, aiming its gun at Masatsugu from a prone posture.

In the next second, the trigger was pulled.

The beam of deadly light shot out, but Masatsugu dodged .

In truth, his reflexes were not outrageous enough to dodge light. It was simply because the enemy had released noesis filled with bloodlust prior to attacking.

By detecting that kind of noesis, it was naturally possible to dodge the heat beams that followed in succession.

Masatsugu slowly made his way to the fallen enemy soldier.

The opponent was a Legion, a giant capable of destroying large cities and slaughtering tens of thousands of people. Nevertheless, Masatsugu's footsteps were confident and unhurried.

In the end, he had to dodge three beams before he reached the Crusade.

Lifting its upper body was already the British Legion's limit. Unable to attack Masatsugu with its gigantic body, it only had the strength to pull the trigger.

Lying on the ground, the enemy's face happened to be right in front of Masatsugu.

The Crusade was a white giant with a full height of eight meters. In terms of proportion, the head was one-eighth of the body in height. In other words, the face was close to a meter long.

The massive face was hidden under the thick helmet and a mask—

Masatsugu stabbed Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada into the enemy's forehead, easily piercing the helmet's armor.

The pair of eyes behind the mask lost their glow and the Crusade went limp. It died.

...Masatsugu had a faint feeling that he was a warrior capable of fighting Legions in the flesh. In fact, prior to coming here, a notion had occurred to him. Even without an army to command, he did not mind personally cutting down enemies of this scale—

Currently, Masatsugu was clearly aware of his extraordinary fortitude.

Instinctively, Masatsugu was certain that other Resurrectees were the same. This was presumably a power unique to heroes reborn from the ancient past, but the ease with which he had pierced the Legion's armor was not his credit alone.

He praised Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada in his hand, "Your blade is very sharp."

Up in the aerial battlefield, a Crusade was slashed dead every ten seconds.

This was all due to the Japanese sword wielded by the red-purple Kamuys—the peerless sharpness of the blades. Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada hummed, asking him not to point out the obvious.

"I guess I'll simply call them 'Kanesadas' from now on."

Referring to them as "red-purple Kamuys" was a pain, so Masatsugu came up with this name on a whim.

The Crusades in the air had given up all resistance and were like lambs to the slaughter.

Taking a closer look, Masatsugu noticed that the British Empire's Chevalier on the wyvern mount had disappeared from the air at some point. Presumably, he had taken some Crusades as bodyguards and retreated.

The troops borrowed at a moment's notice had won a victory for Tachibana Masatsugu.

"What is going on with those Kamuys...?" muttered Akigase Rikka in puzzlement.

Next to the tutelary fort's noesis barrier, a group of Kamuys were dogfighting in the air.

Every Kamuy was red-purple in color. They were using Japanese swords to attack the British Legions instead of bayonet rifles.

—After defeating the vanguard Crusades at the coastal reclaimed land, Rikka had hurried back to the Suruga tutelary fort with her troops.

Leading her remaining forty-eight Kamuys, Rikka had flown across the sky over the battlefield.

Just as when she had sorties, she was standing on a Legion's shoulder. Beneath them was the mountainous region formed by Mount Kunou and Mount Udo. Dead Crusades were scattered all over the place...

They had all been killed by the army of "red-purple Kamuys."

Currently, that army was slaughtering the last remnants of the Crusades using fierce swordsmanship that would even make gods weep.

Rikka could tell that the red-purple Kamuys were using Japanese swordsmanship, and an ancient style too. As a specialist in Yagyū Shinkage Style herself, Rikka could tell from a single glance.

A commonly used stance was called the slant seigan.

Ancient sword styles called the middle stance the seigan. Standing sideways towards the opponent, one would aim the sword tip at the opponent's throat or eyes. The slant seigan was a variation of this type of stance.

With the blade slanted slightly to the left, it was also known as the suigetsu stance.

"The flat seigan..."

Among ancient schools of the sword, Tennen Rishin Style also called the slant seigan as the "flat seigan." There was no one more famous than a certain figure as a swordsman of this style. Rikka spoke his name.

"Hijikata—Toshizō."

Hijikata Toshizō was a warrior in the Bakumatsu era, serving as the vice-commander of the Shinsengumi under the Tokugawa shogunate. He was known for his brutal methods.

Indeed, he was the "Merciless Vice-Commander" of legend. During the Boshin War that began the Meiji Restoration, the defeated shogunate army retreated to Hokkaidō and Hijikata Toshizō went with them.

Hijikata Toshizō's later exploits were very well-known to history enthusiasts.

Entering an audience with Lord Tenryuu, the sacred beast that had descended upon the plains of Hokkaidō, he obtained a pack of retainer beasts, the Mibu wolves. Fighting as the commander of the shogunate troops across various battlefields with the Mibu wolves by his side, he protected Hokkaidō from the Meiji government's invasion.

The current imperial family had roots in the northern court that had fled to Hokkaidō. Consequently, after the Second World War, the name of Hijikata Toshizō came to the forefront as a hero who had protected the nation.

Furthermore, national historical novelists had written a series of masterpieces using the Shinsengumi as a theme.

"Princess, why did you mention that hero's name...?" murmured Rikka to herself. Fujinomiya Shiori's message was jointly signed with Hijikata, a name associated with the warrior who had intimate ties to Japan's sacred beast and imperial family.

Precisely because of that, Rikka had followed the instruction while half in doubt.

Currently, the army of Kamuys was using Tennen Rishin Style on a rampage, crushing the British attackers.

However, these Kamuys that had turned red-purple were Akigase Rikka's Legions originally. Contrary to Rikka's expectations, there was no response even when she transmitted noetic waves. She could not regain command of them at all.

In other words—

Someone possessing noesis surpassing hers was commanding this "red-purple" army.

Rikka's heart pounded in excitement. Japan lacked a Resurrectee of Lord Caesar or Admiral Nelson's caliber, but now, a hero who could very well overturn this disadvantage had shown up.

Besides, that hero was not only the Merciless Vice-Commander but also a famous swordsman and experienced soldier—At that moment, Rikka came to a sudden stop. She shook her head hastily to caution herself. This was no time to be concerned with such matters.

Meanwhile, the "red-purple" Kamuys had completely wiped out the army of British Legions.

### 042. Chapter 5 - Legatus Legionis (1)

### Part 1

"The die is cast." "I came, I saw, I conquered." "Et tu, Brute?"

These were all famous quotes of Julius Caesar.

Although the name of Caesar later became the etymological source of "kaiser," meaning emperor, Julius Caesar himself had not ascended to the throne during his lifetime. His final position was "dictator in perpetuity."

Caesar was born in 100 BCE.

He hailed from a patrician family but one limited in wealth and influence.

Not an empire yet at the time, ancient Rome was nearing the end of its republican era. It was a large and prosperous nation with expanding borders and vast territories. Seeking even greater power, those in power kept engaging in political struggles and internal strife.

This was the kind of political scene that Caesar had entered.

Over the course of decades, he rose from being just a young politician with nothing of note except for his family background to become a consul of the Roman Republic and governor of the province of Gaul.

He succeeded as a military commander to put down rebellions in Gaul, defeated political rivals on the battlefield, and wielded unrivaled authority within Rome's borders.

Finally, Julius Caesar obtained the position of dictator.

Unfortunately, he was assassinated at the age of fifty-six after laying the foundations of the future Roman Empire.

His heir, Octavian, became the first emperor, styling himself as Augustus—

One could call Caesar a rare politician and soldier, but he was clearly not so "simple" a character.

A great orator, excellent prose author, master strategian, popular with the people, charming, brazen...

One time when he was kidnapped by pirates, he even complained that they were asking for too low a ransom.

He accumulated massive debts equivalent to a country's defense budget and it never weighed on his conscience. Only after more than a decade when he attained ascendancy did he finally repay all his debts.

Rumor had it that he had slept with the wives of fully a third of the Roman senators.

Hair loss accompanying advanced age was reportedly one of the things that troubled him.

The soldiers in Caesar's army also nicknamed their commander "the balding womanizer." Caesar accepted it with a laugh, cultivating a camaraderie of sorts between himself and his army.

In any case, Caesar was neither a saint nor a noble-minded man.

Fast forward to the year 1998 at the end of the twentieth century. After careful contemplation, Julius Caesar solemnly declared, "Perhaps it is time that I made up my mind to go through with surgery. What do you say?"

"Your Excellency's appearance has become our national symbol and that includes your receding hairline. Please do not stoop down to cheating with methods such as hair transplantation."

Caesar's staff officer cautioned the generalissimo who was checking his hairline with a mirror in his hand.

This was Lantau Island in Hong Kong, part of the Eastern Roman Empire's territory.

Their location included the Roman army's tutelary fort and the East Asian Administration Region Command Center.

The two of them were talking in the commander's office belonging to Generalissimo Caesar. Ever year, he spent one third of his time in Hong Kong, another third in Japan, and the remainder spread over other places.

Speaking to Caesar was Alexis Yang, a member of the military staff.

This man's Chinese name was Yang Zhongda. Thirty-four years old. His slender appearance could be considered handsome and graceful, but the unkempt facial hair around his mouth and chin contributed to an impression of wildness.

"Putting that aside, please listen to a report about the rebellion in Japan first."

Yang projected a visual image. He was a noetic master. A map of Imperial Japan appeared before them along with a report on the Restoration Alliance.

"The Restoration Alliance formed by self-proclaimed loyalists worrying about their country... Bluntly stated, the Kinai Fiefdom is nothing more than a puppet while the British Empire plays triple roles as mastermind, supporter, and provider of combat troops."

"Britain's target is Lord Tenryuu the sacred beast of Japan, isn't it?"

"According to rumors, the sacred beasts back at England will not live much longer. Your guess could very well be correct."

Natural resources such as oil and precious metals were often the seeds of international conflict.

And the godlike sacred beasts were the sources of mystic powers. The possession of potent mystic powers allowed countries to secure wealth, prosperity, and military strength. This was how the modern world worked.

Adhering to this golden rule, the Eastern Roman Empire succeeded. Failing to do so, America fell into decline.

An imperialist state's top priority was to ensure the continued blessings of sacred beasts.

"The Restoration Alliance's proposal of 'reforming Imperial Japan starting from the west and rescuing the Empress' seems to be garnering favorable reactions from the western fiefdoms of Japan. Perhaps they wish to reenact the Meiji Restoration where Satsuma and Chōshū took over the imperial court."

Yang extended his index finger and drew a circle on the west side of Japan on the map.

Over there were the regions of Kyūshū, Chūgoku, and Shikoku. Yang was an expert on the Far East region and well-versed in Japanese affairs and history.

"Then again, the Alliance is rallying behind a slogan of 'The Empress must be rid of Caesar's corrupting influence and the Eastern Roman army has to be expelled from the islands of Japan.'"

"That sounds very familiar."

"They are raising a banner of great justice, just as a certain guy called Caesar did in the past."

Ten years ago, there had been American military bases distributed across the islands of Japan.

Condemning the American military for "unjust interference in the internal affairs of Rome's ally, Japan, and infringing upon the rights of the Japanese Empress," Caesar had led an army of a thousand Legions to march on Japan. Styling himself as the protector of Japan and the Empress, he defeated the American forces garrisoned in Japan.

Riding in as the triumphant conqueror, Caesar became Japan's true ruler in all but name.

This was identical to how he had become Queen Cleopatra's lover and the conqueror of Egypt way back before the Common Era.

"By the way..." Caesar raised a point of doubt, "Ten years ago, I won over the incumbent Empress' trusted advisers and the Kantō Fiefdom, who then invited me to lead an expeditionary force to Japan. Now the British Empire wishes to employ the same method... What I fail to understand is why the Kinai Fiefdom would be willing to assist them."

"My sentiments exactly," Staff Officer Yang nodded in agreement. "I wouldn't be surprised had it been Kyūshū or Shikoku helping the British since those fiefdoms have kept their distance from both Rome and the current imperial family. However, the Kinai Fiefdom's Governor General... I recall that he is supposed to bear dislike for Rome and hatred for Britain."

"Furthermore, he is a stubborn guy who never listens to advice." Caesar smiled with amusement. He had met all twelve Governor Generals who served as Japan's regional lords and was familiar with their personalities. "Well, were he the selfish boss of an old-fashioned corporation, he might actually have a chance to shine in the business world."

"In that case, why would he let the British be in control?"

"Perhaps someone used a kind of magic to melt the Kinai Governor General's stubborn heart, instilling warm feelings of friendship for Britain."

"Magic huh? That sounds especially convincing coming from a guy who died two thousand years ago," Staff Officer Yang responded seriously to his commander's joke.

After all, in this modern age where Legions, retainer beasts, spirits, and other mysterious beings played an active role, positing "this kind of possibility" was frequently necessary.

"The spellcaster might not necessarily be a noetic master. It is not the kind of miracle that can be performed by ordinary human-level masters. Spirits and retainer beasts are impossible too, because those things don't understand the intricacies of the human heart. The high-level skills of 'mind control' are beyond them."

The noetic master and staff officer of the Roman army analyzed on his own initiative.

As a side note, he was only a middling noetic master. The most he could accomplish was "using noesis to deceive targets with illusions" like a Japanese ninja.

"Wouldn't such an ability be a specialty of Your Excellency's peers, the Resurrectees?"

"Of course, we are capable of many supernatural feats, but this sort of thing is beyond us too," replied Caesar with a shrug.

"You are well aware, yes? Our Feats of Arms ... are purely abilities to take the illustrious accomplishments from our past lives and reenact them in the present. They are useless outside of the battlefield."

"Then magic is out of the question?"

"It would be premature to jump to conclusions." Winking to Staff Officer Yang, Caesar said, " They have always been the ones to bring brand-new mystic powers to the world. When those women prayed to the exalted sacred beasts for 'weapons to protect their nations,' the sacred beasts granted them Legions. When they prayed for 'victorious heroes,' we were revived."

The man whose name became synonymous with emperor smiled confidently.

"In this world—The sacred beasts are willing to listen to certain people's selfish and personal requests."

### Part 2

Today was the third day since the British forces showed up at Suruga.

On the first day, Tachibana Masatsugu rescued Princess Shiori's life and took control of a Kamuy to strike back. On the second day, Masatsugu led sixty-four Kamuys to defeat an army of Crusades.

On the morning of the third day, it happened to be Sunday.

At about 7am, Masatsugu went to Rinzai High's sports field. Shiori was there on the side.

Refreshing sunlight was illuminating the world. The morning air was crisp and fresh.

"Masatsugu-sama, direct the unruly noesis in your heart and shape it into soldiers, ordering them to materialize... This is how Legions are summoned. The word 'legion' has the meaning of army."

The well-educated Shiori was giving explanations.

"From the New Testament of the Bible... The Gospel of Mark, have you heard of it? When Jesus asked a group of evil spirits to name themselves, they answered 'My name is Legion, for we are many.' Our Legions are the same. They are simultaneous armies and singular life forms. And what gives rise to Legions is precisely the noesis of Chevaliers."

Masatsugu understood. Next, he had to put it into practice.

He concentrated his mind on the vast sky above. Formless, colorless power naturally surged out from the depths of his soul, spreading out above him.

This was noesis or Masatsugu's willpower and thoughts in other words.

All Chevaliers summoned Legions in the same manner, but for illustration purposes, take the noesis released by Akigase Rikka during summoning for example—

It was less than one fifth of Masatsugu's.

Resurrectees were warriors who had lived in the ancient world, accumulating countless illustrious victories through hellish battlefields.

Modern Chevaliers could not hope to hold a candle to them at all.

"Then using the Appellation you hold, give definite form to the noesis."

These so-called Appellations were born when sacred beasts breathed life into names symbolizing martial feats immortalized in legend.

For example, both Zuihou and Onikiri Yasutsuna were created by Lord Tenryuu, Japan's sacred beast.

Consequently, by using them, one would manifest the Legions bestowed by Lord Tenryuu, namely, the Kamuys...

"For Resurrectees like you, Masatsugu-sama, their own names can be used directly as Appellations," Shiori told Masatsugu. "Rather than manifesting in the form of an Appellation, the name symbolizing feats of arms is reborn as a living human—That is the kind of being you Resurrectees are."

"But Princess, I don't know my real name."

Masatsugu was summoned to the human world by the sacred beast Lord Tenryuu. If he were to use his lost name to summon Legions, surely a great army of Kamuys should appear.

"Please use Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada that I gave you yesterday. Since that Appellation is also a name that my grandfather had breathed life into, it might be able to summon Kamuys."

"I see." Masatsugu picked up the Japanese sword at his feet and said, "My Appellation of Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada, I summon an army in your name."

Nothing happened. The large amount of noesis released by Masatsugu remained hanging in the sky.

"Still not working..."

In fact, they had experimented until late into the night yesterday.

Masatsugu and Shiori had come to the sports field of Rinzai High, but he failed to summon even a single Legion. That was why they decided to try again in the morning.

"So this method does not work either... We must find a different solution." With a troubled look, Shiori said, "In any case, let us return to the dormitory for breakfast."

Tachibana Masatsugu was a Chevalier—and a legatus legionis who had returned from the underworld to boot.

His fellow Resurrectee, Julius Caesar, commanded over a thousand Legions, yet Masatsugu could not even summon one.

They did not know why this was the case when he clearly had been able to control Rikka's Kamuys.

Now that the sixty-four Kamuys had already returned to Rikka, Masatsugu did not have a single soldier to use.

The location shifted to the conversation lounge at the Black Lily Dorm assigned exclusively for the princess' use.

It was 8am on Sunday. Due to martial law in effect in Suruga City, no one was in any mood to enjoy the holiday.

The atmosphere in the city was tense, although not to an urgent degree.

Japan, Britain, and Eastern Rome were all signatories of the Charter of Chivalry. These rules of international engagement, akin to sports regulations, strictly prohibited armed forces from attacking settlements beyond a certain population threshold. Rather than fleeing recklessly, it would be safer to stay in one's own home in the city—

This was one reason why the situation was relatively stable.

"Many people... are remembering scenes from when Lord Caesar swept through Japan with his army of a thousand Legions, I suppose," remarked the princess quietly, having reassured the boarding students the day before.

Masatsugu and Hatsune were present too. Gathered in the conversation lounge, the trio were having breakfast. The menu included green salad, consomme soup, grilled tomatoes, smoked chicken, and hard-boiled eggs.

There was also black tea, toast, and yogurt.

Laden on the table was a western breakfast with balanced nutrition.

"Lord Caesar especially loves his grand entrances after all," Shiori poked fun at Japan's true ruler. "After the defeat of the Americans was sealed, he actually had no need to visit every part of Japan. He ended up personally leading an expedition from Hokkaidō to Okinawa... Deliberately sending out Centuriae to hunt down the American military, he showed off his power to the Japanese citizens."

The Centuria was the mainstay Legion of the Eastern Roman Empire.

"It was said that he studied the Charter of Chivalry enthusiastically at the time to prevent the fighting from affecting the Japanese populace. Even newspapers and television made special reports about it..."

Incidentally, back in ancient Rome before Caesar reached his position of authority...

His debts were astronomical. And the money he borrowed had been spent on dressing fashionably , giving gifts to women , holding personal parades or gladiator matches for the general public to attend, thereby gaining popularity , etc, all expenses that would cause any decent person to frown upon hearing about them.

"I remember too. I saw those news reports when I was young."

Hatsune, the lady-in-waiting, was also having breakfast at the table.

Behaving naturally when seated at the same table as the princess, even chomping on toast covered with butter and jam, it was evident that Hatsune was no ordinary character.

However, the girl from the Tachibana clan suddenly stared at Masatsugu and asked suspiciously, "Onii-sama, this has been bugging me for a while now. You're clearly a young man, but why is your appetite so small?"

"That's true, you're very right."

Masatsugu normally went through his morning routine in the boys dorm, but ever since Shiori's move-in, he always came to the Black Lily Dorm early in the morning to do random chores and fulfill his duty as bodyguard. Also, during breakfast with the girls today, he only had a salad (without dressing), a hard-boiled egg (with only a pinch of salt), a slice of toast (plain), and a cup of water.

No one knew what the future was like, but at least for the time being, Suruga City did not have any problem with food shortages.

Masatsugu was not forced by circumstance to diet. This was his usual appetite.

"I'm not used to eating too much delicious food, so this is enough."

He felt that something inside him would get sluggish if he became accustomed to eating full meals.

Inexplicably, that was what Masatsugu felt. At this moment, an idea struck him. Perhaps this was because he was not a modern person.

However, he still could not recall his past memories or his true name.

It was very possible that he had lived in a time of famine or had originated from an impoverished land.

Masatsugu pondered various possibilities while Hatsune stared intently at him.

"I never thought you had become a Chevalier before losing your memory, Onii-sama. I was so surprised. Also, you even inherited an Appellation related to the Shinsengumi."

"Sorry for telling you so late. I only found out yesterday myself."

After the battle yesterday, that was how Masatsugu had explained the story to Hatsune.

Masatsugu had not revealed the true reason why he was able to control Legions. Perhaps one day, he would have to tell Hatsune "we're actually not blood related and I'm not from the modern age." However, that could definitely wait until the situation had settled.

"Say, Onii-sama, so your Appellation isn't that one huh..."

"That one?" Masatsugu asked in response to Hatsune's murmuring.

"The one secretly passed down our Tachibana family. I think it's still under the elders' safekeeping. It's a treasure that every Japanese citizen knows."

At that moment, they heard the doorbell from the entrance. A visitor had evidently arrived.

"Your Highness, pray forgive me for paying an uninvited visit."

The visitor was taken to the Black Lily Dorm's reception room.

It was Chevalier Akigase Rikka. She was dressed in a black military officer's uniform with a Japanese sword hanging at her waist.

Naturally, Shiori was the host. Masatsugu was present as "the princess' knight" while Hatsune helped out as the lady-in-waiting by serving green tea to their guest.

"......"

Masatsugu was observing Rikka's Japanese sword rather than her person.

The sword was in its scabbard, but still exuded powerful noesis as befitted a blade of great renown. Masatsugu could tell that the sword was equal to his own Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada—No.

Purely judging them as swords, Rikka's was probably several grades higher.

However, their respective feats and accomplishments were comparable... Simply stated, since Akigase Rikka had inherited such a sword, she was evidently a talented general.

Incidentally, after the battle yesterday, Masatsugu had accompanied Shiori to meet Rikka.

'This is Tachibana Masatsugu-sama. Due to certain reasons, he has yet to receive Chevalier Conferment... But he is definitely a genuine Chevalier and my personal staff officer of sorts.'

'Please forget the name of Hijikata. It was merely a ploy of convenience used during a emergency.'

That was how Shiori had introduced Masatsugu, who had led Legions to fight on the battlefield.

After that, Rikka had invoked her authority as an official Chevalier to carry out a simplified acknowledgement of Tachibana Masatsugu's Chevalier Conferment. With this, Masatsugu could now carry Izumi-no-Kami openly. Otherwise, ordinary civilians were forbidden from wearing swords and blades.

"B-By the way, Your Highness."

After exchanging pleasantries with Shiori, the lady Chevalier sneaked a glance at Masatsugu and said in a bit of a stammer.

"May I... Would it be possible for me to have a brief word with him? As a fellow Chevalier, I am curious about a few things."

"Most certainly. Please go ahead, Masatsugu-sama."

"Understood."

At Shiori's urging, Masatsugu came before Rikka.

The courageous lady Chevalier was unbelievably looking down in embarrassment, too shy to make eye contact with Masatsugu when clearly, she was the one who came to visit during this time of emergency.

In the end, the two of them sat down face to face on the sofa in the reception room.

Rikka coughed dryly and said slowly, "Hijikata-dono, thank you so much for yesterday."

"My name is Tachibana."

Seeing her address him with the name of convenience, Masatsugu instantly corrected her.

"E-Excuse me, Hijikata-dono."

"My name is Tachibana."

"...I see, do you insist on denying it? W-Well then, Tachibana-dono, there is a question I would like to ask. Do people often say you are as handsome as a celebrity?"

Rikka had asked a very odd question. Didn't she say she wanted a conversation between fellow Chevaliers?

Besides, her expression was very nervous. This young maiden with the honored title of the "Chevalier princess of House Akigase" was acting like a shy little girl in front of Masatsugu.

Masatsugu did not know what was going on, but anyway, he answered, "Someone did say that recently."

"I knew it... Then how do you feel about haiku poetry?"

"I guess I like them. It's just that I don't have talent for writing them."

"I knew it!"

Masatsugu became more and more confused. Why would this girl know that the haikus he wrote in Japanese class were terrible? Totally inexplicable.

In contrast, Rikka seemed quite excited by this exchange. She hastily asked, "Well then, Tachibana-dono. Your sword is Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada, is that correct?"

"Yes."

"I knew it..."

Despite Masatsugu's expressionless answers, Rikka was very moved.

Observing from the side, Hatsune said, "As handsome as a celebrity, an interest in haiku but bad at writing them, Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada is his sword, that's totally Hijikata Toshizō, you know? Going with this flow, Onii-sama is definitely quite similar to the 'Merciless Vice-Commander'."

"Really?"

"That's right. I've read Roar, My Sword and Heroic Impressions of the Shinsengumi at least. I've also studied the trio of Hijikata-san, Commander Kondō, and Okita Sōji in great detail."

"Hatsune, you think I'm good-looking too?"

"It's true, but one can't help but wish your personality was more normal."

"You should keep that last part to yourself."

"That's the way things are. What's inside a man counts more than his face♪"

After listening to Hatsune's comments, Masatsugu finally understood.

Rikka was apparently taken in by their ploy of convenience, mistakenly believing "Tachibana Masatsugu is Hijikata Toshizō."

That was not all. Masatsugu gazed at Rikka, who was looking downwards with a blush, clearly bashful. A hunch... surfaced in Masatsugu's mind.

Perhaps she had some kind of personal feelings for Hijikata Toshizō.

Must be something like a fervent fan or a worshiper. Seeing the situation make a turn for the bizarre, Masatsugu glanced at Shiori. She was the most suitable person to handle this.

After some contemplation, Shiori said, "Rikka-sama, since it would be best to avoid leaving the tutelary fort undefended for extended durations, please return for now. Later on... I will surely bring Masatsugu-sama to pay you a visit."

When delivering this statement, Shiori spoke Masatsugu's name suggestively.

"When the time comes, I hope you will permit us to use the water shrine."

"Indeed, that is a request that would not be granted lightly, but given the emergency circumstances and the fact that this Hi—Tachibana-dono has Your Highness' recommendation, I shall permit it."

As soon as the words "water shrine" were mentioned, Rikka's expression immediately changed.

The hero-worshiping maiden turned back into an awe-inspiring female warrior.

Finally, Rikka prepared to leave. On her way to the entrance, she no longer exhibited any maidenly fluster.

Masatsugu secretly concluded to himself that this was Akigase Rikka's original demeanor.

He accompanied Shiori and Hatsune to see Rikka off at the entrance. After bidding the princess goodbye, Rikka stared straight at Hatsune and said, "It has been bothering me since earlier... May I ask if we have met before?"

"Eh? Me and you, Rikka-sama?"

"Not recently, but long ago... As children. I remember the Tōkaidō Fiefdom organizing a martial arts tournament at Nagoya Castle and we were both competing in the youth division. What is your full name?"

"Uh, Tachibana Hatsune."

"I knew it. The Tachibana of Suruga—The clan that had Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune bestowed upon them."

Minamoto no Yoshitsune was known as Ushiwakamaru and Shanaou during childhood. His exploits included fighting Musashibō Benkei at Gojō Bridge, leading a cavalry charge down a cliff to launch a surprise attack in the Battle of Ichi-no-Tani, and complete victory over the Taira clan at Dan-no-ura. Kurou Hougan was one of his other nicknames.

Rikka looked at the Tachibana maiden and asked, "Has no one inherited that Appellation yet?"

"Oh, not yet. It is quite high-level and seems pretty difficult."

"I suppose. However, it would be quite a shame for such a powerful Appellation to lie dormant. Please let me know if there is any way I could help and I will provide full assistance. It would be more reassuring to have as many powerful Chevaliers as possible, especially given the current circumstances under the threat of war."

After saying that, Akigase Rikka departed from Black Lily Dorm.

It looked like the Tachibana clan's treasured Appellation had quite the distinguished pedigree.

### Part 3

"You four are volunteering to attack Suruga...? Well, that is certainly not a problem."

Sir Black Knight was taken aback for a moment, surprised by the sudden suggestion.

However, he immediately gave a cordial smile and accepted graciously. The four standing before him were Chevaliers serving the Kinai Fiefdom.

"We British have failed to invade Suruga on two occasions already. Undeniably, it is time for you gentlemen of the Kinai Fiefdom to take a shot."

Their location was Fuji City at the base of the sacred mountain of Fuji. The Fuji tutelary fort was located in the wetlands in the countryside.

Currently, this military facility had been conquered by the British forces of the Restoration Alliance.

It was the third day since the operation began. The time was 10:26. Sir Black Knight was taking a break, having coffee in the dining hall reserved for high-ranking officers.

Four Japanese men had come to pay him a visit.

They were the Chevaliers the Kinai Fiefdom had sent as reinforcements.

'Lord Black Knight, we have a proposal. It weighs heavily on our conscience that your British knights have been burdened with taking the lead thus far. The four of us are willing to conquer the Suruga tutelary fort on your behalf—'

They refused to let Britain take complete credit no matter what.

Despite courteous wording on the Japanese men's part, their ambition was clear as day.

Sir Black Knight listened courteously to their explanation. These four Japanese were planning to sortie either tomorrow or the day after.

Sir Black Knight told them very candidly, "As the saying goes, strike while the iron is hot. Why not set off tonight? We of the British Empire will provide full support."

In the end, the Kinai provincial army's Chevaliers accepted Sir Black Knight's suggestion and took their leave.

"Sigh, what a hassle."

After the Japanese left, two remained in the dining hall.

They were Sir Black Knight, shrugging with a smile, and the genie Morrigan sitting on the side.

"...You seem, rather pleased."

"The more knights under one's command, the more a hassle it is, naturally. I was simply reminiscing."

Currently, the Fuji tutelary fort was occupied by one contingent of the Restoration Alliance.

This occupying force consisted of soldiers from the Far East fleet of the British Imperial Forces, most prominently the destroyer Tintagel . Most of its numbers came from thousands of marines transported by landing crafts.

The captain of the Tintagel , Sir Grayson, served as the commanding officer.

Main combatants were two Chevaliers, Sir Steven and Sir Lampard, both Knights of Her Majesty.

However, the Kinai Fiefdom had dispatched Japanese Chevaliers and several thousand soldiers yesterday. These reinforcements converged with the British forces at the Fuji tutelary fort after reaching the port of Tagonoura.

"Everyone wants to get out there and fight, right? Assigning manpower is part of the commander's job."

"Are you referring, to ambition for glory?"

"This is one of the reasons, though expenses in modern warfare are funded by the state and the military. In the past, knights had to fully fund themselves, which meant that heading out to battle entailed exorbitant expenditure."

A vassal received territory from the king but had to pay taxes and contribute military service in exchange.

One had to shoulder all necessary expenses on their own. Bluntly stated, this was the life of the medieval European knight. Japanese daimyo also adhered to a similar system to serve the shogunate government.

In fact, the relationship between the modern Japanese imperial family and the Twelve Houses was not much different from that.

"Armor is astoundingly expensive while keeping a military horse carries heavy costs. Likewise, followers and infantry all require money. There was absolutely no point in going to battle unless there was a chance to win spoils of victory."

"...What a tough life, the world of medieval knights."

"There is more. Plundering and robbery were ways to take a hefty profit while enemy knights could be captured as hostages in exchange for handsome ransoms. Hence, knights of high standing generally lived long."

Modern people had too many fantasies about "what it was to be a knight."

Sir Black Knight smiled wryly. In his past life , he was a dreamer who had pursued "the ideals of chivalry" but had also experienced many challenging battles.

"Taking 'rules of warfare' of this sort from our past and repackaging them in modern style to be more palatable to the common people who are tamed by the sweet life of civilization... That was probably what went through His Majesty Karl's mind when he thought up the Charter of Chivalry."

"Are you, projecting your own, small-mindedness onto others?"

"No, reborn from the abyss of the underworld yet still seeking to sate our hunger for the thrill of war—We Resurrectees are all people of this sort. It is only normal to think in such a way."

"I, see."

"Besides, wars are very convenient in this era, which is truly wonderful. Legions are generated from our noesis and we do not need authority or vast fortunes to raise armies. As long as water shrines could be requisitioned, the maintenance of Legions requires little labor or money."

As a "prince" in the past, Sir Black Knight never had to worry about living expenses.

However, he had plenty of experience with financial troubles in raising war funds. In contrast, starting a battle in the modern era was as easy as having a game of chess. What a lovely time to live in.

"By the way, how is the Chevalier Strength of the Kinai Chevaliers who were here just now?"

"According to records, every one of them at 50 or so."

"Then the four of them together totals two hundred. Suruga's lady knight has roughly a hundred and fifty combined with home advantage. We do not have overwhelming odds in our favor... Morrigan, could you please check the location of our princess?"

The genie instantly sat up straight after hearing this instruction.

"Princess Eleanor?"

"Yes, please ask the princess to execute that preparatory task. I heard that the lady knight is the Tōkaidō Governor General's daughter, definitely worth recruiting to our camp."

"The Chevalier using the katana-wielding Legions... Is it alright to leave him alone?"

Yesterday, Morrigan and Sir Black Knight had watched the Suruga siege from overhead.

Unexpectedly, an army had shown up midway and used katanas with astounding swordsmanship. The Legions were identical to Kamuys in appearance except red-purple in color. Furthermore, their commander's noesis was extremely strong and unyielding...

Morrigan brought up the very memorable character, prompting Sir Black Knight to smile and reply, "Forget about him. After all, the princess can't handle him either. Besides, aren't you curious? How will this character, who seems to harbor some kind of secret, handle new enemies this time?"

"S-Sometimes, Resurrectees would hide their true names."

While speaking, Princess Shiori cringed in embarrassment.

"In every case... they are Chevaliers whose Chevalier Strength exceeds 500, allowing them to bring out potent power on the battlefield. H-However, they attract too much attention."

"Attract too much attention?" Masatsugu asked while pressing his small camera's shutter button.

Shiori bowed her head momentarily to avoid the lens but she still answered very carefully.

"Take for example how the Kamuys under your control were red-purple, Masatsugu-sama. M-Many Resurrectees will summon special Legions... Or use Feats of Arms originating from illustrious accomplishments in their past lives."

"That's true. Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada's Feat of Arms is 'Hijikata Toshizō's swordsmanship'."

"Since they are such striking existences, their identities are easily deduced at a glance by discerning eyes. Consequently, they all use aliases and never participate in large-scale warfare until they are deployed in a crucial battle... So as to conceal their existence. This way, the mere participation of a Resurrectee is already a s-surprise attack of great magnitude."

"I see, no wonder Akigase-dono mistook me for Hijikata Toshizō."

Nodding in acknowledgement, Masatsugu kept snapping photos with his camera.

Every time he pressed the shutter, Shiori cringed in embarrassment.

"She thinks I'm hiding my identity while the name of Hijikata used last time is my real name, right?"

"I believe so. M-Masatsugu-sama, why must I wear a swimsuit!?"

In a rare moment, the platinum blonde princess protested in a raised voice.

Currently, Shiori was wearing just a white bikini in Masatsugu's presence.

Their location was an empty classroom in Rinzai High. Under double effects from the imposition of martial law and it being Sunday, there was virtually no one in school. Chances of being seen were vanishingly small.

"This is an application requirement for the beauty contest planned for the school festival."

"Beauty contest!?"

"Princess, didn't I mention yesterday that I will need you to do me a small favor as a woman?"

Masatsugu's instant reveal of the answer made Shiori recall her earlier promise in a sudden realization.

"I am the school festival executive committee member in charge of the beauty contest. I've waited desperately for beautiful female students to enter and liven up this contest."

"Y-You are asking me to enter a beauty contest!? And dressed in such a revealing swimsuit!"

"Yes."

"Ughhhhhh!"

The ever intelligent Shiori was at a loss for words and greatly flustered.

Showing so much skin in front of others seemed to be making her very embarrassed.

"Princess, if you are unwilling, I will cancel it..."

"N-No, I am willing to work for your sake in exchange for your assistance—Those were the terms of our contract and promise. Th-This is nothing."

Shiori finally straightened her posture and faced the camera lens.

However, she still could not dispel her feelings of embarrassment, crossing her arms to hide her body. This ended up squeezing and lifting her bosom, further highlighting the princess' magnificent figure.

Without any change in expression, Masatsugu kept taking photos nonstop.

Shyness on her beautiful face, paired with a sexy figure, Shiori was undoubtedly an attractive magazine model this moment.

"P-Please stop photographing me so much. This swimsuit was acquired on my behalf by a lady-in-waiting at Rome's imperial capital last year... It is skimpy to begin with and my wearing it is a bit... Furthermore, it has gotten tighter after a year."

"Oh?"

In other words, the princess' figure had been maturing rather willfully.

The fruits of her bosom were reminiscent of small cantaloupes, her waist exhibited curves whose beauty words failed to do full justice, and her buttocks were round and voluptuous. This excellent figure, normally hidden beneath conservative attire or a uniform, was now quietly displayed before Masatsugu.

After Akigase Rikka's departure...

Shiori originally wanted to invite Masatsugu for a trip to the tutelary fort.

Masatsugu told her he needed a favor before going to the tutelary fort and carefully reminded Shiori to bring her swimsuit. Incidentally, the small camera used by Masatsugu was part of the school festival executive committee's inventory.

"B-By the way, Masatsugu-sama, how many people will be taking part in the application approval process?" asked Shiori timidly. "I do not wish to be seen in a swimsuit by too many individuals..."

"Rest assured, the approval committee consists of three or four people, but I make the final decision as the one in charge. There's no problem even if I check it alone—"

"Eh? Then doesn't that imply it was never necessary for me to wear a swimsuit in the first place?"

When Shiori pointed out a suspicious point, Masatsugu pondered for a moment before answering, "Indeed that is true."

"Masatsugu-sama! Then it is your fault that I wore a swimsuit for nothing!"

The princess yelled at him but Masatsugu shook his head.

"Not at all. This session was not a waste in the slightest."

"Why is that!?"

"I feel very lucky to have witnessed such a beautiful body. This already makes it worth my while to serve a princess for the past two days."

"!?"

Masatsugu's honest opinion caused Shiori to freeze inexplicably.

She looked as though his words had startled her unexpectedly and she did not know how to react.

"Masatsugu-sama... One would have you pegged as a straitlaced person at first glance."

Shiori walked angrily to Masatsugu's side.

After the photo session, she had put on her uniform on top of the swimsuit and they were now walking back. It took them twenty minutes to arrive before the dorm from Rinzai High's school building.

"Could it be that you are very accustomed to interacting with girls? Yesterday, you teased me at every opportunity and today, you showered me with abundant flattery..."

"I guess that's the kind of person I was before losing my memory."

"Huh?"

Shiori was taken aback by this explanation. Masatsugu continued, "Recently, while reviewing the beauty contestant applications, I've discovered that I seem to be a man with broad tastes when it comes to ladies."

"W-What are you implying?"

"I mean I'm a guy who appreciates all kinds of ladies."

"You appreciate all kinds of ladies!?"

"For example, Year 3 Class 3's Sawanobori-san has a mature air that I find quite alluring. In contrast, Year 2 Class 2's Itou-san has this grade schooler look that seems like a rare advantage. Horiike-san from track and field has the kind of natural beauty you find in athletic clubs. Hasegawa-san, who's always sick in the infirmary, has a frail endearing quality that's quite nice. The English teacher Toda-sensei, who just signed her divorce papers a month ago, is already a thirty-seven-year-old woman, but she's got this charm you can't find in high schoolers."

"Y-You are simply lusting after everything female!"

"I don't deny that. Ah, Oriha-san, who manages the girls dorms, also has this warmth and open-mindedness that I really like."

"A-As far as I recall, isn't she in her late fifties...?"

"Yes. Perhaps her looks have faded over the years, but she has this inner beauty that's been distilled through the passage of time."

"......"

"I've lost my past memories, but my body and soul still remember how to fight. As a result, I was able to enter the battlefield extremely naturally to kill enemies and control Legions... In fact, I think it's the same for how I deal with women."

Masatsugu was talkative in a rare moment, perhaps because the subject of women came up.

"My body and soul haven't forgotten how to build deep relationships with women. I'd like to try it out as soon as I get a chance—"

"M-Masatsugu-sama!"

"Just kidding. I know these are no joking matters."

"Hearing you say that, I am finally relieved..."

Only after Masatsugu expressionless admitted he was joking did Shiori look reassured.

He was struck by a thought. This highly intelligent princess was full of cunning but handled this type of conversation poorly. That made her extremely cute.

While chatting, the two of them returned to the conversation lounge at Black Lily Dorm.

The residents of Shiori and Hatsune, the domestic helper ladies from the Tachibana clan, and Masatsugu were the only ones authorized to enter this building.

The lady-in-waiting who would normally come out to greet Shiori with a cheerful "welcome home~" was nowhere to be seen. It seemed like she had gone out.

"Where did Hatsune go? I was thinking of asking her to drive."

"Princess, are you talking about visiting Akigase-sama at the tutelary fort?"

"I believe that ectoplasmic fluid is essential if you are to fully awaken, Masatsugu-sama. Active Legions consume ectoplasmic fluid but you have not replenished your reserves for many years."

"Is that why I can't summon my own Legions?"

"Yes. Thanks to the misunderstanding regarding Hijikata Toshizō's name last time, Rikka-sama is willing to support us actively. We should take this opportunity to resupply at the water shrine and establish a pact."

Masatsugu accepted Shiori's suggestion but he had another idea.

Would this really be enough to solve the problem? For some reason, Masatsugu did not agree with the princess. However, unable to offer an alternative, he could only look around the room silently.

"Hmm?"

Masatsugu noticed a note left on the table in the conversation lounge.

"Princess, Hatsune has gone to the tutelary fort."

"On her own? What is she doing there?"

"This... is what she wrote."

The note signed by Hatsune read "Princess and Onii-sama: I am going out for a bit because my heroic ambitions have suddenly awakened. Anyway, I will be visiting a relative's house in the city before heading to the tutelary fort. Don't worry about me even if I'm out late."

### Part 4

"Grandpa! I came to get what the princess wanted!"

Using this excuse, Tachibana Hatsune obtained what she wanted for herself.

The Tachibana clan's most venerable elder, the hundred-and-two-year-old Tachibana Bunzaemon, initially refused, saying "Hmm~ Then let's hold a meeting for the clan's approval..."

"What nonsense are you talking about, Grandpa? Suruga is in a crisis right now, it's an emergency!"

The word emergency overturned the elder's objections.

As a result, Hatsune left Bunzaemon's residence near Suruga Station.

Her next destination was the eastern part of Suruga City where Rinzai High was located. But rather than the dorm, she was heading to the plateau in the mountainous region east of the city—The Suruga tutelary fort.

Riding a scooter, Hatsune sped along the road.

She was dressed in her usual kimono, hakama, and low boots in Haikara-san style. In addition, she was wearing a helmet and carrying a certain object next to her bosom.

"Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune's Appellation... Every challenge is worth a try."

Hatsune was an accomplished martial artist but was never inspired to become a Chevalier.

However, now that Suruga City and the princess were caught up in the Restoration Alliance's coup d'etat, the situation was very dire. There was no downside to holding combat power—

For a mere school girl to have such sense, she truly belonged to the Tachibana clan that prided themselves on strength and valor.

Besides, it did not feel fair for Masatsugu-oniisama, the other young Tachibana, to be fighting alone. It bothered her. She did not want to lose to him.

"By the way, my father in Tokyo said he wanted to come talk about Onii-sama. What the heck is that about?"

With Suruga's surrounding area blockaded by the Restoration Alliance, her father could not possibly visit in such circumstances.

In any case, Hatsune arrived near the tutelary fort on her scooter. Yesterday, a great number of Kamuys and Crusades were killed in combat and many Legions had crashed in this area.

Now, the dead bodies from either the Japanese or the British side were no longer visible.

Legions were giants created from the noesis of Chevaliers. Their bodies would vanish an hour after death.

Hence, Hatsune reached the side gate without running into any corpses.

Of course, this was not a place where civilians could freely frequent. Fortunately, Hatsune had accompanied the princess on her frequent visits recently, so the soldier guarding the gate remembered her face.

Moreover, she had a trump card.

"I have a matter to discuss with the castellan Rikka-sama... Oh, I forgot the appointed time but Rikka-sama said I was welcome to drop by any time♪ Please have a look at this."

She brought up the earlier verbal promise and took out Akigase Rikka's calling card.

This was the card Shiori had handed to Hatsune recently, on which the words "please provide assistance to the princess" had been written. Hatsune was holding onto the card for Shiori as her lady-in-waiting and was now making use of it.

Half-convinced, the guard still confirmed with the tutelary fort for clearance.

In the end, Rikka gave the go ahead and the guard readily allowed Hatsune in.

Happy-go-lucky in other people's eyes, Hatsune was actually quite meticulous and careful—at least she thought so herself—and rather slick in her comings and goings.

This time, she succeeded in infiltrating the tutelary fort through impulse and initiative.

Hatsune's goal was to show "a certain object" to Rikka for appraisal, thus taking the opportunity to ask about her successful experience. Hatsune wanted to know how Chevalier Akigase Rikka had inherited the Appellation of the famous Onikiri.

"Onii-sama has forgotten his past of inheriting an Appellation... So asking someone else to share their experience is a good idea."

This was not a place one could arbitrarily visit on optimistic impulse and spirit alone.

Hatsune understood this much. Following the soldier guiding her, she walked into the tutelary fort's premises.

She saw the barracks and hangars that had been wrecked two days earlier.

There were also the nervous and weary soldiers of the Tōkaidō provincial army.

Witnessing these images, Hatsune was taken to a small three-story building.

It was a bit similar to mixed tenant buildings in the city. The castellan's office was located there. Shiori had visited this place yesterday.

...Arriving at the entrance, Hatsune asked the soldier guide in curiosity, "Excuse me, did you just see something weird run inside?"

"No, I didn't," answered the soldier immediately, but Hatsune did not believe him.

Just now, a "human figure shrouded in black haze" had slipped into the building. The figure was roughly Hatsune's height but unfortunately, she could not get a good look at the face obscured by the haze.

However, did the soldier guide not even see the black haze...?

At that moment, a certain object next to Hatsune's bosom vibrated.

Hatsune hastily took it out, a blue scroll. Old Japanese paper had been rolled up then bound using scarlet string. This was the Tachibana clan's treasured item for Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune's manifestation—

The scroll symbolizing the seal of a Feat of Arms vibrated again.

It was trying to convey something. Certain beyond a doubt, Hatsune charged forward to chase the human figure!

"They should be contacting me any time now..."

Rikka muttered quietly.

She was in the castellan's office, facing the desk on her own.

Blockaded by the Restoration Alliance, Suruga City was like a land-locked island with no way to communicate with the outside. But today was already the third day.

The pipe foxes sent out of the city should have returned by now.

Nagoya Castle—the headquarters of the Tōkaidō Fiefdom and House Akigase—should be relaying messages to her too.

If only there was a way to exchange information and establish communications, Rikka would be able to work in concert with friendly forces outside instead of being stuck inside the tutelary fort on defense duty.

"...I suppose the Restoration Alliance is well aware of this too."

The Alliance's forces had taken over the Fuji tutelary fort.

Perhaps they were going to lay siege to Suruga in full force within the next two days.

Naturally, the enemy's two Knights of Her Majesty had suffered major losses and could not fight again so soon.

In contrast, Rikka with her Chevalier Strength of 154 still had Kamuys to use.

Including previous casualties, all one hundred and fifty-four of Rikka's Legions had fully recovered.

"I don't really enjoy defending castles, but I am thankful for this one fact."

The greatest advantage of fighting on home turf was that Legions that had fallen in combat near the tutelary fort where the tutelary pact was established only needed one day to revive.

Furthermore, a Chevalier also gained toughness from a water shrine's blessing.

There was once a Chevalier who fought for seven days straight, neither resting nor sleeping, and succeeded in defending a tutelary fort.

In the past, siege battles favored the defending side. The same principle applied to modern Legion combat too. Hence, Rikka was able to maintain composure without getting too neurotic.

In fact, the body would not hold up for long if one remained tense continuously during times of crisis.

"Indeed, which is why reading this is fine too."

Rikka coughed lightly and reached out for a book on the desk.

The paperback on the desk was Roar, My Sword , written by a national history novelist. Featuring Hijikata Toshizō the Shinsengumi vice-commander as the protagonist, it was a brilliant masterpiece depicting bloody battles and stories of youth.

Rikka flipped the pages casually. She had fallen in love with this book back in Grade 6.

Taking this book to Suruga was purely coincidence. Originally, she had picked it off her bookshelves at home on a whim, wanting to savor this famous title again after so long.

Never had Rikka expected to encounter Hijikata Toshizō in the land of Suruga through destiny's mischievous twists—

"The power to take my Kamuys... That was certainly no ordinary Chevalier."

The young man calling himself Tachibana Masatsugu had a handsome face, carried Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada, and specialized in Tennen Rishin Style swordsmanship.

All elements corroborated Rikka's guess. Furthermore, there were no extant photographs of Hijikata Toshizō.

One theory was that Hijikata Toshizō never appeared before the camera his whole life as a precaution against assassination by the Meiji government. He did not want his image to spread.

However, he was as good-looking as a celebrity—

Many people had attested to that fact. And likewise, Tachibana Masatsugu was so handsome...

Just as Rikka was thinking about Masatsugu's face, someone knocked at the office's door. Recalling news that the princess' lady-in-waiting had arrived, she wondered if he might have come too.

Rikka could not help but feel a little nervous. She put the paperback away inside a drawer.

"P-Please enter."

Rikka put on a calm face intentionally.

However, she frowned as soon as she saw the visitor. It was a human figure shrouded in black haze, obscuring the face and figure, presumably a powerful noetic technique for masking one's appearance.

That being said, noesis of this strength—Rikka was quite doubtful.

Human noetic masters were not capable of such output. This had already reached the level of high-ranking retainer beasts.

Ordinary people would not even register this black haze crossing before their eyes, right? Such was the strength of the noesis used for identity concealment.

"Excuse me, but this technique is useless on me. At most, it just makes it harder to see clearly."

Rikka shrugged and raised her right hand.

She picked up her personal blade, Onikiri Yasutsuna. Noetic techniques had limited effect on Chevaliers like Rikka who possessed a high-level Appellation.

"I acknowledge your ability in sneaking into the tutelary fort through unknown means. If you are an assassin, I shall meet you with this sword of mine."

Drawing Onikiri Yasutsuna, Rikka stood up and slowly approached the figure. Even though the outline was blurred, severing parts of the body would not be any problem.

However, the figure immediately dispelled the disguise.

"A bold declaration. Fufufu."

A young woman appeared, her laughter as beautiful as the sound of silver bells.

Furthermore, she was a blonde maiden whose gorgeous hair reached waist length. Her figure was so svelte that her limbs seemed delicate enough to break with a gentle squeeze. Most striking of all was her beautiful face.

Delicate, exquisite, as lovely as a fairy. Her skin was also perfectly pale and pristine like porcelain.

She was wearing a black fur coat that reached her waist. Her slender legs were clad in black tights. Her black attire was reminiscent of funeral wear, probably due to the femme fatale aura she exuded.

"I would like to make a request to the fierce and courageous knight—Please acknowledge me, Eleanor, as your master. Bow down before me and pledge your allegiance."

"What rubbish are you speaking..."

The blonde girl looked straight at Rikka, causing her to shudder.

Rikka could not exert any strength in her body. Her body even began to move on its own. Bending slightly forward at the waist, her knees were almost about to kneel. Her view was dominated by the blonde girl.

If she were to bow her head and swear an oath of loyalty—

Akigase Rikka would become the girl's possession. This provoked Rikka's anger.

"Gah—!"

Mustering all her strength, Rikka gripped Onikiri Yasutsuna's blade tightly with her left hand.

The blade sliced open the surface of her palm. Pain arrived with the shedding of fresh blood, but thanks to this pain, the mysterious control lessened somewhat. Rikka glared viciously at the girl before her.

Though her limbs were still weak, slashing the enemy would not be a problem.

"Oh dear, to think that there exist Chevaliers in the Japan who can resist binding curses. How surprising."

The blonde girl smiled at Rikka who had regained presence of mind.

Holding a .38 revolver in her right hand, she aimed at Rikka's head.

"Even among the Knights of Her Majesty, few are able to resist my power. Someone as dangerous as you should be killed as a precaution..."

The enchantress smiled with mockery.

Rikka lamented inside. An ordinary swordsman facing firearms would be a very unfavorable situation, but she was a Chevalier with the ability to sense and control noesis.

She was capable of reading the witch's bloodlust to evade the moment before the trigger was pulled.

Then swiftly closing in, she would slay the enemy with an instantaneous slash of the sword.

Unfortunately, Rikka was in poor condition at the moment and unable to rush into attack range. Most troublesome of all, the witch Eleanor was staring intently into Rikka's eyes, hypnotizing her with enchanted words.

"Let me ask you again... Please will you become my knight?"

Golden light flashed from the witch's eyes.

Rikka gritted her teeth. The witch's eyes were draining her body of strength. The situation was getting worse with each passing moment. She needed some kind of opportunity to enable her to counterattack!

"This ends here, villain!"

A girl's courageous and energetic voice was heard at the scene.

The princess' lady-in-waiting, Tachibana Hatsune, charged into the office. Able to see the witch that ordinary people could not see, she threw the blue scroll in her hand at the witch.

Living up to the name of Tachibana blood, she had responded without the slightest hesitation.

"!?"

The witch reflexively dodged the scroll flying at her face.

Eleanor's movements were nimble. Despite looking weak and frail, she had reflexes like a beast. However, her course of action was undeniably a mistake—

"Yahhhhhhhhhhh!"

Spurring her exhausted body, Rikka stepped forward.

Giving it her all, she sent a thrust of the sword at the witch's throat. However, her weakened body could not move as normal. In the end, her sword only managed to pierce the witch's left shoulder.

"Guuuh!"

The witch Eleanor groaned in pain as red blood splattered—No.

What flowed out of the slender girl's shoulder was blue blood, unbelievably. It was almost like the marine blue of ectoplasmic fluid.

"Looks like this really is the end."

Eleanor spoke in chagrin and turned to flee as soon as she finished.

She dashed at the window in the room instead of toward Rikka or Hatsune. The office was located on the third floor but she went for the window without hesitation.

When Eleanor collided with the glass, Rikka saw the witch's slender body transform into a black dog .

It was a fierce hunting hound. In the form of a hound, the witch Eleanor broke through the glass and flew into the air.

"W-What's with that girl...?" Utterly drained, Rikka could no longer move at will.

She stumbled over to the window side. Hatsune went over to support her.

"S-She's gone..."

Hatsune looked out the window and scanned the ground, speaking in confusion.

The black hound had ran at full speed, racing across the tutelary fort's lawn as fast as the wind. Along the way, she transformed again—This time into a raven.

The black raven spread its wings and took flight.

The image of the witch's gliding departure was undoubted some kind of inauspicious omen.

"However, it is understandable why Rikka-sama would get the wrong idea."

Saying this, Shiori was walking in the Suruga tutelary fort's parking lot.

Masatsugu was also on the side after having just playing the driver's role. With Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada hanging at his waist, he was now serving as the princess' knight.

"Tōkaidō is a land with deep ties to Lord Tokugawa Ieyasu. Hijikata Toshizō served the Tokugawa shogunate as a samurai until the very end and later acted as the imperial family's protector. He is a special hero. Besides..."

Shiori glanced at Masatsugu.

"I too have entertained suspicions whether your true identity is Lord Hijikata, Masatsugu-sama. My guess was that my grandfather might have sent me a hero with intimate ties to the imperial family... Rumors of Lord Hijikata's appearance are quite similar to yours too, Masatsugu-sama."

"I see."

"However, my guess was overturned when the Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada treasured by House Fujinomiya failed to show any reaction."

Masatsugu now understood too. Hijikata Toshizō was rumored to be quite handsome and both Shiori and Rikka had shown great interest in Tachibana Masatsugu's visage.

"By the way, Masatsugu-sama, your driving skills... could use some improvement."

"Sorry about that. To be honest, I'm not used to driving four-wheeled transportation."

"Once we find Hatsune, leave the return trip to her..."

Tachibana Masatsugu had a bad habit of turning into a speed demon when not paying attention.

After experiencing how dangerously he drove, Shiori was thoroughly haggard in mind and body.

Along the winding mountain roads to the tutelary fort's plateau, the princess had to suppress her fear and screams on every turn. (Furthermore, since the experience would be more terrifying downhill, Masatsugu had absolute confidence he could make Shiori scream out loud.)

While chatting, the two of them approached the building containing the castellan's office.

They then found out about the mysterious intruder's attack on Akigase Rikka as well as Hatsune's arrival to the rescue.

Outside the building of the castellan's office, Masatsugu and the Tachibana girl were talking.

"...So that's what happened. We barely managed to fight off that transforming girl."

In a rare state of listlessness, Hatsune reported the whole story.

Her expression was mixed with doubt, unsure whether what she had seen was real. It felt like she had been bewitched by a fox spirit.

"Well, we do live in an age where dead people revive and roam the world. A transforming witch is nothing surprising."

"Onii-sama, I've never heard of anyone like that. Noetic techniques can only be used for camouflage at most."

A group of soldiers had gathered in front of the building.

Lying on a stretcher, Rikka was being transported out of the entrance with a number of people waiting on the side, including paramedics and Shiori. They went forward to examine Rikka's condition.

"Masatsugu-sama!"

Shiori called his name and Masatsugu hurried over to the princess and Rikka's side.

"Rikka-sama has a request for you."

"A request for me?"

Arriving at the two girls' side, Masatsugu could not help feeling a little puzzled by what Shiori said.

Meanwhile, Rikka smiled faintly while lying weakly on the stretcher. She only managed to curl the corners of her lips, but her fortitude was evident.

"...Just as you all can see, I was careless. Truth be told, I am not confident I can recover immediately."

Rikka's voice also lacked vitality but she gazed at Masatsugu firmly.

"Hiji—No, Tachibana-dono. I hope you could defend Suruga in my stead for the time being. The princess has also given her consent."

The assassin was an unknown blonde woman, but definitely involved with the Restoration Alliance.

Now would be the perfect chance to conquer the tutelary fort while the castellan was unconscious.

Masatsugu said, "Since Her Highness Shiori has given her consent, I have no objections. I will defend Suruga on your behalf despite my humble talents."

"Much appreciated," Rikka closed her eyes after thanking him.

She lost consciousness. Unexpectedly, Tachibana Masatsugu was now tasked with the castellan's duties. Unable to summon a single Legion, how was he going to oppose the enemy?

Masatsugu shrugged. There was no point in worrying before the battle. The only way to know if things would work out was to do it for real.

### 043. Chapter 6 - Legatus Legionis (2)

### Part 1

The moment Akigase Rikka fainted was 16:04.

Two hours later, the Suruga tutelary fort received news. A wyvern in charge of perimeter reconnaissance had discovered the enemies .

It was after 6pm. The sky of the setting sun was gradually turning dark.

Roughly two hundred enemy Legions were approaching Suruga City under the cover of the autumn night.

Setting off from the Fuji tutelary fort, the enemies had used low-speed flight which did not consume ectoplasmic fluid, flying across Suruga Bay. However, the enemies were not Crusades.

They were an army of Imperial Japan's prided blue samurai, the Kamuys.

The Kinai Fiefdom and the British had joined forces to establish the Restoration Alliance. Opposing the Alliance meant that infighting between Kamuys would eventually happen one day.

And this one day was tonight.

The nation-protecting keep was the tutelary fort's core. Tachibana Hatsune was waiting in the ground floor hall. Soldiers of the Tōkaidō provincial army were hurrying in and out, which meant that they were working hard in response to the enemy attack.

Hatsune was standing alone in a corner to avoid getting in their way.

Were this a party, Hatsune would probably be a "wallflower," but the current situation was the opposite.

"Civil war... People from the same country killing one another."

Hatsune sighed, feeling uncharacteristically depressed.

Viewed through rosy glasses, the so-called Sengoku era was a time when ambitious daimyo lords vied for supremacy to unify the nation—But it was nothing more than a bloodbath where Japanese slaughtered one another in civil war. Similarly, the Meiji Restoration saw reformists in the Bakumatsu era rallying to usher in a new age—But it too was a time of civil unrest full of tragedy.

Perhaps such an era was about to arrive again.

"Onii-sama and the princess, I wonder if they're okay...?"

Hatsune was not only part of the princess and a Chevalier's entourage but had also distinguished herself by rescuing the castellan.

Hence, she was allowed to stay in the nation-protecting keep. Hatsune did not want to act entitled, but at least she felt thankful for securing a spot for herself in the hall.

Staying here allowed her to keep a close watch on the battle situation.

For example, she could check in real-time how her Onii-sama from the Tachibana clan fought and his safety on the battlefield.

"To be honest, the situation is quite unfavorable. You've got to do your best, Onii-sama...!"

The Chevalier originally supposed to fight alongside him, Akigase Rikka was unconscious.

The ifrit and spirit guarding the tutelary fort were also in poor condition.

Masatsugu had become everyone's final hope. Together with his liege Shiori, he had gone underground of the nation-protecting keep but still had not returned.

Suppressing her anxiety, Hatsune quietly waited for the battle to begin.

"H-How is it?"

"As I suspected... The water here seems unsuitable for me."

Masatsugu was underground of the tutelary fort, currently in the water shrine's bath.

Shiori was also by his side. The vat of ectoplasmic fluid, resembling a round swimming pool, was filled with marine-blue artificial ectoplasmic fluid. The center was designed like a fountain where the blue liquid flowed out continuously.

Masatsugu was soaking in the vat alone.

In charge of accompanying and instructing him, Shiori remained outside the bath with her back towards Masatsugu.

"What do you mean by unsuitable?"

"Princess, you said the ectoplasmic fluid here would seep into my body and soul to help me resupply, right? Unfortunately, I don't feel like I'm absorbing any ectoplasmic fluid at all."

"I see..."

Shiori listened attentively but insistently refused to look towards the vat of ectoplasmic fluid.

She kept her back to Masatsugu the whole time because he was naked. As soon as he arrived at the vat of ectoplasmic fluid, Masatsugu had undressed because clothing was in the way.

Turning bright red, Shiori had hastily turned her back to Masatsugu.

Evidently, she was neither used to "looking at others" nor being looked at herself. Moreover, the princess was dressed in the school uniform as before.

"By the way, Princess. From what I've heard... Highborn women usually have ladies-in-waiting to help them change, so they don't mind disrobing in front of other people. This doesn't seem to apply to you, Princess, why is that?"

"Y-You are talking about customs from almost a century ago!"

Masatsugu's honest question received a scolding answer in response.

"Even though we are royalty, it would be problematic living as modern humans if one were to lack basic life skills such as dressing oneself. Please do not raise questions like these which are tantamount to sexual harassment!"

"I shouldn't have asked."

"Putting that aside, Masatsugu-sama, is the resupply of ectoplasmic fluid completely ineffective?"

"Yes, though... coming here did accomplish something at least."

As soon as he finished, Masatsugu's entire body shone with a faint glow.

The tutelary pact had been established between Masatsugu and Suruga's water shrine. This now allowed him to make effective use of the home advantage, to be able to summon Legions at will near the tutelary fort and revive casualties within shorter time frames...

That being said, all this was rather meaningless for Masatsugu who still did not have a single soldier under his command.

"The ability to form a tutelary pact but not replenish ectoplasmic fluid—" Shiori murmured to herself in surprise.

However, she did not give up hope. With her back to Masatsugu, she entered deep thought. Twenty seconds later, she shared her conclusion decisively.

"This leaves me no choice. I shall ask for the reason."

"Ask? Who will you ask?"

"My grandfather. In fact... I already have an idea as to the identity of the witch who had just attacked Rikka-sama. She is probably the same as me."

The same? Masatsugu was quite surprised. The princess slowly turned her head towards him.

Their gazes met. Despite facing the naked Masatsugu, Shiori was no longer nervous.

This was probably a combination of Masatsugu's lower body being submerged in ectoplasmic fluid and the fact that they were confronting a serious matter—In any case, it was a very poignant topic.

"The witch is probably a member of royalty. She descends from a princess who married a sacred beast as a priestess to become the sacred beast's consort... In other words, she is either a daughter or a granddaughter with a sacred beast's blood flowing within her."

"The witch Hatsune saw is royalty like you, Princess?"

"Yes. When we pray to our forefathers, the sacred beasts, there is a chance that our wishes come true. Normally, we pray for major national matters, such as asking sacred beasts to grant the likes of Legions or Appellations... As for me," Shiori tossed her glittering platinum blonde hair lightly, "I am able to pray for personal wishes more arbitrarily. My dragon blood is stronger than any of the other princesses, which seems to facilitate communing with my grandfather. That transforming witch is probably—no, she must be a princess whose heritage of sacred beast blood must be even stronger than mine."

Yesterday, Shiori had revealed that Lord Tenryuu granted Masatsugu to her.

Stronger ties to a sacred beast also implied greater proximity to the mystical.

"Masatsugu-sama, please come out and stand before me... O-Of course, kindly make yourself presentable first."

Shiori became a little flustered at the end. After speaking, she turned her back to Masatsugu again.

Masatsugu left the vat of ectoplasmic fluid and wrapped a bath towel around his waist. With a slender build, he was not a big man with bulging muscles. But overall, his body was quite well-trained without the slightest flab, approaching the physique of a boxer before a match.

Thus, the two of them were now face to face.

Sitting on the edge of the vat of ectoplasmic fluid, Masatsugu lowered his head. Shiori reached out and placed her right hand on the forehead of the amnesiac Resurrectee.

Then the eyes of the girl with dragon blood instantly shone blue.

"...I know the answer."

Shiori's whispering voice was very solemn. This was only to be expected as it was the voice of a shrine maiden speaking an oracle.

"Ectoplasmic fluid must merge with the body and soul in order to activate mystic powers... However, Masatsugu-sama, you have lost your name and memories..."

Shiori's expression vanished. Her face had a cold and inorganic beauty like a doll's.

"This condition is equivalent to losing a portion of one's soul. An incomplete vessel. A damaged soul cannot carry ectoplasmic fluid... and consequently cannot ensure an army's nourishment..."

Masatsugu frowned. He never expected his memory loss to cause such a problem.

Furthermore, he noticed that something was escaping from the expressionless Shiori. Masatsugu understood instinctively through a Chevalier's ability to sense noesis.

"The reason why you are unable to materialize Legions is as I suspected... A shortage of ectoplasmic fluid reserves after all. Let me take this opportunity... to pray for the restoration of your memory. Whether it will succeed or not, can only be known after the attempt is made..."

Masatsugu felt very skeptical. Could Shiori really pray for the restoration of his memories?

In that case, why had she not attempted it earlier? The certain something escaping from the princess—the flow was increasing. Could it be that...

"Masatsugu-sama, please close your eyes."

Despite his surprise, Masatsugu followed Shiori's instructions.

He closed his eyes and saw some kind of scene.

First there was a classroom with many students of Rinzai High there. However, it was not class time but a meeting of thte school festival's executive committee. The scene shifted again to a classroom where a lesson was in progress, then to a bedroom in the boys dorm, then Masatsugu and Taisei heading out after school together...

Scenes of his everyday life was flashing past like in a kaleidoscope.

Masatsugu saw his memories from the past two years, tracing backwards slowly from the most recent. One month ago, two months ago, three months ago, a year ago, a year and a half ago.

Finally, it was two years ago, the first time he gained consciousness after his memory loss.

He was lying on a futon in some kind of house. Someone from the Tachibana clan was next to him and told him many things while he was awake. A few days after that, he had come to Suruga.

Masatsugu had no recollection of anything earlier, but the backtracking of memories continued.

—Inside a cave deep in a certain mountain. It was raining outside.

Just woken, Masatsugu was naked. In front of him was a beautiful young girl.

That gorgeous platinum blonde hair undoubtedly belonged to Shiori. However, she was two years younger than the present, only fourteen. Back then, she should have been studying abroad.

Perhaps this happened in Eastern Rome's territory or she had returned to Japan for a brief visit.

Either way, the princess requested for Masatsugu to be her knight and he agreed magnanimously.

'As thanks for summoning me back to the world, I pledge to do everything in my power.'

However, Masatsugu then lost consciousness—

The scene changed again.

This time, it was in the center of a vast plain of grassland. There were no buildings in sight. The horizon was out in the distance.

It did not seem like Japanese scenery, but it could be. Because this was a scene from the past, not the present.

Masatsugu... No, it was before he received this name. This was his previous life.

He was riding a galloping horse. His mount was definitely no thoroughbred. Its skinny body did not look impressive at all. However, the horse ran well. Even now, it was racing strongly across the grassland. This breed's staying power was its most important trait.

The horse ran on and on, eating weeds in the wilderness, slaking its thirst with the morning dew.

Crossing a thousand miles, skinny yet strong and resilient.

This was truly the type of horse most suited for war. Riding on horseback with sword in hand, a bow and a quiver of arrows hanging from the saddle, rushing to the battlefield with an army that shared his meager rations. The soldiers under his command were riding equally skinny horses.

The enemies... Who were they? Which country was he in, fighting whom?

What is my name?

Just as the answer was about to be revealed...

Masatsugu opened his eyes and said to the princess who was relying on the power of her grandfather, Lord Tenryuu, "Enough, Princess... No need to consume your life any further."

"Huh?"

Instantly, surprise surfaced on Shiori's expressionless face.

She probably thought Masatsugu would not notice. However, Masatsugu had discerned the secret.

"The sacred beasts have great powers, even enough to change the world. It is only natural that asking the sacred beasts to invoke that kind of power would require a corresponding price."

"Masatsugu-sama..."

"From what I can tell, the price is paid using the lives of royalty like you—Am I right?"

"......"

Shiori bowed her head without saying a word. Silence was the most effective confirmation.

Currently, the princess and Masatsugu's minds had returned to the bath at the water shrine. From the grassy plains of an unknown era back to the year 1998, the Suruga tutelary fort at the end of the twentieth century.

The moment this ritual began, Shiori had been losing something from her body.

Namely, life, longevity, vitality. Masatsugu used to be a warrior whose path crossed closer to death than anyone's, hence he instinctively sensed what Shiori had lost was valuable life.

"You already paid a corresponding price to revive me."

"The exact number eludes me... Regardless, my lifespan decreased approximately by five years, maybe a decade or two. But it matters not."

Shiori lifted her head with determination.

"The lifespans of women inheriting the blood of sacred beasts are always very extreme. They either die tragically young or live to a ripe old age. Inheriting my grandfather's blood so strongly, I will surely be long-lived. Besides..."

The princess feigned a calm expression and continued to put on a brave face.

"Rather than a long life in shallows and in miseries, bullied by the Empress and her closest followers... A short life burning as brilliantly as fireworks would be far more stylish."

"Even so, you have paid enough." Finding Shiori's tough front rather cute as well, he said, "Since you reduced your own life to obtain me... My life will be yours to use, Princess."

These were the words of a general, conveying a promise to his liege.

Shiori looked surprised as she gazed back at Masatsugu.

### Part 2

Together with Shiori, Masatsugu left the bath. In front of them was a vast reservoir of marine blue, all of it artificial ectoplasmic fluid. This was the original purpose of a water shrine.

There was a network of paths over the blue reservoir.

Walking along the paths, Masatsugu reached the center of the water shrine.

Shiori followed him. She had not said anything after listening to his promise earlier. She seemed unsettled and quite embarrassed.

Masatsugu had already dried himself and put on his uniform, so his appearance should not be the cause.

"U-Umm, Masatsugu-sama... Thank you for your kindness," Shiori said timidly. "You not only stopped me from using more of my life, but even said such words..."

"It's too early to thank me. I still haven't proven that I have the power to serve you, Princess."

"That is fine. Even if you fail to acquire the power of Legions in the future, Masatsugu-sama, I am overjoyed. Your words to me were very precious."

Shiori finally smiled cheerfully.

Thanking someone to their face was an awkward and embarrassing affair.

"I am sincerely thankful that I was able to meet you."

Perhaps this was a first experience in Shiori's entire life.

Having sought a legatus legionis , she was thoroughly impressed with Tachibana Masatsugu's character and did not mind the extent of his abilities—

In front of the princess, Masatsugu narrowed his eyes and increased his noesis.

"Please watch, Princess."

The water shrine was very spacious with a very tall ceiling, a vast and majestic sanctuary. Thanks to that, Masatsugu was able to release the massive noesis hidden within himself in one go. BOOM!

A strong wind suddenly blew, swirling around Masatsugu like a tornado.

"Kyah!"

Close by, Shiori emitted a small scream.

This gust of wind was Masatsugu's noesis. Noesis itself had neither color nor form, but the presence of powerful noetic waves would manifest in such a manner.

The wind rushed into every corner of the water shrine while Masatsugu conjured images in his mind.

He imagined an army of winged giant soldiers assembling under his command. Inside the vast water shrine, red-purple Kamuys suddenly appeared. They were the "Kanesadas" that he had named yesterday.

Standing almost eight meters tall, the soldiers were equipped with bayonet rifles. And not just one of them.

An astounding number of Kanesadas were occupying all of the water shrine.

"Thanks to your prayer earlier, Princess, I was able to catch a slight glimpse of my past. I suppose this counts as the prayer's achievement. I am now able to use power to this extent."

"But... Masatsugu-sama, this still does not solve any problems," Shiori replied sadly.

The Kanesadas in the water shrine were translucent spiritual entities.

They numbered roughly a thousand. In fact, no matter how vast the water shrine, it could not hold such a large army. The thousand Kanesadas could only fit by overlapping with one another. This would not be possible unless they were non-corporeal spiritual entities.

The army of Kanesadas had merely appeared without materializing.

"Just as I thought, ectoplasmic fluid is essential to materializing Legions."

"I've got an idea for that too."

"Eh!?"

Masatsugu smiled at the surprised princess. Instead of his usual twitch of the cheek, it was a rare and natural smile.

Presumably, the conversation with Shiori had allowed his heart and soul to relax more than ever before.

"The godlike sacred beasts are kind enough to look after their kin by blood. Assuming my hunch is current, this is truly an interesting fact."

"How... so?"

"Rather than sending a perfect specimen of a Resurrectee, giving you a defective one with amnesia would consume less of your life. To choose me out of thousands of generals from the past... The reason is probably because I am capable of fighting in spite of memory loss ."

"You are telling me that it was my grandfather's doing?"

Surprised by his suggestion, Shiori was at a loss for words.

"It was for my sake that he chose you, Masatsugu-sama, and deprived you of your memories—?"

"I don't have any evidence, but it is a possibility. The lord I served in my previous life... would not be considered a capable man. Or perhaps, he held some kind of grudge against me."

Masatsugu shrugged. He still lacked memories of his past.

However, he was now fully aware of his own strengths and weaknesses, as well as what kind of general he used to be.

"Whenever war broke out, I never had enough rations or funds. Every time, I had to rush to battle in a hurry, going on expeditions across thousands of miles with a shortage of supplies."

"Well..."

"Which is why we became so tough. My soldiers were always drinking muddy water to stave off thirst and sharing meager rations with the horses. Winning battle after battle—we became an army of elite troops."

"......"

"Of course, this was not a disciplined army. We often plundered food and water, even slaughtering our comrade-like horses at times of emergency, drinking their blood to replenish our energy."

"Masatsugu-sama, your previous life might be..."

Listening to Masatsugu's anecdotes, Shiori was reminded of certain facts of history.

"A commander leading an army of cavalry... Perhaps?"

"Is that what you figured out? Impressive. The Feat of Arms belonging to a general like me—"

Feat of Arms. An ability to reenact illustrious feats of battle from the past.

Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada bestowed a katana upon every Legion under one's command, allowing them to use Tennen Rishin Style swordsmanship. Akigase Rikka's oni-slaying treasured sword, Onikiri Yasutsuna, also possessed a Feat of Arms allowing the user to cut down Legions personally.

Like these Appellations, Resurrectees were the result of ancient martial feats reborn as humans.

"My Feat of Arms is a technique to continue animating Legions after depleting ectoplasmic fluid."

"Masatsugu-sama...!"

"Unfortunately, it can't be activated in isolation and I need someone to help me. Princess, I would like to ask for your assistance."

"Most certainly! I am willing to do anything to help!"

The princess agreed happily but Masatsugu shook his head and said to her, "No, as I've said before, I'm not a man who likes to coerce others. If you feel unwilling at any moment, Princess, push me away immediately."

"Eh...? Masatsugu-sama? Kyahhh!?"

Without permission, Masatsugu simply picked up the surprised Shiori in his arms.

He gently laid down the princess' delicate body on the path in the water shrine. Then with a word of sorry, he positioned his entire body over her.

This posture was similar to how Masatsugu had blocked the Kamuy's crash for her two days earlier.

The princess' face was right in front of him. Just by closing this gap of twenty centimeters, Masatsugu could easily take her lips by force.

Close enough to feel each other's breath, Masatsugu whispered, "The water shrine is a facility for supplying ectoplasmic fluid. When fighting somewhere without a water shrine, what does one do when ectoplasmic fluid runs out? The answer is simple."

The thousand Kanesadas occupying the water shrine—

This illusory army instantly vanished. Taking their place were countless blue spheres of light, glowing with fantastical radiance to illuminate the water shrine. The spheres of light were roughly the size of fireflies dancing along river banks.

This was proof that the Feat of Arms of Ectoplasmic Blood Steal had activated.

"One could take ectoplasmic fluid from those who still have reserves. It's not difficult."

"Or, plundering from others..."

Pinned under Masatsugu, Shiori speculated quietly.

She looked up at his face with a nervous expression. Intelligent as she was, she instantly understood the key principle behind this Feat of Arms.

"Indeed... Mystic powers only activate after ectoplasmic fluid combines with the soul. Then if one were to take ectoplasmic fluid that someone else already absorbed—"

"Then there's no problem. In other words, the ones I should be seeking help from are..."

"...Chevaliers, whose bodies and souls store ectoplasmic fluid to nourish their Legions..."

"Or women of royalty, whose blood can be used as a precursor to ectoplasmic fluid."

This situation was similar to spending the wedding night with one's husband after exchanging marriage vows.

Currently, Shiori was giving off airs like a new bride. One could also call it vibes of innocence.

Looking at the endearing Shiori, Masatsugu said gently, "Princess, please share with me the power of the sacred beasts that resides within you."

"I-I certainly do not mind. B-But why are we taking this posture? There is no need to lie together if simply sharing ectoplasmic fluid—"

"I need what flows beneath your skin."

Masatsugu caressed the princess' cheek.

Shiori trembled and could not help feeling nervous. Masatsugu smiled calmly at her, trying to ease her emotions.

Incredibly, Masatsugu had been smiling naturally for a while now, an expression he normally had trouble showing.

"I will feel the texture of your skin and the warmth of your blood. Then transfer your heat into my body, stealing it, to transform into nourishment for battle... This is how my ability works."

"In other words, it requires skin contact!?"

Shiori was greatly stunned and Masatsugu answered very simply.

"If you are unwilling, forget it."

"N-Not at all, why would I dislike helping you, Masatsugu-sama? I-It is just that, this is a bit too close!"

"Since you are uncomfortable with it, I guess I'll—"

"I-I did not say that. I-I find you quite a nuisance sometimes, Masatsugu-sama, but you do have a sort of unbelievable charm..."

The princess relaxed her body and her nervousness subsided somewhat.

She spoke softly as though whispering.

"Besides, with you so close to me, Masatsugu-sama, I cannot help but feel my heart pounding..."

"That's true, your cheeks are heating up."

"I-I cannot help it either!" Shiori spoke, blushing in embarrassment from under Masatsugu.

Meanwhile, Masatsugu kept stroking her cheek, boldly savoring the warmth of the princess' face.

"This is my first time being treated in such a manner..."

"Princess, if you don't mind, I'd like you to prepare yourself a bit."

Shiori originally wanted to avoid eye contact with Masatsugu.

With Masatsugu gazing at her beautiful face, the embarrassed and trembling princess nodded and slowly sat up.

Masatsugu also got up to give her room.

Next, Shiori reached for her buttons.

Shiori was wearing Rinzai High's uniform. She unfastened the buttons of her blouse in sequence, exposing her upper body, and also withdrew her arms from the sleeves.

Currently, her blouse was merely draped over her shoulders.

With only a brassiere remaining on her upper torso, her pale and supple skin was in clear view.

This included her wantonly maturing body that Masatsugu had witnessed in a swimsuit last time.

"Princess."

"Masatsugu-sama!"

Masatsugu embraced Shiori tightly again. The instant he pushed Shiori down, she hugged him back on her own initiative.

She was doing this to suppress her unease and embarrassment. At the same time, excitement and passion finally broke through the depths of her sheltered upbringing.

Masatsugu pressed his face tightly against Shiori's lovely neck.

"Your hands and face feel so cold... They are like ice."

"It's because I summoned Legions while short on ectoplasmic fluid. That's why I need you, Princess."

"Y-Yes!"

Shiori wrapped her arms tightly around Masatsugu's back.

Their bodies came together more intimately. For Masatsugu, whose body was freezing, Shiori's soft skin felt boiling. Even with his black stiff-collar uniform in between, he could feel her warmth clearly.

This felt plenty pleasurable already, but it was far from enough.

Maintaining close contact with Shiori's neck, Masatsugu kissed her warm and tender skin.

His tongue and lips did not forget to lick and suck.

"Ah—"

The princess moaned instantly from the sucking on her neck.

Masatsugu absorbed heat from her noble body and from the blood flowing under her tender skin—the precious blood inherited from Lord Tenryuu and the raw material for ectoplasmic fluid.

In this manner, Masatsugu's tongue and lips moved against her pale neck and the base of her ear.

He sucked on the maiden's bare skin, licking it, even nibbling on occasion.

This felt very nostalgic. Masatsugu was reminded of a past life on and off the battlefield. Back then, whenever he needed to drink his steed's blood to stave off hunger and thirst, he would gently slice them in the neck with his knife.

Drinking the blood that flowed out directly, he savored and swallowed it.

The blood's warmth would seep into his weakened body and soul, turning into energy for battle. In almost the same manner, Masatsugu sucked on Shiori's skin.

"Mm... Ahhh," Shiori's moaning was getting slightly louder.

Despite the heat forcibly stolen from her, there was a growing feeling of two bodies united as one, and she experienced an indescribable sense of rapture and connection.

Her voice sounded like sobbing yet with a slither of ecstasy.

"Masatsugu... -sama. Mmmmm."

The pale throat, nape, shoulder—Masatsugu kept kissing her lovely silken skin without pausing for even a moment. While enjoying the warm and soft sensation, he stole heat from Shiori's blood.

In the process, Shiori said in surprise, "Your body, it still feels so cold..."

While Masatsugu was sucking her skin and warmth, Shiori gently stroked his face and neck.

Her palms ran over every inch of him not covered by the uniform—his temples, the back of his head, his hands, for example—as though trying to warm up his cold body.

This was Shiori's thoughtful care. Using her own palms, she tried to share her body warmth with Masatsugu as much as possible.

Intimately connected, the two of them did not separate at any moment. The princess' bountiful bosom was compressed under Masatsugu's weight.

"Princess..."

Masatsugu's lips were the first to let go of her skin.

During this brief interruption, the two of them stared passionately into each other's eyes.

Instantly, Masatsugu knew from instinct. If he were to take Shiori's lips this moment, she would definitely not refuse.

He could smother the beauty's lips and easily take pleasure in a kiss.

However, he did not do so. That sort of thing should wait until their hearts and souls were in greater harmony.

He believed that Shiori would naturally seek a kiss when that moment arrived. Then he would be able to follow the affection in his heart and shower her with tender loving. There was no need to force a kiss on her right now.

Again, Masatsugu made eye contact with the princess.

He then buried his face into her pale neck, moving his lips over her skin again.

Shiori gently accepted Masatsugu's unruliness and took his hand naturally, holding it firmly. Their hands became tightly clasped together.

"Mmmm—Mmmmmmmmmmmm!"

Shiori moaned seductively without words.

Her sense of connection with Masatsugu reached a climax.

With an "ah...", the princess lost consciousness, fainting under Masatsugu. The symptoms were very similar to anemia. Her body would not be able to take further kissing.

Moderation was key and it was time to stop. Masatsugu got up from the ground.

His body was now burning hot. The heat stolen from the blood in his lady liege—the essence of ectoplasmic fluid—entered Masatsugu's blood, quietly waiting to be released.

"I guess I'll use this power to get through this battle first..."

Ultimately, this was an irregular method. Resupplying the normal way should provide far more ectoplasmic fluid.

However, he had no choice but to make effective use of the limited means available. Masatsugu nodded with satisfaction and gently stroked the unconscious Shiori's cheek.

### Part 3

The princess ended up waking two minutes later. Discovering that she had collapsed on the path over the blue reservoir of ectoplasmic fluid, she hastily got up.

Masatsugu was by her side, watching over her.

Furthermore, Shiori's only upper body garment was a brassiere. Masatsugu had covered the unconscious princess with her removed blouse and his own uniform jacket.

"E-Excuse me."

Shiori lowered her head in shame because she had allowed her sleeping appearance to be seen.

She hastily put on her blouse and fastened the buttons with fingers trembling in embarrassment, then fixed up her attire in sequence.

"P-Please stop staring at me while I am dressing. I-It feels very embarrassing."

"Sorry, this feels kind of nostalgic, which is why I..."

"Nostalgic?"

"Yes. I used to watch women dress up after sessions of intimacy—"

"M-M-M-M-Masatsugu-sama! Do not mention such past experiences in my presence ever again!"

While they were talking, there was a sudden ringing sound in the air.

A pipe fox appeared next to Shiori to report on the battle situation.

"An enemy army from the Fuji tutelary fort—A total of two hundred Kamuys... A noesis barrier has been deployed at ground level to defend against the enemy attack."

"Two hundred... From one Chevalier?"

"No, the scouting wyvern confirmed four Chevaliers from the Kinai Fiefdom."

"Four of them..."

"Masatsugu-sama, how many Legions are you able to summon after the resupplying just now?" asked Shiori worriedly after Masatsugu listened expressionlessly to the situation report.

Shiori was certainly observant. She knew that the method they had used was merely a "stopgap measure." Feeling truly fortunate for serving such an intelligent princess, Masatsugu replied truthfully without reservation, "Roughly a hundred, which is about half the enemy numbers."

Masatsugu's Chevalier Strength was supposed to be 1000 or so.

Unfortunately, he had not obtained a lot of ectoplasmic fluid. Currently, he was only able to summon 102.

"I see... I am terribly sorry."

"Why are you apologizing, Princess?"

"It is my fault that you must fight an uphill battle again, just as in your previous life."

"This is nothing so please don't let it weigh on your mind. You can save the apologies for when we're surrounded by enemies outnumbering us five or ten-fold."

Masatsugu smiled and joked about, but it was not the natural smile he had earlier.

Worried about Masatsugu, Shiori said, "This tutelary fort's ifrit is still in poor shape. If the noesis barrier is breached as easily as it did yesterday, it would be akin to having a great hole in a castle wall—"

"That's fine. It'll actually be easier if the enemy targets that hole."

"Eh?"

"We just need to set up an ambush at the hole. A collapsed castle wall still has its uses."

Calmly, Masatsugu told his surprised lady liege, "Princess, all you need to do is command me to wipe out the enemy."

The Suruga tutelary fort was located in the mountainous region east of Suruga City.

The surroundings of this fortress were twisting and shimmering like a mirage.

This phenomenon was caused by a noesis barrier. Inside the barrier and above the tutelary fort, a giant image of a blue dragon—the ifrit Seiryuu—appeared to face off against the Restoration Alliance army outside the shield.

However, Seiryuu was unable to invoke meteorological decrees tonight.

All power had been diverted to the noesis barrier so that it could hold for as long as possible.

"Fufufufu, a bluff huh..."

The four enemy commanders led two hundred and five Kamuys.

One of them, Chevalier Miura, laughed. His Chevalier Strength was 52.

The remaining three were Maruki, Shinbu, and Doro, whose Chevalier Strengths were respectively 53, 49, and 51. The four of them had petitioned the British Empire's "strategist" to allow them to conduct the attack.

The Black Knight, rumored to be a Resurrectee, had readily agreed.

Prior to their departure, the mysterious English aristocrat had told them, 'From yesterday's battle, we know that Suruga's ifrit does not pose much of a threat. Furthermore, there is more disappointing news. The Akigase Chevalier is injured and unconscious. If the rumor is true, then this will be a boring battle...'

Receiving this news on their departure, the four of them sortied from the Fuji tutelary fort.

...The Kinai Fiefdom they belonged to was composed from the five prefectures of Hyōgo, Wakayama, Nara, Mie, and Shiga along with Kyoto. A total of seventy-two Chevaliers served the fiefdom.

These four would be considered first-rate within the Kinai Fiefdom. They were all men in their forties or early fifties, similar in age and Chevalier Strength. Individually, they were no match for Britain's Knights of Her Majesty, but if the four of them joined forces—

Confident of victory, the four of them rode blue wyverns to lead their force of Kamuys to attack.

Each Chevalier ordered their own Legions to maintain a spherical formation centered around him.

The area surrounding the Suruga tutelary fort was a lovely hill covered by green grassland and low trees. It was a shame that night had fallen and obscured the beautiful scenery.

The Kinai army went straight for the noesis barrier and Seiryuu at the tutelary fort.

At that moment, Chevalier Miura noticed signs of the enemy.

"Are they Tōkaidō Kamuys!?"

The noesis barrier surrounding the tutelary fort shimmered like heat haze while fifty blue Kamuys appeared in front of the barrier. They had flown into the air from the ground.

Chevaliers were able to sense the noesis from Legions, instantly distinguishing friend from foe.

These Kamuys were identical to the four Chevaliers' Kamuys in appearance but were neither Miura's, Maruki's, Shibu's, nor Doro's.

Surely they must belong to Tōkaidō's Chevalier princess, Akigase Rikka.

" " " "Fire!" " " "

At the four knights' command, the Kinai army's two hundred and five Legions all started firing repeatedly.

In response, the Suruga army's fifty Kamuys deployed their protective barriers and fired back. The two armies clashed but the disparity in strength was too great.

In merely a minute or two, the Kinai army's two hundred and five Legions shot Suruga's fifty to death.

Even at a numerical disadvantage, the battle should not have been so one-sided.

"Merely puppets!"

Chevalier Miura sneered.

The enemy had manifested Legions beforehand and stationed them as defense troops.

Legions would fight autonomously even when their master was absent or asleep. This was a very important way of using them. However, their performance would be much weaker than when receiving orders from a Chevalier nearby. In particular, their agility and barrier strength would be halved.

No wonder Legions in this state were known as puppets.

The fifty Kamuys just now had been positioned ahead of time by the currently unconscious Akigase Rikka.

"Comrades, time to attack!"

Chevalier Miura sent out a pipe fox to inform the other three knights.

The orders were to attack the noesis barrier from four directions and break through.

"Indeed, this method just might work."

Masatsugu and Princess Shiori had arrived at the nation-protecting keep's roof together.

In the elevator, Masatsugu had talked about how to "lay a trap to destroy the enemy." Shiori had expressed strong agreement.

"It could very well turn the unfavorable situation around."

"May I trouble you to issue a command to the ifrit, Princess—"

"No problem, leave it to me."

It was their first time at the rooftop of the nation-protecting keep. The view was quite expansive there.

It was nighttime. On this forty-meter tower situated on a plateau, one was not only lucky enough to see Suruga Bay under the light of the moon and the stars but also a clear view of the night scenery of Suruga City and Shimizu City nearby.

If this place was not a military installation, it would definitely be the best night viewing spot.

However, war was breaking out close by. The repeated flashes were not lights from cities but came from heat beams fired by bayonet rifles instead. Such light was shot from weapons with the purpose of destruction and slaughter.

Directly above the nation-protecting keep was the hovering image of the ifrit Seiryuu.

The image was seventy meters in total length, a majestic giant dragon. However, the giant dragon roared in pain when the noesis barrier was attacked.

A great mass of air, shimmering like a mirage, surrounded the entire tutelary fort.

The Kinai Fiefdom's two hundred and five Kamuys kept attacking the shimmering barrier with gunfire and bayonets, even colliding with their bodies.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...!

The giant dragon ifrit howled many times, writhing its body in pain.

Masatsugu knew that if an ifrit still had the strength to roar loudly, it meant that it was not at its limit yet. He still had plenty of time to put his plan into motion.

As for the Kinai Fiefdom's Kamuys—

The four Chevaliers were leading roughly fifty Kamuys each. A total of four armies.

These four armies were entrenched east, west, south, and north of the tutelary fort respectively, firing from those four directions. The ifrit Seiryuu was desperately enduring with limbs withdrawn like a turtle.

At this rate, the Suruga tutelary fort would fall before long.

Strangely enough, Masastsugu's cheeks twitched to smile. He had found an opportunity for victory.

The Kinai army of fifty-two on the east were beginning to enter a formation. Rather than a square, it was a scrum.

Yesterday, the British Knight of Her Majesty had combined all troops together for a tackle.

Imitating that tactic, the Kinai army was trying to break the noesis barrier in one go. The situation was going more and more as Masatsugu hoped.

"Princess, please give the command."

"Yes... Masatsugu-sama, please defeat the enemy. Wipe them out."

Solemnly, Shiori issued the order with determination.

She was well aware of the significance behind her order. Even though the opponents were non-human winged giant soldiers, this was still no different from murder. However, those in the position of kingship must issue orders decisively in full awareness of that.

This decisiveness was the rightful responsibility borne by those who sent generals and soldiers to the battlefield.

Masatsugu received the order calmly.

"Acknowledged. I will now take care of them."

Leaving Shiori's side, Masatsugu went to the edge of the roof, stopping in front of the security railing.

The only weapon on him was his sword, Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada, just like yesterday. But tonight, Masatsugu had acquired new power.

"Let's go, guys. Gather under my forgotten name... No." Halfway through, Masatsugu changed his mind and said, "Gather under the noble name of Her Highness."

My Legions, this is a command to assemble.

Next to the nation-protecting keep, numerous Legions materialized in the air in front of Masatsugu.

Red-purple Kamuys—Kanesadas. Masatsugu summoned fifty of them first, all equipped with bayonet rifles. Seeing an army on her side finally appear, Princess Shiori shouted, "The castellan... Rikka-sama's proxy hereby issues a command!"

Shiori transmitted noetic waves, calling to the image of Seiryuu that was enduring painfully over the nation-protecting keep.

"Allow the Restoration Alliance's Kamuys attacking from the east to break through the barrier. Do not stop them. Let them go straight into the tutelary fort!"

### Part 4

Akigase Rikka had appointed Tachibana Masatsugu as her proxy.

In other words, this meant assuming a castellan's full authority—assuming top command of a tutelary fort.

For an ordinary high school student, this was quite an irregular request. However, Tachibana Masatsugu was currently the only Chevalier capable of defending Suruga... This fact made a stronger argument than any other.

The officers and soldiers of the Suruga tutelary fort turned out to accept this order with unexpected readiness.

The greatest reasons were Rikka's firm directive and the fact that he was backed by Princess Shiori.

The ifrit Seiryuu's consciousness, the spirit Sakuya, was not a soldier but she still acknowledged Tachibana Masatsugu as the commander and followed his commands obediently.

Partly because his command was equivalent to saying "it's okay to slack off."

In any case, after receiving the princess' noetic waves...

"Noesis barrier... Output, decreasing," Sakuya commanded quietly.

She was at the nation-protecting keep's top floor, a vast room without windows. Ten-odd noetic officers were around her on standby, chanting mantras nonstop to augment her noesis.

The fifty-two Kinai Legions attacking from the east were about to break through the noesis barrier.

According to Sakuya's verification, their commander's characteristics matched a Chevalier named Miura. He was ordering all his Kamuys to charge as one unit—

The enemy Kamuys finally crashed into the mirage-like curtain.

Previously, the barrier generated by noetic energy would repel entry with maximum force.

However, the force blocking the fifty-two Kinai Kamuys was weak this time, only a quarter of its usual strength.

Roughly ten meters thick, the mirage curtain was easily penetrated by the enemy's blue Kamuys. The army from the Kinai Fiefdom had successfully breached the Suruga tutelary fort.

The premises within the fort were vast, almost five times the area of the Tokyo Dome at the imperial capital.

The nation-protecting keep, which served as the command center, was at the tutelary fort's center. This was the target.

The fifty-two Kinai Kamuys had invaded the airspace over the tutelary fort.

Flying at top speed had depleted the Legions' ectoplasmic fluid significantly. Forming a scrum also prevented them from reacting to close quarter combat immediately.

This was an excellent chance to attack which Akigase Rikka had seized last time too.

Copying this wise move, Masatsugu added a twist of his own.

"Five of you, attack and charge into the enemy formation first then draw your swords. Give them hell."

Masatsugu issued commands from the roof of the nation-protecting keep. Five Kanesadas instantly left the keep and flew into the air, firing on the fifty-two Kinai Legions.

The five Kanesadas rushed into enemy ranks and their bayonet rifles transformed into Japanese swords.

The five Kanesadas slashed the fifty-two Kinai Legions in their scrum formation, targeting one after another. Tennen Rishin Style swordsmanship severed enemy limbs and necks, spurting out a bloody mist of ectoplasmic fluid.

A melee battle of five against fifty-two was not a challenge for the Kanesadas equipped with katanas.

In less than twenty seconds, seven enemies were chopped dead by the Kanesadas. Hijikata Toshizō's relic, Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada, its Feat of Arms—Gankouken brought forth astounding power. It was said that within Tennen Rishin Style swordsmanship, there was an identically named move.

Realizing their bad situation, the remaining forty-five Kinai Legions hastily scattered.

They engaged the five vanguard Kanesadas while staying wary of the main Kanesada force on standby next to the nation-protecting keep—But it was too late. Masatsugu instantly gave the order.

"Fire."

The forty-five airborne Kanesadas were waiting next to the nation-protecting keep.

All of them raised their rifles, aiming the muzzles at the Kinai Legions invading the tutelary fort.

After a round of flashing rapid fire, the blue Kinai Kamuys suffered from the barrage, pierced by beams in vulnerabilities not protected by armor such as their masks and throats. One after another crashed down from the sky.

When equal numbers of Legions engaged in a shootout...

Entering a packed formation to activate protective barriers would counter the power of gunfire.

However, the five vanguard Kanesadas had employed fierce Tennen Rishin Style swordsmanship, slicing their way through enemy ranks, preventing the Kinai army from mustering a packed formation.

Kamuys attempting to cluster with one other kept getting slaughtered by the five Kanesadas.

In the end, the Kinai Kamuys in the tutelary fort were effortlessly shot dead by Masatsugu's army.

In no time, only ten-odd enemies were left.

The Kinai Chevalier who had led the charge personally also perished along with his Legions.

Of course, the five Kanesadas in charge of disrupting the enemy also got caught by friendly fire. Pierced by their comrades' beams, all five of them died.

Thanks to their sacrifice, this localized battle's victory was at hand.

Furthermore, it had been won in merely one or two minutes. This was the only logical outcome when the enemy left themselves wide open to bayonet rifles each firing at a rate of ten shots per second.

That being said, this was at most one quarter of the invading force.

The remaining three quarters—A hundred and fifty Kinai Kamuys were still outside the tutelary fort. Originally, they were supposed to rush to the rescue when their comrades were in trouble.

However, the remaining three quarters were blocked by the noesis barrier.

The ifrit Seiryuu had increased noesis output again, reinforcing the barrier's strength.

This resulted in fifty Legions stuck inside the tutelary fort, isolated from the hundred and fifty outside. Masatsugu had deliberately let in one small fraction of the enemy to divide their numbers.

Of course, the hundred and fifty Legions outside were attacking the noesis barrier.

In an effort to help their comrades that were getting slaughtered inside, they fired their bayonet rifles without rest.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...!

Every time the noesis barrier was attacked, Seiryuu above the nation-protecting keep wailed in pain. However, the ifrit should be able to hold longer.

"Masatsugu-sama, look over there!"

Shiori came over to remind Masatsugu, who also noticed.

The hundred and fifty Kinai Legions outside were led by three Chevaliers. One of them had ordered the forty-nine Kamuys under his command to form a scrum and charge at the noesis barrier.

The enemy thought that he could charge inside and rescue his comrades.

The problem was that the hundred Legions commanded by the other two Chevaliers did not act in concert. This was another excellent opportunity.

"Perfect, pass on the order to let them through."

"Understood!"

Shiori relayed the command again and the ifrit Seiryuu did as told.

The forty-nine Kinai Legions broke through the mirage curtain, reaching the interior of the Suruga tutelary fort.

"Kanesadas, assemble again under the noble name of Her Highness."

Masatsugu summoned the fifty-two Kanesadas he had held in reserve beforehand.

The Kanesadas manifested on the ground rather than in the air. This was to initiate anti-air fire against the new batch of Kinai Legions trespassing into the tutelary fort.

Furthermore, the fifty Kanesadas that were summoned previously also started shooting at the enemy.

Now the Suruga side outnumbered the enemy two to one inside the tutelary fort despite their overall numerical inferiority. The Kinai army was clobbered, unable to resist.

A total of a hundred bayonet rifles focused rapid fire on the forty-nine Kinai Legions.

Even by using a packed formation to enhance their protective barriers' effects, the enemy could not resist firepower from a force double their size.

"The enemy has four Chevaliers... but conversely, it's hard for them to act with unity. Once their coordination breaks down, it is our chance for victory."

The Kinai army's operation was based on a foundation of multiple units working together.

Victory would naturally be guaranteed if they maintained secret contact and adhered to the battle plan. However, perfect communications in the heat of battle were unlikely while enemy valor and unexpected events would often disrupt the original plan.

Under noetic disruption preventing the use of wireless communications, they had encountered the Kanesadas, a force of elite troops.

It came as no surprise there were openings in the Kinai army's coordination. This idea had floated in Masatsugu's mind the whole time.

At that moment, Shiori murmured, "I am reminded of the Great Wall... A story about that defensive fortification."

"You mean the one China had in the past?"

"Yes. Even now, there are remains of the Great Wall from the Ming Dynasty."

The Great Wall had existed in China since long ago, prior to the Common Era.

It was a massive fortification wall, stretching over twenty thousand kilometers across China's northern border. It had been built at the command of the First Emperor, the earliest emperor to unify China.

In the past, China's north was where barbaric equestrian tribes roamed.

With the Xiongnu and the Tujue as foremost examples, these nomadic tribes had always been powerful external threats that troubled successive Chinese dynasties greatly.

The massive fortification that impeded their invasions was the Great Wall of China.

"That kind of wall could not possibly defend China's vast territories... In the past, many people said that building it was useless. They believed that the Great Wall failed to protect many areas and that man-made structures were not impregnable."

"Meaning it was full of openings?"

"Yes. However, thanks to this Great Wall that was full of openings, the Chinese dynasties were able to predict the northern invaders' routes of advance. It also delayed their rate of advance. Consequently, it was an extremely valuable wall from the perspective of border security forces..."

"An imperfect wall has many uses." Masatsugu expressed his view, "Used correctly, it could be used to divide the enemy, force them into dead ends, or cut off their paths of retreat."

"This is your current tactic, Masatsugu-sama, isn't it? The enemy's remaining Chevaliers have decided to stand back and observe, having given up on rescuing their comrades."

Inside and outside of the tutelary fort's noesis barrier were two completely different worlds.

The interior was a scene from hell.

The red-purple Kanesadas were firing continuously on the invading Kinai Legions, only a step from wiping them out. The Kanesadas' fierce offensive showed no mercy to any soldier. The Kinai army was going to be completely annihilated in a few more minutes.

In contrast, the exterior of the tutelary fort was different.

Roughly a hundred blue Kinai Kamuys had remained outside.

This army was accomplishing nothing and could not be bothered to rescue their comrades that were being slaughtered inside. They had decided to stand back and watch the Kanesadas carry out the bloody and violent massacre.

The difference was like heaven and hell.

As a result, Masatsugu and the princess had the leisure to have a conversation.

"They intend to abandon their comrades so as to tire out my troops," Masatsugu analyzed. "Then in the ensuing showdown, the numbers will be even. On the other hand, the Kanesadas would have consumed a lot of ectoplasmic fluid, thus tipping the odds in their favor—That's probably what they're thinking."

Currently, Masatsugu had ninety-one Kanesadas remaining under his command. After the intense fighting that had wiped out half of the enemy forces, the Kanesadas only suffered losses of ten or so. Such was the massive disparity in power.

"They foolishly believe... They can oppose my soldiers with equal numbers?"

Masatsugu's cheek muscles twitched as he mocked the enemy's wishful thinking.

At that precise moment, the Kinai Kamuys inside the noesis barrier were completely exterminated.

"Please order the spirit to release the barrier completely. I will correct their foolish minds."

"Hahahaha! They cannot possibly win by this juncture!"

"Ally's defeat. Please do not, act so delighted."

Near the Suruga tutelary fort...

The sky above was full of stars. On the battlefield, the red-purple Kamuys kept shooting and cutting down blue Kamuys. Perhaps it would be more apt to call it a hunting ground instead.

After the noesis barrier disappeared, a battle of a hundred versus a hundred began.

Sir Black Knight was on the ground, watching the battle unfold.

The genie Morrigan's simulacrum was close by, frowning.

Behind the two of them, a towering giant, eight meters tall, stood as their bodyguard. Only one. It looked very similar to the Crusade in appearance, except its armor and uniform were all black.

A black knight. A Garter Knight.

A Knight of the Garter, abbreviated "KOG."

Within the British Empire, only the general holding the true name of Edward the Black Prince was capable of summoning this type of Legion.

"Seeking confirmation... Those Kinai Fiefdom knights, you set them up, right?" Morrigan asked her heartily laughing superior. "The Chevalier who summons the katana Legions. You wanted to see, his power, while conserving, Knights of Her Majesty. So, you readily agreed... to those four's request."

"Don't make it sound so bad." Sir Black Knight's smile turned wry. "I concede that I exploited the Kinai knights, but we already gave them a good enough opportunity by neutralizing the enemy's lady knight."

The battle in the sky was about to end.

There were eighty-one red-purple Kamuys active, most of them switched to wielding katanas to cut down the few remaining Kinai samurai.

Of the Kinai Chevaliers, one of them had apparently retreated, leaving the rest missing in action.

"Besides, I wanted to see for myself how well the knights of the Kinai provincial army could fight. It is just that... Frankly speaking, I wish they could have drawn out more of the enemy's power. Simply judging from his leadership and the strength of his noesis, his Chevalier Strength cannot possibly be as low as a hundred."

Him—The Chevalier controlling the red-purple Kamuys.

Sir Black Knight examined his appearance carefully.

A young oriental man, dressed in a black student uniform, carrying a sheathed Japanese sword in his left hand. His expression looked a little obstinate though his facial features were quite handsome.

Sir Black Knight was currently on a grassy knoll with Morrigan somewhere.

Conversely, the young Suruga Chevalier was standing on the roof the nation-protecting keep at the center of the tutelary fort.

Even though they were separated by a distance of a kilometer or so, Sir Black Knight could still see his face clearly.

Chevaliers were able to check what their Legions saw or heard at any moment.

Currently, through the vision of the Garter Knight behind him, Sir Black Knight was gazing upon the Suruga tutelary fort's nation-protecting keep.

"Let us send him a casual greeting. Counting on you, my knight."

Sir Black Knight called to the black Legion behind him.

"Dating back to the distant past, the martial feat of archery demonstrated at the Battle of Crécy... Manifest upon the world once more."

This was one of the Feats of Arms belonging to Edward the Black Prince—Archers of Crécy.

Once the Feat of Arms activated, a change was brought forth to the scene. Behind him, the Garter Knight's bayonet rifle transformed into a longbow of steel.

Furthermore, it was an unbelievable longbow even taller than a Legion.

The Garter Knight suddenly conjured an arrow of steel into its right hand.

The black winged giant soldier readied the gigantic bow and the lethal arrow, aiming to blow away the katana Chevalier on the nation-protecting keep's roof.

At that very instant, the katana Chevalier on the tower glared in their direction.

This was no accident. Sensing the Garter Knight's movement, he stared sharply in the direction of the Black Knight Edward.

"Impressive. As expected, sniping attacks do not work against powerful Chevaliers."

Sir Black Knight shrugged. His noesis had been detected.

Suruga's young Chevalier had detected the Garter Knight's attack noesis and the aim of its bow and arrow—

"Let us be on our way, Morrigan. Since he refuses to show anything more than his army of a hundred, there is no point staying any longer. We will go back to revise future plans."

Since firing this arrow would be fruitless, he would send his greeting at some other opportunity.

The black Legion that had turned into an archer sensed its master's thoughts and released its posture of the drawn bow. Meanwhile, the spirit Morrigan quietly gave her opinion.

"Assemble British knights now, and take Suruga, tonight. That too, is an option."

"Forget it. If my hunch is correct, he is a 'warrior from the past' too, which could spell a tragic total loss of our assembled forces. We should wait until his hand is revealed. Besides, after we take Hakone, circumstances permitting..." A dignified smile surfaced on Sir Black Knight's noble and handsome face. "I would very much enjoy a personal showdown against him... That is what I think."

Under the bright moon, a white wyvern was soaring over Suruga's sky.

The wyvern's rider was a gallant silver-haired British soldier. Sitting behind him was a young girl in a sailor outfit, looking twelve or thirteen in age.

A pitch-black Crusade followed them as a bodyguard—

From the nation-protecting keep's roof, Masatsugu watched as they departed. Next to him, Shiori asked, "What is the matter, Masatsugu-sama?"

"There's someone unbelievable on the enemy side," Masatsugu answered before quietly adding, "The outcome would've been completely different if that man had joined the battle. There is absolutely no way I can oppose him using the current forces at my command."

"Is he... that powerful?"

Shiori gazed intently. She had also noticed the wyvern's receding figure.

At the same time, the Kanesadas above finished slaughtering the Kinai army, returning peace to the Suruga tutelary fort again.

Incidentally, the noesis projected towards him from afar just now...

That noesis was not simply strong beyond compare but also conveyed pressure and ferocity that bayonet rifles lacked. If that power were to be directed towards the battlefield, how many Kanesadas would survive?

Masatsugu and Shiori had no idea at the time...

...Of the terrifying Feats of Arms and the true name possessed by this Chevalier who had crossed paths with them tonight.

In the near future, he was going to be their first major enemy—and one of their rivals of immense greatness.

In any case, the victory tonight belonged to Masatsugu and company.

### 044. Campione! Crossover - The Incredible Travels of Madame Aisha

## The Incredible Travels of Madame Aisha

Good evening, everybody, my name is Aisha. My hobbies are cooking and traveling. I am seventeen years old☆ and a traveler by occupation. An ordinary girl whom you could find anywhere.

However, I have one tiny little secret, that's all.

It might sound a bit unbelievable, but—I actually possess the mysterious power of time traveling . Quite science fictiony♪, isn't it?

Although I've been traveling nonstop, this is my first time here and I seem to be lost. Unfortunately, a mascot for answering "Hey hey Mo●●dan, where are we?" doesn't seem to be around.

Huh? You've never heard of Mogu●●n?

Sheesh. I've clearly heard that it's a national-level mascot character in Japan.

Just do a bit of research, come on! Yes yes, the one nicknamed Guguru, that's the one.

Oh, I've got it. Yes. Mogudan was a character featured in a long-running educational anime program broadcast during the 1980s. In "The Origin of All Creation," a journey through space and time to teach the audience all kinds of knowledge, she was the navigator and the heroine's elder sister, a character that looked like a pig. A character from decades ago with no relation to the twenty-first century.

W-What? Why are you looking at me like that?

I already told you. I'm just a seventeen-year-old girl.

I simply learned this during my time traveling to Japan back then. I'm definitely not trying to cover up anything. Hey, there's someone over there!

Ah, let's go make conversation. Excuse me~~~~

"I cannot believe there is a little lass who does not know of I. Hohohoho, from where did someone like you stumble in by accident?"

Oh, this would be what they call ikemen in modern Japan!

Calling him super handsome would not be an exaggeration at all.

Silver hair, elegant poise... From a modern Japanese perspective, he's practically a handsome man drawn by the super popular illustrator, BUNBUN.

"What on earth are you talking about?"

Fufufu, excuse me.

Umm, may I have your name please?

"Hoo. Well, although the situation is a little perplexing, very well. My name is Edward. There are many who call me the Black Prince."

Y-You're that Prince Edward?

"Oh, there is nothing praiseworthy about my reputation or position seeing as they both stem from the influence of my father, the King of England—Hohohoho."

Dear me! Muttering on his own while putting on a nice guy's face.

Surely, this man must be hoping to hear "Not at all, Your Highness, you are too modest."

"Hey, please do not voice such thoughts so loudly."

S-Sorry, I somehow got worked up without realizing it. Hoo—

He has many amazing titles under his name. Despite his appearance as a sixteen-year-old young man, he has served as general to assist his father and made great contributions towards victory, taking part in negotiations with English's mortal enemy, France.

"Not at all, it was truly just a tiny bit of good fortune. Yes."

Ten years from now, as the commander-in-chief, he will be facing off against the army of the King of France.

Using merely six thousand troops, he defeated an enemy force of thirty thousand, an accomplishment that contributed greatly to England's future position and influence on the European continent.

Yes, there are some who would argue that England's glory in the present would not exist without him. Although it sounds exaggerated, one would find it difficult to deny his achievements.

As a side note...

His Highness was an English prince during medieval Europe in the fourteenth century.

While he was basking in glory and praise, he waged a completely pointless campaign faraway in Spain because someone requested his aid to recover the Castilian throne. Although the Black Prince won a high-profile victory, it was an excessive drain on finances and he also contracted a disease during that time.

Due to the financial burden of this expedition, he then died from disease just like that.

A man only slightly susceptible to getting carried away, but this burgeoning sense of pride was the trigger leading to his death.

"Hmm? What are you whispering about?"

No, nothing at all, fufufufu.

However, we are greatly honored for the chance to meet Your Highness, the Black Prince Edward.

"Hohohoho, you are truly an honest girl."

Oh my, what's the matter?

"Are you actually a girl?"

W-What on earth are you insinuating, Mr. Edward?

I believe what you see before your eyes is a tender maiden in the flower of youth. Please do not stare at me so.

"My apologies. I could not help myself because you actually do not seem like a teenage girl."

Ehhhh!?

"Truth be told, or perhaps on a fundamental level, I am attracted to older women."

S-Speaking of which, according to historical records, he married late in his life despite being a prince. In the end, he married his first cousin once removed—Joan, the Fair Maid of Kent. The most beautiful woman across the entire realm of England, if a certain chronicler is to be believed.

"Women gradually grow wise and beautiful with the passage of time. Isn't that so?"

I-Indeed, there is such a saying.

"This is my conviction. Furthermore, I am informed by my instinct as a man who fancies older women. With just an ordinary glance, I might mistake you for being my sister's age, but you are definitely not a girl as your appearance suggests."

Huh????

Seventeen! I am a seventeen-year-old maiden in the flower of youth!

"No, please do not belittle my discerning eye. Hmm, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, even higher than that, hmm, I knew it."

Please do not read out a maiden's secret like you are measuring power levels.

"I see it. Your actual age is roughly—"

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"My goodness, why is the ceiling suddenly collapsing!?"

This journey through time concludes here! Thank you for tuning in, folks.

## 02. Volume 2 - The Prince and the Lion King ( Full Text )

### 001. Afterword

Hello everyone, it's been a while.

The " Romance of the Three Kingdoms set on a fictional 20th-century stage plus armies of giants" has reached its second volume.

Thanks goes to all readers for their support as well as to everyone involved in editing, printing, and sales. I'd like to take this chance to offer my most sincere gratitude.

...Okay, let's get back to business.

For this series, I keep a list of future characters that are set to debut and some of them are based on figures from world history.

Debuting this time, we have a certain Mr. Richard, the English representative high up on the list.

He was supposedly the most popular of all English kings... though there's no way to tell for sure. Simply looking at things with this in mind, his personality and anecdotes are particularly vivid.

Furthermore, there's actually a background filled with historical romanticism behind the story of him "adoring King Arthur to the point of naming his own sword Excalibur"... Richard's family, the Plantagenets, were the patrons who backed the poets who promoted King Arthur's legend. I'd like to write more about this in the future. This piece of knowledge is unexpectedly important and really alters one's interpretation of the Arthurian legends.

Oh right, I included a glossary with this volume too.

This is dedicated to readers "who follow The F●ve Star ●tories , devouring all material down to every last timeline." Readers who can't be bothered can simply skip the glossary, it's fine.

I put in a few off-topic explanations such as Tennen Rishin Style or Crossbows, so please check it out if you're interested. I also touched upon the aforementioned topic about Excalibur.

Now then, there seems to be a rising tendency for the "male ratio" of debuting characters.

It's been troubling me recently. Should I continue with this and go against industry trends or should I work hard on increasing readability by upping the female ratio?

In truth, Volume 2 has inherited the spirit of "fanservice isn't only limited to female characters!" and the guys do strip once in a while.

I'm still thinking, maybe I should just write a scene of "Prince Edward and the protagonist in an open-air bath together" in Volume 3 and have our artist, BUNBUN-sama, make an illustration out of it.

Dear readers, if it's not too much to ask, please confirm whether this happens in Volume 3 or not.

See you next time.

### 002. Chapter 1

Edward the Black Prince (1330~1376): Attained his title of the English Crown Prince at the age of thirteen, a widely renowned general and knight. He later inherited the Duchy of Aquitaine in France and established his own court. Outlived by his father, he missed the chance to be crowned King of England.

Order of the Garter (ガーター騎士団): A chivalric order founded by King Edward III of England, the Black Prince's father. It was said that he selected candidates carefully in an effort to revive the Knights of the Round Table. Both the king and Edward the Black Prince were members.

Seiryuu, Suzaku, Byakko, Genbu (青龍・朱雀・白虎・玄武): Ifrits used by Imperial Japan, essentially boiling down to the four types of Seiryuu, Suzaku, Byakko and Genbu, known collectively as the Four Gods.

Ectoplasmic Blood Steal (霊血奪取): Tachibana Masatsugu's Feat of Arms, allowing him to plunder ectoplasmic fluid from people whose bodies and souls contain ectoplasmic fluid—such as princesses inheriting the blood of sacred beasts or Chevaliers—turning it into his own energy. Practical activation requires intimate skin contact.

### 003. Chapter 2

Photobook (写真集): can be substituted by magazine, manga, game, poster, video, picture, etc.

Princesses, Women Who Inherited the Blood Line of Sacred Beasts : Sacred beasts are guardian deities of their respective country. Priestesses married to them sometimes give birth to female babies. Princesses inheriting sacred blood are able to pray to the sacred beasts for miracles in exchange for their own lifespan. Once in a while, princesses with exceptional mystic powers are born.

Matsubayashi Samanosuke (松林左馬助): A master swordsman in the early Edo period. Claiming to have learned the art of war from a tengu, he founded the Musougan Style.

Legends of his abilities including "slicing a willow branch into thirteen pieces before it fell to the ground" and "decapitating a fly in midflight." After Shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu praised him for being as agile as a bat, he started styling himself as Henyasai (蝙也斎).

Musashibō Benkei (武蔵坊弁慶): Most of Benkei's legends originate from the Gikeiki , a collection of fiction about Minamoto no Yoshitsune. It seems that there really was a Musashibō Benkei among Yoshitsune's companions, but what he was actually like is unknown.

Richard I (1157~1199): Richard the Lionheart was King of England during the twelfth century. He was the son of Henry II, the founder of the Plantagenet dynasty, and Duchess Eleanor of Aquitaine. Succeeding to the English throne in 1189, he was also the greatest landowner in France, holding territories including the Duchy of Aquitaine, the County of Poitiers, the County of Anjou, and others. His courage and martial valor earned him the nickname of the Lionheart. In addition, he was a poet well-versed in Latin, a gourmet, and a master musician. Truly a talented man of both the pen and the sword.

### 004. Chapter 3

The Hidden Truth behind the Charter of Chivalry : Also known as yakuza kindness, which is basically... Submit obediently to us and we will guarantee your safety. Don't get any funny ideas if you know what's good for you.

Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune (九郎判官源義経): The Appellation treasured by the Tachibana clan. Needless to say, it is named after none other but Minamoto no Yoshitsune, the hero of the Genpei period.

Lionheart (獅心王): King Richard I would often style himself as the Lionheart. Back in medieval aristocratic society, monikers were bestowed by others. Many people considered monikers an honor and would use them as their own names. This was definitely not analogous to the phenomenon known as chuunibyou in modern Japan... However, in Richard's case, it can be difficult to say for sure.

Feat of Arms—Kotouhisshutsu (武勳《虎韜必出》): Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune's Feat of Arms, allowing instantaneous transportation of an army across short distances. The user is greatly drained afterwards. The maximum distance limit has yet to be ascertained.

Yatagarasu (八咫烏): A small retainer beast used by Imperial Japan. Looks like a crow and is often used for recon and surveillance.

### 005. Chapter 4

Oda Nobunaga (織田信長): Nobunaga has been called a revolutionary progressivist but he actually held a great deal of respect for the imperial family and Shogun Ashikaga Yoshiaki and frequently made compromises. Neither the progressive policies of promoting commerce and industry nor the creation of a specialized warrior class separate from agriculture were exclusive to him. Other daimyos adopted such policies too. As for war, he was talented in orthodox methods, i.e. surpassing his enemies in wealth, troop numbers, and military equipment and sending out a big enough force to guarantee victory. "Victories that seem like great gambles" like Okehazama were actually rare exceptions. The reason why people remember Nobunaga as a "genius progressivist" despite his taste for steady and reliable methods is mainly due to the numerous fictional stories that caricaturized his character.

Honi soit qui mal y pense : French for "Shame be to him who thinks ill of it,"a maxim regarded as the embodiment of chivalry. It originated from Edward III, who said the words while helping a certain noblewoman.

Locations Chosen for Water Shrines : Despite high spiritual quality, places deep in mountains are not suited for water shrine construction due to difficulties in channeling the energies of the local spirits of the land into the shrine. Also, large-scale construction and logistics is difficult in mountainous areas far from human settlements, making costs prohibitive.

Vanguard (先鋒): It is very difficult to make an accurate prediction before a battle as to how much combat potential a tutelary fort holds. After all, the mere reassignment of Chevaliers would affect the Legion total. Hence, the vanguard of the attacking side is tasked with "drawing out enemy numbers." People like Richard I, with sufficient military strength and good fortune to handle unexpected situations, are especially suited to vanguard duty.

Relationship between Strongholds and Chevalier Strength : For a Chevalier who has entered a tutelary pact, his/her stronghold consists of everywhere within a ten-kilometer radius of the corresponding water shrine. Outside this zone, a Chevalier can only summon 10% of their Chevalier Strength. The fluid reactor of a military ship can substitute for a water shrine, allowing 50% deployment.

### 006. Chapter 5

Crossbow (弩): A bow that uses spring mechanisms. Using metal parts to secure a drawn bowstring, it allows specialized short thick bolts to be fired by pulling a trigger. Reloading took longer than normal bows, but crossbows were powerful enough to penetrate metal armor. In this story, Richard I remarked how his bow-using descendant was "very similar to himself" but that is actually incorrect. It was only after his death, starting with the Black Prince's great-grandfather, that the use of longbowmen became an English tradition.

Excalibur (エクスカリバー): King Arthur's sword was first known as Caliburnus. This was recorded in Historia Regum Britanniae , a pseudohistorical account of British history. During the mid-twelfth century, the sword's name was translated into French as Calibour in Roman de Brut . Arthurian legends circulating nowadays originate from the French poet Chrétien de Troyes, who rewrote Calibour as Escalibor (some people think it was just a misspelling), which gave rise to Excalibur when translated to English. In other words, the sword's name of Excalibur came about in France. Chrétien de Troyes' patron was Richard's elder half-sister, Marie of France, who had a deeply affectionate relationship with her brother, the King of England.

Incognito (おしのび): It was said that when Richard I was retreating in a foreign land, he disguised himself as a pilgrim to flee. Also, in the stories of Robin Hood, he often showed up to help Robin's gang in the guise of a mysterious knight.

Cruel Weapons (無慈悲な武器): During the medieval world of Christianity, bows and crossbows were called "cruel weapons" and banned by the Pope.... In truth, this was secretly related to the economic reason of "those killed by projectiles cannot be ransomed for money."

### 007. Chapter 6

High-Speed Flight (高速飛行): There have been records of Legions breaking the sound barrier while devoting all ectoplasmic fluid to high-speed flight. However, this was under circumstances of exclusively focusing on flying like a race car driver in a circuit. Fighting is impossible during high-speed flight.

Ectoplasmic Fluid Depletion (霊液の枯渇): Unlike machinery, Legions do not stop moving immediately when they run out of ectoplasmic fluid. There was once a Chevalier who fought bravely without resupplying ectoplasmic fluid for over a month. A shortage of ectoplasmic fluid would affect performance but activity can still continue. However, exhausted Legions are unlikely to win against those in a replenished state, hence Chevaliers will diligently refill ectoplasmic fluid, the same way that athletes manage their physical condition.

### 008. Part 1

October in the year Tenryuu 58...

It was past the middle of the month and autumn was in full swing.

People called autumn the season of appetite and the time for sports. However, enjoying these pleasures would be a little difficult at Tachibana Masatsugu's current residence of Suruga City.

After all, enemy armies were occupying the "surroundings" of Suruga City.

"Taisei, how many days has it been since the British Empire's forces attacked?"

"It's the sixth day. Time sure flies, it's going to be a week soon."

Masatsugu was chatting with Okonogi Taisei, one of his few friends.

They were classmates studying in the second year of Rinzai Private High School. They had met up at the classroom of Year 2 Class 2, their homeroom.

Martial law had been proclaimed in Suruga City, yet Rinzai High decided to resume classes.

However, this did not mean their lives had returned to normal. Invading under the banner of the Restoration Alliance, the British Empire had taken over Shizuoka Prefecture using overwhelming military force.

Of the five tutelary forts in the prefecture, four had fallen.

The sole exception was this land of Suruga.

Thanks to Chevalier Akigase Rikka coming to the Suruga tutelary fort by chance—as well as Tachibana Masatsugu's efforts—they managed to halt the Restoration Alliance's advance.

The problem was that enemy forces still remained inside Shizuoka Prefecture.

Transportation networks going in and out of Suruga City were all blockaded by the Restoration Alliance. Neither trains nor automobiles could pass through.

Suruga City and its immediate surroundings were like an isolated island on land.

Martial law had been imposed five days ago when the British attacked and still had not been lifted. Normally, education institutions would suspend classes during martial law.

However, the high school where Masatsugu and Taisei studied had classes starting again.

This had nothing to do with the noble ideals of dedication to learning or defiance against military brutality.

Since escaping Suruga was impossible, people had nothing to do. Why not round up all the students and teachers in the city and run some lessons... Purely nothing more than that.

"In the end, it feels more like we came to school to chat. Without the teachers and students who commute from outside the city, normal classes can't really proceed."

"Even if you want to kill time by watching television, there's no reception."

Noetic control techniques for causing destructive interference with electromagnetic waves, wireless communications, and noetic waves were known as "noetic disruption."

After war broke out, Suruga had been under serious noetic disruption. Phones, televisions, and other household electrical appliances could not be used.

"By the way, residents in Shizuoka Prefecture can't watch television only because the prefecture's master control is located at Suruga. Of course, it's a different matter for those who live in areas that can receive signals from Kantō or Aichi."

"Meaning that everyone is suffering because of us."

"Maybe that's also part of the Restoration Alliance's plan, to minimize the amount of unnecessary information received by residents in the prefecture—Oh, that reminds me."

Taisei suddenly changed the subject.

"For fourth period, students and teachers have to go off campus for community service."

As a side note, it was currently the break between second and third period.

The one who informed Masatsugu, Okonogi Taisei, was also the vice-president of the student council. He now spoke to a third person who had remained silent so far.

"I am terribly sorry to impose this on a knight... and Your Highness, Princess."

"Do not worry about it. This is more meaningful than idly wasting time."

Her elegant response prompted Taisei to retract his neck with a "much obliged."

Seeing her "classmate" react so timidly, the young maiden smiled and said, "We are all fellow students on a common quest for learning. There is no need to be so reserved."

"That's a fair point, but it's a bit too challenging for a commoner like me."

Despite speaking to Masatsugu as equals, Taisei acted especially respectful towards the young maiden.

This was only natural. The person before him had become a household name in Suruga City not too long ago. She was Fujinomiya Shiori the imperial princess.

Taisei and Masatsugu were conversing while standing in front of her seat.

Furthermore, this young and beautiful princess had her platinum blonde hair in a ponytail and was wearing the school blazer.

"If I remember correctly... Your Highness is sixteen, isn't that right?"

Despite saying he was going to remain reserved, Taisei actively initiated conversation with the princess.

Speaking of which, like his friend Masatsugu, Taisei was the kind of guy who marched at the beat of his own drum. Neither arrogant nor subservient, he was using polite forms without much rigor to speak to Shiori.

"That is correct."

"Then you are a second-year like us because—"

"I suppose it would count as skipping grades. Do know that I did pass the transfer exam, so skipping grades is the result based on academic results." Shiori then added mischievously, "Naturally, it was thoughtful of the school to assign me to the same homeroom as Masatsugu-sama."

"I think so too."

Technically, Fujinomiya Shiori was also a student of outstanding academic excellence.

She not only kept up with second-year courses effortlessly but also demonstrated the intellect to achieve perfect scores on minor tests and classroom participation in all subjects.

The only exception was PE class which she opted out using an excuse of "frailty in health."

...But of course, Masatsugu was aware of the truth.

There was nothing wrong with the princess' health. She boycotted PE class only because she needed to keep her top secret of "athletic ineptitude."

However, the beautiful and charming princess commented nonchalantly, "Since Suruga is currently in a crisis, perhaps I shouldn't be saying this... However, I honestly feel very happy. Ever since a long time ago, I have always wanted to experience school life like this."

She did not neglect to offer a demure smile.

She had not forgotten the cover story she had used during the interview for the news program last time. Having played the part so many times, her ability to feign docility was like second nature.

Masatsugu had heard that Shiori had skipped grades to enter university during her studies in Rome.

Enrolling in high school in Japan was to create the image of "the young and frivolous princess." In truth, the princess with ambitions to take over Japan was a diligent learner who had not only mastered all regular academic disciplines but also politics, diplomacy, history and cultural studies of various nations, and even military strategy...

Born in the right era, she would be qualified as a first-rate strategist. That was how much of an elite she was.

"By the way, Vice-President."

Since Taisei was a member of the student council, Shiori always addressed him by his title.

It was probably unintentional on her part, but there was a "princess asking a retainer's opinion on national affairs" kind of classy tone to it.

"As one might expect, there are not too many students at school."

"Many people believe it's not a time to be attending school."

The classroom was quiet and unoccupied during break.

Student numbers were low. Today's attendance was only 50%.

"The Restoration Alliance has not attacked since the night before yesterday... No one knows when the fighting will resume. I can understand their feelings of wanting to stay home."

"But you don't feel the same way, Vice-President?"

"I shoulder the responsibilities of the student council, after all. If other students are coming, I can't feign ignorance. Besides, if I go to school... Or rather, go near the dorms, there's a Lord Chevalier protecting us."

Answering the princess, Taisei glanced obliquely at Masatsugu.

"I really look forward to your power to drive away the Restoration Alliance, Masatsugu-kun."

"Certainly, I will try to the best of my meager ability..." Masatsugu answered with a shrug.

He had informed the school of his ability to control Legions and his intention to use this power to protect Suruga City.

Only by doing so did he obtain the necessary leniency afforded to "the princess' knight."

"Undeniably, there are many things in this world that are beyond my ability. Just think of me as a straw that happened to show up when everyone is drowning."

"Forget about a big ship, but at least convince us you're a lifeboat."

Taisei had readily accepted the fact that his classmate was a Chevalier.

He knew of Masatsugu's memory loss and his unusually tough fighting ability. Upon hearing of the truth, he showed a "that explains everything" kind of look.

Just as the princess, the Chevalier and the high school boy were chatting away...

"...This moment alone, there are already two Chevaliers in this school."

A stern girl's clear voice interrupted their conversation.

A black-haired beauty had arrived at the classroom, dressed in Imperial Japan's army officer uniform rather than Rinzai High's female uniform.

Taisei reeled in surprise.

The girl in military uniform continued, "Perhaps not a lifeboat, but some level of assurance could be provided."

"Oh, it's Akigase-dono."

"It has been a while, Hiji—No, Tachibana-dono. It is most wonderful to see you in good health, Your Highness."

Hanging at the black-haired girl's belt was a Japanese sword in its scabbard.

This gallant appearance belonged to the Suruga tutelary fort's current castellan, Chevalier Akigase Rikka. Masatsugu could not possibly mistake the identity of a striking beauty of her caliber.

He said, "Not too long of a while, really. We met yesterday and the day before."

"I-Indeed, you are right."

Rikka panicked a little when Masatsugu reminded her.

Three nights ago, Masatsugu had defeated the Kamuys of the Restoration Alliance on her behalf. The next day, Rikka had paid a visit to thank him. The day after that, she came again to express her gratitude solemnly.

And today, Akigase Rikka was here again.

She even visited the school while class was in session, leaving her military duties behind.

Although the Suruga tutelary fort and Rinzai High were "neighbors," less than half an hour's drive apart...

Rikka's attitude was inexplicably courteous, despite her status as a fiefdom "princess." Her father was Akigase Shouzan, the Governor General ruling over Tōkaidō.

"By the way, Akigase-dono, may I ask what you're doing here today?"

"Y-Yes. Like you, Tachibana-dono, we are both Chevaliers protecting Suruga."

When speaking, Rikka avoided eye contact with Masatsugu.

"It is only right that we make the most of chances to interact and get to know each other better. Th-That is, if it is alright with you."

"Oh I see. To share insight as Chevaliers?"

"Yes, precisely, Chevaliers have plenty of insight to share."

"Is it necessary for you to come all the way to the school?"

"I-I happen to be free. I did worry about disturbing you, but I did not want to waste time, so I brazenly paid a visit."

"Akigase-dono, you're definitely the busiest person in Suruga right now."

"N-Not at all. Having received my rank from the imperial state, I am merely fulfilling my obligations. Please understand."

Rikka mustered her courage to converse with Masatsugu.

Rather than a sharing of insight between Chevaliers, this was more akin to a young maiden suppressing her bashful feelings to boldly approach "the object of her affections."

Deciding not to think too much about it, Masatsugu nodded.

Introverted sheltered young ladies were to his liking, but he also found it very cute when girls expressed their affections honestly.

No matter which kind of girl Akigase Rikka was, at least there was no doubt that she was highly attractive. Her feelings also delighted him.

Masatsugu said to her, "Sure, but let's not stand and talk in a classroom. We'll go outside."

"Y-Yes. It would be my pleasure."

"Uh, Masatsugu-kun, class will be starting in two minutes, you know?"

"Sorry, this is part of work, so help me smooth things over with the teacher."

In front of his delighted knight companion, Masatsugu asked his friend for a favor sullenly.

Meanwhile, his liege Fujinomiya Shiori revealed a momentary look of panic while listening to his conversation with Rikka. She coughed lightly and said, "Excuse me, Masatsugu-sama, please allow Hatsune to accompany you if there will be a discussion regarding Chevalier matters."

"Why is that?"

"Consider this, did we not mention previously... Hatsune wishes to inherit the Appellation that has been the Tachibana family's heirloom? It stands to reason that Hatsune would benefit from attending a conversation between Chevaliers. Yes, it is decided so. Besides, on further thought..."

Shiori and said in an innocent tone of voice, "I should take part in your discussion too. It is a princess' duty to respond to the loyalty shown by you knights."

"...I see."

Could the princess be jealous because he was skipping class to go on a "date"?

Musing upon this disrespectful speculation, Masatsugu agreed to Shiori's request. Surprised by the sudden development but unable to offer words of objection, Rikka had no choice but to acquiesce.

### 009. Part 1

The First Expeditionary Brigade of the Far East Fleet.

These were the British Empire's armed forces led by Edward the Black Prince.

The Anglo-Japanese Restoration Alliance was formed from this brigade and Imperial Japan's Kinai Fiefdom.

The combat units attacking Tōkaidō were manned half-half by the British and the Kinai provincial army. However, the majority of Chevaliers were British and 80% of the Legions were Crusades.

Kinai knights were treated as "honored guests" and seldom sent to the battlefield.

Control was held fully in the British Empire's hands.

"There is a proverb in Japan... Lend them some eaves and they will take the main house, was it?"

Lieutenant Colonel Grayson muttered.

"The description aptly captures our relationship with the Kinai Fiefdom."

The elderly gentleman of a soldier was speaking solemnly with polite tones.

However, there was a hint of sardonic bite in his words. This old man was always sharing his cynicism with a completely straight face. Perhaps he was the role model responsible for the genie Morrigan's harsh tongue?

Edward kept his guess to himself and said, "Why not? The Kinai's top brass have accepted it too."

"Indeed, thanks to the blessings of the Three Lions and the British royal family."

"Well said. When they provide incredible and convenient miracles from time to time, we'd better perform our duties as loyal subjects to the best of our ability."

"The Kinai Governor General must have been moved by our princess' sincerity and grandeur."

With straight faces, they were exchanging false platitudes.

The young medieval prince and the elderly man of the modern twentieth century both smirked at the same time.

"Well then, Grayson, I must head over to Kyoto to cheer up our princess and handle a few sundry tasks while I am there. I am counting on you to hold the fort."

"Affirmative."

The elderly soldier accepted Edward's request like an experienced butler.

Also serving as the captain of the destroyer Tintagel , Grayson was dressed in a naval officer's uniform of a white shirt and tie with black pants. However, his current assignment was not on the ship.

Instead, it was Hakone Checkpoint in the western part of Japan's Kantō region.

As the commanding officer Edward's adjutant, he must first secure their control of the Hakone area to serve as a forward operating base to advance on Tōkaidō. This was his latest job.

The purpose was to build up a foundation to support invasions into Tokyo and the Kantō region, the heart of Imperial Japan.

"How will you travel to Kyoto?"

"First along the sea then entering Kinai through the Shima Peninsula."

Today was the second day after the fall of Hakone.

There was a helipad at the second tutelary fort, located south of Lake Ashi.

Hakone was originally defended by the Kantō provincial army. After conquering the tutelary forts, the British forces claimed the large transport helicopter of American make that was there. The helicopter was currently ready at the helipad.

Furthermore, British and Kinai forces had been assigned to various positions at Hakone.

The plan was to subjugate military and administrative facilities and demand civilian factions to provide "voluntary assistance."

After Edward's return, the hectic situation should subside somewhat. The capabilities of the veteran Grayson and the First Expeditionary Brigade were beyond reproach.

Their commander, the Resurrectee, still had other duties to fulfill.

Just as Edward walked to the helicopter, a young girl called out to him.

"Prince, if it pleases you, kindly take this along."

It was a blonde little girl in a sailor outfit and beret—Or rather, a doll.

The doll possessed by the genie Morrigan was standing behind Grayson.

The doll stood at 150cm, roughly human in size. In her hand was a figure version of her that Edward had used during the Hakone siege.

Every time she moved her body, the joints would produce noise, hinting of her non-human identity.

"Morrigan, there is no need for you to accompany me this time."

A genie's support made everything convenient, but Edward still declined.

"You should focus on the Hakone mission."

"Not a, problem. I am a high-level spirit. Simulacra can be sent to multiple locations... Multitasking, is possible."

"I know, but playing with dolls is not my thing."

Early twenties in appearance, Edward sighed.

"If I keep bringing your small version around with me, I am afraid weird rumors will start springing up."

"Please, relax. According to research conducted by the British forces... Many adult men in Imperial Japan, enjoy this type of doll."

"I am not looking for fellow enthusiasts here!"

The spirit offered her counsel expressionlessly but Edward rebuked her and boarded the helicopter alone.

Thus an air journey began. An ancient person from the fourteenth century was sitting in a block of metal to soar the sky. To be honest, Edward found riding a wyvern to be quite similar to a horse so it did not feel weird.

That being said, mechanized locomotion was not bad too.

After all, speed was one major advantage. The transport helicopter flew from Hakone to the air over Numazu Port, passing through Suruga Bay to enter Pacific Ocean airspace.

Then the helicopter went west along Japan's island coastline.

The British armed forces had established naval superiority over virtually all of Tōkaidō's offshore region—from Nagoya and the Atsumi Peninsula to Izu and Atami.

Chances of being attacked were very low. In the event that an enemy showed up, he could simply engage using Legions.

Edward enjoyed the leisurely flight.

The seats in the transport helicopter were hard and not very comfortable. However, horse riding consumed even more energy, so taking a helicopter was still more relaxing.

They entered Kinai through the Shima Peninsula then went north, in other words, inland.

A few hours after taking off, the helicopter reached the sky over Kyoto City. Prior to Japan's name change to "Imperial Japan," Kyoto had been the ancient capital where the royal palace was located.

This was Edward's second time in Kyoto.

Before the Tōkaidō invasion operation, he had disguised himself as a foreign tourist to visit this place and hold talks with key figures in the Kinai Fiefdom.

"Kyoto is such a cramped city..."

Edward's mode of locomotion had switched from a military helicopter to a black luxury vehicle.

As before, operation of the vehicle was left to the driver. Although Edward was talented at controlling mounts such as wyverns or horses, he was not good at handling mechanical contraptions.

Fortunately, as a Resurrectee and Chevalier, he would never find himself without a driver to use.

In the afternoon of the same day, Edward was in the back seat of the luxury vehicle, a paragon of elegance as befitted his title of prince, looking out quietly at the streets of Kyoto.

"Surrounded by mountains, narrow roads. Well, I don't dislike the atmosphere."

Kyoto was rich in classic Japanese tradition, but was not a major metropolis.

Nijou Castle, constructed on Tokugawa Ieyasu's orders, had been remodeled many times over the years. Nowadays, in the twentieth century, it was being used by the Kinai Fiefdom as a "palace."

In addition, there was Kyoto Gyoen, a vast garden belonging to the imperial family.

Inside was a palace from a past age where predecessors of the imperial family had lived and old houses that served as "official residences" of the ancient privileged class, a reminder that this place used to be the political center of Japan.

Edward disembarked near Kyoto Gyoen.

He wanted to march through the streets gallantly in military uniform and relive his glorious adolescence as a knight in the past... However, he was dressed in casual clothing today.

A white shirt with black pants and a gray coat on top, rather plain in appearance.

With the British Empire's invasion of Tōkaidō under way, the position of an Englishman living in Japan would be rather awkward. Given such an environment, there was no need to go around in military uniform to attract extra attention.

Yet here in Japan, the appearance of a tall and handsome silver-haired man still made him stand out.

His conspicuousness could not be helped. Like a soldier, he walked with his head up and chest out, unfazed by the gazes of Kyoto's residents.

Soon, he reached an old-fashioned western mansion.

It was said that an American had ordered its construction in the Meiji period—during the nineteenth century.

Rather than the Kinai Fiefdom's Nijou Castle, today he was visiting a special person whose temporary residence was here. Ten-odd minutes later, Edward was in the mansion's reception room, keeping his appointment with the lady in question.

"Greetings, Princess. It is surely the blessings of the Three Lions that have allowed me the good fortune of surviving combat to meet you once again."

"No, this fortune stems from your personal capability, good brother."

The girl's blonde hair reached waist length. She was smiling elegantly.

It would not be an exaggeration to compare her delicate and lovely facial features to that of a goddess. That being said, her temperament would not match Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty.

Strictly speaking, she would bear a greater resemblance to Hecate, the goddess of the moon shrouded in transient darkness.

Hecate was the terrifying progenitor of black magic, an ominous deity with significance as the guardian of witches.

"It has been a while, Black Prince. I am sincerely delighted for the chance to see you again."

The beautiful Princess Eleanor greeted him.

She was wearing a one-piece dress with puffy sleeves. Fashionably black, its texture was reminiscent of a witch's black robe.

The two of them were sitting in a sofa in the reception room.

Edward went straight to the point, "I heard you were hurt. Thank goodness it was nothing serious."

"You should know that with the powers granted by my father—the sacred lion sovereign—healing minor wounds poses no challenge..."

At Edward's request, Princess Eleanor had infiltrated the Suruga tutelary fort.

It had happened only five days ago, an operation aiming to recruit Chevalier Akigase Rikka, the eldest daughter of the Tōkaidō Governor General, by putting a "charm curse" on her.

However, the operation failed and Akigase Rikka stabbed Eleanor with a sword, forcing her to flee for her life.

Her stabbed left shoulder already showed no signs injury, recovering in merely five short days, but Edward shook his head and said, "Princess, I am quite aware of the source of your miracles. However, we should not abuse powers that require a price to use ."

"Indeed, I shall take your words to heart."

Princess Eleanor nodded obediently. Smiling, she said, "However, making progress without relying on the blessings of miracles would require superior guile and competence. Good brother, I look forward to the fruits of your labors."

"Understood, I will commit this to memory," Edward replied with a wry smile to the princess who addressed him as "brother."

"First of all, I need to meet the Kinai Governor General, is that so?"

"Arrangements are all in place. I made him cancel his entire schedule for tomorrow."

"Hey, a princess of the British Empire should not be speaking like this. He is going to be the prime minister of Imperial Japan eventually, so remember your manners."

"Well... My apologies. I was imprudent." Eleanor widened her eyes ostentatiously and said mischievously, "Please forgive me for speaking so unladylike. Allow me to change my wording. Thanks to the Governor General's kindness and generosity, he is willing to set aside time to meet you, good brother."

"Now that is our good princess. Next... How to best handle the matter of reinforcements?"

Edward recalled a certain handsome man's face.

It was the young man he had spotted that night when he sent the Kinai Chevaliers to attack Suruga.

"The war effort is expected to progress mostly within expectation. I heard that negotiations with Tōsandō are in good shape. However.. Some unexpected elements have surfaced. As a precaution, it would be best to reassign a few obedient knights from Australia."

"...Why not reassign personnel from Britain?"

"I would rather not. That man happens to be sitting back home in boredom. Even now, he still cannot shake off his mindset from the medieval Crusade campaigns. He even wanted to take my spot and head to Japan personally. However, history has proven him unsuitable in the role of top commander."

Edward spoke elegantly as a knight to express some of his dissatisfaction.

"Consequently, the decision to send me was swiftly confirmed. If he were to come, it would make my job very difficult. News of this must not reach Britain. Well, I do concede that he is very charismatic as a general."

In all of English history, that man could very well be the most valorous king .

The drawback was that he was hard to use.

Edward shrugged and said, "Simply stated, I would rather find an excellent hound than put a collar on a rampaging lion."

"My condolences, good brother."

"...What do you mean by that?"

"Richard strongly petitioned the higher-ups in the military. The gist of it went along the lines of 'It is my greatest wish to render assistance to Edward, my kin of blood. Please be generous and understand my chivalry.' He is expected to arrive at the Port of Kobe today."

"...I was not informed of this at all."

"He rushed off and departed England during the night before the commander-in-chief—Admiral Nelson—gave authorization. This forced the higher-ups' hand, leaving them no choice but to authorize dispatching him to Japan."

"Damn them for foisting the burden of taming the lion upon me..."

Edward's noble and handsome face instantly turned gloomy.

While Black Prince Edward and Princess Eleanor were conversing...

The large British destroyer Camelot was sailing towards Osaka Bay. Measuring 180m in length, it was the sister ship of the Tintagel managed by the genie Morrigan.

This military ship was about to reach the Port of Kobe in Kinai.

Under the sunny sky, a man was standing alone on deck, enjoying the sea breeze.

His fine blond hair fluttered in the wind like a lion's mane. His muscular body was clad in Britain's black military uniform... That was not all.

On top of that, he was wearing a flashy crimson cape, giving an impression of excessive accessorizing.

"My boy Édouard... will surely be in for a big surprise when he sees me."

Laughing to himself, this man was around forty years of age. His countenance was full of majesty.

He was probably the only person in the contemporary world who would refer to the Black Prince as "Edward." Despite being the King of England in the past, he did not feel bound to using the English language or following British norms.

"Having lead an army of crusaders to besiege Acre in the past, I now head to the island nation of the Far East to demonstrate knightly justice... Oh how my blood boils in excitement."

Reciting the name of an ancient city east of the Mediterranean, he quietly ignited his battle spirit.

At the same time, his body released noesis. This vast amount expanded and naturally took physical form in the atmosphere amid the sea breeze.

An army of British Legions appeared in the sky over the destroyer Camelot as it sailed into Osaka Bay.

A total of two hundred Legions, but this was not all of them. This puny number was definitely not his limit. His Chevalier Strength was not that weak.

"O wind of the Far East, mark my words. I, Richard, shall step foot in Japan. Let the name of Coeur de Lion shake the world once more. Behold my way of life!"

His voice was filled with the elation of a narcissist.

The two hundred Legions in the air above howled in response to their master's declaration.

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh—

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh—Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh—Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh—

They were identical in appearance to the British mainstay legion, the Crusade.

However, the color was totally different. These Legions were crimson from head to foot. They were also equipped with bayonet rifles larger than that of typical Legions, with ornate decorations as well.

The master said to this army of crimson Crusades, "Thank you, my swords. Present to me a Feat of Arms worthy of the name of Escalibor."

In legend, King Arthur of England was served by the Knights of the Round Table.

The name Escalibor was equivalent to the "Excalibur" that appeared in the stories of King Arthur.

This man had named his Legions after the legendary king's magic sword. Known as Richard I in English history, his nickname of the Lionheart was also very famous.

Richard was a knight of outstanding martial prowess and a rare general of incomparable ferocity.

At the same time, he was the King of England in the twelfth century and the Black Prince Edward's forefather.

### 010. Part 1

The Suruga tutelary fort was located on a mountainous region formed from two adjacent mountains in a north-south series.

Suruga City lay to the west of these mountains while Shimizu City lay to the east. Currently, Tachibana Masatsugu and two companions were traveling in a plain-looking domestic vehicle, driving from Suruga towards Shimizu.

"So quiet..." Masatsugu muttered from the front passenger seat. He was looking out the window at the streets of Suruga.

It was 9am. Putting aside the obvious early hour, there was a lack of vibrancy. Population was sparse to begin with in this regional city, but there were no pedestrians in the outdoors. Cars were few too.

It was as though all the residents had gone on vacation—

"It's only natural, Onii-sama. Unlike our high school, many schools and businesses are on holiday. After all, you get hungry easily if you run around for no good reason," responded Hatsune from the driver's seat, dressed in her usual Haikara-san getup.

Traffic on the road was very light and Hatsune was driving quite fast. Also, she had formed her tutelary pact at the water shrine yesterday.

"The rations distributed to civilians aren't particularly generous. The tutelary fort has also requisitioned gasoline in the city. There aren't many cars moving about outdoors."

"In other words... The populace is hiding at home, holding back their anxiety and dissatisfaction, is that right?"

The beauty in the back seat concluded in her lovely voice.

This beautiful maiden was dressed neatly in a white blouse and navy-blue skirt with her platinum blonde hair tied in a ponytail with a red ribbon. She was Fujinomiya Shiori, a princess of Imperial Japan.

Today, her striking and pretty face was adorned by a pair of glasses.

Its purpose was for camouflage. It also enhanced her vibes of "wit and intellect" compared to usual.

Furthermore, she was using an Image Disguise noetic technique, preventing those unfamiliar with her from recognizing her as the princess.

Incidentally, Masatsugu was wearing a white long-sleeved t-shirt with black pants.

With a black jacket on top, his attire was similar in color to the school uniform.

"Are you really sure, Princess? Someone as important as you has no need to risk yourself by leaving Suruga to carry out this kind of mission..."

"It is fine, because I am the only one capable of doing it," Shiori replied to Hatsune quite decisively.

"Although Suruga has the genie named Sakuya, it would be no easy task to take that insecure child outside the city. Besides, she still needs to manage the tutelary fort."

"Princess, you mentioned that she has human shyness, right?"

"And frankly speaking, I would like to leave town for a change of pace too."

"Princess, your Machiavellian tendency to ruin inspiring stories on purpose is totally awesome."

"I must thank Rikka-sama for agreeing to my suggestion too."

Masatsugu felt the same way.

If anything were to happen to the princess, responsibility would fall squarely upon Rikka as the castellan of Suruga. In spite of that, she had accepted Shiori's suggestion without the slightest hesitation.

'To think that Your Highness would be adept in noetic techniques, now that is truly living up to the name of Lord Tenryuu's bloodline. There is currently no noetic master in Suruga more accomplished than you, Your Highness. Please lend us your aid.'

After Shiori revealed her own "ability," Rikka immediately gave the above response.

House Akigase's Chevalier princess prioritized expediency over playing it safe.

"Hatsune, our job is to protect the princess. If necessary, it won't be just swords. We may have to summon troops—Legions. Be prepared."

"Of course, Onii-sama!"

The novice Chevalier girl cheerfully answered Masatsugu's reminder.

Hatsune's current position was the princess' personal lady-in-waiting as well as a knight under her direct command.

...In fact, Hatsune had only inherited the Appellation of Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune just yesterday. When she attempted a summoning, only one Legion showed up.

Her power had not fully awakened—She was in a proto-Chevalier state.

She should be able to summon dozens of Legions once she grew accustomed to it. At present, her Chevalier Strength was tentatively "just 1."

Hatsune drove the car along a national highway, speeding through Shimizu City.

Like Suruga City, this region was also isolated like "an island on land."

There was a marked lack of vibrancy. Pedestrian and vehicle traffic was low. Continuing along the national highway, they were going to hit the Restoration Alliance's roadblock eventually.

"By the way, Hatsune, you encountered a boy during the ritual. He was Yoshitsune himself, visiting you in a dream to test your succession to Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune, right?"

"I think so."

Masatsugu was immediately certain of this. Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune was the Appellation taken straight from a general's name. Prior to his amnesia, Masatsugu had returned to the human realm as a Resurrectee, but due to certain reasons, Yoshitsune had not—

Masatsugu instinctively knew this was the truth.

On the other hand, Shiori said, "Perhaps Lord Yoshitsune turned out to be an unexpectedly helpful person."

"Why do you say that? He was so violent to me~"

"Think about it, we know many anecdotes about ancient warriors, including legends whose veracity is hard to confirm... There is a story about Lord Yoshitsune, which involves Ushiwakamaru defeating Benkei at the Gojō Bridge in Kyoto. It is most likely fictional."

"Then he chose to test me at the bridge because—"

"Perhaps it was a joke on his part, since he knew that such a legend was circulating in the later world."

This was not a remote possibility. Masatsugu nodded in agreement.

Even if Yoshitsune was a genius in martial arts, how could he have won an overwhelming victory as a child against the equally rare hero, Musashibō Benkei? In this time and age when dead people could be reborn, anything could happen.

However, the legend of martial valor at Gojō Bridge definitely sounded contrived.

"Of course, it is also possible for truth to be stranger than fiction."

Shiori shrugged and ended this conversation.

The plain domestic car continued to race along smoothly with the three passengers.

Just as they crossed the Okitsu River and were about to leave Shimizu City's urban area, Hatsune stopped the car. The elevation here was relatively high.

...The car had been driving along a national highway that followed the coast of Suruga Bay.

Literally a seaside road, it almost followed the same route as the old highway of Tōkaidō in the Edo period. Steep mountain roads lay ahead while Satsuta Ridge was close by. Proceeding through the post stations of Yuijuku and Kanbarajuku, one would then reach the Fuji River.

On the other side of Fuji River was Fuji City, which was also the town where the Fuji tutelary fort was located.

The ukiyo-e artist Utagawa Hiroshige had also depicted part of this scenery in The Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō .

This road through mountainous terrain was actually less than twenty kilometers long and quite a quick drive. However, Hatsune parked the car on the shoulder and the trio disembarked.

"We will choose the nearer side of Fuji City as our destination for now... Fuji River."

Shiori used noesis to project several visual images in the air.

They all showed wide roads in the mountains. Every location was buried under landslide debris, evidently impassable.

Shiori had sent retainer beasts for reconnaissance and used noetic control to playback what they saw.

"The situation is the same for all roads leading out of Suruga City—all outbound roads blockaded by the Restoration Alliance. At Satsuta Ridge, a little up ahead along our current road, there have been landslides. Rather than natural disasters, they were all caused by Crusades."

Next, Shiori pointed at an image of a highway toll booth.

The toll booth had an inspection checkpoint with many Caucasian British soldiers inside.

"They must have left the highways intact so that they could use them to transport supplies in the future. However, given that there are a number of strict security checkpoints and the fact that they have established naval superiority in Suruga Bay, if one wanted to enter the mountains..."

Shiori smiled sardonically.

"As soon as the Restoration Alliance's retainer beasts pick up the scent of humans, they will attack like ravenous bears."

"Princess, question here. What are the chances of getting attacked?"

"From what I have heard, the probability of encountering a retainer beast in these kinds of situations is roughly the same as monster encounters in games. In every zone, the number of retainer beasts are triple figures minimum."

"...Indeed." Masatsugu looked up in Fuji City's direction. "Three white British wyverns are flying over there."

"Eh, you can see that, Onii-sama? I can't see anything at all."

Hatsune squinted, staring intently in the same direction.

After twenty seconds, she finally gave up and said in surprise, "Come on, I tested 2.0 in visual acuity... Onii-sama, your eyesight is crazy good."

"Really? I thought this was pretty normal."

From Masatsugu's view, there were three white dots flying northeast. On closer examination, the white dots had outlines shaped like wyverns.

Ignoring their conversation, Shiori said confidently, "However, the situation would be completely different for those who are highly adept in noetic control like myself. I will come up with a solution. Hatsune, could you please prepare?"

"Roger that~"

Hatsune did as directed, taking out three slim A3-size boards and putting them on the ground.

The three boards were retainer beast talismans. Shiori touched the talismans as she did before. The retainer beast talismans activated and transformed into "wolves." They were covered in beautiful silver fur and had huge bodies as large as a horse.

Three mid-size retainer beasts—Mibu wolves—had appeared.

According to legend, Hijikata Toshizō had led a pack of these Mibu wolves, fighting across various battlefields in eastern Japan.

"Among all retainer beasts, Mibu wolves have an especially keen sense of smell. They will immediately detect any retainer beasts that approach. If we are unfortunate enough to encounter enemy retainer beasts... I will drive them away using noesis."

The three of them each rode a Mibu wolf.

The wolves began to run. They needed to head east towards the Fuji River by traversing the mountain where there were no roads. Dashing as fast as the wind, the Mibu wolves raced across slopes and mixed forest as though running on flat ground.

Occasionally, they would take a detour, probably due to detecting the scent of British retainer beasts.

Even so, it took the trio roughly two hours to reach their destination. After descending the mountain forest, there was the vast greenery of a tea plantation.

In front of them was also the clear water of the Fuji River.

The Fuji River was not massive in flow. There was plenty of gravel deposited on the shore or sandbanks.

Over in the northeastern sky was an expansive view of a sacred peak, offering the majestic scenery of Mount Fuji's snowy peak.

It looked even bigger and more impressive than the view from Suruga City.

The trio dismounted from the Mibu wolves, walking on their own feet once again.

"...Princess, isn't this inside the Restoration Alliance's sphere of influence already?"

"Indeed. However, they will not demand us to present identification unless we do anything too suspicious. Please behave as calmly as possible."

"Hmm?"

Masatsugu felt intrigued. He sensed powerful noesis coming from the far shore of the Fuji River.

He swept his gaze over the streets of Fuji City, a regional city similar to Suruga. The Fuji tutelary fort, which had been conquered by the British, was more than ten kilometers away in this direction.

"Hatsune, do you know where this weird presence is coming from?"

"Huh? Hmmm... Woah, it's amazing!"

The novice Chevalier looked at the eastern sky and instantly jumped in surprise.

Ordinary people were not very sensitive to noetic waves. After inheriting Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune successfully, Hatsune's senses were gradually augmented. This time, she and Masatsugu both detected the same thing.

Currently, powerful noesis was swirling in the sky over the Fuji tutelary fort.

In the center of that vortex was a gigantic eyeball!

"Is that Morgan le Fay?"

"I would think so. The principal image has been transported to Hakone Checkpoint... What remains at the Fuji tutelary fort is probably her shadow," explained Shiori to Masatsugu.

The Mibu wolves they had been using for locomotion growled fiercely.

They were glaring across the Fuji River, preparing for combat. Their hostility was directed at the barrier that Morgan le Fay had deployed for repelling retainer beasts.

Mid-size or larger retainer beasts were not very affected by the barrier, but it looked like they did not feel comfortable either.

Shiori waved her hand and the three Mibu wolves ran into the mountain.

"Let us prepare immediately"

The trio walked across the tea plantation and roads on foot, heading to the Fuji River's shore.

Soon they arrived at the water's edge. Masatsugu and Hatsune worked efficiently. Using foldable shovels, they dug ten shallow holes.

Digging through the gravel on the riverbank was hard labor, but fortunately, both of them were very confident in their physical strength. The task was over quickly.

Shiori placed a retainer beast talisman into each hole. These thin rectangles were the size of cards used for writing Japanese poems. Once the talismans were placed, the two knights swiftly buried the holes.

"I beseech you to appear. May the gods be with you."

Shiori touched the buried holes and recited an incantation to complete the preparations.

"This will summon retainer beasts that won't lose to the barrier, Princess?"

"I cannot assert with certainty. The success rate is roughly 60%."

Hatsune's gaze read "eh, it's not 100%" and Shiori coughed lightly.

"It cannot be helped. This is a contest of technique to see whether the strength of my noesis can trump Morgan le Fay's influence."

"Okay."

"If the noesis I poured into a talisman is stronger, it will produce a retainer beast that will not lose to the barrier. However, since this is ultimately a barrier deployed by the best spirit of the British forces, it is hard to be optimistic here."

"So that's how it works."

"Naturally, my noetic control is first rate. If I fail here, it means that it cannot be accomplished without a team of expert masters from the Noetic Bureau."

"Taking opportunities to show off your confidence every now and then, Princess, you're so awesome♪"

While listening to the conversation between the two girls, Masatsugu realized something.

In front of them was a wide and beautiful view centered on Japan's number one sacred peak, Mount Fuji, and an army of Kamuys were flying across this view.

A couple hundred Kamuys were advancing in a spherical formation.

An army of British Legions also sortied to intercept the Kamuys.

Outnumbered by two to one by the Kamuys, these Legions were similar in appearance to the Crusade but instead of the usual white coloring, they were vivid crimson all over.

### 011. Part 1

"Hohohoho, when I heard there were signs of the Tōkaidō army mobilizing at Motosu, I did not believe it was necessary to rush back."

Riding gallantly on a white wyvern, the young man was the epitome of an aristocrat.

A silver-haired handsome man. The British military officer uniform looked neat and stylish on him, while his poise and comportment conveyed natural and effortless elegance.

"Fortunately, I changed my mind. It was worth it to rush back via transport aircraft and a wyvern. I finally have a chance to meet you."

The English aristocrat looked straight at Masatsugu.

His wyvern was hovering in the air, just like the two wyverns and all Legions on the Japanese side. However, his sharp gaze was fixed only on Masatsugu.

"I apologize for my previous rudeness. My name is Edward and many people call me the Black Prince."

A smile conveying some kind of certainty appeared on the handsome face of the aristocratic Resurrectee.

"Please do introduce yourself today."

"Tachibana Masatsugu."

"I have never heard this name before. May I ask when were you born in this country?"

"Sorry, I can't answer that," Masatsugu replied indifferently. Rather than giving him a cold shoulder on purpose, Masatsugu's inborn personality was to do things at his own pace. This naturally led to a lack of enthusiasm in his tone.

In contrast, Edward smiled cheerfully.

"I understand now! Until a few days ago, I had to live my days under an alias too. I presume the case is the same for you?"

Masatsugu glanced at his companions.

Hatsune, sitting on the Kurou Hougan's shoulder, and the three Chevaliers on a wyvern were listening to the Black Prince questioningly. They did not know that Masatsugu was a Resurrectee.

As for Princess Shiori's reaction...

She was riding the same wyvern with Masatsugu, staring intently at the Black Prince.

"Very well, what I am going to say next comes from a knight's desire for a duel between warriors, rather than being 'flippant' as my guardian spirit Morrigan worded it."

Ignoring the princess' gaze, Edward spoke openly, "Ladies and gentlemen, would you be so kind as to forgive my knights for the rudeness of standing in your way?"

"Whether we forgive them or not, you're still going to block us, right?"

"Hohohoho, you are certainly quick on the uptake. How splendid."

(...Prince. Fuji City and its vicinity, is not your stronghold. Your Chevalier Strength is down to 10%. Should I send, Sir Gary to converge with you?)

This was spoken through Morgan le Fay's noetic waves.

The giant eyeball, "Morgan's Eye," which Masatsugu and company had spotted overhead, was now watching over her smirking commander-in-chief.

Edward rejected her suggestion, "Isn't my uncle currently at the Fuji tutelary fort? Assign Gary to defense. Since Tachibana-dono has made a personal appearance, it is possible the Tōkaidō army might attempt a sneak attack."

(Affirmative.)

"Tachibana-dono... Shall we begin?"

His aristocratic voice almost sounded like an invitation to Masatsugu for a game of chess.

Edward pulled back on the wyvern's reins as one would a horse, distancing himself from Masatsugu's group. Despite the casual tone of his voice, the Black Prince was leaking powerful noesis from his body and soul.

After pulling back a hundred meters, he finally unleashed burgeoning noesis!

Shiori's body also glowed golden for a few seconds.

"Hatsune, take the three Chevaliers and land. I have called for reinforcements on the ground. Use their help to escape back to Suruga as quickly as possible."

"U-Understood. What about you and Onii-sama, Princess?"

"We will follow presently. No need to worry."

Shiori commanded solemnly, preventing Hatsune from asking further questions.

Hatsune hastily directed the Kurou Hougan Legion to descend, taking along the wyvern that was carrying the three Chevaliers.

They disappeared into the Tōkaidō mountain forest below.

With only Masatsugu remaining by her side, Shiori sighed.

"Princess, personally, I hope you will escape together with them."

"If you truly believe that I am of no use, I shall comply."

Having asked unwanted bystanders to leave, Shiori was now retorting nonchalantly to Masatsugu.

Her response brought a smile to Masatsugu's face.

Should one be impressed or exasperated? As a princess, Shiori had no desire to stay in the back ranks to be protected. After comparing Masatsugu and the enemy's combat strength, she made the call to "fight alongside him." She was going to draw upon all her talents to find a way out of the predicament.

This temperament did not suit a figurehead liege, but for a comrade for realizing ambition together, it was pretty good.

"Then please keep me company for now."

"Gladly!"

Unlike these pair of liege and retainer, Edward was making battle preparations of his own.

In a sonorous voice, he commanded the noesis he had released.

"Shame be to him who thinks ill of it. Gather upon my name of Edward the Black Prince to uphold knightly honor—My personal guard, the Order of the Garter!"

A pitch-black army appeared out of thin air next to Edward.

The Black Prince possessed superior Legions in the form of black Crusades while the Lionheart had his crimson knights. Edward's army numbered a round 100 here.

Chevaliers were only able to summon 10% of their limit when outside their stronghold.

In other words, summoning a hundred Legions here implied that Edward's true Chevalier Strength had exceeded 1000!

In contrast, Tachibana Masatsugu's army consisted of merely thirty. Not only was he facing a numerical disadvantage of more than three to one, but the enemy was also a famous military genius from English history. This battle was on a different league than the one just now.

Masatsugu kicked his wyvern lightly.

Understanding Masatsugu, the retainer beast retreated behind the Kanesadas.

Riding the same wyvern, the princess was leaning against Masatsugu's bosom. Her body was stiff from nervousness and fear.

One could hardly blame her. After all, this was her first battle.

However, the smart princess said bravely, "Masatsugu-sama, please do not worry about me. You have free rein!"

"Understood. In any case, I'll just go with the flow and do what's natural."

Masatsugu glanced secretly somewhere.

Hovering over there was a giant eyeball, seven or eight meters in diameter. Morgan le Fay's avatar was overlooking the battlefield.

Masatsugu whispered quietly, "Achieving the objective will require quite a lot of effort."

"...Then I shall inform you when a suitable opportunity arises," Shiori replied naturally, prompting Masatsugu to gaze at her.

Due to the emergency, Masatsugu did not explain his approach in detail, but the clever princess had deduced his thoughts from his gaze and the current circumstances.

It was also possibly due to their relationship of increasing intimacy in various ways.

Embarrassed by his gaze, Shiori blushed and turned her head away.

"Masatsugu-sama, the battle has begun!"

"Excuse me."

Masatsugu ordered his thirty Kanesadas to gather into a packed sphere.

A spherical formation was not particularly interesting, but it did offer defense in all directions. Incidentally, the katanas used at Fuji City earlier had all turned back into bayonet rifles.

The effects of Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada's Feat of Arms had vanished. Conversely, Edward suddenly activated his own!

"The nostalgic Battle of Crécy... It is time to relive that day's triumph. O Knights of the Garter, uphold England's pride and turn into archers!"

Of the hundred black knights, a change occurred to forty of them.

Their bayonet rifles turned into steel longbows, just as the Kanesadas could suddenly turn their weapons into the renowned blade, Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada.

"Archers back away. Remaining knights serve as vanguard!"

The Black Prince's Legions were called Knights of the Garter.

They followed their lord's orders and changed their formation.

In front of the forty archers, the remaining sixty Garter Knights formed a packed rectangular formation in an array of ten rows by six columns.

This closer-order formation was like a "wall in the sky."

The archers in the back were shielded by the sixty Legions in the vanguard.

"Fire!"

The two Resurrectees gave the command simultaneously.

However, the actions taken by their respective soldiers were completely different.

In the packed sphere of the thirty Kanesadas, only the Legions on the front side fired their bayonet rifles.

The "wall in the sky" of the vanguard Garter Knights took on the barrage. However, they did not return fire, simply deploying a protective barrier to withstand the Kanesadas' shooting—

The British barrier neutralized all the heat beams from the Japanese side.

The archers at the back attacked on behalf of the unmoving "wall."

Nocking arrows of light onto the black longbows, they aimed upwards towards the sky. The released arrows traced out parabolic trajectories to attack the Kanesadas' spherical formation.

The British and the Japanese sides kept firing.

The bayonet rifles used by the thirty Kanesadas were able to fire ten beams per second.

In comparison, the British side's forty archers fired much slower. The whole process from nocking to releasing took at least five to ten seconds. The archers were highly skilled but the speed of modern fully automatic fire was overwhelming.

However.

"O-Our side is losing in the shootout!?"

" As suspected , the enemy's projectiles are stronger..."

Shiori was greatly surprised whereas Masatsugu nodded. They were watching the battle between Legions from behind. The arrows of light were piercing the armor and gigantic bodies of the thirty Kanesadas up ahead of them.

The Kanesada army's protective barrier completely failed to defend against the black English longbowmen's consecutive firing.

In contrast, the beams fired by the rifles could not hit any enemies. The protective barrier of the sixty Legions in the "wall in the sky" remained secure and impregnable.

"Well, I already knew they were no ordinary bows and arrows."

Last time in Suruga, Masatsugu was almost sniped by the same kind of bow and arrow.

Now, he was able to witness the firepower he had predicted back then.

After exchanging fire for a minute or two, the Kanesadas were desperately protecting their master, making use of their helmets and various armor to block the arrows or decrease their power.

However, the rain of arrows continued to fall mercilessly upon the Kanesadas.

Seven Kanesadas had already died, either shot in the vitals through gaps in their armor or succumbing to accumulated damage. These seven crashed down from the sky just like that.

"Do you see this, Tachibana-dono? This is the prided mode anglais formation of my House of Plantagenet—English longbow tactics! How will you respond to that!?"

"I see."

The Black Prince sounded like he was exhibiting a treasure. Masatsugu replied indifferently.

"So using bows for both offense and defense roles is this so-called English style."

Currently, Tachibana Masatsugu was over a hundred meters away from Edward.

Even so, Masatsugu knew what the other side was thinking. It was probably the same for Edward. In an encounter between first-rate chess players, simply looking at the situation on the board would be enough to read each other's minds without any need for redundant conversation.

As expert tacticians, Masatsugu and Edward were on such a level.

"Masatsugu-sama..."

"Looks like we have to give up on shooting."

Masatsugu gently embraced the worried Shiori.

The two of them were riding the same wyvern. The princess' light back and body weight was leaning against Masatsugu's bosom while she was holding his left hand tightly in her hands.

She was touching her trusted knight to relieve the fear and uncertainty in her heart.

"All men draw your swords. The blades will be your shields ."

Feeling the princess' delicate body against him, Masatsugu issued a new command.

The rifles of the remaining twenty-three Kanesadas turned into Japanese swords again. They kept their swords vertically upright in front of their faces to guard their bodies' center line.

Namely, the vertical line passing through the forehead, the nose, the throat, the sternum, and the crotch.

Using the sword to guard the center meant that a slight movement of the wrist would be enough to parry arrows aimed at the face, the heart, or other vitals of the body.

The barrier-penetrating arrows were now blocked by Hijikata Toshizō's beloved sword.

"Hohohoho. Not a bad solution, but it is nowhere enough."

"You're right."

The Black Prince smiled while Tachibana Masatsugu remained expressionless.

The battle between Legions gradually intensified. The black archers continued to shoot repeatedly. Although the Kanesadas were using swords to guard their vitals near the center line, their bodies were still getting pierced by numerous arrows.

The most serious wounds were inflicted on the limbs, bleeding blue blood.

Ectoplasmic fluid was the energy source driving Legions. Excessive loss of ectoplasmic fluid would naturally stop movement. Another three Kanesadas fell from the sky due to excessive injuries.

At this rate, defeat was inevitable even if the rate of Legions dying had decreased.

"Charge the defending black knights. Make it quick."

Masatsugu ordered the Kanesadas whose numbers had decreased sharply to twenty.

The Kanesada army executed the command dutifully. Accelerating at the "wall in the sky" formed by the sixty Garter Knights, they unleashed Tennen Rishin Style swordsmanship—

Even with numerical superiority on their side, it was possible for normal Crusades to become careless and lose in this kind of situation.

However, the rifles vanished from the hands of the black knights in the "wall" ahead.

What took their place was a rectangular shield as tall as a Legion. Holding shields in both hands, the Garter Knights resisted the Shinsengumi's vicious swords.

The swordsmanship that had sliced through many a Crusade's armor could not cut through these shields!

"Shame be to him who thinks ill of it... My knights, you are protected by the insignia of the garter. Now raise your shields of justice to triump over evil!"

These were the holy words used by the Black Prince to invoke his Feat of Arms.

The short inscription of "Honi soit qui mal y pense," resembling Latin, and a cross appeared on each shield wielded by the Garter Knights.

"The power to block Hijikata Toshizō's sword... A Feat of Arms of the shield, huh?" Masatsugu muttered to himself while observing the battle from a distance.

The army of black knights were hiding behind shields. No matter how fierce, the moves of Tennen Rishin Style could not win so easily. Every free-flowing swing of the sword was deflected by a shield.

Also, while the Kanesadas were busy attacking the shield bearers...

The archers originally in the back had circled behind the army of katana-wielding Kanesadas.

Returning their longbows to bayonet rifles, they attacked the red-purple Japanese army from behind—in melee combat!

...Sandwiched front and back by the Garter Knights, the Kanesadas' defeat was sealed.

Succeeding in their pincer attack, the British Legions swung the blades of their bayonet rifles to slice, stab, skewer, and gouge the bodies of the Kanesadas.

A merciless massacre began.

"Masatsugu-sama... It is almost time..." Shiori whispered quietly at that moment.

The princess had been holding Masatsugu's hand silently the whole time, leaning against his chest. Her posture remained the same right now, but there was a kind of vibrancy in her voice that belonged to someone who had found a ray of hope.

Only nine red-purple Legions remained.

This number was sufficient. Masatsugu's cheek twitched in a smile.

"Howl, my men. The black knights are not your opponents."

Masatsugu's target was "Morgan's Eye" up high.

Compared to the super gigantic eyeball guarding the Fuji tutelary fort, this avatar was only one-tenth in size. Currently, it was watching the battlefield, bearing witness to Edward's battle.

"Take out that spirit. Do it."

The nine Kanesadas followed Masatsugu's orders and roared thunderously.

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

This shouting of Legions was known as the War Cry.

The fierce roaring resounded all around. Using their mouths hidden behind their masks, the Legions emitted a unique howling sound.

The War Cry produced effects of noetic disruption and could cancel out electromagnetic radiation and noetic waves.

Previously, the British Crusades had used the same tactic in their attack on Suruga.

(—Prince, reporting. Enemy, starting noetic disruption. Avatar, cannot be sustained...)

The voice reported the situation in fragments. The hovering seven or eight-meter-diameter eyeball—Morgan le Fay's manifestation—slowly vanished.

Seeing his guardian spirit defeated, Edward praised, "Oh? You still managed to blow away Morrigan in an instant despite your unfavorable situation?"

"It worked in one shot precisely because of the unfavorable situation. Otherwise, a spirit of that level isn't going to present any openings."

Edward and Masatsugu muttered simultaneously as though having a face-to-face conversation.

Masatsugu had reasoned that using noetic disruption recklessly would not achieve much.

The enemy was a spirit of the strongest class on the British side. However, no matter how powerful a spirit, it would be only natural for her concentration to slip when seeing her master winning with an overwhelming advantage.

Even if not to the point of carelessness, there would undoubtedly be a decrease in focus.

Shiori had been increasing her senses as a noetic master, looking for an opening in the opponent.

As for Masatsugu—the moment before landing on the ground ...

He first had the Kanesadas start a War Cry, then carrying the exhausted Shiori in his arms, he swiftly kicked his wyvern's side, ordering it to make a rapid descent.

The wyvern flapped its wings and landed in the mountain forest.

A giant white wolf was already waiting on the ground.

This was one of the Mibu wolves they had ridden to the Fuji River then dismissed back into the forest. Masatsugu quickly got off the wyvern and moved Shiori, who was unable to walk, to the Mibu wolf's back.

"We succeeded, Masatsugu-sama..."

"Yes, with that spirit gone, we won't need to worry about noetic tracking. Now we can escape deep into the mountains without having to watch our back."

Holding the feebly smiling Shiori in his arms, Masatsugu rode the Mibu wolf.

Once again, the two of them were riding the same retainer beast, except this time they were escaping on land. Hiding in the mountain forest was definitely better than flying in the air since their goal was to evade enemy pursuit.

Weaving through the trees in the mountain forest, the Mibu wolf raced as fast as the wind.

Needless to say, their destination was Suruga City.

"Thank you for your support, Princess. We couldn't have escaped otherwise."

"No... Without you in command, Masatsugu-sama, we would have been wiped out long ago... I should be the one to express gratitude..."

The brave princess had been sticking closely to Masatsugu for a reason.

While relieving her fear and uncertainty on one hand, she was also providing a small amount of ectoplasmic fluid to him through intimate contact on the other. In fact, the Garter Knights' fierce offensive had dealt a heavy blow to the Kanesadas, causing ectoplasmic fluid consumption to be much higher than usual..

Without Shiori's assistance, the Kanesadas might not have had the strength to unleash the final roar—

In any case, Masatsugu "went with the flow and did what was natural" and succeeded in upholding the principle of "escaping as quickly as possible from a battlefield of certain defeat."

"It looks like Tachibana-dono does not share the knightly ideal of putting up a manly fight. He fled with such speed and decisiveness."

On the saddle of his wvyern that was flapping its wings, Edward smiled wryly.

The last of the red-purple Legions had just been wiped out in front of his eyes.

Instantly killing nine survivors was a piece of cake. Only the Black Prince, his wyvern, and the Order of the Garter remained in the aerial battlefield.

"I could burn the whole mountain to conduct a search... but it is unlikely that he would loiter in the vicinity."

Edward looked down at the mountain forest, shrugging his shoulders.

He recalled the girl who was leaning against Tachibana Masatsugu's chest. He originally thought she was simply along the ride for some kind of reason and did not pay much attention to her—

"That girl has an air quite similar to Eleanor's. She seems to be well-versed in noetics too..."

The beautiful maiden's noble and pretty face and platinum blonde hair were very striking.

Edward decided he should investigate her background.

Tachibana Hatsune was running through the forest at full speed.

Of course, she was using a Mibu wolf to do the running, instead of running on foot.

The reinforcements Princess Shiori had mentioned before parting ways were a reference to this white mid-size retainer beast. A second Mibu wolf was carrying the three Chevaliers they had just rescued.

"I hope the princess and Onii-sama are fine..."

So far, there were no signs of the lady she served and the young man from her clan catching up.

Just as she was worrying about their safety, Hatsune sensed someone sneering behind her. She had some recollection of this very sarcastic voice.

Not too long ago, she had heard the same voice prior to activating the Feat of Arms—Kotouhihisshutsu.

...Hatsune had recalled how the voice offered to teach her a good plan. Then the principles to using that secret move had surfaced in her mind. In other words, Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune was giving advice again.

Hatsune focused to listen. Sure enough, the blue scroll appeared in her right hand.

"What's up, Yoshitsune-san?"

The scroll told her that her friends were out of danger... At least, that was the message Hatsune sensed.

"Really!? They still haven't shown up, and I was worried sick. This is great news!"

...Well, with that dead fish in charge, failure would come as a surprise.

"Are you talking about Onii-sama? Well, it's true that he's not a very lively person."

Talking to herself in front of a scroll was quite a bizarre scene.

However, Hatsune was not in the mood to make fun of herself, because she learned a shocking truth without any mental preparation beforehand.

...That isn't what I meant. That man and I are the same. In other words, we were awakened from our ancient deaths.

"Huh?"

Hatsune jumped in shock. Now , she really doubted whether her ears were hallucinating or not.

### 012. Part 1

15:27, October 31st.

This was the moment when Richard the Lionheart arrived in Suruga City.

Riding his white wyvern, he slowly descended with a crimson British "Escalibor" Legion by his side. The Legion landed with a heavy thud.

The location was in front of Suruga Station.

The high-speed rail terminal was huge and the area in front of the station was also very prosperous.

There were department stores and grand buildings in the style of office districts. It was rare for a quiet regional city to have such a "metropolitan" area.

The wyvern and the Escalibor had suddenly appeared at the bus terminal here.

Soon after the alarm sounded in the city, the ancient King of England and his Legion invaded Suruga City swiftly, flying like a shooting star.

...There were still civilians around the station who had not escaped in time.

Roughly a hundred and fifty people. The red giant raised its bayonet rifle and fired.

Rather than the civilians, the rifle was aimed up at the white clouds in the blue sky. The scorching beam tore through the sky, accompanied by a thunderous noise of gunfire.

Nearby crowds were all fixated on the red Legion and the wyvern's rider.

"People of Suruga, I am a Chevalier of the British Empire as well as a King of England in the past, Richard the Lionheart. Be at ease and raise your heads."

The English king's Legions, the Escalibors, stood over eight meters tall.

Richard's wyvern was hovering near the red giant's shoulder. Overlooking the scenery in front of the station, Richard nodded with satisfaction.

This Resurrectee's voice was not very coarse. Instead, he sounded magnanimous.

A sonorous and beautiful voice, it was clear and deep.

"Hohohoho. There is no need to scurry away like rats, people of this city. I did not come today to fight. I am here as a knight to inform the people of Suruga who have been fighting valiantly."

The Escalibor behind Richard emitted the same voice and words from behind its mask. More precisely, it was not a voice but sound formed from noetic waves.

Hence, that was why the sound was spreading like a wave.

The volume itself was not too great, yet every resident within a radius of several kilometers could hear it clearly.

"Now then... It pains my heart to hear of your harrowing plight. The Chevaliers of Suruga have fought bravely against us of the Restoration Alliance, but the result is that across the land of Shizuoka, this is the last city that has yet to come under the British Empire's protection. Listen to me, people of this city!"

Riding his wyvern, Richard advanced slowly along the main road in front of the station.

He was flying at an altitude around three floors high. Advancing in leisure, it was almost like a parade of triumph.

The Escalibor was also hovering in the air, following its master.

"Who are the ones who suffer in war!? Isn't it you, the people of the city? So long as the knights of Suruga continue to resist, you will be imprisoned in this city, unable to satisfy your stomachs, enduring hunger, fear, and uncertainty. I sympathize with your plight from the bottom of my heart!"

Richard looked down upon the streets haughtily while delivering a passionate speech.

The Lionheart's voice included elements of rapture. It seemed like he was very moved by his own speech.

"I hereby promise you that I shall be the one to liberate you. I shall conquer Suruga without fail and guide all of you to come under the British Empire's protection. When the time comes, I shall send a gift of ten thousand casks of wine to hold a glorious celebration lasting three days and three nights. I welcome all of you to join me in sharing this fine wine of victory!"

Richard raised his fist up high, adding to the climax of the speech.

At that moment, he suddenly lowered his voice and said, "However, I do beg for your understanding regarding one matter. Next, I shall be resting for five days, and once I am rested, the first target to fall to me shall be Nagoya. It is Nagoya where I shall bring an end to the Tōkaidō Fiefdom."

There was a layer of gloom on the passionate Lionheart's expression.

With a face of anguish that befitted a tragic protagonist, he raised his arms and shouted to the people, "Please bear this in mind. I shall conquer Nagoya within ten days then return to Suruga the next day to liberate you. In the mean time, please wait patiently for my second coming. See you again!"

After saying everything he wanted, Richard gently kicked his wyvern's side.

The wyvern flapped its wings and flew east, towards Fuji City. The Escalibor followed.

The crimson British Legion was holding a wooden bucket in its left hand.

While flying, the Legion opened the bucket's lid, dropping thousands of pieces of paper.

The huge amount of paper was scattered all over Suruga City by the wind.

...This was the beginning of "The Attack of Richard I." The crowds at the scene watched in mesmerization, completely forgetting to escape.

In fact, there was a Chevalier on standby near the scene.

"What on earth is that man thinking?"

The four-wheel-drive military vehicle stopped its engine on the road in front of the station.

Castellan Akigase Rikka frowned from the back seat.

The genie at the Suruga tutelary fort, Sakuya, had issued a warning—A single Escalibor was approaching Suruga at high speed. Rikka rushed out as a result.

This was to allow her to destroy the enemy instantly if they engaged in destructive activities violating the Charter of Chivalry.

However, what she ran into was an unexpected speech.

"To be honest... I am not really concerned about the repercussions of that speech," Rikka said solemnly.

It was the next day after Richard I visited Suruga to deliver a speech.

"After all, he promised to rescue the people of the city then talked about resting before attacking Nagoya. Totally disorganized."

November 1st. On this day, Masatsugu excused himself from school and came to a conference room at the Suruga tutelary fort.

Rikka had invited him to join a war council.

"Since he is a reborn hero and a legatus legionis surpassing ordinary Chevaliers, I am reluctant to say anything too harsh—"

After using a term used to honor Resurrectees...

She said it outright.

"I suspect him of being a complete idiot."

"R-Rikka-sama, you are being too direct," said Hatsune, somewhat troubled, who was at the table.

The three Chevaliers, Habuna, Maike, and Tabi, also smiled awkwardly. This war council had gathered all Chevaliers in Suruga to discuss their next step.

Furthermore, the ancient English king's speech had been under yatagarasu surveillance.

Masatsugu and the others had watched the video after noetic processing.

"However, I dare not call him an idiot now. After reading the flyers distributed by Richard I at the end, some of the residents are wavering. Some have even proposed 'it might be better to just lose to the Restoration Alliance'," Rikka analyzed the situation.

Masatsugu was reminded of the flyer's contents.

It stated the facts that Shizuoka Prefecture and Nagoya were about to fall to the Restoration Alliance. Its concluding sentence was the prediction that 'soon, the people of Suruga will come under the protection of the Lionheart of England'...

"Sigh, this cannot be helped either. It is true that we of the Tōkaidō Fiefdom are unable to provide sufficient food to the people of the city. The battle situation is clearly tipped against us."

Rikka admitted candidly and shrugged.

"There is no problem at the moment, but riots might start eventually."

"This Richard I—"

The most noble attendee at this conference suddenly spoke.

All eyes focused on one person, Princess Fujinomiya Shiori of Imperial Japan, who continued, "Undeniably, he is a man who lives life very impulsively. As a fierce knight, he also has an artistic side to him with a love for poetry... Perhaps due to this, he often acts capriciously, changing his mind on whim."

Neither a warrior nor a high-ranking officer, Shiori was also attending this war council.

This was the first step in the shunned princess' "ascension."

The two Chevaliers, Tachibana Masatsugu and Hatsune, were in her personal service, making her currently the Suruga tutelary fort's "most important ally." Furthermore, the princess had already demonstrated her outstanding mystic abilities and insight to these people present. As a result...

'May I attend this war council?'

When Shiori asked tactfully, Rikka did not refuse.

The three young men Chevaliers at the table and the military officers of the tutelary fort also respectfully accepted her.

Having obtained respect befitting her status and ability, the imperial princess explained in a wise tone of voice as always.

"As soon as the militant Richard I was crowned the King of England, he sold off many things to raise funds for war. This included precious possessions, national treasures, castles, territories, noble titles, and townships."

"How could a ruler of a nation act so irresponsibly?" Rikka was aghast.

Shiori nodded and continued, "Yes. Dismissing local officials then forcing them to buy back their posts was a trick that he frequently used. It was said that he almost sold away the capital of London."

"What an irresponsible man..."

"He probably felt no attachment to England. The royal family ruling medieval England were originally nobles from France who crossed the sea to conquer the island of Great Britain."

Masatsugu was very surprised to hear the name of France.

"Richard I's Plantagenet family was high nobility in France, holding lands including the Duchy of Aquitaine, the County of Anjou, and the Duchy of Normandy. England itself was simply one of the Plantagenet dynasty's territories."

The well-learned Shiori spoke fluently.

"The Plantagenets essentially made their residence in France, living as French nobles, only visiting Great Britain when it was necessary for them to wear the identity of 'the English royal family of the Plantagenet dynasty. They almost always used French and never spoke English."

The names of Richard and Edward should be pronounced in French as "Ree-shaar" and "Ay-doo-waar"...

When Shiori added this last bit of trivia, Hatsune remarked poignantly, "It's like running a side business while having a day job."

"A very apt description. Indeed, the Plantagenet family was a great landowner that even surpassed the King of France himself. France was their true stronghold while the King of England was just a part-time job. But after the death of Richard I, his younger brother John Lackland's failures led to losing virtually all of their holdings on the European continent, forcing them to flee to England."

Masatsugu remembered. He had heard an anecdote during history class.

Losing his territory was what earned King John the nickname of "Landless."

"These problems erupted during the generation of Black Prince Edward's father, resulting in the Hundreds' Year War between England and France. In truth, the two royal families at the time were relatives..."

"I see, so that is the personality of King Richard." Rikka sighed.

"Now the problem is... This tyrant was very good at war, personality aside—or rather, that type of personality is probably a factor contributing to his peerless ferocity. Easily employing methods that normal people would not dare to use, he achieved victories through flashy ostentatious shows of brute force."

The Tōkaidō Fiefdom's Chevalier princess said gloomily, "The next time Richard comes to Suruga will be after he has conquered Nagoya, right? Naturally, I have informed my father of his declaration... But will Nagoya be able to hold—The situation is not optimistic."

"Rikka-sama, there are additional points of worry," Shiori shared her views again. "Once Nagoya falls and Tōkaidō is officially extinct, the Restoration Alliance will then have free rein to deploy all Chevaliers to attack Suruga. Confronted with Richard I and multiple Knights of Her Majesty—We will face inevitable defeat."

"Yes, in which case our only options are to retreat or to surrender."

Rikka fell silent, arms crossed before her chest. She was pondering their course of action.

Five minutes later, she still had not said a word, probably because she could not come up with any good ideas. The three young men Chevaliers, Hatsune, and Shiori also had nothing to say.

Under this grave atmosphere, Masatsugu spoke up, "Sure enough, Prince Edward is the impressive one here."

"Onii-sama, our discussion here is about Richard."

"I know, but the reason why that hot-blooded idiot is a nuisance is mainly because Prince Edward's chain is firmly attached to his collar."

"What do you mean?" Hatsune was puzzled.

Masatsugu calmly explained, "Think about it carefully. Why did Richard go out of his way to deliver a speech in Suruga?"

"Uhh... On a whim?"

"Possibly, but according to Her Highness, he is impulsive to the point of irresponsible... A man like that cannot be expected to exercise restraint, right? In fact, I felt he would take the speech as a chance to launch a surprise assault. Especially since he views Suruga as 'special prey,' all the more reason he should do that."

The lion was not the only one who knew how to hunt—

Currently, Masatsugu was also taking a hunter 's perspective to analyze and examine the habits and tendencies of the Lionhearted beast, so as to draw his conclusion.

"Someone persuaded Richard to hold back and he is very unhappy about this. Very frustrated. Hence, that was why he flew all the way to Suruga to deliver a glamorous speech, to vent his displeasure."

Masatsugu shrugged slightly and said, "What a shame. If Richard were to attack Suruga in full force... It would be the best opportunity to defeat him."

"Ehhhh!? No way, that guy's Chevalier Strength is over a thousand, you know!?"

Hatsune was very shocked. No, everyone attending this war council felt the same. On behalf of the group, the Tachibana girl questioned Masatsugu, "Also, his Feat of Arms is powerful, and he is talented at commanding Legions..."

"This simply involves a question of comparison. Richard attacking alone versus facing a large group of Chevaliers in a fierce offensive after Nagoya falls—Which do you think is easier to defeat?"

"Of course facing Richard alone. But even by himself, he's quite formidable, right?"

"On that point... It seems that I'm very good at handling opponents like him."

The little sister warned Masatsugu, prompting him to mutter.

Without raising his voice deliberately, his quiet words conveyed clear confidence.

"Against a man like him, I know a number of effective traps."

"Really, Onii-sama!?" Hatsune leaned forward, her eyes glimmering brightly.

"Th-Then why don't we take the initiative to attack!?"

"That would be difficult. The troops I can currently use won't exceed two or three hundred. If I had to rely on such numbers to engage him... I need to lure him into attacking Suruga aggressively."

Masatsugu shook his head.

"Otherwise, there is no way to lead him into a trap in a natural manner."

Perhaps the Black Prince had also considered the risk of a "hunting trap," which was why he persuaded the lion to "wait."

Edward was truly remarkable. Not only did he skillfully command troops on the battlefield but he also had the capability to control a subordinate who was like a savage beast.

Masatsugu was catching a faint glimpse of the Black Prince's prowess. A formidable foe surpassing Richard.

"We need bait. And this bait needs to lure the impulsive Richard to Suruga before the British forces attack Nagoya. Otherwise, both Suruga and Nagoya will be crushed."

"In that case... I have an idea."

The one who offered—was precisely Shiori.

"This is a dangerous gamble. But since our defeat is sealed unless we go all-in and take the plunge, let us put on an extravagant show of fireworks to attract that man's attention."

With the gazes of every knight focused upon her, Shiori explained her plan methodically.

Her dignified tone of voice was as though she were a nation's leader or military adviser.

### 013. Part 1

Legions were normally described as "winged giant soldiers."

However, they did not have true wings. Instead, they simply had "wing-like decorations" on their backs. Some Legions even lacked such decorations.

Consequently, their ability to fly had nothing to do with wings.

They simply hovered in the air, producing thrust from their bodies. Furthermore, there was a secret hidden under their feet. Their soles were capable of producing buoyancy, allowing them to use the atmosphere as a foothold, stepping on air as though it were mother earth herself.

This was why Legions were able to use swordsmanship, unarmed combat, and other martial arts in the air.

After all, these were all skills that were designed and trained with the ground in mind.

(Well, carrying out a melee battle in the air does have the drawback of having "a huge consumption of ectoplasmic fluid.")

And currently—

The two armies were in the sky over Mount Satsuta, exhibiting their respective martial arts.

Charging into the chaotic battle, Tachibana Masatsugu finally arrived before that man. Masatsugu was riding a blue wyvern of Imperial Japan while the other party was on a white wyvern of Britain.

"Wow!"

The man widened his eyes in surprise on this first encounter.

King Richard I, the Lionheart. He was the general leading a thousand Escalibors.

"I see—so this is your objective?"

"What do you mean?"

"Please, do not play dumb. You wish to have a duel with me, because winning would instantly overturn the disparity in numbers... You are an admirable samurai, good sir."

With burning eyes of fervor, Richard spoke with ecstasy in his voice.

"I am quite moved. Never did I expect in this Far East island nation to encounter a knight well-versed in the aesthetics of the duel."

"Not at all. I'm not worthy of your praise."

A somewhat crude term occurred to Masatsugu. The so-called "game brain."

Applied to Richard I, it would be the chivalry romanticism brain, perhaps? His thoughts were simplistic and he liked to interpret everything through the lens of dramatic chivalry, just as Masatsugu suspected.

'The vast majority of his behavior undoubtedly consisted of unruly whims—'

Shiori had told Masatsugu that a certain historian had made such a comment on the Lionheart.

Were someone like him not a "war genius," it would have been trivially easy for Masatsugu to win.

Meanwhile, unaware of Masatsugu's thoughts, the Lionheart said, "You must recognize my name, don't you? Samurai, introduce yourself."

"Tachibana Masatsugu."

"Acknowledged. Tachibana, huh? In that case, let us begin."

Richard raised the sword he had been using like a marshal's baton and pointed its tip at Masatsugu.

Masatsugu quietly nodded and likewise drew Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada. The two of them prepared to duel quickly and efficiently.

Indeed, a duel did not need words.

Disregarding the differences between a Japanese sword and a one-handed western sword, they were both using swords as weapons.

Both weapons were comparable in length, neither projectiles nor lances, meaning that they had to fight in close quarters...

The two of them gently kicked their wyvern's belly at the same time.

The two wyverns flapped their wings and slowly flew forward.

Their distance gradually shrank. Initially five meters... four meters, three, two, one... Finally, the blue and white wyverns were about to brush past each other.

Incidentally, both Masatsugu and Richard were wielding their swords right-handed.

Swinging their right arms at close range, their deadly blades were about to strike their opponent—In the next instant...

"Hah!"

"!"

Richard gave a mighty shout while Masatsugu remained silent.

An exchange of blows. Both riders were holding the reins in their left hand, thus leaving only their right hand available for battle. The renowned katana and the western sword collided with a mighty clang, producing a shower of sparks.

"Lionheart, you have a fine sword there."

"Hohohoho, the samurai's katana is not the only celebrated sword."

Masatsugu offered concise praise and Richard responded proudly.

When ordinary swords clashed with Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada, their blades would end up severed as easily as bean curd. However, King Richard's sword had managed to block the Japanese blade.

He was probably using some kind of heirloom sword treasured by the English royal family.

The two of them exchanged another four or five blows at once.

A battle of offense and defense where both sides blocked with their sword while trying to slash the opponent using their prided blades.

The sound of blades clashing was as rhythmic as musical instruments.

Only first-rate swordsmen were capable of producing such a melody of the battlefield.

Furthermore, their wyverns were no slouches either. They glared at each other with savage demeanors, striking violently with their flapping wings. The wyverns were also pushing tightly against each other in a contest of strength like a sumo wrestling match.

...Suddenly, Richard's wyvern kicked with its right leg.

This kick fell near the waist area and Masatsugu's wyvern backed away.

The two wyverns became separated by four or five meters, interrupting the sword match. There was no way to slash each other no matter how far they stretched their arms.

"Another go?" Just as Masatsugu muttered to himself, a palm-size retainer beast appeared on his shoulder.

The messenger pipe fox had teleported here. Preparations were evidently in order. There was no more need to stall for time.

The next step was to see how much of a blaze he could light up in Richard's heart. Seeing the pipe fox scurry into his chest pocket, Masatsugu nodded to himself.

In contrast, due to the separation interrupting the fight, the Lionheart said with exasperation, "Hmph. If only I could fly on my own."

Richard grinned fearlessly while expressing his dissatisfaction.

This could not be helped. Unlike Legions, Resurrectees like Masatsugu and Richard did not have the ability to fly and could only fight by riding wyverns—Logically, that should be the case.

"What the hell!?"

However, Richard's next step surprised Masatsugu.

Noesis suddenly gathered around Richard's left arm, shimmering like a mirage, and turned into a gigantic left arm . It was clearly an Escalibor's arm.

Raising his left arm, which had turned into a Legion's gigantic arm just like that, the Lionheart made a fist and attacked—

A left straight. A crimson fist of steel was heading straight for Masatsugu!

"You are wide open, Tachibana!"

"...Kanesada!"

Masatsugu hastily called the name of his Legion.

He subconsciously raised his left hand, believing that his palm would be able to stop a winged giant soldier's left straight.

Next—A giant arm also flew out from Masatsugu's palm.

It was a red-purple Legion's, a Kanesada's left arm. This arm opened its palm and firmly caught the Escalibor's deadly punch.

"I see now."

Seeing the amazing feat his left arm had accomplished, Masatsugu understood.

The first time when he saved Princess Shiori at the Suruga tutelary fort, he had stopped a falling Kamuy using his body of flesh directly, even pushing the Kamuy's heavy body away. Just as he was doing now, he had summoned a Legion into his body and used its strength to achieve that superhuman feat.

"This is a move... that virtually all modern Chevaliers are incapable of," Richard grinned.

Upon closer examination, one could see "phantoms" of Legions behind the two knights and their wyvern mounts.

The hazy outlines of two winged giant soldiers were shimmering unsteadily like mirages. The red British knight Escalibor attacked with a thrust of its fist while the red-purple samurai Kanesada raised a palm to block—

These figures had manifested after Richard and Masatsugu had merged themselves with their own Legion.

"Tachibana, sure enough... you are the same as I?"

"Sorry, I can't answer you."

"Then I shall ask you again after I seize victory, assuming you survive!"

Then the "phantom giants" disappeared.

The reckless skill of summoning a Legion within oneself was a heavy burden on one's body. It was not supposed to be used for long periods unnecessarily.

The two wyverns came close together again to put on another show of sword against katana.

However... This was not Masatsugu's ultimate goal.

As expected, Richard was an excellent fighter.

At this rate, the smaller Kanesada army would be wiped out before the duel finished.

Hence, Masatsugu allowed Richard's sweeping blow to strike him on purpose .

Richard's sword sliced open Masatsugu's right flank with a splatter of blood. The wound was not shallow either.

"Guh—!"

"Kukukuku. So this is the extent of the renowned swordsmanship of the samurai!?"

"...Retreat. Move up as much as possible to avoid getting caught ."

In contrast to Richard's gloating triumph, Masatsugu quietly issued orders.

The blue wyvern flapped its wings and backed away before rising rapidly, speeding up to flee the scene.

Masatsugu gently touched the chest pocket of his school uniform.

"Discard your notions of fleeing. Fight me to the bitter end!"

Richard yelled in delight.

He was utterly consumed by the desire to pursue Masatsugu. In the next second, it was the Lionheart's turn to be alarmed.

"What!?"

Gunfire from the ground was attacking the Escalibors and the Kanesadas that were locked in an aerial battle.

In fact, Masatsugu's army were not the only Legions that had sortied from the Suruga tutelary fort.

The three Chevaliers, Habuna, Maike, and Tabi, had also headed out to the suburbs.

Each of their Chevalier Strength was around fifty and they had summoned 150 Kamuys... Moving their forces extremely stealthily.

They did not fly in the sky over Suruga like Tachibana Masatsugu had done to draw the enemy's attention.

The trio had secretly summoned Legions at the military zone facing Suruga Bay. Under the night sky, all hundred and fifty Legions marched underwater without emerging from the sea surface. The army lurked in the shallows by the coast near the spot where Masatsugu's Kanesadas had intercepted the British army.

Naturally, they had avoided flying in the air to prevent Richard from discovering them.

This tactic was decided right from the start. They were going to head out separately from the Kanesadas, moving either through the sea or at extremely low altitudes. Then while Masatsugu was stalling for time, they would get into formation as quickly as possible...

The battlefield where two Resurrectees clashed was the sky over Mount Satsuta.

The three Chevalier's 150 Kamuys were set up in the hills of Mount Satsuta.

The goal was to deliver the first devastating blow to King Richard's army of one thousand, while helping Tachibana Masatsugu to escape as well.

"Gather together, my knights! Enter formation again!"

While Richard yelled, a number of crimson Legions were shot down again.

While Masatsugu was playing the part of a duel between generals, a volley of rifle fire emerged from the ridgeline of Mount Satsuta below.

The three Chevaliers rescued from Fuji City had entered the battle with the 150 Kamuys under their command.

Their entire army was firing from the ground at the Escalibors and Kanesadas that were locked in an aerial battle, killing them one after another. Protective barriers were having virtually no effect.

"It was worth it for me to act as bait," Masatsugu muttered while enduring the sharp pain from his flank.

The Kanesadas and the Escalibors had broken out of their packed formations to engage in a chaotic skirmish. Protective barriers were ineffective unless Legions were clustered together with friendly forces.

Under such circumstances, the thousand Legions on the British side suffered heavier losses.

There were only 360 Kamuys while the Escalibors were roughly thrice as numerous. The chances of indiscriminate gunfire hitting an Escalibor was naturally higher.

"Not quite the same as planned... But it's a good result."

Until now, Masatsugu had been doing everything he could to draw Richard's attention, thus buying plenty of time.

Playing to Richard's preferences, Masatsugu had ordered his army to draw their swords and charge the enemy, and he even played the part for a duel between generals. Naturally, the romanticism of chivalry was not his goal.

Everything was done in order to set up an ambush on the ground and lure the fierce lion into a trap.

Originally, he wanted to charge into melee when the back or the side of Richard's army presented an opening. However, that would be too much of a luxury.

Confronted with unexpected anti-air fire, the Escalibors entered a packed formation again.

The sphere finally took form. The white particles of the protective barrier glowed brightly, blocking the flashing rain of light being fired from the ground.

Seeing the British army regrouped in their defensive formation, the Legions on Mount Satsuta stopped firing en masse.

Currently, the red British Legions were down to 812 in number.

"Roughly two hundred eliminated..."

This was achieved only through the Kanesadas drawing their swords to engage the Escalibors, followed by the barrage of anti-air fire just now.

Conversely, the Kanesadas led by Masatsugu were down to 203. Of the original 360, almost half had been killed in the fighting earlier. This was the limit to what could be achieved through direct confrontational tactics.

"All units retreat. Defend me with everything you've got."

Masatsugu issued his command quietly and glanced at his wound.

The slice was not deep enough to reach internal organs, but the blood loss persisted. There were also intermittent pangs of pain. He needed first aid as quickly as possible.

The problem was that he had no time to be treated, so all he could do was ignore the wound.

In front of the injured commander, the remaining 203 Kanesadas withdrew from the sky over Mount Satsuta. Riding his wyvern, Masatsugu followed them.

In any case, they needed to do everything they could to escape to the sea—In other words, towards Suruga Bay.

The second phase of the hunt was about to begin.

### 014. Part 1

November 7th, it was late, just after midnight.

Richard I had attacked Suruga but the defensive forces at the Suruga tutelary fort managed to pull through.

After the long night, dawn finally appeared on the horizon.

"Seriously... What a turbulent night."

Akigase Rikka was currently at the Suruga tutelary fort's nation-protecting keep.

The keep was forty meters tall and Rikka was on the roof. The tutelary fort was located on the highest plateau in the area, Nihondaira.

This was the best vantage point of Suruga City.

Alone, she was enjoying the beautiful scenery of Mount Fuji and Suruga Bay under the morning sun.

Such extravagance was one of the few privileges afforded to the Suruga castellan after staying up all night. Rikka stretched.

"Come to think of it... I think I've seen Masatsugu-dono's methods somewhere before."

Following Tachibana Masatsugu's directions, Rikka had fortunately won last night's battle.

He had used all sorts of tricks to lure the peerlessly ferocious king of knights, leading him to fall into an encirclement trap—

Rikka had the impression that she had read about similar tactics in a textbook on strategy or military history.

"Whatever," Rikka shrugged and did not dwell on the matter for too long.

This only meant that "Masatsugu-dono" had used reasonable and effective methods.

The crux of last night's battle was how to draw out Richard I's passion and charging attack. The praiseworthy fact was that Tachibana Masatsugu had accomplished this skillfully. The theory behind the operation was actually quite simple.

"Putting aside whether he is Lord Hijikata or not, there is no doubt that he is amazingly talented."

Ultimately, the tactics in books were not too meaningful.

The crucial point was to be able to apply these tactics "on the battlefield under extreme conditions."

If knowledge alone could win battles, there would be no need for generals. Just find a random student, get him to read a manual on strategy and tactics, then install him as the commander. Enough said.

"I need to greet Masatsugu-dono... and the princess."

The first name to slip out tugged at Rikka's heartstrings unbelievably.

She felt a strange urge to hum. At that moment, a soldier ran over. Rikka suppressed the urge to hum and said with a nonchalant expression, "What's the matter?"

After hearing the soldier's reply, Rikka murmured in puzzlement.

"This early in the morning... A man wants to see me?"

"Good grief."

Half an hour later, Rikka was wearing an exasperated look in the castellan's office.

"How was I supposed to know who the hell is Alexis Yang? Just say you're Yang Zhongda, descendant of the "Generals of the Yang Family," and I would've known immediately."

"I don't really like to call myself that..."

The citizen of Eastern Rome his late thirties replied a little frivolously.

Rikka was sitting behind the heavy office desk. The standing man was greeting her. Although he was dressed casually in a dark-blue jacket with beige pants, he was a soldier in active duty.

Alexis Yang's Chinese name was Yang Zhongda.

He was an acquaintance from the time when Akigase Rikka had been sent to serve Imperial Japan's ally, Eastern Rome.

"Even though the Yang family is famous for our generals, the women are particularly strong-willed and hold higher positions in the army. I don't really want people to know I'm a man from the Yang family, it's too embarrassing. Uh, I'm serious here."

"By the way, your wife... no, your ex-wive is also a distant relative of the Yang Family, isn't she?"

"We were in the same cohort during military academy. Now she's my superior."

After the battle against Richard's army—

A strange man had arrived at the gate of the Suruga tutelary fort and demanded to see the castellan. This frivolous commoner had claimed affiliation with the "Eastern Roman Empire's East Asian Administrative Region Military" and that he would explain his purpose after seeing the castellan...

"I'm surprised you managed to get to Suruga. Did you come from Tokyo?"

"Yeah, it wasn't easy crossing Hakone Checkpoint. Took quite a bit of work on my part."

Rikka nodded, figuring out the story.

Yang Zhongda had joined the military staff since long ago, but his abilities as a staff officer were quite mediocre. However, he was talented at noetic control and cultivating connections with civilian big shots or suspicious individuals.

This time, he must have used a combination of his own abilities and aid from others to arrive here.

"Major Yang, what is your purpose here in Suruga?"

"His Excellency asked me to come here and be your military adviser. Just think of me as a liaison. I'll be in charge of putting you guys in touch with the Roman military."

Rikka had heard whom Alexis Yang was currently serving as staff officer.

She shrugged. The so-called "His Excellency" could be no one else.

"Why did Lord Caesar send you directly to me, bypassing my father, the Tōkaidō Governor General?"

"Maybe... He thinks that Nagoya won't hold much longer, so he's making preparations in advance, as a precautionary measure?"

"If only Lord Caesar, who calls himself Imperial Japan's protector, had taken action earlier..."

Rikka spoke in sarcastic rather than grumbling tone.

"Then there wouldn't be any need for precautionary measures if he had helped Tōkaidō get rid of the British forces, right?"

"Well, there are various difficulties. All things considered, Imperial Japan is an ally, not a Roman province, right? We can't go too out of line."

"True. By the way, if the rebellion persists for the long term..."

Yang swept the issue under the rug by putting on a fool's look and Rikka stared at him.

"Eastern Japan with its strong ties to Rome will become your vassal state, while western Japan will be annexed by the British Empire... thus leading to an east-west split."

"Located right in the center, Tōkaidō will turn into Japan's version of Alsace-Lorraine, right?"

"This place you speak of, I recall it is a border territory that switched hands multiple times between Germany and France, isn't it? In other words, Rome and Britain will invade Tōkaidō repeatedly."

"This is purely the worst-case scenario based on speculation. Personally, I have no comment." Yang smiled wryly then put on a serious face to say, "His Excellency communicated a few plans to me for helping the isolated Suruga City and avoiding the worst-case scenario."

### 015. Part 2

"Which is why... Now is the time to take a leap, Onii-sama!"

"Hatsune, I haven't the foggiest idea where you're coming from."

Tachibana Hatsune's serious declaration was dismissed indifferently by Masatsugu.

Akigase Rikka had shown up twenty minutes earlier. Leaving Year 2 Class 2's homeroom where they were earlier, they had gone to an open-air cafe outside the school building, thus leading to the above exchange.

It was currently third period and there was no noise around.

Shiori and Rikka were present but Taisei did not come along.

"Actually during class today, I've been thinking about something and couldn't focus on the lesson. All things considered, Suruga currently—no, Japan currently needs a great hero like Tachibana Hatsune."

"Isn't it a bit weird to be calling yourself the great hero who slacks off in class?"

Hatsune was a student of Year 1 Class 1.

After Masatsugu went to fetch her at her classroom, this lady-in-waiting of Shiori's sat down in the open-air cafe and began to talk gibberish.

Hatsune had broached her topic too abruptly, which is why Masatsugu ridiculed her on everyone's behalf.

"By taking a leap, you mean..."

"Becoming a Chevalier, of course. I've already gotten my hands on the treasured Appellation."

"So you're very certain you'll become a hero."

"Come on, in a situation like this, a cool title is obligatory even if a little lying is in order. All I need to do after the fact is explain it was just my personal opinion, Onii-sama."

"I see."

"Those who call themselves professional creators are pretty much all like that."

"From what I've heard, people who call themselves producers are exaggerating, more often than not."

"Hatsune and Masatsugu-sama, aren't you two going on a bit of a tangent?" Shiori tactfully cautioned them to steer the conversation back on topic. "Currently in Hatsune's possession, the Tachibana clan's Kurou Hougan is the issue here."

"Indeed, indeed, you are very right, Princess."

Capable of fluently responding to her noble lady, Hatsune was truly no ordinary character.

She took out a blue scroll from her schoolbag. Believed to be the manifestation of Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune's Appellation, it was quite a distinguished artifact.

Furthermore, Hatsune was dressed in Haikara-san style as usual.

Meisen kimono paired with hakama and boots, an old-fashioned style of school uniform for girls.

"For the past fifty years, no one in the Tachibana clan has been able to use it... No one knows the trick to clearing the succession ritual." In a casual tone of voice, Hatsune revealed the horrifying truth. "There were seven or eight challengers over the years, but they all died during the succession ritual, so they provided no reference value at all."

"To have had so many challengers, the Tachibana clan truly lives up to its reputation as ruffians."

"For a while, it was apparently fashionable to use this trial as a coming of age ritual♪ Because of that, our clan doesn't have many young people nowadays."

"I see, that is quite fascinating," Rikka remarked poignantly after listening to the conversation between the princess and Hatsune. "This is quite similar to a certain country's hunters. It is said that they must hunt and kill a lion single-handedly before they are considered full-fledged adults."

"That's samurai spirit too, Rikka-sama," said Hatsune cheerfully to Rikka, the female hero who had become a Chevalier earlier than her. "The ancient Japanese were pretty barbaric too, like disemboweling themselves, or beheading enemy generals for trophies to claim credit in battle."

"That is true too. In fact, when I inherited Yasutsuna..."

The treasured sword of Genji pedigree, Onikiri Yasutsuna. Rikka unfastened the Appellation that was hanging on her belt in the form of a Japanese sword and stood it up on a chair.

The maiden Chevalier looked at her beloved sword and said nostalgically, "Everyone said failure in succession would lead to death—At first, I felt daunted too."

"Oh right! There's something I wanted to ask you, Rikka-sama. What did it feel like when you were inheriting an Appellation? And how did you achieve success?"

"I don't mind telling you, but it probably will not be of much help."

"Huh?"

"When inheriting a high-level Appellation such as Yasutsuna or Kurou Hougan, the trial undertaken during the ritual is unique. The will residing within the Appellation will alter the trial depending on the challenger... That is what I have learned."

After listening to Rikka's explanation, Masatsugu nodded. When inheriting Hijikata Toshizō's Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada, he had felt some kind of will within the sword too.

Tōkaidō's premier Chevalier, Rikka, spoke again, "All things considered... The succession ritual is no more than a beginning. What truly matters are one's battle achievements after becoming a Chevalier, and these Appellations know this all too well."

"Mm-hmm."

"Although there is a risk of death, it is ultimately just a test. Just give it your best attempt as though you were taking a bungee jump from a cliff, Tachibana."

"Understood!"

Rikka naturally called her by her family name and Hatsune replied energetically.

Their conversation style was almost like the kind you find in athletic clubs between senior and junior members. The two girls were both "fighters" accomplished in martial arts. Perhaps this made them particularly compatible on the same wavelength.

Concluding the topic with a vague appeal to the power of mind over body, Rikka then spoke grimly, "Of the many puzzling points in the current situation... There is one that I find the most concerning."

"What is it, Rikka-sama?" Shiori immediately asked in response to the lady knight's serious tone.

Rikka was sitting very straight, facing her respected princess with dignity.

"What bothers me is the girl who came over to attack me prior to attack on Suruga by the Kinai Fiefdom's Legions. She used a strange power to bewitch me—Back then, I was prepared to succumb any moment."

This incident had led to Rikka falling unconscious and Tachibana Masatsugu fighting in her stead.

"Your Highness mentioned... That she might be related to the British royal family?"

"That I cannot assert with certainty. All I can say is the likelihood is not small."

The grandchild of the sacred beast Lord Tenryuu, the princess quietly nodded.

Shiori had speculated that the blonde enchantress must have definite ties to the British forces—Perhaps she is a princess of royalty like herself.

In other words, it was possible that she belonged to the bloodline of a godlike sacred beast and possessed mystic powers.

"The method she bewitched me... was definitely a potent power akin to magic or sorcery. It would be quite a bad situation if she is able to use that technique repeatedly in succession. If important officials across Japan, or even the Empress herself at the capital, were to fall under such sorcery—"

Rikka murmured worriedly but Shiori immediately rejected the idea.

"No, I believe there is no worry of that."

"How so?"

"If such a powerful ability could be invoked at will, the British Empire would have annexed Japan long ago without needing to go to war. The dream of conquering the world would be feasible too. However, reality indicates otherwise—My guess is that there should be strict conditions to its practical use."

For example, time or date restrictions and usage conditions. Shiori raised a few possibilities and smiled at Rikka. "Why don't we think of it this way? Britain had to resort to using their treasured trump card against you, Rikka-sama... And their operation ultimately failed. Forget this threat of sorcery for the time being, I believe it is of no concern of all."

"I see, that makes plenty of sense."

The princess' clear and logical explanation was very persuasive and Rikka understood.

Smiling, she nodded and neither raised the issue of the "mysterious girl" again nor showed signs of worrying about it.

Cautious and meticulous yet sensible enough to not fall into paranoia—

This attitude was the mark of a hero's caliber. Akigase Rikka really was quite something. Masatsugu decided he had to inform her of something.

"Akigase-dono and Hatsune, there's something you must know," Masatsugu began to recount patiently.

"I never would have thought... you had lost your memory, Tachibana-dono."

In the driver's seat, holding the steering wheel, Rikka remarked in shock.

Masatsugu was sitting next to her in the front passenger seat. The lady Chevalier was driving a domestic sports car, speeding along a mountain road towards the Suruga tutelary fort. Despite her vehicle's high speed, her driving was not dangerous at all.

...Due to his memory loss, Tachibana Masatsugu was unable to replenish ectoplasmic fluid using the normal method—

Just earlier, Masatsugu had explained his weakness concisely. Now, they were resuming the previous conversation while on the road because Rikka needed to return to the tutelary fort.

"I only have memories of the past two years."

"In other words, you have no recollection of your past life... or your true name?"

"That's right," Masatsugu admitted readily, further surprising Rikka.

Also, the steering wheel and seats were clearly not standard issue.

They had been modified. Rikka's car was manual transmission rather than automatic. Since the military would not provide this kind of vehicle, Masatsugu concluded it must Rikka's personal property.

He could tell that she was quite into cars.

"...However, I believe your true name is already obvious. After all, you were able to use Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada as familiarly as your own limbs—"

"Even so, that doesn't necessarily mean I'm the original owner ."

Was Masatsugu actually Hijikata Toshizō ?

This question was very hard to resolve. Judging from the fragments of memories Shiori showed him, the answer seemed to be no, but he could not reject it completely.

To be honest, Masatsugu did not care whether he was Hijikata Toshizō or not.

However, Akigase Rikka's affections for Tachibana Masatsugu stemmed from this possibility.

Masatsugu needed to clear up this issue with her first. Since she was his and Shiori's most dependable ally, Masatsugu did not want to hide any secrets between each other that could bite them in the future.

"Akigase-dono," Masatsugu called to Rikka in a slightly more assertive tone than normal. "From your perspective... Is my true name that important?"

"Y-Yes."

"But to me, it's unimportant. Whether my name is Hijikata or not, being able to fight by your side against invaders is already an utmost honor."

"......"

"A true hero is the most valuable companion. I am very delighted for the good fortune of meeting you."

"W-What hero? Please don't make fun of me."

"I am not joking. If I had to pick a comrade-in-arms and a wife right here, Akigase-dono, you would be my choice. That's how amazing a person you are."

"Comrade-in-arms and... wiiiiife!?"

Rikka suddenly floored the gas pedal.

The car instantly accelerated then quickly slowed down again. The moment of surprise had probably caused her to step too hard by accident. It was quite rare for the courageous Rikka to be so flustered.

"T-Tachibana-dono. B-By saying wife, aren't you taking your joke too far...!?"

"Why? Akigase-dono, you are strong, virtuous, brave, and magnanimous. I think every man would certainly want to marry such a woman."

"N-No one has ever said that to me..."

"Then the men in this country are blind."

"Tachibana-dono—"

"Masatsugu is fine."

Rikka had addressed Masatsugu by his family name, but Masatsugu said seriously, "Using my family name makes it easy to mix up with Hatsune, which is confusing. Why don't you use my first name directly? We're comrades on the battlefield, there's no need to be formal."

"Well... How about Masatsugu-dono?"

"Sure."

Comrades riding across battlefields ought to bare their souls to one another.

Committed to a relationship of honesty, Masatsugu made intermittent conversation with Rikka. Fortunately, Rikka was not opposed to it. Despite her nervousness, she responded sincerely to Masatsugu.

Putting aside the issue of Hijikata Toshizō, both sides had to get to know each other first.

Just as Masatsugu's efforts were starting to bear fruit, Shiori finally spoke after a long period of silence in the back seat.

"Y-You two seem to be having a wonderfully engaging conversation as fellow Chevaliers."

The princess' voice sounded inexplicably sarcastic.

In fact, Shiori was riding the same car to the tutelary fort. Meanwhile, Rikka replied in panic as a member of the same sex.

"I-I beg your pardon, Your Highness!"

"Relax. It is a good thing to see you two getting along so well."

The tone of sarcasm could not longer be felt from the princess' voice.

The reflection of Shiori's usual smile of "beguiling innocence" could be seen on the rear-view mirror. Perhaps Masatsugu had gotten the wrong impression—Probably?

In any case, Shiori spoke with a princess' graceful airs, "Rikka-sama, have you received orders from your father at Nagoya...?"

"Yes. Orders were relayed to the Suruga tutelary fort just this morning. Regarding this matter, I would like to have a detailed discussion with Your Highness and Hiji—Masatsugu-dono about our future plans."

With telephone and mail unavailable, communication with the outside world had to depend on retainer beasts.

The Tōkaidō Fiefdom's Governor General and his daughter Rikka had exchanged messages using the primitive magical method of "relaying orders through retainer beasts."

"By the way, Your Highness, have you received any instructions from the imperial palace at Tokyo?"

"None at all. Total silence. It could very well be that the palace hopes for me to go missing in this situation... This doesn't sound like a joke and is quite troubling, isn't it?"

Shiori shrugged and Rikka laughed boldly.

While the car took the two girls and Masatsugu up the mountain, there were no other vehicles driving along this military road given the state of martial law. The entire road was clear without impedance.

Soon enough, the car reached the premises of the tutelary fort.

The tutelary fort was located on Suruga City's tallest plateau, also known as Nihondaira. It used to be a famous scenic spot offering a view of Mount Fuji and Suruga Bay from afar.

There was a parking space reserved for the castellan in the high-ranking officers' lot.

After Rikka parked her beloved car into the reserved space, the trio walked together in the tutelary fort. Their destination was the nation-protecting keep in the center of the tutelary fort.

The nation-protecting keep was a forty-meter brick building, reminiscent of an ancient bell tower.

Along the way, many soldiers greeted them with reverent gazes or salutes. Their behavior was not entirely due to the presence of the authoritative castellan or the princess.

Masatsugu himself was also a Chevalier with an army of Legions.

Within the military, Chevaliers were afforded treatment as high-ranking officers.

Moreover, he was the one responsible for the victory a few days ago. And there was rumor too.

(Is he Hijikata-dono...?)

(I heard about that too...)

(People even say that the sword he's wearing is evidently Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada...)

The soldiers and officers whispered among themselves as Masatsugu walked by.

As expected of a military facility. Apart from Rikka, others had noticed Masatsugu controlling Legions, using Tennen Rishin Style swordsmanship, and the Appellation of Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada.

As a result, rumors exploded.

And also thanks to that, the soldiers of Suruga treated Tachibana Masatsugu with the greatest respect.

Pondering this strange development, Masatsugu came to the nation-protecting keep's lobby. The two girls in his company began to chat about practical business.

"My father, head of the Akigase, intends to drive out the Restoration Alliance from Shizuoka by sending forces from north of Mount Fuji—Yamanashi, in other words. The first place that needs to be retaken is the Fuji tutelary fort that they are currently using as a crucial stronghold... The Fuji tutelary fort is only dozens of kilometers away from Suruga here."

"In other words... Rikka-sama, you will be supporting the operation from Suruga?"

"We also plan on coordinating with the Kantō provincial army and Eastern Rome's garrison in Japan. Naturally, my father is already making preparations on this front."

Rikka brought up the subject of military strategy matter-of-factly.

Her intention was on one hand fulfilling her duty to explain the crisis situation to the imperial princess in as much detail as possible while recognizing Shiori's valuable insight on the other.

Princess Shiori and Chevalier Akigase Rikka.

A solid relationship of cooperation had gradually developed between them.

The instant Masatsugu nodded with satisfaction, a ringing sound was heard at the scene. A palm-size white fox manifested on Rikka's shoulder.

In charge of relaying communications, the small retainer beast brought news.

"...What?"

The pipe fox had brought news that shocked Rikka greatly.

Not only Rikka but Shiori and all the soldiers in the nation-protecting keep's lobby were also shocked. Masatsugu was the only one listening to the situation report silently.

"Hakone Checkpoint— the Hakone has fallen in merely half a day?"

Rikka muttered to herself, doubting her ears.

Hakone Checkpoint was reputedly Kantō's most impregnable point of strategic importance. Situated in the precipitous mountainous region of Hakone, it had tutelary forts built at four separate locations.

These four tutelary forts each had multiple Chevaliers stationed at all times.

These Chevaliers were all experienced soldiers serving the Kantō Fiefdom and had over four hundred Kamuy Legions under their command.

In addition, the four tutelary forts each had one ifrit assigned to them.

A total of four ifrits, respectively Seiryuu, Suzaku, Byakko, and Genbu. This powerful lineup protected the western part of the Kantō region, the heart of Imperial Japan.

Reportedly, Hakone's impregnable defenses were cracked by "one man's power alone."

"This means... The British Empire has a new Resurrectee?" Shiori whispered the moment she heard the man's name of "Edward."

### 016. Part 2

It was precisely a week ago when the Crusades first attacked Suruga.

Seven days later, it was Friday again. During this time, Suruga's surroundings were blockaded by the Restoration Alliance's military forces, preventing the flow of traffic and information.

Even so, the Suruga side sent out dozens of retainer beasts as scouts.

Isolated behind enemy lines, the Suruga tutelary fort still succeeded in obtaining limited intelligence.

"...In the end, it's all unfavorable news." Hatsune frowned and fell into deep thought.

Hakone Checkpoint had fallen the day before yesterday. The main roads and part of the railway infrastructure running from Shizuoka Prefecture to Aichi and Yamanashi had also been damaged by the Restoration Alliance's Legions, rendered unusable. Given the current situation, timely repairs would be difficult.

That was not all of the bad news.

"The effects of Hakone Checkpoint's capitulation are more severe than expected," Princess Shiori lamented the unfavorable situation, her voice beautiful as always.

The intelligent princess was accompanied by her lady-in-waiting, Hatsune, and knight, Masatsugu, at Rinzai High's open-air cafe. Noon had just gone by and school was out. Due to the unusual times they were in, all lessons were on a half-day schedule.

"Rikka-sama's father, the Tō kai dō Governor General... has apparently propositioned the Tō san dō Fiefdom to join forces in resistance and drive out the Restoration Alliance from Shizuoka and Hakone."

"The two fiefdoms are very close together geographically, after all."

Hatsune recalled a map showing the center of the islands of Japan.

Tōkaidō was the "sea road," comprising the regions of Aichi, Shizuoka, and Yamanashi facing the Pacific Ocean.

Directly on top was Tōsandō, the "mountain road" of the Southern Alps covering the areas of Gifa, Nagano, Gunma, and Tochigi, the region of precipitous mountains known as as the backbone of Japan's islands.

If the "mountain and sea" fiefdoms of central Japan were to join forces and Kantō cooperated...

However, Shiori sighed repeatedly and ruled out this scenario.

"Unfortunately, Tōkaidō has not secured Tōsandō's support. I fear that the military strength demonstrated by the British in conquering Hakone within half a day, combined with signs that the western fiefdoms are not opposed to the Restoration Alliance, has prompted them to take a wait and see approach."

"Intimidated so easily, what cowards they are."

"Or rather, the British side did their part well," replied Masatsugu quietly to Hatsune's comment.

"Intimidation before and after a war is very important. It's ideal to make the opponent think that resistance is futile and provoke them to imagine what they stand to lose in defeat. Sufficient intimidation, like this instance, could cause future enemies to surrender or obey without a fight."

"Indeed, the Restoration Alliance most likely chose their targets in consideration of the publicity effect." Shiori agreed with Masatsugu's view. "They swiftly took down Shizuoka and Hakone, thus causing western Japan and Tōsandō to lean towards supporting the Alliance. Conversely, had they started out by attacking Nagoya or Tokyo—major metropolises with plenty of Chevaliers and Legions—they probably would not have obtained such impressive results."

The intelligent princess added cynically, "Of course, it is possible that the Restoration Alliance and the Tōsandō Fiefdom have a secret agreement."

"......Okay."

The elegant lady Hatsune served and the Onii-sama from the Tachibana clan were talking military strategy.

Hatsune made her decision. She did not have enough experience or insight to contribute to this discussion. In that case, she would swiftly obtain "power" by making the most of her own signature talents, making the most of the signature talents featured in the Tachibana clan with its abundance of heroes.

"Princess and Onii-sama, I have decided." Hatsune suddenly stood up, clenched her fist and declared, "Here and now, I will start the succession ritual!"

"Eh? Now? Here? Straight away?"

"Yes, there is no point hesitating any longer. A woman is measured by courage!"

"Really? Good luck then."

Contrasting with the princess' surprise, Masatsugu's attitude remained unchanged.

Hatsune could not help but grumble, "Onii-sama, can't you shed a few tears of encouragement at least?"

"You're the one carrying out the ritual after all. Whether I cry or not, the result still depends on your ability. I've got nothing to say except good luck."

"Fair enough, I got it."

Hatsune accepted it without a fuss. After all, she was born and raised in a clan filled with unruly larger-than-life characters. Even as a girl, she was deeply influenced by the clan's bold and unfettered ways.

"Then wait for me with anticipation as though you're watching a horse race!"

"Understood."

"Hatsune, even as a member of royalty, I do not have the authority to hinder another person's aspirations to become a Chevalier." Solemnity returned to Shiori's beautiful face. Gazing at Hatsune, she said, "Because it is the spirit of loyalty and righteousness of people like you that has secured the military power of the Kamuy. I feel nothing but endless gratitude for this courage... However, please allow me to issue you an unreasonable command on this occasion."

The princess sighed and said assertively, "I have no wish to become a guest at your funeral. Show me success, whatever it takes."

"Don't worry, Princess. I will carry out your command without fail!"

Of course, the ritual could not actually take place at the open-air cafe.

The school dojo happened to be free, so Hatsune decided to use it. The martial arts clubs, most notably judo and kendo, had all currently suspended their activities.

Hatune entered the dojo alone and knelt down in seiza on the tatami floor.

Her usual Haikara-san outfit consisting of meisen kimono and hakama did not look out of place in a Japanese dojo at all.

The blue scroll placed in front of her was the Tachibana clan's cherished treasure.

The manifestation of Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune's Appellation. Hatsune remained in seiza in front of it and took a deep breath, gazing intently at the scroll.

Her surrogate brother Masatsugu and the princess were waiting outside. She could rely on no one but herself.

"I beseech the Appellation of Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune. Pray grant me the authorizing seal of warfare to become a war god to defend Imperial Japan—Show yourself and let's fight!"

Hatsune recited the oath she had learned, issuing a challenge at the end.

She forcefully grabbed the scroll in front of her and her vision went dark immediately.

...When her eyesight recovered, she was no longer in the dojo.

She was outdoors. Since there was a starry sky overhead, it was evidently the middle of the night.

"I-I'm on a bridge?"

Within an instant, Hatsune had been taken to an unfamiliar place.

Currently, Hatsune was standing on a wooden bridge over a river.

The river was not big or impressive. It was not flowing rapidly either. Most notably, the water was very clear. A boy was standing a few meters ahead of her.

The boy looked roughly twelve-years-old. The beauty of his face was breathtaking.

Like Hatsune, he was dressed in traditional Japanese clothing. A kimono of the Heian period, it was commonly known as the kariginu meaning "hunting cloak," or in other words, the outfit that onmyouji would wear for ease of movement.

"It has been so long since anyone visited here..."

The boy examined Hatsune coldly.

His facial features were delicate, making him resemble a young and pretty girl at first glance. He was also very slim in build. However, no one would ever mistake him for a girl.

His voice and expression was very manly and exceptionally arrogant.

"Needless to say, you know my name, right? If you don't, I can't be bothered to tell you either."

"Ushiwakamaru..."

Hatsune said Yoshitsune's childhood name instead of Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune.

According to one legend, during childhood, this hero had shown up at Gojō Bridge in Kyoto, calling himself Ushiwakamaru, and defeated Musashibō Benkei who had been on a quest to collect a thousand weapons—

Come to think of it, the river below the bridge would be the Kamogawa.

Hatsune had visited Kyoto on a school trip. She recalled scenery from the ancient city.

"You must first prove your worth if you want my help."

"My worth?"

"You pass if you defeat me... As much as I'd like to say that, it's impossible for you. Let's say you pass if you can catch me."

What the other party wanted was for Hatsune to demonstrate her fighting ability. Fighting was precisely one of the Tachibana clan's specialties. Just as Hatsune was about to dash forward, the pretty boy laughed proudly.

"I'll lend you this, lass. Cut me down if you can."

"Ehhh!?"

There was a tachi on the waist of the boy named Ushiwakamaru.

Its blade was over two feet long and quite curved. A Japanese sword dating to the latter years of the Heian period.

The boy grabbed the tachi whose length did not suit his small stature and tossed it to Hatsune, scabbard included. Hatsune hastily caught it in both hands.

Hatsune could feel the tachi's heavy weight on her arms.

"You're underestimating me too much... Of course, it's possible that I, Tachibana Hatsune, am no match for the peerless Minamoto no Yoshitsune, but I'm no pushover either!"

Hatsune encouraged herself with a bold declaration.

Simply facing him was enough for her to sense how difficult an opponent he was.

The boy in front of her was undoubtedly a thousand times stronger than she was. Against such an opponent, were her own martial arts really going to work?

Suppressing the uncertainty in her heart, Hatsune decided she must not lose in spirit and verbal vigor at least.

"You can use a weapon too. I won't complain."

"Don't worry, there is simply no such need. If I wanted to use one, I'd get one in an instant."

The unarmed pretty boy even scoffed in disdain.

He really seemed to be looking down at Hatsune, though he definitely had the strength to back up his attitude. Hatsune gulped nervously.

### 017. Part 2

King Richard I, the Lionheart.

Yesterday, after speaking with Edward the Black Prince at Nijou Castle, he immediately left Kyoto.

Taking the same combination of land and air travel as his collateral descendant had used to get to Kyoto, he arrived at the Fuji tutelary fort in Shizuoka Prefecture within the same day.

And today, Richard received the long-awaited report.

Three hundred Kamuys of the Tōkaidō provincial army were approaching the Fuji tutelary fort.

"Hohohoho. Things are unfolding according to Édoua... Edward's plan."

Richard laughed proudly to himself.

"In that case, it would make for some brief entertainment if I were to add some blood-red color to his plan. Allow Richard the Lionheart, the forefather with whom he shares a common bloodline, to do so..."

Built at the center of the Fuji tutelary fort was a nation-protecting keep just like the Suruga tutelary fort.

Richard was on the roof, admiring the view of Mount Fuji that was twenty kilometers to the north. South of this mountain was Shizuoka Prefecture while to the north was Yamanashi Prefecture. Both areas were under Tōkaidō jurisdiction.

However, Shizuoka had fallen under the control of the British armed forces.

Trying to counterattack, the Tōkaidō provincial army had mobilized three hundred Kamuys to sortie from the southernmost part of Yamanashi—the Motosu tutelary fort at Fuji Five Lakes.

The enemy contingent was flying in a packed formation, invading Fuji City from the north.

Next to Richard, a girl dressed in a sailor outfit and beret said, "The Black Prince of the British Empire, is staying at Kyoto. Looks like... this news, has succeeded in reaching the Tōkaidō higher-ups."

"The boy is having a grand time in Kyoto."

Richard laughed happily.

"After attending the ceremony in the castle yesterday, he ran off into the streets. Today, he had to go to some kind of tea party and he grumbled coyly about how tough it was to attract attention in a natural manner."

"Morrigan thinks... he actually enjoys it."

The Lionheart was talking to a doll possessed by a genie.

This was "Unit 2." Morrigan's principal image and "Unit 1" doll had stayed in Hakone. For the time being, she was transmitting noetic waves from Hakone to possess Unit 2 over here.

Furthermore, the sky over the nation-protecting keep was occupied by a gigantic eyeball and powerful noesis.

This was also left behind at Fuji by Morrigan's principal image, Morgan le Fay, to work the effect of driving away retainer beasts.

"However, it is thanks to his ploy that the old foxes of Tōkaidō have taken the bait."

Edward had intentionally strolled through Kyoto, well aware that the enemy's intelligence network extended into Kyoto, so as to feed Tōkaidō the impression that the Hakone area was weakened in defense.

Using this method, he had lured the enemy army, which had been biding their time passively, to attack.

The Black Prince had laid an extermination trap for the enemy to come on their own initiative. Since he had to go to Kyoto regardless, he took the opportunity to set up this ploy.

"How brave of the enemy to attack in glee while Edward is absent. Spirit Morrigan, analyze the enemy lineup."

"Affirmative."

Morrigan instantly executed the orders of Richard the Lionheart.

She commanded the noetic waves lingering in the air over the nation-protecting keep—i.e. the swirling noesis—to project noetic waves for enemy detection. Morgan le Fay's mystic power turned into waves, spreading throughout Fuji City.

These waves captured the Kamuy army flying in the sky over the outskirts of Fuji City.

"Enemy Kamuys... Total of 307. Chevaliers, six. Chevaliers of Yamanashi region in Tōkaidō, estimated total of ten to twelve. Almost half deployed in this operation."

"Excellent, then I shall send out half their numbers."

"One, half? Too few."

"I do not care. This is my first battle in Japan. It is imperative to let the people of Japan know that I am a brave hero who triumphs over numerical disadvantage. Assemble under my name of Richard the Lionheart—"

On the roof of the nation-protecting keep, the English king of old flapped his crimson cape.

"Granted the name of the royal sword Escalibor, my Legions!"

Numerous Legions appeared overhead of Richard and Morrigan.

They looked similar to Crusades but not exactly. The noesis of Richard's overwhelming Chevalier Strength, a prided trait, gave rise to a great army of British Legions in red.

"Now then, my knights. Soar the sky with me!"

The lion's battle began.

The enemy leader, Prince Edward, was absent from Hakone.

Tōkaidō higher-ups issued the order to use this opportunity to retake the Fuji tutelary fort. If possible, they would ride on their success to capture Hakone.

Having received these orders, six Chevaliers of the Tōkaidō Fiefdom sortied from the Motosu region in Fuji Five Lakes to enter Fuji City's airspace—This was basically the current situation.

"What!?"

The leader of the Tōkaidō force, Chevalier Ogura, was doubting his eyes. The outskirts of Fuji City consisted mostly of vast natural parks or golf courses. The 307 Kamuys were currently flying over this zone.

The six Chevaliers were also riding blue wyverns to accompany them.

The daily replenishment of ectoplasmic fluid also strengthened the bodies of Chevaliers. The cold wind blowing at an altitude of several hundred meters only felt slightly chilly to them. They were being approached by a British army.

The 150 Crusades were colored a fiery crimson.

The Japanese Chevaliers were not only surprised by the color but also the location of the encounter.

Legions only needed one day to revive when they were killed in action near the tutelary fort serving as their stronghold—

Because of that, the defending side would try as much as possible to engage the enemy near their stronghold. This was common sense in warfare. Unbelievably, this army had ventured far away from the Fuji tutelary fort to fight in the suburbs!

"What on earth is the enemy commander thinking...?"

Seeing the opponent give up home advantage on his own, Chevalier Ogura was stunned.

Was there some kind of devious ploy? Or a brainless fool who simply wanted to attract attention? There was still a kilometer between the two armies.

Soon after.

Roughly a hundred of the crimson Crusades began to accelerate fiercely, charging at the Tōkaidō army with frightening speed!

The 307 Kamuys were flying in a spherical formation, ready for combat.

Meanwhile, the red Crusade army had only sent a hundred to charge. They had formed a V-shaped wedge formation to attack an enemy three times their number.

"A fool after all!"

Chevalier Ogura cursed from his wyvern's saddle. This enemy was either a fool, or someone with excessive bravery, or a dreamer seeking romanticism in battle, or a problematic character overly confident in his talents as a general.

...However, Chevalier Ogura was not aware of the horrifying truth.

The enemy general was a monster for whom all the above applied, including the "fool" label.

"A knightly charge is the essence of war..."

The hundred Escalibors in the vanguard advanced as a "red wedge."

Riding his white wyvern, Richard watched his troops charge at the enemy while he stayed with his other fifty Legions that were hovering in the air on standby.

In front of the charging vanguard, 307 Tōkaidō Kamuys waited.

Imperial Japan's Legions were clad in blue armor and uniforms. Their figures were slim and trim, a size smaller than the imposing British Legions.

The Kamuys were too skinny, according to Richard's sensibilities...

These Kamuys entered a packed spherical formation and kept firing their bayonet rifles. The rain of flashing light attacked the Escalibors' wedge formation.

307 versus 100. Victory seemed impossible. However, the Lionheart continued to smile.

"Hohohoho. You are too careless, knights of the orient."

The moment he had ordered the hundred Escalibors to charge, Richard I was already certain of his victory. As soon as he sensed complacency in the enemy ranks, he knew he could take advantage of the Tōkaidō generals' mindset.

It was true that they had entered formation and were traveling to the battlefield, but they were still quite far from the Fuji tutelary fort.

Richard's beast-like nose had smelled the samurai's carelessness in their preconceived notion that enemies would not attack at such a distance.

"Those who cannot distinguish between confidence and carelessness are unfit to be the Lionheart's opponents..."

The Escalibors charged at the Kamuys that were waiting for them.

The two armies activated protective barriers. The glow of each barrier was proportional to the army headcount. In a shootout with rifles, Tōkaidō held an overwhelming advantage.

"Hoho, you may celebrate your advantage now, while you still can."

The particles of light around the Kamuys blocked virtually all of the British shots.

In contrast, the rain of flashing light pierced the protective barrier of the hundred Escalibors, striking their red bodies repeatedly, skewering their shoulders, abdomens, and heads.

This barrage was definitely sufficient to wipe out the charging British army.

In spite of that, the Escalibors soldiered onwards. Even with massive holes in their abdomens, amputated limbs, broken heads and helmets—

Like the living dead, the British army advanced nonstop.

Not only that, but the hundred Legions accelerated all at once as a single unit.

In merely ten-odd seconds, their charge surpassed 500 kilometers per hour. The high-speed Escalibors headed straight for the spherical formation of the 307 Kamuys.

It looked like driving a crimson wedge sharply into a gigantic blue sphere—

"O Escalibors, I shall secure victory by stepping over your glorious corpses. Battle relentlessly."

Watching his troops fight bravely, Richard's voice was warm and ecstatic.

Meanwhile, the hundred Escalibors continued to charge despite their grievous wounds. They crashed violently into the Kamuys' formation!

With rifles raised, they stabbed their bayonets into the flesh of the blue Legions.

Paired with blades, the charging attack inflicted damage on par with a one-hit kill. Over 90% of the Kamuys caught in the impact died on the spot, crashing into the ground.

Currently, the crimson wedge had succeeded in puncturing the blue sphere and was about to pierce through and out the other side.

"Hmm, only such battle spirit would be worthy as the Lionheart's Feat of Arms!"

Seeing the charge succeed, Richard was satisfied from the bottom of his heart.

Furthermore, the vanguard's offensive did not end there. Remaining neatly in a "wedge," the Escalibors turned around and rammed the Kamuys' spherical formation again.

...The same scene was reenacted.

The defending side attempted to use rapid fire to halt the enemy's charge. The attacking side soldiered on, charging at full strength.

The Japanese Legions became victims of the charge. The Tōkaidō side suffered serious casualties with blue corpses crashing into the ground one after another.

The Escalibors' second charge had succeeded. Richard nodded and said, "I see that you have made good use of Coeur de Lion granted by me!"

"Coeur de Lion" was French, meaning "Heart of the Lion" in English.

A so-called lion's heart referred to a soul of courage, fighting spirit, and indomitable perseverance. The Feat of Arms—Coeur de Lion was precisely the ability of Richard I to bestow such heroic fortitude upon his Legions.

...Invoking this Feat of Arms caused the Legions under his command to become warriors undaunted by even death itself—

Even if they died, they still charged to the bitter end.

In fact, after this attack concluded, the hundred Escalibors in the vanguard finally succumbed. The fire of life extinguished, they crashed down one after another from the air.

Pierced multiple times by the Kamuys' gunshots earlier, they were already dead to begin with.

After the fierce assault from the British army's two suicidal charges, the Tōkaidō side was down to less than a hundred Legions.

"A triumphant opening. Victory is at hand."

Richard still had fifty Legions remaining by his side.

Although he was confident he could win with these numbers, something else took greater priority.

"Gather, my royal swords. It is imperative to demonstrate a king's majesty once more."

After saying that, Richard looked southeast.

He smiled. Of the red giant winged soldiers he had summoned at the tutelary fort earlier—the remainder were approaching slowly. He had called them slightly earlier using noetic waves.

These Escalibors numbered 867.

This was undoubtedly a massive army, and he had just led 150 troops to the battlefield... Indeed, Richard I's Chevalier Strength had reached 1017!

"Next, I shall crush the enemy here with the might of a massive army. My knights, follow me!"

Richard declared majestically.

Then riding his wyvern, he personally charged at the remaining Kamuys.

The accompanying nine hundred or so Escalibors organized themselves into a spherical formation around the Lionheart, beginning to charge like a flying bullet!

"Inform the tutelary fort to send out wyvern squadrons. All Japanese Chevaliers found on the battlefield must be captured alive. I shall end this battle here!"

A sprite retainer beast left to relay his orders.

Meanwhile, the Tōkaidō remnants began to retreat and flee from the Lionheart's great army.

They ran north as fast as they could, towards Mount Fuji. It was quite commendable that even at this juncture, the Kamuys still remained in a packed sphere without breaking out of formation.

The lion did not think that it was acceptable to let the enemy go just because they numbered less than a hundred.

"Pursue them! Bite their tails!"

Richard fully unleashed a carnivorous predator's nature and hunger to hunt down the fleeing prey.

### 018. Part 2

The expedition to Fuji City had unfolded with unexpected developments.

After surviving many trials, Masatsugu finally brought Shiori back to Suruga. Along the way, they met up with Hatsune and the three Chevaliers who had almost ended up as hostages. No one was left behind. Also, they had gathered quite a lot of information—

However, Akigase Rikka could not help but frown after listening to the report.

"Perhaps I should not be saying this after requesting your aid, Your Highness..."

Rikka was in the castellan's office, grumbling to Shiori and Masatsugu.

"What would we do if anything happened to our imperial princess? Please understand the importance of your safety."

"I am terribly sorry. Due to the emergency situation, I overstepped my bounds."

The scolded princess apologized obediently, demonstrating contrition in her words and behavior in a perfect performance of docility. Truly an inexperienced actress. In the end, Rikka did not pursue the matter very far.

Thanks to the princess risking herself, three Chevaliers were rescued.

The three young Chevaliers were named Habuna, Maike, and Tabi, members of the Tōkaidō provincial army stationed at Yamanashi. Each of their Chevalier Strength was about 50.

The noetic officers at the Suruga tutelary fort unsealed their Appellations for them.

"I do appreciate gaining more subordinates, who need to be looked after, in this manner. Until Nagoya issues directions, let them stay in Suruga for now."

Rikka grinned and did not complain any further about the princess' recklessness.

The three new additions to their forces also brought unexpected effects. They excitedly told their fellow soldiers in the Suruga tutelary fort about what they had seen and heard.

Namely, the conversation between Edward the Black Prince and Tachibana Masatsugu during the retreat battle.

'Until a few days ago, I had to live my days under an alias too. I presume the case is the same for you?'

The Resurrectee leading the British forces had said something profound.

Added to the original rumors about Masatsugu's identity, a "certain conviction" began to spread among the Suruga soldiers.

Indeed, everyone was deeply convinced that Tachibana Masatsugu's true identity was precisely Hijikata Toshizō.

The next day after their return from Fuji City—

Masatsugu had accompanied the princess to the tutelary fort. While they were there, they separated at some point.

While he was taking a stroll alone, the soldiers and officers' attitudes towards him was clearly more careful and polite than before. The three Chevaliers, Habuna, Maike, and Tabi even went out of their way to greet him.

At every opportunity, they would discreetly ask Masatsugu, "Tachibana-dono... You are Lord Hijikata, right?"

Every time, Masatsugu reacted indifferently.

"No." "I have no idea." "Not really." "Who knows?" "You've got the wrong guy, I think?" "Don't believe in weird rumors."

Masatsugu simply repeated denials monotonously. He could not be bothered to explain the reason.

Humans were creatures that only believed what they wanted to believe. No matter how much Masatsugu denied it, they always left with a "He is Lord Hijikata..." look on their face.

After handling these questions, Masatsugu ran into the mess hall reserved for high-ranking officers.

The restricted mess hall was only open to Chevaliers and soldiers holding the rank of field officer or above, hence there were few users. Masatsugu took a seat, hoping this should reduce the amount of hassle.

At that moment, Hatsune arrived, wearing an angry expression for once.

Masatsugu expected she had come to talk nonsense after hearing about the Hijikata Toshizō rumor.

"Whether you are really Hijikata Toshizō or not, Onii-sama, I'll save that question for another time. So the real Tachibana Masatsugu who used to play with me in childhood... He's already dead?"

Hatsune pursued the core of the matter right off the bat.

"I see... So you admitted to Hatsune regarding your identity as a Resurrectee?"

"Yes, I told her at my own discretion."

This was the next morning after he had had a good long talk with the young maiden of the Tachibana clan.

Masatsugu had come to the Black Lily Dorm, reserved exclusively for the princess, to meet his liege in the conversation lounge.

"I don't know my real name, I was summoned to the present world by the princess' divine power, the real Tachibana Masatsugu has been dead for years, etc. That was the main gist of it."

"It cannot be helped. The truth had to come out eventually."

Shiori sighed lightly.

In the past, she often drank black tea in the conversation lounge, but currently, all she had before her was a glass of water.

Suruga's food problem was getting worse with each passing day. Luxury items such as coffee, black tea, and alcoholic beverages were in scarce supply. Even the princess could not enjoy them freely.

"That explains why I have not seen her since yesterday..."

"She must be in shock, finding out her relative had died and that I'm someone unrelated."

"That would be inconvenient. It would not do to be distracted by such trivial troubles... She has so many responsibilities riding on her."

Tachibana Hatsune was Princess Shiori's lady-in-waiting, bodyguard, and Chevalier.

Of course, competence and professionalism were essential. There was nothing wrong with what Shiori had said. However, the beautiful princess added dryly, "Well, I will turn a blind eye if she wants some time to put her feelings in order. Showing a bit of leniency to subordinates is a part of employee benefits, after all."

"I see."

"Masatsugu-sama, are you smirking?"

"You are imagining things. I never knew you had a naive side too, Princess."

"Well, it was a slip of the tongue!"

Just as the liege and retainer were having this kind of conversation...

A patter of hurried footsteps approached the conversation lounge and the door was flung open forcefully. Dressed in Haikara-san style, Hatsune rushed in excitedly and said, "Princess, Onii-sama! Maybe Onii-sama's real identity is Oda Nobunaga!?"

Charging in energetically in one breath, Hatsune proposed a bold hypothesis.

After a moment of silence, Shiori remarked with slight disappointment, "...Didn't you say that she was in shock?"

"It seemed that way yesterday," Masatsugu replied expressionlessly.

In any case, they looked at Hatsune, who was acting her usual self. Shiori offered care and concern for the still cheerful girl, "So, have you put your feelings in order?"

"Oh, yes. It's sad that my distant relative had passed away, and I'd like to pay respects at his grave too. However, your ambitions come first, Princess, so it can't be helped."

"...I am certainly grateful you understand that."

"Not at all, this is the Tachibana clan's duty, after all."

The princess was quite surprised by this turn of events while Hatsune responded cheerfully.

The ability to swiftly change mindsets was a warrior's asset too. Feeling impressed instead, Masatsugu said, "Are you going to keep addressing me the same way?"

"Why not? Your name is definitely 'Tachibana Masatsugu' in the family registry. Plus changing the habit will be a pain at this point. Besides, now that I think about it..."

Hatsune lowered her voice as though whispering.

"There are many people with unknown identities among the 'aunties and uncles' who only show up to family gatherings and memorial services. Compared to those relatives, Onii-sama, my relationship with you is definitely more real and substantial. Don't worry, I'm fine."

In a certain way, this happy-go-lucky disposition was also a hero's requisite quality.

Furthermore, it was supposedly Hatsune's father in the capital Tokyo who set up Masatsugu to take over the identity of the original who had died in an accident.

"Back to the main issue here. Why can't Onii-sama's real identity be Oda Nobunaga?"

"What makes you think that?"

"Speaking of Japanese heroes, it pretty much boils down to the trio of Nobunaga, Hideyoshi, and Ieyasu, right? But Toyotomi Hideyoshi looked like a monkey while Tokugawa Ieyasu was a pudgy guy like a tanuki, so their appearances don't match Onii-sama at all. That's why I decided to place my bet on Oda Nobunaga."

"I see, that makes sense."

"Onii-sama, do you remember the Honnouji Incident?"

"Now that I think about it, I haven't visited any shrines or temples for the past two years. Maybe the memories of my death turned into mental trauma, making me avoid shrines and temples subconsciously..."

"That's what they call depth psychology, right!?"

While Hatsune and Masatsugu were discussion the new hypothesis, Shiori coughed on the side.

"Let us carefully examine this nonsen—no, bold hypothesis. Chances are 99% that the possibility of Masatsugu-sama being Lord Nobunaga is wrong."

"Oh?"

"Princess, 99% is going way overboard!"

"Lord Nobunaga was undoubtedly an excellent politician and strategist, but his abilities as a field commander are more inconclusive... Some accounts are rather suspect."

"But he won spectacular victories at Okehazama and Nagashino, right?"

While the knowledgeable princess recounted history, Hatsune tried to muster a small rebuttal.

"The depictions of battles in historical novels or dramas are almost all fake. The surprise attack on Okehazama that defeated Imagawa Yoshimoto and the three rows of gunfire that devastated the Takeda cavalry were all fiction conjured by novelists in the Edo period."

"R-Really?"

"There is a theory that Nobunaga was marching blindly in Okehazama when he chanced upon the enemy. In hindsight, the surprise attack was simply dumb luck."

"That doesn't sound cool~"

"Which is why it was 'embellished' to become an inspiring story of valor. Besides, Lord Nobunaga is often described as an innovative and progressive genius... But in fact, he was very concerned about public opinion. A man who stuck to steady and reliable methods. There are many surviving letters that he wrote to his retainers regarding such matters. He actually had quite a thoughtful personality."

"He's not the Devil of the Sixth Heaven!?"

"When Hideyoshi's legal wife was frustrated by her husband's infidelity, he even wrote letters to comfort her... Do you understand now? Masatsugu-sama isn't someone that thoughtful."

"That's definitely true!"

"Princess, Hatsune, jumping to conclusions is not a good thing."

Offended, Masatsugu objected to Hatsune's agreement with Shiori's assertion.

"I'm actually a man who knows how to be caring and considerate. Assuming the other person is a lady, I think."

"Right, you did mention you were some kind of skirt chaser in your past life, didn't you...?"

"Huh?"

Shiori grumbled with inexplicable consternation, causing Hatsune to react in shock.

"No way! Onii-sama—You're that kind of guy!?"

"What's so surprising about that? Every guy likes attractive women."

Masatsugu's attitude was blasé as always, completely unapologetic.

Hatsune smiled awkwardly. "I'm sorry, Onii-sama. You always looked so serious, that's why I found it surprising... Oh, Onii-sama, don't tell me I've caught your eye too?"

"Nope, I can swear to God and the High Heavens."

"Th-That's pretty rude too. I can't believe you rejected me so directly."

The Tachibana girl hung her head in dismay.

Masatsugu shrugged and said, "Don't worry, I'm talking about before. Since we're not blood related, but you're still willing to address me as your older brother, I suppose we're sworn siblings bound by destiny."

"Sworn... siblings?"

"Yeah, and I'm a guy who finds little sisters irresistible."

"Onii-sama, you shouldn't say that after delivering a touching speech!"

In the end, Hatsune easily got back into her usual stride.

Princess Shiori's immediate surroundings were still secure. However, a formidable foe was still eyeing the Suruga region. Furthermore, the Restoration Alliance had gained the exceptional carnivore known as Richard I.

Perhaps a dramatic change in the battle situation was around the corner.

Masatsugu had this sort of faint premonition.

### 019. Part 2

In the early hours of October 2nd, at the darkest moment just before dawn...

Fire broke out in Suruga City, the north part of town, near the foot of Mount Ryuusou of the Southern Alps.

This included a central wholesale market and the warehouses of many logistics companies.

The fire started in this neighborhood.

The blaze spread instantly, burning down a number of warehouses.

After firefighting efforts, the warehouses were almost completely wrecked, leaving only steel frames.

The greatest loss was the food stored in these warehouses.

Due to the blockade, ordinary shops had run out of fresh food such as vegetables, meat, and fish a long time ago.

However, non-perishable food such as rice, wheat flour, potatoes, carrots, tubers, and canned food had been requisitioned by the Suruga municipal government beforehand to be managed and distributed to the masses through rationing.

Unfortunately—

The incinerated warehouses were storing ration supplies.

Since vast quantities of food were needed to feed Suruga, transporting it was laborious and time-consuming, which was why the food was stored directly at logistics hubs.

As part of the management system, infantry from the tutelary fort were stationed in the surroundings for security.

However, someone had slipped through the security net and committed arson against what was the Suruga residents' life line.

"Well, supplies are kept all over the city. It's not like that was the only location."

Okonogi Taisei said in a voice lacking in energy.

Masatsugu's best friend was talking to him, staring at the stories in the newspaper.

"The report said... the incinerated food amounted to slightly less than 40% of supplies. This is a very serious situation."

"Suruga cannot rely on relief supplies from outside, after all," Masatsugu agreed with his friend's lament.

"The Restoration Alliance has secured naval superiority in Suruga Bay, blocking sea routes. The railway has stopped running while roads are sealed off. Unless we find a solution soon, surrender is the only option."

"What an ordeal, seriously."

Two days after the fire, the two of them were near Suruga Station.

This was where Richard I had visited three days earlier. After school, Taisei mentioned he wanted to go there and Masatsugu volunteered to accompany him.

Their destination was the Suruga branch office of Tōkaidō News.

Serving as student council vice-president, Taisei also worked part-time at the Suruga branch office of Tōkaidō News.

Today, he was here to read the newspaper that was in limited circulation rather than coming in for work. To save on paper, ink, and other supplies, normal newspapers were not being published currently. But once every few days, a hundred copies were distributed among community centers and libraries for people to read.

Taisei had pleaded with the receptionist and picked up a copy of the newspaper to browse casually.

"If this 'internet' invented by the Americans becomes widespread, we'll be able to read news from our computers at home."

"What is that?"

"I'm not sure of the details, but simply stated... It seems to augment a computer's communication functionality, an information network that links up the whole world. But like the telephone, it's easily affected by noetic disruption, which is why progress has been slow."

"Sounds like something very complicated."

"There are rumors that militaries have constructed similar network systems using noetics."

After reading the newspaper, the two of them left the newspaper office.

Their mode of locomotion was the healthy bicycle. They decided to take a stroll in front of the station instead of heading to the parking lot directly.

"By the way, Masatsugu-kun. If you're not too busy with your knight duties, how about working as a volunteer? Tomorrow morning, the boys at our school are going to the fisherman's association to help bring in nets and catch fish. We'll be rewarded directly with some of the catch. After that, we'll organize a sea fishing tournament that's open to anyone interested. The intention is to catch more fish like girellas or horse mackerels and improve Suruga's food situation."

"The filefish is currently in season. Catching them is pretty fun."

"Also, I'd like to use the gardening club's contacts to help out the farmer's association in exchange for fruit and vegetables."

Their enthusiasm for volunteer work with impure motives was boundless.

Meanwhile, there were substantial crowds in the streets today, a rather rare sight lately. The reason was evidently the "event" that had been held in front of the station.

Men and women, young and old, all kinds of residents.

There were roughly thirty or forty people, even housewives bringing children.

They were passing out flyers to pedestrians in front of the station, hollering "the Suruga tutelary fort needs to hurry and make a decision, to join the Restoration Alliance!" "We don't want to keeping suffering due to war!" "Please give the children enough food!"

They called for signatures for a petition demanding the Suruga tutelary fort's surrender to the Restoration Alliance.

"For the past half a month... Ever since Suruga's blockade, people have been secretly carrying out such activities from time to time."

Watching the disruptive proceedings in disdain, Taisei sighed helplessly.

"It has gotten worse these few days. The city's residents seem to be accepting them with a more favorable view."

People were frequently accepting the flyers from the activists' hands.

People who ignored them turned out to be the minority instead. Some people even gave their signature at the table prepared by the organizers.

"The food burning incident happened recently, so people can't help but feel afraid."

"That was very likely to be arson, right? Rumor has it that the culprits are spies of the Restoration Alliance—"

"That's hard to say. The Restoration Alliance currently wants to leave Suruga alone."

"In that case... Another rumor says those guys are responsible."

Taisei threw a furtive glance at the participants in the "petition signing."

"If the food situation worsens, weighing to decide the lesser of two evils, more and more people will support surrendering. This is their objective—That's what some people say."

"There's no proof, but it's very compelling."

"Right, Masatsugu-kun, aren't you going to suppress these kinds of activities?"

"That's not my job. Besides, similar activities are happening all over the place. Dispersing just this lot isn't meaningful."

"True. Say, it's hard to imagine you saying something so reasonable, Masatsugu-kun, when half a month ago, you were still fixated on the beauty contest."

Taisei nodded and remarked poignantly.

"Nowadays, you really act like a Chevalier. I'm so touched."

"I haven't forgotten the beauty contest, it's just that I currently can't focus on organizing it, which is why you mistakenly thought I'm neglecting it... In truth, I haven't given up on holding the beauty contest in December."

"Uh, I'm pretty sure no one's gonna object even if you give up on it."

Rinzai High's school festival was scheduled to be held in early December.

One of the events was a beauty contest. After expressing his determination as the executive committee member in charge of the contest, Masatsugu changed the subject.

"Let's put that aside. In truth, I actually need to ask you for a favor today."

"Is it related to the beauty contest?"

"Unfortunately, it's not a fun request."

Masatsugu took out a map of Suruga from his schoolbag.

A few circles had been drawn on it, all indicating warehouses involved in logistics. They were where food was kept for rations.

"Please gather twenty to thirty students in the name of the student council and set these marked locations on fire. After that, they will be arrested by either the military or the police and detained for a few days—That's the kind of volunteer I need. Use boarders, otherwise explaining to family will be a hassle."

"Huh?"

His best friend, the student council vice-president, tilted his head, stupefied.

### 020. Part 2

"Receiving such a severe wound... Looks like Onii-sama must be in a lot of pain."

Hatsune whispered anxiously.

She was currently at the nation-protecting keep in the heart of the Suruga tutelary fort. The nation-protecting keep was a forty-meter tall building of red brick. A round disk at the top was not a clock but a gigantic fengshui wheel.

Hatsune had accompanied Princess Shiori to the keep's ground floor hall.

Reconnaissance was mainly conducted by retainer beasts such as yatagarasus, Mibu wolves, and wyverns. The intelligence they gathered was collated here to serve as the basis for analysis and making judgment calls.

Inside the keep were many soldiers in charge of this as well as noetic officers.

What the retainer beasts observed on the battlefield was converted into video through noetic control and replayed at various locations in the hall. Now that she had become a Chevalier, Hatsune was entitled to ask the soldiers to report or explain information to her.

However, seeing everyone so busy, she felt uncomfortable adding to their workload as a newbie.

Fully mobilizing her eyes, ears, and brain, she sought to grasp the situation. In fact, she had already gained a holistic understanding.

...Tachibana Masatsugu was on the move with 203 Kanesadas, heading to the waters of Suruga Bay.

...The 150 Kamuys entrenched in Mount Satsuta were attacking the British army to support the Kanesadas' retreat.

...Leading 812 Escalibors, Richard the Lionheart had sent 200 to land on Mount Satsuta and attack the three Chevaliers' Kamuys, meanwhile leading the remaining 612 to continue the pursuit—

"Onii-sama's retreating army only has about two hundred while the pursuing Richard has six hundred. He's still outnumbered by three to one..."

Also, Masatsugu's target was Suruga.

He had decided in advance that regardless of the path taken, his final destination was the Suruga tutelary fort.

Akigase Rikka was also ready for battle to coordinate with his arrival.

Princess Shiori had summoned the genie Sakuya and carefully explained their battle plan.

"That is all. Is there anything you don't understand?"

"No... problem, Princess, Your Highness."

The princess was sitting in a chair. Her physical condition was still poor.

Dressed as a shrine maiden, a young girl was in front of Shiori. Featuring bangs cut uniformly at eyebrow height, eight or nine years old in appearance, she was the genie Sakuya's image.

The intangible image avoided making eye contact with Shiori.

"I am about to leave the nation-protecting keep. Send a pipe fox to ask me if you encounter any difficult decisions, and I will send you instant instructions."

"Understood... Please leave it, to me," Sakuya mustered a quiet voice to answer.

She looked quite adorable but compared to Britain's Morgan le Fay, she was far too unreliable. However, what truly surprised Hatsune was what the princess had said.

"Princess, you're leaving? Where to!?"

"I need to find Masatsugu-sama. He will be returning to Suruga soon. See me off, will you?"

"Yes ma'am."

Hatsune supported Shiori, who was unsteady on her feet, and they walked out of the nation-protecting keep.

Now that they were out of the genie's earshot, Hatsune voiced what she suspected.

"Onii-sama deliberately intercepted Richard away from the tutelary fort... Princess, it's because Sakuya isn't very reliable, right?"

Martial prowess alone was not enough to make a fine Chevalier.

Hatsune needed to learn tactics, strategic vision, and methods to handle troops as quickly as possible in order to become a full-fledged Chevalier. This was why she had shared her own deductions.

"That is one of the reasons, but according to my guess..." Shiori gave an unexpected answer. "It seems that Masatsugu-sama does not like to fight on either side of siege battles."

"Huh? But didn't he succeed in defending the Suruga tutelary fort last, and at Fuji City, he was also the one who suggested a raid on the enemy fort?"

The clever princess shook her head in disagreement with Hatsune's rebuttal.

"Being able to accomplish it and liking it are separate matters... Besides, in the case of sieges... He ought to have plenty of experience."

"Onii-sama mentioned this!?"

"No, it is simply imagination on my part."

"...Princess, don't tell me you've already guessed Onii-sama's identity?"

Shiori's confident tone did not sound like simple imagination.

Hatsune asked in doubt but Shiori simply smiled ambiguously and said, "I admit that a number of ideas have occurred to me, but I have neither concrete evidence nor a certain name. I will observe for while longer before I share my thoughts with you."

While they were chatting, a gigantic white wolf came over to them.

This was a Mibu wolf that Shiori had summoned using noetic control. The massive retainer beast, as large as a horse, lay down on the ground on its own initiative.

The princess was about to straddle the wolf but her footing was unsteady.

Shiori lurched, almost falling over backwards. Hatsune hastily caught her. Looking at the face of the lady she served, she noticed the princess' pallor and abnormally hot body temperature.

Shiori was suffering from a serious fever. As her personal lady-in-waiting and knight, Hatsune made a call.

"Princess, you need to stop overexerting yourself!"

"Nonsense, this is my own decision to make..."

"No, it's the doctor's decision. And in the absence of a doctor, I'm making the decision."

"N-No, I must hurry to assist Masatsugu-sama—"

"Don't worry! I know everything about what needs to be done to help Onii-sama!"

"Eh—?"

"Rest properly and leave it all to me, Princess!"

Stopping the surprised princess, Hatsune mounted the Mibu wolf's back instead.

She patted the wolf's white neck and it immediately stood up. Her orders were very simple.

"Find Onii-sama... Tachibana Masatsugu's scent and take me there. Princess, I'll be right back!"

"H-Hold on a moment. You know everything? No way!?"

Shiori collapsed and sat on the ground. Her physical strength had reached its limit.

Then mounted on a Mibu wolf, Hatsune rode gallantly to the battlefield.

When Legions flew at top speed to charge into enemy ranks—

They almost never fired their guns. When devoting all ectoplasmic fluid to an all-out charging attack, they used the impact to stab their bayonets into the enemies' bodies.

This was the kind of charge that Richard the Lionheart had revealed at Fuji City.

The impact of a full-powered charge was astounding, capable of inflicting critical damage upon the enemy army in one strike.

This tactic recreated the "cavalry charge" of ancient battlefields.

There are some who say that the cavalry charge was a masterpiece of the battlefield.

Masatsugu had no objections to that. Indeed, it was undoubtedly a very troublesome tactic.

Heavy knights or riders equipped with armor and chain mail, riding galloping warhorses to charge into enemy ranks, stabbing with the tips of their lances during the clash.

...When a horse was galloping, its speed, momentum, and weight were all added to the power of the charging attack.

The thrusting lance could easily pierce enemy soldiers. It was also impossible for the human body to withstand the trampling from a charging horse. Most terrifying of all, this type of charge was conducted by a great force of numbers, tens, hundreds, or thousands at once.

Struck by a cavalry charge, any army would suffer substantial casualties.

Throughout the ancient and medieval ages, heavy cavalry was equal in value to the "tank of recent modern invention"—

Although this was a common view, there was a caveat. The cavalry charge was also a tactic that was difficult to use correctly.

As living creatures, horses were unable to maintain a full gallop for long periods of time. They would tire quickly.

The first priority was to conserve the horses' strength and use it at the appropriate moment. Moreover, any obstacles preventing a straight path would also cause a charge to end in failure.

Besides, horses were exorbitantly expensive and costly to feed. Keeping horses was a laborious affair.

However, once all these difficulties were surmounted to successfully execute a cavalry charge—Its power was unparalleled.

When cavalry charged into the heart of enemy's ranks at a critical moment to defeat the enemy general and the main force, all that remained would be a disorderly mob.

Even against an enemy several times one's own numbers, it was easy to take care of the scattered rabble.

The ancient king of Macedon and pioneering genius of war, Alexander the Great, was also quite accomplished in such tactics...

"No wonder a guy like Richard loves to use it so much," remarked Masatsugu satirically.

After injuring his right flank, Masatsugu first headed south, in other words, towards Suruga Bay. The battlefield of Mount Satsuta was next to the sea and Masatsugu soon arrived over the water surface.

He was currently riding a wyvern, flying over the ocean at night.

The remaining 203 Kanesadas were flying in his surroundings.

The pain was gradually subsiding from his abdominal wound and the bleeding had stopped. A Resurrectee's body was evidently resilient to a supernatural degree.

"We are the dead who have risen up from our graves... Now that I think about it, this is only to be expected."

Masatsugu surmised that perhaps he had a constitution that would not die so easily.

However, his consciousness was undoubtedly fading. Once he reached his limit, he was probably going to pass out directly.

And the "not dead person" in full health was right behind him, chasing Masatsugu's army.

"Hahahaha. I am surprised you can endure that kind of wound for so long!"

Under the Lionheart's command, 612 Escalibors pursued relentlessly.

They were charging at full speed from behind, trying to end the battle in one go.

"Charge, my Escalibors! Allow the samurai of the orient to witness our knightly ways!"

The British Legions had formed a V-shaped wedge formation, the same one that Richard had exhibited at Fuji City, a formation specialized for the cavalry charge.

Its main function was to penetrate the enemy army with its sharp tip and tear apart their formation.

"What a hot-blooded guy. As soon as I fled, he chased in delight," muttered Masatsugu quietly.

Masatsugu the chased and Richard the chaser were both going at over 500 kilometers per hour. The two armies were separated by a hundred or so meters.

As retainer beasts, wyverns were actually incapable of reaching such seeds.

A "Kanesada phantom" had appeared around Masatsugu and his wyvern mount.

Reusing the technique of summoning a Legion and merging it with his body, Masatsugu used a Kanesada's flying ability to transport himself and the wyvern.

"Kukukuku! This is my first time too, to use this method to charge alongside my Escalibors... You are truly a delightful opponent, Tachibana!"

Richard was using the same technique to fly at extreme speed.

The legendary English king had summoned a red legion's phantom to transport his flying mount.

However, the overall speed of both armies had dropped.

The airborne melee battle had consumed a large amount of ectoplasmic fluid. Following that with a full-speed escape and pursuit, both the Japanese and the British forces were exhausted. All Legions were beginning to decrease in output.

"Hohohoho, your prided fleet-footed escape is slowing down."

"The same goes for you. The Lionheart's pursuit is nothing impressive either."

Separated by substantial distance, neither side could hear each other.

However, Masatsugu could guess what the Lionheart was thinking, more or less. He muttered to himself, delivering rebuttals to the imagined words of his enemy.

Masatsugu focused and prepared his next move for the enemy.

In a situation like this, Richard the Lionheart was definitely not a man who would hold back.

"My knights, thank you for enduring so far. I hereby bestow Coeur de Lion upon you all!"

"I knew it. He's using that move!"

The pursuing 612 Escalibors released a huge quantity of mystic power.

Sensing the release, Masatsugu noticed Richard activating the Feat of Arms—Coeur de Lion. Its effect was to ensure that his Legion would complete the charge even ignoring death—

So far, the Escalibors had consumed a lot of ectoplasmic fluid and their flying speed had clearly dropped.

But soon, their speed slowly increased... No, they had recovered their original speed. The Lionheart's Feat of Arms had enabled the British army to charge at peak condition.

In contrast, the Kanesadas' flying speed remained slow.

The balance was finally broken on the lead they had maintained so far in the chase.

Richard's army gradually closed in. Having escaped so far, the 203 Kanesadas were going to be caught within a few minutes, ending up in total extermination.

All prior preparations would be in vain if they were to be caught.

Masatsugu hastily commanded, "Fire backwards!"

"Tsk, petty tricks!"

Masatsugu's army was originally flying while facing forwards.

Maintaining the same flying directionality and speed, the 203 Kanesadas turned around to fire. They continued to fly straight towards their destination except their bodies were facing backwards.

Of course, their rifles were aimed at the back—towards Richard's approaching army.

All the Kanesadas pulled their triggers.

The entire army directed continuous fire opposite to their flying direction. It was like stunt shooting.

The 612 British Legions closing in took on the gunfire in their wedge formation. The Kanesadas were aiming at the tip of the wedge.

...The purpose of this wave of continuous fire was not to inflict damage.

After all, blessed by Coeur de Lion's effects, they were effectively immortal until the charge was over.

However, continuous fire from the two hundred or so Kanesadas were able to suppress the charging Escalibors.

The dense curtain of gunfire worked. The wedge stopped closing in momentarily.

However, the distance to the enemy was still shrinking slowly.

The Lionheart's powerful noesis had pushed the Escalibors' strength and speed to the very maximum.

Fifty meters until the rampaging lions would catch them.

Forty meters, thirty meters, then at twenty meters—Masatsugu knew his plan was a success.

The nation-protecting keep of the Suruga tutelary fort was not far away.

...Initially, Masatsugu had retreated from the sky over Mount Satsuta then flew over Suruga Bay.

Once Richard invoked Coeur de Lion, Masatsugu turned towards Nihondaira where the Suruga tutelary fort was situated. He knew that the moment had arrived.

Flying over the mountainous terrain of the military zone, Masatsugu returned to the tutelary fort at last.

"Scatter!"

"What!?"

At Masatsugu's order, the 203 Kanesadas scattered in different directions.

The Escalibors charging single-mindedly at full power did not stop. Neither were they able to stop. And right ahead in their path, a gigantic dragon was waiting for them.

It was the ifrit Seiryuu in charge of protecting the Suruga tutelary fort.

### 021. Part 2

"There are still so many problems..."

Lying on the bed in the sickroom, Shiori murmured.

Dressed in a blue patient's gown, she sat up. This was a special private ward in the Suruga tutelary fort's medical division.

"However, Masatsugu-sama and Hatsune are safe and sound, so let us celebrate this victory for now."

Last night, Shiori's physical strength had given out and she fainted.

As a result, she was admitted to the sickroom to rest.

At five something on the morning of November 7th, the two knights who had fought through the night yesterday, Tachibana Masatsugu and Tachibana Hatsune came to visit Shiori at her bed.

"Of course, I must also pray for those who were killed in action..."

Although the battle had ended in victory, there were a few unfortunate news.

In the earlier battle, 150 Kamuys had hid on Mount Satsuta to support the 360 Kanesadas.

The support forces were led by the three Chevaliers, Habuna, Maike, and Tabi. The Lionheart had left 200 Escalibors at Mount Satsuta to prevent them from striking his army from behind.

Even without their commander present, the British Legions still had numerical superiority. The three Chevaliers fought valiantly.

In the end, the two sides of this localized battle wiped each other out. Unfortunately, Chevalier Tabi had died in action.

In any case, Shiori expressed her concern for the Chevalier in her direct service.

"Masatsugu-sama, how is your wound?"

"Don't worry, at worst I just have trouble exerting force from certain parts."

Tachibana Masatsugu's answer was very straightforward.

After the duel against Richard I last night and intentionally receiving an injury, the Resurrectee had eventually returned to the tutelary fort and received treatment at the medical division.

"Princess, Onii-sama is so funny."

The other Chevalier, Hatsune laughed next to the older brother.

"He told the medic, 'for this kind of minor injury, just give me a bit of alcohol and sew it back up.' The medic gave him a good earful for that."

"After applying local anesthesia, he sewed up my abdomen very carefully."

"Seeing Onii-sama show no reaction to pain on his face, the doctor was totally astounded."

"I-I see..."

The lively maiden Chevalier was cheerfully talking about her "brother."

Masatsugu himself was listening on the side. This was clearly a scene of harmony after a victory. However, a certain worry took root in Shiori's heart.

Before rushing to the battlefield, Hatsune had said, "Don't worry! I know everything about what needs to be done to help Onii-sama!"

During that intense battle, Tachibana Masatsugu must have needed to refill ectoplasmic fluid.

Logically speaking, his source would have been... Shiori wanted to clear up the issue, but felt too embarrassed to ask.

If by any chance the answer was yes, she—

"Hey Onii-sama, let's stop by the commissariat later and take some of the canned liver they've been hiding? You lost a lot of blood and need some iron supplements."

"Sounds good."

"I'll cook them specially for you, okay♪"

"Since it's canned, there's no need for seasoning, right?"

"Canned food tastes even better if you put in extra effort to cook it. Using my prided cooking skills, I'll reward you for fighting bravely, Onii-sama."

"You're very confident in your cooking?"

"Yes, I'm an expert in shortcut cuisine by using canned food."

"...What about cuisine without shortcuts?"

"I am aware that my other cuisine still has room for improvement—Oh, d-don't tell me... Considering the future, Onii-sama, you're worried about my cooking skills?"

"No, I'm not too particular on how food tastes."

"I-I see. But I still need to work hard in that area..."

The two Chevaliers in the princess' direct service were chatting casually as usual.

However, Shiori was secretly surprised. Hatsune was acting quite differently from usual. Especially when she said the word "future," she seemed inexplicably shy, exuding an innocent maidenly allure.

As suspected, that matter needed to be cleared up beyond a doubt. Just as Shiori made her decision...

She heard a weird noise that sounded like metal shattering.

More precisely, it was not a noise but noetic waves. Masatsugu and Hatsune also looked around questioningly.

"What was that...?"

"P-Princess, do you know what happened?"

"Some sort of powerful noetic technique was applied to this area or even all of Suruga... No, it is the opposite. A noetic technique that was originally in effect has been lifted—?"

Shiori then said to the two knights, "Let us go find Rikka-sama. This could be something major."

Ever since the middle of October when the Crusades attacked the first time...

Suruga City and the surrounding region had been under the Restoration Alliance's noetic disruption. Once activated, this barrier-type noetic technique prevented the use of all airwaves and wireless communications within the affected area.

As a result, television and phones had been out of order in the city for over half a month.

The strange noise heard by Shiori and her Chevaliers, as well as other noetic officers, was the noetic waves resulting from the disengagement of this wide-area noetic technique.

"It seems like it was not due to a third party forcibly neutralizing it."

Three hours after the strange noise, Rikka was speaking in a conference room within the tutelary fort.

The result had come out after an emergency investigation. Apart from Shiori, Tachibana Masatsugu, Tachibana Hatsune, and the Chevaliers Habuna and Maike, there was also a young man in casual clothing who claimed to be a soldier from Eastern Rome.

"The British forces, who were responsible for it in the first place, apparently stopped it on their own accord."

"They must have decided there was no need to disrupt this area... Or perhaps, there is a more important mission that required them to shift their focus. I wonder which is more likely?"

Speaking in a relaxed tone of voice, the Roman soldier said, "Uh, I do have some related bad news to inform everyone. Now that noetic disruption is lifted, I can receive wireless communications from 'outside.' Those Restoration Alliance guys are proceeding with the attack on Nagoya even without Richard I's participation. According to the original plan, they will start today at noon..."

### 022. Part 3

Edward the Black Prince had started his illustrious career of glorious victories at the mere age of sixteen.

That victory went down in history as the Battle of Crécy. Even today at the end of the twentieth century, it remained very well-known to war researchers.

The year 1346 CE was part of the European Middle Ages familiar to everyone.

To Edward, it was a nostalgic time of his adolescent past.

Fully educated as befitted an English prince, he honed his martial prowess and noble character as a knight, and raised his skills as a general through life on and off the battlefield—Those were the times.

Back then, England and France were at war.

This was the early stage of the so-called "Hundred Years' War." At the village of Crécy in French territory, a great battle took place to determine the fates of both nations.

The English army numbered ten thousand while the French army had forty thousand...

However, the English still won an overwhelming victory at Crécy. At the time, the English forces were headed by Edward's father, King Edward III of England (both father and son shared the same name, making it easy to mix them up).

King Edward organized his forces into three divisions to engage the French army.

Crown Prince Edward led one of the divisions and was extremely instrumental to the victory.

This battle was the prelude to a legend. The heroic saga of the young and famous general, Prince Edward, would reach its pinnacle at the Battle of Poitiers that took place ten years after Crécy.

This time as the commander-in-chief, Edward led an army of six thousand to take on a French army of thirty thousand.

The disparity in numbers was even more unfavorable than at the Battle of Crécy. Nevertheless, Edward won an equally splendid victory and even managed to capture King John II of France.

Holding the French king hostage, England profited from both a handsome ransom and an advantage in diplomatic negotiations.

Furthermore, the Anglo-French war would drag on until 1453, long after Edward had passed away in sickness . The "maiden savior of France" who appeared towards the end was precisely Jeanne d'Arc.

Then time continued to march on, leading to the year 1998—

"From what I hear, that lady named Jeanne is quite popular in the modern world," said the "Black Prince" who had been reborn in the world.

In accordance with prior agreements, he would cast away the temporary alias of "Sir Black Knight" today.

"However, as an Englishman... I would like to take this chance to let everyone know that I, Edward, was in no way inferior."

This was the morning before he set off to conquer Hakone Checkpoint.

Early in the morning, he had sortied from the Fuji tutelary fort near the sacred mountain of Fuji, then marched east to assault Hakone Checkpoint—

Currently, Edweard was riding on a wyvern's back, soaring leisurely through the sky over Hakone.

In just a few short hours, he had defeated all Japanese forces in the Hakone tutelary forts. With victory firmly in his hands, he was in a very laid back mood.

The enemy consisted of five hundred Kamuys, the blue samurai of Imperial Japan.

The thousand black Legions fighting under Edward's command were Garter Knights, a superior variant of the British mainstay of the Crusade.

Edward's army had set up their formation in the sky over the vast Lake Ashi.

The four tutelary forts were respectively positioned north, east, south, and west of the lake. The first tutelary fort in the east was defended by the ifrit Seiryuu, the second tutelary fort in the south had Suzaku, the third tutelary fort in the west had Byakko, and the fourth tutelary fort in the north had Genbu. The united set of four guardian deities fought vigorously to resist the British invasion.

Unfortunately, they were ultimately no match against the thousand Knights of the Garter led by the Black Prince.

Edward's Chevalier Strength was 1256 and he summoned a full thousand to attack.

"Knights of the Garter, you have fought well. I, Edward, applaud your valor!"

Edward praised the black knights that were in formation over Lake Ashi.

Normally, the British Empire's mainstay Legion, the Crusade, was white in coloring. Edward's troops were pitch-black all over.

During the Middle Ages, Edward himself had roamed battlefields while clad in black armor.

That was how the nickname of the Black Prince came about. It was also why every Legion under his command was a black knight.

"Speaking of which, I never thought I would have a chance to fight in the Far East..."

Sharing his poignant thoughts, he looked at his prided knights.

Currently, these Legions were demonstrating his signature formation in the clear blue sky. First of all, three hundred of the thousand Legions had turned into archers and ascended in altitude.

These archers were not equipped with the standard Legion weapon of the bayonet rifle.

All three hundred archers were wielding longbows . This was the new weapon granted to them by Edward's prided special ability, the Feat of Arms—Archers of Crécy.

Indeed, it was just like how the Chevalier at the Suruga tutelary fort had bestowed Japanese swords to his subordinates.

Furthermore, Edward's wyvern mount was flying gracefully, a kilometer away from his prided knights. He had determined there was no need for him to be commanding the army at the forefront.

"In the past, I have won glorious victories at the hill of Crécy and the land of Poitiers. Let the world know that Japan has now joined this list... My fate has truly been unpredictable."

After increasing their elevation, the three hundred archers remained in their position in the sky.

They were roughly four hundred meters above the surface of Lake Ashi. The remaining seven hundred Garter Knights encircled the archers.

However, their altitude was a hundred meters lower than the archers.

This situation was very similar to "setting up archers on a hill in advance while concentrating cavalry at the base to defend the entire hill."

Edward was very good at this type of "mode anglais" formation.

"Prince, there appears, to be remnants."

"Oh?"

Edward heard a warning in his ear.

There was a small doll sitting on Edward's shoulder. A young girl's voice came from its mouth.

The doll was a blonde girl dressed in a sailor outfit, small in size yet extremely intricate in construction. Possessing it was the genie Morrigan of the British armed forces.

Edward himself had also noticed the noesis. He looked at the direction he had detected it.

...South of Lake Ashi, there was a location named Hakone Pass.

Located was Hakone's second tutelary fort, a stronghold with star-shaped fortification walls, known in Imperial Japan as "Goryōkaku Fortress" style.

From the second tutelary fort, thirty-two Japanese Legions, the Kamuys, flew into the sky.

They were targeting the thousand Garter Knights in formation over Lake Ashi...

"This type of offensive is known as 'kamikaze' in Japan, isn't it?"

"Looks like it."

The commander and the genie's conversation ended here.

Unfazed, Edward had his wyvern descend. Flying swiftly over the surface of Lake Ashi, he went northeast.

In the water near the coast here was a red torii.

It was supposed to be the entrance to a Japanese Shinto shrine—Hakone Shrine—and a famous symbol.

When Edward spotted it earlier, he was drawn to the torii's exotic appeal and had decided to have a good look later.

The Black Prince was already impatient to go sightseeing. A battle erupted overhead.

...The thirty-two blue Kamuys charged in full force at the British Empire's black army.

...The Garter Knights in charge of interception was a team of roughly a hundred, on standby at low altitude.

...The two sides exchanged fire with their bayonet rifles.

...However, the archers also drew their bows at the same time. These three hundred black knights had set up their formation higher in the sky to overlook all of Hakone. The steel longbows in their left hands were extremely large, almost longer than the eight-meter height of Legions.

...Next, an arrow of light appeared simultaneously in each of the three hundred archers' right hands.

...The Kamuys locked in a shootout with the black knights at low altitude—i.e. the Kamuys whose advance was impeded—became the targets of the pitch-black archers firing in full force from a higher position.

...Like a shower of rain, the arrows of light mercilessly pierced the thirty-two Kamuys.

...Against the English arrows, the blue Japanese troop's protective barriers were as weak as paper.

...In merely a minute or two, the remnants of the Hakone defense force were all wiped out—

"There is no fun in fighting excessively weak enemies."

Edward muttered to himself, watching Imperial Japan' Legions die loyally.

He had effortlessly conquered the impregnable Hakone Checkpoint.

This was an amazing feat of victory, but Edward found little glory in it. He had simply led his army to attack the Hakone defense force, defeating them in a frontal assault, that was all.

It was merely a victory of brute force, relying on Chevalier Strength and elite troops.

Having demonstrated the capability of defeating an enemy army six times bigger than his own, the Black Prince would be embarrassed to brag about such a small victory...

As his thoughts reached this point, the legendary prince smiled wryly and said, "No, it was all thanks to God's blessing and the soldiers' valor that total victory was achieved. I must now praise my knights for their glorious efforts and suppress my desire for a contest of strategy."

Edward refreshed his mindset and said to the little girl spirit's simulacrum on his shoulder, "Morrigan, could you perform a search for me?"

"Please state."

"I heard that Hakone has been a popular spa area since ancient times. I'd like like to try a Japanese hot spring to erase the fatigue brought upon by battle. Help me find the hot spring with the best reputation."

"Understood. However."

"Is there a problem?"

"Yes. I would rather not, participate in... mixed bathing again."

"Hold on a second there. I swear upon my life that I am not a man who relies on a position of authority to make playthings out of young maidens. Besides, don't forget your body is a doll!"

"Objection. We high-level spirits, also have, human rights, more or less."

"Well, excuse me. Let me be clear with you. If anyone asked me if I preferred older or younger women, I definitely prefer older ladies!"

"I, see."

While Edward and his subordinate were chattering inconsequentially...

His wyvern mount was flying close to the surface of Lake Ashi. Instantly, the Black Prince keenly sensed noesis. There was faint but acute bloodlust aiming at his head.

"Please."

Edward issued a simple order.

Immediately, a Garter Knight appeared next to the flying wyvern.

From the coast of Lake Ashi flew an incoming rifle bullet. The deadly projectile fired from a sniper's rifle was blocked by the British Legion's armor.

The black Legion retaliated using its bayonet rifle.

The flash of light blasted away the mixed tenant building on the lakeside, preventing the enemy from ever following up the attack again.

Presumably, the shooter was part of Hakone's defense force and a very experienced sniper at that.

"Delighted to see me all alone, huh? ...What a mistake. Sniping never works against a powerful Chevalier."

Edward had not sensed any bloodlust or noesis until the last second.

Furthermore, the enemy had fired an accurate headshot at a flying target from across a windy lake surface.

These points added up to show that an outstanding sniper was at work. Even so, the enemy already made a mistake the moment they thought sniping would work against a Chevalier of Edward's caliber. Had the target been a Japanese Chevalier lacking in practical combat experience or greenhorns among the British knights, the story would be different...

Even if Edward was enjoying his sightseeing and looked very relaxed, instantly returning to a battlefield mindset was not difficult. That was the kind of man he was.

Also of note, the Charter of Chivalry laid down many rules forbidding armed forces from attacking civilian structures. However, civilian structures used for military objectives were considered exceptions, which was why the retaliatory shot just now was totally legitimate.

"Oh right, that katana-using Chevalier I saw at Suruga last time... He demonstrated the same ability too."

A few days ago, Edward had come across "a man that was undoubtedly a strong foe."

Recalling that brief encounter, Edward grinned fearlessly. Apart from that man, Generalissimo Caesar was going to come to Japan from the Eastern Roman Empire eventually too.

Indeed, true war had hardly begun. This was only the prelude.

### 023. Part 3

Who was this pretty boy who looked like Ushiwakamaru?

Besides, where was this place? Hatsune believed that her "simple" personality, capable of easily ignoring these questions, was her strength.

A terrifying trial was about to begin. These trivial details were inconsequential.

How to teach this arrogant boy a lesson was what she really should think about.

"I'd be a disgrace to my Tachibana ancestors if I allowed this relic to remain buried in obscurity."

Hatsune drew out the tachi he had given her.

Excessive trust in the opponent's goodwill would be very dangerous, so Hatsune swung the blade to test it.

The tachi felt fine to use. For example, if the rivet securing the tang was loose, the blade could slide out of the handle during a swing. Fortunately, there were no such problems.

Hatsune raised the tachi without worry.

Pointing the sword's tip at the handsome face of Ushiwakamaru (?), she said, "Let me test how good you are."

Then Hatsune dashed rapidly at the boy.

At the same time, she executed a lethal two-handed thrust, aimed to pierce the boy's beautiful face.

The opponent had lent his own weapon to Hatsune in a show of self-confidence. As a member of the Tachibana clan, Hatsune did not have the decency to show kindness to such an arrogant enemy. Reading Hatsune's offensive, the boy backed away to evade the tachi's tip.

"I'm in no position to criticize others..." The pretty boy said with a wry smile, "For a lass, you really have quite the fierce temper."

"What are you talking about? Fights are won by preemptive strikes!"

In showdowns between master swordsmen, one seldom attacked lightly.

To avoid being counterattacked, there was a preference to let the opponent attack first, then find an opening to retaliate. This concept was known as go no sen in Japanese swordsmanship.

However, Hatsune had attacked right off the bat, everything be damned.

A lucky hit would have led to an immediate victory. This was also the principle of fighting with real swords.

"My clan hates biding time for an opening and not attacking."

"I actually agree on that point, but I think women should be a bit more demure."

"I've heard plenty of such nagging advice!"

While holding her own in the verbal exchange, Hatsune did not stop moving.

The boy had backed away and Hatsune chased after him.

Hatsune's high slash swept horizontally at the side of the boy's pretty face, but he evaded in the nick of time with a slight twist of his upper torso. Then Hatsune feigned an attack at his arm but actually executed a diagonal slash at his right shin. This strike was dodged too.

The boy moved sideways by an inch or so, once again evading with the slimmest of margins.

"Another one!"

"Hahaha. So here we have a vicious horse that kicks!"

Hatsune had switched to a low kick, intending to shatter the boy's kneecaps. The boy jumped back again, evading the kick.

So far, all her attacks had been one or two centimeters from striking the enemy.

Yet the boy was denying Hatsune success.

In addition to outstanding eyesight, he possessed animal-like speed and flexibility. Without natural talent, training alone would never attain this level of martial arts.

It would not be an exaggeration to compare his agile movements to a cat's or a monkey's. His reflexes and kinetic vision rivaled that of animals too.

"As expected of the Kurama tengu's disciple..."

As a young boy, Ushiwakamaru had mastered the arts of war under the tutelage of Kurama's great tengu.

Recalling the scene from noh theater, Hatsune used her own trump card.

Although it was not as lofty as "an ultimate secret technique," it was quite useful—

"Hiyahhhhhhhhhhh!"

"Oh?"

The pretty boy showed a change in expression when he lightly dodged Hatsune's horizontal slash.

He finally put away his irreverent attitude. After attacking the boy in a rapid succession of left and right diagonal slashes, Hatsune switched to stabbing at his heart with a single-handed thrust.

The boy evaded all attacks deftly without complacency in his countenance.

He was no longer flaunting his confidence by dodging attacks by the slimmest of margins Instead, he maintained a distance of a few dozen centimeters to evade Hatsune's tachi.

"Your petty tricks are pretty amusing."

Glancing furtively at Hatsune's stance, the boy muttered to himself.

He was truly extraordinary to have seen through Hatsune's trick already. If Tachibana Hatsune was a sparrow chirping on a branch, he would be a phoenix soaring the sky. That was the massive disparity between them.

However, the disparity was not entirely impossible to bridge. It was too early to give up yet!

"How about this!?"

Hatsune entered a mid-level seigan stance, sweeping her sword at the boy sideways.

His defensive maneuver was even more impressive. Jumping swiftly in the air, he flew over Hatsune's slash lightly.

More unbelievably, he stepped on the tachi that was swinging towards him and leaped again from the back of the blade.

Then he ascended high into the air like a bird before somersaulting and landing behind Hatsune.

"!?"

"A pretty good idea. Too bad it doesn't work on me," said the boy casually.

Hatsune recalled a legend where Matsubayashi Henyasai, a master swordsman in the Edo period, had used a similar stunt.

Henya was a nickname that compared his speed and agility to a bat's.

"You jumped all over the place and confused that big guy Benkei too..." Hatsune sneaked a quick glance at her hands holding the tachi.

The boy had lent her a tachi with a handle measuring thirty centimeters or so. During the series of offensives earlier, Hatsune had slightly adjusted her grip's position with every strike.

"This isn't enough If even Musashibō Benkei's naginata failed to touch him."

Since the handle was thirty centimeters long, gripping the sword near the guard or towards the end would change the overall reach of the blade. Hence, Hatsune would slide along the handle before attacking, adjusting the position of her grip flexibly to make minor adjustments to the tachi's offensive reach.

This variability of ten-odd centimeters was surprisingly effective at disrupting an enemy's defensive instincts.

Experts with exceptional eyesight were especially sensitive to minute changes and thus even more easily affected. This was a practical combat technique that could only be used with a Japanese sword with a long handle.

Understanding their gap as martial artists, Hatsune licked her lips.

"Little lass, I will keep my earlier promise."

The pretty boy took out a fan from his bosom.

Rather than a metal fan with a steel frame, it was simply a Japanese paper fan. Without opening the fan, he stared at Hatsune.

"Wielding a sword against you would be a taint against my reputation. However, know that I, Kurou Yoshitsune, am on a completely different level when armed."

Finally introducing his name and title, the pretty boy ceased all movement.

With a sharp expression, the boy exuded a calm and collected aura as he observed Hatsune's every move. Hatsune was a bit miffed that all he had taken out was a fan, but there was no helping that. Kurou Hougan had decided this was "plenty enough."

"Looks like I'll have to take a gamble and go all-out in offense..." Hatsune murmured and began to strategize.

However, all she could think of was what her friends had said. Masatsugu had said the final result ultimately depended on Tachibana Hatsune's own ability. The princess had commanded her to succeed without fail. Rikka believed that what truly mattered were one's battle achievements after becoming a Chevalier—

"Okay!"

Having made up her mind, Hatsune straightened her back.

Then she tossed away the tachi in her hand, dropping it into the river below the bridge.

"What the heck?"

"I can find a way without relying on this kind of thing."

Furthermore, she sat down cross-legged on the ground.

"Your turn to attack. I'm not going anywhere. Bring it on any time!"

"I never thought Japan would ever produce a idiot who'd brazenly speak to me like this."

The boy showed surprise but a smug smile surfaced on the corners of his lips.

The pretty boy with the name of Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune approached with agile footwork. In front of Hatsune, he swung down the fan in his right hand with lightning speed.

The fan, a handicraft of wood and paper, struck Hatsune squarely on the head.

The sound of slicing could even be heard, normally not possible with a fan.

"Owww!?"

The violent impact shook Hatsune's skull and brain, making her see stars.

Unbelievably, a paper fan could inflict such a heavy blow. Truly a wondrous feat of peerless proportions. However, Hatsune mustered a Tachibana youngster's fortitude.

Hatsune imagined the fan swung down by Kurou Hougan's right arm as a katana.

She succeeded in executing a barehanded technique for countering an armed opponent. Hatsune had reasoned that her head or face would have been the most likely targets since the enemy was attacking her with a fan while she was sitting on the ground. Determined to grab his arm even at the cost of getting hit, she simply waited for him to come to her instead.

"Yahhhhhh!"

Hatsune leaned back, pulling Kurou Yoshitsune's right arm along while scissoring her legs around his shoulder region—

The boy almost fell over forwards. Thus, Hatsune was hanging on his arm.

Suspended in midair, Hatsune naturally fell. The instant her back hit the ground, she rolled, taking Kurou Yoshitsune with her. The two of them entered a state of ground fighting.

Applying pressure to his elbow joint, Hatsune executed a flying armbar.

The Ushiwakamaru version of Kurou Yoshitsune was small in stature. Besides, a fighter from the Heian period probably would have no knowledge of a flying surprise assault from Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Hatsune's correct call had created the opening for victory. However, her attack only succeeded halfway.

"Tsk!"

Before the joint was locked completely, Kurou Yoshitsune swung his right arm vigorously.

Hatsune had almost straightened his elbow but could not budge his arm any further. Despite a boy's appearance, Kurou Yoshitsune's arm strength was extraordinary. Hatsune could not overpower him no matter how hard she tried.

However, Hatsune said proudly, "How's that? This finally counts as catching you, right!?"

"Indeed, I cannot deny that," young Kurou replied unhappily.

"Yes!"

Knowing she had succeeded, Hatsune cried out in excitement. She happened to be executing ground skills on the bridge. Releasing the boy's right arm, she extended her limbs, simply lying on the ground in a star jump posture.

Her fatigue was intense but matched equally by her sense of accomplishment.

While Hatsune was lying there grinning to herself, Kurou Yoshitsune immediately stood up.

"By the way, I can't believe you dared to take my attack."

He glared down coldly at Hatsune with words of praise.

"Of course it was scary, but this ritual is ultimately just a test."

Although there is a risk of death, it was ultimately just a test—

Hatsune recalled Akigase Rikka's advice.

"By my guess, it shouldn't be too harsh. Besides, if you really wanted to kill me, you wouldn't use a fan, right?"

A paper fan could not kill, which was why Hatsune dared to take the gamble.

Seeing Hatsune lying on the ground with a silly grin, the young Kurou went "I see."

"You really are an idiot."

"Hold it right there. Aren't you being way too rude to a lady—?"

Hatsune was about to protest when she jumped in surprise.

The young Kurou walked over to a railing on the bridge and swung the fan in his right hand. Struck by the fan, the thick timber crumbled and collapsed after tiny cracks appeared.

Also the destruction was confined to just that one spot.

This attack was more powerful and shocking that its appearance had suggested.

Hatsune slowly got up, staring at the tragic state of the railing.

"......"

"Whether I'm using a fan or a twig, I can easily shatter the skull of a little lass. I deliberately held back to see what ridiculous idea you were thinking about. Lass, you managed to pique my curiosity. It counts as your win."

"R-Really?"

"On further thought, idiots are less likely to be hit by stray arrows on the battlefield."

"Th-That's definitely a discriminatory remark! Jumping to conclusions is not nice!"

"Don't be too hasty to deny it. Despite being an idiot, indeed, you do have a smart side, which makes you a capable idiot. I shall render my assistance to you for the time being. Do your best."

After mocking Hatsune, the young Kurou's body gradually grew big.

This growth was not maturation but the expansion of body size. He turned into a winged giant soldier standing eight meters tall, very similar to the appearance of the Kamuy, Imperial Japan's mainstay Legion.

Similar, but not identical—

After watching the transformation to its conclusion, Hatsune lost consciousness.

When she woke up, Tachibana Hatsune found herself lying on the tatami floor in the dojo.

She had fallen asleep unintentionally. The blue scroll still clutched in her right hand was the manifestation of Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune's Appellation.

Furthermore, Hatsune felt it vaguely.

Inside the scroll was a strong will as well as a warrior's fierce emotions, thirsting for battle.

Inside her dream, she had met the general, Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune. This was proof that his mighty name had recognized the latest successor.

### 024. Part 3

"Inconceivable..."

An aerial battle between Legions was taking place over the outskirts of Fuji City.

Having witnessed the one-sided battle, Shiori was shocked. The 307 Kamuys of Tōkaidō were losing rapidly.

The surviving Kamuys and Chevaliers retreated north, towards Mount Fuji.

Over eight hundred red Legions chased them, flying off in an orderly manner.

Watching this scene, Hatsune lamented, "In the first attack, the enemy simply charged in a straight line, right? Is a direct charge that effective? Oh, it was thanks to the power of the Feat of Arms killer move, right!?"

"That's one of the reasons, but not all of it," Masatsugu realized he was almost smiling when he replied.

Laughing at an ally's defeat was not very respectable. His almost smile was unintentional. The reason for this was the fact that the enemy was overwhelmingly strong and had won through brute force by such ridiculous tactics.

The enemy must have seen through the Tōkaidō side's confidence... Or rather, carelessness.

This carelessness was what made the Japanese decide to rely on numbers to counter the charging attack. The enemy was well aware that he held the advantage in a contest of strength, which is why he had launched that reckless charge.

"That Chevalier has a very keen nose ."

"Nose? You mean he's got a good sense of smell?"

"Yes. By the way, Princess, do you know the name of the enemy commander?" Masatsugu first nodded at the curious Hatsune before turning to ask Shiori.

That Chevalier Strength and presence made it extremely likely he was a Resurrectee. The knowledgeable Shiori instantly gave an answer.

"A man who calls himself the Lionheart would most likely be King Richard I of medieval England. I recall that he is Prince Edward's collateral relative... five generations his senior."

Masatsugu committed the unfamiliar name to memory.

Also, the trio was currently at the shore of the Fuji River. The suburban battlefield was a couple kilometers away from them. Normally speaking, there was no way to watch the battle in detail.

However, a type of gadget allowed them to do so.

"Princess, the retainer beasts came out okay, thank goodness!"

"I did mention that the success rate exceeded 50%."

Hatsune congratulated the princess and Shiori replied proudly.

Of the ten retainer beast talismans they had prepared earlier, a little while ago, five of them transformed into Yatagarasus, materializing under buried earth.

The Yatagarasu was similar to an ordinary crow in size and appearance.

Their common appearance allowed them to infiltrate any place to carry out reconnaissance, a prized ability.

After the fighting began, Shiori hurried to send these five to the battlefield. When the Yatagarasus returned, she used noetic control to project videos of what they had seen.

The Yatagarasus were currently standing ready on the riverbank gravel.

"...Oh my? Something seems to have happened after the battle ended."

Three rectangular windows were opened in front of the princess.

The five Yatagarasus provided visual memories from different angles. Shiori was focused on one of them.

The video showed four British white wyverns flying in the air.

A Japanese blue wyvern was encircled by them, flying feebly with a soldier mounted, presumably captured and being taken away by the enemy.

Hatsune asked in puzzlement, "So that's really... a Tōkaidō Chevalier, right?"

"Yeah, captured as a hostage."

"Eh, a hostage!?"

The novice Chevalier was astonished and Masatsugu explained calmly, "Hostages have many uses... For example, the British could torture or slaughter hostages in front of the Suruga tutelary fort that they've failed to conquer so far. When our side rushes out in righteous fury, fighting to reclaim the hostages, they can just sit back and wait for us to come to them. This is one method to destroy a turtling enemy."

"Onii-sama, that's so evil!"

"According to the Charter of Chivalry in the modern world, tactics of this sort are forbidden. At least superficially. However, what Masatsugu-sama said is correct. Chevalier hostages are very effective bargaining chips in negotiations. Information can even be extracted from them... Also, they caught more than one Chevalier."

Shiori sighed and pointed at the video.

Two more Japanese Chevaliers were mounted on wyverns and being taken away.

"Capturing knights for hostages, Richard I is truly a medieval hero. Back in that age, catching knights of high nobility on the battlefield was a very distinguished feat."

"The other Chevaliers might have died or escaped..."

"Or captured somewhere else. In any case, the situation is quite bad," Shiori nodded in agreement with Masatsugu and said, "They not only lost a battle they initiated but also allowed valuable manpower to fall into the enemy's hands... If only we could rescue them."

The princess frowned as soon as she pondered the difficulty of a rescue mission.

The normally cheerful Hatsune also looked depressed.

After some contemplation of the current situation, Masatsugu slowly expressed his view.

"So, Princess, we need to act immediately."

"Eh? Act...? What are you talking about, Masatsugu-sama?"

"I mean rescuing those Chevaliers. We need to act now if we're going to do it."

Shiori was startled by the sudden suggestion. So was Hatsune.

"This type of mission gets harder as time goes by. Since we were lucky enough to be at the scene, we should make good use of this opportunity. Besides, the troublesome Lion King is away, off chasing remnants."

Masatsugu spoke in an indifferent tone lacking in fervor.

"So now is the moment. It's best to attack the tutelary fort before he returns."

"Attack!? You are going to attack the Fuji tutelary fort!?"

"Hold on! Just the two of us, Onii-sama and me!?"

Hatsune interjected in shock.

Masatsugu nodded, "Exactly."

"That's absolutely crazy. Even without that Richard guy, there will be other Chevaliers. Besides, this isn't Suruga, Onii-sama, so you won't be able to summon too many Legions, right?"

"Yeah, right now, I can use no more than twenty-four or five Kanesadas, I guess."

There was a drastic decrease in the number of Legions one could use outside their stronghold zone.

Chevalier Strength was discounted by roughly 90%. For Masatsugu, a Chevalier whose stronghold was Suruga City, the Fuji suburbs were definitely out of range.

"That's nowhere enough and all I have is one!"

"Not necessarily. This time around, we're not trying to capture a castle, so there's always a way. However, the big assumption here is that I will be relying on you to play a key role."

Masatsugu gazed at Hatsune.

"Huh?" said the puzzled girl who had just become a Chevalier yesterday.

Leaving the riverside, the trio entered Fuji City.

Their target, the Fuji tutelary fort was located in the suburbs, namely, the remote wetlands east of the city. Like the one in Suruga, the Fuji tutelary fort was built on military land far from urban areas.

Instead of going there directly, the trio first went to Tagonoura, the port facing Suruga Bay.

"Hatsune, prior to the operation, I need to make some final confirmations with Masatsugu-sama," Shiori suddenly said.

Shiori had spoken as soon as they entered a large park at the pier. The park featured large lawns, a botanical garden, and all kinds of athletic facilities.

"Could you wait here for a moment?"

"Yes, certainly."

Hatsune felt intrigued by this unexpected order but accepted it readily.

She sat down on a nearby bench to enjoy the green tea and bean jam bun she had just bought. "You can't fight battles on an empty stomach!" was what she had said earlier.

She had adjusted quickly, no longer surprised by the plan to attack the tutelary fort.

This open-mindedness and simplicity of hers could be considered Hatsune's strengths.

"The situation seems pretty stable in Fuji City."

"Yes, and we succeeded in reaching this port too."

Masatsugu and the disguised princess walked into the depths of the park together.

"A battle just happened yet people are already going out in the streets."

It was just past 2pm. Random couples and families could be seen outdoors.

It was Sunday today, at least, according to the calendar.

The two of them went to a small hill overlooking Suruga Bay. There happened to be a bench here and they took a seat.

"Well, it is understandable. The battlefield was not only far from urban areas but also took place in the mountains. The city's residents would only gather an impression that 'Legions are leaving the tutelary fort to attack somewhere'," said Shiori with a shrug.

However, stability did not equate to peace. Buses were restricted to within Fuji City while trains were stopped just ilke in Suruga.

"This stability is owed to the Charter of Chivalry, I suppose."

"You mean the rules forbidding war cruelty or harming civilians?"

"Yes. Superficially, the Charter is 'a set of rules for international engagement that protects civilians'... In truth, it also 'demands civilians to obey certain rules'."

"How so?"

"After a battle, the residents of a conquered city are not allowed to oppose the occupation force, they are obliged to provide maximum cooperation, and must not leave the city without authorization... The Charter includes these rules which civilians must abide by in order to be eligible for protection."

"...I see."

"I presume that the mayor of Fuji City must have been forced to sign a written pledge on behalf of all residents to 'obey the Charter' right from the beginning."

They had witnessed many infantry units of the Restoration Alliance on their way here.

The infantry was patrolling the city on alert. However, to avoid provoking the sentiments of the residents, the soldiers in charge of patrolling were all Japanese—i.e. Kinai troops.

Also, the infantry showed no signs of brutalizing the residents.

However, soldiers dressed in khaki combat uniforms and equipped with automatic rifles, standing next to armored vehicles, still looked quite intimidating.

"We will run into trouble if we stay in Fuji City too long. Sooner or later, a certain situation would require us to show identification. If the military discovers that we are from outside the city and have no traveling authorization, they will definitely arrest us on the spot, then all would be lost."

"You're right. Then I'd better get started."

"Y-Yes. May fortune be on your side..."

It was time to set off and Masatsugu got up from the bench. Now that Shiori had given her parting blessing, he was going to put the plan into motion—

For some reason, the princess reached out and grabbed the hem of Masatsugu's shirt.

"...Is there anything else?"

"Masatsugu-sama, please consider the significance of why I came to see you off alone!"

"Significance?"

"Y-Yes. There is no one around currently..."

Seeing the princess remonstrate him angrily while looking down shyly, Masatsugu understood. He sat back down on the bench.

"Sorry about that."

"N-No, then shall we... begin?"

There was originally a gap between them, roughly a meter. When Masatsugu sat on the bench again, this gap disapperaed. He had taken his seat right next to Shiori.

Masatsugu gazed upon the liege he served, the beautiful princess.

Shiori gazed back at him, showing some worry in her expression.

"Princess."

Masatsugu called to her first, trying to relieve her tension.

They were so close together that Masatsugu could almost feel Shiori's body warmth. Shiori quietly reached out with her right hand and caressed Masatsugu's cheek.

"Masatsugu-sama, your body is still so cold..."

Shiori's voice was very quiet, only meant to be audible for the one in front of her.

"Like ice as always. Don't you feel cold yourself?"

"Not particularly. The heat from your precious blood, Princess, is plenty warm already."

"Then absorb as much as you can today. You will be heading out to battle next and need more ectoplasmic fluid..."

Tachibana Masatsugu was an amnesiac Resurrectee and unable to replenish ectoplasmic fluid on his own.

However, he had the ability to steal ectoplasmic fluid from others. This was Masatsugu's Feat of Arms—a special ability to bring about impossible miracles.

He embraced the princess audaciously, burying his face against her neck.

"Masatsugu-sama..."

Shiori held Masatsugu tightly, giving herself to him.

Through their clothing, Masatsugu could feel the warmth of Shiori's tender skin as well as the undulating curves of a womanly figure.

This type of intimate contact belonged to couples, but they did not stop here.

With his face against the princess' neck, Masatsugu kissed her pale skin, absorbing mystic power and the precursor of ectoplasmic fluid from the blood flowing inside her, inherited from the sacred beast Lord Tenryuu.

"Ah... Mmm—"

The absorbed life force melded into Masatsugu's body, becoming one with him.

Vaguely sensing this phenomenon, Shiori moaned in rapture, unable to suppress her voice at all.

"Mm... Uuuunn. Ahhhh—!"

Shiori's voice grew louder and her whole body heated up and flushed red. Even so, Masatsugu's lady liege still mustered the strength to speak, "M-Masatsugu-sama. Harder... is fine too, you know?"

"No, your body won't be able to take it, Princess."

Having obtained some power, Masatsugu stopped kissing Shiori's neck.

"There are still many things you must deal with later, Princess."

"I-I suppose you are right."

Shiori was slightly out of breath. She pouted slightly unhappily.

However, she shook her head and did not insist, only saying, "Indeed, you are correct. I still have to help Hatsune and must not deplete my energy here."

"I was hoping you could stay outside the city and simply wait for our return."

This operation had been prompted by an unexpected development.

Returning the princess to Suruga should have been the first priority, so Masatsugu wanted her to stay in a safe place.

However, Shiori said nonchalantly, "No, Masatsugu-sama, your plan undoubtedly requires Hatsune's assistance, but she has only just started to master a Chevalier's power. Without my help, the plan will not succeed."

"......"

"I have mentioned before that I am delighted by opportunities to make use of my abilities."

Shiori analyzed in detail her reasons for exposing herself to risk.

Naturally, her bodyguard Masatsugu did not quite agree with her. Still, he relented. As a Resurrectee, he was here precisely to realize the ambitions of Fujinomiya Shiori.

If the princess was willing to risk her life, overprotectiveness would be putting the cart before the horse.

In any era, it was necessary to pay a price in order to realize ambition.

...After understanding Shiori's feelings, Tachibana Masatsugu left the park.

Walking alone at the pier, he soon found a suitable target.

It was an infantry patrol unit with a a British armored vehicle.

Masatsugu approached them. The plan was to raise a commotion, the bigger the better.

He recited the name of Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada in his mind. It was the appellation of the personal sword swung by Hijikata Toshizō. A Japanese sword in its scabbard suddenly manifested in his left hand.

Successors were able to summon and dismiss the physical manifestations of Appellations at will.

The ten-odd British soldiers glared at the high schooler approaching them holding a sheathed sword in his left hand.

"Sorry," Masatsugu said to them, "I'll be going postal now on you guys from the Restoration Alliance. I will mercilessly cut down anyone who dares to stop me. Call your friends for help if you're not afraid to die."

Masatsugu slowly released noesis.

Instantly, Tachibana Masatsugu's elite troops of the "red-purple Kamuys" materialized.

A total of thirty Kanesadas. The operation to invade the Fuji tutelary fort and rescue the captured Chevaliers was officially beginning at last...

### 025. Part 3

A helicopter took off from Nagoya Castle and finally arrived at the scene.

This was a special transport helicopter reserved for VIPs in the Tōkaidō Fiefdom with a capacity for seven passengers. The seats were made of real leather and the cabin's decor was very high class.

It was around 1pm.

Under the sunny sky, the noisy rotors could be heard throughout the flight.

"The tutelary fort at Higashimikawa is ablaze..." One of the passengers, a Chevalier in his late forties, said in shock.

"Higashimikawa" referred to the eastern part of the Aichi Prefecture in Tōkaidō. This tutelary fort was located in the mountains, right in the center between Toyohashi City and Gamagoori City.

It was a star fort designed with a five-pointed arrangement of fortification walls.

Standing in the center, the nation-protecting keep and various buildings were all on fire.

There were over three hundred crimson Crusades in the air above the tutelary fort.

These Crusades had come from the Hamamatsu tutelary fort on the western edge of Shizuoka Prefecture. Using overwhelming numbers, the enemy had instantly crushed the garrison at Higashimikawa.

"It's a special variant that first appeared at the Fuji tutelary fort three days ago. According to Rikka's report, the enemy Chevalier is a Resurrectee who claims to be Richard I..."

The white-haired old man frowned with resentment in his voice.

His name and title were Akigase Shouzan, Governor General of Tōkaidō.

Akigase Shouzan was dressed in a kimono with an Inverness coat. Slender and crane-like in appearance, he was glaring sharply. A sixty-eight-year-old man who made a striking impression.

Chevalier Akigase Rikka was the eldest child born to him when he was late in his years.

"So the knights of the Restoration have finally encroached upon the land of Mikawa, huh?"

Imperial Japan's military used small and mid-size retainer beasts for reconnaissance.

Of course, Akigase Shouzan could depend on reports from pipe foxes or yatagarasus, but he still chose to confirm the situation for himself at the scene.

The reason was—

Over the past two days, another three tutelary forts in eastern Aichi had fallen.

"Yesterday was Okumikawa, this morning was Atsumi... And this afternoon was Higashimikawa. They are truly doing whatever they please."

In every case, the attacks were conducted by crimson Crusades.

They were the army led by Richard I, apparently called the Escalibors.

Through the helicopter's window, Akigase Shouzan glared at the giant figures of the red knights.

His stronghold of Nagoya was very near Kinai. Going west then crossing the Kiso River would reach Kinai Fiefdom—the land ruled by the Restoration Alliance's leader.

Recklessly mobilizing Nagoya's forces would lead Kinai to attack.

Akigase Shouzan and the Kinai provincial army were restraining each other across the Kiso River. Meanwhile, he requested reinforcements from various neighboring regions such as Tōsandō, Hokuriku, and Kantō. Negotiating between various factions, he sought to regroup and launch a counterattack.

However, the results were not promising.

Perhaps, their plan was to sacrifice Tōkaidō—

"What do you mean by halting the attack for now, Edward?"

"Proper preparations are needed before these conquered tutelary forts of Okumikawa, Atsumi, and Higashimikawa can be used as bases to stage an invasion against Nagoya. A mere half a day isn't enough to complete all requisite tasks, such as having nearby residents sign written pledges to obey the Charter of Chivalry."

A few hours had gone by after Higashimikawa's fall.

The sky was dark and Edward was in the castellan's office, receiving Richard who had returned to the Hamamatsu tutelary fort in triumph. It was for this purpose that he had specially made a trip from Hakone.

The two of them were sitting on separate sofas, facing each other across the reception table.

"A lightning offensive is a good thing, but Uncle, you are causing too much destruction."

"Hmm..."

"How about resting for a week? Come with me to Hakone during this period. It will be nice to enjoy the hot springs and the autumn scenery."

"Hmph." The ancestor with title of Lionheart frowned. "It was the same thing a few days ago. I was pursuing the enemy after my victory at Fuji, but you summoned me back before I could conquer Motosu..."

"There was no need to traverse Mount Fuji to enter Yamanashi territory, after all," Edward explained with a shrug, unfazed by the angry lion. "Even if you conquered the likes of Motosu and Kouhujou, the surrounding area is mountainous and treacherous. Movement of Legions over mountains of that sort, where powerful earth spirits reside, will incur severe consumption of ectoplasmic fluid, and there are no water shrines to use in the mountains."

Daihosatsu Ridge, Yatsugatake, Okuchichibu, Okutama, Tanzawa, and others...

Edward recalled vague impressions of these geographic names. The mountainous region between Tōkaidō and Kantō was vast with numerous peaks. He had long given up on memorizing all of them.

Rather than geographic names, strategic significance was more important.

"If you try to invade Tokyo by traversing the mountains, exhausting your army in the process... You will only play into the hands of the patiently waiting Kantō Fiefdom."

"That is why I wanted to march west now."

"Yes, Uncle, if you were to take care of the provincial capital of Nagoya and deal the mortal blow to the Tōkaidō Fiefdom while I undertake preparations at Hakone to invade Kantō—That would be the ideal development."

Nagoya was both the provincial capital and the beating heart of Tōkaidō.

The Aichi Prefecture centered around this metropolis was home to a population and production capacity far surpassing Shizuoka and Yamanashi combined.

Consequently, the Tōkaidō Fiefdom had maintained ample military readiness there.

The Aichi Prefecture had a total of ten tutelary forts of which six were concentrated in Nagoya's outskirts.

"There are fifteen Chevaliers stationed in this area along with the Tōkaidō Governor General overseeing everything. Although he is not a Chevalier, I heard he is rather shrewd and experienced."

Were he a Chevalier, they would have been able to recruit him swiftly as they did with the Kinai Governor General.

Edward recalled the magical powers of Eleanor who was still in Kyoto. On the other hand, Richard snorted and scowled with displeasure again.

Then immediately, he grinned mischievously.

"Let us be honest, Edward. What you want is to leave this inferior prey of Nagoya to me so that you can have Kantō—or rather, the Roman garrison there—all to yourself, am I right?"

"That is quite a nasty way of putting things," Edward made a wry smile elegantly without confirming or denying it. "Lord Caesar is currently not in Japan... But he is ultimately a great hero. Rumor has it that he has planted a number of schemes to protect Tokyo on behalf of the weak Kantō Fiefdom and the Imperial Guard. Even the Japanese side are kept in the dark."

"Oh?"

"To attack impulsively like a lion would only end up falling into a trap. I choose to attack Kantō only because I believe I am more suited to the task. Uncle, please understand."

"Very well, but I do have a condition." Richard went straight to the chase. "From what I hear, you had yourself quite a bloody good time at Fuji. There is a bunch of interesting Chevaliers at Suruga, valiantly resisting our armies, is that correct?"

"Oh dear, Uncle, so that is what you are getting at."

This fierce ancestor was definitely a short-sighted and impulsive man.

However, Richard's nose and various instincts were exceptionally keen. He must have smelled "delicious prey" this time without even thinking deeply.

Furthermore, it was an exquisite dessert that Edward the Black Prince had specially saved for later.

"Fine, so be it. Uncle, I have two demands."

"Try me."

"The first one is very simple. Before setting off for Suruga, please conquer Nagoya first."

"What bloody rubbish is this? This hot blood of mine is about to erupt right away."

"The risks outweigh the benefits if you intentionally take a detour, only to fall into a trap. So far, the man lurking in Suruga... has yet to reveal the true extent of his powers. His hunting skills ought to be quite exceptional."

"On what grounds do you believe that?"

"A man who excels at escaping will likewise excel at trapping his enemy. In the past, I have faced a similar acquaintance."

Edward recalled his rival of old, a hero of France.

There was something about Tachibana Masatsugu that smelled similar to that man. Meanwhile, the Lionheart dismissed it with a fearless smile. Although deep thought was not his forte, he was a man of extraordinary ability.

"Then I shall attack seriously instead of savoring small bites."

"Apart from him, Suruga has other capable knights. It would be best to take caution."

"What about your second demand?"

"After conquering Suruga, please locate a beautiful princess with dazzling platinum hair. That girl could ostensibly become an interesting trump card. She has an air quite similar to Eleanor's. You will certainly recognize her on sight, Uncle."

Edward recalled the noble lady whom Tachibana Masatsugu was serving in a knightly capacity.

Her name was Fujinomiya Shiori, the shunned princess of Imperial Japan in curious circumstances.

### 026. Part 3

Richard's visit to Suruga had taken place on the last day of October.

It was November 6 today. Over this period, the Lionheart had fully re-energized, prepared to face the next battle.

Tomorrow—He was going to attack Tōkaidō's provincial capital.

Richard was scheduled to set off tomorrow afternoon in a grand departure, heading east to take Nagoya.

The first target was Okazaki Castle, a Japanese castle in Nishimikawa and the birthplace of Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu, featuring ancient Japanese architecture with a central keep and stone walls.

However, like Nijou Castle, its interior had been remodeled.

With Chevaliers and an ifrit stationed, the castle also functioned as a tutelary fort.

After taking Okazaki Castle, only then would one reach the outskirts of Nagoya City. Then penetrating the defensive net formed by the various tutelary forts including Kariya Castle and Kiyosu Castle, one would then march into Nagoya Castle—

Meanwhile, Kinai was also sending Restoration Alliance knights to attack from the west.

The Anglo-Japanese coalition forces consisted of the "crimson knights," a thousand Escalibors advancing from the east, and the "blue samurai" Kamuys advancing from the west in a simultaneous attack on the prey known as "Nagoya."

From the east were the "crimson knights," a thousand Escalibors. From the west were the "blue samurai,"

"What a spectacular scene."

Richard muttered to himself in ecstasy.

However, there was a matter that pained the merciful and compassionate lion king's heart.

...As a Chevalier, collecting intelligence from various places was exceedingly easy. Since Suruga was the prey that Richard would enjoy last, he had informed the intelligence department in advance that he was to be notified of any movements in Suruga immediately.

Hence, Richard learned of a certain piece of news.

"Who would have thought that the people of Suruga desire me so much..."

Recently, Richard had gone to Suruga City to deliver a passionate speech, venting the frustration in his heart.

Apparently, the passionate performance had moved the people's hearts. The city was beginning to look forward to signs of the Lionheart's arrival.

'The Suruga tutelary fort should surrender to the Restoration Alliance as soon as possible.'

Civilians demanding Suruga officials to surrender were setting food warehouses on fire one after another.

Their goal was to protest against the Suruga tutelary fort's futile resistance.

At first, a fire broke out at one place, but the crimes had spread these few days. Another four warehouses had been torched.

The Suruga police was investigating desperately and had apprehended some arson suspects.

...The suspects were all students. Since they were minors, neither their names nor their school affiliations were released.

The next day after they had successfully burned down the second warehouse, the Suruga branch of Tōkaidō News received an anonymous criminal manifesto.

The manifesto was published in the temporary newspaper in the form of a special report.

Spies lurking in Suruga City had copied the contents and transmitted it to the intelligence department. Richard had read it too. There was a sincere declaration that 'Suruga City's future lies with the Restoration Alliance and Chevalier Richard.'

After reading the eloquent and passionate manifesto, Richard was greatly moved.

However, the Suruga tutelary fort's reaction was stupid beyond belief. They suspected these students of 'secretly colluding with the Restoration Alliance to commit the crime of arson'—

The Suruga tutelary fort had handed over official protest letters to the various British forces stationed across Shizuoka.

Their main message was that this intentional destruction of civilian facilities was disgraceful behavior contravening the Charter of Chivalry.

Naturally, the British armed forces denied solemnly. The Suruga tutelary fort refused to be convinced and even declared that they were going to conduct further investigations.

They were planning to interrogate the student arsonists to get at the truth.

"I hope these youngsters will not be subjected to torture... No, one cannot expect much from the foolish and unscrupulous Suruga knights. I truly pity these students."

As an extremely chivalrous knight, Richard's heart was very pained.

Well, putting aside the heavy taxation and tough laws he had imposed upon the people under his rule... After all, the domains and the people living in them were his possessions.

Knights, nobles, and martyrs admiring the Lionheart were different.

"I must find a way to save them personally."

After that, Richard's thoughts began to accelerate in a certain direction.

He was very talented at letting his imagination roam free, to find justification for what he wanted to do. In the process, he would set his heart ablaze by igniting sparks of passion, thus drawing the conclusion he wanted—

"Upon my honor as a knight, I must rescue those students as quickly as possible. This is a matter of life and death."

As a side note...

Richard was currently not wearing his British military officer's uniform.

He was wearing a set of khaki combat attire—in other words, he had disguised himself as a common soldier. In fact, since a long time ago, he had always enjoyed traveling "incognito."

He often disguised himself as a pilgrim or a nameless knight to go traveling.

Right now, he had sneaked into a transport vessel sailing in Suruga Bay for a sea journey.

"Kukukuku. By this point, it is as though all preparations are complete."

The ship was about to enter the port of Tagonoura.

This was the port of Fuji City, the same city the Fuji tutelary fort, which is also the closest tutelary fort to Suruga—

It was currently 15:30 on November 6th.

Richard's plan was to establish a tutelary pact at Fuji's water shrine to make it his stronghold.

He was going to mobilize all of his Chevalier Strength to summon Escalibors to take Suruga. According to his reasoning, he could succeed in one go before the scheduled attack on Nagoya tomorrow.

"Those people sent by Edward to monitor me... Such naivete. Do they really believe that the Lionheart would wait obediently when there is still half a day before the next battle?"

Richard had noticed surveillants in his surroundings recently.

Pretending to be a napping lion, he had been looking for a chance to get these people off his trail.

Masatsugu's usual residence was the boys dorm of Rinzai High.

After becoming a Chevalier, he continued to live in his single room at the dorm.

However, he visited the princess' personal dorm every day and often had his meals there too. Still, it was the residence of Princess Shiori and her lady-in-waiting Hatsune, a ladies' domain, after all.

Normally, he left at 9pm to return to the boys dorm.

"It's time."

On the night of November 6th, around 11pm, Masatsugu left his dorm room.

Dressed in his student uniform, he walked confidently out of the boys dorm and came to the Black Lily Dorm where the princess lived. The two dorms were situated in the same area.

This dorm was a western mansion rich in Rokumeikan style.

Using a key only held by a select few, Masatsugu unlocked the entrance and tiptoed into the dorm.

He was very careful to avoid being seen by others. Finally, he arrived in front of a certain room on the second floor. The door to this room was not locked.

Turning the handle, Masatsugu swiftly entered the room.

"Excuse me."

"I have been waiting for you, Masatsugu-sama."

This was the princess' bedroom.

The room's decor and furniture were simple and elegant without any air of excess.

The well-learned Shiori loved to read but there were no bookshelves in her bedroom. She kept the vast majority of her books in the reading lounge. Consequently, her room was very clean and tidy without the mountains of books that often plagued bibliophiles.

"Hatsune did not see you... right?"

"Don't worry. I don't make mistakes."

It was just before bedtime and the princess was dressed rather casually.

She had untied her usual ponytail to let down her platinum blonde hair and was dressed in just a white yukata.

The two of them were alone in a girl's bedroom in the middle of the night. Furthermore, the other party was a princess of Imperial Japan.

If they were to be discovered, Masatsugu would be condemned in all kinds of ways. However, their secret late night meetings had already gone on for many days.

Indeed, it had started the day they set up bait to lure the Lionheart into their trap.

"It is almost time for Richard to set off for Nagoya."

"Yes, probably tomorrow or the day after."

"However, there is still no news of him coming to Suruga."

Shiori sighed in disappointment.

"We burned our own warehouses in the city and handed protest letters to the British forces, claiming 'the Restoration Alliance recruited youngsters to commit crimes.' We caused a highly controversial case of serial arson with the perpetrators being young male students who went out of control..."

The Rinzai High student culprits were currently detained at the Suruga tutelary fort.

Masatsugu and his group had prepared an 'arrested student organization' in advance to deceive the British spies lurking in the city. Naturally, these students were being hosted as honored guests inside the tutelary fort.

In addition, the fake arson case had only burned a small fraction of food.

The vast majority had been transported away before the fires and remained intact.

"We have prepared all kinds of factors to appeal to the Lionheart's preferences... But unfortunately, we seem to have failed."

The princess who had devised the plan shrugged helplessly.

Masatsugu asked, "Using students on purpose was part of the plan too?"

"Yes, indeed. It is said that the Lionheart was especially kind to young males. There are even some who suspect him of being homo... homosexual."

"Oh?"

More than this unexpected information, Masatsugu was more interested in Shiori herself while she was talking about the Lionheart's sexual preferences.

Her embarrassed look was truly adorable. In any case, the princess continued, "The British ignored our protests, which was expected. And to think I really anticipated Richard to fall for it, but in the end, our efforts were for naught."

"It is still early to say. A man prone to indulging in narcissism like him usually lacks self-control," said Masatsugu quietly.

"The chance of any single trap catching him is definitely not low."

"I would hope so."

"By the way, Princess, it's time we begin tonight."

"I-I understand. Even if the plan fails, it is best to be prepared as a precaution."

Hearing her knight's request, the lady agreed shyly.

She was sitting on her personal bed. Masatsugu took a seat beside her. They were very close together, almost touching.

"So this strategem was inspired by the method I mentioned last time, with a modern spin applied to it?"

"Yes... You are correct. Torturing hostages in front of a castle to taunt angry enemies into rushing out to fight. My guess was that such a method might prove effective against someone like Richard..."

Shiori's voice instantly turned very quiet, because Masatsugu had held her hand.

"Princess."

"P-Please proceed... You may start."

After after repeating the same act over consecutive nights, Shiori was still very nervous.

Her innocent reaction was very endearing. Holding Shiori's hand, Masatsugu pushed her down onto the soft bed, covering her with his body.

"Masatsugu-sama..."

"Still not used to it?"

"No... It is very embarrassing for me. A-And this is my own room—A man and a woman of our age, alone in a room, so lightly dressed, I really..."

Normally eloquent, Shiori was stuttering.

The warmth of the blood coursing through the princess' noble body was the essence of ectoplasmic fluid. To enable Masatsugu to steal ectoplasmic fluid more efficiently, Shiori was wearing just a light yukata on purpose.

Ever since the day of the war council, they had been doing the same thing every night.

This was the reason.

"Sorry, it's my fault for imposing a burden on your health, Princess."

"Pay no mind to it. As your liege, it is only right for me to go through hardship in order to assist my knight—to assist the one who is laying his life on the line for my sake."

For the past half a month, Masatsugu had been obtaining ectoplasmic fluid from Shiori.

However, this ultimately was an act of extracting "something" from blood, the source of life. For the past few days, Shiori had experienced frequent dizzy spells.

Furthermore, her physical strength had clearly declined, causing her to be out of breath especially easily.

Even so, she still insisted on their secret meetings to give her ectoplasmic fluid to Masatsugu.

"M-Masatsugu-sama, please do not keep staring at me..."

"That would be a tall order, Princess. Right now, you are too beautiful."

"Goodness gracious... Here you go again."

Masatsugu was carefully examining the princess pinned under him.

In contrast, Shiori did not dare look Masatsugu in the eye. With her head turned away shyly, she looked so cute and alluring.

When he pushed her down on the bed, the collar of Shiori's yukata had almost opened up.

The princess' willfully maturing bust had almost popped out. The sheltered princess endured her embarrassment and bravely accepted Masatsugu's embrace.

"Masatsugu-sama, please absorb from me as much as you can..."

Shiori finally directed her passionate gaze straight at Masatsugu.

"My grandfather's power within me—Absorb the source of ectoplasmic fluid."

Their faces were in close proximity. Masatsugu could feel her exhalation from her whispers. If he ventured forward slightly, a deep kiss of passion would be easily in reach.

And Shiori was willing too—

Masatsugu could read an air of acceptance from her eyes. However, he did not put this notion into action.

Such behavior should wait until their relationship transitioned into a different form.

Hence, Masatsugu made close contact with Shiori's neck instead, opening his mouth to suck.

"Princess."

"Masatsugu-sama, your face is still so cold..."

"Doesn't matter. The warmth you give me is enough."

"Th-Then feel free to go harder—Mmmm."

The instant Masatsugu kissed her pale neck, forcefully sucking the warmth from her tender skin, Shiori moaned.

Shiori had inherited the blood of the sacred beast Lord Tenryuu. The warmth of her blood was precisely the essence giving rise to ectoplasmic fluid as well as the nourishment needed by Masatsugu, who was unable to resupply the normal way.

The stolen heat flowed into Masatsugu's body and soul, resulting in a feeling of union.

The sensation was making Shiori ecstatic, slowly putting her into a trance.

Oddly enough, today—The princess smiled.

"What is it, Princess?"

"Nothing... I have been quite happy lately."

"Happy?"

"In the past, I felt no affection for my bloodline, but now, the blood I inherited from my grandfather has become your nourishment and energy for battle, Masatsugu-sama... It fills me with an indescribable bliss, apparently bringing fulfillment to my heart."

Saying that, Shiori showed a smile of happiness again.

"Fufufufu, I must be acting a little odd."

Masatsugu smiled too. This princess was really too adorable.

His smile was very natural, not the twitch of the cheek he usually displayed. Interacting with Shiori's deep emotions must have warmed up his heart.

"Princess."

Masatsugu called to Shiori. Usually, she was the heroic lady, intelligent and sharp, but it was during times like these when she was particularly prone to showing her innocent side. One would be hard pressed to find a woman more lovable.

Filled with affection for her, Masatsugu sucked on her neck again. He sucked forcefully, tracing his tongue over her.

"Masatsugu-sama! Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!"

"Princess."

"Masatsugu-sama!"

They called out to each other involuntarily, but this was fine. It was part of deepening their bond.

Shiori was clad in only a light yukata and Masatsugu could feel her body's elevated temperature. Simply lying on the bed, embracing each other, her warmth was spreading to his body.

Shiori's emotions were extremely aroused.

Under Masatsugu's weight, she hugged him tightly too.

Her pale legs were also wrapped firmly around Masatsugu's left leg. Her posture was as though she was embracing Masatsugu with all her heart and soul.

Shiori cried out just like that.

"Ah—Mmmm! Masatsugu-sama... Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

Masatsugu's absorption of the stolen warmth was generating an intimate sense of connection.

This feeling reached a climax and Shiori fainted. Her entire body went limp and Masatsugu inadvertently did something impertinent.

He gently caressed the cheek of the princess who had bravely given her all.

"I-I can't believe the princess and Onii-sama are doing something like that—?"

Outside Princess Shiori's bedroom, Hatsune was shocked.

She had brewed some ginger tea with honey added, thinking of serving it to the princess. Recently, the princess' health had been poor, so she wanted her to sleep well.

The bedroom's door was slightly ajar.

The last person to enter must have failed to close it properly. Hatsune accidentally heard voices coming from the door's gap.

Just as Hatsune was panicking, the princess fainted inside.

However, she could not forget Princess Shiori's final moan before losing consciousness. The impression was too striking.

"W... W-W-What on earth is going on?"

The flustered Hatsune almost barged into the room.

Fortunately, she instantly came to her senses and suppressed her impulse. What kind of excuse would she use to appear in this kind of situation?

However, Hatsune could not ignore the princess' state of health.

After agonizing for a while, Hatsune heard a sound.

Ring. Something like a bell had sounded inside the princess' room.

"A message?"

She also heard her Onii-sama's whispers inside the room.

It was a pipe fox used by Imperial Japan's military for emergency communications. The marmot-like animal had used its teleportation abilities to serve as the princess' messenger.

### 027. Part 3

A magic circle, seventy meters in diameter, manifested in the sky over the tutelary fort.

The magic circle was a product of oriental magic with complicated patterns and Sanskrit characters. The gigantic "dragon image," comparable to the magic circle in size, was precisely the ifrit Seiryuu.

Its serpentine body was covered with sapphire-blue scales with two deer-like antlers on its head and stubby limbs.

The gigantic dragon image had occupied the air majestically.

Ifrits were supposed to release powerful noetic energy to create a dome-shaped noesis barrier to cover the entire tutelary fort.

But right now, Seiryuu was not using its noetic energy for defense.

Seiryuu roared fiercely and attacked the British Legions.

The image of the blue dragon opened its gigantic jaws and lunged at the 612 Escalibors that were charging at full power in a wedge formation.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

As noetic divinities, ifrits were ultimately conglomerates of noetic energy. Their gigantic bodies were not corporeal.

Hence, Seiryuu's massive jaws unleashed noetic energy which was normally used to create noesis barriers.

The surge of noetic energy turned into gigantic magic circle, glowing with divine radiance.

The British Legions crashed into the circle, head on, of course.

Formidable noetic energy had been poured into the magic circle, sufficient to serve as a tutelary fort's defensive wall, and was equivalent to a noesis barrier compressed into a round shape.

Colliding with something like this would cause massive injuries to the charging side.

The Escalibors in the tip of the wedge formation, reaching one third of the entire army, were struck by the violent armor-shattering impact, causing many of them to become dismembered or decapitated in the process.

Suffering such heavy injuries to their brain and internal organs, humans would have died on the spot.

Richard's army suffered at the hands of their excessively powerful charge. However, the heavily wounded Escalibors were undeterred.

"How interesting—"

Richard the Lionheart smiled proudly.

Together with the Escalibor phantom, he was at the very back of the wedge formation.

"According to legend, we Plantagenets are the cursed brood with the devil's blood flowing in our veins! A devil on earth... will never fear a mere dragon!"

The red wedge's tip, one third of the army, was already in a broken state.

However, the 612 Escalibors in the formation continued to charge, breaking through the magic circle of the noesis barrier.

Even the giant image of the blue dragon was almost trampled to dust.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh—!

Seiryuu's scream resounded across Suruga's night sky.

Richard's army finally arrived in the sky over the tutelary fort and was about to invade the enemy base.

The remaining job was simple. He would continue to push forward and clear out the army of red-purple samurai, checkmate the soldiers defending the fort, and end the battle.

At that moment, the Lionheart frowned.

"Hmm?"

After charging at full might against the giant dragon, the 612 Escalibors rapidly lost flying speed. The effects of the Feat of Arms had ended.

Namely, the effects allowing the Legions to finish a charge even in the face of death—

Coeur de Lion's astounding and miraculous effects vanished.

Having charged at full strength and speed, the wedge formation slowed down more and more. Finally, it was no faster than a car driving along urban streets.

This was not the worst of it.

Charging the ifrit had caused severe damage to more than one third of the army.

Among them, the Escalibors with fatal injuries such as broken necks and ruptured internal organs began to crash one after another. Death had taken them long ago.

Richard shrugged and said, "Oh well, the four hundred remaining will suffice."

There were still 432 Escalibors surviving.

They would have no trouble defeating the scattered red-purple samurai that had fled or Surugu's defending forces.

"Regroup and assemble at my side."

Controlling his wyvern, Richard made his way to the center of the army that had slowed down dramatically.

The 432 Escalibors were beginning to form a sphere when they were violently attacked by focused gunfire from the side.

Imperial Japan's blue Legions, 150 Kamuys, had taken flight to enter the fray.

All troops in this corps fired in unison. Escalibors began crashing down again, the ones unlucky enough to be shot in their vitals.

"New enemies? Activate your barriers, my knights!"

Richard commanded confidently but was met by a surprising outcome.

The white particles of the 432 Escalibors' spherical formation were quite weak, roughly half as strong as usual. Too much of their ectoplasmic fluid had been consumed.

The surprised Richard instantly figured out the reason.

"Tachibana, this was your plan all along!"

The 203 red-purple Legions returned to the battlefield to support their allies.

The red-purple Legions were identical in appearance and size as the Kamuys except in color. Their special Japanese swords had also turned back into bayonet rifles. Compared to the Escalibor or the Crusade—the strong British Legions—their physique was a size smaller.

Judged according to the Lionheart's aesthetics, these troops were weak and scrawny.

Glaring sharply at the Japanese forces, Richard gnashed his teeth.

"He finally fell into the trap..."

Akigase Rikka muttered to herself, soaring the sky on her wyvern.

She was flying alone some distance from the tutelary fort. Slightly earlier, the ifrit Seiryuu had been broken, failing to block the invasion of the hundreds of Escalibors.

However, the red soldiers of this British army were crashing down one after another.

Seizing the moment when the enemy was low on ectoplasmic fluid, Rikka had ordered the 150 Kamuys she had summoned to open fire.

Furthermore, the 203 Kanesadas led by Tachibana Masatsugu had assembled on the opposite side of Rikka's army.

The two of them had the 430 or so Legions of Richard's army caught in a pincer attack. With Rikka's forces on the left and Masatsugu's forces on the right, they sprayed gunfire simultaneously.

The Suruga side had set up two crescent formations in the shape of "( )."

Richard's army was perfectly sandwiched between them.

"Do not let up on the attack. Leave them no room to breathe!"

Under attack from both sides, the Lionheart's army formed a sphere and deployed a protective barrier.

The left side of the sphere desperately returned fire against Rikka's Kamuys while the right side handled Masatsugu's Kanesadas.

The British had numbers on their side, but were stuck in a desperate predicament.

On the Suruga side, Rikka and Masatsugu's forces totaled only 350 or so.

The Escalibors' protective barrier was powered by roughly 430 Legions, normally capable of neutralizing much of the Suruga side's volleys of sweeping gunfire, but ectoplasmic fluid depletion had sharply reduced its effectiveness—

Half the shots penetrated the barrier's particles, striking Richard's army directly.

The Escalibors ended up dying and crashing one after another.

"Now, a chance for victory is in sight."

Surveying the battlefield, Rikka breathed a sigh of relief.

The theory behind Tachibana Masatsugu's trap to hunt the lion was actually quite simple.

'I will first intercept his army outside the tutelary fort and lure him to Suruga while depleting his ectoplasmic fluid. Finally, we attack him all together.'

To accomplish this, Tachibana Masatsugu had used all kinds of clever feints.

He first used samurai swordsmanship and initiated a duel to stimulate the target's combative spirit and passion, then deliberately got injured to pretend to be routed. His excitement reaching a climax, the king of knights would order his entire force to charge against Masatsugu's retreat.

Without these clever arrangements, the lion's keen nose might have smelled the presence of a trap.

Furthermore, during this process, the enemy was guaranteed to launch an overwhelming offensive. At last, while fighting on the run, Masatsugu managed to lure the enemy into attacking in full force, using a tactic that exhausted his troops the greatest.

The chase in the final stage was also part of Masatsugu's trap.

The Kanesadas and Kamuys were a size smaller than the Escalibors in physique.

Smaller builds naturally meant lighter weight. Flying at equal speed, the heavier side would exert themselves more, which meant greater consumption of ectoplasmic fluid. Rikka nodded in comprehension.

"The Kamys are smaller in build and always lose to the Crusades in contests of strength."

Using this tactic which turned the physique disadvantage around, they succeeded in dealing a heavy blow to the fierce king of of knights. Rikka felt exhilarated, but the battle still required close attention.

Only faring a little better than the British side, the Kanesadas were also depleted in ectoplasmic fluid.

Rikka began to think, assuming she were in Richard I's position—

### 028. Part 3

"Regardless, even without Uncle's assistance, we will attack Nagoya as planned."

Edward was strolling along the shore of Lake Ashi, one of Hakone's famous sights.

He was accompanied by the doll possessed by the spirit Morrigan.

It was early morning and in the mountains at an elevation over 700m. The air was incredibly clean and pure while the lake water was blue and beautiful.

"While Uncle was on a rampage, I sent several Knights of Her Majesty that were on standby to contain Nagoya. They have the sea fully under control now. It is time to have to return to their original mission. Every knight wishes to go on a rampage. Naturally..."

Edward was dressed in a hot spring inn's yukata. He had just enjoyed a bath and was about to head back.

Enjoying Hakone's picturesque scenery, the Black Prince had his hands in his sleeves. Walking on wooden clogs that clattered crisply, he said solemnly, "I do have many complaints. I wonder what made Uncle crazy, but I originally looked forward to his ability to penetrate defenses. Forget it, I will leave the matter for now."

"Prince. About Suruga's katana user."

Dressed in a beret and sailor outfit, Morrigan murmured, "According to reports from spies who infiltrated Suruga... They found the name 'Hijikata Toshizō'."

"I will confirm it later. To think that Suruga harbors a samurai who piques the interest of British knights like us, as well as a beautiful princess of Imperial Japan. How fascinating."

Edward's handsome face smiled cheerfully. This aristocrat of the Plantagenet dynasty said, "Looks like the day for me to fight directly is not far away."

"In my opinion... There is no need for a commander-in-chief to do that."

A tense situation was building up between Hakone Checkpoint and Suruga.

Currently, only two people were sharp enough to notice this. The Black Prince of the British Empire and the mysterious samurai of Suruga.

Certain of this, Edward nodded to himself in deep thought.

### 029. Part 4

It was the evening after Masatsugu took a ride on Rikka's car to the Suruga tutelary fort.

He and his liege, Shiori, had returned together to the Black Lily Dorm.

Although it was called a dorm, the whole building was reserved for the princess' exclusive use. Dressed in Haikara-san style with an apron on top, Hatsune was preparing dinner.

The menu included dried horse mackerel, turnip salad, boiled hijiki, pickles, rice, and miso soup.

After the simple dinner, Masatsugu and Shiori were alone. The two of them went to the reading room, which served as a sort of small library for boarders.

However, the princess simply stared at books on the shelves without speaking the whole time.

Masatsugu broke the silence.

"Is it possible that you're upset?"

"Of course not. What reason do I have to be upset?" Shiori replied instantly.

Her speech was quite rapid with an air of displeasure. Masatsugu went "I see," shrugged and did not say anything more.

Now the princess' expression really looked unhappy.

In public, Shiori always upheld her image of the gentle princess. It was only in front of Masatsugu that she expressed her sincerest emotions, sulking or losing her temper on reflex.

"But you've been unhappy ever since we left the tutelary fort. I was wondering whether the fall of Hakone was the reason you're upset."

"Of course not." Shiori shook her head immediately. "In order for the Restoration Alliance to march into Kantō, the first choke point is Hakone. I knew the situation would inevitably turn out this way, though the unexpected speed of their offense did surprise me... But this is no cause for me to be upset."

"In other words, you are upset from other reasons? Ah."

Masatsugu figured it out. Nodding, he said, "Then you are upset because Akigase-dono and I are too close?"

"!?"

Masatsugu went straight to the point, causing the surprised Shiori to deny angrily, "Please do not suggest anything so preposterous!"

"All other reasons are unlikely. As your knight, Princess, I have been having friendly conversations with another girl to develop a relationship of mutual honesty. Witnessing that, you cannot help but feel jealous—This is the most convincing motive."

"M-Masatsugu-sama!"

"That is why you've been upset this whole time."

"You are mistaken. I have remained calm all this time!"

The shaken Shiori denied firmly. Then replied in a kind of assertive tone, completely different in attitude from her usual gentleness or feigned docilty.

"Putting this aside, Masatsugu-sama, we have yet to do it today, have we? Let us go over there."

The princess' beautiful face was blushing.

Despite the heightened emotions in her heart, her tone was still relatively calm.

The two of them went to the table in the center of the reading room. Like the ones used in the school, the table was mundane office furniture. There were four pipe chairs next to it.

Of course, this furniture was meant for boarding students to study and do homework.

Ignoring the books, Masatsugu and Shiori sat down at the table together.

Shiori quietly extended her right hand and caressed Masatsugu's left hand. Their overlapping hands were perfectly hidden under the table.

"A high school couple keeping their relationship a secret, meeting in the library for a tryst, discreetly holding hands—"

What they were doing was very similar to that.

However, this was a necessary ritual. Unable to replenish ectoplasmic fluid the normal way, Tachibana Masatsugu had to rely on the mystic power found in Chevaliers or the kin of sacred beasts—

Masatsugu's body was very cold, almost akin to a state of hypothermia.

A chronic shortage of ectoplasmic fluid resulted in his body's lack of warmth. However, Shiori stroked Masatsugu's hand gently, trying to share her body warmth with him.

Doing this was effective.

The elegant and beautiful princess was transmitting warmth and mystic power through her palm.

Ever since their oath of fealty, they had been doing this secretly every day.

"On further thought, Hatsune knows about my memory loss too," Masatsugu muttered to himself. "We don't need to be secretive about this anymore."

"No! This must not be witnessed by others no matter what, it is too embarrassing..."

Shiori rejected the suggestion and bowed her head in shame.

During this time, she continued to stroke Masatsugu's hand gently. Their bodies were also leaning tightly against each other.

Undeniably, they currently looked like a very loving couple.

It came as no surprise that a maiden inexperienced in love would feel shy. Masatsugu understood the princess' misgivings and accepted her good intentions.

"Incidentally, Masatsugu-sama."

While continuing to warm up her knight, Shiori said, "Please do not ever speak so imprudently again as you did just now. I was honestly not upset and I would like you to refrain from arbitrary speculation about my thoughts."

"Was I mistaken? Sorry about that."

The princess' stubborn response was too adorable, what was he going to do with her—?

Harboring these disrespectful thoughts, Masatsugu apologized calmly.

"By the way, regarding Hakone..."

Holding Masatsugu's hand, Shiori changed the subject.

"The serious issue here is the fall of the impregnable Hakone in less than half a day. More worrying is—"

"The enemy commander's name?"

"Yes. When it comes to the British Empire's prided Resurrectees, there is none more prominent than Admiral Horatio Nelson, who managed to corner even Emperor Napoleon of France, whose name is synonymous to hero... He is a splendid and famous commander. And here in the land of Hakone, a hero of his equal has shown up."

The young knight had led an army of pitch-black Crusades, one thousand strong.

Those Legions were reportedly known as Knights of the Garter. The Feat of Arms transforming their bayonet rifles into longbows was named after the land of Crécy.

Combining all these reports, it was not difficult to deduce their commander's identity as Edward the Black Prince.

"To be honest, I've never heard of him."

"Neither have the majority of Japanese people. Of the ones who have, most merely would have read the name in a history textbook, nothing more. However, he is a legendary hero known to everyone in England."

Shiori smiled to hide her worries and explained the origins of the one bearing that name.

"As an English prince, he defeated the armies of France many times. In the end, he succumbed to illness, dying before he could succeed to the throne..."

Masatsugu only knew the man's name and a brief profile.

However, he was certain it was him . The night he repelled the Restoration Alliance, he had seen a silver-haired young man, riding a British wyvern.

The knight from that encounter must surely have been Prince Edward.

Perhaps this was a Resurrectee's instinct. Masatsugu felt inexplicably certain.

### 030. Part 4

"Present... ARMS!"

At the drill instructor's command, hundreds of soldiers performed the action neatly in unison.

They brought their light automatic rifles to a vertical position, muzzles upward, then performed the salute known as presenting arms.

This scene was taking place in the plaza within Nijou Castle, the Kinai Fiefdom's "palace."

A military band was playing a heroic melody, adding to the atmosphere of the ceremony.

The Kinai provincial army's elite guard were saluting to convey honor to a distinguished guest.

Throughout the Edo period, Nijou Castle had suffered several fires, destroying the central keep and various portions. However, reconstruction works were put into moton ten-odd years ago.

Thanks to that, today in the year 1998, one could still see Nijou Castle's full glory from the Kan'ei era.

This included the outer moat, the inner moat, the inner citadel, the outer citadel, the central keep, the courtyard, etc.

However, the interior of the buildings were outfitted with elevators and other facilities, remodeled into modern style.

Edward, the main guest at the honor ceremony, said, "Japan's generous hospitality is truly not bad at all."

It was noon on the second day of his visit to Kyoto.

The central keep was located on a towering stone wall. Edward was on a balcony there.

His vantage point provided a full view of the plaza inside the castle. Every time a ceremony was held, the Kinai Fiefdom's VIPs or visiting members of the imperial family would stand on this balcony to meet the civilians and soldiers of the province.

Today, Edward was wearing the British Empire's black military uniform, unlike yesterday.

Also, Edward was standing at "the forefront" of the balcony next to the railing. The Kinai Governor General, Izumi Tenzen, was standing a little further back.

"Sir Izumi, thank you for your warm hospitality."

"Not at all. This welcome reception is the least we could do for a knight from Britain, our ally, much less a legatus legionis from the ancient past."

Also a Chevalier, the Kinai Governor General was wearing the military officer's uniform of Imperial Japan.

In his sixties, the elderly man seemed to have kept up his martial training. Despite his advanced age, his body was quite strong and healthy. His hair was also black.

"Our nation will only have something called a future if we align our interests with Britain... One day, when the Empress at the imperial palace comes to understand this, I shall have you received as a state guest."

"Hahahaha, I will look forward to it."

The Kinai Governor General was very dignified at a glance with an imposing countenance.

Edward cordially responded to the empty promise. This old man had a reputation as a fierce general in Japan and was famous for being a militant.

...However, the British military knew the truth.

Despite his exalted position as a Chevalier, his experience in actual combat was paltry. During the current operations, he had been accompanied by bodyguard Chevaliers under the pretext of adjutants. The reputation of the fierce general was a ruse. A vain man, even his black hair was the result of hair dye.

For this kind of man to serve as the British Empire's collaborator—He was definitely a good choice to exploit.

"Thank you for looking after my brother. I, Eleanor, offer my utmost gratitude."

The princess present, Eleanor, also curtsied elegantly.

Today, she was dressed in a white formal dress, looking very pure and lovely.

If one had to answer the question of whether it looked good on her, the answer was definitively yes. However, anyone who knew of Eleanor's true nature as a witch would feel some sense of dissonance from her attire.

The Kinai Governor General evidently did not gather that impression.

"The pleasure was all mine. As a demonstration of our friendship with your nation... as well as my respect for you, none of this was any trouble on our part."

"Oh dear, you flatter me so."

"Fighting on behalf of beautiful ladies is the chivalry espoused by your nation, isn't it? Princess of Britain. As a Japanese man, I would be delighted to learning the ways of chivalry for your sake. You are a woman worthy of my devotion."

The Kinai Governor General's sycophancy did not suit his imposing countenance very well.

His eyes were fixated upon Eleanor in fascination, like a young boy infatuated with an older woman, or a medieval knight who would pledge his life to a lady.

Edward observed sharply.

The noesis released from Eleanor's back was affecting the Kinai Governor General, entangling Izumi Tenzen's body—and noetic waves—like tentacles.

The old man, despite his position and honor, was worshiping a foreign maiden.

This noetic curse was precisely the witchcraft used by Eleanor.

Finding an appropriate moment, Edward excused himself from the balcony.

Since the Kinai Governor General's mind was fixated on Eleanor, it was fine for Edward to be absent. Walking alone in the corridor of Nijou Castle's central keep, he wondered if he should go sightseeing in the afternoon.

Unexpectedly, he ran into a displeased acquaintance.

"Hello Uncle, is there something upsetting you?"

"Indeed. My unhappiness is your fault, Édouard."

Edward's greeting elicited the expected response.

The other party was a man in his forties, dressed in the British military's black uniform with a red cape on top. He was Richard I, the Resurrectee who had left Britain on an expedition without permission.

"I took great pains to cross untold miles to render my assistance in battle, yet you did not even ask me to attend the ceremony... This would have been an excellent opportunity to let these orientals learn of my mighty name as the honored heroic king."

"It's better to keep a low profile so as to demonstrate valor in critical moments. I too have endured such a phase."

Richard the Lionheart was an imposing man.

However, he had a thoughtless side to him stemming from his intense urge of exhibitionism, an exaggerated sense of chivalry and romanticism, and a poet's soul in love with poetry.

Consequently, he was not suited to taking top command. Suitability as king was also tenuous too.

"Besides, Uncle, the forest has ears and the field has eyes."

Edward was quoting a proverb equivalent to the Japanese saying, "walls have ears."

"Otherwise, it would make things awkward for our British soldiers if they heard. We no longer live in an age when our House of Plantagenet ruled Great Britain. We must respect British customs and honor. Please try to shift away from continental mannerisms."

"Hmm..."

"It is time for Prince Edward and King Richard to retire."

From Richard's perspective, Edward was more like a descendant than merely someone younger in age.

Furthermore, Richard had a proud personality with a fiery temper. It would not be unexpected for someone like him to insist on his exalted position. However, the advice from someone a few generations his junior turned out to be surprisingly effective.

"Ho, since times have changed, I shall listen to you."

Richard displayed unexpected leniency towards his junior kin, the way a grandfather would indulge a grandson.

Edward nodded in response to the smiling Lionheart. He addressed him as "Uncle" merely out of convenience. Their true relationship was much more complicated than that.

Edward's great-grandfather's grandfather was Richard's younger brother.

Richard's younger brother was John Lackland, a notoriously unpopular king in the history of England. Who would have expected his bloodline to produce a number of famous kings as well as a renowned general like Edward?

"Well then, let us take up the subject of war."

Trying to keep a fierce beast like Richard restrained would not work.

Unless given chances to vent as necessary, he was going to cause fatal chaos eventually. This worry was what prompted Edward to deliberately bring up his favorite subject.

"Hohohoho, is there a battlefield worthy of my presence?"

"Indeed, there is. I have some matters to handle in Kyoto first, but over in Tōkaidō that our forces are in the process of conquering, there is a large-scale counterattack being planned against the British—"

Now that the Lionheart was here, Edward had no choice but to accept his presence and make the best use out of him.

Moreover, even if he was ill-suited as ruler or top commander, at least he was far from incompetent. So long as the lion tamer was skillful, there were no lack of ways to deploy him.

As the commander-in-chief of the British forces invading Japan, Edward said, "Right now, we are laying a trap for them. If all goes well, Uncle, I will yield to you the chance to fight at the base of Mount Fuji."

### 031. Part 4

Chevaliers were able to manifest armies of Legions with tangible bodies from their own noesis.

Using this ability, Chevaliers could infiltrate enemy cities or important facilities single-handedly to summon Legions to wreak malicious destruction—

Fighting war in such a dishonorable way was possible.

However, almost no one ever put it into practice. First of all, doing so would violate the Charter of Chivalry. It was also rather inefficient.

When far away from the stronghold where the tutelary pact was established, a Chevalier was unable to summon all of their Legions.

All Chevaliers paid close attention to this rule when going to battle.

Their Chevalier Strength was 10% when using Legions anywhere apart from their stronghold.

Furthermore, the various superpowers all placed tutelary forts near important cities to prevent terror attacks. Consequently, destruction via infiltration was very inefficient.

(One more factor was that Chevaliers belonged to the privileged class and could not be wasted on suicide missions.)

But this time, Masatsugu deliberately summoned Legions in an urban area—near a port.

Masatsugu's current Chevalier Strength was 302. Shiori had been sharing a bit of ectoplasmic fluid with him on a daily basis, plus what she gave him before the battle, finally allowing him to build up reserves to this level.

Unfortunately, summoning Legions outside of Suruga reduced their numbers to 10%—

These were the thirty that Masatsugu had summoned at Fuji City's port.

"Standby where you are and don't do anything," Masatsugu quietly ordered the Kanesadas under his command.

He did not have them fly. The red-purple Legions entered a circle formation on the ground with their bayonet rifles aimed outwards.

There was only one Kanesada inside the circle and Masatsugu was standing on its shoulder.

"A commotion seems to be starting."

Legions were roughly eight meters tall. Standing on one's shoulder would be equivalent to a third-floor balcony of an apartment building, treating him to a view of the entire harbor scenery.

Seeing the sudden appearance of winged giant soldiers, civilians fled for their lives.

People would stay indoors as much as possible during war but there were still crowds at port facilities, shops, factories, and houses.

Dozens of speakers in the city sounded an alarm.

Soldiers also fled. The unit of infantry patrol that Masatsugu provoked earlier had disappeared. Instead—

"They're here, huh?"

The Fuji tutelary fort sent out eighty-four Crusades.

The Crusades flew slowly, approaching from the western sky. The tutelary fort was west of the port, roughly one train stop away.

However, these eighty-four Crusades did not attack the Kanesadas immediately.

Their commander was aware that starting an urban battle with eyewitnesses around would run the risk of breaking the rule of "intentionally destroying civilian facilities" from the Charter of Chivalry. It would be very troublesome to handle indictments after the fact.

The enemy formed a spherical formation in the air, observing the Kanesadas for movements.

Eighty-four versus thirty was quite a big disparity in numbers.

Masatsugu watched the tutelary fort calmly—The truly troublesome enemy was there.

They were separated by four or five kilometers. Masatsugu could clearly see the vortex of noesis and the eyeball in the sky.

The eyeball was humongous, its diameter surpassing sixty meters.

This was the shadow of the ifrit Morgan le Fay, or rather, an avatar. It was said that Morgan was a goddess of death from British fay folklore.

The eyeball of the goddess, reputedly death itself, stared intently at Masatsugu's army.

This was to allow offensive or defensive measures to be taken any time if necessary.

However, the eyeball did not make a move so far, so as to avoid wasting noesis and mystic power. Britain's ifrit seemed to be quite a seasoned warrior.

What Masatsugu hoped for was precisely this confidence and composure.

"Excellent."

The British Chevalier and ifrit were both waiting for him to make a move.

Masatsugu must not act lightly. His next step was to leave things to Hatsune and see if she could seize this opportunity to complete the mission.

"Are you mentally prepared, Hatsune?"

"O-Of course, Princess!"

Princess Shiori called to Hatsune, who straightened her back.

The two of them were in a park at the port of Dagonoura which offered a view of Suruga Bay's vast waters and a near view of Mount Fuji.

This scenery was beautiful but Hatsune was in no mood to enjoy.

Her relative, Tachibana Masatsugu, had set off thirty minutes ago. According to the plan, it was time for Tachibana Hatsune to enter the battlefield for the first time. However, there were so many uncertain factors.

"But the Legions I can summon are too few— Just one . That's not very reassuring..."

Currently, Hatsune's tentative Chevalier Strength was "just one."

Once she became more experienced, the number of Legions would increase, allowing her actual Chevalier Strength to be known. It was true that her combat power was not very reliable at the current stage.

However, Shiori said, "Not to worry, this actually suits your mission better. Just one makes it harder for you to be discovered ."

In her role as strategist, Shiori was very confident, contrasting with the insecure Hatsune.

Hatsune did not know if she was trying to encourage her, or if she was actually confident of victory? Perhaps both.

"I will help you as much as possible, so just do what you can."

"Yes... Oh right, Rikka-sama will be angry later, right? After all, Princess, you are putting yourself at risk."

"That cannot be helped. We will simply have to apologize when the scolding comes."

"Got it, I will endure the scolding by your side!"

"Let us find some dirt on Rikka-sama another time. That way, we can strike back any time she nags too much."

Sometimes, Hatsune felt an urge to put away her clan's ruffian and larger-than-life ways to properly caution her lady, "Princess, you need to act more like a proper princess."

In any case, the time for the operation arrived during their conversation.

"Hatsune, proceed. Masatsugu-sama has summoned the Kanesadas!"

Shiori pointed at the sky—west of the Fuji tutelary fort.

The British army of eighty or so Crusades were flying towards the port of Dagonoura. They were advancing slowly at around fifty or sixty kilometers per hour because high-speed flight would consume a lot of ectoplasmic fluid.

There was also a gigantic eyeball in the sky over the tutelary fort.

This eye, an avatar of the ifrit Morgan le Fay, released powerful noesis. Its gaze was directed at a certain corner in the port.

Masatsugu had evidently put the plan into motion. Hatsune roared, "Upon my Appellation of Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune—Assemble, my Legions!"

One Legion, red and white in color, manifested.

Its appearance was basically the same as the Kamuy except with dark-red armor and a white garment on top. The top of the helmet was elongated like an eboshi , a type of headgear worn by court nobles in the past.

Like the Kanesada, Hatsune's Legion, "Kurou Hougan," was a variant of the Kamuy.

"Take me and the princess and fly to the tutelary fort—In one go, Kurou!"

The soldier wearing the name of Kurou Yoshitsune reacted swiftly.

Slinging its rifle, the Legion bent down and picked up the two girls in its huge hands—

Then it flew up slowly, instantly accelerating to a hundred kilometers per hour.

The Kurou Hougan continued to speed up, heading straight for the Fuji tutelary fort.

However, it flew at a very low altitude, its feet almost about touch the roofs of two-story buildings.

Forced to keep a low profile, Hatsune could go no higher. Masatsugu had summoned Legions in the city to act as a diversion.

He was attracting attention from enemy Chevaliers and Morgan le Fay.

This was to delay the Fuji tutelary fort from noticing the approaching Kurou Hougan for as long as possible. Otherwise, the enemy would deploy a noesis barrier in such a situation.

Once a barrier was erected around the tutelary fort, getting in would be a huge challenge.

The park at the port was only a few kilometers from the tutelary fort. At their current speed, it would take less than five minutes.

However, just as there were only a couple hundred meters left...

Morgan le Fay's eyeball suddenly swiveled and caught sight of the approaching Kurou Hougan. Then a singing voice, resembling a solemn chorus, resounded throughout the sky.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh......

In concert with the singing, high-density noesis coalesced in the atmosphere.

A noesis barrier gradually took form to cover the Fuji tutelary fort. Noticing the signs, Hatsune hastily yelled, "Kurou Hougan! My power—I will share my blood with you, so fly even faster!"

Instantly, Hatsune almost fainted.

The symptoms resembled anemia and was due to Hatsune's rapid depletion of the ectoplasmic fluid she had stored up from the water shrine. Next, the Kurou Hougan accelerated with explosive power.

"Kyahhhhhhhhhhhh!"

"Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh."

Hatsune screamed as though riding a roller coaster.

Shiori groaned in pain from the massive g-forces. Without the protective barrier that guarded a Legion's body, the passengers' bones would probably have shattered.

In any case, during the fraction of a second before the noesis barrier could be fully deployed...

The Kurou Hougan instantly dashed into the tutelary fort.

"Are you okay, Princess!?"

"D-Don't worry. Let us hurry and begin."

The Fuji tutelary fort's layout was similar to the one at Suruga.

Its premises covered an area roughly the size of five or six Tokyo Domes, surrounded by perimeter walls in a star shape.

There was a forty-meter-tall nation-protecting keep in the center with scattered buildings and warehouses elsewhere. Directly above the nation-protecting keep was a giant hovering eyeball.

Inside the fort, the Kurou Hougan lowered Shiori and Hatsune to the ground.

"W-When Chevaliers are captured, their Appellations are sealed first," said Shiori, trying her best to hold back her nausea.

Hatsune rushed over to steady her lady.

"Hence, it is necessary to summon a large team of noetic officers to activate the sealing mechanism. Both knights and Appellations release noetic waves... If we head to a strong source of noetic waves, it is highly likely we will find the captives."

In the midst of conversation, Shiori's breathing returned to normal and her tone recovered her usual fortitude.

"However, we must not stay in the enemy base for too long. Regardless whether the search succeeds or fails, we must retreat within ten minutes. Use the talismans when the time comes."

"Don't worry, I remembered to bring them!"

Hatsune took out folded A3-size pieces of thick paper from the front of her kimono.

They were two retainer beast talismans. Since they must not be lost, Hatsune immediately returned them to her bosom. After seeing the talismans, Shiori's body glowed golden.

At the same time, there was high-pitched ringing.

This was rumored to be a phenomenon when projecting strong noetic waves. Hatsune watched in wide-eyed astonishment.

"...There is something fishy about the building in the back. Let us proceed."

"Thank you very much—Kurou!"

At Hatsune's order, the red and white Legion lifted them up to its shoulders.

Shiori was on the left while Hatsune was on the right. The Kurou Hougan jumped gracefully, clearing a distance of two hundred meters and landing in front of the building indicated by the princess without causing any tremors.

The massive Kurou Hougan Legion landed noiselessly.

Such light movements were similar to those demonstrated by the young Yoshitsune in Hatsune's dream. Despite weighing dozens of tons, the Legion was as agile as a cat.

While feeling impressed, Hatsune did not neglect to give orders.

"Open a hole in the wall to let us look inside. We need to confirm who's in there!"

There was a seven-story pitch-black building in front of them.

This style of architecture could be found in trendy office buildings downtown. However, this was a tutelary fort and all buildings were military facilities. Thus, one could damage them without holding back at all.

The Kurou Hougan delivered an acute right punch, puncturing the outer wall on the second floor.

In the face of a Legion's arm strength, steel-reinforced concrete was no different from a paper door. The Kurou Hougan withdrew its fist, leaving a giant hole in the side of the building, which provided a view of the office furniture inside.

In the same manner, the Kurou Hougan opened up additional holes in the building.

In the fourth hole, they found several men in the military uniforms of Imperial Japan.

Meanwhile, at the port of Dagonoura...

Masatsugu's thirty Kanesadas continued to face off against the eighty or so Crusades.

The army of Kanesadas continued to maintain a circle with rifles aimed outwards.

In contrast, the Crusades were diagonally above, overlooking the circle.

They were in a line formation dozens of meters in the air with rifles aimed at the Kanesadas on the ground.

"They don't dare to attack recklessly, huh...? What a great help," Masatsugu muttered to himself. The enemy's caution was in his favor.

The Crusades in the air were in a row. Behind them, riding a white wyvern was a British Chevalier. A man in his prime.

The man had his wyvern circling while he watched the Japanese Legions for movements.

Presumably, this was because Masatsugu had not ordered his Legions to attack. Since a while ago, Masatsugu had simply engaged in a profound silent demonstration.

Fighting in populous urban areas would ultimately be against the Charter of Chivalry. Hence, the British army did not dare fire first. They did not wish to actively violate the rules and sow seeds for trouble.

The result was both sides in a standstill for almost ten minutes.

Had a stalemate not occurred, Masatsugu's original plan was to hold their ground defensively to buy ten-odd minutes of time. Of course, avoiding unnecessary fighting would be more than welcome.

Just as Masatsugu was thanking his good fortune, the "eye" in the sky over the tutelary fort emitted noetic waves and singing.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh......

A noesis barrier was formed presently, surrounding the entire tutelary fort. Did Hatsune and the princess enter the fort and succeed in finding the hostages?

"No matter what the result, next comes a struggle for survival."

As soon as he said that, Masatsugu heard a loud noise.

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhnnnnn!

From the Fuji tutelary fort came a roar.

The sound reached the urban area near the port from the rural wetlands. A Legion was howling using its mouth behind the mask. This was called a War Cry.

This singing and shouting came from a winged giant soldier that were not human.

—When retreating from the tutelary fort, use the Kurou Hougan's voice as a signal.

Masatsugu had given this instruction to Hatsune in advance. Hearing the agreed signal, Masatsugu said quietly, "All men draw your swords. Prepare to charge."

The thirty Kanesadas immediately acted.

Their bayonet rifles—rifles outfitted with blades—instantly turned into Japanese swords. And it was a fabulously renowned sword, Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada, the personal blade of Hijikata Toshizō.

The thirty Kanesada emitted protective barrier particles from their entire bodies.

Barrier particles usually glowed white but the Kanesada's were red-purple, the same color as their armor. Moreover, the Kanesadas were exuding more than the glow of the protective barrier.

All Kanesadas were giving off frightening bloodlust , determined to cut through all obstacles in their path.

This terrifying aura undoubtedly belonged to the "Merciless" Shinsengumi Vice-Commander.

"Attack!"

Masatsugu ordered his army and the Kanesadas entered the flat seigan stance.

The eighty-something Crusades on alert in the sky also deployed a protective barrier and reflexively pulled their triggers. They were probably intimidated by the katana-wielding army's bloodlust and terrifying aura.

Naturally, the Crusades were targeting the thirty Kanesadas in a circle formation on the ground.

Just as the rifles shot beams capable of vaporizing asphalt...

Masatsugu's army kicked the ground and took flight. Instead of dashing at the Crusade army in front of them, they made a detour around the enemy and continued to accelerate fiercely.

It turned out that the Kanesada army was flying to the Fuji tutelary fort at high speed!

A rain of flashing light struck the thirty Kanesadas' former location from two seconds ago.

Already firing, the Crusades were unable to track the Kanesadas with their beams in time. Masatsugu had executed a feint using bloodlust precisely to take advantage of this.

The pier at the port was less than five kilometers from the Fuji tutelary fort.

The Kanesadas flew over the city, leaving residential areas. It only took ten-odd seconds to reach the beautiful natural scenery of the wetlands.

The protective barrier around the Legions shielded Masatsugu from the effects of speed and g-forces.

"Ignore the lightning. Go straight ahead."

Along the way, the Kanesada's encountered descending lightning strikes.

A meteorological decree invoked by the ifrit Morgan le Fay.

Fortunately, the thirty Kanesadas were in a packed spherical formation. The protective barrier would be able to withstand several seconds of continuous lightning strikes.

The star-shaped walls of the tutelary fort came into sight.

However, a non-physical shield—the noesis barrier—was blocking the way. Unless the barrier was removed, there was no way to break inside the tutelary fort.

"Next task—Penetrate!"

From atop a Kanesada in the center of the spherical formation, Masatsugu issued orders to the whole army.

This was a "word of kill" ordaining certain death. First, four Kanesadas accelerated and left the spherical formation to collide with one part of the noesis barrier.

The four Kanesadas formed a row while extending their katanas with both hands.

Four katanas stabbed into the noesis barrier. The remaining twenty-five Kanesadas rushed with full momentum behind the earlier four and pushed their backs in unison. Only the Kanesada carrying Masatsugu did not take action.

This attack opened up a series of four holes in the noesis barrier.

The holes of similar size grew, finally becoming one big hole. The twenty-nine Legions under Masatsugu rushed into the tutelary fort.

The Kanesadas' katana offensive even managed to slice through a small part of an impregnable noesis barrier—

This was the power of the renowned blade Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada's Feat of Arms—Gankouken. Its effect was to bestow Legions with Hijikata Toshizō's weapon and infantry tactics for slaughtering enemies with swordsmanship.

A Kamuy-like Legion flew over to the Kanesada army that had created the huge hold.

"Onii-sama, you really came!"

The Kamuy had red armor with a white garment on top—A Kurou Hougan Legion.

Hatsune was sitting on its right shoulder. A shoulder was not a particularly stable spot, but Chevaliers and Legions were linked by mystic power, so cases of Chevaliers falling off were extremely rare.

Hatsune looked calm and composed, evidently getting used to a Chevalier's powers.

Two blue wyverns came flying from behind. Shiori had told Hatsune to bring retainer beast talismans, so the wyverns must have manifested from them.

Shiori was riding on of the wyverns which had a saddle to sit on.

The second wyvern was carrying three Japanese men dressed in uniforms of military officers. They all looked gloomy and listless, but fortunately, their lives were not in danger.

Thus, the "princess and her knights" converged successfully, exiting the noesis barrier.

"Princess, are you okay?"

"Yes, nothing to worry about. Thank you for your efforts too, Masatsugu-sama."

"What about those three?"

Masatsugu looked at the three Chevaliers who had almost become hostages.

They were young men between twenty and thirty years of age. Their names were respectively Habuna, Maike, and Tabi. The three of them thanked Masatsugu meekly. Unfortunately, their Appellations were sealed and had to be unsealed at Suruga before they could summon Kamuys again.

From his Legion's shoulder, Masatsugu jumped behind the princess, onto the wyvern she was riding.

The two of them sat on one saddle to ride the same wyvern. This was to help out Shiori who was not a skilled rider. Just as they were about to escape—

"Onii-sama, over there!"

Masatsugu looked as directed, turning his head towards the port.

The eighty-odd Crusades he had left behind were gradually approaching. Their movement speed was not high and they had already aimed their rifles at Masatsugu's group. Just as he was pondering how to escape—

Hatsune said from the Kurou Hougan's shoulder.

"Wait, leave the rest to me!"

"What did you say?"

"I feel it—Yoshitsune's Appellation says he's got a good plan."

Hatsne was not a proper Chevalier yet, but her abilities were definitely developing. Sensing that she had an idea, Masatsugu nodded and said, "Got it. Go ahead and try it out."

"Yeah, I got this!" Hatsune replied energetically then slowly lowered her voice. "...When penetrating enemy territory, know locations to avoid and identify poorly guarded lines of retreat to ensure certain escape. Charge the enemy, break their formation, take no prisoners. Behold my Feat of Arms—Kotouhisshutsu!"

As Masatsugu predicted, Hatsune was going to invoke a Feat of Arms.

After reciting a mantra that sounded like principles from a military classic, Hatsune said loudly, "Onii-sama, follow me!"

The Kurou Hougan released powerful noesis and flew west.

In front of them were the eighty-odd Crusades that Masatsugu had confronted at the pier. In spite of that, Masatsugu did as told and ordered his Legions to follow.

The thirty Kanesadas caught up with the Kurou Hougan that had moved out first.

...Immediately, the view before their eyes changed dramatically.

Spontaneously, their army had arrived in the sky over the Fuji River. It was the river they had reached a few hours ago, traveling by Mibu wolves to cross the mountains.

"What?"

The Fuji River's did not have a huge quantity of water flowing through it. Its gravelly sandbanks and shores were very striking.

The tutelary fort was roughly ten kilometers from the Fuji River. Unbelievably, their army had traversed this distance instantaneously. Furthermore, Masatsugu and the others had not experienced any sensation of "high-speed flight."

Following the Kurou Hougan, they had arrived here "just like that."

There was no feeling of speed or g-forces. The Kanesada army had not consumed any ectoplasmic fluid either.

"It appears that Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune's Feat of Arms..." Shiori said with surprise all over her face.

During the process, the Kanesadas and the wyverns continued to fly west—in other words, towards Suruga. They crossed the Fuji River and came to the sky over the highland forests of Mount Oomaru, Mount Kanamaru, Mount Amagoi, and Mount Arashi.

"...Can achieve instantaneous movement so long as the distance is not too great—A type of teleportation power. Perhaps it is a reenactment of the legends of the Hyodori-goe surprise assault and jumping over eight ships."

"P-P-P-P-Probably, Princess..."

Of everyone present, only Hatsune was out of breath.

She looked like she had just finished a sprinting competition. This Feat of Arms evidently took a huge toll on the Chevalier leading the army.

Hatsune was so tired that her eyes were spinning. Masatsugu ordered the Kanesadas to stop mid-flight.

The wyverns carrying him, Shiori, and the three Chevaliers also stopped. The wyverns flapped their wings, hovering in one place in the air.

Meanwhile, the exhausted Hatsune said proudly, "A-Anyway, now that we're here, all that's left to do is run as fast as we can! Our operation was a success!"

"...No, it is still too early to say that."

Masatsugu observed Fuji City from where they had just traversed using teleportation.

Over in the air above the tutelary fort, Morgan le Fay's gigantic eye avatar remained manifested. Its gaze was directed straight at Masatsugu and company.

A Chevalier's sharp instincts informed Masatsugu.

The eyeball's noetic waves and gaze were following them relentlessly.

"Morgan le Fay has not lost our trail. It knows where we are."

"Huh!?" Hatsune exclaimed in surprise.

A "voice" was instantly heard in this airspace.

(Precisely, so... Chevaliers of Japan. I am, the genie Morrigan. The controller of the ifrit Morgan le Fay.)

It was not a real human voice but sound formed from noetic waves.

The soprano voice sounded adorable, but the tone was a bit choppy.

The source was overhead . A giant eyeball, seven or eight meters in diameter, was hovering in the air above, surrounded by a powerful vortex of noetic waves.

Its appearance was very similar to the gigantic eyeball over the Fuji tutelary fort.

(Give up, on your futile escape. Even if you land, and hide in the mountains, I, the spirit Morrigan, will never lose your trail. I will definitely, catch you.)

Sure enough, nothing was ever easy on the battlefield.

Masatsugu shrugged. Whatever. In truth, he did not really care. After all, he was prepared to fight all-out to retreat. However, his brow furrowed slightly when he heard the following notice.

(Also, here is some unfortunate news, for you. Morrigan originally asked, a Chevalier at the Fuji tutelary fort... Sir Gary to pursue you. But now, another Chevalier happened to return.)

Could it be Richard the Lionheart?

Masatsugu frowned and pondered. Did the Resurrectee whose chase took him in Motosu's direction return? However, an even worse scenario overturned Masatsugu's hypothesis.

(This person has flippant tendencies despite being the commander-in-chief. This time, he will surely take care of you personally.)

"Morrigan! Don't you have anything better to say than calling me 'flippant'?"

A young voice suddenly interrupted, retorting against the comment delivered through noetic waves.

Instantly, a rider on a British white wyvern arrived. He was dressed in a black military officer's uniform. A handsome man with silver hair.

Unmistakably, he was the Chevalier whom Masatsugu had spotted from afar, the day he swore his oath of fealty to Shiori.

Masatsugu was very certain, this was none other but Edward the Black Prince himself.

### 032. Part 4

October 31.

Half a month had elapsed since the Restoration Alliance's invasion of Shizuoka.

Early this morning, a messenger pipe fox sent by Nagoya arrived at the Suruga tutelary fort, bringing news that three tutelary forts in Tōkaidō had fallen yesterday and the day before.

"This means that Nagoya's situation is getting dire just like ours?"

"Compared to Suruga, which is left alone for now, it might be more dangerous in a certain sense."

Masatsugu was accompanying Hatsune to pay respects at a tomb.

It was 2pm or so. There were no other people at the cemetery apart from them. This peaceful cemetery was located at the Abe River on the west side of Suruga and near the home of "the real Tachibana Masatsugu."

"Onii-sama... Sorry for not visiting until now. The clan's duties and service to the princess will be undertaken properly by me and this Onii-sama here. Please rest in peace."

"That's a really complicated way of putting things," Masatsugu muttered while putting his palms together in front of the tomb together with Hatsune.

Before them was a tomb marker reading "Tomb of the Tachibana Clan." Next to it was a small stone tablet inscribed with the entombed's names.

The latest name was "Tachibana Masatsugu," preceded by Masatsugu's parents, then grandparents—

"When they buried the real one , they still carved his name on the stone... Fortunately, I only stole his identity but not his tombstone as well."

This was probably a tiny bit of compensation secretly provided by Hatsune's father and elders in the clan when they took the name of the young Tachibana who had died prematurely to give to an unidentified Resurrectee.

Masatsugu only noticed this thoughtfulness when he saw the stone tablet today.

After praying for "the real one," Masatsugu said, "Hatsune, please accept my thanks and apologies to the real one. If possible, please stay behind me as much as possible when on the battlefield."

"Oh my, Onii-sama, you're going to protect me?"

Hatsune sounded slightly offended, as befitted a member of a clan of heroes who prided themselves on strength.

Masatsugu shook his head. "No, what I mean is... You should observe me carefully to learn how battles are fought. Until you become full-fledged, I am willing to do what I can."

"That's cool. However, I am a bit surprised."

"Surprised?"

"I thought you'd be more of a lone wolf in combat."

"A fresh recruit can't do everything on the battlefield and needs looking after in the first place. And the one to look after Tachibana Hatsune is precisely me, Tachibana Masatsugu, that's all."

Masatsugu shared his thoughts and came to realize something.

Judging from this, back in the past, did he also follow someone to learn about how battles were fought? Probably... Yes?

Following strong, fierce, and persevering men, he had rode to the ends of the earth on many occasions—

Just as he felt certain he had lived such a life...

"Oh my? It's an alarm!?"

Hatsune jumped in fright. An alarm was blaring through the public speakers all over Suruga City, accompanied by a broadcast message urging civilians to take refuge indoors.

With tacit acknowledgement, the two of them immediately left the cemetery.

Naturally, they were not going to take shelter. Tachibana Masatsugu and Hatsune were Chevaliers defending this city.

"Onii-sama, let's hurry to the tutelary fort!"

"Hmm?"

At the cemetery parking lot, Hatsune hurried Masatsugu, but he noticed something was off.

Something was flying at high speed from south of Suruga Bay, heading straight to the center of town near the train station. A normal person's eyesight would probably mistake it for an airplane.

"A red Crusade... It's King Richard's Legion!"

They had seen this type of Crusade three days ago, but for some reason, there was only a single one flying.

Unlike the capital's city center, Suruga did not have many tall buildings. Hence, Masatsugu's excellent eyesight was able to see the red Crusade from the cemetery in the suburbs.

Another shadow in the sky also concerned him.

A wyvern was flying in front, leading the Crusade.

Masatsugu could clearly see a Chevalier riding on the wyvern.

### 033. Part 4

It was midnight and November 7th had just started.

Just earlier, Hatsune's surrogate older brother, Tachibana Masatsugu, had flown off from the dorm premises, riding a wyvern summoned by Princess Shiori using noetic control.

He had gone to intercept the thousand Escalibors coming from the Fuji tutelary fort.

Tonight, Richard I had finally made his move.

It was a yatagarasu that reported to the Suruga tutelary fort of Richard's advance, in other words, the retainer beast that Shiori had summoned at the Fuji River's shore and left there for reconnaissance.

Hatsune was also prepared for battle but this time, she was staying back on defense duty.

This was the largest enemy army to attack so far, after all. Hatsune was still a novice Chevalier and could very likely get in Masatsugu's way. Hatsune was filled with mixed feelings including relief and disappointment.

"Princess, the car will be at the dorm soon. Please wait a moment!"

"Mm-hmm..."

Helping her exhausted lady, Hatsune spoke gentle words.

They had just left the entrance of princess' private quarters, Black Lily Dorm. Shiori had changed out of the yukata she wore for bed and into a clean blouse and skirt. Her platinum blonde hair had also been tied in a ponytail with a ribbon by Hatsune.

They were about to head to the Suruga tutelary fort to be present at the command center for the interception operation.

However, Shiori was truly exhausted tonight. Unable to stand on her own, she had to lean on Hatsune for support.

Her face was pale and her breathing was heavy. The symptoms resembled anemia.

"Uh, Princess, do you have a fever... Or did you do something to overexhaust yourself?"

Hatsune was going to ask if she had a fever but changed her question midway.

She could not forget the intimate act between Shiori and Masatsugu that she had secretly witnessed before news of Richard's attack arrived. Back then, Hatsune had sensed something resembling mystic power between the two of them...

The princess gave an unexpected answer.

"I have mentioned before that Masatsugu-sama cannot replenish his ectoplasmic fluid the normal way. However, he is able to use a Feat of Arms to steal ectoplasmic fluid from either a Chevalier or a princess of a sacred beast's bloodline. I have been providing it to him every day..."

"Eh!?"

"Perhaps I am reaching the limit of my physical stamina..."

"P-Princess, there is nothing more important than your health. Why must you go so far!?"

Hatsune expressed her concern in surprise but the imperial princess shook her head with dignity.

"As a leader, I must commit everything in my ability to help my retainer to draw out the full extent of his power. Besides, Masatsugu-sama also—"

Shiori smiled gently for a moment.

"Fufu, he said he was willing to offer his life to me, so I must respond to him with commensurate resolve. If the blood that flows through me is truly noble, then all the more reason for me to do so..."

"Princess..."

The princess expressed utmost resolve and actually committed ideals to action.

In this regard, Hatsune's surrogate brother—the Resurrectee whose true identity was unknown—Tachibana Masatsugu, was the same. He had protected the princess many times and kept Suruga safe. Using his wit, vigor, and life as weapons, he had compensated for the limited number of Legions at his disposal.

Determination took root in Hatsune's heart.

Riding a blue wyvern, Tachibana Masatsugu was flying alone through the sky over Suruga City.

He was accompanied by an army without humans.

This army consisted of the red-purple Kamuy Legions known as the "Kanesadas," numbering 360—

Masatsugu had converted all of the ectoplasmic fluid granted by Princess Shiori into winged giant soldiers. The Legions were surrounding Masatsugu in a packed spherical formation.

Flying at a speed of fifty to sixty kilometers per hour, this would be considered marching speed.

Maintaining this sort of low-speed flight required almost no consumption of ectoplasmic fluid on the Legions' part.

"...Riding a wyvern isn't bad at all."

A wyvern's body was roughly twice the size of a racehorse.

Masatsugu was riding the wyvern's massive body on a saddle with his feet planted in the stirrups and reins tightly in his hand.

Frequently "riding horses" in his past life, Masatsugu was very accustomed to this style. This was something he realized during the retreat from Fuji City.

Of course, retainer beasts were born to serve humans and quite intelligent.

They flew steadily and even amateur riders need not worry about falling off. Furthermore, it only took minimal directions for them to understand the rider's intent, unlike horses that required experienced equestrian skill.

In any case, Masatsugu's army flew along Suruga Bay's coast.

When he reached the mountain road that crossed Suruga City, he discovered the enemy in the sky over Satsuta Ridge.

The British army of red was approaching from the Fuji direction.

The other side was not flying fast either. The approaching army of elite troops was precisely the crimson Escalibors.

"Exactly a thousand... Outnumbering my army three to one. Looks like the enemy isn't holding back anything in the attack."

Chevaliers were able to instantly count each other's armies by sensing their noesis.

Looking at the thousand Escalibors, Masatsugu muttered to himself.

The red army was also in a spherical formation. Both sides were using the same formation. In a frontal clash between 1000 versus 360, the battle would be settled in a matter of minutes.

The side with superior numbers would have greater firepower from their rifles.

Moreover, closely packed Legions would generate protective barriers whose particles overlapped, increasing defensive power.

The two armies were some distance apart. At this rate, they would soon get into range for a shootout. Masatsugu issued a command before that.

"Scatter."

Instantly, the 360 Kanesadas broke out of their packed formation.

Masatsugu's Legions had flown in a packed formation within arm's length of one another.

Now, the formation collapsed and all Kanesadas scattered .

They distanced themselves from each other all at once, separated by over dozens of meters.

The Kanesadas approached the thousand Escalibors while scattered. Hence, the British and the Japanese forces clashed in the sky over Mount Satsuta.

The thousand British knights were in a packed sphere—

Looking from afar, they seemed like a "giant crimson ball" floating in the air.

Richard's army of Escalibors stopped over Mount Satsuta, hovering motionlessly. This was like how a great yokozuna would confidently take on a weaker sumo wrestler.

Naturally, the Suruga side did not have the luxury of doing the same.

After scattering, Masatsugu's 360 Legions became "a loose collection of red-purple flying dots." They attacked the crimson sphere from all directions.

"Begin to fire. Harass them like annoying mosquitoes." Masatsugu ordered while staying back as the commander on his wyvern mount.

Both the British and the Japanese troops began to exchange rifle fire.

From every Legion's muzzle, scorching beams were fired incessantly.

The Suruga side's shots were ineffective against the solid protective barrier of the thousand Escalibor's packed formation. Moving around haphazardly nearby, the Kanesadas attacked, firing rifle shots like insect stings.

Even ten thousand stings could not harm the sphere's iron defense.

Needless to say, the 360 "red-purple mosquitoes" swarming the "giant crimson ball" were shot down one after another.

Masatsugu smiled, unconcerned about the unfavorable situation.

After all, maintaining a packed formation to exchange fire would result in rapid annihilation at the enemy's hands.

"Let's start saying hello the Hijikata Toshizō—Shinsengumi—way."

Shooting down the scattered Kanesadas meant spreading gunfire over a wide area.

In other words, the density of gunfire would decrease.

Of course, Legions were capable of firing their rifles at a rate of ten shots per second, so charging against this curtain of death would inevitably lead to casualties.

However, using this Feat of Arms would slightly lengthen their survival duration.

"All men draw your swords. Time for you to enter the stage."

Riding his wyvern, Masatsugu was wearing an officer's black jacket over his student uniform.

The sheathed Japanese sword hanging on his belt was his personal blade, Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada. With his left hand on the sword's hilt, he invoked the Feat of Arms—Gankouken.

The red-purple Kanesada Legions' weapons all turned into Hijikata Toshizō's famous sword.

Guarding their center line, the Kanesadas raised their swords to use as defensive shields. This was the tactic they had used to counter the Garter Knights' longbow formation.

"Compared to the arrows of the Garter Knights... Mere rifle fire is nothing but child's play."

The Kanesadas started to use swordsmanship in response to Masatsugu's expectations.

The Escalibors' flashing rain of light was sweeping over all directions. The Kanesadas blocked the approaching beams with deft moves of the sword by slight twists of the wrist.

Among them, some Kanesadas dodged the shots directly.

With a slight turn of their upper torso, they dodged the deadly attacks.

This level of eyesight was truly a godly feat. Sensing bloodlust beforehand to evade gunfire—Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada had empowered the Legions to reenact an experienced Chevalier's skillful techniques.

The Kanesadas were no longer "red-purple mosquitoes."

Instead, they were a team of master swordsmen sent to suppress the British army's packed formation from all directions.

...Naturally, superb swordsmanship alone was not enough to overcome the unfavorable numerical odds of three to one. All the enemy had to do was focus fire, giving up the scattered offensive in all directions, and even Hijikata Toshizō's swordsmanship would find it difficult to resist.

However, swordsmanship was ultimately one of the few advantages on the Suruga side.

The current priority was to make full use of this advantage to buy time. To approach the enemy all at once, to provoke that man's zeal and lure him into going "all-out"—

Just as Masatsugu was preparing to put his plan into motion...

"What—?"

Tachibana Masatsugu, usually calm and composed, widened his eyes in surprise.

For better or worse, the Lionheart was prone to whims of fancy and this time was no exception.

"Oh? So that is the legendary tachi of the samurai... What dazzling luster and strength, a match for my Escalibor, the sword of King Arthur."

Richard was riding a white wyvern.

The white wyvern was located in the center of the spherical formation of the thousand Escalibors.

"Hohohoho. So the villain of Suruga turns out to be a man who entrusts his ideals to the sword too?"

It was rumored that one of the Chevaliers defending Suruga could be a Resurrectee.

Instead of turtling inside the tutelary fort, the enemy had actively gone out to fight a skirmish.

Presumably, he must have made the call that there was no advantage in fighting Richard in a siege battle. Or perhaps, he was simply a man who enjoyed fighting out on the field. In any case, he was unlike Richard's past opponents.

"Excellent, now this is a worthy opponent for a knight. My army, respond properly to the enemy's spirit!"

Richard had changed out of the combat attire of common soldiers.

Once again, he was wearing an officer's black uniform along with his crimson cape. Seated on the saddle of his wyvern, Richard drew the sword hanging at his waist.

"Stop shooting, my knights! Brandish the royal sword to fight!"

All Escalibors obeyed their master's command and stopped firing.

The roughly three hundred red-purple Legions were scattered around Richard's spherical formation, fighting with drawn swords.

"Scatter yourselves too. Break formation and fight in melee at your own discretion."

Medieval Europe was where Richard the king and knight had roamed the battlefield.

Back then, the aristocracy shunned projectiles, condemning them as "cruel weapons." The reason was because such weapons would cause unnecessary casualties. Using bows, even nameless commoners were able to kill fierce knights.

However, Richard did not hate projectile weapons.

Projectiles were able to end battles swiftly and the straightforward Lionheart liked this aspect. On the medieval battlefield, he too had actively deployed crossbows.

His collateral descendant Edward's Feat of Arms involving bows and arrows was perhaps a continuation of his legacy.

That being said, the Lionheart's true preference lay in the sword, the horse, and the lance swung on horseback.

"Cut down the samurai's swords and the men of Suruga, Escalibors!"

Escalibor was the magic sword appearing in King Arthur's legends and Richard had named his personal sword after it.

Escalibor was cognate to the English name "Excalibur." Richard the Lionheart was enamored with the knightly ideal in King Arthur's legends.

"So the other side has broken out of formation too?"

Masatsugu muttered with a frown.

Both armies were clashing in the sky over Mount Satsuta. Masatsugu had led 360 Legions while Richard's Escalibors numbered 1000 and had formed in a packed formation.

Normally speaking, the key to victory lay in "how to make the enemy's formation collapse."

But this time, Richard had discarded the packed formation on his own initiative. Unencumbered by a formation, the thousand British legions attacked the Kanesadas freely.

"Impulsive... Yet his instincts are rather sharp. What a troublesome move he made."

Seeing the two armies locked in a chaotic skirmish, Masatsugu clicked his tongue.

Melee combat could be seen everywhere in the sky over Mount Satsuta.

Instead of firing their rifles, the Escalibors were using the bayonets on the front end of the barrel to exchange blows with Japanese swords, determined to pierce their enemies with deadly blades.

The Kanesadas still held the advantage in melee combat.

Brandishing their renowned blades, they exhibited the swordsmanship of Hijikata Toshizō and the Shinsengumi again and again.

For example, they used the flat seigan stance to execute mid-level slashes, severing the British Legions' rifles; or blocking the enemy's slash then following through with a slice through their crimson abdomen; or entering a low stance, luring the British knights to attack, then slicing through the enemy's jaw and face from below—

All kinds of amazing sword moves demonstrated that samurai pride was intact.

In contrast, the Escalibors had no such skill with the sword. However, they were physically two sizes bigger than the Kanesadas and had overwhelming strength.

The British knights were coarse in their use of blades, but plenty fast and effective.

They used light thrusts in fencing style, trying to overwhelm their opponents with speed. The instant their weapons clashed, they switched to using their bodies to smash into the Kanesadas. No matter how difficult Tennen Rishin Style swordsmanship was to handle, they did not give up on finding momentary openings to slash the bodies and armor of the Kanesadas—

...The Kanesadas were faster at slaughtering enemies.

However, the Escalibors were not much worse. Besides, they still had a numerical advantage of three to one.

As the melee battle persisted, the Lionheart's army was clearly going to win.

"If he held the formation and fought me slow and steadily, I could still engage using all kinds of little tricks..."

Masatsugu shrugged.

During a skirmish, what mattered was the strength of individual soldiers and numbers .

Richard I had unintentionally avoided troublesome calculations and instinctively chosen the battlefield's golden truth of "winning through simple brute force."

This was the cleanest tactic towards victory, giving the enemy no room for tricks and guile.

"Impressive as always, the Lionheart. Even if he is a rash fool... No, precisely because he is a big fool who is super rash, that's why he is especially difficult to handle."

Richard I was probably a "war genius."

Masatsugu was very impressed. The Lionheart had found the method to victory through instinct and personality, overcoming theory and established tactics in the process. If someone like that was not a genius, who would be a genius?

"Compared to him, I'm just a dog at most."

Leaving the chaotic battlefield, Masatsugu surveyed the entire battlefield.

He had his wyvern rise to a higher altitude for him to overlook the two armies locked in battle. The crimson British knights and the red-purple samurai were producing a clamor of clashing blades and scorching wind pressure.

The armor of Legions cracked open from time to time with a splatter of blue ectoplasmic fluid.

Masatsugu found his target.

In the middle of the chaotic battle, the Lionheart was roaming the battlefield with his wyvern—

The enemy general was located. Chevaliers were able to experience what their Legions saw and heard. A Kanesada that had witnessed Richard informed Masatsugu of the precise coordinates.

"...Dogs have their own way of fighting. Let's go."

Masatsugu patted his blue wyvern's neck, ordering it to charge.

He was going to charge into the carnage for a "one-on-one duel of valor."

Of course, the enemy was the fierce Richard I. Masatsugu's cheek twitched to smile proudly. The duel that was coming up next had nothing to do with chivalry or samurai spirit.

Masatsugu decided to make effective use of his most prided tactics from the ancient past.

If one were to describe Masatsugu as a dog, then he would definitely be a "hound."

The blue wyvern gradually accelerated, its altitude decreasing. It was charging towards a corner of the battlefield where King Richard was.

It was finally time to hunt the lion.

### 034. Part 4

"Ugh... I think I might've overdone it."

Riding his wyvern, Masatsugu had quietly left the Kanesada army.

Currently, the red-purple Legions had joined forces with Akigase Rikka's Kamuys to hit the Lionheart's army with a pincer attack, putting them at an overwhelming advantage.

However, Masatsugu's blood loss was too severe.

His consciousness fading, he was often making mistakes in wyvern control.

By the time he realized, he was some distance from the battlefield. Just as he tightened the reins, intending to return to the battlefield, a messenger pipe fox appeared on his shoulder.

'Onii-sama, look down. Come over to me!'

"What?"

Using noetic waves, the pipe fox was transmitting Hatsune's message.

Mount Udo was below. The Suruga tutelary fort was located on the highlands formed from the two small mountains of Mount Kunou and Mount Udo. The highest peak was only three hundred meters in elevation or so.

Looking down from the air, Masatsugu immediately noticed something unusual.

It was late at night and equally dark in the low-elevation mountains. However, a faint light was moving left and right down there. Masatsugu tried to land.

As expected, it was Hatsune.

Dressed in Haikara-san style, the little sister was waving a flashlight from the ground.

Hatsune was on a military road with a giant white wolf by here side—a Mibu wolf on lying on the ground on standby. When the wyvern landed on the road, the Mibu wolf remained unperturbed. Disciplined and loyal, it had been well-trained.

Masatsugu said from the wyvern's saddle, "What now? I'm a bit busy at the moment... Rather, I will be extremely busy next."

"Richard will be targeting the Kanesadas, right?"

"Yeah, you figured it out too?"

"Of course. I'd do the same in his shoes. The Kanesadas have fought a long battle too... It's just that they're less exhausted compared to the Escalibors."

Hatsune puffed out her chest and analyzed confidently.

Even behind the kimono, the round and full bulge of her bosom was visible.

"In the worst case, all he needs to do is attack the Kanesadas in full force while ignoring Rikka-sama's energetic army. That will definitely be easier to win."

"That's correct. Good intuition."

Masatsugu's cheek twitched in a smile.

He found it difficult to imagine Hatsune becoming a master strategist. But one day, her instincts and bravery would enable her to distinguish herself on the battlefield with many glorious accomplishments.

Like King Richard the Lionheart, for example.

"If you know all that... Then you understand what you need to do?"

"Of course! Upon my Appellation of Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune—"

Masatsugu tested Hatsune and she immediately chanted the holy words of summoning.

The girl in the kimono released a pulse of noetic energy. Although its strength and skill could not match the likes of Edward the Black Prince, Masatsugu was dumbstruck.

The strength of Hatsune's noesis was clearly different from before.

"Assemble now, my Legions!"

Hatsune called out loudly.

The noesis she released to the air transformed into seventy-two Legions.

They resembled Kamuys but were not Kamuys. The top of their helmets were elongated like the eboshi while their armor was deep red with a white garment on top.

The red and white Kamuy variant had received the name of "Kurou Hougan" from Tachibana Hatsune.

A total of seventy-two Legions. Hatsune's power as a Chevalier had thoroughly awakened. Normally speaking, Japanese Chevaliers only had a Chevalier Strength of around 30 to 50.

With a Chevalier Strength of 72, the maiden successor of Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune was quite a formidable force.

Furthermore, Hatsune was still young and had room for future growth.

"Go, my Kurous. Go help Onii-sama's army to fight!"

Hatsune hastily ordered the Legions that had appeared overhead.

The seventy-two Kurou Hougans flew with agility towards the sky where joint forces of the Kamuys and the Kanesadas were fighting the Escalibors.

"Let's command from here."

There was no need to be charging on the front lines. Masatsugu decided to remain on the ground and climbed down from the saddle.

He stumbled when he stood on the ground.

"Are you okay, Onii-sama!?"

"Sort of. Don't worry, I can hold out for a while longer."

In the end, Hatsune lent a shoulder for Masatsugu to lean on and took him to the side of the military road.

Masatsugu sat down and leaned against the guard rail, finally getting a chance to rest his injured body. The rocky flying on a wyvern was physically quite draining.

Fortunately, Hatsune had brought a first aid kit.

Swiftly removing Masatsugu's jacket and stiff-collar uniform, Hatsune bared Masatsugu's upper half.

She first applied disinfecting alcohol to the wound on his flank, put on gauze, then wrapped bandages around his entire abdomen. Her movements were deft and clean.

"Nice skills. Are you experienced in treating wounds?"

"Yeah, I often got hurt along with my companions back when we were learning all kinds of things."

After giving a reply befitting a clan of larger-than-life characters, Hatsune sighed lightly and said, "Before going off to battle, Onii-sama, you said taking a hit from Richard might be a good method. I never thought you'd do it for real..."

"Simple necessity. Had I not done so, he would've been suspicious of my retreat."

As soon as the master died, the Legions under his command would become disorganized rabble.

It was very logical for a wounded Chevalier to retreat so as to avoid dying in combat.

"Besides, this is a wound with relatively few repercussions apart from blood loss at most. Anyway, it should be fine. Just give me a bit of alcohol and sew it up later, and it's all good."

"Wow, you really sound like an ancient general from the Sengoku period. That's fantastic."

"Not like. I am an ancient general."

"That's true. O-Oh right, Onii-sama."

Masatsugu was currently leaning against the guard rail of the road.

Hatsune was sitting next to him. She suddenly looked down and stuttered in a rare moment of bashfulness.

"Actually... I promised the princess."

"You promised her what?"

"She was originally supposed to come over to help... g-give you ectoplasmic fluid. But her body is at its limit, so I came in her stead—"

"Oh?"

Usually energetic and cheerful, Hatsune was having difficulty broaching the subject.

This previously unseen side to Hatsune was utterly adorable. Masatsugu leaned forward towards her, but the abdominal wound stung, causing him to frown.

"A-Are you okay, Onii-sama...?"

"I'm fine. Say, Hatsune."

Masatsugu reached out and held his little sister's hand.

The kimono girl's shoulders shuddered. She looked so sweet and innocent. Masatsugu learned something from her reaction.

"You came to share ectoplasmic fluid with me, knowing what I did to the princess, right?"

"Um, yes... I-I came across it by chance and couldn't help overhearing..."

Hatsune was blushing to her ears in embarrassment.

She was not used to talking about scandalous topics. Considering Hatsune's pure and innocent personality... Perhaps she had no past experience in this area at all.

"Right, and you're a Chevalier now." Masatsugu whispered in Hatsune's ear. Her body stiffened increasingly.

She was very tense in both body and mind. Masatsugu did not plan on doing anything until she relaxed. Holding the little sister's hand in his cold palm, he said calmly.

"I was negligent to overlook the possibility of asking you for help. But I don't like forcing a girl to do things either."

"I-I came here to help you, so it's not forcing," Hatsune declared firmly but continued timidly, "It's just that... Umm, it's scary to commit, I've never been in a similar situation, so it feels very weird right now..."

"It's only natural for a maiden to feel this way. Don't worry about it."

"I-It's reached this stage, but now I feel... embracing a man might be too soon for me. To some extent, I feel this is something that should be done after officially going out with an eye for marriage!"

"Marriage, huh?"

"B-But don't you worry, Onii-sama!" Hatsune clenched her fist and smiled bravely. "It's common for a man and a woman to embrace each other for people like dancers or ballerinas. It's okay, I've prepared myself. It's honestly okay—"

"Meaning that it's fine as long as I marry you, right?"

"Huh?"

Masatsugu said to the surprised little sister. "The way I see it, you're not only a a suitable partner for marriage... but also a woman I admire a lot. If that's the kind of relationship you want to build, I'm willing to give it serious thought."

"W-What crazy things are you saying, Onii-sama!?"

"You're an accomplished martial artist with a brave heart. Your boundless energy, vibrant cheerfulness, and unpredictable behavior all make you very adorable to me."

"Didn't you say before that I'm not on your mind at all!?"

"Of course. But now, we're talking marriage here."

Hatsune was very flustered.

Masatsugu continued calmly, "However, if I think about you as prospects for marriage... I believe that the man who gets to spend his life with Tachibana Hatsune will be a happy man indeed."

"O-Onii-sama! Stop it with the sweet talking!"

Hatsune had relaxed her body without knowing it.

Perhaps the conversation had relieved her nervous feelings somewhat. Holding her hand the entire time, Masatsugu knew that her shoulder was no longer tense.

Looking at their hands clasped together, Hatsune lowered her head again.

She was still shy but no longer expressed resistance.

"So... What do we do next? T-Tell me, Onii-sama."

"It's hard for me to move, so could you come near me?"

"W-We're already quite close. Aren't I next to you...?"

"Come closer."

Masatsugu pulled Hatsune's hand gently and she understood his intent. Hatsune nodded and slowly approached him.

Hatsune stared into Masatsugu's eyes.

Another ten centimeters closer and Masatsugu would be able to kiss her.

They were right next to each other. This time, Masatsugu pulled her forcefully and Hatsune mustered her determination, hugging him timidly.

"Oh—"

"Hatsune, you're so warm."

Leaning against the guard rail, Masatsugu could only lift up his torso.

Hatsune was lying on top of him. Through the meisen kimono, Masatsugu could feel the little sister's voluptuousness and warmth.

"O-Onii-sama, you're so cold..."

Hatsune had undressed Masatsugu earlier to treat his wound, so she was aware of the changes in his body temperature.

Due to the heavy blood loss and having to supply the Kanesadas with ectoplasmic fluid, Masatsugu's body was even colder than usual.

"When sharing ectoplasmic fluid with you, the princess dresses very lightly... Is there some kind of special meaning in that?"

"Of course. Dressing lightly means it's easier for me to feel the temperature of the blood flowing under your skin and inside your body. What I need is the ectoplasmic fluid that has melded into your flesh and blood."

"I... see."

After a moment's thought, Hatsune got up.

She shyly removed her meisen kimono and hakama in front of Masatsugu, leaving only a hemp undershirt.

The white and flimsy fabric offered see-through glimpses at Hatsune's skin.

Next, she untied the string at her waist. The front of the undershirt opened up to reveal a full view of the seductive underwear beneath. Over her chest, she was wearing a special tank top-style brassiere for pairing with traditional Japanese clothing. her slim waist and pale thighs were also in display.

"Q-Quit staring, Onii-sama."

Saying that, Hatsune turned her head, too embarrassed to make eye contact.

Blushing to her ears, she approached and positioned herself on top of him again. Thanks to her undressing, Masatsugu was treated to a view of Hatsune's wonderful cleavage from up close.

"H-How is this?"

"Excellent. Sorry for the trouble."

"No, it's okay. Onii-sama, both you and the princess work hard and do everything personally. I can't lose to you."

Now that Hatsune had removed her clothing, it was easier for Masatsugu to feel her warmth.

Virtually half-naked, Hatsune was lying on top of Masatsugu, using her palms to warm his shoulders and upper arm, but his temperature still remained cold.

Hatsune gathered her courage and hugged him tightly, wrapping her arms around the back of his neck.

Their bodies were pressed even more tightly together. Hatsune's bountiful bust was also compressed against Masatsugu's chest.

The soft and heavy sensation was mixed with tender elasticity.

So far, Masatsugu had been enjoying this sort of intimate contact.

Now, the sensation became even clearer. Immersed in indescribable pleasure, Masatsugu absorbed the body heat she offered to him.

However, Hatsune said sadly, "S-Sorry, I'm not used to this. Am I doing it badly?"

"Not at all. What makes you think that?"

"Because your body is still so cold..."

"Don't worry, it usually takes some time."

"Really...? But if there's another way, you have to tell me, okay? After all, this is an ongoing issue and I have to work hard to learn how to help you."

"Ongoing issue?"

Hatsune had only become a Chevalier recently.

She had not replenished her ectoplasmic fluid many times so the mystic power stored in her body was quite low. Masatsugu did not want to strain her too much today—

"The princess' state of health isn't too good, right? If this is the reason for that, I have help out starting tomorrow."

"That's right. I didn't think of that."

"Ah."

"What's wrong?"

"Onii-sama, your body is warming up slightly."

"It's all thanks to you."

"Fufufufu. I'm so happy. This feeling is incredible."

Hatsune smiled tenderly, pressing her chest even more tightly against him.

This sensation provided a different kind of enjoyment from obtaining warmth. Furthermore, it felt like Hatsune, with her personality not fully matured, was acting affectionate, which Masatsugu found delightful.

"Oh right, Onii-sama. About what we were talking about earlier..."

Hatsune changed the subject.

"Didn't you mention... about going out with an eye for marriage? Can you give me some time to think over it slowly? This is our promise, okay?"

"If you say yes, I don't mind heading over to get registered tomorrow."

"C-Cut the nonsense, okay? This is for a lifetime, so it bears serious consideration! Besides, Onii-sama, you forgot the most important thing!"

"What?"

"According to family registry records, Tachibana Masatsugu hasn't reached eighteen yet. You can't get married!"

"Oh right, that's how it is with Japanese law."

Conversing with Hatsune while hugging together—

Masatsugu could feel his body gradually become burning hot.

Masatsugu was able to obtain substantial ectoplasmic fluid from the reserves provided by Hatsune's body and soul as a new Chevalier.

The Kanesadas born from Tachibana Masatsugu's noesis were heavily fatigued after the long fighting.

But now, they had gained extra strength. Masatsugu nodded contentedly, grateful for the little sister's labors.

Meanwhile, King Richard the Lionheart was on the battlefield—

"Hmm."

The battle was growing more and more intense, but he was forcing himself to relax.

Richard released the reins in his hand and cracked his neck. Then suppressing his natural fervor, he examined the current situation.

...Attacked on both sides after charging the Suruga tutelary fort, the Escalibors were down to less than two hundred and fifty.

...Somewhat annoyingly, seventy Kamuy variants with elongated heads had joined the battle.

...Both sides had given up on formations and switched to chaotic melee combat.

...Most infuriating of all were the red-purple Legions.

Tachibana Masatsugu's katana-using Legions were exhausted, faring not much better than the Escalibors. However, by some unknown trick of magic—

Just earlier, the red-purple Legions had regained their vigor.

From the corner of his eye, Richard saw another "red-purple" chop down an Escalibor with a decisive diagonal slash.

—If the red-purples were exhausted, at least there would be some chance of winning...

At this rate, going on a violent rampage with reckless abandon would only result in a futile death.

"Is it time? Hmph."

Richard was furious as soon as he imagined having to go back and face the Black Prince, lecturing him with a look of exasperation.

However, he would only have a chance to savor this displeasure if he returned alive.

"Escalibors, listen to me. You will fight to the bitter end here at this land of Suruga and sacrifice yourselves for my sake. Just leave seven of you to return with me."

Richard ordered the remaining troops to buy time while he escaped.

Having made his decision, Richard led seven Escalibors and ordered his wyvern to land in the mountainous terrain below. He was going to slip into the mountains under the cover of night to make his way to Suruga Bay. Then either flying on the sea surface or moving underwater, he would return to the Fuji tutelary fort.

"So be it. Fickle fortune decided to side against me today, that is all," said Richard quietly, gritting his teeth.

King Richard the Lionheart was a passionate and intense man. However, there were times on the battlefield when it was imperative to be calm. When time called for self-control, he was always able to control himself.

The more he held himself in check, the greater the flames that erupted in the future—

He convinced himself to maintain a calm mind for now.

"Tachibana, I will concede victory to you for today."

Saying that, Richard I left the battlefield.

### 035. Part 5

"...This is basically the etiquette for establishing a pact."

Akigase Rikka was in charge of instruction.

Tachibana Hatsune was the listener. Yesterday, she had inherited Kurou Yoshitsune's Appellation to become a new Chevalier.

"In the end, there is no method better than trying it out for real. Don't think too much, just feel with your body."

"Understood. By the way, Rikka-sama, has anyone ever called you a rough-and-ready person?"

"You're very perceptive. People who served as my adjutants or staff officers have complained about the same thing. So did my younger brothers at Nagoya."

"No wonder."

The two of them were conversing in the water shrine under the Suruga tutelary fort.

Hatsune had followed Rikka underground to learn from the senior Chevalier about matters such as the tutelary pact and how to carry out the essential task of resupplying ectoplasmic fluid.

Hatsune was surrounded by a reservoir of marine-blue artificial ectoplasmic fluid.

Several Greek columns stood towering from the water, contributing to a solemn atmosphere like a temple's. The water surface was criss-crossed by narrow paths.

Walking along the paths, the two of them reached the bath further inside the shrine.

Leading the way, Rikka shared her "Chevalier insights" with Hatsune. Her explanations were not detailed and always concluded with asking her to "feel with her body."

Inside the bath area was a round vat of ectoplasmic fluid similar to a swimming pool.

Rikka removed her military uniform on the side. Hatsune hastily unfastened her clothing and removed her pink kimono, hakama, and hair ribbon. At any rate, she already knew that Chevaliers had to soak themselves in ectoplasmic fluid to allow the source of mystic powers to seep into their body and soul."

"...Wow, that's pretty rough-and-ready indeed."

"Hmm? Did you just say something?"

"Nothing really, just talking to myself~"

Rikka tilted her head in puzzlement when Hatsune looked around and commented with a smile.

Hatsune had confirmed her earlier impressions again when she saw the lady Chevalier remove her military uniform and casually sent it to the floor with a swift toss. However, as one would expect of a dignified practitioner of the sword, Rikka carefully took down Onikiri Yasutsuna from her waist and lowered it to the floor.

Hatsune folded her own clothing properly and gathered in one spot.

Hatsune used to be just as rough-and-ready, but during her time in the imperial palace as a trainee, she had been forced to learn cooking, cleaning, laundry and other "necessary accomplishments." Folding clothing immediately after undressing was one of the precepts learned.

(...Incidentally, her sloppiness and unruly nature as a trainee lady-in-waiting had given the head lady-in-waiting quite a headache, almost forcing her to design a special curriculum to train Hatsune.)

In any case, the two of them stepped into the vat of ectoplasmic fluid together.

"It's so cold!"

Hatsune shrieked the moment she touched the ice-cold ectoplasmic fluid.

Fighting back tears while she endured the chill, she immersed herself in the mysterious spiritual water until shoulder-level.

...After enduring the cold in the ectoplasmic fluid for a couple minutes, Hatsune started feeling her entire body heat up. A few minutes later, her body temperature had rebounded completely.

The temperature was like dipping in hot water. Hatsune finally understood.

This heat in her body was precisely the source of miraculous powers of the mystical—

This was also the power granted to Imperial Japan by Lord Tenryuu, Princess Shiori's grandfather.

In addition to the rise in body temperature, there was also a feeling of excitement. Hatsune looked at her removed clothing. The blue scroll placed on top was the proof of the Feat of Arms she had acquired.

In that instant, she experienced auditory hallucination. It was young Kurou's arrogant voice.

The voice seemed to be howling, demanding Hatsune to give him more power and to hurry up and take him to the battlefield to slaughter enemies...

"It's about time," Rikka said slowly, also immersed in the ectoplasmic fluid. "Tachibana, form the tutelary pact like how I taught you."

"Okay... Uh, upon my Appellation of Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune, I pray to the local shrine of Suruga. Pray grant me the blessing of holy water and the authorizing seal of warfare to become a war god to defend Suruga!"

After Hatsune finished speaking in one breath, her body began to glow faintly.

Then Hatsune noticed a great amount of mystic power flow into her through her feet—through the soles linked to Suruga's land—stunning her for a moment.

Rikka nodded at the surprised Hatsune and said, "With that, you are now a Chevalier tasked with the defense of Suruga. I look forward to working with you."

"Yes, same here too!"

Hatsune replied cheerfully and relaxed her shoulders.

Earlier, she had been nervous to some extent, but now there was confidence in her heart. She absentmindedly looked at Rikka opposite her.

...Hatsune was quite intrigued. Rikka's figure was perfect. Beautiful.

Akigase Rikka's complexion was pale with a slim overall build. However, her bust and hip areas were so voluptuous that you could almost add a "bam!" sound effect. Undoubtedly, she was very buxom.

Furthermore, her waist was very narrow and sexy.

Even Hatsune could not help but sigh in envy.

(...She's so attractive, just like her personality.)

Rikka was not excessively skinny like a model.

Her body was slender while blessed with voluptuousness capable of stealing men's hearts. This kind of figure was very attractive even from the perspective of the same sex.

Furthermore, despite her rough-and-ready habits, her personality did not come across as sloppy, amazingly enough.

The reason was her dignified comportment. Presumably, this was due to the discipline and etiquette cultivated through martial arts training, the beautiful way she moved her body, and her upright posture.

In addition, she was a beautiful maiden with waist-length black hair. Flawless in appearance.

"Tachibana, you and Masatsugu-dono are not real siblings, right?"

"We're not. I don't really know the details myself, but anyway, our formal relationship is 'relatives'♪"

This description was far too sloppy and not very formal, but Hatsune did not mind.

In any case, she optimistically believed that it was fine as long as she got her message across. However, Rikka looked inexplicably troubled with a frown on her face.

"...I see, so this is the method they used to conceal his true identity? Since Tachibana isn't his real sister, perhaps..."

Hatsune could not hear clearly what Rikka was murmuring.

Then Rikka stared intently at Hatsune's body and said, "By the way, your family must have raised you well."

"Fufu, I am a well-bred lady after all♪"

"No, that's not what I meant. I am saying that you are physically very mature."

Hatsune was secretly happy that her heritage as a descendant of jikisan hatamoto was visible despite the great number of uncouth characters in the Tachibana clan when Rikka rejected her interpretation and even examined her body closely.

Indeed, Tachibana Hatsune definitely had a mature body.

Rikka was voluptuous but Hatsune's level surpassed hers.

Before entering middle school, Hatsune was already showing signs of ample maturation. This continued along, resulting in her use of G-cups at the young age of sixteen.

Rikka was probably an E. An overwhelming victory for Hatsune.

Hatsune was aware of her own figure, but there were worrying elements.

"Oh, umm, I do train diligently, but because meals and midnight snacks are so tasty, I often eat too much unintentionally. P-Please don't look too closely..."

"No need to be shy, you don't look fat at all."

While praising Hatsune, Rikka's expression was very solemn.

"My brothers back home secretly keep photobooks. Many of the photos show slender yet voluptuous women in swimsuits... Tachibana, your figure doesn't lose to them at all. In fact, you might be superior."

"R-Really?"

"Assuredly so. I search my brothers' rooms occasionally and tell them that they should openly display those photos as manly men."

Hatsune could not help but smile, but then a thought occurred to her.

So the aristocracy in Tōkaidō's ruling house also looked at that kind of stuff. Perhaps back home, Rikka-sama was the kind of sister who terrorized her younger brothers like a demon or a tyrant?

However, a maidenly expression surfaced on the face of this possibly demon-like daughter of a noble house.

"As fellow Chevaliers, I would like to confirm something with you..."

Stammering, Rikka mustered her courage to ask, "Does Hiji—Masatsugu-dono have those kinds of photobooks? Basically, does he enjoy looking at women with well-developed figures... Like yours?"

Hatsune was taken by surprise. It sounded like Rikka had said something inaudible during her slight pause, possibly "well-developed figures surpassing mine ... Like yours?"

In any case, Hatsune answered with uncertainty.

"That's hard to say. I've never seen any in his room. Oh right, I don't think there was anything like that in his parents' house either."

"I-I see."

"But on further thought, Onii-sama is in charge of the beauty contest for the school festival committee."

"Beauty contest!? That is so scandalous..."

"A school festival is scheduled for December, but now it's unclear whether it'll go ahead. Onii-sama sometimes mentions that he'll try his best to organize a spectacular beauty contest."

"I see... May I ask another question?"

Rikka remained worried and she asked in an especially maidenly tone of voice, "This is purely something that I must confirm as a Chevalier. Masatsugu-dono is in the personal service of Her Highness—Princess Shiori, isn't he? Would it be possible that he might... feel attracted to the beautiful princess?"

"Uh, well, Onii-sama doesn't really talk that much..."

Does Rikka-sama actually feel...? Wondering that, Hatsune said, "So I don't really know. Of course, since Onii-sama is such a weirdo, he probably doesn't have such tasteful motivations..."

Hatsune answered ambivalently. Rikka looked a bit disappointed.

Seeing her senior a little depressed, Hatsune's doubts grew stronger. Perhaps the way she feels about Onii-sama is —

"Rikka-sama and Onii-sama... That's impossible, right?"

"Hatsune, what are you talking about?"

"Nothing, nothing at all. Forget it♪"

This was a certain room on the top floor of a three-story building somewhere in the Suruga tutelary fort.

It was the office of the castellan, Akigase Rikka. Masatsugu was resting on the sofa for receiving guests while Hatsune, sitting next to him, was staring at his face, mumbling to herself.

Hatsune's tone sounded suspicious but what she said did not seem important.

Masatsugu decided to ignore it. The current task of the moment was to hand over congratulatory gifts to the new Chevalier who had just finished replenishing ectoplasmic fluid.

"This just arrived from the commissariat to congratulate your Chevalier Conferment."

"Eh, really!? I'm so happy. There's juice, cola, and so many snacks! Recently, it's been impossible to buy these things!"

Masatsugu pointed at the things on the reception table, causing Hatsune's eyes to glimmer.

There were cans of cold drinks and PET bottles, as well as snacks and tons of sweets such as chocolate. Maybe a child might, but one would not expect a sixteen-year-old girl to get excited over such gifts.

Sitting opposite to Masatsugu and Hatsune, Shiori smiled and said, "Food logistics in the outskirts of Suruga are now under the tutelary fort's management. This task was completed in the beginning of the week. How wonderfully efficient."

Shiori praised the castellan Rikka, who was sitting at the work desk in the back of the room.

The lady Chevalier smiled and shrugged.

"Please direct this praise to the ones in charge of the commissariat and the municipal government. I simply issued orders and left the details of execution to their discretion."

Suruga's surroundings were blockaded by the Restoration Alliance, preventing freedom of movement.

In other words, all logistics were interrupted. Lacking goods and support from outside, Suruga would run out of food eventually. Consequently, food had to be purchased from food companies, transportation businesses, and shops in advance then passed onto a government agency to manage.

These purchased goods, combined with army provisions in stock, became the "rations" provided to civilians.

Tutelary forts were not merely military bases—

They also stockpiled food in case of natural disasters or emergencies like now. Furthermore, the underground fluid power generation systems using artificial ectoplasmic fluid normally provided vast amounts of electricity for the surrounding area. When necessary, a certain level of regional life could be supported, centered around a tutelary fort.

"Rikka-sama, how long will supplies last under rationing?"

"Two months... according to the commissariat's estimates. But as we all know, predictions on the battlefield frequently land way off mark. Unexpected events frequently happen. Apart from that..."

Rikka answered Shiori's question with worry.

"The residents of the city are currently quite understanding... But the stress will build up and explode in some manner eventually. When that happens, voices inside Suruga will start advocating cooperation with the Restoration Alliance. How long we can maintain this 'cage'... It is quite hard to say for certain."

The budget for purchasing food was jointly funded by the tutelary fort and the municipal government.

During times of war, large quantities of military scrip would be put into circulation. Military scrip referred to substitute currency used by militaries and could be redeemed for cash value from the government.

This also meant that Suruga had to resolve its crisis while the Japanese government was intact.

For civilians, the use of military scrip lacked assurance. As time dragged on, it would also become one of the factors contributing to civilian unrest.

"Umm..." Hatsune raised her hand to interrupt the conversation between the Governor General's daughter and the imperial princess.

"The Restoration Alliance hasn't attacked lately... Are they waiting for us to run out of supplies?"

"Probably. A castle whose defenses cannot be breached immediately can always be taken through strategy." Rikka clicked her tongue and said, "According to my father's messages, our negotiations with Tōsandō are not going smoothly. Besides, as things drag on, the Restoration Alliance will become more entrenched. As a result, my father has informed me that he intends to launch a counterattack from Yamanashi before the situation turns dire. We would like to coordinate with this operation from Suruga, but..."

Tōkaidō was a narrow region elongated east-west.

It was composed of the three prefectures of Aichi, Shizuoka, and Yamanashi. Of the entire Shizuoka region, Suruga was the only place yet to fall, while Yamanashi had not been touched by the Restoration Alliance yet.

However, Rikka said in frustration, "Morgan le Fay has deployed barriers around Hakone Checkpoint and the neighboring Fuji tutelary fort. It is difficult for small retainer beasts to approach for reconnaissance. The situation does not look good."

"What is Morgan le Fay?" asked Masatsugu, not recognizing the term.

Rikka smiled wryly and said, "An ifrit from Britain's Far East Fleet, and one of their finest specimens too. Neither the noetic officers currently at Suruga nor Sakuya are able to break a barrier deployed by a divinity of that class."

"Oh?"

The Suruga tutelary fort had the ifrit Seiryuu and its avatar, the spirit Sakuya.

However, the British apparently had a guardian deity surpassing them. Masatsugu was deeply impressed.

Shiori, knowledgeable in noetic techniques, fell into deep thought.

"I have a suggestion."

Then the princess proceeded to explain patiently.

### 036. Part 5

The scene changed to the imperial capital of Tokyo.

The residence of the Empress of Imperial Japan was called the "imperial palace."

Even though it was known as a castle, it was actually completely different from Japanese castles such as Nijou Castle.

Entirely in the style of a European palace, it had been built in Tokyo's Aoyama neighborhood after the Second World War. Constructed with bricks and a steel frame in an imitation of Baroque architecture, the palace was sturdy and beautiful.

The magnificent palace used a large quantity of white bricks, resulting in a stylish exterior.

Somewhere in the imperial palace was a waiting room used exclusively by military officers visiting from the Eastern Roman Empire.

There were all sorts of extravagant furnishings in the room. Most important of all, the room was equipped with a direct telephone line to Roman military facilities outside of Japan.

Currently, Alexis Yang was in the middle of using this direct line.

"No sense of crisis... That would not be a correct description."

Yang was holding the receiver in one hand, speaking in a laid back tone of voice.

He was dressed in the Eastern Roman Empire's military uniform, which was colored blue and featured a blazer-style jacket. The top two buttons of his shirt collar were unfastened and he was not wearing a tie either.

Yang had facial hair on his chin, giving him a wild look that suited his sloppy attire.

"They realize this situation needs to be handled, but have no idea what to do, which is why they procrastinate without accomplishing anything... That pretty much covers the reactions of anyone who matters in the imperial palace."

These scathing words were delivered lightly without any tone of sarcasm.

Yang was a major serving as part of the "Eastern Roman Empire's East Asian Administrative Region Military Staff." The man he was speaking to was not only the most famous person in the world but also the great hero who had founded the Empire.

'Nothing out of the ordinary. The Empress is surrounded by useless ladies-in-waiting.'

The speaker's voice was regal and majestic without sounding pretentious.

This unique diction belonged to Generalissimo Caesar of Rome.

Yang replied, "Those hags—correction, older ladies—only know how to put on airs and bully members of the same sex."

'I really wish the Imperial Guard or the Kantō Fiefdom could show a little competence.'

"Yes, I will check things out later."

Styling himself as Imperial Japan's patronus , Caesar was currently absent from Japan.

A month ago, Rome and the British Empire had clashed at the island of Java. Standing by at Lantau Island in Hong Kong, Caesar had sent Staff Officer Yang to Tokyo on his behalf.

Yang was a noetic master, capable of speaking freely without fear of eavesdropping.

Techniques for sensing electromagnetic radiation and noetic waves allowed one to confirm the risk of being eavesdropped. Invoking noetic waves to cause interference would also counter every type of surveillance equipment.

"By the way, that princess whom you fancy so much—Her Highness Shiori—has been abandoned, clearly left to die without any rescue attempt... It would be scandalous if this rumor leaked out, but in any case, someone will use this opportunity to make her disappear."

'Oh? That is not very good.'

"If the British were to capture a princess of noble blood, there could spell all sorts of trouble. Japan's awareness of this is far too lax."

'How regrettable. By the way, Major Yang, regarding your new mission...'

"...A new mission?"

'The situation has changed over the past few days, hasn't it? I have devised a few countermeasures after being notified. First of all—Please infiltrate Suruga where Shiori is right now. Visit the tutelary fort that has been fighting bravely in isolation and present yourself as a military adviser.'

"...Hold on a sec. I promised my daughter I'm returning home in a week."

Yang accidentally committed a soldier's taboo of defying an order. He was already thirty-four and had a single eleven-year-old daughter in Hong Kong.

"I already bought souvenirs in Japan, like idol concert videos and a rice cooker."

'Just have them sent via air mail. I will have the staff section inform your wife.'

"She's my ex, not my wife, okay! Besides, isn't infiltration the job of the intelligence department? Those guys must have sneaked into Suruga already, right?"

The great historical hero must be snickering to himself on the other side. Alexis Yang was certain of it and tried to argue.

Caesar laughed maliciously and said, 'Your job is to make adjustments to our side's military strategy based on my wishes and local circumstances. Both the commander at Suruga and I need someone to perform this role.'

"Fine, fine. In other words, Your Excellency will not just send troops from Kantō to take back Hakone."

Yang stopped joking around and switched to a sulking tone of voice.

"You intend to negotiate with Suruga to launch an attack from west of Hakone for a pincer offensive, right? I will work hard as though my salary and pension depended on it. Currently, what Japan needs most is undoubtedly Your Excellency... Generalissimo Caesar."

'That goes without saying. Since I do wish for matters over here to be handled well, I will make adjustments.'

Even through the telephone, Caesar's voice still sounded full of vibrancy.

In any case, someone had received orders from Eastern Rome's Generalissimo and was preparing to head to Tōkaidō.

### 037. Chapter 1 - Under the Black Knight's Shadow

### Part 1

October in the year Tenryuu 58...

It was past the middle of the month and autumn was in full swing.

People called autumn the season of appetite and the time for sports. However, enjoying these pleasures would be a little difficult at Tachibana Masatsugu's current residence of Suruga City.

After all, enemy armies were occupying the "surroundings" of Suruga City.

"Taisei, how many days has it been since the British Empire's forces attacked?"

"It's the sixth day. Time sure flies, it's going to be a week soon."

Masatsugu was chatting with Okonogi Taisei, one of his few friends.

They were classmates studying in the second year of Rinzai Private High School. They had met up at the classroom of Year 2 Class 2, their homeroom.

Martial law had been proclaimed in Suruga City, yet Rinzai High decided to resume classes.

However, this did not mean their lives had returned to normal. Invading under the banner of the Restoration Alliance, the British Empire had taken over Shizuoka Prefecture using overwhelming military force.

Of the five tutelary forts in the prefecture, four had fallen.

The sole exception was this land of Suruga.

Thanks to Chevalier Akigase Rikka coming to the Suruga tutelary fort by chance—as well as Tachibana Masatsugu's efforts—they managed to halt the Restoration Alliance's advance.

The problem was that enemy forces still remained inside Shizuoka Prefecture.

Transportation networks going in and out of Suruga City were all blockaded by the Restoration Alliance. Neither trains nor automobiles could pass through.

Suruga City and its immediate surroundings were like an isolated island on land.

Martial law had been imposed five days ago when the British attacked and still had not been lifted. Normally, education institutions would suspend classes during martial law.

However, the high school where Masatsugu and Taisei studied had classes starting again.

This had nothing to do with the noble ideals of dedication to learning or defiance against military brutality.

Since escaping Suruga was impossible, people had nothing to do. Why not round up all the students and teachers in the city and run some lessons... Purely nothing more than that.

"In the end, it feels more like we came to school to chat. Without the teachers and students who commute from outside the city, normal classes can't really proceed."

"Even if you want to kill time by watching television, there's no reception."

Noetic control techniques for causing destructive interference with electromagnetic waves, wireless communications, and noetic waves were known as "noetic disruption."

After war broke out, Suruga had been under serious noetic disruption. Phones, televisions, and other household electrical appliances could not be used.

"By the way, residents in Shizuoka Prefecture can't watch television only because the prefecture's master control is located at Suruga. Of course, it's a different matter for those who live in areas that can receive signals from Kantō or Aichi."

"Meaning that everyone is suffering because of us."

"Maybe that's also part of the Restoration Alliance's plan, to minimize the amount of unnecessary information received by residents in the prefecture—Oh, that reminds me."

Taisei suddenly changed the subject.

"For fourth period, students and teachers have to go off campus for community service."

As a side note, it was currently the break between second and third period.

The one who informed Masatsugu, Okonogi Taisei, was also the vice-president of the student council. He now spoke to a third person who had remained silent so far.

"I am terribly sorry to impose this on a knight... and Your Highness, Princess."

"Do not worry about it. This is more meaningful than idly wasting time."

Her elegant response prompted Taisei to retract his neck with a "much obliged."

Seeing her "classmate" react so timidly, the young maiden smiled and said, "We are all fellow students on a common quest for learning. There is no need to be so reserved."

"That's a fair point, but it's a bit too challenging for a commoner like me."

Despite speaking to Masatsugu as equals, Taisei acted especially respectful towards the young maiden.

This was only natural. The person before him had become a household name in Suruga City not too long ago. She was Fujinomiya Shiori the imperial princess.

Taisei and Masatsugu were conversing while standing in front of her seat.

Furthermore, this young and beautiful princess had her platinum blonde hair in a ponytail and was wearing the school blazer.

"If I remember correctly... Your Highness is sixteen, isn't that right?"

Despite saying he was going to remain reserved, Taisei actively initiated conversation with the princess.

Speaking of which, like his friend Masatsugu, Taisei was the kind of guy who marched at the beat of his own drum. Neither arrogant nor subservient, he was using polite forms without much rigor to speak to Shiori.

"That is correct."

"Then you are a second-year like us because—"

"I suppose it would count as skipping grades. Do know that I did pass the transfer exam, so skipping grades is the result based on academic results." Shiori then added mischievously, "Naturally, it was thoughtful of the school to assign me to the same homeroom as Masatsugu-sama."

"I think so too."

Technically, Fujinomiya Shiori was also a student of outstanding academic excellence.

She not only kept up with second-year courses effortlessly but also demonstrated the intellect to achieve perfect scores on minor tests and classroom participation in all subjects.

The only exception was PE class which she opted out using an excuse of "frailty in health."

...But of course, Masatsugu was aware of the truth.

There was nothing wrong with the princess' health. She boycotted PE class only because she needed to keep her top secret of "athletic ineptitude."

However, the beautiful and charming princess commented nonchalantly, "Since Suruga is currently in a crisis, perhaps I shouldn't be saying this... However, I honestly feel very happy. Ever since a long time ago, I have always wanted to experience school life like this."

She did not neglect to offer a demure smile.

She had not forgotten the cover story she had used during the interview for the news program last time. Having played the part so many times, her ability to feign docility was like second nature.

Masatsugu had heard that Shiori had skipped grades to enter university during her studies in Rome.

Enrolling in high school in Japan was to create the image of "the young and frivolous princess." In truth, the princess with ambitions to take over Japan was a diligent learner who had not only mastered all regular academic disciplines but also politics, diplomacy, history and cultural studies of various nations, and even military strategy...

Born in the right era, she would be qualified as a first-rate strategist. That was how much of an elite she was.

"By the way, Vice-President."

Since Taisei was a member of the student council, Shiori always addressed him by his title.

It was probably unintentional on her part, but there was a "princess asking a retainer's opinion on national affairs" kind of classy tone to it.

"As one might expect, there are not too many students at school."

"Many people believe it's not a time to be attending school."

The classroom was quiet and unoccupied during break.

Student numbers were low. Today's attendance was only 50%.

"The Restoration Alliance has not attacked since the night before yesterday... No one knows when the fighting will resume. I can understand their feelings of wanting to stay home."

"But you don't feel the same way, Vice-President?"

"I shoulder the responsibilities of the student council, after all. If other students are coming, I can't feign ignorance. Besides, if I go to school... Or rather, go near the dorms, there's a Lord Chevalier protecting us."

Answering the princess, Taisei glanced obliquely at Masatsugu.

"I really look forward to your power to drive away the Restoration Alliance, Masatsugu-kun."

"Certainly, I will try to the best of my meager ability..." Masatsugu answered with a shrug.

He had informed the school of his ability to control Legions and his intention to use this power to protect Suruga City.

Only by doing so did he obtain the necessary leniency afforded to "the princess' knight."

"Undeniably, there are many things in this world that are beyond my ability. Just think of me as a straw that happened to show up when everyone is drowning."

"Forget about a big ship, but at least convince us you're a lifeboat."

Taisei had readily accepted the fact that his classmate was a Chevalier.

He knew of Masatsugu's memory loss and his unusually tough fighting ability. Upon hearing of the truth, he showed a "that explains everything" kind of look.

Just as the princess, the Chevalier and the high school boy were chatting away...

"...This moment alone, there are already two Chevaliers in this school."

A stern girl's clear voice interrupted their conversation.

A black-haired beauty had arrived at the classroom, dressed in Imperial Japan's army officer uniform rather than Rinzai High's female uniform.

Taisei reeled in surprise.

The girl in military uniform continued, "Perhaps not a lifeboat, but some level of assurance could be provided."

"Oh, it's Akigase-dono."

"It has been a while, Hiji—No, Tachibana-dono. It is most wonderful to see you in good health, Your Highness."

Hanging at the black-haired girl's belt was a Japanese sword in its scabbard.

This gallant appearance belonged to the Suruga tutelary fort's current castellan, Chevalier Akigase Rikka. Masatsugu could not possibly mistake the identity of a striking beauty of her caliber.

He said, "Not too long of a while, really. We met yesterday and the day before."

"I-Indeed, you are right."

Rikka panicked a little when Masatsugu reminded her.

Three nights ago, Masatsugu had defeated the Kamuys of the Restoration Alliance on her behalf. The next day, Rikka had paid a visit to thank him. The day after that, she came again to express her gratitude solemnly.

And today, Akigase Rikka was here again.

She even visited the school while class was in session, leaving her military duties behind.

Although the Suruga tutelary fort and Rinzai High were "neighbors," less than half an hour's drive apart...

Rikka's attitude was inexplicably courteous, despite her status as a fiefdom "princess." Her father was Akigase Shouzan, the Governor General ruling over Tōkaidō.

"By the way, Akigase-dono, may I ask what you're doing here today?"

"Y-Yes. Like you, Tachibana-dono, we are both Chevaliers protecting Suruga."

When speaking, Rikka avoided eye contact with Masatsugu.

"It is only right that we make the most of chances to interact and get to know each other better. Th-That is, if it is alright with you."

"Oh I see. To share insight as Chevaliers?"

"Yes, precisely, Chevaliers have plenty of insight to share."

"Is it necessary for you to come all the way to the school?"

"I-I happen to be free. I did worry about disturbing you, but I did not want to waste time, so I brazenly paid a visit."

"Akigase-dono, you're definitely the busiest person in Suruga right now."

"N-Not at all. Having received my rank from the imperial state, I am merely fulfilling my obligations. Please understand."

Rikka mustered her courage to converse with Masatsugu.

Rather than a sharing of insight between Chevaliers, this was more akin to a young maiden suppressing her bashful feelings to boldly approach "the object of her affections."

Deciding not to think too much about it, Masatsugu nodded.

Introverted sheltered young ladies were to his liking, but he also found it very cute when girls expressed their affections honestly.

No matter which kind of girl Akigase Rikka was, at least there was no doubt that she was highly attractive. Her feelings also delighted him.

Masatsugu said to her, "Sure, but let's not stand and talk in a classroom. We'll go outside."

"Y-Yes. It would be my pleasure."

"Uh, Masatsugu-kun, class will be starting in two minutes, you know?"

"Sorry, this is part of work, so help me smooth things over with the teacher."

In front of his delighted knight companion, Masatsugu asked his friend for a favor sullenly.

Meanwhile, his liege Fujinomiya Shiori revealed a momentary look of panic while listening to his conversation with Rikka. She coughed lightly and said, "Excuse me, Masatsugu-sama, please allow Hatsune to accompany you if there will be a discussion regarding Chevalier matters."

"Why is that?"

"Consider this, did we not mention previously... Hatsune wishes to inherit the Appellation that has been the Tachibana family's heirloom? It stands to reason that Hatsune would benefit from attending a conversation between Chevaliers. Yes, it is decided so. Besides, on further thought..."

Shiori and said in an innocent tone of voice, "I should take part in your discussion too. It is a princess' duty to respond to the loyalty shown by you knights."

"...I see."

Could the princess be jealous because he was skipping class to go on a "date"?

Musing upon this disrespectful speculation, Masatsugu agreed to Shiori's request. Surprised by the sudden development but unable to offer words of objection, Rikka had no choice but to acquiesce.

### Part 2

"Which is why... Now is the time to take a leap, Onii-sama!"

"Hatsune, I haven't the foggiest idea where you're coming from."

Tachibana Hatsune's serious declaration was dismissed indifferently by Masatsugu.

Akigase Rikka had shown up twenty minutes earlier. Leaving Year 2 Class 2's homeroom where they were earlier, they had gone to an open-air cafe outside the school building, thus leading to the above exchange.

It was currently third period and there was no noise around.

Shiori and Rikka were present but Taisei did not come along.

"Actually during class today, I've been thinking about something and couldn't focus on the lesson. All things considered, Suruga currently—no, Japan currently needs a great hero like Tachibana Hatsune."

"Isn't it a bit weird to be calling yourself the great hero who slacks off in class?"

Hatsune was a student of Year 1 Class 1.

After Masatsugu went to fetch her at her classroom, this lady-in-waiting of Shiori's sat down in the open-air cafe and began to talk gibberish.

Hatsune had broached her topic too abruptly, which is why Masatsugu ridiculed her on everyone's behalf.

"By taking a leap, you mean..."

"Becoming a Chevalier, of course. I've already gotten my hands on the treasured Appellation."

"So you're very certain you'll become a hero."

"Come on, in a situation like this, a cool title is obligatory even if a little lying is in order. All I need to do after the fact is explain it was just my personal opinion, Onii-sama."

"I see."

"Those who call themselves professional creators are pretty much all like that."

"From what I've heard, people who call themselves producers are exaggerating, more often than not."

"Hatsune and Masatsugu-sama, aren't you two going on a bit of a tangent?" Shiori tactfully cautioned them to steer the conversation back on topic. "Currently in Hatsune's possession, the Tachibana clan's Kurou Hougan is the issue here."

"Indeed, indeed, you are very right, Princess."

Capable of fluently responding to her noble lady, Hatsune was truly no ordinary character.

She took out a blue scroll from her schoolbag. Believed to be the manifestation of Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune's Appellation, it was quite a distinguished artifact.

Furthermore, Hatsune was dressed in Haikara-san style as usual.

Meisen kimono paired with hakama and boots, an old-fashioned style of school uniform for girls.

"For the past fifty years, no one in the Tachibana clan has been able to use it... No one knows the trick to clearing the succession ritual." In a casual tone of voice, Hatsune revealed the horrifying truth. "There were seven or eight challengers over the years, but they all died during the succession ritual, so they provided no reference value at all."

"To have had so many challengers, the Tachibana clan truly lives up to its reputation as ruffians."

"For a while, it was apparently fashionable to use this trial as a coming of age ritual♪ Because of that, our clan doesn't have many young people nowadays."

"I see, that is quite fascinating," Rikka remarked poignantly after listening to the conversation between the princess and Hatsune. "This is quite similar to a certain country's hunters. It is said that they must hunt and kill a lion single-handedly before they are considered full-fledged adults."

"That's samurai spirit too, Rikka-sama," said Hatsune cheerfully to Rikka, the female hero who had become a Chevalier earlier than her. "The ancient Japanese were pretty barbaric too, like disemboweling themselves, or beheading enemy generals for trophies to claim credit in battle."

"That is true too. In fact, when I inherited Yasutsuna..."

The treasured sword of Genji pedigree, Onikiri Yasutsuna. Rikka unfastened the Appellation that was hanging on her belt in the form of a Japanese sword and stood it up on a chair.

The maiden Chevalier looked at her beloved sword and said nostalgically, "Everyone said failure in succession would lead to death—At first, I felt daunted too."

"Oh right! There's something I wanted to ask you, Rikka-sama. What did it feel like when you were inheriting an Appellation? And how did you achieve success?"

"I don't mind telling you, but it probably will not be of much help."

"Huh?"

"When inheriting a high-level Appellation such as Yasutsuna or Kurou Hougan, the trial undertaken during the ritual is unique. The will residing within the Appellation will alter the trial depending on the challenger... That is what I have learned."

After listening to Rikka's explanation, Masatsugu nodded. When inheriting Hijikata Toshizō's Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada, he had felt some kind of will within the sword too.

Tōkaidō's premier Chevalier, Rikka, spoke again, "All things considered... The succession ritual is no more than a beginning. What truly matters are one's battle achievements after becoming a Chevalier, and these Appellations know this all too well."

"Mm-hmm."

"Although there is a risk of death, it is ultimately just a test. Just give it your best attempt as though you were taking a bungee jump from a cliff, Tachibana."

"Understood!"

Rikka naturally called her by her family name and Hatsune replied energetically.

Their conversation style was almost like the kind you find in athletic clubs between senior and junior members. The two girls were both "fighters" accomplished in martial arts. Perhaps this made them particularly compatible on the same wavelength.

Concluding the topic with a vague appeal to the power of mind over body, Rikka then spoke grimly, "Of the many puzzling points in the current situation... There is one that I find the most concerning."

"What is it, Rikka-sama?" Shiori immediately asked in response to the lady knight's serious tone.

Rikka was sitting very straight, facing her respected princess with dignity.

"What bothers me is the girl who came over to attack me prior to attack on Suruga by the Kinai Fiefdom's Legions. She used a strange power to bewitch me—Back then, I was prepared to succumb any moment."

This incident had led to Rikka falling unconscious and Tachibana Masatsugu fighting in her stead.

"Your Highness mentioned... That she might be related to the British royal family?"

"That I cannot assert with certainty. All I can say is the likelihood is not small."

The grandchild of the sacred beast Lord Tenryuu, the princess quietly nodded.

Shiori had speculated that the blonde enchantress must have definite ties to the British forces—Perhaps she is a princess of royalty like herself.

In other words, it was possible that she belonged to the bloodline of a godlike sacred beast and possessed mystic powers.

"The method she bewitched me... was definitely a potent power akin to magic or sorcery. It would be quite a bad situation if she is able to use that technique repeatedly in succession. If important officials across Japan, or even the Empress herself at the capital, were to fall under such sorcery—"

Rikka murmured worriedly but Shiori immediately rejected the idea.

"No, I believe there is no worry of that."

"How so?"

"If such a powerful ability could be invoked at will, the British Empire would have annexed Japan long ago without needing to go to war. The dream of conquering the world would be feasible too. However, reality indicates otherwise—My guess is that there should be strict conditions to its practical use."

For example, time or date restrictions and usage conditions. Shiori raised a few possibilities and smiled at Rikka. "Why don't we think of it this way? Britain had to resort to using their treasured trump card against you, Rikka-sama... And their operation ultimately failed. Forget this threat of sorcery for the time being, I believe it is of no concern of all."

"I see, that makes plenty of sense."

The princess' clear and logical explanation was very persuasive and Rikka understood.

Smiling, she nodded and neither raised the issue of the "mysterious girl" again nor showed signs of worrying about it.

Cautious and meticulous yet sensible enough to not fall into paranoia—

This attitude was the mark of a hero's caliber. Akigase Rikka really was quite something. Masatsugu decided he had to inform her of something.

"Akigase-dono and Hatsune, there's something you must know," Masatsugu began to recount patiently.

"I never would have thought... you had lost your memory, Tachibana-dono."

In the driver's seat, holding the steering wheel, Rikka remarked in shock.

Masatsugu was sitting next to her in the front passenger seat. The lady Chevalier was driving a domestic sports car, speeding along a mountain road towards the Suruga tutelary fort. Despite her vehicle's high speed, her driving was not dangerous at all.

...Due to his memory loss, Tachibana Masatsugu was unable to replenish ectoplasmic fluid using the normal method—

Just earlier, Masatsugu had explained his weakness concisely. Now, they were resuming the previous conversation while on the road because Rikka needed to return to the tutelary fort.

"I only have memories of the past two years."

"In other words, you have no recollection of your past life... or your true name?"

"That's right," Masatsugu admitted readily, further surprising Rikka.

Also, the steering wheel and seats were clearly not standard issue.

They had been modified. Rikka's car was manual transmission rather than automatic. Since the military would not provide this kind of vehicle, Masatsugu concluded it must Rikka's personal property.

He could tell that she was quite into cars.

"...However, I believe your true name is already obvious. After all, you were able to use Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada as familiarly as your own limbs—"

"Even so, that doesn't necessarily mean I'm the original owner ."

Was Masatsugu actually Hijikata Toshizō ?

This question was very hard to resolve. Judging from the fragments of memories Shiori showed him, the answer seemed to be no, but he could not reject it completely.

To be honest, Masatsugu did not care whether he was Hijikata Toshizō or not.

However, Akigase Rikka's affections for Tachibana Masatsugu stemmed from this possibility.

Masatsugu needed to clear up this issue with her first. Since she was his and Shiori's most dependable ally, Masatsugu did not want to hide any secrets between each other that could bite them in the future.

"Akigase-dono," Masatsugu called to Rikka in a slightly more assertive tone than normal. "From your perspective... Is my true name that important?"

"Y-Yes."

"But to me, it's unimportant. Whether my name is Hijikata or not, being able to fight by your side against invaders is already an utmost honor."

"......"

"A true hero is the most valuable companion. I am very delighted for the good fortune of meeting you."

"W-What hero? Please don't make fun of me."

"I am not joking. If I had to pick a comrade-in-arms and a wife right here, Akigase-dono, you would be my choice. That's how amazing a person you are."

"Comrade-in-arms and... wiiiiife!?"

Rikka suddenly floored the gas pedal.

The car instantly accelerated then quickly slowed down again. The moment of surprise had probably caused her to step too hard by accident. It was quite rare for the courageous Rikka to be so flustered.

"T-Tachibana-dono. B-By saying wife, aren't you taking your joke too far...!?"

"Why? Akigase-dono, you are strong, virtuous, brave, and magnanimous. I think every man would certainly want to marry such a woman."

"N-No one has ever said that to me..."

"Then the men in this country are blind."

"Tachibana-dono—"

"Masatsugu is fine."

Rikka had addressed Masatsugu by his family name, but Masatsugu said seriously, "Using my family name makes it easy to mix up with Hatsune, which is confusing. Why don't you use my first name directly? We're comrades on the battlefield, there's no need to be formal."

"Well... How about Masatsugu-dono?"

"Sure."

Comrades riding across battlefields ought to bare their souls to one another.

Committed to a relationship of honesty, Masatsugu made intermittent conversation with Rikka. Fortunately, Rikka was not opposed to it. Despite her nervousness, she responded sincerely to Masatsugu.

Putting aside the issue of Hijikata Toshizō, both sides had to get to know each other first.

Just as Masatsugu's efforts were starting to bear fruit, Shiori finally spoke after a long period of silence in the back seat.

"Y-You two seem to be having a wonderfully engaging conversation as fellow Chevaliers."

The princess' voice sounded inexplicably sarcastic.

In fact, Shiori was riding the same car to the tutelary fort. Meanwhile, Rikka replied in panic as a member of the same sex.

"I-I beg your pardon, Your Highness!"

"Relax. It is a good thing to see you two getting along so well."

The tone of sarcasm could not longer be felt from the princess' voice.

The reflection of Shiori's usual smile of "beguiling innocence" could be seen on the rear-view mirror. Perhaps Masatsugu had gotten the wrong impression—Probably?

In any case, Shiori spoke with a princess' graceful airs, "Rikka-sama, have you received orders from your father at Nagoya...?"

"Yes. Orders were relayed to the Suruga tutelary fort just this morning. Regarding this matter, I would like to have a detailed discussion with Your Highness and Hiji—Masatsugu-dono about our future plans."

With telephone and mail unavailable, communication with the outside world had to depend on retainer beasts.

The Tōkaidō Fiefdom's Governor General and his daughter Rikka had exchanged messages using the primitive magical method of "relaying orders through retainer beasts."

"By the way, Your Highness, have you received any instructions from the imperial palace at Tokyo?"

"None at all. Total silence. It could very well be that the palace hopes for me to go missing in this situation... This doesn't sound like a joke and is quite troubling, isn't it?"

Shiori shrugged and Rikka laughed boldly.

While the car took the two girls and Masatsugu up the mountain, there were no other vehicles driving along this military road given the state of martial law. The entire road was clear without impedance.

Soon enough, the car reached the premises of the tutelary fort.

The tutelary fort was located on Suruga City's tallest plateau, also known as Nihondaira. It used to be a famous scenic spot offering a view of Mount Fuji and Suruga Bay from afar.

There was a parking space reserved for the castellan in the high-ranking officers' lot.

After Rikka parked her beloved car into the reserved space, the trio walked together in the tutelary fort. Their destination was the nation-protecting keep in the center of the tutelary fort.

The nation-protecting keep was a forty-meter brick building, reminiscent of an ancient bell tower.

Along the way, many soldiers greeted them with reverent gazes or salutes. Their behavior was not entirely due to the presence of the authoritative castellan or the princess.

Masatsugu himself was also a Chevalier with an army of Legions.

Within the military, Chevaliers were afforded treatment as high-ranking officers.

Moreover, he was the one responsible for the victory a few days ago. And there was rumor too.

(Is he Hijikata-dono...?)

(I heard about that too...)

(People even say that the sword he's wearing is evidently Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada...)

The soldiers and officers whispered among themselves as Masatsugu walked by.

As expected of a military facility. Apart from Rikka, others had noticed Masatsugu controlling Legions, using Tennen Rishin Style swordsmanship, and the Appellation of Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada.

As a result, rumors exploded.

And also thanks to that, the soldiers of Suruga treated Tachibana Masatsugu with the greatest respect.

Pondering this strange development, Masatsugu came to the nation-protecting keep's lobby. The two girls in his company began to chat about practical business.

"My father, head of the Akigase, intends to drive out the Restoration Alliance from Shizuoka by sending forces from north of Mount Fuji—Yamanashi, in other words. The first place that needs to be retaken is the Fuji tutelary fort that they are currently using as a crucial stronghold... The Fuji tutelary fort is only dozens of kilometers away from Suruga here."

"In other words... Rikka-sama, you will be supporting the operation from Suruga?"

"We also plan on coordinating with the Kantō provincial army and Eastern Rome's garrison in Japan. Naturally, my father is already making preparations on this front."

Rikka brought up the subject of military strategy matter-of-factly.

Her intention was on one hand fulfilling her duty to explain the crisis situation to the imperial princess in as much detail as possible while recognizing Shiori's valuable insight on the other.

Princess Shiori and Chevalier Akigase Rikka.

A solid relationship of cooperation had gradually developed between them.

The instant Masatsugu nodded with satisfaction, a ringing sound was heard at the scene. A palm-size white fox manifested on Rikka's shoulder.

In charge of relaying communications, the small retainer beast brought news.

"...What?"

The pipe fox had brought news that shocked Rikka greatly.

Not only Rikka but Shiori and all the soldiers in the nation-protecting keep's lobby were also shocked. Masatsugu was the only one listening to the situation report silently.

"Hakone Checkpoint— the Hakone has fallen in merely half a day?"

Rikka muttered to herself, doubting her ears.

Hakone Checkpoint was reputedly Kantō's most impregnable point of strategic importance. Situated in the precipitous mountainous region of Hakone, it had tutelary forts built at four separate locations.

These four tutelary forts each had multiple Chevaliers stationed at all times.

These Chevaliers were all experienced soldiers serving the Kantō Fiefdom and had over four hundred Kamuy Legions under their command.

In addition, the four tutelary forts each had one ifrit assigned to them.

A total of four ifrits, respectively Seiryuu, Suzaku, Byakko, and Genbu. This powerful lineup protected the western part of the Kantō region, the heart of Imperial Japan.

Reportedly, Hakone's impregnable defenses were cracked by "one man's power alone."

"This means... The British Empire has a new Resurrectee?" Shiori whispered the moment she heard the man's name of "Edward."

### Part 3

Edward the Black Prince had started his illustrious career of glorious victories at the mere age of sixteen.

That victory went down in history as the Battle of Crécy. Even today at the end of the twentieth century, it remained very well-known to war researchers.

The year 1346 CE was part of the European Middle Ages familiar to everyone.

To Edward, it was a nostalgic time of his adolescent past.

Fully educated as befitted an English prince, he honed his martial prowess and noble character as a knight, and raised his skills as a general through life on and off the battlefield—Those were the times.

Back then, England and France were at war.

This was the early stage of the so-called "Hundred Years' War." At the village of Crécy in French territory, a great battle took place to determine the fates of both nations.

The English army numbered ten thousand while the French army had forty thousand...

However, the English still won an overwhelming victory at Crécy. At the time, the English forces were headed by Edward's father, King Edward III of England (both father and son shared the same name, making it easy to mix them up).

King Edward organized his forces into three divisions to engage the French army.

Crown Prince Edward led one of the divisions and was extremely instrumental to the victory.

This battle was the prelude to a legend. The heroic saga of the young and famous general, Prince Edward, would reach its pinnacle at the Battle of Poitiers that took place ten years after Crécy.

This time as the commander-in-chief, Edward led an army of six thousand to take on a French army of thirty thousand.

The disparity in numbers was even more unfavorable than at the Battle of Crécy. Nevertheless, Edward won an equally splendid victory and even managed to capture King John II of France.

Holding the French king hostage, England profited from both a handsome ransom and an advantage in diplomatic negotiations.

Furthermore, the Anglo-French war would drag on until 1453, long after Edward had passed away in sickness . The "maiden savior of France" who appeared towards the end was precisely Jeanne d'Arc.

Then time continued to march on, leading to the year 1998—

"From what I hear, that lady named Jeanne is quite popular in the modern world," said the "Black Prince" who had been reborn in the world.

In accordance with prior agreements, he would cast away the temporary alias of "Sir Black Knight" today.

"However, as an Englishman... I would like to take this chance to let everyone know that I, Edward, was in no way inferior."

This was the morning before he set off to conquer Hakone Checkpoint.

Early in the morning, he had sortied from the Fuji tutelary fort near the sacred mountain of Fuji, then marched east to assault Hakone Checkpoint—

Currently, Edweard was riding on a wyvern's back, soaring leisurely through the sky over Hakone.

In just a few short hours, he had defeated all Japanese forces in the Hakone tutelary forts. With victory firmly in his hands, he was in a very laid back mood.

The enemy consisted of five hundred Kamuys, the blue samurai of Imperial Japan.

The thousand black Legions fighting under Edward's command were Garter Knights, a superior variant of the British mainstay of the Crusade.

Edward's army had set up their formation in the sky over the vast Lake Ashi.

The four tutelary forts were respectively positioned north, east, south, and west of the lake. The first tutelary fort in the east was defended by the ifrit Seiryuu, the second tutelary fort in the south had Suzaku, the third tutelary fort in the west had Byakko, and the fourth tutelary fort in the north had Genbu. The united set of four guardian deities fought vigorously to resist the British invasion.

Unfortunately, they were ultimately no match against the thousand Knights of the Garter led by the Black Prince.

Edward's Chevalier Strength was 1256 and he summoned a full thousand to attack.

"Knights of the Garter, you have fought well. I, Edward, applaud your valor!"

Edward praised the black knights that were in formation over Lake Ashi.

Normally, the British Empire's mainstay Legion, the Crusade, was white in coloring. Edward's troops were pitch-black all over.

During the Middle Ages, Edward himself had roamed battlefields while clad in black armor.

That was how the nickname of the Black Prince came about. It was also why every Legion under his command was a black knight.

"Speaking of which, I never thought I would have a chance to fight in the Far East..."

Sharing his poignant thoughts, he looked at his prided knights.

Currently, these Legions were demonstrating his signature formation in the clear blue sky. First of all, three hundred of the thousand Legions had turned into archers and ascended in altitude.

These archers were not equipped with the standard Legion weapon of the bayonet rifle.

All three hundred archers were wielding longbows . This was the new weapon granted to them by Edward's prided special ability, the Feat of Arms—Archers of Crécy.

Indeed, it was just like how the Chevalier at the Suruga tutelary fort had bestowed Japanese swords to his subordinates.

Furthermore, Edward's wyvern mount was flying gracefully, a kilometer away from his prided knights. He had determined there was no need for him to be commanding the army at the forefront.

"In the past, I have won glorious victories at the hill of Crécy and the land of Poitiers. Let the world know that Japan has now joined this list... My fate has truly been unpredictable."

After increasing their elevation, the three hundred archers remained in their position in the sky.

They were roughly four hundred meters above the surface of Lake Ashi. The remaining seven hundred Garter Knights encircled the archers.

However, their altitude was a hundred meters lower than the archers.

This situation was very similar to "setting up archers on a hill in advance while concentrating cavalry at the base to defend the entire hill."

Edward was very good at this type of "mode anglais" formation.

"Prince, there appears, to be remnants."

"Oh?"

Edward heard a warning in his ear.

There was a small doll sitting on Edward's shoulder. A young girl's voice came from its mouth.

The doll was a blonde girl dressed in a sailor outfit, small in size yet extremely intricate in construction. Possessing it was the genie Morrigan of the British armed forces.

Edward himself had also noticed the noesis. He looked at the direction he had detected it.

...South of Lake Ashi, there was a location named Hakone Pass.

Located was Hakone's second tutelary fort, a stronghold with star-shaped fortification walls, known in Imperial Japan as "Goryōkaku Fortress" style.

From the second tutelary fort, thirty-two Japanese Legions, the Kamuys, flew into the sky.

They were targeting the thousand Garter Knights in formation over Lake Ashi...

"This type of offensive is known as 'kamikaze' in Japan, isn't it?"

"Looks like it."

The commander and the genie's conversation ended here.

Unfazed, Edward had his wyvern descend. Flying swiftly over the surface of Lake Ashi, he went northeast.

In the water near the coast here was a red torii.

It was supposed to be the entrance to a Japanese Shinto shrine—Hakone Shrine—and a famous symbol.

When Edward spotted it earlier, he was drawn to the torii's exotic appeal and had decided to have a good look later.

The Black Prince was already impatient to go sightseeing. A battle erupted overhead.

...The thirty-two blue Kamuys charged in full force at the British Empire's black army.

...The Garter Knights in charge of interception was a team of roughly a hundred, on standby at low altitude.

...The two sides exchanged fire with their bayonet rifles.

...However, the archers also drew their bows at the same time. These three hundred black knights had set up their formation higher in the sky to overlook all of Hakone. The steel longbows in their left hands were extremely large, almost longer than the eight-meter height of Legions.

...Next, an arrow of light appeared simultaneously in each of the three hundred archers' right hands.

...The Kamuys locked in a shootout with the black knights at low altitude—i.e. the Kamuys whose advance was impeded—became the targets of the pitch-black archers firing in full force from a higher position.

...Like a shower of rain, the arrows of light mercilessly pierced the thirty-two Kamuys.

...Against the English arrows, the blue Japanese troop's protective barriers were as weak as paper.

...In merely a minute or two, the remnants of the Hakone defense force were all wiped out—

"There is no fun in fighting excessively weak enemies."

Edward muttered to himself, watching Imperial Japan' Legions die loyally.

He had effortlessly conquered the impregnable Hakone Checkpoint.

This was an amazing feat of victory, but Edward found little glory in it. He had simply led his army to attack the Hakone defense force, defeating them in a frontal assault, that was all.

It was merely a victory of brute force, relying on Chevalier Strength and elite troops.

Having demonstrated the capability of defeating an enemy army six times bigger than his own, the Black Prince would be embarrassed to brag about such a small victory...

As his thoughts reached this point, the legendary prince smiled wryly and said, "No, it was all thanks to God's blessing and the soldiers' valor that total victory was achieved. I must now praise my knights for their glorious efforts and suppress my desire for a contest of strategy."

Edward refreshed his mindset and said to the little girl spirit's simulacrum on his shoulder, "Morrigan, could you perform a search for me?"

"Please state."

"I heard that Hakone has been a popular spa area since ancient times. I'd like like to try a Japanese hot spring to erase the fatigue brought upon by battle. Help me find the hot spring with the best reputation."

"Understood. However."

"Is there a problem?"

"Yes. I would rather not, participate in... mixed bathing again."

"Hold on a second there. I swear upon my life that I am not a man who relies on a position of authority to make playthings out of young maidens. Besides, don't forget your body is a doll!"

"Objection. We high-level spirits, also have, human rights, more or less."

"Well, excuse me. Let me be clear with you. If anyone asked me if I preferred older or younger women, I definitely prefer older ladies!"

"I, see."

While Edward and his subordinate were chattering inconsequentially...

His wyvern mount was flying close to the surface of Lake Ashi. Instantly, the Black Prince keenly sensed noesis. There was faint but acute bloodlust aiming at his head.

"Please."

Edward issued a simple order.

Immediately, a Garter Knight appeared next to the flying wyvern.

From the coast of Lake Ashi flew an incoming rifle bullet. The deadly projectile fired from a sniper's rifle was blocked by the British Legion's armor.

The black Legion retaliated using its bayonet rifle.

The flash of light blasted away the mixed tenant building on the lakeside, preventing the enemy from ever following up the attack again.

Presumably, the shooter was part of Hakone's defense force and a very experienced sniper at that.

"Delighted to see me all alone, huh? ...What a mistake. Sniping never works against a powerful Chevalier."

Edward had not sensed any bloodlust or noesis until the last second.

Furthermore, the enemy had fired an accurate headshot at a flying target from across a windy lake surface.

These points added up to show that an outstanding sniper was at work. Even so, the enemy already made a mistake the moment they thought sniping would work against a Chevalier of Edward's caliber. Had the target been a Japanese Chevalier lacking in practical combat experience or greenhorns among the British knights, the story would be different...

Even if Edward was enjoying his sightseeing and looked very relaxed, instantly returning to a battlefield mindset was not difficult. That was the kind of man he was.

Also of note, the Charter of Chivalry laid down many rules forbidding armed forces from attacking civilian structures. However, civilian structures used for military objectives were considered exceptions, which was why the retaliatory shot just now was totally legitimate.

"Oh right, that katana-using Chevalier I saw at Suruga last time... He demonstrated the same ability too."

A few days ago, Edward had come across "a man that was undoubtedly a strong foe."

Recalling that brief encounter, Edward grinned fearlessly. Apart from that man, Generalissimo Caesar was going to come to Japan from the Eastern Roman Empire eventually too.

Indeed, true war had hardly begun. This was only the prelude.

### Part 4

It was the evening after Masatsugu took a ride on Rikka's car to the Suruga tutelary fort.

He and his liege, Shiori, had returned together to the Black Lily Dorm.

Although it was called a dorm, the whole building was reserved for the princess' exclusive use. Dressed in Haikara-san style with an apron on top, Hatsune was preparing dinner.

The menu included dried horse mackerel, turnip salad, boiled hijiki, pickles, rice, and miso soup.

After the simple dinner, Masatsugu and Shiori were alone. The two of them went to the reading room, which served as a sort of small library for boarders.

However, the princess simply stared at books on the shelves without speaking the whole time.

Masatsugu broke the silence.

"Is it possible that you're upset?"

"Of course not. What reason do I have to be upset?" Shiori replied instantly.

Her speech was quite rapid with an air of displeasure. Masatsugu went "I see," shrugged and did not say anything more.

Now the princess' expression really looked unhappy.

In public, Shiori always upheld her image of the gentle princess. It was only in front of Masatsugu that she expressed her sincerest emotions, sulking or losing her temper on reflex.

"But you've been unhappy ever since we left the tutelary fort. I was wondering whether the fall of Hakone was the reason you're upset."

"Of course not." Shiori shook her head immediately. "In order for the Restoration Alliance to march into Kantō, the first choke point is Hakone. I knew the situation would inevitably turn out this way, though the unexpected speed of their offense did surprise me... But this is no cause for me to be upset."

"In other words, you are upset from other reasons? Ah."

Masatsugu figured it out. Nodding, he said, "Then you are upset because Akigase-dono and I are too close?"

"!?"

Masatsugu went straight to the point, causing the surprised Shiori to deny angrily, "Please do not suggest anything so preposterous!"

"All other reasons are unlikely. As your knight, Princess, I have been having friendly conversations with another girl to develop a relationship of mutual honesty. Witnessing that, you cannot help but feel jealous—This is the most convincing motive."

"M-Masatsugu-sama!"

"That is why you've been upset this whole time."

"You are mistaken. I have remained calm all this time!"

The shaken Shiori denied firmly. Then replied in a kind of assertive tone, completely different in attitude from her usual gentleness or feigned docilty.

"Putting this aside, Masatsugu-sama, we have yet to do it today, have we? Let us go over there."

The princess' beautiful face was blushing.

Despite the heightened emotions in her heart, her tone was still relatively calm.

The two of them went to the table in the center of the reading room. Like the ones used in the school, the table was mundane office furniture. There were four pipe chairs next to it.

Of course, this furniture was meant for boarding students to study and do homework.

Ignoring the books, Masatsugu and Shiori sat down at the table together.

Shiori quietly extended her right hand and caressed Masatsugu's left hand. Their overlapping hands were perfectly hidden under the table.

"A high school couple keeping their relationship a secret, meeting in the library for a tryst, discreetly holding hands—"

What they were doing was very similar to that.

However, this was a necessary ritual. Unable to replenish ectoplasmic fluid the normal way, Tachibana Masatsugu had to rely on the mystic power found in Chevaliers or the kin of sacred beasts—

Masatsugu's body was very cold, almost akin to a state of hypothermia.

A chronic shortage of ectoplasmic fluid resulted in his body's lack of warmth. However, Shiori stroked Masatsugu's hand gently, trying to share her body warmth with him.

Doing this was effective.

The elegant and beautiful princess was transmitting warmth and mystic power through her palm.

Ever since their oath of fealty, they had been doing this secretly every day.

"On further thought, Hatsune knows about my memory loss too," Masatsugu muttered to himself. "We don't need to be secretive about this anymore."

"No! This must not be witnessed by others no matter what, it is too embarrassing..."

Shiori rejected the suggestion and bowed her head in shame.

During this time, she continued to stroke Masatsugu's hand gently. Their bodies were also leaning tightly against each other.

Undeniably, they currently looked like a very loving couple.

It came as no surprise that a maiden inexperienced in love would feel shy. Masatsugu understood the princess' misgivings and accepted her good intentions.

"Incidentally, Masatsugu-sama."

While continuing to warm up her knight, Shiori said, "Please do not ever speak so imprudently again as you did just now. I was honestly not upset and I would like you to refrain from arbitrary speculation about my thoughts."

"Was I mistaken? Sorry about that."

The princess' stubborn response was too adorable, what was he going to do with her—?

Harboring these disrespectful thoughts, Masatsugu apologized calmly.

"By the way, regarding Hakone..."

Holding Masatsugu's hand, Shiori changed the subject.

"The serious issue here is the fall of the impregnable Hakone in less than half a day. More worrying is—"

"The enemy commander's name?"

"Yes. When it comes to the British Empire's prided Resurrectees, there is none more prominent than Admiral Horatio Nelson, who managed to corner even Emperor Napoleon of France, whose name is synonymous to hero... He is a splendid and famous commander. And here in the land of Hakone, a hero of his equal has shown up."

The young knight had led an army of pitch-black Crusades, one thousand strong.

Those Legions were reportedly known as Knights of the Garter. The Feat of Arms transforming their bayonet rifles into longbows was named after the land of Crécy.

Combining all these reports, it was not difficult to deduce their commander's identity as Edward the Black Prince.

"To be honest, I've never heard of him."

"Neither have the majority of Japanese people. Of the ones who have, most merely would have read the name in a history textbook, nothing more. However, he is a legendary hero known to everyone in England."

Shiori smiled to hide her worries and explained the origins of the one bearing that name.

"As an English prince, he defeated the armies of France many times. In the end, he succumbed to illness, dying before he could succeed to the throne..."

Masatsugu only knew the man's name and a brief profile.

However, he was certain it was him . The night he repelled the Restoration Alliance, he had seen a silver-haired young man, riding a British wyvern.

The knight from that encounter must surely have been Prince Edward.

Perhaps this was a Resurrectee's instinct. Masatsugu felt inexplicably certain.

### 038. Chapter 2 - Soldiers of Fortune

### Part 1

The First Expeditionary Brigade of the Far East Fleet.

These were the British Empire's armed forces led by Edward the Black Prince.

The Anglo-Japanese Restoration Alliance was formed from this brigade and Imperial Japan's Kinai Fiefdom.

The combat units attacking Tōkaidō were manned half-half by the British and the Kinai provincial army. However, the majority of Chevaliers were British and 80% of the Legions were Crusades.

Kinai knights were treated as "honored guests" and seldom sent to the battlefield.

Control was held fully in the British Empire's hands.

"There is a proverb in Japan... Lend them some eaves and they will take the main house, was it?"

Lieutenant Colonel Grayson muttered.

"The description aptly captures our relationship with the Kinai Fiefdom."

The elderly gentleman of a soldier was speaking solemnly with polite tones.

However, there was a hint of sardonic bite in his words. This old man was always sharing his cynicism with a completely straight face. Perhaps he was the role model responsible for the genie Morrigan's harsh tongue?

Edward kept his guess to himself and said, "Why not? The Kinai's top brass have accepted it too."

"Indeed, thanks to the blessings of the Three Lions and the British royal family."

"Well said. When they provide incredible and convenient miracles from time to time, we'd better perform our duties as loyal subjects to the best of our ability."

"The Kinai Governor General must have been moved by our princess' sincerity and grandeur."

With straight faces, they were exchanging false platitudes.

The young medieval prince and the elderly man of the modern twentieth century both smirked at the same time.

"Well then, Grayson, I must head over to Kyoto to cheer up our princess and handle a few sundry tasks while I am there. I am counting on you to hold the fort."

"Affirmative."

The elderly soldier accepted Edward's request like an experienced butler.

Also serving as the captain of the destroyer Tintagel , Grayson was dressed in a naval officer's uniform of a white shirt and tie with black pants. However, his current assignment was not on the ship.

Instead, it was Hakone Checkpoint in the western part of Japan's Kantō region.

As the commanding officer Edward's adjutant, he must first secure their control of the Hakone area to serve as a forward operating base to advance on Tōkaidō. This was his latest job.

The purpose was to build up a foundation to support invasions into Tokyo and the Kantō region, the heart of Imperial Japan.

"How will you travel to Kyoto?"

"First along the sea then entering Kinai through the Shima Peninsula."

Today was the second day after the fall of Hakone.

There was a helipad at the second tutelary fort, located south of Lake Ashi.

Hakone was originally defended by the Kantō provincial army. After conquering the tutelary forts, the British forces claimed the large transport helicopter of American make that was there. The helicopter was currently ready at the helipad.

Furthermore, British and Kinai forces had been assigned to various positions at Hakone.

The plan was to subjugate military and administrative facilities and demand civilian factions to provide "voluntary assistance."

After Edward's return, the hectic situation should subside somewhat. The capabilities of the veteran Grayson and the First Expeditionary Brigade were beyond reproach.

Their commander, the Resurrectee, still had other duties to fulfill.

Just as Edward walked to the helicopter, a young girl called out to him.

"Prince, if it pleases you, kindly take this along."

It was a blonde little girl in a sailor outfit and beret—Or rather, a doll.

The doll possessed by the genie Morrigan was standing behind Grayson.

The doll stood at 150cm, roughly human in size. In her hand was a figure version of her that Edward had used during the Hakone siege.

Every time she moved her body, the joints would produce noise, hinting of her non-human identity.

"Morrigan, there is no need for you to accompany me this time."

A genie's support made everything convenient, but Edward still declined.

"You should focus on the Hakone mission."

"Not a, problem. I am a high-level spirit. Simulacra can be sent to multiple locations... Multitasking, is possible."

"I know, but playing with dolls is not my thing."

Early twenties in appearance, Edward sighed.

"If I keep bringing your small version around with me, I am afraid weird rumors will start springing up."

"Please, relax. According to research conducted by the British forces... Many adult men in Imperial Japan, enjoy this type of doll."

"I am not looking for fellow enthusiasts here!"

The spirit offered her counsel expressionlessly but Edward rebuked her and boarded the helicopter alone.

Thus an air journey began. An ancient person from the fourteenth century was sitting in a block of metal to soar the sky. To be honest, Edward found riding a wyvern to be quite similar to a horse so it did not feel weird.

That being said, mechanized locomotion was not bad too.

After all, speed was one major advantage. The transport helicopter flew from Hakone to the air over Numazu Port, passing through Suruga Bay to enter Pacific Ocean airspace.

Then the helicopter went west along Japan's island coastline.

The British armed forces had established naval superiority over virtually all of Tōkaidō's offshore region—from Nagoya and the Atsumi Peninsula to Izu and Atami.

Chances of being attacked were very low. In the event that an enemy showed up, he could simply engage using Legions.

Edward enjoyed the leisurely flight.

The seats in the transport helicopter were hard and not very comfortable. However, horse riding consumed even more energy, so taking a helicopter was still more relaxing.

They entered Kinai through the Shima Peninsula then went north, in other words, inland.

A few hours after taking off, the helicopter reached the sky over Kyoto City. Prior to Japan's name change to "Imperial Japan," Kyoto had been the ancient capital where the royal palace was located.

This was Edward's second time in Kyoto.

Before the Tōkaidō invasion operation, he had disguised himself as a foreign tourist to visit this place and hold talks with key figures in the Kinai Fiefdom.

"Kyoto is such a cramped city..."

Edward's mode of locomotion had switched from a military helicopter to a black luxury vehicle.

As before, operation of the vehicle was left to the driver. Although Edward was talented at controlling mounts such as wyverns or horses, he was not good at handling mechanical contraptions.

Fortunately, as a Resurrectee and Chevalier, he would never find himself without a driver to use.

In the afternoon of the same day, Edward was in the back seat of the luxury vehicle, a paragon of elegance as befitted his title of prince, looking out quietly at the streets of Kyoto.

"Surrounded by mountains, narrow roads. Well, I don't dislike the atmosphere."

Kyoto was rich in classic Japanese tradition, but was not a major metropolis.

Nijou Castle, constructed on Tokugawa Ieyasu's orders, had been remodeled many times over the years. Nowadays, in the twentieth century, it was being used by the Kinai Fiefdom as a "palace."

In addition, there was Kyoto Gyoen, a vast garden belonging to the imperial family.

Inside was a palace from a past age where predecessors of the imperial family had lived and old houses that served as "official residences" of the ancient privileged class, a reminder that this place used to be the political center of Japan.

Edward disembarked near Kyoto Gyoen.

He wanted to march through the streets gallantly in military uniform and relive his glorious adolescence as a knight in the past... However, he was dressed in casual clothing today.

A white shirt with black pants and a gray coat on top, rather plain in appearance.

With the British Empire's invasion of Tōkaidō under way, the position of an Englishman living in Japan would be rather awkward. Given such an environment, there was no need to go around in military uniform to attract extra attention.

Yet here in Japan, the appearance of a tall and handsome silver-haired man still made him stand out.

His conspicuousness could not be helped. Like a soldier, he walked with his head up and chest out, unfazed by the gazes of Kyoto's residents.

Soon, he reached an old-fashioned western mansion.

It was said that an American had ordered its construction in the Meiji period—during the nineteenth century.

Rather than the Kinai Fiefdom's Nijou Castle, today he was visiting a special person whose temporary residence was here. Ten-odd minutes later, Edward was in the mansion's reception room, keeping his appointment with the lady in question.

"Greetings, Princess. It is surely the blessings of the Three Lions that have allowed me the good fortune of surviving combat to meet you once again."

"No, this fortune stems from your personal capability, good brother."

The girl's blonde hair reached waist length. She was smiling elegantly.

It would not be an exaggeration to compare her delicate and lovely facial features to that of a goddess. That being said, her temperament would not match Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty.

Strictly speaking, she would bear a greater resemblance to Hecate, the goddess of the moon shrouded in transient darkness.

Hecate was the terrifying progenitor of black magic, an ominous deity with significance as the guardian of witches.

"It has been a while, Black Prince. I am sincerely delighted for the chance to see you again."

The beautiful Princess Eleanor greeted him.

She was wearing a one-piece dress with puffy sleeves. Fashionably black, its texture was reminiscent of a witch's black robe.

The two of them were sitting in a sofa in the reception room.

Edward went straight to the point, "I heard you were hurt. Thank goodness it was nothing serious."

"You should know that with the powers granted by my father—the sacred lion sovereign—healing minor wounds poses no challenge..."

At Edward's request, Princess Eleanor had infiltrated the Suruga tutelary fort.

It had happened only five days ago, an operation aiming to recruit Chevalier Akigase Rikka, the eldest daughter of the Tōkaidō Governor General, by putting a "charm curse" on her.

However, the operation failed and Akigase Rikka stabbed Eleanor with a sword, forcing her to flee for her life.

Her stabbed left shoulder already showed no signs injury, recovering in merely five short days, but Edward shook his head and said, "Princess, I am quite aware of the source of your miracles. However, we should not abuse powers that require a price to use ."

"Indeed, I shall take your words to heart."

Princess Eleanor nodded obediently. Smiling, she said, "However, making progress without relying on the blessings of miracles would require superior guile and competence. Good brother, I look forward to the fruits of your labors."

"Understood, I will commit this to memory," Edward replied with a wry smile to the princess who addressed him as "brother."

"First of all, I need to meet the Kinai Governor General, is that so?"

"Arrangements are all in place. I made him cancel his entire schedule for tomorrow."

"Hey, a princess of the British Empire should not be speaking like this. He is going to be the prime minister of Imperial Japan eventually, so remember your manners."

"Well... My apologies. I was imprudent." Eleanor widened her eyes ostentatiously and said mischievously, "Please forgive me for speaking so unladylike. Allow me to change my wording. Thanks to the Governor General's kindness and generosity, he is willing to set aside time to meet you, good brother."

"Now that is our good princess. Next... How to best handle the matter of reinforcements?"

Edward recalled a certain handsome man's face.

It was the young man he had spotted that night when he sent the Kinai Chevaliers to attack Suruga.

"The war effort is expected to progress mostly within expectation. I heard that negotiations with Tōsandō are in good shape. However.. Some unexpected elements have surfaced. As a precaution, it would be best to reassign a few obedient knights from Australia."

"...Why not reassign personnel from Britain?"

"I would rather not. That man happens to be sitting back home in boredom. Even now, he still cannot shake off his mindset from the medieval Crusade campaigns. He even wanted to take my spot and head to Japan personally. However, history has proven him unsuitable in the role of top commander."

Edward spoke elegantly as a knight to express some of his dissatisfaction.

"Consequently, the decision to send me was swiftly confirmed. If he were to come, it would make my job very difficult. News of this must not reach Britain. Well, I do concede that he is very charismatic as a general."

In all of English history, that man could very well be the most valorous king .

The drawback was that he was hard to use.

Edward shrugged and said, "Simply stated, I would rather find an excellent hound than put a collar on a rampaging lion."

"My condolences, good brother."

"...What do you mean by that?"

"Richard strongly petitioned the higher-ups in the military. The gist of it went along the lines of 'It is my greatest wish to render assistance to Edward, my kin of blood. Please be generous and understand my chivalry.' He is expected to arrive at the Port of Kobe today."

"...I was not informed of this at all."

"He rushed off and departed England during the night before the commander-in-chief—Admiral Nelson—gave authorization. This forced the higher-ups' hand, leaving them no choice but to authorize dispatching him to Japan."

"Damn them for foisting the burden of taming the lion upon me..."

Edward's noble and handsome face instantly turned gloomy.

While Black Prince Edward and Princess Eleanor were conversing...

The large British destroyer Camelot was sailing towards Osaka Bay. Measuring 180m in length, it was the sister ship of the Tintagel managed by the genie Morrigan.

This military ship was about to reach the Port of Kobe in Kinai.

Under the sunny sky, a man was standing alone on deck, enjoying the sea breeze.

His fine blond hair fluttered in the wind like a lion's mane. His muscular body was clad in Britain's black military uniform... That was not all.

On top of that, he was wearing a flashy crimson cape, giving an impression of excessive accessorizing.

"My boy Édouard... will surely be in for a big surprise when he sees me."

Laughing to himself, this man was around forty years of age. His countenance was full of majesty.

He was probably the only person in the contemporary world who would refer to the Black Prince as "Edward." Despite being the King of England in the past, he did not feel bound to using the English language or following British norms.

"Having lead an army of crusaders to besiege Acre in the past, I now head to the island nation of the Far East to demonstrate knightly justice... Oh how my blood boils in excitement."

Reciting the name of an ancient city east of the Mediterranean, he quietly ignited his battle spirit.

At the same time, his body released noesis. This vast amount expanded and naturally took physical form in the atmosphere amid the sea breeze.

An army of British Legions appeared in the sky over the destroyer Camelot as it sailed into Osaka Bay.

A total of two hundred Legions, but this was not all of them. This puny number was definitely not his limit. His Chevalier Strength was not that weak.

"O wind of the Far East, mark my words. I, Richard, shall step foot in Japan. Let the name of Coeur de Lion shake the world once more. Behold my way of life!"

His voice was filled with the elation of a narcissist.

The two hundred Legions in the air above howled in response to their master's declaration.

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh—

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh—Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh—Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh—

They were identical in appearance to the British mainstay legion, the Crusade.

However, the color was totally different. These Legions were crimson from head to foot. They were also equipped with bayonet rifles larger than that of typical Legions, with ornate decorations as well.

The master said to this army of crimson Crusades, "Thank you, my swords. Present to me a Feat of Arms worthy of the name of Escalibor."

In legend, King Arthur of England was served by the Knights of the Round Table.

The name Escalibor was equivalent to the "Excalibur" that appeared in the stories of King Arthur.

This man had named his Legions after the legendary king's magic sword. Known as Richard I in English history, his nickname of the Lionheart was also very famous.

Richard was a knight of outstanding martial prowess and a rare general of incomparable ferocity.

At the same time, he was the King of England in the twelfth century and the Black Prince Edward's forefather.

### Part 2

It was precisely a week ago when the Crusades first attacked Suruga.

Seven days later, it was Friday again. During this time, Suruga's surroundings were blockaded by the Restoration Alliance's military forces, preventing the flow of traffic and information.

Even so, the Suruga side sent out dozens of retainer beasts as scouts.

Isolated behind enemy lines, the Suruga tutelary fort still succeeded in obtaining limited intelligence.

"...In the end, it's all unfavorable news." Hatsune frowned and fell into deep thought.

Hakone Checkpoint had fallen the day before yesterday. The main roads and part of the railway infrastructure running from Shizuoka Prefecture to Aichi and Yamanashi had also been damaged by the Restoration Alliance's Legions, rendered unusable. Given the current situation, timely repairs would be difficult.

That was not all of the bad news.

"The effects of Hakone Checkpoint's capitulation are more severe than expected," Princess Shiori lamented the unfavorable situation, her voice beautiful as always.

The intelligent princess was accompanied by her lady-in-waiting, Hatsune, and knight, Masatsugu, at Rinzai High's open-air cafe. Noon had just gone by and school was out. Due to the unusual times they were in, all lessons were on a half-day schedule.

"Rikka-sama's father, the Tō kai dō Governor General... has apparently propositioned the Tō san dō Fiefdom to join forces in resistance and drive out the Restoration Alliance from Shizuoka and Hakone."

"The two fiefdoms are very close together geographically, after all."

Hatsune recalled a map showing the center of the islands of Japan.

Tōkaidō was the "sea road," comprising the regions of Aichi, Shizuoka, and Yamanashi facing the Pacific Ocean.

Directly on top was Tōsandō, the "mountain road" of the Southern Alps covering the areas of Gifa, Nagano, Gunma, and Tochigi, the region of precipitous mountains known as as the backbone of Japan's islands.

If the "mountain and sea" fiefdoms of central Japan were to join forces and Kantō cooperated...

However, Shiori sighed repeatedly and ruled out this scenario.

"Unfortunately, Tōkaidō has not secured Tōsandō's support. I fear that the military strength demonstrated by the British in conquering Hakone within half a day, combined with signs that the western fiefdoms are not opposed to the Restoration Alliance, has prompted them to take a wait and see approach."

"Intimidated so easily, what cowards they are."

"Or rather, the British side did their part well," replied Masatsugu quietly to Hatsune's comment.

"Intimidation before and after a war is very important. It's ideal to make the opponent think that resistance is futile and provoke them to imagine what they stand to lose in defeat. Sufficient intimidation, like this instance, could cause future enemies to surrender or obey without a fight."

"Indeed, the Restoration Alliance most likely chose their targets in consideration of the publicity effect." Shiori agreed with Masatsugu's view. "They swiftly took down Shizuoka and Hakone, thus causing western Japan and Tōsandō to lean towards supporting the Alliance. Conversely, had they started out by attacking Nagoya or Tokyo—major metropolises with plenty of Chevaliers and Legions—they probably would not have obtained such impressive results."

The intelligent princess added cynically, "Of course, it is possible that the Restoration Alliance and the Tōsandō Fiefdom have a secret agreement."

"......Okay."

The elegant lady Hatsune served and the Onii-sama from the Tachibana clan were talking military strategy.

Hatsune made her decision. She did not have enough experience or insight to contribute to this discussion. In that case, she would swiftly obtain "power" by making the most of her own signature talents, making the most of the signature talents featured in the Tachibana clan with its abundance of heroes.

"Princess and Onii-sama, I have decided." Hatsune suddenly stood up, clenched her fist and declared, "Here and now, I will start the succession ritual!"

"Eh? Now? Here? Straight away?"

"Yes, there is no point hesitating any longer. A woman is measured by courage!"

"Really? Good luck then."

Contrasting with the princess' surprise, Masatsugu's attitude remained unchanged.

Hatsune could not help but grumble, "Onii-sama, can't you shed a few tears of encouragement at least?"

"You're the one carrying out the ritual after all. Whether I cry or not, the result still depends on your ability. I've got nothing to say except good luck."

"Fair enough, I got it."

Hatsune accepted it without a fuss. After all, she was born and raised in a clan filled with unruly larger-than-life characters. Even as a girl, she was deeply influenced by the clan's bold and unfettered ways.

"Then wait for me with anticipation as though you're watching a horse race!"

"Understood."

"Hatsune, even as a member of royalty, I do not have the authority to hinder another person's aspirations to become a Chevalier." Solemnity returned to Shiori's beautiful face. Gazing at Hatsune, she said, "Because it is the spirit of loyalty and righteousness of people like you that has secured the military power of the Kamuy. I feel nothing but endless gratitude for this courage... However, please allow me to issue you an unreasonable command on this occasion."

The princess sighed and said assertively, "I have no wish to become a guest at your funeral. Show me success, whatever it takes."

"Don't worry, Princess. I will carry out your command without fail!"

Of course, the ritual could not actually take place at the open-air cafe.

The school dojo happened to be free, so Hatsune decided to use it. The martial arts clubs, most notably judo and kendo, had all currently suspended their activities.

Hatune entered the dojo alone and knelt down in seiza on the tatami floor.

Her usual Haikara-san outfit consisting of meisen kimono and hakama did not look out of place in a Japanese dojo at all.

The blue scroll placed in front of her was the Tachibana clan's cherished treasure.

The manifestation of Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune's Appellation. Hatsune remained in seiza in front of it and took a deep breath, gazing intently at the scroll.

Her surrogate brother Masatsugu and the princess were waiting outside. She could rely on no one but herself.

"I beseech the Appellation of Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune. Pray grant me the authorizing seal of warfare to become a war god to defend Imperial Japan—Show yourself and let's fight!"

Hatsune recited the oath she had learned, issuing a challenge at the end.

She forcefully grabbed the scroll in front of her and her vision went dark immediately.

...When her eyesight recovered, she was no longer in the dojo.

She was outdoors. Since there was a starry sky overhead, it was evidently the middle of the night.

"I-I'm on a bridge?"

Within an instant, Hatsune had been taken to an unfamiliar place.

Currently, Hatsune was standing on a wooden bridge over a river.

The river was not big or impressive. It was not flowing rapidly either. Most notably, the water was very clear. A boy was standing a few meters ahead of her.

The boy looked roughly twelve-years-old. The beauty of his face was breathtaking.

Like Hatsune, he was dressed in traditional Japanese clothing. A kimono of the Heian period, it was commonly known as the kariginu meaning "hunting cloak," or in other words, the outfit that onmyouji would wear for ease of movement.

"It has been so long since anyone visited here..."

The boy examined Hatsune coldly.

His facial features were delicate, making him resemble a young and pretty girl at first glance. He was also very slim in build. However, no one would ever mistake him for a girl.

His voice and expression was very manly and exceptionally arrogant.

"Needless to say, you know my name, right? If you don't, I can't be bothered to tell you either."

"Ushiwakamaru..."

Hatsune said Yoshitsune's childhood name instead of Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune.

According to one legend, during childhood, this hero had shown up at Gojō Bridge in Kyoto, calling himself Ushiwakamaru, and defeated Musashibō Benkei who had been on a quest to collect a thousand weapons—

Come to think of it, the river below the bridge would be the Kamogawa.

Hatsune had visited Kyoto on a school trip. She recalled scenery from the ancient city.

"You must first prove your worth if you want my help."

"My worth?"

"You pass if you defeat me... As much as I'd like to say that, it's impossible for you. Let's say you pass if you can catch me."

What the other party wanted was for Hatsune to demonstrate her fighting ability. Fighting was precisely one of the Tachibana clan's specialties. Just as Hatsune was about to dash forward, the pretty boy laughed proudly.

"I'll lend you this, lass. Cut me down if you can."

"Ehhh!?"

There was a tachi on the waist of the boy named Ushiwakamaru.

Its blade was over two feet long and quite curved. A Japanese sword dating to the latter years of the Heian period.

The boy grabbed the tachi whose length did not suit his small stature and tossed it to Hatsune, scabbard included. Hatsune hastily caught it in both hands.

Hatsune could feel the tachi's heavy weight on her arms.

"You're underestimating me too much... Of course, it's possible that I, Tachibana Hatsune, am no match for the peerless Minamoto no Yoshitsune, but I'm no pushover either!"

Hatsune encouraged herself with a bold declaration.

Simply facing him was enough for her to sense how difficult an opponent he was.

The boy in front of her was undoubtedly a thousand times stronger than she was. Against such an opponent, were her own martial arts really going to work?

Suppressing the uncertainty in her heart, Hatsune decided she must not lose in spirit and verbal vigor at least.

"You can use a weapon too. I won't complain."

"Don't worry, there is simply no such need. If I wanted to use one, I'd get one in an instant."

The unarmed pretty boy even scoffed in disdain.

He really seemed to be looking down at Hatsune, though he definitely had the strength to back up his attitude. Hatsune gulped nervously.

### Part 3

Who was this pretty boy who looked like Ushiwakamaru?

Besides, where was this place? Hatsune believed that her "simple" personality, capable of easily ignoring these questions, was her strength.

A terrifying trial was about to begin. These trivial details were inconsequential.

How to teach this arrogant boy a lesson was what she really should think about.

"I'd be a disgrace to my Tachibana ancestors if I allowed this relic to remain buried in obscurity."

Hatsune drew out the tachi he had given her.

Excessive trust in the opponent's goodwill would be very dangerous, so Hatsune swung the blade to test it.

The tachi felt fine to use. For example, if the rivet securing the tang was loose, the blade could slide out of the handle during a swing. Fortunately, there were no such problems.

Hatsune raised the tachi without worry.

Pointing the sword's tip at the handsome face of Ushiwakamaru (?), she said, "Let me test how good you are."

Then Hatsune dashed rapidly at the boy.

At the same time, she executed a lethal two-handed thrust, aimed to pierce the boy's beautiful face.

The opponent had lent his own weapon to Hatsune in a show of self-confidence. As a member of the Tachibana clan, Hatsune did not have the decency to show kindness to such an arrogant enemy. Reading Hatsune's offensive, the boy backed away to evade the tachi's tip.

"I'm in no position to criticize others..." The pretty boy said with a wry smile, "For a lass, you really have quite the fierce temper."

"What are you talking about? Fights are won by preemptive strikes!"

In showdowns between master swordsmen, one seldom attacked lightly.

To avoid being counterattacked, there was a preference to let the opponent attack first, then find an opening to retaliate. This concept was known as go no sen in Japanese swordsmanship.

However, Hatsune had attacked right off the bat, everything be damned.

A lucky hit would have led to an immediate victory. This was also the principle of fighting with real swords.

"My clan hates biding time for an opening and not attacking."

"I actually agree on that point, but I think women should be a bit more demure."

"I've heard plenty of such nagging advice!"

While holding her own in the verbal exchange, Hatsune did not stop moving.

The boy had backed away and Hatsune chased after him.

Hatsune's high slash swept horizontally at the side of the boy's pretty face, but he evaded in the nick of time with a slight twist of his upper torso. Then Hatsune feigned an attack at his arm but actually executed a diagonal slash at his right shin. This strike was dodged too.

The boy moved sideways by an inch or so, once again evading with the slimmest of margins.

"Another one!"

"Hahaha. So here we have a vicious horse that kicks!"

Hatsune had switched to a low kick, intending to shatter the boy's kneecaps. The boy jumped back again, evading the kick.

So far, all her attacks had been one or two centimeters from striking the enemy.

Yet the boy was denying Hatsune success.

In addition to outstanding eyesight, he possessed animal-like speed and flexibility. Without natural talent, training alone would never attain this level of martial arts.

It would not be an exaggeration to compare his agile movements to a cat's or a monkey's. His reflexes and kinetic vision rivaled that of animals too.

"As expected of the Kurama tengu's disciple..."

As a young boy, Ushiwakamaru had mastered the arts of war under the tutelage of Kurama's great tengu.

Recalling the scene from noh theater, Hatsune used her own trump card.

Although it was not as lofty as "an ultimate secret technique," it was quite useful—

"Hiyahhhhhhhhhhh!"

"Oh?"

The pretty boy showed a change in expression when he lightly dodged Hatsune's horizontal slash.

He finally put away his irreverent attitude. After attacking the boy in a rapid succession of left and right diagonal slashes, Hatsune switched to stabbing at his heart with a single-handed thrust.

The boy evaded all attacks deftly without complacency in his countenance.

He was no longer flaunting his confidence by dodging attacks by the slimmest of margins Instead, he maintained a distance of a few dozen centimeters to evade Hatsune's tachi.

"Your petty tricks are pretty amusing."

Glancing furtively at Hatsune's stance, the boy muttered to himself.

He was truly extraordinary to have seen through Hatsune's trick already. If Tachibana Hatsune was a sparrow chirping on a branch, he would be a phoenix soaring the sky. That was the massive disparity between them.

However, the disparity was not entirely impossible to bridge. It was too early to give up yet!

"How about this!?"

Hatsune entered a mid-level seigan stance, sweeping her sword at the boy sideways.

His defensive maneuver was even more impressive. Jumping swiftly in the air, he flew over Hatsune's slash lightly.

More unbelievably, he stepped on the tachi that was swinging towards him and leaped again from the back of the blade.

Then he ascended high into the air like a bird before somersaulting and landing behind Hatsune.

"!?"

"A pretty good idea. Too bad it doesn't work on me," said the boy casually.

Hatsune recalled a legend where Matsubayashi Henyasai, a master swordsman in the Edo period, had used a similar stunt.

Henya was a nickname that compared his speed and agility to a bat's.

"You jumped all over the place and confused that big guy Benkei too..." Hatsune sneaked a quick glance at her hands holding the tachi.

The boy had lent her a tachi with a handle measuring thirty centimeters or so. During the series of offensives earlier, Hatsune had slightly adjusted her grip's position with every strike.

"This isn't enough If even Musashibō Benkei's naginata failed to touch him."

Since the handle was thirty centimeters long, gripping the sword near the guard or towards the end would change the overall reach of the blade. Hence, Hatsune would slide along the handle before attacking, adjusting the position of her grip flexibly to make minor adjustments to the tachi's offensive reach.

This variability of ten-odd centimeters was surprisingly effective at disrupting an enemy's defensive instincts.

Experts with exceptional eyesight were especially sensitive to minute changes and thus even more easily affected. This was a practical combat technique that could only be used with a Japanese sword with a long handle.

Understanding their gap as martial artists, Hatsune licked her lips.

"Little lass, I will keep my earlier promise."

The pretty boy took out a fan from his bosom.

Rather than a metal fan with a steel frame, it was simply a Japanese paper fan. Without opening the fan, he stared at Hatsune.

"Wielding a sword against you would be a taint against my reputation. However, know that I, Kurou Yoshitsune, am on a completely different level when armed."

Finally introducing his name and title, the pretty boy ceased all movement.

With a sharp expression, the boy exuded a calm and collected aura as he observed Hatsune's every move. Hatsune was a bit miffed that all he had taken out was a fan, but there was no helping that. Kurou Hougan had decided this was "plenty enough."

"Looks like I'll have to take a gamble and go all-out in offense..." Hatsune murmured and began to strategize.

However, all she could think of was what her friends had said. Masatsugu had said the final result ultimately depended on Tachibana Hatsune's own ability. The princess had commanded her to succeed without fail. Rikka believed that what truly mattered were one's battle achievements after becoming a Chevalier—

"Okay!"

Having made up her mind, Hatsune straightened her back.

Then she tossed away the tachi in her hand, dropping it into the river below the bridge.

"What the heck?"

"I can find a way without relying on this kind of thing."

Furthermore, she sat down cross-legged on the ground.

"Your turn to attack. I'm not going anywhere. Bring it on any time!"

"I never thought Japan would ever produce a idiot who'd brazenly speak to me like this."

The boy showed surprise but a smug smile surfaced on the corners of his lips.

The pretty boy with the name of Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune approached with agile footwork. In front of Hatsune, he swung down the fan in his right hand with lightning speed.

The fan, a handicraft of wood and paper, struck Hatsune squarely on the head.

The sound of slicing could even be heard, normally not possible with a fan.

"Owww!?"

The violent impact shook Hatsune's skull and brain, making her see stars.

Unbelievably, a paper fan could inflict such a heavy blow. Truly a wondrous feat of peerless proportions. However, Hatsune mustered a Tachibana youngster's fortitude.

Hatsune imagined the fan swung down by Kurou Hougan's right arm as a katana.

She succeeded in executing a barehanded technique for countering an armed opponent. Hatsune had reasoned that her head or face would have been the most likely targets since the enemy was attacking her with a fan while she was sitting on the ground. Determined to grab his arm even at the cost of getting hit, she simply waited for him to come to her instead.

"Yahhhhhh!"

Hatsune leaned back, pulling Kurou Yoshitsune's right arm along while scissoring her legs around his shoulder region—

The boy almost fell over forwards. Thus, Hatsune was hanging on his arm.

Suspended in midair, Hatsune naturally fell. The instant her back hit the ground, she rolled, taking Kurou Yoshitsune with her. The two of them entered a state of ground fighting.

Applying pressure to his elbow joint, Hatsune executed a flying armbar.

The Ushiwakamaru version of Kurou Yoshitsune was small in stature. Besides, a fighter from the Heian period probably would have no knowledge of a flying surprise assault from Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Hatsune's correct call had created the opening for victory. However, her attack only succeeded halfway.

"Tsk!"

Before the joint was locked completely, Kurou Yoshitsune swung his right arm vigorously.

Hatsune had almost straightened his elbow but could not budge his arm any further. Despite a boy's appearance, Kurou Yoshitsune's arm strength was extraordinary. Hatsune could not overpower him no matter how hard she tried.

However, Hatsune said proudly, "How's that? This finally counts as catching you, right!?"

"Indeed, I cannot deny that," young Kurou replied unhappily.

"Yes!"

Knowing she had succeeded, Hatsune cried out in excitement. She happened to be executing ground skills on the bridge. Releasing the boy's right arm, she extended her limbs, simply lying on the ground in a star jump posture.

Her fatigue was intense but matched equally by her sense of accomplishment.

While Hatsune was lying there grinning to herself, Kurou Yoshitsune immediately stood up.

"By the way, I can't believe you dared to take my attack."

He glared down coldly at Hatsune with words of praise.

"Of course it was scary, but this ritual is ultimately just a test."

Although there is a risk of death, it was ultimately just a test—

Hatsune recalled Akigase Rikka's advice.

"By my guess, it shouldn't be too harsh. Besides, if you really wanted to kill me, you wouldn't use a fan, right?"

A paper fan could not kill, which was why Hatsune dared to take the gamble.

Seeing Hatsune lying on the ground with a silly grin, the young Kurou went "I see."

"You really are an idiot."

"Hold it right there. Aren't you being way too rude to a lady—?"

Hatsune was about to protest when she jumped in surprise.

The young Kurou walked over to a railing on the bridge and swung the fan in his right hand. Struck by the fan, the thick timber crumbled and collapsed after tiny cracks appeared.

Also the destruction was confined to just that one spot.

This attack was more powerful and shocking that its appearance had suggested.

Hatsune slowly got up, staring at the tragic state of the railing.

"......"

"Whether I'm using a fan or a twig, I can easily shatter the skull of a little lass. I deliberately held back to see what ridiculous idea you were thinking about. Lass, you managed to pique my curiosity. It counts as your win."

"R-Really?"

"On further thought, idiots are less likely to be hit by stray arrows on the battlefield."

"Th-That's definitely a discriminatory remark! Jumping to conclusions is not nice!"

"Don't be too hasty to deny it. Despite being an idiot, indeed, you do have a smart side, which makes you a capable idiot. I shall render my assistance to you for the time being. Do your best."

After mocking Hatsune, the young Kurou's body gradually grew big.

This growth was not maturation but the expansion of body size. He turned into a winged giant soldier standing eight meters tall, very similar to the appearance of the Kamuy, Imperial Japan's mainstay Legion.

Similar, but not identical—

After watching the transformation to its conclusion, Hatsune lost consciousness.

When she woke up, Tachibana Hatsune found herself lying on the tatami floor in the dojo.

She had fallen asleep unintentionally. The blue scroll still clutched in her right hand was the manifestation of Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune's Appellation.

Furthermore, Hatsune felt it vaguely.

Inside the scroll was a strong will as well as a warrior's fierce emotions, thirsting for battle.

Inside her dream, she had met the general, Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune. This was proof that his mighty name had recognized the latest successor.

### Part 4

"Present... ARMS!"

At the drill instructor's command, hundreds of soldiers performed the action neatly in unison.

They brought their light automatic rifles to a vertical position, muzzles upward, then performed the salute known as presenting arms.

This scene was taking place in the plaza within Nijou Castle, the Kinai Fiefdom's "palace."

A military band was playing a heroic melody, adding to the atmosphere of the ceremony.

The Kinai provincial army's elite guard were saluting to convey honor to a distinguished guest.

Throughout the Edo period, Nijou Castle had suffered several fires, destroying the central keep and various portions. However, reconstruction works were put into moton ten-odd years ago.

Thanks to that, today in the year 1998, one could still see Nijou Castle's full glory from the Kan'ei era.

This included the outer moat, the inner moat, the inner citadel, the outer citadel, the central keep, the courtyard, etc.

However, the interior of the buildings were outfitted with elevators and other facilities, remodeled into modern style.

Edward, the main guest at the honor ceremony, said, "Japan's generous hospitality is truly not bad at all."

It was noon on the second day of his visit to Kyoto.

The central keep was located on a towering stone wall. Edward was on a balcony there.

His vantage point provided a full view of the plaza inside the castle. Every time a ceremony was held, the Kinai Fiefdom's VIPs or visiting members of the imperial family would stand on this balcony to meet the civilians and soldiers of the province.

Today, Edward was wearing the British Empire's black military uniform, unlike yesterday.

Also, Edward was standing at "the forefront" of the balcony next to the railing. The Kinai Governor General, Izumi Tenzen, was standing a little further back.

"Sir Izumi, thank you for your warm hospitality."

"Not at all. This welcome reception is the least we could do for a knight from Britain, our ally, much less a legatus legionis from the ancient past."

Also a Chevalier, the Kinai Governor General was wearing the military officer's uniform of Imperial Japan.

In his sixties, the elderly man seemed to have kept up his martial training. Despite his advanced age, his body was quite strong and healthy. His hair was also black.

"Our nation will only have something called a future if we align our interests with Britain... One day, when the Empress at the imperial palace comes to understand this, I shall have you received as a state guest."

"Hahahaha, I will look forward to it."

The Kinai Governor General was very dignified at a glance with an imposing countenance.

Edward cordially responded to the empty promise. This old man had a reputation as a fierce general in Japan and was famous for being a militant.

...However, the British military knew the truth.

Despite his exalted position as a Chevalier, his experience in actual combat was paltry. During the current operations, he had been accompanied by bodyguard Chevaliers under the pretext of adjutants. The reputation of the fierce general was a ruse. A vain man, even his black hair was the result of hair dye.

For this kind of man to serve as the British Empire's collaborator—He was definitely a good choice to exploit.

"Thank you for looking after my brother. I, Eleanor, offer my utmost gratitude."

The princess present, Eleanor, also curtsied elegantly.

Today, she was dressed in a white formal dress, looking very pure and lovely.

If one had to answer the question of whether it looked good on her, the answer was definitively yes. However, anyone who knew of Eleanor's true nature as a witch would feel some sense of dissonance from her attire.

The Kinai Governor General evidently did not gather that impression.

"The pleasure was all mine. As a demonstration of our friendship with your nation... as well as my respect for you, none of this was any trouble on our part."

"Oh dear, you flatter me so."

"Fighting on behalf of beautiful ladies is the chivalry espoused by your nation, isn't it? Princess of Britain. As a Japanese man, I would be delighted to learning the ways of chivalry for your sake. You are a woman worthy of my devotion."

The Kinai Governor General's sycophancy did not suit his imposing countenance very well.

His eyes were fixated upon Eleanor in fascination, like a young boy infatuated with an older woman, or a medieval knight who would pledge his life to a lady.

Edward observed sharply.

The noesis released from Eleanor's back was affecting the Kinai Governor General, entangling Izumi Tenzen's body—and noetic waves—like tentacles.

The old man, despite his position and honor, was worshiping a foreign maiden.

This noetic curse was precisely the witchcraft used by Eleanor.

Finding an appropriate moment, Edward excused himself from the balcony.

Since the Kinai Governor General's mind was fixated on Eleanor, it was fine for Edward to be absent. Walking alone in the corridor of Nijou Castle's central keep, he wondered if he should go sightseeing in the afternoon.

Unexpectedly, he ran into a displeased acquaintance.

"Hello Uncle, is there something upsetting you?"

"Indeed. My unhappiness is your fault, Édouard."

Edward's greeting elicited the expected response.

The other party was a man in his forties, dressed in the British military's black uniform with a red cape on top. He was Richard I, the Resurrectee who had left Britain on an expedition without permission.

"I took great pains to cross untold miles to render my assistance in battle, yet you did not even ask me to attend the ceremony... This would have been an excellent opportunity to let these orientals learn of my mighty name as the honored heroic king."

"It's better to keep a low profile so as to demonstrate valor in critical moments. I too have endured such a phase."

Richard the Lionheart was an imposing man.

However, he had a thoughtless side to him stemming from his intense urge of exhibitionism, an exaggerated sense of chivalry and romanticism, and a poet's soul in love with poetry.

Consequently, he was not suited to taking top command. Suitability as king was also tenuous too.

"Besides, Uncle, the forest has ears and the field has eyes."

Edward was quoting a proverb equivalent to the Japanese saying, "walls have ears."

"Otherwise, it would make things awkward for our British soldiers if they heard. We no longer live in an age when our House of Plantagenet ruled Great Britain. We must respect British customs and honor. Please try to shift away from continental mannerisms."

"Hmm..."

"It is time for Prince Edward and King Richard to retire."

From Richard's perspective, Edward was more like a descendant than merely someone younger in age.

Furthermore, Richard had a proud personality with a fiery temper. It would not be unexpected for someone like him to insist on his exalted position. However, the advice from someone a few generations his junior turned out to be surprisingly effective.

"Ho, since times have changed, I shall listen to you."

Richard displayed unexpected leniency towards his junior kin, the way a grandfather would indulge a grandson.

Edward nodded in response to the smiling Lionheart. He addressed him as "Uncle" merely out of convenience. Their true relationship was much more complicated than that.

Edward's great-grandfather's grandfather was Richard's younger brother.

Richard's younger brother was John Lackland, a notoriously unpopular king in the history of England. Who would have expected his bloodline to produce a number of famous kings as well as a renowned general like Edward?

"Well then, let us take up the subject of war."

Trying to keep a fierce beast like Richard restrained would not work.

Unless given chances to vent as necessary, he was going to cause fatal chaos eventually. This worry was what prompted Edward to deliberately bring up his favorite subject.

"Hohohoho, is there a battlefield worthy of my presence?"

"Indeed, there is. I have some matters to handle in Kyoto first, but over in Tōkaidō that our forces are in the process of conquering, there is a large-scale counterattack being planned against the British—"

Now that the Lionheart was here, Edward had no choice but to accept his presence and make the best use out of him.

Moreover, even if he was ill-suited as ruler or top commander, at least he was far from incompetent. So long as the lion tamer was skillful, there were no lack of ways to deploy him.

As the commander-in-chief of the British forces invading Japan, Edward said, "Right now, we are laying a trap for them. If all goes well, Uncle, I will yield to you the chance to fight at the base of Mount Fuji."

### Part 5

"...This is basically the etiquette for establishing a pact."

Akigase Rikka was in charge of instruction.

Tachibana Hatsune was the listener. Yesterday, she had inherited Kurou Yoshitsune's Appellation to become a new Chevalier.

"In the end, there is no method better than trying it out for real. Don't think too much, just feel with your body."

"Understood. By the way, Rikka-sama, has anyone ever called you a rough-and-ready person?"

"You're very perceptive. People who served as my adjutants or staff officers have complained about the same thing. So did my younger brothers at Nagoya."

"No wonder."

The two of them were conversing in the water shrine under the Suruga tutelary fort.

Hatsune had followed Rikka underground to learn from the senior Chevalier about matters such as the tutelary pact and how to carry out the essential task of resupplying ectoplasmic fluid.

Hatsune was surrounded by a reservoir of marine-blue artificial ectoplasmic fluid.

Several Greek columns stood towering from the water, contributing to a solemn atmosphere like a temple's. The water surface was criss-crossed by narrow paths.

Walking along the paths, the two of them reached the bath further inside the shrine.

Leading the way, Rikka shared her "Chevalier insights" with Hatsune. Her explanations were not detailed and always concluded with asking her to "feel with her body."

Inside the bath area was a round vat of ectoplasmic fluid similar to a swimming pool.

Rikka removed her military uniform on the side. Hatsune hastily unfastened her clothing and removed her pink kimono, hakama, and hair ribbon. At any rate, she already knew that Chevaliers had to soak themselves in ectoplasmic fluid to allow the source of mystic powers to seep into their body and soul."

"...Wow, that's pretty rough-and-ready indeed."

"Hmm? Did you just say something?"

"Nothing really, just talking to myself~"

Rikka tilted her head in puzzlement when Hatsune looked around and commented with a smile.

Hatsune had confirmed her earlier impressions again when she saw the lady Chevalier remove her military uniform and casually sent it to the floor with a swift toss. However, as one would expect of a dignified practitioner of the sword, Rikka carefully took down Onikiri Yasutsuna from her waist and lowered it to the floor.

Hatsune folded her own clothing properly and gathered in one spot.

Hatsune used to be just as rough-and-ready, but during her time in the imperial palace as a trainee, she had been forced to learn cooking, cleaning, laundry and other "necessary accomplishments." Folding clothing immediately after undressing was one of the precepts learned.

(...Incidentally, her sloppiness and unruly nature as a trainee lady-in-waiting had given the head lady-in-waiting quite a headache, almost forcing her to design a special curriculum to train Hatsune.)

In any case, the two of them stepped into the vat of ectoplasmic fluid together.

"It's so cold!"

Hatsune shrieked the moment she touched the ice-cold ectoplasmic fluid.

Fighting back tears while she endured the chill, she immersed herself in the mysterious spiritual water until shoulder-level.

...After enduring the cold in the ectoplasmic fluid for a couple minutes, Hatsune started feeling her entire body heat up. A few minutes later, her body temperature had rebounded completely.

The temperature was like dipping in hot water. Hatsune finally understood.

This heat in her body was precisely the source of miraculous powers of the mystical—

This was also the power granted to Imperial Japan by Lord Tenryuu, Princess Shiori's grandfather.

In addition to the rise in body temperature, there was also a feeling of excitement. Hatsune looked at her removed clothing. The blue scroll placed on top was the proof of the Feat of Arms she had acquired.

In that instant, she experienced auditory hallucination. It was young Kurou's arrogant voice.

The voice seemed to be howling, demanding Hatsune to give him more power and to hurry up and take him to the battlefield to slaughter enemies...

"It's about time," Rikka said slowly, also immersed in the ectoplasmic fluid. "Tachibana, form the tutelary pact like how I taught you."

"Okay... Uh, upon my Appellation of Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune, I pray to the local shrine of Suruga. Pray grant me the blessing of holy water and the authorizing seal of warfare to become a war god to defend Suruga!"

After Hatsune finished speaking in one breath, her body began to glow faintly.

Then Hatsune noticed a great amount of mystic power flow into her through her feet—through the soles linked to Suruga's land—stunning her for a moment.

Rikka nodded at the surprised Hatsune and said, "With that, you are now a Chevalier tasked with the defense of Suruga. I look forward to working with you."

"Yes, same here too!"

Hatsune replied cheerfully and relaxed her shoulders.

Earlier, she had been nervous to some extent, but now there was confidence in her heart. She absentmindedly looked at Rikka opposite her.

...Hatsune was quite intrigued. Rikka's figure was perfect. Beautiful.

Akigase Rikka's complexion was pale with a slim overall build. However, her bust and hip areas were so voluptuous that you could almost add a "bam!" sound effect. Undoubtedly, she was very buxom.

Furthermore, her waist was very narrow and sexy.

Even Hatsune could not help but sigh in envy.

(...She's so attractive, just like her personality.)

Rikka was not excessively skinny like a model.

Her body was slender while blessed with voluptuousness capable of stealing men's hearts. This kind of figure was very attractive even from the perspective of the same sex.

Furthermore, despite her rough-and-ready habits, her personality did not come across as sloppy, amazingly enough.

The reason was her dignified comportment. Presumably, this was due to the discipline and etiquette cultivated through martial arts training, the beautiful way she moved her body, and her upright posture.

In addition, she was a beautiful maiden with waist-length black hair. Flawless in appearance.

"Tachibana, you and Masatsugu-dono are not real siblings, right?"

"We're not. I don't really know the details myself, but anyway, our formal relationship is 'relatives'♪"

This description was far too sloppy and not very formal, but Hatsune did not mind.

In any case, she optimistically believed that it was fine as long as she got her message across. However, Rikka looked inexplicably troubled with a frown on her face.

"...I see, so this is the method they used to conceal his true identity? Since Tachibana isn't his real sister, perhaps..."

Hatsune could not hear clearly what Rikka was murmuring.

Then Rikka stared intently at Hatsune's body and said, "By the way, your family must have raised you well."

"Fufu, I am a well-bred lady after all♪"

"No, that's not what I meant. I am saying that you are physically very mature."

Hatsune was secretly happy that her heritage as a descendant of jikisan hatamoto was visible despite the great number of uncouth characters in the Tachibana clan when Rikka rejected her interpretation and even examined her body closely.

Indeed, Tachibana Hatsune definitely had a mature body.

Rikka was voluptuous but Hatsune's level surpassed hers.

Before entering middle school, Hatsune was already showing signs of ample maturation. This continued along, resulting in her use of G-cups at the young age of sixteen.

Rikka was probably an E. An overwhelming victory for Hatsune.

Hatsune was aware of her own figure, but there were worrying elements.

"Oh, umm, I do train diligently, but because meals and midnight snacks are so tasty, I often eat too much unintentionally. P-Please don't look too closely..."

"No need to be shy, you don't look fat at all."

While praising Hatsune, Rikka's expression was very solemn.

"My brothers back home secretly keep photobooks. Many of the photos show slender yet voluptuous women in swimsuits... Tachibana, your figure doesn't lose to them at all. In fact, you might be superior."

"R-Really?"

"Assuredly so. I search my brothers' rooms occasionally and tell them that they should openly display those photos as manly men."

Hatsune could not help but smile, but then a thought occurred to her.

So the aristocracy in Tōkaidō's ruling house also looked at that kind of stuff. Perhaps back home, Rikka-sama was the kind of sister who terrorized her younger brothers like a demon or a tyrant?

However, a maidenly expression surfaced on the face of this possibly demon-like daughter of a noble house.

"As fellow Chevaliers, I would like to confirm something with you..."

Stammering, Rikka mustered her courage to ask, "Does Hiji—Masatsugu-dono have those kinds of photobooks? Basically, does he enjoy looking at women with well-developed figures... Like yours?"

Hatsune was taken by surprise. It sounded like Rikka had said something inaudible during her slight pause, possibly "well-developed figures surpassing mine ... Like yours?"

In any case, Hatsune answered with uncertainty.

"That's hard to say. I've never seen any in his room. Oh right, I don't think there was anything like that in his parents' house either."

"I-I see."

"But on further thought, Onii-sama is in charge of the beauty contest for the school festival committee."

"Beauty contest!? That is so scandalous..."

"A school festival is scheduled for December, but now it's unclear whether it'll go ahead. Onii-sama sometimes mentions that he'll try his best to organize a spectacular beauty contest."

"I see... May I ask another question?"

Rikka remained worried and she asked in an especially maidenly tone of voice, "This is purely something that I must confirm as a Chevalier. Masatsugu-dono is in the personal service of Her Highness—Princess Shiori, isn't he? Would it be possible that he might... feel attracted to the beautiful princess?"

"Uh, well, Onii-sama doesn't really talk that much..."

Does Rikka-sama actually feel...? Wondering that, Hatsune said, "So I don't really know. Of course, since Onii-sama is such a weirdo, he probably doesn't have such tasteful motivations..."

Hatsune answered ambivalently. Rikka looked a bit disappointed.

Seeing her senior a little depressed, Hatsune's doubts grew stronger. Perhaps the way she feels about Onii-sama is —

"Rikka-sama and Onii-sama... That's impossible, right?"

"Hatsune, what are you talking about?"

"Nothing, nothing at all. Forget it♪"

This was a certain room on the top floor of a three-story building somewhere in the Suruga tutelary fort.

It was the office of the castellan, Akigase Rikka. Masatsugu was resting on the sofa for receiving guests while Hatsune, sitting next to him, was staring at his face, mumbling to herself.

Hatsune's tone sounded suspicious but what she said did not seem important.

Masatsugu decided to ignore it. The current task of the moment was to hand over congratulatory gifts to the new Chevalier who had just finished replenishing ectoplasmic fluid.

"This just arrived from the commissariat to congratulate your Chevalier Conferment."

"Eh, really!? I'm so happy. There's juice, cola, and so many snacks! Recently, it's been impossible to buy these things!"

Masatsugu pointed at the things on the reception table, causing Hatsune's eyes to glimmer.

There were cans of cold drinks and PET bottles, as well as snacks and tons of sweets such as chocolate. Maybe a child might, but one would not expect a sixteen-year-old girl to get excited over such gifts.

Sitting opposite to Masatsugu and Hatsune, Shiori smiled and said, "Food logistics in the outskirts of Suruga are now under the tutelary fort's management. This task was completed in the beginning of the week. How wonderfully efficient."

Shiori praised the castellan Rikka, who was sitting at the work desk in the back of the room.

The lady Chevalier smiled and shrugged.

"Please direct this praise to the ones in charge of the commissariat and the municipal government. I simply issued orders and left the details of execution to their discretion."

Suruga's surroundings were blockaded by the Restoration Alliance, preventing freedom of movement.

In other words, all logistics were interrupted. Lacking goods and support from outside, Suruga would run out of food eventually. Consequently, food had to be purchased from food companies, transportation businesses, and shops in advance then passed onto a government agency to manage.

These purchased goods, combined with army provisions in stock, became the "rations" provided to civilians.

Tutelary forts were not merely military bases—

They also stockpiled food in case of natural disasters or emergencies like now. Furthermore, the underground fluid power generation systems using artificial ectoplasmic fluid normally provided vast amounts of electricity for the surrounding area. When necessary, a certain level of regional life could be supported, centered around a tutelary fort.

"Rikka-sama, how long will supplies last under rationing?"

"Two months... according to the commissariat's estimates. But as we all know, predictions on the battlefield frequently land way off mark. Unexpected events frequently happen. Apart from that..."

Rikka answered Shiori's question with worry.

"The residents of the city are currently quite understanding... But the stress will build up and explode in some manner eventually. When that happens, voices inside Suruga will start advocating cooperation with the Restoration Alliance. How long we can maintain this 'cage'... It is quite hard to say for certain."

The budget for purchasing food was jointly funded by the tutelary fort and the municipal government.

During times of war, large quantities of military scrip would be put into circulation. Military scrip referred to substitute currency used by militaries and could be redeemed for cash value from the government.

This also meant that Suruga had to resolve its crisis while the Japanese government was intact.

For civilians, the use of military scrip lacked assurance. As time dragged on, it would also become one of the factors contributing to civilian unrest.

"Umm..." Hatsune raised her hand to interrupt the conversation between the Governor General's daughter and the imperial princess.

"The Restoration Alliance hasn't attacked lately... Are they waiting for us to run out of supplies?"

"Probably. A castle whose defenses cannot be breached immediately can always be taken through strategy." Rikka clicked her tongue and said, "According to my father's messages, our negotiations with Tōsandō are not going smoothly. Besides, as things drag on, the Restoration Alliance will become more entrenched. As a result, my father has informed me that he intends to launch a counterattack from Yamanashi before the situation turns dire. We would like to coordinate with this operation from Suruga, but..."

Tōkaidō was a narrow region elongated east-west.

It was composed of the three prefectures of Aichi, Shizuoka, and Yamanashi. Of the entire Shizuoka region, Suruga was the only place yet to fall, while Yamanashi had not been touched by the Restoration Alliance yet.

However, Rikka said in frustration, "Morgan le Fay has deployed barriers around Hakone Checkpoint and the neighboring Fuji tutelary fort. It is difficult for small retainer beasts to approach for reconnaissance. The situation does not look good."

"What is Morgan le Fay?" asked Masatsugu, not recognizing the term.

Rikka smiled wryly and said, "An ifrit from Britain's Far East Fleet, and one of their finest specimens too. Neither the noetic officers currently at Suruga nor Sakuya are able to break a barrier deployed by a divinity of that class."

"Oh?"

The Suruga tutelary fort had the ifrit Seiryuu and its avatar, the spirit Sakuya.

However, the British apparently had a guardian deity surpassing them. Masatsugu was deeply impressed.

Shiori, knowledgeable in noetic techniques, fell into deep thought.

"I have a suggestion."

Then the princess proceeded to explain patiently.

### 039. Chapter 3 - Coeur de Lion

### Part 1

The Suruga tutelary fort was located on a mountainous region formed from two adjacent mountains in a north-south series.

Suruga City lay to the west of these mountains while Shimizu City lay to the east. Currently, Tachibana Masatsugu and two companions were traveling in a plain-looking domestic vehicle, driving from Suruga towards Shimizu.

"So quiet..." Masatsugu muttered from the front passenger seat. He was looking out the window at the streets of Suruga.

It was 9am. Putting aside the obvious early hour, there was a lack of vibrancy. Population was sparse to begin with in this regional city, but there were no pedestrians in the outdoors. Cars were few too.

It was as though all the residents had gone on vacation—

"It's only natural, Onii-sama. Unlike our high school, many schools and businesses are on holiday. After all, you get hungry easily if you run around for no good reason," responded Hatsune from the driver's seat, dressed in her usual Haikara-san getup.

Traffic on the road was very light and Hatsune was driving quite fast. Also, she had formed her tutelary pact at the water shrine yesterday.

"The rations distributed to civilians aren't particularly generous. The tutelary fort has also requisitioned gasoline in the city. There aren't many cars moving about outdoors."

"In other words... The populace is hiding at home, holding back their anxiety and dissatisfaction, is that right?"

The beauty in the back seat concluded in her lovely voice.

This beautiful maiden was dressed neatly in a white blouse and navy-blue skirt with her platinum blonde hair tied in a ponytail with a red ribbon. She was Fujinomiya Shiori, a princess of Imperial Japan.

Today, her striking and pretty face was adorned by a pair of glasses.

Its purpose was for camouflage. It also enhanced her vibes of "wit and intellect" compared to usual.

Furthermore, she was using an Image Disguise noetic technique, preventing those unfamiliar with her from recognizing her as the princess.

Incidentally, Masatsugu was wearing a white long-sleeved t-shirt with black pants.

With a black jacket on top, his attire was similar in color to the school uniform.

"Are you really sure, Princess? Someone as important as you has no need to risk yourself by leaving Suruga to carry out this kind of mission..."

"It is fine, because I am the only one capable of doing it," Shiori replied to Hatsune quite decisively.

"Although Suruga has the genie named Sakuya, it would be no easy task to take that insecure child outside the city. Besides, she still needs to manage the tutelary fort."

"Princess, you mentioned that she has human shyness, right?"

"And frankly speaking, I would like to leave town for a change of pace too."

"Princess, your Machiavellian tendency to ruin inspiring stories on purpose is totally awesome."

"I must thank Rikka-sama for agreeing to my suggestion too."

Masatsugu felt the same way.

If anything were to happen to the princess, responsibility would fall squarely upon Rikka as the castellan of Suruga. In spite of that, she had accepted Shiori's suggestion without the slightest hesitation.

'To think that Your Highness would be adept in noetic techniques, now that is truly living up to the name of Lord Tenryuu's bloodline. There is currently no noetic master in Suruga more accomplished than you, Your Highness. Please lend us your aid.'

After Shiori revealed her own "ability," Rikka immediately gave the above response.

House Akigase's Chevalier princess prioritized expediency over playing it safe.

"Hatsune, our job is to protect the princess. If necessary, it won't be just swords. We may have to summon troops—Legions. Be prepared."

"Of course, Onii-sama!"

The novice Chevalier girl cheerfully answered Masatsugu's reminder.

Hatsune's current position was the princess' personal lady-in-waiting as well as a knight under her direct command.

...In fact, Hatsune had only inherited the Appellation of Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune just yesterday. When she attempted a summoning, only one Legion showed up.

Her power had not fully awakened—She was in a proto-Chevalier state.

She should be able to summon dozens of Legions once she grew accustomed to it. At present, her Chevalier Strength was tentatively "just 1."

Hatsune drove the car along a national highway, speeding through Shimizu City.

Like Suruga City, this region was also isolated like "an island on land."

There was a marked lack of vibrancy. Pedestrian and vehicle traffic was low. Continuing along the national highway, they were going to hit the Restoration Alliance's roadblock eventually.

"By the way, Hatsune, you encountered a boy during the ritual. He was Yoshitsune himself, visiting you in a dream to test your succession to Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune, right?"

"I think so."

Masatsugu was immediately certain of this. Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune was the Appellation taken straight from a general's name. Prior to his amnesia, Masatsugu had returned to the human realm as a Resurrectee, but due to certain reasons, Yoshitsune had not—

Masatsugu instinctively knew this was the truth.

On the other hand, Shiori said, "Perhaps Lord Yoshitsune turned out to be an unexpectedly helpful person."

"Why do you say that? He was so violent to me~"

"Think about it, we know many anecdotes about ancient warriors, including legends whose veracity is hard to confirm... There is a story about Lord Yoshitsune, which involves Ushiwakamaru defeating Benkei at the Gojō Bridge in Kyoto. It is most likely fictional."

"Then he chose to test me at the bridge because—"

"Perhaps it was a joke on his part, since he knew that such a legend was circulating in the later world."

This was not a remote possibility. Masatsugu nodded in agreement.

Even if Yoshitsune was a genius in martial arts, how could he have won an overwhelming victory as a child against the equally rare hero, Musashibō Benkei? In this time and age when dead people could be reborn, anything could happen.

However, the legend of martial valor at Gojō Bridge definitely sounded contrived.

"Of course, it is also possible for truth to be stranger than fiction."

Shiori shrugged and ended this conversation.

The plain domestic car continued to race along smoothly with the three passengers.

Just as they crossed the Okitsu River and were about to leave Shimizu City's urban area, Hatsune stopped the car. The elevation here was relatively high.

...The car had been driving along a national highway that followed the coast of Suruga Bay.

Literally a seaside road, it almost followed the same route as the old highway of Tōkaidō in the Edo period. Steep mountain roads lay ahead while Satsuta Ridge was close by. Proceeding through the post stations of Yuijuku and Kanbarajuku, one would then reach the Fuji River.

On the other side of Fuji River was Fuji City, which was also the town where the Fuji tutelary fort was located.

The ukiyo-e artist Utagawa Hiroshige had also depicted part of this scenery in The Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō .

This road through mountainous terrain was actually less than twenty kilometers long and quite a quick drive. However, Hatsune parked the car on the shoulder and the trio disembarked.

"We will choose the nearer side of Fuji City as our destination for now... Fuji River."

Shiori used noesis to project several visual images in the air.

They all showed wide roads in the mountains. Every location was buried under landslide debris, evidently impassable.

Shiori had sent retainer beasts for reconnaissance and used noetic control to playback what they saw.

"The situation is the same for all roads leading out of Suruga City—all outbound roads blockaded by the Restoration Alliance. At Satsuta Ridge, a little up ahead along our current road, there have been landslides. Rather than natural disasters, they were all caused by Crusades."

Next, Shiori pointed at an image of a highway toll booth.

The toll booth had an inspection checkpoint with many Caucasian British soldiers inside.

"They must have left the highways intact so that they could use them to transport supplies in the future. However, given that there are a number of strict security checkpoints and the fact that they have established naval superiority in Suruga Bay, if one wanted to enter the mountains..."

Shiori smiled sardonically.

"As soon as the Restoration Alliance's retainer beasts pick up the scent of humans, they will attack like ravenous bears."

"Princess, question here. What are the chances of getting attacked?"

"From what I have heard, the probability of encountering a retainer beast in these kinds of situations is roughly the same as monster encounters in games. In every zone, the number of retainer beasts are triple figures minimum."

"...Indeed." Masatsugu looked up in Fuji City's direction. "Three white British wyverns are flying over there."

"Eh, you can see that, Onii-sama? I can't see anything at all."

Hatsune squinted, staring intently in the same direction.

After twenty seconds, she finally gave up and said in surprise, "Come on, I tested 2.0 in visual acuity... Onii-sama, your eyesight is crazy good."

"Really? I thought this was pretty normal."

From Masatsugu's view, there were three white dots flying northeast. On closer examination, the white dots had outlines shaped like wyverns.

Ignoring their conversation, Shiori said confidently, "However, the situation would be completely different for those who are highly adept in noetic control like myself. I will come up with a solution. Hatsune, could you please prepare?"

"Roger that~"

Hatsune did as directed, taking out three slim A3-size boards and putting them on the ground.

The three boards were retainer beast talismans. Shiori touched the talismans as she did before. The retainer beast talismans activated and transformed into "wolves." They were covered in beautiful silver fur and had huge bodies as large as a horse.

Three mid-size retainer beasts—Mibu wolves—had appeared.

According to legend, Hijikata Toshizō had led a pack of these Mibu wolves, fighting across various battlefields in eastern Japan.

"Among all retainer beasts, Mibu wolves have an especially keen sense of smell. They will immediately detect any retainer beasts that approach. If we are unfortunate enough to encounter enemy retainer beasts... I will drive them away using noesis."

The three of them each rode a Mibu wolf.

The wolves began to run. They needed to head east towards the Fuji River by traversing the mountain where there were no roads. Dashing as fast as the wind, the Mibu wolves raced across slopes and mixed forest as though running on flat ground.

Occasionally, they would take a detour, probably due to detecting the scent of British retainer beasts.

Even so, it took the trio roughly two hours to reach their destination. After descending the mountain forest, there was the vast greenery of a tea plantation.

In front of them was also the clear water of the Fuji River.

The Fuji River was not massive in flow. There was plenty of gravel deposited on the shore or sandbanks.

Over in the northeastern sky was an expansive view of a sacred peak, offering the majestic scenery of Mount Fuji's snowy peak.

It looked even bigger and more impressive than the view from Suruga City.

The trio dismounted from the Mibu wolves, walking on their own feet once again.

"...Princess, isn't this inside the Restoration Alliance's sphere of influence already?"

"Indeed. However, they will not demand us to present identification unless we do anything too suspicious. Please behave as calmly as possible."

"Hmm?"

Masatsugu felt intrigued. He sensed powerful noesis coming from the far shore of the Fuji River.

He swept his gaze over the streets of Fuji City, a regional city similar to Suruga. The Fuji tutelary fort, which had been conquered by the British, was more than ten kilometers away in this direction.

"Hatsune, do you know where this weird presence is coming from?"

"Huh? Hmmm... Woah, it's amazing!"

The novice Chevalier looked at the eastern sky and instantly jumped in surprise.

Ordinary people were not very sensitive to noetic waves. After inheriting Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune successfully, Hatsune's senses were gradually augmented. This time, she and Masatsugu both detected the same thing.

Currently, powerful noesis was swirling in the sky over the Fuji tutelary fort.

In the center of that vortex was a gigantic eyeball!

"Is that Morgan le Fay?"

"I would think so. The principal image has been transported to Hakone Checkpoint... What remains at the Fuji tutelary fort is probably her shadow," explained Shiori to Masatsugu.

The Mibu wolves they had been using for locomotion growled fiercely.

They were glaring across the Fuji River, preparing for combat. Their hostility was directed at the barrier that Morgan le Fay had deployed for repelling retainer beasts.

Mid-size or larger retainer beasts were not very affected by the barrier, but it looked like they did not feel comfortable either.

Shiori waved her hand and the three Mibu wolves ran into the mountain.

"Let us prepare immediately"

The trio walked across the tea plantation and roads on foot, heading to the Fuji River's shore.

Soon they arrived at the water's edge. Masatsugu and Hatsune worked efficiently. Using foldable shovels, they dug ten shallow holes.

Digging through the gravel on the riverbank was hard labor, but fortunately, both of them were very confident in their physical strength. The task was over quickly.

Shiori placed a retainer beast talisman into each hole. These thin rectangles were the size of cards used for writing Japanese poems. Once the talismans were placed, the two knights swiftly buried the holes.

"I beseech you to appear. May the gods be with you."

Shiori touched the buried holes and recited an incantation to complete the preparations.

"This will summon retainer beasts that won't lose to the barrier, Princess?"

"I cannot assert with certainty. The success rate is roughly 60%."

Hatsune's gaze read "eh, it's not 100%" and Shiori coughed lightly.

"It cannot be helped. This is a contest of technique to see whether the strength of my noesis can trump Morgan le Fay's influence."

"Okay."

"If the noesis I poured into a talisman is stronger, it will produce a retainer beast that will not lose to the barrier. However, since this is ultimately a barrier deployed by the best spirit of the British forces, it is hard to be optimistic here."

"So that's how it works."

"Naturally, my noetic control is first rate. If I fail here, it means that it cannot be accomplished without a team of expert masters from the Noetic Bureau."

"Taking opportunities to show off your confidence every now and then, Princess, you're so awesome♪"

While listening to the conversation between the two girls, Masatsugu realized something.

In front of them was a wide and beautiful view centered on Japan's number one sacred peak, Mount Fuji, and an army of Kamuys were flying across this view.

A couple hundred Kamuys were advancing in a spherical formation.

An army of British Legions also sortied to intercept the Kamuys.

Outnumbered by two to one by the Kamuys, these Legions were similar in appearance to the Crusade but instead of the usual white coloring, they were vivid crimson all over.

### Part 2

King Richard I, the Lionheart.

Yesterday, after speaking with Edward the Black Prince at Nijou Castle, he immediately left Kyoto.

Taking the same combination of land and air travel as his collateral descendant had used to get to Kyoto, he arrived at the Fuji tutelary fort in Shizuoka Prefecture within the same day.

And today, Richard received the long-awaited report.

Three hundred Kamuys of the Tōkaidō provincial army were approaching the Fuji tutelary fort.

"Hohohoho. Things are unfolding according to Édoua... Edward's plan."

Richard laughed proudly to himself.

"In that case, it would make for some brief entertainment if I were to add some blood-red color to his plan. Allow Richard the Lionheart, the forefather with whom he shares a common bloodline, to do so..."

Built at the center of the Fuji tutelary fort was a nation-protecting keep just like the Suruga tutelary fort.

Richard was on the roof, admiring the view of Mount Fuji that was twenty kilometers to the north. South of this mountain was Shizuoka Prefecture while to the north was Yamanashi Prefecture. Both areas were under Tōkaidō jurisdiction.

However, Shizuoka had fallen under the control of the British armed forces.

Trying to counterattack, the Tōkaidō provincial army had mobilized three hundred Kamuys to sortie from the southernmost part of Yamanashi—the Motosu tutelary fort at Fuji Five Lakes.

The enemy contingent was flying in a packed formation, invading Fuji City from the north.

Next to Richard, a girl dressed in a sailor outfit and beret said, "The Black Prince of the British Empire, is staying at Kyoto. Looks like... this news, has succeeded in reaching the Tōkaidō higher-ups."

"The boy is having a grand time in Kyoto."

Richard laughed happily.

"After attending the ceremony in the castle yesterday, he ran off into the streets. Today, he had to go to some kind of tea party and he grumbled coyly about how tough it was to attract attention in a natural manner."

"Morrigan thinks... he actually enjoys it."

The Lionheart was talking to a doll possessed by a genie.

This was "Unit 2." Morrigan's principal image and "Unit 1" doll had stayed in Hakone. For the time being, she was transmitting noetic waves from Hakone to possess Unit 2 over here.

Furthermore, the sky over the nation-protecting keep was occupied by a gigantic eyeball and powerful noesis.

This was also left behind at Fuji by Morrigan's principal image, Morgan le Fay, to work the effect of driving away retainer beasts.

"However, it is thanks to his ploy that the old foxes of Tōkaidō have taken the bait."

Edward had intentionally strolled through Kyoto, well aware that the enemy's intelligence network extended into Kyoto, so as to feed Tōkaidō the impression that the Hakone area was weakened in defense.

Using this method, he had lured the enemy army, which had been biding their time passively, to attack.

The Black Prince had laid an extermination trap for the enemy to come on their own initiative. Since he had to go to Kyoto regardless, he took the opportunity to set up this ploy.

"How brave of the enemy to attack in glee while Edward is absent. Spirit Morrigan, analyze the enemy lineup."

"Affirmative."

Morrigan instantly executed the orders of Richard the Lionheart.

She commanded the noetic waves lingering in the air over the nation-protecting keep—i.e. the swirling noesis—to project noetic waves for enemy detection. Morgan le Fay's mystic power turned into waves, spreading throughout Fuji City.

These waves captured the Kamuy army flying in the sky over the outskirts of Fuji City.

"Enemy Kamuys... Total of 307. Chevaliers, six. Chevaliers of Yamanashi region in Tōkaidō, estimated total of ten to twelve. Almost half deployed in this operation."

"Excellent, then I shall send out half their numbers."

"One, half? Too few."

"I do not care. This is my first battle in Japan. It is imperative to let the people of Japan know that I am a brave hero who triumphs over numerical disadvantage. Assemble under my name of Richard the Lionheart—"

On the roof of the nation-protecting keep, the English king of old flapped his crimson cape.

"Granted the name of the royal sword Escalibor, my Legions!"

Numerous Legions appeared overhead of Richard and Morrigan.

They looked similar to Crusades but not exactly. The noesis of Richard's overwhelming Chevalier Strength, a prided trait, gave rise to a great army of British Legions in red.

"Now then, my knights. Soar the sky with me!"

The lion's battle began.

The enemy leader, Prince Edward, was absent from Hakone.

Tōkaidō higher-ups issued the order to use this opportunity to retake the Fuji tutelary fort. If possible, they would ride on their success to capture Hakone.

Having received these orders, six Chevaliers of the Tōkaidō Fiefdom sortied from the Motosu region in Fuji Five Lakes to enter Fuji City's airspace—This was basically the current situation.

"What!?"

The leader of the Tōkaidō force, Chevalier Ogura, was doubting his eyes. The outskirts of Fuji City consisted mostly of vast natural parks or golf courses. The 307 Kamuys were currently flying over this zone.

The six Chevaliers were also riding blue wyverns to accompany them.

The daily replenishment of ectoplasmic fluid also strengthened the bodies of Chevaliers. The cold wind blowing at an altitude of several hundred meters only felt slightly chilly to them. They were being approached by a British army.

The 150 Crusades were colored a fiery crimson.

The Japanese Chevaliers were not only surprised by the color but also the location of the encounter.

Legions only needed one day to revive when they were killed in action near the tutelary fort serving as their stronghold—

Because of that, the defending side would try as much as possible to engage the enemy near their stronghold. This was common sense in warfare. Unbelievably, this army had ventured far away from the Fuji tutelary fort to fight in the suburbs!

"What on earth is the enemy commander thinking...?"

Seeing the opponent give up home advantage on his own, Chevalier Ogura was stunned.

Was there some kind of devious ploy? Or a brainless fool who simply wanted to attract attention? There was still a kilometer between the two armies.

Soon after.

Roughly a hundred of the crimson Crusades began to accelerate fiercely, charging at the Tōkaidō army with frightening speed!

The 307 Kamuys were flying in a spherical formation, ready for combat.

Meanwhile, the red Crusade army had only sent a hundred to charge. They had formed a V-shaped wedge formation to attack an enemy three times their number.

"A fool after all!"

Chevalier Ogura cursed from his wyvern's saddle. This enemy was either a fool, or someone with excessive bravery, or a dreamer seeking romanticism in battle, or a problematic character overly confident in his talents as a general.

...However, Chevalier Ogura was not aware of the horrifying truth.

The enemy general was a monster for whom all the above applied, including the "fool" label.

"A knightly charge is the essence of war..."

The hundred Escalibors in the vanguard advanced as a "red wedge."

Riding his white wyvern, Richard watched his troops charge at the enemy while he stayed with his other fifty Legions that were hovering in the air on standby.

In front of the charging vanguard, 307 Tōkaidō Kamuys waited.

Imperial Japan's Legions were clad in blue armor and uniforms. Their figures were slim and trim, a size smaller than the imposing British Legions.

The Kamuys were too skinny, according to Richard's sensibilities...

These Kamuys entered a packed spherical formation and kept firing their bayonet rifles. The rain of flashing light attacked the Escalibors' wedge formation.

307 versus 100. Victory seemed impossible. However, the Lionheart continued to smile.

"Hohohoho. You are too careless, knights of the orient."

The moment he had ordered the hundred Escalibors to charge, Richard I was already certain of his victory. As soon as he sensed complacency in the enemy ranks, he knew he could take advantage of the Tōkaidō generals' mindset.

It was true that they had entered formation and were traveling to the battlefield, but they were still quite far from the Fuji tutelary fort.

Richard's beast-like nose had smelled the samurai's carelessness in their preconceived notion that enemies would not attack at such a distance.

"Those who cannot distinguish between confidence and carelessness are unfit to be the Lionheart's opponents..."

The Escalibors charged at the Kamuys that were waiting for them.

The two armies activated protective barriers. The glow of each barrier was proportional to the army headcount. In a shootout with rifles, Tōkaidō held an overwhelming advantage.

"Hoho, you may celebrate your advantage now, while you still can."

The particles of light around the Kamuys blocked virtually all of the British shots.

In contrast, the rain of flashing light pierced the protective barrier of the hundred Escalibors, striking their red bodies repeatedly, skewering their shoulders, abdomens, and heads.

This barrage was definitely sufficient to wipe out the charging British army.

In spite of that, the Escalibors soldiered onwards. Even with massive holes in their abdomens, amputated limbs, broken heads and helmets—

Like the living dead, the British army advanced nonstop.

Not only that, but the hundred Legions accelerated all at once as a single unit.

In merely ten-odd seconds, their charge surpassed 500 kilometers per hour. The high-speed Escalibors headed straight for the spherical formation of the 307 Kamuys.

It looked like driving a crimson wedge sharply into a gigantic blue sphere—

"O Escalibors, I shall secure victory by stepping over your glorious corpses. Battle relentlessly."

Watching his troops fight bravely, Richard's voice was warm and ecstatic.

Meanwhile, the hundred Escalibors continued to charge despite their grievous wounds. They crashed violently into the Kamuys' formation!

With rifles raised, they stabbed their bayonets into the flesh of the blue Legions.

Paired with blades, the charging attack inflicted damage on par with a one-hit kill. Over 90% of the Kamuys caught in the impact died on the spot, crashing into the ground.

Currently, the crimson wedge had succeeded in puncturing the blue sphere and was about to pierce through and out the other side.

"Hmm, only such battle spirit would be worthy as the Lionheart's Feat of Arms!"

Seeing the charge succeed, Richard was satisfied from the bottom of his heart.

Furthermore, the vanguard's offensive did not end there. Remaining neatly in a "wedge," the Escalibors turned around and rammed the Kamuys' spherical formation again.

...The same scene was reenacted.

The defending side attempted to use rapid fire to halt the enemy's charge. The attacking side soldiered on, charging at full strength.

The Japanese Legions became victims of the charge. The Tōkaidō side suffered serious casualties with blue corpses crashing into the ground one after another.

The Escalibors' second charge had succeeded. Richard nodded and said, "I see that you have made good use of Coeur de Lion granted by me!"

"Coeur de Lion" was French, meaning "Heart of the Lion" in English.

A so-called lion's heart referred to a soul of courage, fighting spirit, and indomitable perseverance. The Feat of Arms—Coeur de Lion was precisely the ability of Richard I to bestow such heroic fortitude upon his Legions.

...Invoking this Feat of Arms caused the Legions under his command to become warriors undaunted by even death itself—

Even if they died, they still charged to the bitter end.

In fact, after this attack concluded, the hundred Escalibors in the vanguard finally succumbed. The fire of life extinguished, they crashed down one after another from the air.

Pierced multiple times by the Kamuys' gunshots earlier, they were already dead to begin with.

After the fierce assault from the British army's two suicidal charges, the Tōkaidō side was down to less than a hundred Legions.

"A triumphant opening. Victory is at hand."

Richard still had fifty Legions remaining by his side.

Although he was confident he could win with these numbers, something else took greater priority.

"Gather, my royal swords. It is imperative to demonstrate a king's majesty once more."

After saying that, Richard looked southeast.

He smiled. Of the red giant winged soldiers he had summoned at the tutelary fort earlier—the remainder were approaching slowly. He had called them slightly earlier using noetic waves.

These Escalibors numbered 867.

This was undoubtedly a massive army, and he had just led 150 troops to the battlefield... Indeed, Richard I's Chevalier Strength had reached 1017!

"Next, I shall crush the enemy here with the might of a massive army. My knights, follow me!"

Richard declared majestically.

Then riding his wyvern, he personally charged at the remaining Kamuys.

The accompanying nine hundred or so Escalibors organized themselves into a spherical formation around the Lionheart, beginning to charge like a flying bullet!

"Inform the tutelary fort to send out wyvern squadrons. All Japanese Chevaliers found on the battlefield must be captured alive. I shall end this battle here!"

A sprite retainer beast left to relay his orders.

Meanwhile, the Tōkaidō remnants began to retreat and flee from the Lionheart's great army.

They ran north as fast as they could, towards Mount Fuji. It was quite commendable that even at this juncture, the Kamuys still remained in a packed sphere without breaking out of formation.

The lion did not think that it was acceptable to let the enemy go just because they numbered less than a hundred.

"Pursue them! Bite their tails!"

Richard fully unleashed a carnivorous predator's nature and hunger to hunt down the fleeing prey.

### Part 3

"Inconceivable..."

An aerial battle between Legions was taking place over the outskirts of Fuji City.

Having witnessed the one-sided battle, Shiori was shocked. The 307 Kamuys of Tōkaidō were losing rapidly.

The surviving Kamuys and Chevaliers retreated north, towards Mount Fuji.

Over eight hundred red Legions chased them, flying off in an orderly manner.

Watching this scene, Hatsune lamented, "In the first attack, the enemy simply charged in a straight line, right? Is a direct charge that effective? Oh, it was thanks to the power of the Feat of Arms killer move, right!?"

"That's one of the reasons, but not all of it," Masatsugu realized he was almost smiling when he replied.

Laughing at an ally's defeat was not very respectable. His almost smile was unintentional. The reason for this was the fact that the enemy was overwhelmingly strong and had won through brute force by such ridiculous tactics.

The enemy must have seen through the Tōkaidō side's confidence... Or rather, carelessness.

This carelessness was what made the Japanese decide to rely on numbers to counter the charging attack. The enemy was well aware that he held the advantage in a contest of strength, which is why he had launched that reckless charge.

"That Chevalier has a very keen nose ."

"Nose? You mean he's got a good sense of smell?"

"Yes. By the way, Princess, do you know the name of the enemy commander?" Masatsugu first nodded at the curious Hatsune before turning to ask Shiori.

That Chevalier Strength and presence made it extremely likely he was a Resurrectee. The knowledgeable Shiori instantly gave an answer.

"A man who calls himself the Lionheart would most likely be King Richard I of medieval England. I recall that he is Prince Edward's collateral relative... five generations his senior."

Masatsugu committed the unfamiliar name to memory.

Also, the trio was currently at the shore of the Fuji River. The suburban battlefield was a couple kilometers away from them. Normally speaking, there was no way to watch the battle in detail.

However, a type of gadget allowed them to do so.

"Princess, the retainer beasts came out okay, thank goodness!"

"I did mention that the success rate exceeded 50%."

Hatsune congratulated the princess and Shiori replied proudly.

Of the ten retainer beast talismans they had prepared earlier, a little while ago, five of them transformed into Yatagarasus, materializing under buried earth.

The Yatagarasu was similar to an ordinary crow in size and appearance.

Their common appearance allowed them to infiltrate any place to carry out reconnaissance, a prized ability.

After the fighting began, Shiori hurried to send these five to the battlefield. When the Yatagarasus returned, she used noetic control to project videos of what they had seen.

The Yatagarasus were currently standing ready on the riverbank gravel.

"...Oh my? Something seems to have happened after the battle ended."

Three rectangular windows were opened in front of the princess.

The five Yatagarasus provided visual memories from different angles. Shiori was focused on one of them.

The video showed four British white wyverns flying in the air.

A Japanese blue wyvern was encircled by them, flying feebly with a soldier mounted, presumably captured and being taken away by the enemy.

Hatsune asked in puzzlement, "So that's really... a Tōkaidō Chevalier, right?"

"Yeah, captured as a hostage."

"Eh, a hostage!?"

The novice Chevalier was astonished and Masatsugu explained calmly, "Hostages have many uses... For example, the British could torture or slaughter hostages in front of the Suruga tutelary fort that they've failed to conquer so far. When our side rushes out in righteous fury, fighting to reclaim the hostages, they can just sit back and wait for us to come to them. This is one method to destroy a turtling enemy."

"Onii-sama, that's so evil!"

"According to the Charter of Chivalry in the modern world, tactics of this sort are forbidden. At least superficially. However, what Masatsugu-sama said is correct. Chevalier hostages are very effective bargaining chips in negotiations. Information can even be extracted from them... Also, they caught more than one Chevalier."

Shiori sighed and pointed at the video.

Two more Japanese Chevaliers were mounted on wyverns and being taken away.

"Capturing knights for hostages, Richard I is truly a medieval hero. Back in that age, catching knights of high nobility on the battlefield was a very distinguished feat."

"The other Chevaliers might have died or escaped..."

"Or captured somewhere else. In any case, the situation is quite bad," Shiori nodded in agreement with Masatsugu and said, "They not only lost a battle they initiated but also allowed valuable manpower to fall into the enemy's hands... If only we could rescue them."

The princess frowned as soon as she pondered the difficulty of a rescue mission.

The normally cheerful Hatsune also looked depressed.

After some contemplation of the current situation, Masatsugu slowly expressed his view.

"So, Princess, we need to act immediately."

"Eh? Act...? What are you talking about, Masatsugu-sama?"

"I mean rescuing those Chevaliers. We need to act now if we're going to do it."

Shiori was startled by the sudden suggestion. So was Hatsune.

"This type of mission gets harder as time goes by. Since we were lucky enough to be at the scene, we should make good use of this opportunity. Besides, the troublesome Lion King is away, off chasing remnants."

Masatsugu spoke in an indifferent tone lacking in fervor.

"So now is the moment. It's best to attack the tutelary fort before he returns."

"Attack!? You are going to attack the Fuji tutelary fort!?"

"Hold on! Just the two of us, Onii-sama and me!?"

Hatsune interjected in shock.

Masatsugu nodded, "Exactly."

"That's absolutely crazy. Even without that Richard guy, there will be other Chevaliers. Besides, this isn't Suruga, Onii-sama, so you won't be able to summon too many Legions, right?"

"Yeah, right now, I can use no more than twenty-four or five Kanesadas, I guess."

There was a drastic decrease in the number of Legions one could use outside their stronghold zone.

Chevalier Strength was discounted by roughly 90%. For Masatsugu, a Chevalier whose stronghold was Suruga City, the Fuji suburbs were definitely out of range.

"That's nowhere enough and all I have is one!"

"Not necessarily. This time around, we're not trying to capture a castle, so there's always a way. However, the big assumption here is that I will be relying on you to play a key role."

Masatsugu gazed at Hatsune.

"Huh?" said the puzzled girl who had just become a Chevalier yesterday.

Leaving the riverside, the trio entered Fuji City.

Their target, the Fuji tutelary fort was located in the suburbs, namely, the remote wetlands east of the city. Like the one in Suruga, the Fuji tutelary fort was built on military land far from urban areas.

Instead of going there directly, the trio first went to Tagonoura, the port facing Suruga Bay.

"Hatsune, prior to the operation, I need to make some final confirmations with Masatsugu-sama," Shiori suddenly said.

Shiori had spoken as soon as they entered a large park at the pier. The park featured large lawns, a botanical garden, and all kinds of athletic facilities.

"Could you wait here for a moment?"

"Yes, certainly."

Hatsune felt intrigued by this unexpected order but accepted it readily.

She sat down on a nearby bench to enjoy the green tea and bean jam bun she had just bought. "You can't fight battles on an empty stomach!" was what she had said earlier.

She had adjusted quickly, no longer surprised by the plan to attack the tutelary fort.

This open-mindedness and simplicity of hers could be considered Hatsune's strengths.

"The situation seems pretty stable in Fuji City."

"Yes, and we succeeded in reaching this port too."

Masatsugu and the disguised princess walked into the depths of the park together.

"A battle just happened yet people are already going out in the streets."

It was just past 2pm. Random couples and families could be seen outdoors.

It was Sunday today, at least, according to the calendar.

The two of them went to a small hill overlooking Suruga Bay. There happened to be a bench here and they took a seat.

"Well, it is understandable. The battlefield was not only far from urban areas but also took place in the mountains. The city's residents would only gather an impression that 'Legions are leaving the tutelary fort to attack somewhere'," said Shiori with a shrug.

However, stability did not equate to peace. Buses were restricted to within Fuji City while trains were stopped just ilke in Suruga.

"This stability is owed to the Charter of Chivalry, I suppose."

"You mean the rules forbidding war cruelty or harming civilians?"

"Yes. Superficially, the Charter is 'a set of rules for international engagement that protects civilians'... In truth, it also 'demands civilians to obey certain rules'."

"How so?"

"After a battle, the residents of a conquered city are not allowed to oppose the occupation force, they are obliged to provide maximum cooperation, and must not leave the city without authorization... The Charter includes these rules which civilians must abide by in order to be eligible for protection."

"...I see."

"I presume that the mayor of Fuji City must have been forced to sign a written pledge on behalf of all residents to 'obey the Charter' right from the beginning."

They had witnessed many infantry units of the Restoration Alliance on their way here.

The infantry was patrolling the city on alert. However, to avoid provoking the sentiments of the residents, the soldiers in charge of patrolling were all Japanese—i.e. Kinai troops.

Also, the infantry showed no signs of brutalizing the residents.

However, soldiers dressed in khaki combat uniforms and equipped with automatic rifles, standing next to armored vehicles, still looked quite intimidating.

"We will run into trouble if we stay in Fuji City too long. Sooner or later, a certain situation would require us to show identification. If the military discovers that we are from outside the city and have no traveling authorization, they will definitely arrest us on the spot, then all would be lost."

"You're right. Then I'd better get started."

"Y-Yes. May fortune be on your side..."

It was time to set off and Masatsugu got up from the bench. Now that Shiori had given her parting blessing, he was going to put the plan into motion—

For some reason, the princess reached out and grabbed the hem of Masatsugu's shirt.

"...Is there anything else?"

"Masatsugu-sama, please consider the significance of why I came to see you off alone!"

"Significance?"

"Y-Yes. There is no one around currently..."

Seeing the princess remonstrate him angrily while looking down shyly, Masatsugu understood. He sat back down on the bench.

"Sorry about that."

"N-No, then shall we... begin?"

There was originally a gap between them, roughly a meter. When Masatsugu sat on the bench again, this gap disapperaed. He had taken his seat right next to Shiori.

Masatsugu gazed upon the liege he served, the beautiful princess.

Shiori gazed back at him, showing some worry in her expression.

"Princess."

Masatsugu called to her first, trying to relieve her tension.

They were so close together that Masatsugu could almost feel Shiori's body warmth. Shiori quietly reached out with her right hand and caressed Masatsugu's cheek.

"Masatsugu-sama, your body is still so cold..."

Shiori's voice was very quiet, only meant to be audible for the one in front of her.

"Like ice as always. Don't you feel cold yourself?"

"Not particularly. The heat from your precious blood, Princess, is plenty warm already."

"Then absorb as much as you can today. You will be heading out to battle next and need more ectoplasmic fluid..."

Tachibana Masatsugu was an amnesiac Resurrectee and unable to replenish ectoplasmic fluid on his own.

However, he had the ability to steal ectoplasmic fluid from others. This was Masatsugu's Feat of Arms—a special ability to bring about impossible miracles.

He embraced the princess audaciously, burying his face against her neck.

"Masatsugu-sama..."

Shiori held Masatsugu tightly, giving herself to him.

Through their clothing, Masatsugu could feel the warmth of Shiori's tender skin as well as the undulating curves of a womanly figure.

This type of intimate contact belonged to couples, but they did not stop here.

With his face against the princess' neck, Masatsugu kissed her pale skin, absorbing mystic power and the precursor of ectoplasmic fluid from the blood flowing inside her, inherited from the sacred beast Lord Tenryuu.

"Ah... Mmm—"

The absorbed life force melded into Masatsugu's body, becoming one with him.

Vaguely sensing this phenomenon, Shiori moaned in rapture, unable to suppress her voice at all.

"Mm... Uuuunn. Ahhhh—!"

Shiori's voice grew louder and her whole body heated up and flushed red. Even so, Masatsugu's lady liege still mustered the strength to speak, "M-Masatsugu-sama. Harder... is fine too, you know?"

"No, your body won't be able to take it, Princess."

Having obtained some power, Masatsugu stopped kissing Shiori's neck.

"There are still many things you must deal with later, Princess."

"I-I suppose you are right."

Shiori was slightly out of breath. She pouted slightly unhappily.

However, she shook her head and did not insist, only saying, "Indeed, you are correct. I still have to help Hatsune and must not deplete my energy here."

"I was hoping you could stay outside the city and simply wait for our return."

This operation had been prompted by an unexpected development.

Returning the princess to Suruga should have been the first priority, so Masatsugu wanted her to stay in a safe place.

However, Shiori said nonchalantly, "No, Masatsugu-sama, your plan undoubtedly requires Hatsune's assistance, but she has only just started to master a Chevalier's power. Without my help, the plan will not succeed."

"......"

"I have mentioned before that I am delighted by opportunities to make use of my abilities."

Shiori analyzed in detail her reasons for exposing herself to risk.

Naturally, her bodyguard Masatsugu did not quite agree with her. Still, he relented. As a Resurrectee, he was here precisely to realize the ambitions of Fujinomiya Shiori.

If the princess was willing to risk her life, overprotectiveness would be putting the cart before the horse.

In any era, it was necessary to pay a price in order to realize ambition.

...After understanding Shiori's feelings, Tachibana Masatsugu left the park.

Walking alone at the pier, he soon found a suitable target.

It was an infantry patrol unit with a a British armored vehicle.

Masatsugu approached them. The plan was to raise a commotion, the bigger the better.

He recited the name of Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada in his mind. It was the appellation of the personal sword swung by Hijikata Toshizō. A Japanese sword in its scabbard suddenly manifested in his left hand.

Successors were able to summon and dismiss the physical manifestations of Appellations at will.

The ten-odd British soldiers glared at the high schooler approaching them holding a sheathed sword in his left hand.

"Sorry," Masatsugu said to them, "I'll be going postal now on you guys from the Restoration Alliance. I will mercilessly cut down anyone who dares to stop me. Call your friends for help if you're not afraid to die."

Masatsugu slowly released noesis.

Instantly, Tachibana Masatsugu's elite troops of the "red-purple Kamuys" materialized.

A total of thirty Kanesadas. The operation to invade the Fuji tutelary fort and rescue the captured Chevaliers was officially beginning at last...

### Part 4

Chevaliers were able to manifest armies of Legions with tangible bodies from their own noesis.

Using this ability, Chevaliers could infiltrate enemy cities or important facilities single-handedly to summon Legions to wreak malicious destruction—

Fighting war in such a dishonorable way was possible.

However, almost no one ever put it into practice. First of all, doing so would violate the Charter of Chivalry. It was also rather inefficient.

When far away from the stronghold where the tutelary pact was established, a Chevalier was unable to summon all of their Legions.

All Chevaliers paid close attention to this rule when going to battle.

Their Chevalier Strength was 10% when using Legions anywhere apart from their stronghold.

Furthermore, the various superpowers all placed tutelary forts near important cities to prevent terror attacks. Consequently, destruction via infiltration was very inefficient.

(One more factor was that Chevaliers belonged to the privileged class and could not be wasted on suicide missions.)

But this time, Masatsugu deliberately summoned Legions in an urban area—near a port.

Masatsugu's current Chevalier Strength was 302. Shiori had been sharing a bit of ectoplasmic fluid with him on a daily basis, plus what she gave him before the battle, finally allowing him to build up reserves to this level.

Unfortunately, summoning Legions outside of Suruga reduced their numbers to 10%—

These were the thirty that Masatsugu had summoned at Fuji City's port.

"Standby where you are and don't do anything," Masatsugu quietly ordered the Kanesadas under his command.

He did not have them fly. The red-purple Legions entered a circle formation on the ground with their bayonet rifles aimed outwards.

There was only one Kanesada inside the circle and Masatsugu was standing on its shoulder.

"A commotion seems to be starting."

Legions were roughly eight meters tall. Standing on one's shoulder would be equivalent to a third-floor balcony of an apartment building, treating him to a view of the entire harbor scenery.

Seeing the sudden appearance of winged giant soldiers, civilians fled for their lives.

People would stay indoors as much as possible during war but there were still crowds at port facilities, shops, factories, and houses.

Dozens of speakers in the city sounded an alarm.

Soldiers also fled. The unit of infantry patrol that Masatsugu provoked earlier had disappeared. Instead—

"They're here, huh?"

The Fuji tutelary fort sent out eighty-four Crusades.

The Crusades flew slowly, approaching from the western sky. The tutelary fort was west of the port, roughly one train stop away.

However, these eighty-four Crusades did not attack the Kanesadas immediately.

Their commander was aware that starting an urban battle with eyewitnesses around would run the risk of breaking the rule of "intentionally destroying civilian facilities" from the Charter of Chivalry. It would be very troublesome to handle indictments after the fact.

The enemy formed a spherical formation in the air, observing the Kanesadas for movements.

Eighty-four versus thirty was quite a big disparity in numbers.

Masatsugu watched the tutelary fort calmly—The truly troublesome enemy was there.

They were separated by four or five kilometers. Masatsugu could clearly see the vortex of noesis and the eyeball in the sky.

The eyeball was humongous, its diameter surpassing sixty meters.

This was the shadow of the ifrit Morgan le Fay, or rather, an avatar. It was said that Morgan was a goddess of death from British fay folklore.

The eyeball of the goddess, reputedly death itself, stared intently at Masatsugu's army.

This was to allow offensive or defensive measures to be taken any time if necessary.

However, the eyeball did not make a move so far, so as to avoid wasting noesis and mystic power. Britain's ifrit seemed to be quite a seasoned warrior.

What Masatsugu hoped for was precisely this confidence and composure.

"Excellent."

The British Chevalier and ifrit were both waiting for him to make a move.

Masatsugu must not act lightly. His next step was to leave things to Hatsune and see if she could seize this opportunity to complete the mission.

"Are you mentally prepared, Hatsune?"

"O-Of course, Princess!"

Princess Shiori called to Hatsune, who straightened her back.

The two of them were in a park at the port of Dagonoura which offered a view of Suruga Bay's vast waters and a near view of Mount Fuji.

This scenery was beautiful but Hatsune was in no mood to enjoy.

Her relative, Tachibana Masatsugu, had set off thirty minutes ago. According to the plan, it was time for Tachibana Hatsune to enter the battlefield for the first time. However, there were so many uncertain factors.

"But the Legions I can summon are too few— Just one . That's not very reassuring..."

Currently, Hatsune's tentative Chevalier Strength was "just one."

Once she became more experienced, the number of Legions would increase, allowing her actual Chevalier Strength to be known. It was true that her combat power was not very reliable at the current stage.

However, Shiori said, "Not to worry, this actually suits your mission better. Just one makes it harder for you to be discovered ."

In her role as strategist, Shiori was very confident, contrasting with the insecure Hatsune.

Hatsune did not know if she was trying to encourage her, or if she was actually confident of victory? Perhaps both.

"I will help you as much as possible, so just do what you can."

"Yes... Oh right, Rikka-sama will be angry later, right? After all, Princess, you are putting yourself at risk."

"That cannot be helped. We will simply have to apologize when the scolding comes."

"Got it, I will endure the scolding by your side!"

"Let us find some dirt on Rikka-sama another time. That way, we can strike back any time she nags too much."

Sometimes, Hatsune felt an urge to put away her clan's ruffian and larger-than-life ways to properly caution her lady, "Princess, you need to act more like a proper princess."

In any case, the time for the operation arrived during their conversation.

"Hatsune, proceed. Masatsugu-sama has summoned the Kanesadas!"

Shiori pointed at the sky—west of the Fuji tutelary fort.

The British army of eighty or so Crusades were flying towards the port of Dagonoura. They were advancing slowly at around fifty or sixty kilometers per hour because high-speed flight would consume a lot of ectoplasmic fluid.

There was also a gigantic eyeball in the sky over the tutelary fort.

This eye, an avatar of the ifrit Morgan le Fay, released powerful noesis. Its gaze was directed at a certain corner in the port.

Masatsugu had evidently put the plan into motion. Hatsune roared, "Upon my Appellation of Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune—Assemble, my Legions!"

One Legion, red and white in color, manifested.

Its appearance was basically the same as the Kamuy except with dark-red armor and a white garment on top. The top of the helmet was elongated like an eboshi , a type of headgear worn by court nobles in the past.

Like the Kanesada, Hatsune's Legion, "Kurou Hougan," was a variant of the Kamuy.

"Take me and the princess and fly to the tutelary fort—In one go, Kurou!"

The soldier wearing the name of Kurou Yoshitsune reacted swiftly.

Slinging its rifle, the Legion bent down and picked up the two girls in its huge hands—

Then it flew up slowly, instantly accelerating to a hundred kilometers per hour.

The Kurou Hougan continued to speed up, heading straight for the Fuji tutelary fort.

However, it flew at a very low altitude, its feet almost about touch the roofs of two-story buildings.

Forced to keep a low profile, Hatsune could go no higher. Masatsugu had summoned Legions in the city to act as a diversion.

He was attracting attention from enemy Chevaliers and Morgan le Fay.

This was to delay the Fuji tutelary fort from noticing the approaching Kurou Hougan for as long as possible. Otherwise, the enemy would deploy a noesis barrier in such a situation.

Once a barrier was erected around the tutelary fort, getting in would be a huge challenge.

The park at the port was only a few kilometers from the tutelary fort. At their current speed, it would take less than five minutes.

However, just as there were only a couple hundred meters left...

Morgan le Fay's eyeball suddenly swiveled and caught sight of the approaching Kurou Hougan. Then a singing voice, resembling a solemn chorus, resounded throughout the sky.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh......

In concert with the singing, high-density noesis coalesced in the atmosphere.

A noesis barrier gradually took form to cover the Fuji tutelary fort. Noticing the signs, Hatsune hastily yelled, "Kurou Hougan! My power—I will share my blood with you, so fly even faster!"

Instantly, Hatsune almost fainted.

The symptoms resembled anemia and was due to Hatsune's rapid depletion of the ectoplasmic fluid she had stored up from the water shrine. Next, the Kurou Hougan accelerated with explosive power.

"Kyahhhhhhhhhhhh!"

"Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh."

Hatsune screamed as though riding a roller coaster.

Shiori groaned in pain from the massive g-forces. Without the protective barrier that guarded a Legion's body, the passengers' bones would probably have shattered.

In any case, during the fraction of a second before the noesis barrier could be fully deployed...

The Kurou Hougan instantly dashed into the tutelary fort.

"Are you okay, Princess!?"

"D-Don't worry. Let us hurry and begin."

The Fuji tutelary fort's layout was similar to the one at Suruga.

Its premises covered an area roughly the size of five or six Tokyo Domes, surrounded by perimeter walls in a star shape.

There was a forty-meter-tall nation-protecting keep in the center with scattered buildings and warehouses elsewhere. Directly above the nation-protecting keep was a giant hovering eyeball.

Inside the fort, the Kurou Hougan lowered Shiori and Hatsune to the ground.

"W-When Chevaliers are captured, their Appellations are sealed first," said Shiori, trying her best to hold back her nausea.

Hatsune rushed over to steady her lady.

"Hence, it is necessary to summon a large team of noetic officers to activate the sealing mechanism. Both knights and Appellations release noetic waves... If we head to a strong source of noetic waves, it is highly likely we will find the captives."

In the midst of conversation, Shiori's breathing returned to normal and her tone recovered her usual fortitude.

"However, we must not stay in the enemy base for too long. Regardless whether the search succeeds or fails, we must retreat within ten minutes. Use the talismans when the time comes."

"Don't worry, I remembered to bring them!"

Hatsune took out folded A3-size pieces of thick paper from the front of her kimono.

They were two retainer beast talismans. Since they must not be lost, Hatsune immediately returned them to her bosom. After seeing the talismans, Shiori's body glowed golden.

At the same time, there was high-pitched ringing.

This was rumored to be a phenomenon when projecting strong noetic waves. Hatsune watched in wide-eyed astonishment.

"...There is something fishy about the building in the back. Let us proceed."

"Thank you very much—Kurou!"

At Hatsune's order, the red and white Legion lifted them up to its shoulders.

Shiori was on the left while Hatsune was on the right. The Kurou Hougan jumped gracefully, clearing a distance of two hundred meters and landing in front of the building indicated by the princess without causing any tremors.

The massive Kurou Hougan Legion landed noiselessly.

Such light movements were similar to those demonstrated by the young Yoshitsune in Hatsune's dream. Despite weighing dozens of tons, the Legion was as agile as a cat.

While feeling impressed, Hatsune did not neglect to give orders.

"Open a hole in the wall to let us look inside. We need to confirm who's in there!"

There was a seven-story pitch-black building in front of them.

This style of architecture could be found in trendy office buildings downtown. However, this was a tutelary fort and all buildings were military facilities. Thus, one could damage them without holding back at all.

The Kurou Hougan delivered an acute right punch, puncturing the outer wall on the second floor.

In the face of a Legion's arm strength, steel-reinforced concrete was no different from a paper door. The Kurou Hougan withdrew its fist, leaving a giant hole in the side of the building, which provided a view of the office furniture inside.

In the same manner, the Kurou Hougan opened up additional holes in the building.

In the fourth hole, they found several men in the military uniforms of Imperial Japan.

Meanwhile, at the port of Dagonoura...

Masatsugu's thirty Kanesadas continued to face off against the eighty or so Crusades.

The army of Kanesadas continued to maintain a circle with rifles aimed outwards.

In contrast, the Crusades were diagonally above, overlooking the circle.

They were in a line formation dozens of meters in the air with rifles aimed at the Kanesadas on the ground.

"They don't dare to attack recklessly, huh...? What a great help," Masatsugu muttered to himself. The enemy's caution was in his favor.

The Crusades in the air were in a row. Behind them, riding a white wyvern was a British Chevalier. A man in his prime.

The man had his wyvern circling while he watched the Japanese Legions for movements.

Presumably, this was because Masatsugu had not ordered his Legions to attack. Since a while ago, Masatsugu had simply engaged in a profound silent demonstration.

Fighting in populous urban areas would ultimately be against the Charter of Chivalry. Hence, the British army did not dare fire first. They did not wish to actively violate the rules and sow seeds for trouble.

The result was both sides in a standstill for almost ten minutes.

Had a stalemate not occurred, Masatsugu's original plan was to hold their ground defensively to buy ten-odd minutes of time. Of course, avoiding unnecessary fighting would be more than welcome.

Just as Masatsugu was thanking his good fortune, the "eye" in the sky over the tutelary fort emitted noetic waves and singing.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh......

A noesis barrier was formed presently, surrounding the entire tutelary fort. Did Hatsune and the princess enter the fort and succeed in finding the hostages?

"No matter what the result, next comes a struggle for survival."

As soon as he said that, Masatsugu heard a loud noise.

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhnnnnn!

From the Fuji tutelary fort came a roar.

The sound reached the urban area near the port from the rural wetlands. A Legion was howling using its mouth behind the mask. This was called a War Cry.

This singing and shouting came from a winged giant soldier that were not human.

—When retreating from the tutelary fort, use the Kurou Hougan's voice as a signal.

Masatsugu had given this instruction to Hatsune in advance. Hearing the agreed signal, Masatsugu said quietly, "All men draw your swords. Prepare to charge."

The thirty Kanesadas immediately acted.

Their bayonet rifles—rifles outfitted with blades—instantly turned into Japanese swords. And it was a fabulously renowned sword, Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada, the personal blade of Hijikata Toshizō.

The thirty Kanesada emitted protective barrier particles from their entire bodies.

Barrier particles usually glowed white but the Kanesada's were red-purple, the same color as their armor. Moreover, the Kanesadas were exuding more than the glow of the protective barrier.

All Kanesadas were giving off frightening bloodlust , determined to cut through all obstacles in their path.

This terrifying aura undoubtedly belonged to the "Merciless" Shinsengumi Vice-Commander.

"Attack!"

Masatsugu ordered his army and the Kanesadas entered the flat seigan stance.

The eighty-something Crusades on alert in the sky also deployed a protective barrier and reflexively pulled their triggers. They were probably intimidated by the katana-wielding army's bloodlust and terrifying aura.

Naturally, the Crusades were targeting the thirty Kanesadas in a circle formation on the ground.

Just as the rifles shot beams capable of vaporizing asphalt...

Masatsugu's army kicked the ground and took flight. Instead of dashing at the Crusade army in front of them, they made a detour around the enemy and continued to accelerate fiercely.

It turned out that the Kanesada army was flying to the Fuji tutelary fort at high speed!

A rain of flashing light struck the thirty Kanesadas' former location from two seconds ago.

Already firing, the Crusades were unable to track the Kanesadas with their beams in time. Masatsugu had executed a feint using bloodlust precisely to take advantage of this.

The pier at the port was less than five kilometers from the Fuji tutelary fort.

The Kanesadas flew over the city, leaving residential areas. It only took ten-odd seconds to reach the beautiful natural scenery of the wetlands.

The protective barrier around the Legions shielded Masatsugu from the effects of speed and g-forces.

"Ignore the lightning. Go straight ahead."

Along the way, the Kanesada's encountered descending lightning strikes.

A meteorological decree invoked by the ifrit Morgan le Fay.

Fortunately, the thirty Kanesadas were in a packed spherical formation. The protective barrier would be able to withstand several seconds of continuous lightning strikes.

The star-shaped walls of the tutelary fort came into sight.

However, a non-physical shield—the noesis barrier—was blocking the way. Unless the barrier was removed, there was no way to break inside the tutelary fort.

"Next task—Penetrate!"

From atop a Kanesada in the center of the spherical formation, Masatsugu issued orders to the whole army.

This was a "word of kill" ordaining certain death. First, four Kanesadas accelerated and left the spherical formation to collide with one part of the noesis barrier.

The four Kanesadas formed a row while extending their katanas with both hands.

Four katanas stabbed into the noesis barrier. The remaining twenty-five Kanesadas rushed with full momentum behind the earlier four and pushed their backs in unison. Only the Kanesada carrying Masatsugu did not take action.

This attack opened up a series of four holes in the noesis barrier.

The holes of similar size grew, finally becoming one big hole. The twenty-nine Legions under Masatsugu rushed into the tutelary fort.

The Kanesadas' katana offensive even managed to slice through a small part of an impregnable noesis barrier—

This was the power of the renowned blade Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada's Feat of Arms—Gankouken. Its effect was to bestow Legions with Hijikata Toshizō's weapon and infantry tactics for slaughtering enemies with swordsmanship.

A Kamuy-like Legion flew over to the Kanesada army that had created the huge hold.

"Onii-sama, you really came!"

The Kamuy had red armor with a white garment on top—A Kurou Hougan Legion.

Hatsune was sitting on its right shoulder. A shoulder was not a particularly stable spot, but Chevaliers and Legions were linked by mystic power, so cases of Chevaliers falling off were extremely rare.

Hatsune looked calm and composed, evidently getting used to a Chevalier's powers.

Two blue wyverns came flying from behind. Shiori had told Hatsune to bring retainer beast talismans, so the wyverns must have manifested from them.

Shiori was riding on of the wyverns which had a saddle to sit on.

The second wyvern was carrying three Japanese men dressed in uniforms of military officers. They all looked gloomy and listless, but fortunately, their lives were not in danger.

Thus, the "princess and her knights" converged successfully, exiting the noesis barrier.

"Princess, are you okay?"

"Yes, nothing to worry about. Thank you for your efforts too, Masatsugu-sama."

"What about those three?"

Masatsugu looked at the three Chevaliers who had almost become hostages.

They were young men between twenty and thirty years of age. Their names were respectively Habuna, Maike, and Tabi. The three of them thanked Masatsugu meekly. Unfortunately, their Appellations were sealed and had to be unsealed at Suruga before they could summon Kamuys again.

From his Legion's shoulder, Masatsugu jumped behind the princess, onto the wyvern she was riding.

The two of them sat on one saddle to ride the same wyvern. This was to help out Shiori who was not a skilled rider. Just as they were about to escape—

"Onii-sama, over there!"

Masatsugu looked as directed, turning his head towards the port.

The eighty-odd Crusades he had left behind were gradually approaching. Their movement speed was not high and they had already aimed their rifles at Masatsugu's group. Just as he was pondering how to escape—

Hatsune said from the Kurou Hougan's shoulder.

"Wait, leave the rest to me!"

"What did you say?"

"I feel it—Yoshitsune's Appellation says he's got a good plan."

Hatsne was not a proper Chevalier yet, but her abilities were definitely developing. Sensing that she had an idea, Masatsugu nodded and said, "Got it. Go ahead and try it out."

"Yeah, I got this!" Hatsune replied energetically then slowly lowered her voice. "...When penetrating enemy territory, know locations to avoid and identify poorly guarded lines of retreat to ensure certain escape. Charge the enemy, break their formation, take no prisoners. Behold my Feat of Arms—Kotouhisshutsu!"

As Masatsugu predicted, Hatsune was going to invoke a Feat of Arms.

After reciting a mantra that sounded like principles from a military classic, Hatsune said loudly, "Onii-sama, follow me!"

The Kurou Hougan released powerful noesis and flew west.

In front of them were the eighty-odd Crusades that Masatsugu had confronted at the pier. In spite of that, Masatsugu did as told and ordered his Legions to follow.

The thirty Kanesadas caught up with the Kurou Hougan that had moved out first.

...Immediately, the view before their eyes changed dramatically.

Spontaneously, their army had arrived in the sky over the Fuji River. It was the river they had reached a few hours ago, traveling by Mibu wolves to cross the mountains.

"What?"

The Fuji River's did not have a huge quantity of water flowing through it. Its gravelly sandbanks and shores were very striking.

The tutelary fort was roughly ten kilometers from the Fuji River. Unbelievably, their army had traversed this distance instantaneously. Furthermore, Masatsugu and the others had not experienced any sensation of "high-speed flight."

Following the Kurou Hougan, they had arrived here "just like that."

There was no feeling of speed or g-forces. The Kanesada army had not consumed any ectoplasmic fluid either.

"It appears that Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune's Feat of Arms..." Shiori said with surprise all over her face.

During the process, the Kanesadas and the wyverns continued to fly west—in other words, towards Suruga. They crossed the Fuji River and came to the sky over the highland forests of Mount Oomaru, Mount Kanamaru, Mount Amagoi, and Mount Arashi.

"...Can achieve instantaneous movement so long as the distance is not too great—A type of teleportation power. Perhaps it is a reenactment of the legends of the Hyodori-goe surprise assault and jumping over eight ships."

"P-P-P-P-Probably, Princess..."

Of everyone present, only Hatsune was out of breath.

She looked like she had just finished a sprinting competition. This Feat of Arms evidently took a huge toll on the Chevalier leading the army.

Hatsune was so tired that her eyes were spinning. Masatsugu ordered the Kanesadas to stop mid-flight.

The wyverns carrying him, Shiori, and the three Chevaliers also stopped. The wyverns flapped their wings, hovering in one place in the air.

Meanwhile, the exhausted Hatsune said proudly, "A-Anyway, now that we're here, all that's left to do is run as fast as we can! Our operation was a success!"

"...No, it is still too early to say that."

Masatsugu observed Fuji City from where they had just traversed using teleportation.

Over in the air above the tutelary fort, Morgan le Fay's gigantic eye avatar remained manifested. Its gaze was directed straight at Masatsugu and company.

A Chevalier's sharp instincts informed Masatsugu.

The eyeball's noetic waves and gaze were following them relentlessly.

"Morgan le Fay has not lost our trail. It knows where we are."

"Huh!?" Hatsune exclaimed in surprise.

A "voice" was instantly heard in this airspace.

(Precisely, so... Chevaliers of Japan. I am, the genie Morrigan. The controller of the ifrit Morgan le Fay.)

It was not a real human voice but sound formed from noetic waves.

The soprano voice sounded adorable, but the tone was a bit choppy.

The source was overhead . A giant eyeball, seven or eight meters in diameter, was hovering in the air above, surrounded by a powerful vortex of noetic waves.

Its appearance was very similar to the gigantic eyeball over the Fuji tutelary fort.

(Give up, on your futile escape. Even if you land, and hide in the mountains, I, the spirit Morrigan, will never lose your trail. I will definitely, catch you.)

Sure enough, nothing was ever easy on the battlefield.

Masatsugu shrugged. Whatever. In truth, he did not really care. After all, he was prepared to fight all-out to retreat. However, his brow furrowed slightly when he heard the following notice.

(Also, here is some unfortunate news, for you. Morrigan originally asked, a Chevalier at the Fuji tutelary fort... Sir Gary to pursue you. But now, another Chevalier happened to return.)

Could it be Richard the Lionheart?

Masatsugu frowned and pondered. Did the Resurrectee whose chase took him in Motosu's direction return? However, an even worse scenario overturned Masatsugu's hypothesis.

(This person has flippant tendencies despite being the commander-in-chief. This time, he will surely take care of you personally.)

"Morrigan! Don't you have anything better to say than calling me 'flippant'?"

A young voice suddenly interrupted, retorting against the comment delivered through noetic waves.

Instantly, a rider on a British white wyvern arrived. He was dressed in a black military officer's uniform. A handsome man with silver hair.

Unmistakably, he was the Chevalier whom Masatsugu had spotted from afar, the day he swore his oath of fealty to Shiori.

Masatsugu was very certain, this was none other but Edward the Black Prince himself.

### 040. Chapter 4 - Knights of Britain

### Part 1

"Hohohoho, when I heard there were signs of the Tōkaidō army mobilizing at Motosu, I did not believe it was necessary to rush back."

Riding gallantly on a white wyvern, the young man was the epitome of an aristocrat.

A silver-haired handsome man. The British military officer uniform looked neat and stylish on him, while his poise and comportment conveyed natural and effortless elegance.

"Fortunately, I changed my mind. It was worth it to rush back via transport aircraft and a wyvern. I finally have a chance to meet you."

The English aristocrat looked straight at Masatsugu.

His wyvern was hovering in the air, just like the two wyverns and all Legions on the Japanese side. However, his sharp gaze was fixed only on Masatsugu.

"I apologize for my previous rudeness. My name is Edward and many people call me the Black Prince."

A smile conveying some kind of certainty appeared on the handsome face of the aristocratic Resurrectee.

"Please do introduce yourself today."

"Tachibana Masatsugu."

"I have never heard this name before. May I ask when were you born in this country?"

"Sorry, I can't answer that," Masatsugu replied indifferently. Rather than giving him a cold shoulder on purpose, Masatsugu's inborn personality was to do things at his own pace. This naturally led to a lack of enthusiasm in his tone.

In contrast, Edward smiled cheerfully.

"I understand now! Until a few days ago, I had to live my days under an alias too. I presume the case is the same for you?"

Masatsugu glanced at his companions.

Hatsune, sitting on the Kurou Hougan's shoulder, and the three Chevaliers on a wyvern were listening to the Black Prince questioningly. They did not know that Masatsugu was a Resurrectee.

As for Princess Shiori's reaction...

She was riding the same wyvern with Masatsugu, staring intently at the Black Prince.

"Very well, what I am going to say next comes from a knight's desire for a duel between warriors, rather than being 'flippant' as my guardian spirit Morrigan worded it."

Ignoring the princess' gaze, Edward spoke openly, "Ladies and gentlemen, would you be so kind as to forgive my knights for the rudeness of standing in your way?"

"Whether we forgive them or not, you're still going to block us, right?"

"Hohohoho, you are certainly quick on the uptake. How splendid."

(...Prince. Fuji City and its vicinity, is not your stronghold. Your Chevalier Strength is down to 10%. Should I send, Sir Gary to converge with you?)

This was spoken through Morgan le Fay's noetic waves.

The giant eyeball, "Morgan's Eye," which Masatsugu and company had spotted overhead, was now watching over her smirking commander-in-chief.

Edward rejected her suggestion, "Isn't my uncle currently at the Fuji tutelary fort? Assign Gary to defense. Since Tachibana-dono has made a personal appearance, it is possible the Tōkaidō army might attempt a sneak attack."

(Affirmative.)

"Tachibana-dono... Shall we begin?"

His aristocratic voice almost sounded like an invitation to Masatsugu for a game of chess.

Edward pulled back on the wyvern's reins as one would a horse, distancing himself from Masatsugu's group. Despite the casual tone of his voice, the Black Prince was leaking powerful noesis from his body and soul.

After pulling back a hundred meters, he finally unleashed burgeoning noesis!

Shiori's body also glowed golden for a few seconds.

"Hatsune, take the three Chevaliers and land. I have called for reinforcements on the ground. Use their help to escape back to Suruga as quickly as possible."

"U-Understood. What about you and Onii-sama, Princess?"

"We will follow presently. No need to worry."

Shiori commanded solemnly, preventing Hatsune from asking further questions.

Hatsune hastily directed the Kurou Hougan Legion to descend, taking along the wyvern that was carrying the three Chevaliers.

They disappeared into the Tōkaidō mountain forest below.

With only Masatsugu remaining by her side, Shiori sighed.

"Princess, personally, I hope you will escape together with them."

"If you truly believe that I am of no use, I shall comply."

Having asked unwanted bystanders to leave, Shiori was now retorting nonchalantly to Masatsugu.

Her response brought a smile to Masatsugu's face.

Should one be impressed or exasperated? As a princess, Shiori had no desire to stay in the back ranks to be protected. After comparing Masatsugu and the enemy's combat strength, she made the call to "fight alongside him." She was going to draw upon all her talents to find a way out of the predicament.

This temperament did not suit a figurehead liege, but for a comrade for realizing ambition together, it was pretty good.

"Then please keep me company for now."

"Gladly!"

Unlike these pair of liege and retainer, Edward was making battle preparations of his own.

In a sonorous voice, he commanded the noesis he had released.

"Shame be to him who thinks ill of it. Gather upon my name of Edward the Black Prince to uphold knightly honor—My personal guard, the Order of the Garter!"

A pitch-black army appeared out of thin air next to Edward.

The Black Prince possessed superior Legions in the form of black Crusades while the Lionheart had his crimson knights. Edward's army numbered a round 100 here.

Chevaliers were only able to summon 10% of their limit when outside their stronghold.

In other words, summoning a hundred Legions here implied that Edward's true Chevalier Strength had exceeded 1000!

In contrast, Tachibana Masatsugu's army consisted of merely thirty. Not only was he facing a numerical disadvantage of more than three to one, but the enemy was also a famous military genius from English history. This battle was on a different league than the one just now.

Masatsugu kicked his wyvern lightly.

Understanding Masatsugu, the retainer beast retreated behind the Kanesadas.

Riding the same wyvern, the princess was leaning against Masatsugu's bosom. Her body was stiff from nervousness and fear.

One could hardly blame her. After all, this was her first battle.

However, the smart princess said bravely, "Masatsugu-sama, please do not worry about me. You have free rein!"

"Understood. In any case, I'll just go with the flow and do what's natural."

Masatsugu glanced secretly somewhere.

Hovering over there was a giant eyeball, seven or eight meters in diameter. Morgan le Fay's avatar was overlooking the battlefield.

Masatsugu whispered quietly, "Achieving the objective will require quite a lot of effort."

"...Then I shall inform you when a suitable opportunity arises," Shiori replied naturally, prompting Masatsugu to gaze at her.

Due to the emergency, Masatsugu did not explain his approach in detail, but the clever princess had deduced his thoughts from his gaze and the current circumstances.

It was also possibly due to their relationship of increasing intimacy in various ways.

Embarrassed by his gaze, Shiori blushed and turned her head away.

"Masatsugu-sama, the battle has begun!"

"Excuse me."

Masatsugu ordered his thirty Kanesadas to gather into a packed sphere.

A spherical formation was not particularly interesting, but it did offer defense in all directions. Incidentally, the katanas used at Fuji City earlier had all turned back into bayonet rifles.

The effects of Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada's Feat of Arms had vanished. Conversely, Edward suddenly activated his own!

"The nostalgic Battle of Crécy... It is time to relive that day's triumph. O Knights of the Garter, uphold England's pride and turn into archers!"

Of the hundred black knights, a change occurred to forty of them.

Their bayonet rifles turned into steel longbows, just as the Kanesadas could suddenly turn their weapons into the renowned blade, Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada.

"Archers back away. Remaining knights serve as vanguard!"

The Black Prince's Legions were called Knights of the Garter.

They followed their lord's orders and changed their formation.

In front of the forty archers, the remaining sixty Garter Knights formed a packed rectangular formation in an array of ten rows by six columns.

This closer-order formation was like a "wall in the sky."

The archers in the back were shielded by the sixty Legions in the vanguard.

"Fire!"

The two Resurrectees gave the command simultaneously.

However, the actions taken by their respective soldiers were completely different.

In the packed sphere of the thirty Kanesadas, only the Legions on the front side fired their bayonet rifles.

The "wall in the sky" of the vanguard Garter Knights took on the barrage. However, they did not return fire, simply deploying a protective barrier to withstand the Kanesadas' shooting—

The British barrier neutralized all the heat beams from the Japanese side.

The archers at the back attacked on behalf of the unmoving "wall."

Nocking arrows of light onto the black longbows, they aimed upwards towards the sky. The released arrows traced out parabolic trajectories to attack the Kanesadas' spherical formation.

The British and the Japanese sides kept firing.

The bayonet rifles used by the thirty Kanesadas were able to fire ten beams per second.

In comparison, the British side's forty archers fired much slower. The whole process from nocking to releasing took at least five to ten seconds. The archers were highly skilled but the speed of modern fully automatic fire was overwhelming.

However.

"O-Our side is losing in the shootout!?"

" As suspected , the enemy's projectiles are stronger..."

Shiori was greatly surprised whereas Masatsugu nodded. They were watching the battle between Legions from behind. The arrows of light were piercing the armor and gigantic bodies of the thirty Kanesadas up ahead of them.

The Kanesada army's protective barrier completely failed to defend against the black English longbowmen's consecutive firing.

In contrast, the beams fired by the rifles could not hit any enemies. The protective barrier of the sixty Legions in the "wall in the sky" remained secure and impregnable.

"Well, I already knew they were no ordinary bows and arrows."

Last time in Suruga, Masatsugu was almost sniped by the same kind of bow and arrow.

Now, he was able to witness the firepower he had predicted back then.

After exchanging fire for a minute or two, the Kanesadas were desperately protecting their master, making use of their helmets and various armor to block the arrows or decrease their power.

However, the rain of arrows continued to fall mercilessly upon the Kanesadas.

Seven Kanesadas had already died, either shot in the vitals through gaps in their armor or succumbing to accumulated damage. These seven crashed down from the sky just like that.

"Do you see this, Tachibana-dono? This is the prided mode anglais formation of my House of Plantagenet—English longbow tactics! How will you respond to that!?"

"I see."

The Black Prince sounded like he was exhibiting a treasure. Masatsugu replied indifferently.

"So using bows for both offense and defense roles is this so-called English style."

Currently, Tachibana Masatsugu was over a hundred meters away from Edward.

Even so, Masatsugu knew what the other side was thinking. It was probably the same for Edward. In an encounter between first-rate chess players, simply looking at the situation on the board would be enough to read each other's minds without any need for redundant conversation.

As expert tacticians, Masatsugu and Edward were on such a level.

"Masatsugu-sama..."

"Looks like we have to give up on shooting."

Masatsugu gently embraced the worried Shiori.

The two of them were riding the same wyvern. The princess' light back and body weight was leaning against Masatsugu's bosom while she was holding his left hand tightly in her hands.

She was touching her trusted knight to relieve the fear and uncertainty in her heart.

"All men draw your swords. The blades will be your shields ."

Feeling the princess' delicate body against him, Masatsugu issued a new command.

The rifles of the remaining twenty-three Kanesadas turned into Japanese swords again. They kept their swords vertically upright in front of their faces to guard their bodies' center line.

Namely, the vertical line passing through the forehead, the nose, the throat, the sternum, and the crotch.

Using the sword to guard the center meant that a slight movement of the wrist would be enough to parry arrows aimed at the face, the heart, or other vitals of the body.

The barrier-penetrating arrows were now blocked by Hijikata Toshizō's beloved sword.

"Hohohoho. Not a bad solution, but it is nowhere enough."

"You're right."

The Black Prince smiled while Tachibana Masatsugu remained expressionless.

The battle between Legions gradually intensified. The black archers continued to shoot repeatedly. Although the Kanesadas were using swords to guard their vitals near the center line, their bodies were still getting pierced by numerous arrows.

The most serious wounds were inflicted on the limbs, bleeding blue blood.

Ectoplasmic fluid was the energy source driving Legions. Excessive loss of ectoplasmic fluid would naturally stop movement. Another three Kanesadas fell from the sky due to excessive injuries.

At this rate, defeat was inevitable even if the rate of Legions dying had decreased.

"Charge the defending black knights. Make it quick."

Masatsugu ordered the Kanesadas whose numbers had decreased sharply to twenty.

The Kanesada army executed the command dutifully. Accelerating at the "wall in the sky" formed by the sixty Garter Knights, they unleashed Tennen Rishin Style swordsmanship—

Even with numerical superiority on their side, it was possible for normal Crusades to become careless and lose in this kind of situation.

However, the rifles vanished from the hands of the black knights in the "wall" ahead.

What took their place was a rectangular shield as tall as a Legion. Holding shields in both hands, the Garter Knights resisted the Shinsengumi's vicious swords.

The swordsmanship that had sliced through many a Crusade's armor could not cut through these shields!

"Shame be to him who thinks ill of it... My knights, you are protected by the insignia of the garter. Now raise your shields of justice to triump over evil!"

These were the holy words used by the Black Prince to invoke his Feat of Arms.

The short inscription of "Honi soit qui mal y pense," resembling Latin, and a cross appeared on each shield wielded by the Garter Knights.

"The power to block Hijikata Toshizō's sword... A Feat of Arms of the shield, huh?" Masatsugu muttered to himself while observing the battle from a distance.

The army of black knights were hiding behind shields. No matter how fierce, the moves of Tennen Rishin Style could not win so easily. Every free-flowing swing of the sword was deflected by a shield.

Also, while the Kanesadas were busy attacking the shield bearers...

The archers originally in the back had circled behind the army of katana-wielding Kanesadas.

Returning their longbows to bayonet rifles, they attacked the red-purple Japanese army from behind—in melee combat!

...Sandwiched front and back by the Garter Knights, the Kanesadas' defeat was sealed.

Succeeding in their pincer attack, the British Legions swung the blades of their bayonet rifles to slice, stab, skewer, and gouge the bodies of the Kanesadas.

A merciless massacre began.

"Masatsugu-sama... It is almost time..." Shiori whispered quietly at that moment.

The princess had been holding Masatsugu's hand silently the whole time, leaning against his chest. Her posture remained the same right now, but there was a kind of vibrancy in her voice that belonged to someone who had found a ray of hope.

Only nine red-purple Legions remained.

This number was sufficient. Masatsugu's cheek twitched in a smile.

"Howl, my men. The black knights are not your opponents."

Masatsugu's target was "Morgan's Eye" up high.

Compared to the super gigantic eyeball guarding the Fuji tutelary fort, this avatar was only one-tenth in size. Currently, it was watching the battlefield, bearing witness to Edward's battle.

"Take out that spirit. Do it."

The nine Kanesadas followed Masatsugu's orders and roared thunderously.

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

This shouting of Legions was known as the War Cry.

The fierce roaring resounded all around. Using their mouths hidden behind their masks, the Legions emitted a unique howling sound.

The War Cry produced effects of noetic disruption and could cancel out electromagnetic radiation and noetic waves.

Previously, the British Crusades had used the same tactic in their attack on Suruga.

(—Prince, reporting. Enemy, starting noetic disruption. Avatar, cannot be sustained...)

The voice reported the situation in fragments. The hovering seven or eight-meter-diameter eyeball—Morgan le Fay's manifestation—slowly vanished.

Seeing his guardian spirit defeated, Edward praised, "Oh? You still managed to blow away Morrigan in an instant despite your unfavorable situation?"

"It worked in one shot precisely because of the unfavorable situation. Otherwise, a spirit of that level isn't going to present any openings."

Edward and Masatsugu muttered simultaneously as though having a face-to-face conversation.

Masatsugu had reasoned that using noetic disruption recklessly would not achieve much.

The enemy was a spirit of the strongest class on the British side. However, no matter how powerful a spirit, it would be only natural for her concentration to slip when seeing her master winning with an overwhelming advantage.

Even if not to the point of carelessness, there would undoubtedly be a decrease in focus.

Shiori had been increasing her senses as a noetic master, looking for an opening in the opponent.

As for Masatsugu—the moment before landing on the ground ...

He first had the Kanesadas start a War Cry, then carrying the exhausted Shiori in his arms, he swiftly kicked his wyvern's side, ordering it to make a rapid descent.

The wyvern flapped its wings and landed in the mountain forest.

A giant white wolf was already waiting on the ground.

This was one of the Mibu wolves they had ridden to the Fuji River then dismissed back into the forest. Masatsugu quickly got off the wyvern and moved Shiori, who was unable to walk, to the Mibu wolf's back.

"We succeeded, Masatsugu-sama..."

"Yes, with that spirit gone, we won't need to worry about noetic tracking. Now we can escape deep into the mountains without having to watch our back."

Holding the feebly smiling Shiori in his arms, Masatsugu rode the Mibu wolf.

Once again, the two of them were riding the same retainer beast, except this time they were escaping on land. Hiding in the mountain forest was definitely better than flying in the air since their goal was to evade enemy pursuit.

Weaving through the trees in the mountain forest, the Mibu wolf raced as fast as the wind.

Needless to say, their destination was Suruga City.

"Thank you for your support, Princess. We couldn't have escaped otherwise."

"No... Without you in command, Masatsugu-sama, we would have been wiped out long ago... I should be the one to express gratitude..."

The brave princess had been sticking closely to Masatsugu for a reason.

While relieving her fear and uncertainty on one hand, she was also providing a small amount of ectoplasmic fluid to him through intimate contact on the other. In fact, the Garter Knights' fierce offensive had dealt a heavy blow to the Kanesadas, causing ectoplasmic fluid consumption to be much higher than usual..

Without Shiori's assistance, the Kanesadas might not have had the strength to unleash the final roar—

In any case, Masatsugu "went with the flow and did what was natural" and succeeded in upholding the principle of "escaping as quickly as possible from a battlefield of certain defeat."

"It looks like Tachibana-dono does not share the knightly ideal of putting up a manly fight. He fled with such speed and decisiveness."

On the saddle of his wvyern that was flapping its wings, Edward smiled wryly.

The last of the red-purple Legions had just been wiped out in front of his eyes.

Instantly killing nine survivors was a piece of cake. Only the Black Prince, his wyvern, and the Order of the Garter remained in the aerial battlefield.

"I could burn the whole mountain to conduct a search... but it is unlikely that he would loiter in the vicinity."

Edward looked down at the mountain forest, shrugging his shoulders.

He recalled the girl who was leaning against Tachibana Masatsugu's chest. He originally thought she was simply along the ride for some kind of reason and did not pay much attention to her—

"That girl has an air quite similar to Eleanor's. She seems to be well-versed in noetics too..."

The beautiful maiden's noble and pretty face and platinum blonde hair were very striking.

Edward decided he should investigate her background.

Tachibana Hatsune was running through the forest at full speed.

Of course, she was using a Mibu wolf to do the running, instead of running on foot.

The reinforcements Princess Shiori had mentioned before parting ways were a reference to this white mid-size retainer beast. A second Mibu wolf was carrying the three Chevaliers they had just rescued.

"I hope the princess and Onii-sama are fine..."

So far, there were no signs of the lady she served and the young man from her clan catching up.

Just as she was worrying about their safety, Hatsune sensed someone sneering behind her. She had some recollection of this very sarcastic voice.

Not too long ago, she had heard the same voice prior to activating the Feat of Arms—Kotouhihisshutsu.

...Hatsune had recalled how the voice offered to teach her a good plan. Then the principles to using that secret move had surfaced in her mind. In other words, Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune was giving advice again.

Hatsune focused to listen. Sure enough, the blue scroll appeared in her right hand.

"What's up, Yoshitsune-san?"

The scroll told her that her friends were out of danger... At least, that was the message Hatsune sensed.

"Really!? They still haven't shown up, and I was worried sick. This is great news!"

...Well, with that dead fish in charge, failure would come as a surprise.

"Are you talking about Onii-sama? Well, it's true that he's not a very lively person."

Talking to herself in front of a scroll was quite a bizarre scene.

However, Hatsune was not in the mood to make fun of herself, because she learned a shocking truth without any mental preparation beforehand.

...That isn't what I meant. That man and I are the same. In other words, we were awakened from our ancient deaths.

"Huh?"

Hatsune jumped in shock. Now , she really doubted whether her ears were hallucinating or not.

### Part 2

The expedition to Fuji City had unfolded with unexpected developments.

After surviving many trials, Masatsugu finally brought Shiori back to Suruga. Along the way, they met up with Hatsune and the three Chevaliers who had almost ended up as hostages. No one was left behind. Also, they had gathered quite a lot of information—

However, Akigase Rikka could not help but frown after listening to the report.

"Perhaps I should not be saying this after requesting your aid, Your Highness..."

Rikka was in the castellan's office, grumbling to Shiori and Masatsugu.

"What would we do if anything happened to our imperial princess? Please understand the importance of your safety."

"I am terribly sorry. Due to the emergency situation, I overstepped my bounds."

The scolded princess apologized obediently, demonstrating contrition in her words and behavior in a perfect performance of docility. Truly an inexperienced actress. In the end, Rikka did not pursue the matter very far.

Thanks to the princess risking herself, three Chevaliers were rescued.

The three young Chevaliers were named Habuna, Maike, and Tabi, members of the Tōkaidō provincial army stationed at Yamanashi. Each of their Chevalier Strength was about 50.

The noetic officers at the Suruga tutelary fort unsealed their Appellations for them.

"I do appreciate gaining more subordinates, who need to be looked after, in this manner. Until Nagoya issues directions, let them stay in Suruga for now."

Rikka grinned and did not complain any further about the princess' recklessness.

The three new additions to their forces also brought unexpected effects. They excitedly told their fellow soldiers in the Suruga tutelary fort about what they had seen and heard.

Namely, the conversation between Edward the Black Prince and Tachibana Masatsugu during the retreat battle.

'Until a few days ago, I had to live my days under an alias too. I presume the case is the same for you?'

The Resurrectee leading the British forces had said something profound.

Added to the original rumors about Masatsugu's identity, a "certain conviction" began to spread among the Suruga soldiers.

Indeed, everyone was deeply convinced that Tachibana Masatsugu's true identity was precisely Hijikata Toshizō.

The next day after their return from Fuji City—

Masatsugu had accompanied the princess to the tutelary fort. While they were there, they separated at some point.

While he was taking a stroll alone, the soldiers and officers' attitudes towards him was clearly more careful and polite than before. The three Chevaliers, Habuna, Maike, and Tabi even went out of their way to greet him.

At every opportunity, they would discreetly ask Masatsugu, "Tachibana-dono... You are Lord Hijikata, right?"

Every time, Masatsugu reacted indifferently.

"No." "I have no idea." "Not really." "Who knows?" "You've got the wrong guy, I think?" "Don't believe in weird rumors."

Masatsugu simply repeated denials monotonously. He could not be bothered to explain the reason.

Humans were creatures that only believed what they wanted to believe. No matter how much Masatsugu denied it, they always left with a "He is Lord Hijikata..." look on their face.

After handling these questions, Masatsugu ran into the mess hall reserved for high-ranking officers.

The restricted mess hall was only open to Chevaliers and soldiers holding the rank of field officer or above, hence there were few users. Masatsugu took a seat, hoping this should reduce the amount of hassle.

At that moment, Hatsune arrived, wearing an angry expression for once.

Masatsugu expected she had come to talk nonsense after hearing about the Hijikata Toshizō rumor.

"Whether you are really Hijikata Toshizō or not, Onii-sama, I'll save that question for another time. So the real Tachibana Masatsugu who used to play with me in childhood... He's already dead?"

Hatsune pursued the core of the matter right off the bat.

"I see... So you admitted to Hatsune regarding your identity as a Resurrectee?"

"Yes, I told her at my own discretion."

This was the next morning after he had had a good long talk with the young maiden of the Tachibana clan.

Masatsugu had come to the Black Lily Dorm, reserved exclusively for the princess, to meet his liege in the conversation lounge.

"I don't know my real name, I was summoned to the present world by the princess' divine power, the real Tachibana Masatsugu has been dead for years, etc. That was the main gist of it."

"It cannot be helped. The truth had to come out eventually."

Shiori sighed lightly.

In the past, she often drank black tea in the conversation lounge, but currently, all she had before her was a glass of water.

Suruga's food problem was getting worse with each passing day. Luxury items such as coffee, black tea, and alcoholic beverages were in scarce supply. Even the princess could not enjoy them freely.

"That explains why I have not seen her since yesterday..."

"She must be in shock, finding out her relative had died and that I'm someone unrelated."

"That would be inconvenient. It would not do to be distracted by such trivial troubles... She has so many responsibilities riding on her."

Tachibana Hatsune was Princess Shiori's lady-in-waiting, bodyguard, and Chevalier.

Of course, competence and professionalism were essential. There was nothing wrong with what Shiori had said. However, the beautiful princess added dryly, "Well, I will turn a blind eye if she wants some time to put her feelings in order. Showing a bit of leniency to subordinates is a part of employee benefits, after all."

"I see."

"Masatsugu-sama, are you smirking?"

"You are imagining things. I never knew you had a naive side too, Princess."

"Well, it was a slip of the tongue!"

Just as the liege and retainer were having this kind of conversation...

A patter of hurried footsteps approached the conversation lounge and the door was flung open forcefully. Dressed in Haikara-san style, Hatsune rushed in excitedly and said, "Princess, Onii-sama! Maybe Onii-sama's real identity is Oda Nobunaga!?"

Charging in energetically in one breath, Hatsune proposed a bold hypothesis.

After a moment of silence, Shiori remarked with slight disappointment, "...Didn't you say that she was in shock?"

"It seemed that way yesterday," Masatsugu replied expressionlessly.

In any case, they looked at Hatsune, who was acting her usual self. Shiori offered care and concern for the still cheerful girl, "So, have you put your feelings in order?"

"Oh, yes. It's sad that my distant relative had passed away, and I'd like to pay respects at his grave too. However, your ambitions come first, Princess, so it can't be helped."

"...I am certainly grateful you understand that."

"Not at all, this is the Tachibana clan's duty, after all."

The princess was quite surprised by this turn of events while Hatsune responded cheerfully.

The ability to swiftly change mindsets was a warrior's asset too. Feeling impressed instead, Masatsugu said, "Are you going to keep addressing me the same way?"

"Why not? Your name is definitely 'Tachibana Masatsugu' in the family registry. Plus changing the habit will be a pain at this point. Besides, now that I think about it..."

Hatsune lowered her voice as though whispering.

"There are many people with unknown identities among the 'aunties and uncles' who only show up to family gatherings and memorial services. Compared to those relatives, Onii-sama, my relationship with you is definitely more real and substantial. Don't worry, I'm fine."

In a certain way, this happy-go-lucky disposition was also a hero's requisite quality.

Furthermore, it was supposedly Hatsune's father in the capital Tokyo who set up Masatsugu to take over the identity of the original who had died in an accident.

"Back to the main issue here. Why can't Onii-sama's real identity be Oda Nobunaga?"

"What makes you think that?"

"Speaking of Japanese heroes, it pretty much boils down to the trio of Nobunaga, Hideyoshi, and Ieyasu, right? But Toyotomi Hideyoshi looked like a monkey while Tokugawa Ieyasu was a pudgy guy like a tanuki, so their appearances don't match Onii-sama at all. That's why I decided to place my bet on Oda Nobunaga."

"I see, that makes sense."

"Onii-sama, do you remember the Honnouji Incident?"

"Now that I think about it, I haven't visited any shrines or temples for the past two years. Maybe the memories of my death turned into mental trauma, making me avoid shrines and temples subconsciously..."

"That's what they call depth psychology, right!?"

While Hatsune and Masatsugu were discussion the new hypothesis, Shiori coughed on the side.

"Let us carefully examine this nonsen—no, bold hypothesis. Chances are 99% that the possibility of Masatsugu-sama being Lord Nobunaga is wrong."

"Oh?"

"Princess, 99% is going way overboard!"

"Lord Nobunaga was undoubtedly an excellent politician and strategist, but his abilities as a field commander are more inconclusive... Some accounts are rather suspect."

"But he won spectacular victories at Okehazama and Nagashino, right?"

While the knowledgeable princess recounted history, Hatsune tried to muster a small rebuttal.

"The depictions of battles in historical novels or dramas are almost all fake. The surprise attack on Okehazama that defeated Imagawa Yoshimoto and the three rows of gunfire that devastated the Takeda cavalry were all fiction conjured by novelists in the Edo period."

"R-Really?"

"There is a theory that Nobunaga was marching blindly in Okehazama when he chanced upon the enemy. In hindsight, the surprise attack was simply dumb luck."

"That doesn't sound cool~"

"Which is why it was 'embellished' to become an inspiring story of valor. Besides, Lord Nobunaga is often described as an innovative and progressive genius... But in fact, he was very concerned about public opinion. A man who stuck to steady and reliable methods. There are many surviving letters that he wrote to his retainers regarding such matters. He actually had quite a thoughtful personality."

"He's not the Devil of the Sixth Heaven!?"

"When Hideyoshi's legal wife was frustrated by her husband's infidelity, he even wrote letters to comfort her... Do you understand now? Masatsugu-sama isn't someone that thoughtful."

"That's definitely true!"

"Princess, Hatsune, jumping to conclusions is not a good thing."

Offended, Masatsugu objected to Hatsune's agreement with Shiori's assertion.

"I'm actually a man who knows how to be caring and considerate. Assuming the other person is a lady, I think."

"Right, you did mention you were some kind of skirt chaser in your past life, didn't you...?"

"Huh?"

Shiori grumbled with inexplicable consternation, causing Hatsune to react in shock.

"No way! Onii-sama—You're that kind of guy!?"

"What's so surprising about that? Every guy likes attractive women."

Masatsugu's attitude was blasé as always, completely unapologetic.

Hatsune smiled awkwardly. "I'm sorry, Onii-sama. You always looked so serious, that's why I found it surprising... Oh, Onii-sama, don't tell me I've caught your eye too?"

"Nope, I can swear to God and the High Heavens."

"Th-That's pretty rude too. I can't believe you rejected me so directly."

The Tachibana girl hung her head in dismay.

Masatsugu shrugged and said, "Don't worry, I'm talking about before. Since we're not blood related, but you're still willing to address me as your older brother, I suppose we're sworn siblings bound by destiny."

"Sworn... siblings?"

"Yeah, and I'm a guy who finds little sisters irresistible."

"Onii-sama, you shouldn't say that after delivering a touching speech!"

In the end, Hatsune easily got back into her usual stride.

Princess Shiori's immediate surroundings were still secure. However, a formidable foe was still eyeing the Suruga region. Furthermore, the Restoration Alliance had gained the exceptional carnivore known as Richard I.

Perhaps a dramatic change in the battle situation was around the corner.

Masatsugu had this sort of faint premonition.

### Part 3

A helicopter took off from Nagoya Castle and finally arrived at the scene.

This was a special transport helicopter reserved for VIPs in the Tōkaidō Fiefdom with a capacity for seven passengers. The seats were made of real leather and the cabin's decor was very high class.

It was around 1pm.

Under the sunny sky, the noisy rotors could be heard throughout the flight.

"The tutelary fort at Higashimikawa is ablaze..." One of the passengers, a Chevalier in his late forties, said in shock.

"Higashimikawa" referred to the eastern part of the Aichi Prefecture in Tōkaidō. This tutelary fort was located in the mountains, right in the center between Toyohashi City and Gamagoori City.

It was a star fort designed with a five-pointed arrangement of fortification walls.

Standing in the center, the nation-protecting keep and various buildings were all on fire.

There were over three hundred crimson Crusades in the air above the tutelary fort.

These Crusades had come from the Hamamatsu tutelary fort on the western edge of Shizuoka Prefecture. Using overwhelming numbers, the enemy had instantly crushed the garrison at Higashimikawa.

"It's a special variant that first appeared at the Fuji tutelary fort three days ago. According to Rikka's report, the enemy Chevalier is a Resurrectee who claims to be Richard I..."

The white-haired old man frowned with resentment in his voice.

His name and title were Akigase Shouzan, Governor General of Tōkaidō.

Akigase Shouzan was dressed in a kimono with an Inverness coat. Slender and crane-like in appearance, he was glaring sharply. A sixty-eight-year-old man who made a striking impression.

Chevalier Akigase Rikka was the eldest child born to him when he was late in his years.

"So the knights of the Restoration have finally encroached upon the land of Mikawa, huh?"

Imperial Japan's military used small and mid-size retainer beasts for reconnaissance.

Of course, Akigase Shouzan could depend on reports from pipe foxes or yatagarasus, but he still chose to confirm the situation for himself at the scene.

The reason was—

Over the past two days, another three tutelary forts in eastern Aichi had fallen.

"Yesterday was Okumikawa, this morning was Atsumi... And this afternoon was Higashimikawa. They are truly doing whatever they please."

In every case, the attacks were conducted by crimson Crusades.

They were the army led by Richard I, apparently called the Escalibors.

Through the helicopter's window, Akigase Shouzan glared at the giant figures of the red knights.

His stronghold of Nagoya was very near Kinai. Going west then crossing the Kiso River would reach Kinai Fiefdom—the land ruled by the Restoration Alliance's leader.

Recklessly mobilizing Nagoya's forces would lead Kinai to attack.

Akigase Shouzan and the Kinai provincial army were restraining each other across the Kiso River. Meanwhile, he requested reinforcements from various neighboring regions such as Tōsandō, Hokuriku, and Kantō. Negotiating between various factions, he sought to regroup and launch a counterattack.

However, the results were not promising.

Perhaps, their plan was to sacrifice Tōkaidō—

"What do you mean by halting the attack for now, Edward?"

"Proper preparations are needed before these conquered tutelary forts of Okumikawa, Atsumi, and Higashimikawa can be used as bases to stage an invasion against Nagoya. A mere half a day isn't enough to complete all requisite tasks, such as having nearby residents sign written pledges to obey the Charter of Chivalry."

A few hours had gone by after Higashimikawa's fall.

The sky was dark and Edward was in the castellan's office, receiving Richard who had returned to the Hamamatsu tutelary fort in triumph. It was for this purpose that he had specially made a trip from Hakone.

The two of them were sitting on separate sofas, facing each other across the reception table.

"A lightning offensive is a good thing, but Uncle, you are causing too much destruction."

"Hmm..."

"How about resting for a week? Come with me to Hakone during this period. It will be nice to enjoy the hot springs and the autumn scenery."

"Hmph." The ancestor with title of Lionheart frowned. "It was the same thing a few days ago. I was pursuing the enemy after my victory at Fuji, but you summoned me back before I could conquer Motosu..."

"There was no need to traverse Mount Fuji to enter Yamanashi territory, after all," Edward explained with a shrug, unfazed by the angry lion. "Even if you conquered the likes of Motosu and Kouhujou, the surrounding area is mountainous and treacherous. Movement of Legions over mountains of that sort, where powerful earth spirits reside, will incur severe consumption of ectoplasmic fluid, and there are no water shrines to use in the mountains."

Daihosatsu Ridge, Yatsugatake, Okuchichibu, Okutama, Tanzawa, and others...

Edward recalled vague impressions of these geographic names. The mountainous region between Tōkaidō and Kantō was vast with numerous peaks. He had long given up on memorizing all of them.

Rather than geographic names, strategic significance was more important.

"If you try to invade Tokyo by traversing the mountains, exhausting your army in the process... You will only play into the hands of the patiently waiting Kantō Fiefdom."

"That is why I wanted to march west now."

"Yes, Uncle, if you were to take care of the provincial capital of Nagoya and deal the mortal blow to the Tōkaidō Fiefdom while I undertake preparations at Hakone to invade Kantō—That would be the ideal development."

Nagoya was both the provincial capital and the beating heart of Tōkaidō.

The Aichi Prefecture centered around this metropolis was home to a population and production capacity far surpassing Shizuoka and Yamanashi combined.

Consequently, the Tōkaidō Fiefdom had maintained ample military readiness there.

The Aichi Prefecture had a total of ten tutelary forts of which six were concentrated in Nagoya's outskirts.

"There are fifteen Chevaliers stationed in this area along with the Tōkaidō Governor General overseeing everything. Although he is not a Chevalier, I heard he is rather shrewd and experienced."

Were he a Chevalier, they would have been able to recruit him swiftly as they did with the Kinai Governor General.

Edward recalled the magical powers of Eleanor who was still in Kyoto. On the other hand, Richard snorted and scowled with displeasure again.

Then immediately, he grinned mischievously.

"Let us be honest, Edward. What you want is to leave this inferior prey of Nagoya to me so that you can have Kantō—or rather, the Roman garrison there—all to yourself, am I right?"

"That is quite a nasty way of putting things," Edward made a wry smile elegantly without confirming or denying it. "Lord Caesar is currently not in Japan... But he is ultimately a great hero. Rumor has it that he has planted a number of schemes to protect Tokyo on behalf of the weak Kantō Fiefdom and the Imperial Guard. Even the Japanese side are kept in the dark."

"Oh?"

"To attack impulsively like a lion would only end up falling into a trap. I choose to attack Kantō only because I believe I am more suited to the task. Uncle, please understand."

"Very well, but I do have a condition." Richard went straight to the chase. "From what I hear, you had yourself quite a bloody good time at Fuji. There is a bunch of interesting Chevaliers at Suruga, valiantly resisting our armies, is that correct?"

"Oh dear, Uncle, so that is what you are getting at."

This fierce ancestor was definitely a short-sighted and impulsive man.

However, Richard's nose and various instincts were exceptionally keen. He must have smelled "delicious prey" this time without even thinking deeply.

Furthermore, it was an exquisite dessert that Edward the Black Prince had specially saved for later.

"Fine, so be it. Uncle, I have two demands."

"Try me."

"The first one is very simple. Before setting off for Suruga, please conquer Nagoya first."

"What bloody rubbish is this? This hot blood of mine is about to erupt right away."

"The risks outweigh the benefits if you intentionally take a detour, only to fall into a trap. So far, the man lurking in Suruga... has yet to reveal the true extent of his powers. His hunting skills ought to be quite exceptional."

"On what grounds do you believe that?"

"A man who excels at escaping will likewise excel at trapping his enemy. In the past, I have faced a similar acquaintance."

Edward recalled his rival of old, a hero of France.

There was something about Tachibana Masatsugu that smelled similar to that man. Meanwhile, the Lionheart dismissed it with a fearless smile. Although deep thought was not his forte, he was a man of extraordinary ability.

"Then I shall attack seriously instead of savoring small bites."

"Apart from him, Suruga has other capable knights. It would be best to take caution."

"What about your second demand?"

"After conquering Suruga, please locate a beautiful princess with dazzling platinum hair. That girl could ostensibly become an interesting trump card. She has an air quite similar to Eleanor's. You will certainly recognize her on sight, Uncle."

Edward recalled the noble lady whom Tachibana Masatsugu was serving in a knightly capacity.

Her name was Fujinomiya Shiori, the shunned princess of Imperial Japan in curious circumstances.

### Part 4

October 31.

Half a month had elapsed since the Restoration Alliance's invasion of Shizuoka.

Early this morning, a messenger pipe fox sent by Nagoya arrived at the Suruga tutelary fort, bringing news that three tutelary forts in Tōkaidō had fallen yesterday and the day before.

"This means that Nagoya's situation is getting dire just like ours?"

"Compared to Suruga, which is left alone for now, it might be more dangerous in a certain sense."

Masatsugu was accompanying Hatsune to pay respects at a tomb.

It was 2pm or so. There were no other people at the cemetery apart from them. This peaceful cemetery was located at the Abe River on the west side of Suruga and near the home of "the real Tachibana Masatsugu."

"Onii-sama... Sorry for not visiting until now. The clan's duties and service to the princess will be undertaken properly by me and this Onii-sama here. Please rest in peace."

"That's a really complicated way of putting things," Masatsugu muttered while putting his palms together in front of the tomb together with Hatsune.

Before them was a tomb marker reading "Tomb of the Tachibana Clan." Next to it was a small stone tablet inscribed with the entombed's names.

The latest name was "Tachibana Masatsugu," preceded by Masatsugu's parents, then grandparents—

"When they buried the real one , they still carved his name on the stone... Fortunately, I only stole his identity but not his tombstone as well."

This was probably a tiny bit of compensation secretly provided by Hatsune's father and elders in the clan when they took the name of the young Tachibana who had died prematurely to give to an unidentified Resurrectee.

Masatsugu only noticed this thoughtfulness when he saw the stone tablet today.

After praying for "the real one," Masatsugu said, "Hatsune, please accept my thanks and apologies to the real one. If possible, please stay behind me as much as possible when on the battlefield."

"Oh my, Onii-sama, you're going to protect me?"

Hatsune sounded slightly offended, as befitted a member of a clan of heroes who prided themselves on strength.

Masatsugu shook his head. "No, what I mean is... You should observe me carefully to learn how battles are fought. Until you become full-fledged, I am willing to do what I can."

"That's cool. However, I am a bit surprised."

"Surprised?"

"I thought you'd be more of a lone wolf in combat."

"A fresh recruit can't do everything on the battlefield and needs looking after in the first place. And the one to look after Tachibana Hatsune is precisely me, Tachibana Masatsugu, that's all."

Masatsugu shared his thoughts and came to realize something.

Judging from this, back in the past, did he also follow someone to learn about how battles were fought? Probably... Yes?

Following strong, fierce, and persevering men, he had rode to the ends of the earth on many occasions—

Just as he felt certain he had lived such a life...

"Oh my? It's an alarm!?"

Hatsune jumped in fright. An alarm was blaring through the public speakers all over Suruga City, accompanied by a broadcast message urging civilians to take refuge indoors.

With tacit acknowledgement, the two of them immediately left the cemetery.

Naturally, they were not going to take shelter. Tachibana Masatsugu and Hatsune were Chevaliers defending this city.

"Onii-sama, let's hurry to the tutelary fort!"

"Hmm?"

At the cemetery parking lot, Hatsune hurried Masatsugu, but he noticed something was off.

Something was flying at high speed from south of Suruga Bay, heading straight to the center of town near the train station. A normal person's eyesight would probably mistake it for an airplane.

"A red Crusade... It's King Richard's Legion!"

They had seen this type of Crusade three days ago, but for some reason, there was only a single one flying.

Unlike the capital's city center, Suruga did not have many tall buildings. Hence, Masatsugu's excellent eyesight was able to see the red Crusade from the cemetery in the suburbs.

Another shadow in the sky also concerned him.

A wyvern was flying in front, leading the Crusade.

Masatsugu could clearly see a Chevalier riding on the wyvern.

### Part 5

The scene changed to the imperial capital of Tokyo.

The residence of the Empress of Imperial Japan was called the "imperial palace."

Even though it was known as a castle, it was actually completely different from Japanese castles such as Nijou Castle.

Entirely in the style of a European palace, it had been built in Tokyo's Aoyama neighborhood after the Second World War. Constructed with bricks and a steel frame in an imitation of Baroque architecture, the palace was sturdy and beautiful.

The magnificent palace used a large quantity of white bricks, resulting in a stylish exterior.

Somewhere in the imperial palace was a waiting room used exclusively by military officers visiting from the Eastern Roman Empire.

There were all sorts of extravagant furnishings in the room. Most important of all, the room was equipped with a direct telephone line to Roman military facilities outside of Japan.

Currently, Alexis Yang was in the middle of using this direct line.

"No sense of crisis... That would not be a correct description."

Yang was holding the receiver in one hand, speaking in a laid back tone of voice.

He was dressed in the Eastern Roman Empire's military uniform, which was colored blue and featured a blazer-style jacket. The top two buttons of his shirt collar were unfastened and he was not wearing a tie either.

Yang had facial hair on his chin, giving him a wild look that suited his sloppy attire.

"They realize this situation needs to be handled, but have no idea what to do, which is why they procrastinate without accomplishing anything... That pretty much covers the reactions of anyone who matters in the imperial palace."

These scathing words were delivered lightly without any tone of sarcasm.

Yang was a major serving as part of the "Eastern Roman Empire's East Asian Administrative Region Military Staff." The man he was speaking to was not only the most famous person in the world but also the great hero who had founded the Empire.

'Nothing out of the ordinary. The Empress is surrounded by useless ladies-in-waiting.'

The speaker's voice was regal and majestic without sounding pretentious.

This unique diction belonged to Generalissimo Caesar of Rome.

Yang replied, "Those hags—correction, older ladies—only know how to put on airs and bully members of the same sex."

'I really wish the Imperial Guard or the Kantō Fiefdom could show a little competence.'

"Yes, I will check things out later."

Styling himself as Imperial Japan's patronus , Caesar was currently absent from Japan.

A month ago, Rome and the British Empire had clashed at the island of Java. Standing by at Lantau Island in Hong Kong, Caesar had sent Staff Officer Yang to Tokyo on his behalf.

Yang was a noetic master, capable of speaking freely without fear of eavesdropping.

Techniques for sensing electromagnetic radiation and noetic waves allowed one to confirm the risk of being eavesdropped. Invoking noetic waves to cause interference would also counter every type of surveillance equipment.

"By the way, that princess whom you fancy so much—Her Highness Shiori—has been abandoned, clearly left to die without any rescue attempt... It would be scandalous if this rumor leaked out, but in any case, someone will use this opportunity to make her disappear."

'Oh? That is not very good.'

"If the British were to capture a princess of noble blood, there could spell all sorts of trouble. Japan's awareness of this is far too lax."

'How regrettable. By the way, Major Yang, regarding your new mission...'

"...A new mission?"

'The situation has changed over the past few days, hasn't it? I have devised a few countermeasures after being notified. First of all—Please infiltrate Suruga where Shiori is right now. Visit the tutelary fort that has been fighting bravely in isolation and present yourself as a military adviser.'

"...Hold on a sec. I promised my daughter I'm returning home in a week."

Yang accidentally committed a soldier's taboo of defying an order. He was already thirty-four and had a single eleven-year-old daughter in Hong Kong.

"I already bought souvenirs in Japan, like idol concert videos and a rice cooker."

'Just have them sent via air mail. I will have the staff section inform your wife.'

"She's my ex, not my wife, okay! Besides, isn't infiltration the job of the intelligence department? Those guys must have sneaked into Suruga already, right?"

The great historical hero must be snickering to himself on the other side. Alexis Yang was certain of it and tried to argue.

Caesar laughed maliciously and said, 'Your job is to make adjustments to our side's military strategy based on my wishes and local circumstances. Both the commander at Suruga and I need someone to perform this role.'

"Fine, fine. In other words, Your Excellency will not just send troops from Kantō to take back Hakone."

Yang stopped joking around and switched to a sulking tone of voice.

"You intend to negotiate with Suruga to launch an attack from west of Hakone for a pincer offensive, right? I will work hard as though my salary and pension depended on it. Currently, what Japan needs most is undoubtedly Your Excellency... Generalissimo Caesar."

'That goes without saying. Since I do wish for matters over here to be handled well, I will make adjustments.'

Even through the telephone, Caesar's voice still sounded full of vibrancy.

In any case, someone had received orders from Eastern Rome's Generalissimo and was preparing to head to Tōkaidō.

### 041. Chapter 5 - Battle between Lion and Hound (1)

### Part 1

15:27, October 31st.

This was the moment when Richard the Lionheart arrived in Suruga City.

Riding his white wyvern, he slowly descended with a crimson British "Escalibor" Legion by his side. The Legion landed with a heavy thud.

The location was in front of Suruga Station.

The high-speed rail terminal was huge and the area in front of the station was also very prosperous.

There were department stores and grand buildings in the style of office districts. It was rare for a quiet regional city to have such a "metropolitan" area.

The wyvern and the Escalibor had suddenly appeared at the bus terminal here.

Soon after the alarm sounded in the city, the ancient King of England and his Legion invaded Suruga City swiftly, flying like a shooting star.

...There were still civilians around the station who had not escaped in time.

Roughly a hundred and fifty people. The red giant raised its bayonet rifle and fired.

Rather than the civilians, the rifle was aimed up at the white clouds in the blue sky. The scorching beam tore through the sky, accompanied by a thunderous noise of gunfire.

Nearby crowds were all fixated on the red Legion and the wyvern's rider.

"People of Suruga, I am a Chevalier of the British Empire as well as a King of England in the past, Richard the Lionheart. Be at ease and raise your heads."

The English king's Legions, the Escalibors, stood over eight meters tall.

Richard's wyvern was hovering near the red giant's shoulder. Overlooking the scenery in front of the station, Richard nodded with satisfaction.

This Resurrectee's voice was not very coarse. Instead, he sounded magnanimous.

A sonorous and beautiful voice, it was clear and deep.

"Hohohoho. There is no need to scurry away like rats, people of this city. I did not come today to fight. I am here as a knight to inform the people of Suruga who have been fighting valiantly."

The Escalibor behind Richard emitted the same voice and words from behind its mask. More precisely, it was not a voice but sound formed from noetic waves.

Hence, that was why the sound was spreading like a wave.

The volume itself was not too great, yet every resident within a radius of several kilometers could hear it clearly.

"Now then... It pains my heart to hear of your harrowing plight. The Chevaliers of Suruga have fought bravely against us of the Restoration Alliance, but the result is that across the land of Shizuoka, this is the last city that has yet to come under the British Empire's protection. Listen to me, people of this city!"

Riding his wyvern, Richard advanced slowly along the main road in front of the station.

He was flying at an altitude around three floors high. Advancing in leisure, it was almost like a parade of triumph.

The Escalibor was also hovering in the air, following its master.

"Who are the ones who suffer in war!? Isn't it you, the people of the city? So long as the knights of Suruga continue to resist, you will be imprisoned in this city, unable to satisfy your stomachs, enduring hunger, fear, and uncertainty. I sympathize with your plight from the bottom of my heart!"

Richard looked down upon the streets haughtily while delivering a passionate speech.

The Lionheart's voice included elements of rapture. It seemed like he was very moved by his own speech.

"I hereby promise you that I shall be the one to liberate you. I shall conquer Suruga without fail and guide all of you to come under the British Empire's protection. When the time comes, I shall send a gift of ten thousand casks of wine to hold a glorious celebration lasting three days and three nights. I welcome all of you to join me in sharing this fine wine of victory!"

Richard raised his fist up high, adding to the climax of the speech.

At that moment, he suddenly lowered his voice and said, "However, I do beg for your understanding regarding one matter. Next, I shall be resting for five days, and once I am rested, the first target to fall to me shall be Nagoya. It is Nagoya where I shall bring an end to the Tōkaidō Fiefdom."

There was a layer of gloom on the passionate Lionheart's expression.

With a face of anguish that befitted a tragic protagonist, he raised his arms and shouted to the people, "Please bear this in mind. I shall conquer Nagoya within ten days then return to Suruga the next day to liberate you. In the mean time, please wait patiently for my second coming. See you again!"

After saying everything he wanted, Richard gently kicked his wyvern's side.

The wyvern flapped its wings and flew east, towards Fuji City. The Escalibor followed.

The crimson British Legion was holding a wooden bucket in its left hand.

While flying, the Legion opened the bucket's lid, dropping thousands of pieces of paper.

The huge amount of paper was scattered all over Suruga City by the wind.

...This was the beginning of "The Attack of Richard I." The crowds at the scene watched in mesmerization, completely forgetting to escape.

In fact, there was a Chevalier on standby near the scene.

"What on earth is that man thinking?"

The four-wheel-drive military vehicle stopped its engine on the road in front of the station.

Castellan Akigase Rikka frowned from the back seat.

The genie at the Suruga tutelary fort, Sakuya, had issued a warning—A single Escalibor was approaching Suruga at high speed. Rikka rushed out as a result.

This was to allow her to destroy the enemy instantly if they engaged in destructive activities violating the Charter of Chivalry.

However, what she ran into was an unexpected speech.

"To be honest... I am not really concerned about the repercussions of that speech," Rikka said solemnly.

It was the next day after Richard I visited Suruga to deliver a speech.

"After all, he promised to rescue the people of the city then talked about resting before attacking Nagoya. Totally disorganized."

November 1st. On this day, Masatsugu excused himself from school and came to a conference room at the Suruga tutelary fort.

Rikka had invited him to join a war council.

"Since he is a reborn hero and a legatus legionis surpassing ordinary Chevaliers, I am reluctant to say anything too harsh—"

After using a term used to honor Resurrectees...

She said it outright.

"I suspect him of being a complete idiot."

"R-Rikka-sama, you are being too direct," said Hatsune, somewhat troubled, who was at the table.

The three Chevaliers, Habuna, Maike, and Tabi, also smiled awkwardly. This war council had gathered all Chevaliers in Suruga to discuss their next step.

Furthermore, the ancient English king's speech had been under yatagarasu surveillance.

Masatsugu and the others had watched the video after noetic processing.

"However, I dare not call him an idiot now. After reading the flyers distributed by Richard I at the end, some of the residents are wavering. Some have even proposed 'it might be better to just lose to the Restoration Alliance'," Rikka analyzed the situation.

Masatsugu was reminded of the flyer's contents.

It stated the facts that Shizuoka Prefecture and Nagoya were about to fall to the Restoration Alliance. Its concluding sentence was the prediction that 'soon, the people of Suruga will come under the protection of the Lionheart of England'...

"Sigh, this cannot be helped either. It is true that we of the Tōkaidō Fiefdom are unable to provide sufficient food to the people of the city. The battle situation is clearly tipped against us."

Rikka admitted candidly and shrugged.

"There is no problem at the moment, but riots might start eventually."

"This Richard I—"

The most noble attendee at this conference suddenly spoke.

All eyes focused on one person, Princess Fujinomiya Shiori of Imperial Japan, who continued, "Undeniably, he is a man who lives life very impulsively. As a fierce knight, he also has an artistic side to him with a love for poetry... Perhaps due to this, he often acts capriciously, changing his mind on whim."

Neither a warrior nor a high-ranking officer, Shiori was also attending this war council.

This was the first step in the shunned princess' "ascension."

The two Chevaliers, Tachibana Masatsugu and Hatsune, were in her personal service, making her currently the Suruga tutelary fort's "most important ally." Furthermore, the princess had already demonstrated her outstanding mystic abilities and insight to these people present. As a result...

'May I attend this war council?'

When Shiori asked tactfully, Rikka did not refuse.

The three young men Chevaliers at the table and the military officers of the tutelary fort also respectfully accepted her.

Having obtained respect befitting her status and ability, the imperial princess explained in a wise tone of voice as always.

"As soon as the militant Richard I was crowned the King of England, he sold off many things to raise funds for war. This included precious possessions, national treasures, castles, territories, noble titles, and townships."

"How could a ruler of a nation act so irresponsibly?" Rikka was aghast.

Shiori nodded and continued, "Yes. Dismissing local officials then forcing them to buy back their posts was a trick that he frequently used. It was said that he almost sold away the capital of London."

"What an irresponsible man..."

"He probably felt no attachment to England. The royal family ruling medieval England were originally nobles from France who crossed the sea to conquer the island of Great Britain."

Masatsugu was very surprised to hear the name of France.

"Richard I's Plantagenet family was high nobility in France, holding lands including the Duchy of Aquitaine, the County of Anjou, and the Duchy of Normandy. England itself was simply one of the Plantagenet dynasty's territories."

The well-learned Shiori spoke fluently.

"The Plantagenets essentially made their residence in France, living as French nobles, only visiting Great Britain when it was necessary for them to wear the identity of 'the English royal family of the Plantagenet dynasty. They almost always used French and never spoke English."

The names of Richard and Edward should be pronounced in French as "Ree-shaar" and "Ay-doo-waar"...

When Shiori added this last bit of trivia, Hatsune remarked poignantly, "It's like running a side business while having a day job."

"A very apt description. Indeed, the Plantagenet family was a great landowner that even surpassed the King of France himself. France was their true stronghold while the King of England was just a part-time job. But after the death of Richard I, his younger brother John Lackland's failures led to losing virtually all of their holdings on the European continent, forcing them to flee to England."

Masatsugu remembered. He had heard an anecdote during history class.

Losing his territory was what earned King John the nickname of "Landless."

"These problems erupted during the generation of Black Prince Edward's father, resulting in the Hundreds' Year War between England and France. In truth, the two royal families at the time were relatives..."

"I see, so that is the personality of King Richard." Rikka sighed.

"Now the problem is... This tyrant was very good at war, personality aside—or rather, that type of personality is probably a factor contributing to his peerless ferocity. Easily employing methods that normal people would not dare to use, he achieved victories through flashy ostentatious shows of brute force."

The Tōkaidō Fiefdom's Chevalier princess said gloomily, "The next time Richard comes to Suruga will be after he has conquered Nagoya, right? Naturally, I have informed my father of his declaration... But will Nagoya be able to hold—The situation is not optimistic."

"Rikka-sama, there are additional points of worry," Shiori shared her views again. "Once Nagoya falls and Tōkaidō is officially extinct, the Restoration Alliance will then have free rein to deploy all Chevaliers to attack Suruga. Confronted with Richard I and multiple Knights of Her Majesty—We will face inevitable defeat."

"Yes, in which case our only options are to retreat or to surrender."

Rikka fell silent, arms crossed before her chest. She was pondering their course of action.

Five minutes later, she still had not said a word, probably because she could not come up with any good ideas. The three young men Chevaliers, Hatsune, and Shiori also had nothing to say.

Under this grave atmosphere, Masatsugu spoke up, "Sure enough, Prince Edward is the impressive one here."

"Onii-sama, our discussion here is about Richard."

"I know, but the reason why that hot-blooded idiot is a nuisance is mainly because Prince Edward's chain is firmly attached to his collar."

"What do you mean?" Hatsune was puzzled.

Masatsugu calmly explained, "Think about it carefully. Why did Richard go out of his way to deliver a speech in Suruga?"

"Uhh... On a whim?"

"Possibly, but according to Her Highness, he is impulsive to the point of irresponsible... A man like that cannot be expected to exercise restraint, right? In fact, I felt he would take the speech as a chance to launch a surprise assault. Especially since he views Suruga as 'special prey,' all the more reason he should do that."

The lion was not the only one who knew how to hunt—

Currently, Masatsugu was also taking a hunter 's perspective to analyze and examine the habits and tendencies of the Lionhearted beast, so as to draw his conclusion.

"Someone persuaded Richard to hold back and he is very unhappy about this. Very frustrated. Hence, that was why he flew all the way to Suruga to deliver a glamorous speech, to vent his displeasure."

Masatsugu shrugged slightly and said, "What a shame. If Richard were to attack Suruga in full force... It would be the best opportunity to defeat him."

"Ehhhh!? No way, that guy's Chevalier Strength is over a thousand, you know!?"

Hatsune was very shocked. No, everyone attending this war council felt the same. On behalf of the group, the Tachibana girl questioned Masatsugu, "Also, his Feat of Arms is powerful, and he is talented at commanding Legions..."

"This simply involves a question of comparison. Richard attacking alone versus facing a large group of Chevaliers in a fierce offensive after Nagoya falls—Which do you think is easier to defeat?"

"Of course facing Richard alone. But even by himself, he's quite formidable, right?"

"On that point... It seems that I'm very good at handling opponents like him."

The little sister warned Masatsugu, prompting him to mutter.

Without raising his voice deliberately, his quiet words conveyed clear confidence.

"Against a man like him, I know a number of effective traps."

"Really, Onii-sama!?" Hatsune leaned forward, her eyes glimmering brightly.

"Th-Then why don't we take the initiative to attack!?"

"That would be difficult. The troops I can currently use won't exceed two or three hundred. If I had to rely on such numbers to engage him... I need to lure him into attacking Suruga aggressively."

Masatsugu shook his head.

"Otherwise, there is no way to lead him into a trap in a natural manner."

Perhaps the Black Prince had also considered the risk of a "hunting trap," which was why he persuaded the lion to "wait."

Edward was truly remarkable. Not only did he skillfully command troops on the battlefield but he also had the capability to control a subordinate who was like a savage beast.

Masatsugu was catching a faint glimpse of the Black Prince's prowess. A formidable foe surpassing Richard.

"We need bait. And this bait needs to lure the impulsive Richard to Suruga before the British forces attack Nagoya. Otherwise, both Suruga and Nagoya will be crushed."

"In that case... I have an idea."

The one who offered—was precisely Shiori.

"This is a dangerous gamble. But since our defeat is sealed unless we go all-in and take the plunge, let us put on an extravagant show of fireworks to attract that man's attention."

With the gazes of every knight focused upon her, Shiori explained her plan methodically.

Her dignified tone of voice was as though she were a nation's leader or military adviser.

### Part 2

In the early hours of October 2nd, at the darkest moment just before dawn...

Fire broke out in Suruga City, the north part of town, near the foot of Mount Ryuusou of the Southern Alps.

This included a central wholesale market and the warehouses of many logistics companies.

The fire started in this neighborhood.

The blaze spread instantly, burning down a number of warehouses.

After firefighting efforts, the warehouses were almost completely wrecked, leaving only steel frames.

The greatest loss was the food stored in these warehouses.

Due to the blockade, ordinary shops had run out of fresh food such as vegetables, meat, and fish a long time ago.

However, non-perishable food such as rice, wheat flour, potatoes, carrots, tubers, and canned food had been requisitioned by the Suruga municipal government beforehand to be managed and distributed to the masses through rationing.

Unfortunately—

The incinerated warehouses were storing ration supplies.

Since vast quantities of food were needed to feed Suruga, transporting it was laborious and time-consuming, which was why the food was stored directly at logistics hubs.

As part of the management system, infantry from the tutelary fort were stationed in the surroundings for security.

However, someone had slipped through the security net and committed arson against what was the Suruga residents' life line.

"Well, supplies are kept all over the city. It's not like that was the only location."

Okonogi Taisei said in a voice lacking in energy.

Masatsugu's best friend was talking to him, staring at the stories in the newspaper.

"The report said... the incinerated food amounted to slightly less than 40% of supplies. This is a very serious situation."

"Suruga cannot rely on relief supplies from outside, after all," Masatsugu agreed with his friend's lament.

"The Restoration Alliance has secured naval superiority in Suruga Bay, blocking sea routes. The railway has stopped running while roads are sealed off. Unless we find a solution soon, surrender is the only option."

"What an ordeal, seriously."

Two days after the fire, the two of them were near Suruga Station.

This was where Richard I had visited three days earlier. After school, Taisei mentioned he wanted to go there and Masatsugu volunteered to accompany him.

Their destination was the Suruga branch office of Tōkaidō News.

Serving as student council vice-president, Taisei also worked part-time at the Suruga branch office of Tōkaidō News.

Today, he was here to read the newspaper that was in limited circulation rather than coming in for work. To save on paper, ink, and other supplies, normal newspapers were not being published currently. But once every few days, a hundred copies were distributed among community centers and libraries for people to read.

Taisei had pleaded with the receptionist and picked up a copy of the newspaper to browse casually.

"If this 'internet' invented by the Americans becomes widespread, we'll be able to read news from our computers at home."

"What is that?"

"I'm not sure of the details, but simply stated... It seems to augment a computer's communication functionality, an information network that links up the whole world. But like the telephone, it's easily affected by noetic disruption, which is why progress has been slow."

"Sounds like something very complicated."

"There are rumors that militaries have constructed similar network systems using noetics."

After reading the newspaper, the two of them left the newspaper office.

Their mode of locomotion was the healthy bicycle. They decided to take a stroll in front of the station instead of heading to the parking lot directly.

"By the way, Masatsugu-kun. If you're not too busy with your knight duties, how about working as a volunteer? Tomorrow morning, the boys at our school are going to the fisherman's association to help bring in nets and catch fish. We'll be rewarded directly with some of the catch. After that, we'll organize a sea fishing tournament that's open to anyone interested. The intention is to catch more fish like girellas or horse mackerels and improve Suruga's food situation."

"The filefish is currently in season. Catching them is pretty fun."

"Also, I'd like to use the gardening club's contacts to help out the farmer's association in exchange for fruit and vegetables."

Their enthusiasm for volunteer work with impure motives was boundless.

Meanwhile, there were substantial crowds in the streets today, a rather rare sight lately. The reason was evidently the "event" that had been held in front of the station.

Men and women, young and old, all kinds of residents.

There were roughly thirty or forty people, even housewives bringing children.

They were passing out flyers to pedestrians in front of the station, hollering "the Suruga tutelary fort needs to hurry and make a decision, to join the Restoration Alliance!" "We don't want to keeping suffering due to war!" "Please give the children enough food!"

They called for signatures for a petition demanding the Suruga tutelary fort's surrender to the Restoration Alliance.

"For the past half a month... Ever since Suruga's blockade, people have been secretly carrying out such activities from time to time."

Watching the disruptive proceedings in disdain, Taisei sighed helplessly.

"It has gotten worse these few days. The city's residents seem to be accepting them with a more favorable view."

People were frequently accepting the flyers from the activists' hands.

People who ignored them turned out to be the minority instead. Some people even gave their signature at the table prepared by the organizers.

"The food burning incident happened recently, so people can't help but feel afraid."

"That was very likely to be arson, right? Rumor has it that the culprits are spies of the Restoration Alliance—"

"That's hard to say. The Restoration Alliance currently wants to leave Suruga alone."

"In that case... Another rumor says those guys are responsible."

Taisei threw a furtive glance at the participants in the "petition signing."

"If the food situation worsens, weighing to decide the lesser of two evils, more and more people will support surrendering. This is their objective—That's what some people say."

"There's no proof, but it's very compelling."

"Right, Masatsugu-kun, aren't you going to suppress these kinds of activities?"

"That's not my job. Besides, similar activities are happening all over the place. Dispersing just this lot isn't meaningful."

"True. Say, it's hard to imagine you saying something so reasonable, Masatsugu-kun, when half a month ago, you were still fixated on the beauty contest."

Taisei nodded and remarked poignantly.

"Nowadays, you really act like a Chevalier. I'm so touched."

"I haven't forgotten the beauty contest, it's just that I currently can't focus on organizing it, which is why you mistakenly thought I'm neglecting it... In truth, I haven't given up on holding the beauty contest in December."

"Uh, I'm pretty sure no one's gonna object even if you give up on it."

Rinzai High's school festival was scheduled to be held in early December.

One of the events was a beauty contest. After expressing his determination as the executive committee member in charge of the contest, Masatsugu changed the subject.

"Let's put that aside. In truth, I actually need to ask you for a favor today."

"Is it related to the beauty contest?"

"Unfortunately, it's not a fun request."

Masatsugu took out a map of Suruga from his schoolbag.

A few circles had been drawn on it, all indicating warehouses involved in logistics. They were where food was kept for rations.

"Please gather twenty to thirty students in the name of the student council and set these marked locations on fire. After that, they will be arrested by either the military or the police and detained for a few days—That's the kind of volunteer I need. Use boarders, otherwise explaining to family will be a hassle."

"Huh?"

His best friend, the student council vice-president, tilted his head, stupefied.

### Part 3

Richard's visit to Suruga had taken place on the last day of October.

It was November 6 today. Over this period, the Lionheart had fully re-energized, prepared to face the next battle.

Tomorrow—He was going to attack Tōkaidō's provincial capital.

Richard was scheduled to set off tomorrow afternoon in a grand departure, heading east to take Nagoya.

The first target was Okazaki Castle, a Japanese castle in Nishimikawa and the birthplace of Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu, featuring ancient Japanese architecture with a central keep and stone walls.

However, like Nijou Castle, its interior had been remodeled.

With Chevaliers and an ifrit stationed, the castle also functioned as a tutelary fort.

After taking Okazaki Castle, only then would one reach the outskirts of Nagoya City. Then penetrating the defensive net formed by the various tutelary forts including Kariya Castle and Kiyosu Castle, one would then march into Nagoya Castle—

Meanwhile, Kinai was also sending Restoration Alliance knights to attack from the west.

The Anglo-Japanese coalition forces consisted of the "crimson knights," a thousand Escalibors advancing from the east, and the "blue samurai" Kamuys advancing from the west in a simultaneous attack on the prey known as "Nagoya."

From the east were the "crimson knights," a thousand Escalibors. From the west were the "blue samurai,"

"What a spectacular scene."

Richard muttered to himself in ecstasy.

However, there was a matter that pained the merciful and compassionate lion king's heart.

...As a Chevalier, collecting intelligence from various places was exceedingly easy. Since Suruga was the prey that Richard would enjoy last, he had informed the intelligence department in advance that he was to be notified of any movements in Suruga immediately.

Hence, Richard learned of a certain piece of news.

"Who would have thought that the people of Suruga desire me so much..."

Recently, Richard had gone to Suruga City to deliver a passionate speech, venting the frustration in his heart.

Apparently, the passionate performance had moved the people's hearts. The city was beginning to look forward to signs of the Lionheart's arrival.

'The Suruga tutelary fort should surrender to the Restoration Alliance as soon as possible.'

Civilians demanding Suruga officials to surrender were setting food warehouses on fire one after another.

Their goal was to protest against the Suruga tutelary fort's futile resistance.

At first, a fire broke out at one place, but the crimes had spread these few days. Another four warehouses had been torched.

The Suruga police was investigating desperately and had apprehended some arson suspects.

...The suspects were all students. Since they were minors, neither their names nor their school affiliations were released.

The next day after they had successfully burned down the second warehouse, the Suruga branch of Tōkaidō News received an anonymous criminal manifesto.

The manifesto was published in the temporary newspaper in the form of a special report.

Spies lurking in Suruga City had copied the contents and transmitted it to the intelligence department. Richard had read it too. There was a sincere declaration that 'Suruga City's future lies with the Restoration Alliance and Chevalier Richard.'

After reading the eloquent and passionate manifesto, Richard was greatly moved.

However, the Suruga tutelary fort's reaction was stupid beyond belief. They suspected these students of 'secretly colluding with the Restoration Alliance to commit the crime of arson'—

The Suruga tutelary fort had handed over official protest letters to the various British forces stationed across Shizuoka.

Their main message was that this intentional destruction of civilian facilities was disgraceful behavior contravening the Charter of Chivalry.

Naturally, the British armed forces denied solemnly. The Suruga tutelary fort refused to be convinced and even declared that they were going to conduct further investigations.

They were planning to interrogate the student arsonists to get at the truth.

"I hope these youngsters will not be subjected to torture... No, one cannot expect much from the foolish and unscrupulous Suruga knights. I truly pity these students."

As an extremely chivalrous knight, Richard's heart was very pained.

Well, putting aside the heavy taxation and tough laws he had imposed upon the people under his rule... After all, the domains and the people living in them were his possessions.

Knights, nobles, and martyrs admiring the Lionheart were different.

"I must find a way to save them personally."

After that, Richard's thoughts began to accelerate in a certain direction.

He was very talented at letting his imagination roam free, to find justification for what he wanted to do. In the process, he would set his heart ablaze by igniting sparks of passion, thus drawing the conclusion he wanted—

"Upon my honor as a knight, I must rescue those students as quickly as possible. This is a matter of life and death."

As a side note...

Richard was currently not wearing his British military officer's uniform.

He was wearing a set of khaki combat attire—in other words, he had disguised himself as a common soldier. In fact, since a long time ago, he had always enjoyed traveling "incognito."

He often disguised himself as a pilgrim or a nameless knight to go traveling.

Right now, he had sneaked into a transport vessel sailing in Suruga Bay for a sea journey.

"Kukukuku. By this point, it is as though all preparations are complete."

The ship was about to enter the port of Tagonoura.

This was the port of Fuji City, the same city the Fuji tutelary fort, which is also the closest tutelary fort to Suruga—

It was currently 15:30 on November 6th.

Richard's plan was to establish a tutelary pact at Fuji's water shrine to make it his stronghold.

He was going to mobilize all of his Chevalier Strength to summon Escalibors to take Suruga. According to his reasoning, he could succeed in one go before the scheduled attack on Nagoya tomorrow.

"Those people sent by Edward to monitor me... Such naivete. Do they really believe that the Lionheart would wait obediently when there is still half a day before the next battle?"

Richard had noticed surveillants in his surroundings recently.

Pretending to be a napping lion, he had been looking for a chance to get these people off his trail.

Masatsugu's usual residence was the boys dorm of Rinzai High.

After becoming a Chevalier, he continued to live in his single room at the dorm.

However, he visited the princess' personal dorm every day and often had his meals there too. Still, it was the residence of Princess Shiori and her lady-in-waiting Hatsune, a ladies' domain, after all.

Normally, he left at 9pm to return to the boys dorm.

"It's time."

On the night of November 6th, around 11pm, Masatsugu left his dorm room.

Dressed in his student uniform, he walked confidently out of the boys dorm and came to the Black Lily Dorm where the princess lived. The two dorms were situated in the same area.

This dorm was a western mansion rich in Rokumeikan style.

Using a key only held by a select few, Masatsugu unlocked the entrance and tiptoed into the dorm.

He was very careful to avoid being seen by others. Finally, he arrived in front of a certain room on the second floor. The door to this room was not locked.

Turning the handle, Masatsugu swiftly entered the room.

"Excuse me."

"I have been waiting for you, Masatsugu-sama."

This was the princess' bedroom.

The room's decor and furniture were simple and elegant without any air of excess.

The well-learned Shiori loved to read but there were no bookshelves in her bedroom. She kept the vast majority of her books in the reading lounge. Consequently, her room was very clean and tidy without the mountains of books that often plagued bibliophiles.

"Hatsune did not see you... right?"

"Don't worry. I don't make mistakes."

It was just before bedtime and the princess was dressed rather casually.

She had untied her usual ponytail to let down her platinum blonde hair and was dressed in just a white yukata.

The two of them were alone in a girl's bedroom in the middle of the night. Furthermore, the other party was a princess of Imperial Japan.

If they were to be discovered, Masatsugu would be condemned in all kinds of ways. However, their secret late night meetings had already gone on for many days.

Indeed, it had started the day they set up bait to lure the Lionheart into their trap.

"It is almost time for Richard to set off for Nagoya."

"Yes, probably tomorrow or the day after."

"However, there is still no news of him coming to Suruga."

Shiori sighed in disappointment.

"We burned our own warehouses in the city and handed protest letters to the British forces, claiming 'the Restoration Alliance recruited youngsters to commit crimes.' We caused a highly controversial case of serial arson with the perpetrators being young male students who went out of control..."

The Rinzai High student culprits were currently detained at the Suruga tutelary fort.

Masatsugu and his group had prepared an 'arrested student organization' in advance to deceive the British spies lurking in the city. Naturally, these students were being hosted as honored guests inside the tutelary fort.

In addition, the fake arson case had only burned a small fraction of food.

The vast majority had been transported away before the fires and remained intact.

"We have prepared all kinds of factors to appeal to the Lionheart's preferences... But unfortunately, we seem to have failed."

The princess who had devised the plan shrugged helplessly.

Masatsugu asked, "Using students on purpose was part of the plan too?"

"Yes, indeed. It is said that the Lionheart was especially kind to young males. There are even some who suspect him of being homo... homosexual."

"Oh?"

More than this unexpected information, Masatsugu was more interested in Shiori herself while she was talking about the Lionheart's sexual preferences.

Her embarrassed look was truly adorable. In any case, the princess continued, "The British ignored our protests, which was expected. And to think I really anticipated Richard to fall for it, but in the end, our efforts were for naught."

"It is still early to say. A man prone to indulging in narcissism like him usually lacks self-control," said Masatsugu quietly.

"The chance of any single trap catching him is definitely not low."

"I would hope so."

"By the way, Princess, it's time we begin tonight."

"I-I understand. Even if the plan fails, it is best to be prepared as a precaution."

Hearing her knight's request, the lady agreed shyly.

She was sitting on her personal bed. Masatsugu took a seat beside her. They were very close together, almost touching.

"So this strategem was inspired by the method I mentioned last time, with a modern spin applied to it?"

"Yes... You are correct. Torturing hostages in front of a castle to taunt angry enemies into rushing out to fight. My guess was that such a method might prove effective against someone like Richard..."

Shiori's voice instantly turned very quiet, because Masatsugu had held her hand.

"Princess."

"P-Please proceed... You may start."

After after repeating the same act over consecutive nights, Shiori was still very nervous.

Her innocent reaction was very endearing. Holding Shiori's hand, Masatsugu pushed her down onto the soft bed, covering her with his body.

"Masatsugu-sama..."

"Still not used to it?"

"No... It is very embarrassing for me. A-And this is my own room—A man and a woman of our age, alone in a room, so lightly dressed, I really..."

Normally eloquent, Shiori was stuttering.

The warmth of the blood coursing through the princess' noble body was the essence of ectoplasmic fluid. To enable Masatsugu to steal ectoplasmic fluid more efficiently, Shiori was wearing just a light yukata on purpose.

Ever since the day of the war council, they had been doing the same thing every night.

This was the reason.

"Sorry, it's my fault for imposing a burden on your health, Princess."

"Pay no mind to it. As your liege, it is only right for me to go through hardship in order to assist my knight—to assist the one who is laying his life on the line for my sake."

For the past half a month, Masatsugu had been obtaining ectoplasmic fluid from Shiori.

However, this ultimately was an act of extracting "something" from blood, the source of life. For the past few days, Shiori had experienced frequent dizzy spells.

Furthermore, her physical strength had clearly declined, causing her to be out of breath especially easily.

Even so, she still insisted on their secret meetings to give her ectoplasmic fluid to Masatsugu.

"M-Masatsugu-sama, please do not keep staring at me..."

"That would be a tall order, Princess. Right now, you are too beautiful."

"Goodness gracious... Here you go again."

Masatsugu was carefully examining the princess pinned under him.

In contrast, Shiori did not dare look Masatsugu in the eye. With her head turned away shyly, she looked so cute and alluring.

When he pushed her down on the bed, the collar of Shiori's yukata had almost opened up.

The princess' willfully maturing bust had almost popped out. The sheltered princess endured her embarrassment and bravely accepted Masatsugu's embrace.

"Masatsugu-sama, please absorb from me as much as you can..."

Shiori finally directed her passionate gaze straight at Masatsugu.

"My grandfather's power within me—Absorb the source of ectoplasmic fluid."

Their faces were in close proximity. Masatsugu could feel her exhalation from her whispers. If he ventured forward slightly, a deep kiss of passion would be easily in reach.

And Shiori was willing too—

Masatsugu could read an air of acceptance from her eyes. However, he did not put this notion into action.

Such behavior should wait until their relationship transitioned into a different form.

Hence, Masatsugu made close contact with Shiori's neck instead, opening his mouth to suck.

"Princess."

"Masatsugu-sama, your face is still so cold..."

"Doesn't matter. The warmth you give me is enough."

"Th-Then feel free to go harder—Mmmm."

The instant Masatsugu kissed her pale neck, forcefully sucking the warmth from her tender skin, Shiori moaned.

Shiori had inherited the blood of the sacred beast Lord Tenryuu. The warmth of her blood was precisely the essence giving rise to ectoplasmic fluid as well as the nourishment needed by Masatsugu, who was unable to resupply the normal way.

The stolen heat flowed into Masatsugu's body and soul, resulting in a feeling of union.

The sensation was making Shiori ecstatic, slowly putting her into a trance.

Oddly enough, today—The princess smiled.

"What is it, Princess?"

"Nothing... I have been quite happy lately."

"Happy?"

"In the past, I felt no affection for my bloodline, but now, the blood I inherited from my grandfather has become your nourishment and energy for battle, Masatsugu-sama... It fills me with an indescribable bliss, apparently bringing fulfillment to my heart."

Saying that, Shiori showed a smile of happiness again.

"Fufufufu, I must be acting a little odd."

Masatsugu smiled too. This princess was really too adorable.

His smile was very natural, not the twitch of the cheek he usually displayed. Interacting with Shiori's deep emotions must have warmed up his heart.

"Princess."

Masatsugu called to Shiori. Usually, she was the heroic lady, intelligent and sharp, but it was during times like these when she was particularly prone to showing her innocent side. One would be hard pressed to find a woman more lovable.

Filled with affection for her, Masatsugu sucked on her neck again. He sucked forcefully, tracing his tongue over her.

"Masatsugu-sama! Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!"

"Princess."

"Masatsugu-sama!"

They called out to each other involuntarily, but this was fine. It was part of deepening their bond.

Shiori was clad in only a light yukata and Masatsugu could feel her body's elevated temperature. Simply lying on the bed, embracing each other, her warmth was spreading to his body.

Shiori's emotions were extremely aroused.

Under Masatsugu's weight, she hugged him tightly too.

Her pale legs were also wrapped firmly around Masatsugu's left leg. Her posture was as though she was embracing Masatsugu with all her heart and soul.

Shiori cried out just like that.

"Ah—Mmmm! Masatsugu-sama... Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

Masatsugu's absorption of the stolen warmth was generating an intimate sense of connection.

This feeling reached a climax and Shiori fainted. Her entire body went limp and Masatsugu inadvertently did something impertinent.

He gently caressed the cheek of the princess who had bravely given her all.

"I-I can't believe the princess and Onii-sama are doing something like that—?"

Outside Princess Shiori's bedroom, Hatsune was shocked.

She had brewed some ginger tea with honey added, thinking of serving it to the princess. Recently, the princess' health had been poor, so she wanted her to sleep well.

The bedroom's door was slightly ajar.

The last person to enter must have failed to close it properly. Hatsune accidentally heard voices coming from the door's gap.

Just as Hatsune was panicking, the princess fainted inside.

However, she could not forget Princess Shiori's final moan before losing consciousness. The impression was too striking.

"W... W-W-What on earth is going on?"

The flustered Hatsune almost barged into the room.

Fortunately, she instantly came to her senses and suppressed her impulse. What kind of excuse would she use to appear in this kind of situation?

However, Hatsune could not ignore the princess' state of health.

After agonizing for a while, Hatsune heard a sound.

Ring. Something like a bell had sounded inside the princess' room.

"A message?"

She also heard her Onii-sama's whispers inside the room.

It was a pipe fox used by Imperial Japan's military for emergency communications. The marmot-like animal had used its teleportation abilities to serve as the princess' messenger.

### Part 4

It was midnight and November 7th had just started.

Just earlier, Hatsune's surrogate older brother, Tachibana Masatsugu, had flown off from the dorm premises, riding a wyvern summoned by Princess Shiori using noetic control.

He had gone to intercept the thousand Escalibors coming from the Fuji tutelary fort.

Tonight, Richard I had finally made his move.

It was a yatagarasu that reported to the Suruga tutelary fort of Richard's advance, in other words, the retainer beast that Shiori had summoned at the Fuji River's shore and left there for reconnaissance.

Hatsune was also prepared for battle but this time, she was staying back on defense duty.

This was the largest enemy army to attack so far, after all. Hatsune was still a novice Chevalier and could very likely get in Masatsugu's way. Hatsune was filled with mixed feelings including relief and disappointment.

"Princess, the car will be at the dorm soon. Please wait a moment!"

"Mm-hmm..."

Helping her exhausted lady, Hatsune spoke gentle words.

They had just left the entrance of princess' private quarters, Black Lily Dorm. Shiori had changed out of the yukata she wore for bed and into a clean blouse and skirt. Her platinum blonde hair had also been tied in a ponytail with a ribbon by Hatsune.

They were about to head to the Suruga tutelary fort to be present at the command center for the interception operation.

However, Shiori was truly exhausted tonight. Unable to stand on her own, she had to lean on Hatsune for support.

Her face was pale and her breathing was heavy. The symptoms resembled anemia.

"Uh, Princess, do you have a fever... Or did you do something to overexhaust yourself?"

Hatsune was going to ask if she had a fever but changed her question midway.

She could not forget the intimate act between Shiori and Masatsugu that she had secretly witnessed before news of Richard's attack arrived. Back then, Hatsune had sensed something resembling mystic power between the two of them...

The princess gave an unexpected answer.

"I have mentioned before that Masatsugu-sama cannot replenish his ectoplasmic fluid the normal way. However, he is able to use a Feat of Arms to steal ectoplasmic fluid from either a Chevalier or a princess of a sacred beast's bloodline. I have been providing it to him every day..."

"Eh!?"

"Perhaps I am reaching the limit of my physical stamina..."

"P-Princess, there is nothing more important than your health. Why must you go so far!?"

Hatsune expressed her concern in surprise but the imperial princess shook her head with dignity.

"As a leader, I must commit everything in my ability to help my retainer to draw out the full extent of his power. Besides, Masatsugu-sama also—"

Shiori smiled gently for a moment.

"Fufu, he said he was willing to offer his life to me, so I must respond to him with commensurate resolve. If the blood that flows through me is truly noble, then all the more reason for me to do so..."

"Princess..."

The princess expressed utmost resolve and actually committed ideals to action.

In this regard, Hatsune's surrogate brother—the Resurrectee whose true identity was unknown—Tachibana Masatsugu, was the same. He had protected the princess many times and kept Suruga safe. Using his wit, vigor, and life as weapons, he had compensated for the limited number of Legions at his disposal.

Determination took root in Hatsune's heart.

Riding a blue wyvern, Tachibana Masatsugu was flying alone through the sky over Suruga City.

He was accompanied by an army without humans.

This army consisted of the red-purple Kamuy Legions known as the "Kanesadas," numbering 360—

Masatsugu had converted all of the ectoplasmic fluid granted by Princess Shiori into winged giant soldiers. The Legions were surrounding Masatsugu in a packed spherical formation.

Flying at a speed of fifty to sixty kilometers per hour, this would be considered marching speed.

Maintaining this sort of low-speed flight required almost no consumption of ectoplasmic fluid on the Legions' part.

"...Riding a wyvern isn't bad at all."

A wyvern's body was roughly twice the size of a racehorse.

Masatsugu was riding the wyvern's massive body on a saddle with his feet planted in the stirrups and reins tightly in his hand.

Frequently "riding horses" in his past life, Masatsugu was very accustomed to this style. This was something he realized during the retreat from Fuji City.

Of course, retainer beasts were born to serve humans and quite intelligent.

They flew steadily and even amateur riders need not worry about falling off. Furthermore, it only took minimal directions for them to understand the rider's intent, unlike horses that required experienced equestrian skill.

In any case, Masatsugu's army flew along Suruga Bay's coast.

When he reached the mountain road that crossed Suruga City, he discovered the enemy in the sky over Satsuta Ridge.

The British army of red was approaching from the Fuji direction.

The other side was not flying fast either. The approaching army of elite troops was precisely the crimson Escalibors.

"Exactly a thousand... Outnumbering my army three to one. Looks like the enemy isn't holding back anything in the attack."

Chevaliers were able to instantly count each other's armies by sensing their noesis.

Looking at the thousand Escalibors, Masatsugu muttered to himself.

The red army was also in a spherical formation. Both sides were using the same formation. In a frontal clash between 1000 versus 360, the battle would be settled in a matter of minutes.

The side with superior numbers would have greater firepower from their rifles.

Moreover, closely packed Legions would generate protective barriers whose particles overlapped, increasing defensive power.

The two armies were some distance apart. At this rate, they would soon get into range for a shootout. Masatsugu issued a command before that.

"Scatter."

Instantly, the 360 Kanesadas broke out of their packed formation.

Masatsugu's Legions had flown in a packed formation within arm's length of one another.

Now, the formation collapsed and all Kanesadas scattered .

They distanced themselves from each other all at once, separated by over dozens of meters.

The Kanesadas approached the thousand Escalibors while scattered. Hence, the British and the Japanese forces clashed in the sky over Mount Satsuta.

The thousand British knights were in a packed sphere—

Looking from afar, they seemed like a "giant crimson ball" floating in the air.

Richard's army of Escalibors stopped over Mount Satsuta, hovering motionlessly. This was like how a great yokozuna would confidently take on a weaker sumo wrestler.

Naturally, the Suruga side did not have the luxury of doing the same.

After scattering, Masatsugu's 360 Legions became "a loose collection of red-purple flying dots." They attacked the crimson sphere from all directions.

"Begin to fire. Harass them like annoying mosquitoes." Masatsugu ordered while staying back as the commander on his wyvern mount.

Both the British and the Japanese troops began to exchange rifle fire.

From every Legion's muzzle, scorching beams were fired incessantly.

The Suruga side's shots were ineffective against the solid protective barrier of the thousand Escalibor's packed formation. Moving around haphazardly nearby, the Kanesadas attacked, firing rifle shots like insect stings.

Even ten thousand stings could not harm the sphere's iron defense.

Needless to say, the 360 "red-purple mosquitoes" swarming the "giant crimson ball" were shot down one after another.

Masatsugu smiled, unconcerned about the unfavorable situation.

After all, maintaining a packed formation to exchange fire would result in rapid annihilation at the enemy's hands.

"Let's start saying hello the Hijikata Toshizō—Shinsengumi—way."

Shooting down the scattered Kanesadas meant spreading gunfire over a wide area.

In other words, the density of gunfire would decrease.

Of course, Legions were capable of firing their rifles at a rate of ten shots per second, so charging against this curtain of death would inevitably lead to casualties.

However, using this Feat of Arms would slightly lengthen their survival duration.

"All men draw your swords. Time for you to enter the stage."

Riding his wyvern, Masatsugu was wearing an officer's black jacket over his student uniform.

The sheathed Japanese sword hanging on his belt was his personal blade, Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada. With his left hand on the sword's hilt, he invoked the Feat of Arms—Gankouken.

The red-purple Kanesada Legions' weapons all turned into Hijikata Toshizō's famous sword.

Guarding their center line, the Kanesadas raised their swords to use as defensive shields. This was the tactic they had used to counter the Garter Knights' longbow formation.

"Compared to the arrows of the Garter Knights... Mere rifle fire is nothing but child's play."

The Kanesadas started to use swordsmanship in response to Masatsugu's expectations.

The Escalibors' flashing rain of light was sweeping over all directions. The Kanesadas blocked the approaching beams with deft moves of the sword by slight twists of the wrist.

Among them, some Kanesadas dodged the shots directly.

With a slight turn of their upper torso, they dodged the deadly attacks.

This level of eyesight was truly a godly feat. Sensing bloodlust beforehand to evade gunfire—Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada had empowered the Legions to reenact an experienced Chevalier's skillful techniques.

The Kanesadas were no longer "red-purple mosquitoes."

Instead, they were a team of master swordsmen sent to suppress the British army's packed formation from all directions.

...Naturally, superb swordsmanship alone was not enough to overcome the unfavorable numerical odds of three to one. All the enemy had to do was focus fire, giving up the scattered offensive in all directions, and even Hijikata Toshizō's swordsmanship would find it difficult to resist.

However, swordsmanship was ultimately one of the few advantages on the Suruga side.

The current priority was to make full use of this advantage to buy time. To approach the enemy all at once, to provoke that man's zeal and lure him into going "all-out"—

Just as Masatsugu was preparing to put his plan into motion...

"What—?"

Tachibana Masatsugu, usually calm and composed, widened his eyes in surprise.

For better or worse, the Lionheart was prone to whims of fancy and this time was no exception.

"Oh? So that is the legendary tachi of the samurai... What dazzling luster and strength, a match for my Escalibor, the sword of King Arthur."

Richard was riding a white wyvern.

The white wyvern was located in the center of the spherical formation of the thousand Escalibors.

"Hohohoho. So the villain of Suruga turns out to be a man who entrusts his ideals to the sword too?"

It was rumored that one of the Chevaliers defending Suruga could be a Resurrectee.

Instead of turtling inside the tutelary fort, the enemy had actively gone out to fight a skirmish.

Presumably, he must have made the call that there was no advantage in fighting Richard in a siege battle. Or perhaps, he was simply a man who enjoyed fighting out on the field. In any case, he was unlike Richard's past opponents.

"Excellent, now this is a worthy opponent for a knight. My army, respond properly to the enemy's spirit!"

Richard had changed out of the combat attire of common soldiers.

Once again, he was wearing an officer's black uniform along with his crimson cape. Seated on the saddle of his wyvern, Richard drew the sword hanging at his waist.

"Stop shooting, my knights! Brandish the royal sword to fight!"

All Escalibors obeyed their master's command and stopped firing.

The roughly three hundred red-purple Legions were scattered around Richard's spherical formation, fighting with drawn swords.

"Scatter yourselves too. Break formation and fight in melee at your own discretion."

Medieval Europe was where Richard the king and knight had roamed the battlefield.

Back then, the aristocracy shunned projectiles, condemning them as "cruel weapons." The reason was because such weapons would cause unnecessary casualties. Using bows, even nameless commoners were able to kill fierce knights.

However, Richard did not hate projectile weapons.

Projectiles were able to end battles swiftly and the straightforward Lionheart liked this aspect. On the medieval battlefield, he too had actively deployed crossbows.

His collateral descendant Edward's Feat of Arms involving bows and arrows was perhaps a continuation of his legacy.

That being said, the Lionheart's true preference lay in the sword, the horse, and the lance swung on horseback.

"Cut down the samurai's swords and the men of Suruga, Escalibors!"

Escalibor was the magic sword appearing in King Arthur's legends and Richard had named his personal sword after it.

Escalibor was cognate to the English name "Excalibur." Richard the Lionheart was enamored with the knightly ideal in King Arthur's legends.

"So the other side has broken out of formation too?"

Masatsugu muttered with a frown.

Both armies were clashing in the sky over Mount Satsuta. Masatsugu had led 360 Legions while Richard's Escalibors numbered 1000 and had formed in a packed formation.

Normally speaking, the key to victory lay in "how to make the enemy's formation collapse."

But this time, Richard had discarded the packed formation on his own initiative. Unencumbered by a formation, the thousand British legions attacked the Kanesadas freely.

"Impulsive... Yet his instincts are rather sharp. What a troublesome move he made."

Seeing the two armies locked in a chaotic skirmish, Masatsugu clicked his tongue.

Melee combat could be seen everywhere in the sky over Mount Satsuta.

Instead of firing their rifles, the Escalibors were using the bayonets on the front end of the barrel to exchange blows with Japanese swords, determined to pierce their enemies with deadly blades.

The Kanesadas still held the advantage in melee combat.

Brandishing their renowned blades, they exhibited the swordsmanship of Hijikata Toshizō and the Shinsengumi again and again.

For example, they used the flat seigan stance to execute mid-level slashes, severing the British Legions' rifles; or blocking the enemy's slash then following through with a slice through their crimson abdomen; or entering a low stance, luring the British knights to attack, then slicing through the enemy's jaw and face from below—

All kinds of amazing sword moves demonstrated that samurai pride was intact.

In contrast, the Escalibors had no such skill with the sword. However, they were physically two sizes bigger than the Kanesadas and had overwhelming strength.

The British knights were coarse in their use of blades, but plenty fast and effective.

They used light thrusts in fencing style, trying to overwhelm their opponents with speed. The instant their weapons clashed, they switched to using their bodies to smash into the Kanesadas. No matter how difficult Tennen Rishin Style swordsmanship was to handle, they did not give up on finding momentary openings to slash the bodies and armor of the Kanesadas—

...The Kanesadas were faster at slaughtering enemies.

However, the Escalibors were not much worse. Besides, they still had a numerical advantage of three to one.

As the melee battle persisted, the Lionheart's army was clearly going to win.

"If he held the formation and fought me slow and steadily, I could still engage using all kinds of little tricks..."

Masatsugu shrugged.

During a skirmish, what mattered was the strength of individual soldiers and numbers .

Richard I had unintentionally avoided troublesome calculations and instinctively chosen the battlefield's golden truth of "winning through simple brute force."

This was the cleanest tactic towards victory, giving the enemy no room for tricks and guile.

"Impressive as always, the Lionheart. Even if he is a rash fool... No, precisely because he is a big fool who is super rash, that's why he is especially difficult to handle."

Richard I was probably a "war genius."

Masatsugu was very impressed. The Lionheart had found the method to victory through instinct and personality, overcoming theory and established tactics in the process. If someone like that was not a genius, who would be a genius?

"Compared to him, I'm just a dog at most."

Leaving the chaotic battlefield, Masatsugu surveyed the entire battlefield.

He had his wyvern rise to a higher altitude for him to overlook the two armies locked in battle. The crimson British knights and the red-purple samurai were producing a clamor of clashing blades and scorching wind pressure.

The armor of Legions cracked open from time to time with a splatter of blue ectoplasmic fluid.

Masatsugu found his target.

In the middle of the chaotic battle, the Lionheart was roaming the battlefield with his wyvern—

The enemy general was located. Chevaliers were able to experience what their Legions saw and heard. A Kanesada that had witnessed Richard informed Masatsugu of the precise coordinates.

"...Dogs have their own way of fighting. Let's go."

Masatsugu patted his blue wyvern's neck, ordering it to charge.

He was going to charge into the carnage for a "one-on-one duel of valor."

Of course, the enemy was the fierce Richard I. Masatsugu's cheek twitched to smile proudly. The duel that was coming up next had nothing to do with chivalry or samurai spirit.

Masatsugu decided to make effective use of his most prided tactics from the ancient past.

If one were to describe Masatsugu as a dog, then he would definitely be a "hound."

The blue wyvern gradually accelerated, its altitude decreasing. It was charging towards a corner of the battlefield where King Richard was.

It was finally time to hunt the lion.

### 042. Chapter 6 - Battle between Lion and Hound (2)

## Chapter 6 - Battle between Lion and Hound

### Part 1

Legions were normally described as "winged giant soldiers."

However, they did not have true wings. Instead, they simply had "wing-like decorations" on their backs. Some Legions even lacked such decorations.

Consequently, their ability to fly had nothing to do with wings.

They simply hovered in the air, producing thrust from their bodies. Furthermore, there was a secret hidden under their feet. Their soles were capable of producing buoyancy, allowing them to use the atmosphere as a foothold, stepping on air as though it were mother earth herself.

This was why Legions were able to use swordsmanship, unarmed combat, and other martial arts in the air.

After all, these were all skills that were designed and trained with the ground in mind.

(Well, carrying out a melee battle in the air does have the drawback of having "a huge consumption of ectoplasmic fluid.")

And currently—

The two armies were in the sky over Mount Satsuta, exhibiting their respective martial arts.

Charging into the chaotic battle, Tachibana Masatsugu finally arrived before that man. Masatsugu was riding a blue wyvern of Imperial Japan while the other party was on a white wyvern of Britain.

"Wow!"

The man widened his eyes in surprise on this first encounter.

King Richard I, the Lionheart. He was the general leading a thousand Escalibors.

"I see—so this is your objective?"

"What do you mean?"

"Please, do not play dumb. You wish to have a duel with me, because winning would instantly overturn the disparity in numbers... You are an admirable samurai, good sir."

With burning eyes of fervor, Richard spoke with ecstasy in his voice.

"I am quite moved. Never did I expect in this Far East island nation to encounter a knight well-versed in the aesthetics of the duel."

"Not at all. I'm not worthy of your praise."

A somewhat crude term occurred to Masatsugu. The so-called "game brain."

Applied to Richard I, it would be the chivalry romanticism brain, perhaps? His thoughts were simplistic and he liked to interpret everything through the lens of dramatic chivalry, just as Masatsugu suspected.

'The vast majority of his behavior undoubtedly consisted of unruly whims—'

Shiori had told Masatsugu that a certain historian had made such a comment on the Lionheart.

Were someone like him not a "war genius," it would have been trivially easy for Masatsugu to win.

Meanwhile, unaware of Masatsugu's thoughts, the Lionheart said, "You must recognize my name, don't you? Samurai, introduce yourself."

"Tachibana Masatsugu."

"Acknowledged. Tachibana, huh? In that case, let us begin."

Richard raised the sword he had been using like a marshal's baton and pointed its tip at Masatsugu.

Masatsugu quietly nodded and likewise drew Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada. The two of them prepared to duel quickly and efficiently.

Indeed, a duel did not need words.

Disregarding the differences between a Japanese sword and a one-handed western sword, they were both using swords as weapons.

Both weapons were comparable in length, neither projectiles nor lances, meaning that they had to fight in close quarters...

The two of them gently kicked their wyvern's belly at the same time.

The two wyverns flapped their wings and slowly flew forward.

Their distance gradually shrank. Initially five meters... four meters, three, two, one... Finally, the blue and white wyverns were about to brush past each other.

Incidentally, both Masatsugu and Richard were wielding their swords right-handed.

Swinging their right arms at close range, their deadly blades were about to strike their opponent—In the next instant...

"Hah!"

"!"

Richard gave a mighty shout while Masatsugu remained silent.

An exchange of blows. Both riders were holding the reins in their left hand, thus leaving only their right hand available for battle. The renowned katana and the western sword collided with a mighty clang, producing a shower of sparks.

"Lionheart, you have a fine sword there."

"Hohohoho, the samurai's katana is not the only celebrated sword."

Masatsugu offered concise praise and Richard responded proudly.

When ordinary swords clashed with Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada, their blades would end up severed as easily as bean curd. However, King Richard's sword had managed to block the Japanese blade.

He was probably using some kind of heirloom sword treasured by the English royal family.

The two of them exchanged another four or five blows at once.

A battle of offense and defense where both sides blocked with their sword while trying to slash the opponent using their prided blades.

The sound of blades clashing was as rhythmic as musical instruments.

Only first-rate swordsmen were capable of producing such a melody of the battlefield.

Furthermore, their wyverns were no slouches either. They glared at each other with savage demeanors, striking violently with their flapping wings. The wyverns were also pushing tightly against each other in a contest of strength like a sumo wrestling match.

...Suddenly, Richard's wyvern kicked with its right leg.

This kick fell near the waist area and Masatsugu's wyvern backed away.

The two wyverns became separated by four or five meters, interrupting the sword match. There was no way to slash each other no matter how far they stretched their arms.

"Another go?" Just as Masatsugu muttered to himself, a palm-size retainer beast appeared on his shoulder.

The messenger pipe fox had teleported here. Preparations were evidently in order. There was no more need to stall for time.

The next step was to see how much of a blaze he could light up in Richard's heart. Seeing the pipe fox scurry into his chest pocket, Masatsugu nodded to himself.

In contrast, due to the separation interrupting the fight, the Lionheart said with exasperation, "Hmph. If only I could fly on my own."

Richard grinned fearlessly while expressing his dissatisfaction.

This could not be helped. Unlike Legions, Resurrectees like Masatsugu and Richard did not have the ability to fly and could only fight by riding wyverns—Logically, that should be the case.

"What the hell!?"

However, Richard's next step surprised Masatsugu.

Noesis suddenly gathered around Richard's left arm, shimmering like a mirage, and turned into a gigantic left arm . It was clearly an Escalibor's arm.

Raising his left arm, which had turned into a Legion's gigantic arm just like that, the Lionheart made a fist and attacked—

A left straight. A crimson fist of steel was heading straight for Masatsugu!

"You are wide open, Tachibana!"

"...Kanesada!"

Masatsugu hastily called the name of his Legion.

He subconsciously raised his left hand, believing that his palm would be able to stop a winged giant soldier's left straight.

Next—A giant arm also flew out from Masatsugu's palm.

It was a red-purple Legion's, a Kanesada's left arm. This arm opened its palm and firmly caught the Escalibor's deadly punch.

"I see now."

Seeing the amazing feat his left arm had accomplished, Masatsugu understood.

The first time when he saved Princess Shiori at the Suruga tutelary fort, he had stopped a falling Kamuy using his body of flesh directly, even pushing the Kamuy's heavy body away. Just as he was doing now, he had summoned a Legion into his body and used its strength to achieve that superhuman feat.

"This is a move... that virtually all modern Chevaliers are incapable of," Richard grinned.

Upon closer examination, one could see "phantoms" of Legions behind the two knights and their wyvern mounts.

The hazy outlines of two winged giant soldiers were shimmering unsteadily like mirages. The red British knight Escalibor attacked with a thrust of its fist while the red-purple samurai Kanesada raised a palm to block—

These figures had manifested after Richard and Masatsugu had merged themselves with their own Legion.

"Tachibana, sure enough... you are the same as I?"

"Sorry, I can't answer you."

"Then I shall ask you again after I seize victory, assuming you survive!"

Then the "phantom giants" disappeared.

The reckless skill of summoning a Legion within oneself was a heavy burden on one's body. It was not supposed to be used for long periods unnecessarily.

The two wyverns came close together again to put on another show of sword against katana.

However... This was not Masatsugu's ultimate goal.

As expected, Richard was an excellent fighter.

At this rate, the smaller Kanesada army would be wiped out before the duel finished.

Hence, Masatsugu allowed Richard's sweeping blow to strike him on purpose .

Richard's sword sliced open Masatsugu's right flank with a splatter of blood. The wound was not shallow either.

"Guh—!"

"Kukukuku. So this is the extent of the renowned swordsmanship of the samurai!?"

"...Retreat. Move up as much as possible to avoid getting caught ."

In contrast to Richard's gloating triumph, Masatsugu quietly issued orders.

The blue wyvern flapped its wings and backed away before rising rapidly, speeding up to flee the scene.

Masatsugu gently touched the chest pocket of his school uniform.

"Discard your notions of fleeing. Fight me to the bitter end!"

Richard yelled in delight.

He was utterly consumed by the desire to pursue Masatsugu. In the next second, it was the Lionheart's turn to be alarmed.

"What!?"

Gunfire from the ground was attacking the Escalibors and the Kanesadas that were locked in an aerial battle.

In fact, Masatsugu's army were not the only Legions that had sortied from the Suruga tutelary fort.

The three Chevaliers, Habuna, Maike, and Tabi, had also headed out to the suburbs.

Each of their Chevalier Strength was around fifty and they had summoned 150 Kamuys... Moving their forces extremely stealthily.

They did not fly in the sky over Suruga like Tachibana Masatsugu had done to draw the enemy's attention.

The trio had secretly summoned Legions at the military zone facing Suruga Bay. Under the night sky, all hundred and fifty Legions marched underwater without emerging from the sea surface. The army lurked in the shallows by the coast near the spot where Masatsugu's Kanesadas had intercepted the British army.

Naturally, they had avoided flying in the air to prevent Richard from discovering them.

This tactic was decided right from the start. They were going to head out separately from the Kanesadas, moving either through the sea or at extremely low altitudes. Then while Masatsugu was stalling for time, they would get into formation as quickly as possible...

The battlefield where two Resurrectees clashed was the sky over Mount Satsuta.

The three Chevalier's 150 Kamuys were set up in the hills of Mount Satsuta.

The goal was to deliver the first devastating blow to King Richard's army of one thousand, while helping Tachibana Masatsugu to escape as well.

"Gather together, my knights! Enter formation again!"

While Richard yelled, a number of crimson Legions were shot down again.

While Masatsugu was playing the part of a duel between generals, a volley of rifle fire emerged from the ridgeline of Mount Satsuta below.

The three Chevaliers rescued from Fuji City had entered the battle with the 150 Kamuys under their command.

Their entire army was firing from the ground at the Escalibors and Kanesadas that were locked in an aerial battle, killing them one after another. Protective barriers were having virtually no effect.

"It was worth it for me to act as bait," Masatsugu muttered while enduring the sharp pain from his flank.

The Kanesadas and the Escalibors had broken out of their packed formations to engage in a chaotic skirmish. Protective barriers were ineffective unless Legions were clustered together with friendly forces.

Under such circumstances, the thousand Legions on the British side suffered heavier losses.

There were only 360 Kamuys while the Escalibors were roughly thrice as numerous. The chances of indiscriminate gunfire hitting an Escalibor was naturally higher.

"Not quite the same as planned... But it's a good result."

Until now, Masatsugu had been doing everything he could to draw Richard's attention, thus buying plenty of time.

Playing to Richard's preferences, Masatsugu had ordered his army to draw their swords and charge the enemy, and he even played the part for a duel between generals. Naturally, the romanticism of chivalry was not his goal.

Everything was done in order to set up an ambush on the ground and lure the fierce lion into a trap.

Originally, he wanted to charge into melee when the back or the side of Richard's army presented an opening. However, that would be too much of a luxury.

Confronted with unexpected anti-air fire, the Escalibors entered a packed formation again.

The sphere finally took form. The white particles of the protective barrier glowed brightly, blocking the flashing rain of light being fired from the ground.

Seeing the British army regrouped in their defensive formation, the Legions on Mount Satsuta stopped firing en masse.

Currently, the red British Legions were down to 812 in number.

"Roughly two hundred eliminated..."

This was achieved only through the Kanesadas drawing their swords to engage the Escalibors, followed by the barrage of anti-air fire just now.

Conversely, the Kanesadas led by Masatsugu were down to 203. Of the original 360, almost half had been killed in the fighting earlier. This was the limit to what could be achieved through direct confrontational tactics.

"All units retreat. Defend me with everything you've got."

Masatsugu issued his command quietly and glanced at his wound.

The slice was not deep enough to reach internal organs, but the blood loss persisted. There were also intermittent pangs of pain. He needed first aid as quickly as possible.

The problem was that he had no time to be treated, so all he could do was ignore the wound.

In front of the injured commander, the remaining 203 Kanesadas withdrew from the sky over Mount Satsuta. Riding his wyvern, Masatsugu followed them.

In any case, they needed to do everything they could to escape to the sea—In other words, towards Suruga Bay.

The second phase of the hunt was about to begin.

### Part 2

"Receiving such a severe wound... Looks like Onii-sama must be in a lot of pain."

Hatsune whispered anxiously.

She was currently at the nation-protecting keep in the heart of the Suruga tutelary fort. The nation-protecting keep was a forty-meter tall building of red brick. A round disk at the top was not a clock but a gigantic fengshui wheel.

Hatsune had accompanied Princess Shiori to the keep's ground floor hall.

Reconnaissance was mainly conducted by retainer beasts such as yatagarasus, Mibu wolves, and wyverns. The intelligence they gathered was collated here to serve as the basis for analysis and making judgment calls.

Inside the keep were many soldiers in charge of this as well as noetic officers.

What the retainer beasts observed on the battlefield was converted into video through noetic control and replayed at various locations in the hall. Now that she had become a Chevalier, Hatsune was entitled to ask the soldiers to report or explain information to her.

However, seeing everyone so busy, she felt uncomfortable adding to their workload as a newbie.

Fully mobilizing her eyes, ears, and brain, she sought to grasp the situation. In fact, she had already gained a holistic understanding.

...Tachibana Masatsugu was on the move with 203 Kanesadas, heading to the waters of Suruga Bay.

...The 150 Kamuys entrenched in Mount Satsuta were attacking the British army to support the Kanesadas' retreat.

...Leading 812 Escalibors, Richard the Lionheart had sent 200 to land on Mount Satsuta and attack the three Chevaliers' Kamuys, meanwhile leading the remaining 612 to continue the pursuit—

"Onii-sama's retreating army only has about two hundred while the pursuing Richard has six hundred. He's still outnumbered by three to one..."

Also, Masatsugu's target was Suruga.

He had decided in advance that regardless of the path taken, his final destination was the Suruga tutelary fort.

Akigase Rikka was also ready for battle to coordinate with his arrival.

Princess Shiori had summoned the genie Sakuya and carefully explained their battle plan.

"That is all. Is there anything you don't understand?"

"No... problem, Princess, Your Highness."

The princess was sitting in a chair. Her physical condition was still poor.

Dressed as a shrine maiden, a young girl was in front of Shiori. Featuring bangs cut uniformly at eyebrow height, eight or nine years old in appearance, she was the genie Sakuya's image.

The intangible image avoided making eye contact with Shiori.

"I am about to leave the nation-protecting keep. Send a pipe fox to ask me if you encounter any difficult decisions, and I will send you instant instructions."

"Understood... Please leave it, to me," Sakuya mustered a quiet voice to answer.

She looked quite adorable but compared to Britain's Morgan le Fay, she was far too unreliable. However, what truly surprised Hatsune was what the princess had said.

"Princess, you're leaving? Where to!?"

"I need to find Masatsugu-sama. He will be returning to Suruga soon. See me off, will you?"

"Yes ma'am."

Hatsune supported Shiori, who was unsteady on her feet, and they walked out of the nation-protecting keep.

Now that they were out of the genie's earshot, Hatsune voiced what she suspected.

"Onii-sama deliberately intercepted Richard away from the tutelary fort... Princess, it's because Sakuya isn't very reliable, right?"

Martial prowess alone was not enough to make a fine Chevalier.

Hatsune needed to learn tactics, strategic vision, and methods to handle troops as quickly as possible in order to become a full-fledged Chevalier. This was why she had shared her own deductions.

"That is one of the reasons, but according to my guess..." Shiori gave an unexpected answer. "It seems that Masatsugu-sama does not like to fight on either side of siege battles."

"Huh? But didn't he succeed in defending the Suruga tutelary fort last, and at Fuji City, he was also the one who suggested a raid on the enemy fort?"

The clever princess shook her head in disagreement with Hatsune's rebuttal.

"Being able to accomplish it and liking it are separate matters... Besides, in the case of sieges... He ought to have plenty of experience."

"Onii-sama mentioned this!?"

"No, it is simply imagination on my part."

"...Princess, don't tell me you've already guessed Onii-sama's identity?"

Shiori's confident tone did not sound like simple imagination.

Hatsune asked in doubt but Shiori simply smiled ambiguously and said, "I admit that a number of ideas have occurred to me, but I have neither concrete evidence nor a certain name. I will observe for while longer before I share my thoughts with you."

While they were chatting, a gigantic white wolf came over to them.

This was a Mibu wolf that Shiori had summoned using noetic control. The massive retainer beast, as large as a horse, lay down on the ground on its own initiative.

The princess was about to straddle the wolf but her footing was unsteady.

Shiori lurched, almost falling over backwards. Hatsune hastily caught her. Looking at the face of the lady she served, she noticed the princess' pallor and abnormally hot body temperature.

Shiori was suffering from a serious fever. As her personal lady-in-waiting and knight, Hatsune made a call.

"Princess, you need to stop overexerting yourself!"

"Nonsense, this is my own decision to make..."

"No, it's the doctor's decision. And in the absence of a doctor, I'm making the decision."

"N-No, I must hurry to assist Masatsugu-sama—"

"Don't worry! I know everything about what needs to be done to help Onii-sama!"

"Eh—?"

"Rest properly and leave it all to me, Princess!"

Stopping the surprised princess, Hatsune mounted the Mibu wolf's back instead.

She patted the wolf's white neck and it immediately stood up. Her orders were very simple.

"Find Onii-sama... Tachibana Masatsugu's scent and take me there. Princess, I'll be right back!"

"H-Hold on a moment. You know everything? No way!?"

Shiori collapsed and sat on the ground. Her physical strength had reached its limit.

Then mounted on a Mibu wolf, Hatsune rode gallantly to the battlefield.

When Legions flew at top speed to charge into enemy ranks—

They almost never fired their guns. When devoting all ectoplasmic fluid to an all-out charging attack, they used the impact to stab their bayonets into the enemies' bodies.

This was the kind of charge that Richard the Lionheart had revealed at Fuji City.

The impact of a full-powered charge was astounding, capable of inflicting critical damage upon the enemy army in one strike.

This tactic recreated the "cavalry charge" of ancient battlefields.

There are some who say that the cavalry charge was a masterpiece of the battlefield.

Masatsugu had no objections to that. Indeed, it was undoubtedly a very troublesome tactic.

Heavy knights or riders equipped with armor and chain mail, riding galloping warhorses to charge into enemy ranks, stabbing with the tips of their lances during the clash.

...When a horse was galloping, its speed, momentum, and weight were all added to the power of the charging attack.

The thrusting lance could easily pierce enemy soldiers. It was also impossible for the human body to withstand the trampling from a charging horse. Most terrifying of all, this type of charge was conducted by a great force of numbers, tens, hundreds, or thousands at once.

Struck by a cavalry charge, any army would suffer substantial casualties.

Throughout the ancient and medieval ages, heavy cavalry was equal in value to the "tank of recent modern invention"—

Although this was a common view, there was a caveat. The cavalry charge was also a tactic that was difficult to use correctly.

As living creatures, horses were unable to maintain a full gallop for long periods of time. They would tire quickly.

The first priority was to conserve the horses' strength and use it at the appropriate moment. Moreover, any obstacles preventing a straight path would also cause a charge to end in failure.

Besides, horses were exorbitantly expensive and costly to feed. Keeping horses was a laborious affair.

However, once all these difficulties were surmounted to successfully execute a cavalry charge—Its power was unparalleled.

When cavalry charged into the heart of enemy's ranks at a critical moment to defeat the enemy general and the main force, all that remained would be a disorderly mob.

Even against an enemy several times one's own numbers, it was easy to take care of the scattered rabble.

The ancient king of Macedon and pioneering genius of war, Alexander the Great, was also quite accomplished in such tactics...

"No wonder a guy like Richard loves to use it so much," remarked Masatsugu satirically.

After injuring his right flank, Masatsugu first headed south, in other words, towards Suruga Bay. The battlefield of Mount Satsuta was next to the sea and Masatsugu soon arrived over the water surface.

He was currently riding a wyvern, flying over the ocean at night.

The remaining 203 Kanesadas were flying in his surroundings.

The pain was gradually subsiding from his abdominal wound and the bleeding had stopped. A Resurrectee's body was evidently resilient to a supernatural degree.

"We are the dead who have risen up from our graves... Now that I think about it, this is only to be expected."

Masatsugu surmised that perhaps he had a constitution that would not die so easily.

However, his consciousness was undoubtedly fading. Once he reached his limit, he was probably going to pass out directly.

And the "not dead person" in full health was right behind him, chasing Masatsugu's army.

"Hahahaha. I am surprised you can endure that kind of wound for so long!"

Under the Lionheart's command, 612 Escalibors pursued relentlessly.

They were charging at full speed from behind, trying to end the battle in one go.

"Charge, my Escalibors! Allow the samurai of the orient to witness our knightly ways!"

The British Legions had formed a V-shaped wedge formation, the same one that Richard had exhibited at Fuji City, a formation specialized for the cavalry charge.

Its main function was to penetrate the enemy army with its sharp tip and tear apart their formation.

"What a hot-blooded guy. As soon as I fled, he chased in delight," muttered Masatsugu quietly.

Masatsugu the chased and Richard the chaser were both going at over 500 kilometers per hour. The two armies were separated by a hundred or so meters.

As retainer beasts, wyverns were actually incapable of reaching such seeds.

A "Kanesada phantom" had appeared around Masatsugu and his wyvern mount.

Reusing the technique of summoning a Legion and merging it with his body, Masatsugu used a Kanesada's flying ability to transport himself and the wyvern.

"Kukukuku! This is my first time too, to use this method to charge alongside my Escalibors... You are truly a delightful opponent, Tachibana!"

Richard was using the same technique to fly at extreme speed.

The legendary English king had summoned a red legion's phantom to transport his flying mount.

However, the overall speed of both armies had dropped.

The airborne melee battle had consumed a large amount of ectoplasmic fluid. Following that with a full-speed escape and pursuit, both the Japanese and the British forces were exhausted. All Legions were beginning to decrease in output.

"Hohohoho, your prided fleet-footed escape is slowing down."

"The same goes for you. The Lionheart's pursuit is nothing impressive either."

Separated by substantial distance, neither side could hear each other.

However, Masatsugu could guess what the Lionheart was thinking, more or less. He muttered to himself, delivering rebuttals to the imagined words of his enemy.

Masatsugu focused and prepared his next move for the enemy.

In a situation like this, Richard the Lionheart was definitely not a man who would hold back.

"My knights, thank you for enduring so far. I hereby bestow Coeur de Lion upon you all!"

"I knew it. He's using that move!"

The pursuing 612 Escalibors released a huge quantity of mystic power.

Sensing the release, Masatsugu noticed Richard activating the Feat of Arms—Coeur de Lion. Its effect was to ensure that his Legion would complete the charge even ignoring death—

So far, the Escalibors had consumed a lot of ectoplasmic fluid and their flying speed had clearly dropped.

But soon, their speed slowly increased... No, they had recovered their original speed. The Lionheart's Feat of Arms had enabled the British army to charge at peak condition.

In contrast, the Kanesadas' flying speed remained slow.

The balance was finally broken on the lead they had maintained so far in the chase.

Richard's army gradually closed in. Having escaped so far, the 203 Kanesadas were going to be caught within a few minutes, ending up in total extermination.

All prior preparations would be in vain if they were to be caught.

Masatsugu hastily commanded, "Fire backwards!"

"Tsk, petty tricks!"

Masatsugu's army was originally flying while facing forwards.

Maintaining the same flying directionality and speed, the 203 Kanesadas turned around to fire. They continued to fly straight towards their destination except their bodies were facing backwards.

Of course, their rifles were aimed at the back—towards Richard's approaching army.

All the Kanesadas pulled their triggers.

The entire army directed continuous fire opposite to their flying direction. It was like stunt shooting.

The 612 British Legions closing in took on the gunfire in their wedge formation. The Kanesadas were aiming at the tip of the wedge.

...The purpose of this wave of continuous fire was not to inflict damage.

After all, blessed by Coeur de Lion's effects, they were effectively immortal until the charge was over.

However, continuous fire from the two hundred or so Kanesadas were able to suppress the charging Escalibors.

The dense curtain of gunfire worked. The wedge stopped closing in momentarily.

However, the distance to the enemy was still shrinking slowly.

The Lionheart's powerful noesis had pushed the Escalibors' strength and speed to the very maximum.

Fifty meters until the rampaging lions would catch them.

Forty meters, thirty meters, then at twenty meters—Masatsugu knew his plan was a success.

The nation-protecting keep of the Suruga tutelary fort was not far away.

...Initially, Masatsugu had retreated from the sky over Mount Satsuta then flew over Suruga Bay.

Once Richard invoked Coeur de Lion, Masatsugu turned towards Nihondaira where the Suruga tutelary fort was situated. He knew that the moment had arrived.

Flying over the mountainous terrain of the military zone, Masatsugu returned to the tutelary fort at last.

"Scatter!"

"What!?"

At Masatsugu's order, the 203 Kanesadas scattered in different directions.

The Escalibors charging single-mindedly at full power did not stop. Neither were they able to stop. And right ahead in their path, a gigantic dragon was waiting for them.

It was the ifrit Seiryuu in charge of protecting the Suruga tutelary fort.

### Part 3

A magic circle, seventy meters in diameter, manifested in the sky over the tutelary fort.

The magic circle was a product of oriental magic with complicated patterns and Sanskrit characters. The gigantic "dragon image," comparable to the magic circle in size, was precisely the ifrit Seiryuu.

Its serpentine body was covered with sapphire-blue scales with two deer-like antlers on its head and stubby limbs.

The gigantic dragon image had occupied the air majestically.

Ifrits were supposed to release powerful noetic energy to create a dome-shaped noesis barrier to cover the entire tutelary fort.

But right now, Seiryuu was not using its noetic energy for defense.

Seiryuu roared fiercely and attacked the British Legions.

The image of the blue dragon opened its gigantic jaws and lunged at the 612 Escalibors that were charging at full power in a wedge formation.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

As noetic divinities, ifrits were ultimately conglomerates of noetic energy. Their gigantic bodies were not corporeal.

Hence, Seiryuu's massive jaws unleashed noetic energy which was normally used to create noesis barriers.

The surge of noetic energy turned into gigantic magic circle, glowing with divine radiance.

The British Legions crashed into the circle, head on, of course.

Formidable noetic energy had been poured into the magic circle, sufficient to serve as a tutelary fort's defensive wall, and was equivalent to a noesis barrier compressed into a round shape.

Colliding with something like this would cause massive injuries to the charging side.

The Escalibors in the tip of the wedge formation, reaching one third of the entire army, were struck by the violent armor-shattering impact, causing many of them to become dismembered or decapitated in the process.

Suffering such heavy injuries to their brain and internal organs, humans would have died on the spot.

Richard's army suffered at the hands of their excessively powerful charge. However, the heavily wounded Escalibors were undeterred.

"How interesting—"

Richard the Lionheart smiled proudly.

Together with the Escalibor phantom, he was at the very back of the wedge formation.

"According to legend, we Plantagenets are the cursed brood with the devil's blood flowing in our veins! A devil on earth... will never fear a mere dragon!"

The red wedge's tip, one third of the army, was already in a broken state.

However, the 612 Escalibors in the formation continued to charge, breaking through the magic circle of the noesis barrier.

Even the giant image of the blue dragon was almost trampled to dust.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh—!

Seiryuu's scream resounded across Suruga's night sky.

Richard's army finally arrived in the sky over the tutelary fort and was about to invade the enemy base.

The remaining job was simple. He would continue to push forward and clear out the army of red-purple samurai, checkmate the soldiers defending the fort, and end the battle.

At that moment, the Lionheart frowned.

"Hmm?"

After charging at full might against the giant dragon, the 612 Escalibors rapidly lost flying speed. The effects of the Feat of Arms had ended.

Namely, the effects allowing the Legions to finish a charge even in the face of death—

Coeur de Lion's astounding and miraculous effects vanished.

Having charged at full strength and speed, the wedge formation slowed down more and more. Finally, it was no faster than a car driving along urban streets.

This was not the worst of it.

Charging the ifrit had caused severe damage to more than one third of the army.

Among them, the Escalibors with fatal injuries such as broken necks and ruptured internal organs began to crash one after another. Death had taken them long ago.

Richard shrugged and said, "Oh well, the four hundred remaining will suffice."

There were still 432 Escalibors surviving.

They would have no trouble defeating the scattered red-purple samurai that had fled or Surugu's defending forces.

"Regroup and assemble at my side."

Controlling his wyvern, Richard made his way to the center of the army that had slowed down dramatically.

The 432 Escalibors were beginning to form a sphere when they were violently attacked by focused gunfire from the side.

Imperial Japan's blue Legions, 150 Kamuys, had taken flight to enter the fray.

All troops in this corps fired in unison. Escalibors began crashing down again, the ones unlucky enough to be shot in their vitals.

"New enemies? Activate your barriers, my knights!"

Richard commanded confidently but was met by a surprising outcome.

The white particles of the 432 Escalibors' spherical formation were quite weak, roughly half as strong as usual. Too much of their ectoplasmic fluid had been consumed.

The surprised Richard instantly figured out the reason.

"Tachibana, this was your plan all along!"

The 203 red-purple Legions returned to the battlefield to support their allies.

The red-purple Legions were identical in appearance and size as the Kamuys except in color. Their special Japanese swords had also turned back into bayonet rifles. Compared to the Escalibor or the Crusade—the strong British Legions—their physique was a size smaller.

Judged according to the Lionheart's aesthetics, these troops were weak and scrawny.

Glaring sharply at the Japanese forces, Richard gnashed his teeth.

"He finally fell into the trap..."

Akigase Rikka muttered to herself, soaring the sky on her wyvern.

She was flying alone some distance from the tutelary fort. Slightly earlier, the ifrit Seiryuu had been broken, failing to block the invasion of the hundreds of Escalibors.

However, the red soldiers of this British army were crashing down one after another.

Seizing the moment when the enemy was low on ectoplasmic fluid, Rikka had ordered the 150 Kamuys she had summoned to open fire.

Furthermore, the 203 Kanesadas led by Tachibana Masatsugu had assembled on the opposite side of Rikka's army.

The two of them had the 430 or so Legions of Richard's army caught in a pincer attack. With Rikka's forces on the left and Masatsugu's forces on the right, they sprayed gunfire simultaneously.

The Suruga side had set up two crescent formations in the shape of "( )."

Richard's army was perfectly sandwiched between them.

"Do not let up on the attack. Leave them no room to breathe!"

Under attack from both sides, the Lionheart's army formed a sphere and deployed a protective barrier.

The left side of the sphere desperately returned fire against Rikka's Kamuys while the right side handled Masatsugu's Kanesadas.

The British had numbers on their side, but were stuck in a desperate predicament.

On the Suruga side, Rikka and Masatsugu's forces totaled only 350 or so.

The Escalibors' protective barrier was powered by roughly 430 Legions, normally capable of neutralizing much of the Suruga side's volleys of sweeping gunfire, but ectoplasmic fluid depletion had sharply reduced its effectiveness—

Half the shots penetrated the barrier's particles, striking Richard's army directly.

The Escalibors ended up dying and crashing one after another.

"Now, a chance for victory is in sight."

Surveying the battlefield, Rikka breathed a sigh of relief.

The theory behind Tachibana Masatsugu's trap to hunt the lion was actually quite simple.

'I will first intercept his army outside the tutelary fort and lure him to Suruga while depleting his ectoplasmic fluid. Finally, we attack him all together.'

To accomplish this, Tachibana Masatsugu had used all kinds of clever feints.

He first used samurai swordsmanship and initiated a duel to stimulate the target's combative spirit and passion, then deliberately got injured to pretend to be routed. His excitement reaching a climax, the king of knights would order his entire force to charge against Masatsugu's retreat.

Without these clever arrangements, the lion's keen nose might have smelled the presence of a trap.

Furthermore, during this process, the enemy was guaranteed to launch an overwhelming offensive. At last, while fighting on the run, Masatsugu managed to lure the enemy into attacking in full force, using a tactic that exhausted his troops the greatest.

The chase in the final stage was also part of Masatsugu's trap.

The Kanesadas and Kamuys were a size smaller than the Escalibors in physique.

Smaller builds naturally meant lighter weight. Flying at equal speed, the heavier side would exert themselves more, which meant greater consumption of ectoplasmic fluid. Rikka nodded in comprehension.

"The Kamys are smaller in build and always lose to the Crusades in contests of strength."

Using this tactic which turned the physique disadvantage around, they succeeded in dealing a heavy blow to the fierce king of of knights. Rikka felt exhilarated, but the battle still required close attention.

Only faring a little better than the British side, the Kanesadas were also depleted in ectoplasmic fluid.

Rikka began to think, assuming she were in Richard I's position—

### Part 4

"Ugh... I think I might've overdone it."

Riding his wyvern, Masatsugu had quietly left the Kanesada army.

Currently, the red-purple Legions had joined forces with Akigase Rikka's Kamuys to hit the Lionheart's army with a pincer attack, putting them at an overwhelming advantage.

However, Masatsugu's blood loss was too severe.

His consciousness fading, he was often making mistakes in wyvern control.

By the time he realized, he was some distance from the battlefield. Just as he tightened the reins, intending to return to the battlefield, a messenger pipe fox appeared on his shoulder.

'Onii-sama, look down. Come over to me!'

"What?"

Using noetic waves, the pipe fox was transmitting Hatsune's message.

Mount Udo was below. The Suruga tutelary fort was located on the highlands formed from the two small mountains of Mount Kunou and Mount Udo. The highest peak was only three hundred meters in elevation or so.

Looking down from the air, Masatsugu immediately noticed something unusual.

It was late at night and equally dark in the low-elevation mountains. However, a faint light was moving left and right down there. Masatsugu tried to land.

As expected, it was Hatsune.

Dressed in Haikara-san style, the little sister was waving a flashlight from the ground.

Hatsune was on a military road with a giant white wolf by here side—a Mibu wolf on lying on the ground on standby. When the wyvern landed on the road, the Mibu wolf remained unperturbed. Disciplined and loyal, it had been well-trained.

Masatsugu said from the wyvern's saddle, "What now? I'm a bit busy at the moment... Rather, I will be extremely busy next."

"Richard will be targeting the Kanesadas, right?"

"Yeah, you figured it out too?"

"Of course. I'd do the same in his shoes. The Kanesadas have fought a long battle too... It's just that they're less exhausted compared to the Escalibors."

Hatsune puffed out her chest and analyzed confidently.

Even behind the kimono, the round and full bulge of her bosom was visible.

"In the worst case, all he needs to do is attack the Kanesadas in full force while ignoring Rikka-sama's energetic army. That will definitely be easier to win."

"That's correct. Good intuition."

Masatsugu's cheek twitched in a smile.

He found it difficult to imagine Hatsune becoming a master strategist. But one day, her instincts and bravery would enable her to distinguish herself on the battlefield with many glorious accomplishments.

Like King Richard the Lionheart, for example.

"If you know all that... Then you understand what you need to do?"

"Of course! Upon my Appellation of Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune—"

Masatsugu tested Hatsune and she immediately chanted the holy words of summoning.

The girl in the kimono released a pulse of noetic energy. Although its strength and skill could not match the likes of Edward the Black Prince, Masatsugu was dumbstruck.

The strength of Hatsune's noesis was clearly different from before.

"Assemble now, my Legions!"

Hatsune called out loudly.

The noesis she released to the air transformed into seventy-two Legions.

They resembled Kamuys but were not Kamuys. The top of their helmets were elongated like the eboshi while their armor was deep red with a white garment on top.

The red and white Kamuy variant had received the name of "Kurou Hougan" from Tachibana Hatsune.

A total of seventy-two Legions. Hatsune's power as a Chevalier had thoroughly awakened. Normally speaking, Japanese Chevaliers only had a Chevalier Strength of around 30 to 50.

With a Chevalier Strength of 72, the maiden successor of Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune was quite a formidable force.

Furthermore, Hatsune was still young and had room for future growth.

"Go, my Kurous. Go help Onii-sama's army to fight!"

Hatsune hastily ordered the Legions that had appeared overhead.

The seventy-two Kurou Hougans flew with agility towards the sky where joint forces of the Kamuys and the Kanesadas were fighting the Escalibors.

"Let's command from here."

There was no need to be charging on the front lines. Masatsugu decided to remain on the ground and climbed down from the saddle.

He stumbled when he stood on the ground.

"Are you okay, Onii-sama!?"

"Sort of. Don't worry, I can hold out for a while longer."

In the end, Hatsune lent a shoulder for Masatsugu to lean on and took him to the side of the military road.

Masatsugu sat down and leaned against the guard rail, finally getting a chance to rest his injured body. The rocky flying on a wyvern was physically quite draining.

Fortunately, Hatsune had brought a first aid kit.

Swiftly removing Masatsugu's jacket and stiff-collar uniform, Hatsune bared Masatsugu's upper half.

She first applied disinfecting alcohol to the wound on his flank, put on gauze, then wrapped bandages around his entire abdomen. Her movements were deft and clean.

"Nice skills. Are you experienced in treating wounds?"

"Yeah, I often got hurt along with my companions back when we were learning all kinds of things."

After giving a reply befitting a clan of larger-than-life characters, Hatsune sighed lightly and said, "Before going off to battle, Onii-sama, you said taking a hit from Richard might be a good method. I never thought you'd do it for real..."

"Simple necessity. Had I not done so, he would've been suspicious of my retreat."

As soon as the master died, the Legions under his command would become disorganized rabble.

It was very logical for a wounded Chevalier to retreat so as to avoid dying in combat.

"Besides, this is a wound with relatively few repercussions apart from blood loss at most. Anyway, it should be fine. Just give me a bit of alcohol and sew it up later, and it's all good."

"Wow, you really sound like an ancient general from the Sengoku period. That's fantastic."

"Not like. I am an ancient general."

"That's true. O-Oh right, Onii-sama."

Masatsugu was currently leaning against the guard rail of the road.

Hatsune was sitting next to him. She suddenly looked down and stuttered in a rare moment of bashfulness.

"Actually... I promised the princess."

"You promised her what?"

"She was originally supposed to come over to help... g-give you ectoplasmic fluid. But her body is at its limit, so I came in her stead—"

"Oh?"

Usually energetic and cheerful, Hatsune was having difficulty broaching the subject.

This previously unseen side to Hatsune was utterly adorable. Masatsugu leaned forward towards her, but the abdominal wound stung, causing him to frown.

"A-Are you okay, Onii-sama...?"

"I'm fine. Say, Hatsune."

Masatsugu reached out and held his little sister's hand.

The kimono girl's shoulders shuddered. She looked so sweet and innocent. Masatsugu learned something from her reaction.

"You came to share ectoplasmic fluid with me, knowing what I did to the princess, right?"

"Um, yes... I-I came across it by chance and couldn't help overhearing..."

Hatsune was blushing to her ears in embarrassment.

She was not used to talking about scandalous topics. Considering Hatsune's pure and innocent personality... Perhaps she had no past experience in this area at all.

"Right, and you're a Chevalier now." Masatsugu whispered in Hatsune's ear. Her body stiffened increasingly.

She was very tense in both body and mind. Masatsugu did not plan on doing anything until she relaxed. Holding the little sister's hand in his cold palm, he said calmly.

"I was negligent to overlook the possibility of asking you for help. But I don't like forcing a girl to do things either."

"I-I came here to help you, so it's not forcing," Hatsune declared firmly but continued timidly, "It's just that... Umm, it's scary to commit, I've never been in a similar situation, so it feels very weird right now..."

"It's only natural for a maiden to feel this way. Don't worry about it."

"I-It's reached this stage, but now I feel... embracing a man might be too soon for me. To some extent, I feel this is something that should be done after officially going out with an eye for marriage!"

"Marriage, huh?"

"B-But don't you worry, Onii-sama!" Hatsune clenched her fist and smiled bravely. "It's common for a man and a woman to embrace each other for people like dancers or ballerinas. It's okay, I've prepared myself. It's honestly okay—"

"Meaning that it's fine as long as I marry you, right?"

"Huh?"

Masatsugu said to the surprised little sister. "The way I see it, you're not only a a suitable partner for marriage... but also a woman I admire a lot. If that's the kind of relationship you want to build, I'm willing to give it serious thought."

"W-What crazy things are you saying, Onii-sama!?"

"You're an accomplished martial artist with a brave heart. Your boundless energy, vibrant cheerfulness, and unpredictable behavior all make you very adorable to me."

"Didn't you say before that I'm not on your mind at all!?"

"Of course. But now, we're talking marriage here."

Hatsune was very flustered.

Masatsugu continued calmly, "However, if I think about you as prospects for marriage... I believe that the man who gets to spend his life with Tachibana Hatsune will be a happy man indeed."

"O-Onii-sama! Stop it with the sweet talking!"

Hatsune had relaxed her body without knowing it.

Perhaps the conversation had relieved her nervous feelings somewhat. Holding her hand the entire time, Masatsugu knew that her shoulder was no longer tense.

Looking at their hands clasped together, Hatsune lowered her head again.

She was still shy but no longer expressed resistance.

"So... What do we do next? T-Tell me, Onii-sama."

"It's hard for me to move, so could you come near me?"

"W-We're already quite close. Aren't I next to you...?"

"Come closer."

Masatsugu pulled Hatsune's hand gently and she understood his intent. Hatsune nodded and slowly approached him.

Hatsune stared into Masatsugu's eyes.

Another ten centimeters closer and Masatsugu would be able to kiss her.

They were right next to each other. This time, Masatsugu pulled her forcefully and Hatsune mustered her determination, hugging him timidly.

"Oh—"

"Hatsune, you're so warm."

Leaning against the guard rail, Masatsugu could only lift up his torso.

Hatsune was lying on top of him. Through the meisen kimono, Masatsugu could feel the little sister's voluptuousness and warmth.

"O-Onii-sama, you're so cold..."

Hatsune had undressed Masatsugu earlier to treat his wound, so she was aware of the changes in his body temperature.

Due to the heavy blood loss and having to supply the Kanesadas with ectoplasmic fluid, Masatsugu's body was even colder than usual.

"When sharing ectoplasmic fluid with you, the princess dresses very lightly... Is there some kind of special meaning in that?"

"Of course. Dressing lightly means it's easier for me to feel the temperature of the blood flowing under your skin and inside your body. What I need is the ectoplasmic fluid that has melded into your flesh and blood."

"I... see."

After a moment's thought, Hatsune got up.

She shyly removed her meisen kimono and hakama in front of Masatsugu, leaving only a hemp undershirt.

The white and flimsy fabric offered see-through glimpses at Hatsune's skin.

Next, she untied the string at her waist. The front of the undershirt opened up to reveal a full view of the seductive underwear beneath. Over her chest, she was wearing a special tank top-style brassiere for pairing with traditional Japanese clothing. her slim waist and pale thighs were also in display.

"Q-Quit staring, Onii-sama."

Saying that, Hatsune turned her head, too embarrassed to make eye contact.

Blushing to her ears, she approached and positioned herself on top of him again. Thanks to her undressing, Masatsugu was treated to a view of Hatsune's wonderful cleavage from up close.

"H-How is this?"

"Excellent. Sorry for the trouble."

"No, it's okay. Onii-sama, both you and the princess work hard and do everything personally. I can't lose to you."

Now that Hatsune had removed her clothing, it was easier for Masatsugu to feel her warmth.

Virtually half-naked, Hatsune was lying on top of Masatsugu, using her palms to warm his shoulders and upper arm, but his temperature still remained cold.

Hatsune gathered her courage and hugged him tightly, wrapping her arms around the back of his neck.

Their bodies were pressed even more tightly together. Hatsune's bountiful bust was also compressed against Masatsugu's chest.

The soft and heavy sensation was mixed with tender elasticity.

So far, Masatsugu had been enjoying this sort of intimate contact.

Now, the sensation became even clearer. Immersed in indescribable pleasure, Masatsugu absorbed the body heat she offered to him.

However, Hatsune said sadly, "S-Sorry, I'm not used to this. Am I doing it badly?"

"Not at all. What makes you think that?"

"Because your body is still so cold..."

"Don't worry, it usually takes some time."

"Really...? But if there's another way, you have to tell me, okay? After all, this is an ongoing issue and I have to work hard to learn how to help you."

"Ongoing issue?"

Hatsune had only become a Chevalier recently.

She had not replenished her ectoplasmic fluid many times so the mystic power stored in her body was quite low. Masatsugu did not want to strain her too much today—

"The princess' state of health isn't too good, right? If this is the reason for that, I have help out starting tomorrow."

"That's right. I didn't think of that."

"Ah."

"What's wrong?"

"Onii-sama, your body is warming up slightly."

"It's all thanks to you."

"Fufufufu. I'm so happy. This feeling is incredible."

Hatsune smiled tenderly, pressing her chest even more tightly against him.

This sensation provided a different kind of enjoyment from obtaining warmth. Furthermore, it felt like Hatsune, with her personality not fully matured, was acting affectionate, which Masatsugu found delightful.

"Oh right, Onii-sama. About what we were talking about earlier..."

Hatsune changed the subject.

"Didn't you mention... about going out with an eye for marriage? Can you give me some time to think over it slowly? This is our promise, okay?"

"If you say yes, I don't mind heading over to get registered tomorrow."

"C-Cut the nonsense, okay? This is for a lifetime, so it bears serious consideration! Besides, Onii-sama, you forgot the most important thing!"

"What?"

"According to family registry records, Tachibana Masatsugu hasn't reached eighteen yet. You can't get married!"

"Oh right, that's how it is with Japanese law."

Conversing with Hatsune while hugging together—

Masatsugu could feel his body gradually become burning hot.

Masatsugu was able to obtain substantial ectoplasmic fluid from the reserves provided by Hatsune's body and soul as a new Chevalier.

The Kanesadas born from Tachibana Masatsugu's noesis were heavily fatigued after the long fighting.

But now, they had gained extra strength. Masatsugu nodded contentedly, grateful for the little sister's labors.

Meanwhile, King Richard the Lionheart was on the battlefield—

"Hmm."

The battle was growing more and more intense, but he was forcing himself to relax.

Richard released the reins in his hand and cracked his neck. Then suppressing his natural fervor, he examined the current situation.

...Attacked on both sides after charging the Suruga tutelary fort, the Escalibors were down to less than two hundred and fifty.

...Somewhat annoyingly, seventy Kamuy variants with elongated heads had joined the battle.

...Both sides had given up on formations and switched to chaotic melee combat.

...Most infuriating of all were the red-purple Legions.

Tachibana Masatsugu's katana-using Legions were exhausted, faring not much better than the Escalibors. However, by some unknown trick of magic—

Just earlier, the red-purple Legions had regained their vigor.

From the corner of his eye, Richard saw another "red-purple" chop down an Escalibor with a decisive diagonal slash.

—If the red-purples were exhausted, at least there would be some chance of winning...

At this rate, going on a violent rampage with reckless abandon would only result in a futile death.

"Is it time? Hmph."

Richard was furious as soon as he imagined having to go back and face the Black Prince, lecturing him with a look of exasperation.

However, he would only have a chance to savor this displeasure if he returned alive.

"Escalibors, listen to me. You will fight to the bitter end here at this land of Suruga and sacrifice yourselves for my sake. Just leave seven of you to return with me."

Richard ordered the remaining troops to buy time while he escaped.

Having made his decision, Richard led seven Escalibors and ordered his wyvern to land in the mountainous terrain below. He was going to slip into the mountains under the cover of night to make his way to Suruga Bay. Then either flying on the sea surface or moving underwater, he would return to the Fuji tutelary fort.

"So be it. Fickle fortune decided to side against me today, that is all," said Richard quietly, gritting his teeth.

King Richard the Lionheart was a passionate and intense man. However, there were times on the battlefield when it was imperative to be calm. When time called for self-control, he was always able to control himself.

The more he held himself in check, the greater the flames that erupted in the future—

He convinced himself to maintain a calm mind for now.

"Tachibana, I will concede victory to you for today."

Saying that, Richard I left the battlefield.

### 043. Epilogue

### Part 1

November 7th, it was late, just after midnight.

Richard I had attacked Suruga but the defensive forces at the Suruga tutelary fort managed to pull through.

After the long night, dawn finally appeared on the horizon.

"Seriously... What a turbulent night."

Akigase Rikka was currently at the Suruga tutelary fort's nation-protecting keep.

The keep was forty meters tall and Rikka was on the roof. The tutelary fort was located on the highest plateau in the area, Nihondaira.

This was the best vantage point of Suruga City.

Alone, she was enjoying the beautiful scenery of Mount Fuji and Suruga Bay under the morning sun.

Such extravagance was one of the few privileges afforded to the Suruga castellan after staying up all night. Rikka stretched.

"Come to think of it... I think I've seen Masatsugu-dono's methods somewhere before."

Following Tachibana Masatsugu's directions, Rikka had fortunately won last night's battle.

He had used all sorts of tricks to lure the peerlessly ferocious king of knights, leading him to fall into an encirclement trap—

Rikka had the impression that she had read about similar tactics in a textbook on strategy or military history.

"Whatever," Rikka shrugged and did not dwell on the matter for too long.

This only meant that "Masatsugu-dono" had used reasonable and effective methods.

The crux of last night's battle was how to draw out Richard I's passion and charging attack. The praiseworthy fact was that Tachibana Masatsugu had accomplished this skillfully. The theory behind the operation was actually quite simple.

"Putting aside whether he is Lord Hijikata or not, there is no doubt that he is amazingly talented."

Ultimately, the tactics in books were not too meaningful.

The crucial point was to be able to apply these tactics "on the battlefield under extreme conditions."

If knowledge alone could win battles, there would be no need for generals. Just find a random student, get him to read a manual on strategy and tactics, then install him as the commander. Enough said.

"I need to greet Masatsugu-dono... and the princess."

The first name to slip out tugged at Rikka's heartstrings unbelievably.

She felt a strange urge to hum. At that moment, a soldier ran over. Rikka suppressed the urge to hum and said with a nonchalant expression, "What's the matter?"

After hearing the soldier's reply, Rikka murmured in puzzlement.

"This early in the morning... A man wants to see me?"

"Good grief."

Half an hour later, Rikka was wearing an exasperated look in the castellan's office.

"How was I supposed to know who the hell is Alexis Yang? Just say you're Yang Zhongda, descendant of the "Generals of the Yang Family," and I would've known immediately."

"I don't really like to call myself that..."

The citizen of Eastern Rome his late thirties replied a little frivolously.

Rikka was sitting behind the heavy office desk. The standing man was greeting her. Although he was dressed casually in a dark-blue jacket with beige pants, he was a soldier in active duty.

Alexis Yang's Chinese name was Yang Zhongda.

He was an acquaintance from the time when Akigase Rikka had been sent to serve Imperial Japan's ally, Eastern Rome.

"Even though the Yang family is famous for our generals, the women are particularly strong-willed and hold higher positions in the army. I don't really want people to know I'm a man from the Yang family, it's too embarrassing. Uh, I'm serious here."

"By the way, your wife... no, your ex-wive is also a distant relative of the Yang Family, isn't she?"

"We were in the same cohort during military academy. Now she's my superior."

After the battle against Richard's army—

A strange man had arrived at the gate of the Suruga tutelary fort and demanded to see the castellan. This frivolous commoner had claimed affiliation with the "Eastern Roman Empire's East Asian Administrative Region Military" and that he would explain his purpose after seeing the castellan...

"I'm surprised you managed to get to Suruga. Did you come from Tokyo?"

"Yeah, it wasn't easy crossing Hakone Checkpoint. Took quite a bit of work on my part."

Rikka nodded, figuring out the story.

Yang Zhongda had joined the military staff since long ago, but his abilities as a staff officer were quite mediocre. However, he was talented at noetic control and cultivating connections with civilian big shots or suspicious individuals.

This time, he must have used a combination of his own abilities and aid from others to arrive here.

"Major Yang, what is your purpose here in Suruga?"

"His Excellency asked me to come here and be your military adviser. Just think of me as a liaison. I'll be in charge of putting you guys in touch with the Roman military."

Rikka had heard whom Alexis Yang was currently serving as staff officer.

She shrugged. The so-called "His Excellency" could be no one else.

"Why did Lord Caesar send you directly to me, bypassing my father, the Tōkaidō Governor General?"

"Maybe... He thinks that Nagoya won't hold much longer, so he's making preparations in advance, as a precautionary measure?"

"If only Lord Caesar, who calls himself Imperial Japan's protector, had taken action earlier..."

Rikka spoke in sarcastic rather than grumbling tone.

"Then there wouldn't be any need for precautionary measures if he had helped Tōkaidō get rid of the British forces, right?"

"Well, there are various difficulties. All things considered, Imperial Japan is an ally, not a Roman province, right? We can't go too out of line."

"True. By the way, if the rebellion persists for the long term..."

Yang swept the issue under the rug by putting on a fool's look and Rikka stared at him.

"Eastern Japan with its strong ties to Rome will become your vassal state, while western Japan will be annexed by the British Empire... thus leading to an east-west split."

"Located right in the center, Tōkaidō will turn into Japan's version of Alsace-Lorraine, right?"

"This place you speak of, I recall it is a border territory that switched hands multiple times between Germany and France, isn't it? In other words, Rome and Britain will invade Tōkaidō repeatedly."

"This is purely the worst-case scenario based on speculation. Personally, I have no comment." Yang smiled wryly then put on a serious face to say, "His Excellency communicated a few plans to me for helping the isolated Suruga City and avoiding the worst-case scenario."

### Part 2

"There are still so many problems..."

Lying on the bed in the sickroom, Shiori murmured.

Dressed in a blue patient's gown, she sat up. This was a special private ward in the Suruga tutelary fort's medical division.

"However, Masatsugu-sama and Hatsune are safe and sound, so let us celebrate this victory for now."

Last night, Shiori's physical strength had given out and she fainted.

As a result, she was admitted to the sickroom to rest.

At five something on the morning of November 7th, the two knights who had fought through the night yesterday, Tachibana Masatsugu and Tachibana Hatsune came to visit Shiori at her bed.

"Of course, I must also pray for those who were killed in action..."

Although the battle had ended in victory, there were a few unfortunate news.

In the earlier battle, 150 Kamuys had hid on Mount Satsuta to support the 360 Kanesadas.

The support forces were led by the three Chevaliers, Habuna, Maike, and Tabi. The Lionheart had left 200 Escalibors at Mount Satsuta to prevent them from striking his army from behind.

Even without their commander present, the British Legions still had numerical superiority. The three Chevaliers fought valiantly.

In the end, the two sides of this localized battle wiped each other out. Unfortunately, Chevalier Tabi had died in action.

In any case, Shiori expressed her concern for the Chevalier in her direct service.

"Masatsugu-sama, how is your wound?"

"Don't worry, at worst I just have trouble exerting force from certain parts."

Tachibana Masatsugu's answer was very straightforward.

After the duel against Richard I last night and intentionally receiving an injury, the Resurrectee had eventually returned to the tutelary fort and received treatment at the medical division.

"Princess, Onii-sama is so funny."

The other Chevalier, Hatsune laughed next to the older brother.

"He told the medic, 'for this kind of minor injury, just give me a bit of alcohol and sew it back up.' The medic gave him a good earful for that."

"After applying local anesthesia, he sewed up my abdomen very carefully."

"Seeing Onii-sama show no reaction to pain on his face, the doctor was totally astounded."

"I-I see..."

The lively maiden Chevalier was cheerfully talking about her "brother."

Masatsugu himself was listening on the side. This was clearly a scene of harmony after a victory. However, a certain worry took root in Shiori's heart.

Before rushing to the battlefield, Hatsune had said, "Don't worry! I know everything about what needs to be done to help Onii-sama!"

During that intense battle, Tachibana Masatsugu must have needed to refill ectoplasmic fluid.

Logically speaking, his source would have been... Shiori wanted to clear up the issue, but felt too embarrassed to ask.

If by any chance the answer was yes, she—

"Hey Onii-sama, let's stop by the commissariat later and take some of the canned liver they've been hiding? You lost a lot of blood and need some iron supplements."

"Sounds good."

"I'll cook them specially for you, okay♪"

"Since it's canned, there's no need for seasoning, right?"

"Canned food tastes even better if you put in extra effort to cook it. Using my prided cooking skills, I'll reward you for fighting bravely, Onii-sama."

"You're very confident in your cooking?"

"Yes, I'm an expert in shortcut cuisine by using canned food."

"...What about cuisine without shortcuts?"

"I am aware that my other cuisine still has room for improvement—Oh, d-don't tell me... Considering the future, Onii-sama, you're worried about my cooking skills?"

"No, I'm not too particular on how food tastes."

"I-I see. But I still need to work hard in that area..."

The two Chevaliers in the princess' direct service were chatting casually as usual.

However, Shiori was secretly surprised. Hatsune was acting quite differently from usual. Especially when she said the word "future," she seemed inexplicably shy, exuding an innocent maidenly allure.

As suspected, that matter needed to be cleared up beyond a doubt. Just as Shiori made her decision...

She heard a weird noise that sounded like metal shattering.

More precisely, it was not a noise but noetic waves. Masatsugu and Hatsune also looked around questioningly.

"What was that...?"

"P-Princess, do you know what happened?"

"Some sort of powerful noetic technique was applied to this area or even all of Suruga... No, it is the opposite. A noetic technique that was originally in effect has been lifted—?"

Shiori then said to the two knights, "Let us go find Rikka-sama. This could be something major."

Ever since the middle of October when the Crusades attacked the first time...

Suruga City and the surrounding region had been under the Restoration Alliance's noetic disruption. Once activated, this barrier-type noetic technique prevented the use of all airwaves and wireless communications within the affected area.

As a result, television and phones had been out of order in the city for over half a month.

The strange noise heard by Shiori and her Chevaliers, as well as other noetic officers, was the noetic waves resulting from the disengagement of this wide-area noetic technique.

"It seems like it was not due to a third party forcibly neutralizing it."

Three hours after the strange noise, Rikka was speaking in a conference room within the tutelary fort.

The result had come out after an emergency investigation. Apart from Shiori, Tachibana Masatsugu, Tachibana Hatsune, and the Chevaliers Habuna and Maike, there was also a young man in casual clothing who claimed to be a soldier from Eastern Rome.

"The British forces, who were responsible for it in the first place, apparently stopped it on their own accord."

"They must have decided there was no need to disrupt this area... Or perhaps, there is a more important mission that required them to shift their focus. I wonder which is more likely?"

Speaking in a relaxed tone of voice, the Roman soldier said, "Uh, I do have some related bad news to inform everyone. Now that noetic disruption is lifted, I can receive wireless communications from 'outside.' Those Restoration Alliance guys are proceeding with the attack on Nagoya even without Richard I's participation. According to the original plan, they will start today at noon..."

### Part 3

"Regardless, even without Uncle's assistance, we will attack Nagoya as planned."

Edward was strolling along the shore of Lake Ashi, one of Hakone's famous sights.

He was accompanied by the doll possessed by the spirit Morrigan.

It was early morning and in the mountains at an elevation over 700m. The air was incredibly clean and pure while the lake water was blue and beautiful.

"While Uncle was on a rampage, I sent several Knights of Her Majesty that were on standby to contain Nagoya. They have the sea fully under control now. It is time to have to return to their original mission. Every knight wishes to go on a rampage. Naturally..."

Edward was dressed in a hot spring inn's yukata. He had just enjoyed a bath and was about to head back.

Enjoying Hakone's picturesque scenery, the Black Prince had his hands in his sleeves. Walking on wooden clogs that clattered crisply, he said solemnly, "I do have many complaints. I wonder what made Uncle crazy, but I originally looked forward to his ability to penetrate defenses. Forget it, I will leave the matter for now."

"Prince. About Suruga's katana user."

Dressed in a beret and sailor outfit, Morrigan murmured, "According to reports from spies who infiltrated Suruga... They found the name 'Hijikata Toshizō'."

"I will confirm it later. To think that Suruga harbors a samurai who piques the interest of British knights like us, as well as a beautiful princess of Imperial Japan. How fascinating."

Edward's handsome face smiled cheerfully. This aristocrat of the Plantagenet dynasty said, "Looks like the day for me to fight directly is not far away."

"In my opinion... There is no need for a commander-in-chief to do that."

A tense situation was building up between Hakone Checkpoint and Suruga.

Currently, only two people were sharp enough to notice this. The Black Prince of the British Empire and the mysterious samurai of Suruga.

Certain of this, Edward nodded to himself in deep thought.

## 03. Volume 3 - Imperial Japan's Loyalists ( Full Text )

### 001. Afterword

Hello again, everyone.

The " Romance of the Three Kingdoms set on a fictional 20th-century stage plus armies of giants" has reached its third volume.

I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere thanks to my readers' loving support as well as all the help from everyone involved in the publishing process. Many accidents came up this time and I'm sorry for the trouble caused to everyone.

Also due to chance circumstances, I was also looked after by friends at Shizuoka News.

Thank you for telling me so many things about Shizuoka, they were very informative. The black hanpen fish cake with Worcestershire sauce was truly eye opening. What a new discovery.

In this 3rd volume, a new character from Chinese history has debuted at last.

This man has appeared briefly in world history or Chinese textbooks. The legendary first half of his life happened just as I described in the novel. He sometimes makes appearances in Beijing opera or Chinese historical dramas. It was said that his personality was very modest and reserved.

Since there are too many characters in this story who love to show up, it feels quite refreshing to write a character of the opposite type (wry smile).

Also, due to book length, I haven't included a glossary this time as I've done in previous volumes. Notes on the "Battle of Crécy" and "let's have a beer first" are on DX Bunko's official site while "the relationship between heavy infantry and oblique order" had to be omitted due to length. If there's space in Volume 4, I'll add them to the collection.

By the way, I mentioned something in Volume 2's afterword.

Namely, the provision of fanservice from the male characters, but unfortunately, I failed to deliver on my promise in time for Volume 3. Fortunately, this gave rise to a natural development so perhaps it might be actualized in Volume 4. What I want to write about is not just two men but it'd be a nice idea to bring together all major male characters (such as the balding guy, the blond middle-aged guy with too much fat, or the low-key cool handsome guy) for an open-air bath party. Recently, this is what's been troubling me.

Anyway, a hot spring episode is planned for Volume 4.

Now considering the passage of time, I guess it's almost time for the beauty contest event, right?

...Oh dear, why does it feel like I'm writing "an ordinary school romantic comedy"?

As for specifics, what kinds of scenes will I include? What illustrations will be drawn for the male character fanservice? Please do check it out in Volume 4, dear readers.

### 002. Epilogue

The intense battlefield of Hakone sank into darkness and peace after night fell.

All fighting had ceased by now.

Saturday November 22nd, 18:45.

The four tutelary forts protecting Hakone manifested four golden guardian deities out of thin air, illuminating their surroundings. These four guardians were especially conspicuous under the dark night—

In the sky over Seiryuu Gate in the east, a giant golden dragon with the "imperial" kanji on its forehead was twisting its gigantic body.

In the sky over Suzaku Gate in the south, a golden phoenix with wings spread had likewise appeared with the "imperial" kanji.

In the respective skies over Byakko Gate in the west and Genbu Gate in the north, a giant golden tiger and an enormous golden turtle with a snake for a tail, each with the "imperial" kanji on their forehead...

"Amazing, all these gods have become the princess' flunkies."

"It's better to call them 'guardian deities,' I think."

The Tachibana siblings were chatting in the sky over Hakone.

They were each riding their own blue wyvern, flying side by side in the night sky.

For the whole day today, dark clouds had shrouded the sky, but weather tended to change at moment's notice in mountainous regions. Currently, the moon's clear rays were falling upon the land.

The moon and scattered stars were bright in the sky without any clouds for miles.

The two wyverns were flapping their wings slowly under the moonlit sky.

Retainer beasts needed to have excellent night vision and an extraordinary sense of direction to be able to fly during the night.

If helicopters were placed in the same situation, pilots would not dare to fly without night equipment. This could be considered a drawback of "modern conveniences." Of course, for anyone apart from Chevaliers, flying exposed to mountain winds would be a type of torture...

"Onii-sama," Hatsune said after thinking for a moment. "Edward and his entourage—and the armies of the Restoration Alliance—have withdrawn from Hakone, right? Is it necessary to summon all of the Four Gods...?"

"You're right, it's not necessary."

They were flying five kilometers south of Lake Ashi.

However, Masatsugu's vision was excellent. Even from this location, he could see Hakone Yumoto, Lake Ashi's south and west shores, as well as the brilliant golden glow from the Four Gods in the sky over Sengokuhara.

"I heard that the display will last two or three hours as proof that Tōkaidō has taken Hakone. The process was also recorded to be used for promotional purposes in the future."

"The princess came up with this too?"

"That's right, Rikka-dono agreed before going to bed."

Borrowing Rikka's strength, Masatsugu had activated a new Feat of Arms—Two-Headed Dog.

This move was extremely draining. After the battle, Rikka could hardly stand. Leaving the aftermath for subordinates to handle, she had retired to bed quite early.

"The British Empire's prince fled so quickly. I had just arrived and was about to put on a grand performance."

Riding her wyvern next to her older brother, Hatsune sounded quite happy.

"But it feels great to see them routed. They've been beating down on us for so long, but now we finally got our revenge!"

"Indeed, they fled very quickly," Masatsugu agreed and said to the little sister. "Hatsune, once you understand it as a move taken by an accomplished general who knows when to advance and retreat, you'll be full-fledged general too."

"R-Really?"

"Yes, that prince is really quite something."

"Speaking of outstanding abilities, our princess is amazing too, right? Rindou-sensei praised her so much."

"She praised the princess?"

"That's right. She said ordinary royal princesses lack sufficient spiritual rank, which means they would at most be able to order the Four Gods to disappear for the time being. Unable to act as Lord Tenryuu's representative, they cannot perform a resummoning. Considering the royal families across the entire world, you probably can't find another like her!"

"I see."

Masatsugu was well aware that their liege was not only outstanding in spiritual powers but also highly capable and full of resolve.

Fujinomiya Shiori sacrificed her lifespan on her own volition and obtained results accordingly. Had she not resummoned the great phoenix of the Four Gods to aid the Tōkaidō-Roman coalition, they would not have been able to capture the second tutelary fort, Suzaku Gate, within one hour.

This was what had thrown a wrench into Prince Edward's calculations.

In fact, back when he saw a thousand and two hundred Garter Knights gathered at the heart of Hakone, Masatsugu had said this.

If the speed with which they captured the four tutelary forts in the cardinal directions surpassed the Black Prince's expectations, victory in this battle would be secured.

After hearing that, Shiori had volunteered on her own accord to take care of the Four Gods.

...Back when Hatsune rushed to the battlefield to help out, the yellow dragon of the Four Gods had already descended upon Seiryuu Gate. After that, the Four Gods at Byakko Gate and Genbu Gate also manifested to fight the Restoration Alliance.

Prince Edward had swiftly led his entire army to retreat before all four of them could manifest.

Had he been a step late, the Kamuys and the Centuriae coming from the four cardinal directions would have been able to surround and wipe out the Knights of the Garter.

Unfortunately, the English prince had withdrawn from the battlefield before the encirclement could be completed.

Roughly four hundred and eighty Garter Knights formed a spherical formation and fled southwest.

Along the way, they converged with British forces that had retreated from the tutelary forts, running away in an orderly fashion. Seeing that, Masatsugu did not give the order to pursue.

This was because he knew instinctively that further fighting would only result in mutual annihilation.

"Now that the princess has subjugated Hakone and the Four Gods in this manner, for better or worse, everyone's view of her will change completely. Hatsune, we need to prepare ourselves too."

"I got it! By the way, Onii-sama what are we doing here?"

The two of them had arrived at an area in the southern end of Hakone.

Masatsugu stopped his wyvern near the peak of Jikkokutoge Pass. Imitating him, Hatsune ordered her wyvern to land too. Walking south from here, one would reach Izu and the area of Atsumi.

With their two wyverns crouching on the ground on standby, they began to walk forward.

"I have an appointment with someone. After the battle ended, the command center at Suzaku Gate received a message."

"An appointment with who?"

"You'll know shortly."

The peak of Jikkokutoge Pass had a cable car terminus.

Due to the battle between the Restoration Alliance and the Tōkaidō-Roman coalition, the sightseeing cable car was not in operation today. In front of the entrance to the terminus was a tall figure.

Seeing the person whom Masatsugu had agreed to meet, Hatsune jumped in fright.

"I wonder if I should say 'it's been a while'? After all, we were fighting in an intense battle only hours ago."

"As for an actual encounter, it happens to be one month ago."

The other party was Edward the Black Prince, dressed in Britain's black military uniform—

Edward was leaning against the wall of the terminus, smiling elegantly. The legendary crown prince also smiled at Hatsune, who was standing behind Masatsugu in shock. He said, "I came alone. If I brought a follower along, she would probably mock and ridicule me to no end."

"To think that someone is tough enough to dare mock and ridicule you? No wonder Britain is so powerful."

"Personally, I would prefer if my companion could be a little more polite with me."

"So, what business do you have with me?"

"I just wanted to chat. Think of it as sharing our thoughts about the battle just now. Wouldn't it be nice to do this once in a while?"

"Yes, I suppose."

"Uh, umm... May I say something?"

Hatsune raised her hand timidly, seeking permission to speak. Masatsugu and the Black Prince nodded, encouraging her to continue.

"Isn't it inappropriate for the two sides to meet in secret after a battle...?"

"Why? We're not colluding in conspiracy."

"The battle is long over. It's fine as long as you don't tell anyone."

"Uh, aren't either of you afraid of the other side setting an ambush with assassins or snipers?"

"We can read noesis. Any ambush force will be found immediately."

"Besides, we are not people who'll submit and die without a fight, trying to set up an ambush would be totally a waste of time and energy."

"...In other words, this is one of those?"

Hatsune sighed in a rare moment and said solemnly, "The kind of relationship where one discards their allegiances after a battle to gather for a discussion of heroes over wine, then resuming hostilities another day. You guys are doing this with inspiring stories from turbulent times in mind, right?"

"This little lady is quite amusing."

Edward smiled.

"Tachibana-dono—You definitely bested me on this occasion, and not just you, but your princess too."

"You are truly impressive for discerning this."

"You are too kind. I was amazed to learn that Imperial Japan had such a capable princess. Furthermore... Hohohoho, her existence inspired me with a few ideas. For example, knowing that someone talented as her is involved, we might have to change the way we interact with Tōkaidō."

"So that is why you asked to meet me here?"

"Not exactly. However, Tachibana-dono, I am well aware of the reason why your faction rushed to capture Hakone before Lord Caesar's arrival. Let us discuss this a later time."

"......"

Although the Eastern Roman Empire was Japan's ally, it was definitely not a friendly nation. It would not be wrong to call it a potential enemy.

On the other hand, the British Empire was the official enemy. As the saying went, "the enemy of my enemy is my friend." The dialogue between Masatsugu and the Black Prince was brief and concise, but conveyed plenty between the lines.

Masatsugu was willing to meet him precisely because he expected such a development.

That being said, he had no intention of making any decisions here. It was presumably the same for the other party. Masatsugu did not give a clear answer and Edward simply stared leisurely into the night sky.

"Oh right, there is another matter." The Black Prince's tone turned serious, losing his earlier levity. "The battle today... It is true that my side withdrew from Hakone. This I concede. However, you only managed to make it this far by borrowing your liege's aid. At the conclusion of the battle, if one were to compare the state of our armies—My order of knights was still in better condition, wouldn't you agree?"

Edward's face was solemn while he sought Masatsugu's agreement.

"In light of the aforementioned points, I believe that for today's battle, regarding the showdown between you and me... It was a draw, possibly in my favor, perhaps."

"On the contrary."

Masatsugu denied the claim outwardly but his thoughts differed.

In the end, only two hundred Kanesadas remained while Wei Qing's Centuriae were down to a hundred and twenty. Fewer than forty of Rikka's Kamuys survived—

Undeniably, in terms of surviving numbers , the Garter Knights were in better shape.

Edward's claim had some logical merit and was not simply the words of a sore loser. Naturally, Masatsugu did not voice these thoughts. He simply replied indifferently, "In the end, we are the ones staying in Hakone, so the victor can be no one but me."

"No, no, this is still disputable. Let us find a venue to settle this debate some time soon. By the way... It would be nice to find somewhere in Atsumi or Hakone to hold a discussion while enjoying a hot spring."

"What?"

"If permitted by the situation when the time comes, I would like to meet your princess too," Edward added confidently at the end with a mischievous smile.

After retaking Hakone successfully, Shiori was extremely exhausted.

Akigase Rikka had strained herself too much during the battle and retired for the night early. Seeing that Rikka had gone to bed, the victorious princess found a bedroom in the second tutelary fort as well and hastily lay down to recover her energy—A couple of hours had passed by the time she woke up again.

"Princess, are you able to rise?"

"Sensei... Y-Yes, I am fine—"

Dressed in a kimono, Rindou-sensei had entered the room.

This was a room reserved exclusively for high-ranking officers. For a military facility, the furniture such as the sofa, the table and chairs were very luxurious. Shiori's mentor and guardian was sitting on the sofa, having a drink.

Shiori sighed lightly and sat up.

Her body still felt a bit heavy, presumably due to the effects of invoking the master-servant enchanted ritual of the Four Gods.

However, she could still manage to move her limbs. She walked over to Rindou-sensei. By On the table, there was a red gourd and a porcelain dish along with a sheet of Japanese paper.

A blue liquid had been poured into the dish—Artificial ectoplasmic fluid.

Looking at Shiori's face, Sensei put down her wine cup and picked up the Japanese paper on the table.

"By any chance, Sensei... Are you going to use spirit vision?"

"After observing today's battle, a few vague notions have occurred to me. There might be a chance right now to receive an oracle, so as to elucidate that undead one's true identity."

Shiori secretly jumped in surprise. Ignoring her surprise, Rindou-sensei tore the paper into dozens of pieces and scattered them in the air.

Three of the paper fragments fell into the blue ectoplasmic fluid in the dish.

A Chinese character appeared on each fragment, respectively BU, SU, and TAI.

Having performed a divination to seek an oracle, Rindou-sensei went "hmph" and picked up the gourd on the table. Without pouring the wine into her cup, she drank directly from it.

"What is this? Totally incomprehensible."

"These three characters... probably give Masatsugu-sama's name."

As soon as Shiori spoke, Sensei's gaze turned sharp.

"Princess, you already have some idea as to his identity, don't you?"

"Until now... I had no concrete evidence. However, I discovered several clues. First of all, he might be a general who led a cavalry army. Secondly, he commands his troops logically and appropriately, and also moves swiftly with decisiveness."

Shiori calmly explained.

"Accepting all available weapons at his disposal—whether a samurai's katana, the name of Hijikata Toshizō, a destroyer from Britain... He used all of them without any prejudice. Moreover, there is the issue of his tactics."

"Oh?"

"The tactics he used last time against Richard the Lionheart, as well as what he employed against Hakone this time, both had similar precedents in the ancient past. For example, two battles... One at Liegnitz in the past, in other words, the area where the village of Wahlstatt was later built, and another that took place on the Sajó River's shore."

Floating on the blue ectoplasmic fluid were three fragments of paper.

Shiori reached out with her index finger and arranged the order into SU, BU, TAI.

"He was the trusted retainer and favorite pupil of the greatest emperor in history. Even centuries later, the German knight Sir Rommel, nicknamed the Desert Fox, would imitate his strategies—I believe this ought to be his true name."

### 003. Part 1

November 7th, 15:45.

"Nagoya is Tōkaidō's provincial capital..."

The location was the main keep of Nagoya Castle. The man occupying the position of Governor General of the Tōkaidō Fiefdom was at the castle's highest balcony, gnashing his teeth. Slender and crane-like in appearance, he was an old man with a blazing gaze.

Dressed in a kimono with an Inverness coat, he was a man of striking impression.

"Never did I expect it would fall to an enemy of a thousand..."

Governor General Akigase Shouzan, ruler of Tōkaidō, remarked in self-mockery.

Currently, "winged giant soldiers" were fighting in the skies over Nagoya.

The invader was the Restoration Alliance. Ten Kinai Chevaliers were leading roughly five hundred Kamuys to attack in concert with the British Empire's six Knights of Her Majesty and the five hundred Crusades under their command.

A mixture of Anglo-Japanese Legions had formed a coalition force of a thousand.

In contrast, on the defending side, the Tōkaidō Fiefdom had a total of sixteen Chevaliers with roughly seven hundred Kamuys.

A great battle was taking place in the sky over Nagoya between a total of seventeen hundred Legions, friend and foe combined.

"Is it impossible to oppose the British Empire when they invade in earnest?"

Akigase Shouzan muttered to himself, his voice filled with poignancy.

On the morning of November 7th, the Restoration Alliance finally started to launch a full offensive against Nagoya and its surroundings.

There were five "tutelary forts" in the region.

These tutelary forts were modernized strongholds created by repairing and remodeling ancient castles and stationing ifrits as guardian deities. The water shrines built underground allowed them to function as bases from where Chevaliers and Legions, the mainstay weapon of modern militaries, could operate.

Namely, Okazaki Castle, Kariya Castle, Kiyosu Castle, Inuyama Castle, and Nagoya Castle.

The Restoration Alliance directly attacked the defensive net formed by these five castles.

Leading five hundred Kamuys, the Kinai Fiefdom had invaded from west of Nagoya. Leading five hundred Crusades, the British Empire's six Knights of Her Majesty attacked from the east.

Nagoya was caught in the middle between the two fronts. Naturally, the enemy's ultimate target was Nagoya Castle, which was the Tōkaidō Governor General's residence and administrative center, the most vital location.

The Restoration Alliance had broken through the Tōkaidō provincial army's defenses to close in on Nagoya Castle.

However, the castles of Okazaki, Kariya, Kiyosu, and Inuyama had also sent Chevaliers leading Kamuy armies as reinforcements to rescue Nagoya Castle.

"The Crusades are truly powerful... No, it is the Knights of Her Majesty who are powerful."

The tide of battle was clear to see. Tōkaidō was obviously at a disadvantage.

"Is it all due to the difference in practical battlefield experience?"

The Restoration Alliance and the Tōkaidō provincial army had given up on formations.

The Legions were scattered about, fighting in close quarters. All over the Nagoya sky, Kamuys were getting defeated by British Crusades.

The Crusades were a size larger than the diminutive Kamuy in physique.

In terms of power output and pure combat strength alone, the Crusades were superior. Furthermore, the Knights of Her Majesty in command all had plenty of field experience and Chevalier Strengths over 90.

Imperial Japan did not have many Chevaliers capable of standing up to them.

"Inferiority in both strength and numbers, such adversity is truly impossible to overcome," Shouzan said quietly.

Also, the Charter of Chivalry imposed several restrictions on attacking civilian buildings.

When fighting in the sky over a city such as Nagoya, intentional destruction of the urban landscape below was forbidden. Indeed, intentional destruction .

For the sake of argument, consider the case of a Legion that had been shot or stabbed.

Unable to sustain flight, the Legion would crash to the ground, its gigantic body and armor crushing buildings in the process. Such cases were accepted as exceptions by the Charter of Chivalry and freed of responsibility.

Currently, the falling Kamuys and Crusades were mercilessly crushing Nagoya's streets.

Fortunately, dead or injured Legions did not explode, but they were still eight-meter-tall giants after all. Their corpses weighed dozens of tons.

Many buildings were smashed by the falling Legions, possibly killing people who had not fled to underground shelters in time.

"The Knights of Her Majesty broke through our defenses, then the Kinai forces invaded... This simple approach totally relies on the British."

Akigase Shouzan scoffed in disdain.

"However, no matter what the defeated side says, it would amount to nothing more than a loser's complaints."

Both Kinai and Tōkaidō were using Kamuys, the blue Legions of Imperial Japan. When civil war broke out, it was common for the aggressor to add fabric strips or extra garments to distinguish themselves.

In this case, the Kinai Kamuys were wearing red scarfs .

"What a disgrace. I failed to devise a single effective measure despite knowing of the enemy's imminent invasion. This incompetence is unacceptable."

"Your Excellency..." Nagoya's castellan bowed his head in anguish.

Shouzan continued, "The Kinai Fiefdom is backed by the British Empire, which means we need support from either Tōsandō or Kantō. However, I exhausted all manner of demands and negotiation methods and still they refused to be swayed..."

"I believe the Tōsandō Fiefdom is leaning towards the Restoration Alliance."

"This is currently unverifiable. Please watch your words."

Shouzan warned the castellan then proceeded to go on a sarcastic diatribe.

"Speaking of which, that fiefdom apparently feels dissatisfied because they received a landlocked realm of mountains back when the lands were divided among the vassals... It would come as no surprise if they actually are colluding with the Restoration Alliance in secret. As for the Kantō Fiefdom—It must be their old habit acting up again. Always sucking up to those women of the imperial palace, only wanting to leave all military matters to Rome."

"Your Excellency, you apparently need to exercise prudence in your words too..."

"Oh, indeed, let us return to the topic at hand. Well, since we cannot rely on the neighboring fiefdoms, Tōkaidō's only choice is to turn to Rome for help." Shouzan shrugged. "But asking them for aid would run the risk of making Rome our master."

"Just like how the Kinai Fiefdom is currently obeying the British military's every word... Right?"

"As dogs of Rome, those Kantō people are no better. No matter, regardless, we no longer have the luxury of waiting for reinforcements."

"All we can do is try our best and see how long we can hold." The castellan quietly expressed his determination, then said, "If only Rikka-sama were here."

"Even with her here, she can't turn the battle around on her own... Wait, I recall that she sent a letter whose contents I found rather intriguing."

Rikka was Akigase Shouzan's eldest child.

Although she was the beloved daughter born to Shouzan in his later years, she was definitely not a sheltered lady.

Matching any man in valor, Rikka was Tōkaidō's premier Chevalier and normally posted at Nagoya Castle.

Unfortunately, she was trapped by the Restoration Alliance at Suruga City, serving as the temporary castellan at the tutelary fort there.

In truth, out of Shouzan's retainers, his daughter was the most powerful warrior of them all.

The two younger brothers were no match for their eldest sister. The gap in their talent as generals was as great as between heaven and earth.

Regarding the name of "Hijikata Toshizō" mentioned by his beloved daughter—

Unfortunately, Shouzan did not have time to ponder it.

A ring was heard at the scene. A pipe fox had teleported to arrive.

The palm-size retainer beast released noetic waves to project the words of a message into the air.

'Partial destruction of noesis barrier. A force of Kamuys have invaded Nagoya Castle.'

"They are finally here...!"

Like ordinary tutelary forts, Nagoya Castle had a guardian deity stationed there.

Its name was the ifrit Nue, named after the monster that had appeared at the Emperor's residence of Seiryō-den in the past. The western equivalent in mythology would be the chimera.

The Nue featured a monkey's face, a tanuki's body, a tiger's limbs, and a tail in the shape of a snake.

This ifrit had deployed a noesis barrier to cover the castle.

This barrier was essentially the final defense line. The invading enemy's first priority would be to take over the underground water shrine and capture Governor General Akigase Shouzan.

"No need to protect me. You should go to the front line and focus on defending the castle."

"Affirmative."

Unlike his daughter, Akigase Shouzan did not possess a Chevalier's power. Instead, he left the fighting to his trusted retainers while shouldering all outcomes and responsibilities himself.

Both Shouzan and the castellan were in their late sixties, from the same generation.

Having known each other for so long, the castellan responded concisely and prepared to set off.

Before leaving, the castellan noticed an army of Legions flying at high speed towards Nagoya Castle from the east.

On a chaotic battlefield where friend and foe were mixed together, this army was packed in a wedge formation.

The orderly army was particularly conspicuous and consisted of about a hundred Legions. All of them blue samurai of Imperial Japan, they were Kamuys. But were they Kinai's or Tōkaidō's reinforcements?

"That is—Rikka-sama's army!"

The castellan yelled excitedly. His keen senses as a Chevalier had detected Rikka's noetic waves.

Shouzan hastily took out his binoculars.

Through the lenses, he observed the gradually approaching army. Standing at the head of the formation was indeed his beloved daughter. She was dressed in Imperial Japan's military uniform, riding a blue wyvern.

"Did she rush here from Suruga knowing that Nagoya is in trouble?"

Despite the female warrior's gallant arrival, Shouzan shook his head.

"What is she doing? Reinforcements of this number will not change the fate of Nagoya's fall."

Rikka's Chevalier Strength was 154, no less than any Knight of Her Majesty.

However, this quantity was still not enough to overturn the battle situation. The father frowned at his daughter's heroic but reckless act of bravery.

"Watch out, Your Excellency!"

A Crusade came flying and the castellan shouted sharply.

The Crusade raised its rifle to fire repeatedly while flying towards Shouzan's balcony. The enemy must have been drawn to the conspicuous main keep.

The scorching beams were being fired at the balcony with a rate of ten times per second.

Normally speaking, this situation would mean certain death, but fortunately, the castellan reacted appropriately.

"In the name of Zuihou, the appellation of the warrior—Assemble, Kamuys!"

The castellan swiftly summoned three Kamuys to block in front of the balcony.

Using themselves as shields, the blue samurai defended the balcony. Shot in the face and torso, the three Legions died in sacrifice, but they also raised their rifles to strike back.

One shot pierced the Crusade's throat, resulting in mutual annihilation—

The castellan had averted disaster in the nick of time. However, both the elderly decorated Chevalier and Shouzan were shocked.

"Your Excellency!?"

"Argh!?"

One of the Crusade's stray shots had struck the roof of the main keep.

A large amount of timber, tiles, and other debris was falling from the collapsing roof and onto the balcony where Shouzan and the castellan were. The two of them were buried alive under the rubble...

It was ten minutes later when they were finally rescued by the soldiers rushing to the scene.

The castellan only suffered light injuries with bruises all over him, but Shouzan was in no state to get up on his own—

### 004. Part 1

November 8th, 0:00.

It was midnight right when the date rolled over.

Princess Shiori had gone to visit an old acquaintance.

"Our last meeting was..."

"August this year—Yes. It happened to correspond to the time when Your Highness returned from the Roman imperial capital."

"Yes, and you happened to be staying in Tokyo at the time, Akigase-sama."

This conversation was taking place at a special sickroom at the Suruga tutelary fort's medical division.

Eighteen hours earlier, Shiori had been lying on this same bed. Supplying ectoplasmic fluid for Tachibana Masatsugu for consecutive days, she had collapsed from exhaustion.

Now, her bed was being used by someone else.

Akigase Shouzan, Governor General of the Tōkaidō Fiefdom. He was Rikka's father and according to reports, he had been heavily injured at Nagoya Castle eight hours earlier.

"It is far too shameful for me to meet Your Highness in such a manner."

"Both victory and defeat are commonplace in war and injuries are often inevitable. I believe there is no shame in this." Shiori politely offered words of consolation, then changed her expression.

She smiled fearlessly and revealed the acuity of her intellect.

"It is impossible for a single fiefdom of Japan to stand against the British Empire. Any Governor General would have met the same outcome had they been in your place, Akigase-sama."

The elderly Governor General was on the bed, only managing to prop up his upper body.

He narrowed his eyes for a moment to scrutinize Shiori then smiled wryly.

"I almost thought your personality changed all of a sudden... But it turns out you had simply discarded your facade."

"Oh dear, please call it 'treating others with sincerity' instead."

Akigase Shouzan was a powerful politician and highly experienced as a judge of character.

Shiori had offered honest words to some degree, hoping to bring each other closer.

This was not to cultivate personal friendship. For a princess seeking ascension and a fiefdom's Governor General, this was simply part of their job.

"Strictly speaking, Akigase-sama, you are only to blame for one mistake."

"Waiting in vain for aid from Tōsandō and Kantō until the very end... I suppose that should be it."

"Indeed, you should have requested Eastern Rome's aid instead."

After hearing this, the elderly Governor General's wry expression lost its smile.

With a bitter face, he said, "Eastern Rome is Japan's ally, indeed, but one cannot consider them a friendly nation after all. Recklessly inviting a great army from Rome would very likely turn Tōkaidō into their dog, which was why I hoped for my compatriots in eastern Japan to extend a helping hand. All things considered, we are fellow citizens of Imperial Japan—"

"Certainly, it would be ideal to prevent Rome's participation in this situation." Shiori nodded in agreement. "The Restoration Alliance are aided by Edward the Black Prince and Richard the Lionheart, which necessitates Lord Caesar's active participation to oppose them. The problem here is that allowing Lord Caesar to join the battle would effectively make him the commander of the 'Anti-Restoration Alliance' forces—"

"Regardless of the Restoration Alliance's success or failure, Tōkaidō would end up owing him an excessively large favor."

Imperial Japan was divided into twelve provinces, ruled by the Twelve Houses as regional feudal lords. The relationship between the Japanese Empress and the houses was analogous to that "between the shogun and the various feudal clans of the Edo period."

Among the twelve, the Kantō Fiefdom held the most special position.

While serving as the protector of the imperial capital of Tokyo and the current Empress, they were also extremely wealthy economically.

And the one had Empress Teruhime and the higher-ups of the Kantō Fiefdom secretly "feeding from his hand" was none other than Generalissimo Caesar of the neighboring Eastern Roman Empire.

Akigase Shouzan had vowed to never repeat the same error as the Kantō Fiefdom.

However, the elderly Governor General now sighed in anguish.

"Lord Caesar is starting to intervene in the war, yet Japan has no one capable of relegating him to a supporting role... It would appear that Tōkaidō's futile struggle ends here."

"No, it would be impossible to relegate Lord Caesar to a supporting role."

This old man was powerful but he was not a hero of timeless transcendence.

His house and territory had fallen into an unprecedented crisis.

It was time for Shiori to deliver her feature presentation to him. Currently, there was no one in Japan in greater need of Lord Tenryuu's granddaughter and a powerful Resurrectee than him.

Shiori smiled with full confidence.

"However, as for relegating him to second billing... I do believe that such a casting would be feasible."

"Oh? Speaking of which," the Tōkaidō Governor General looked sharply at Shiori. "Lately, a familiar name has frequently come to my ears."

"Please allow me to offer a proposal, which covers this matter too. It concerns the future of the Tōkaidō Fiefdom now that it has lost Nagoya and met defeat at the hands of the Restoration Alliance..."

This was one item on the agenda during the war council this morning.

After the Roman military's Staff Officer Yang had relayed Generalissimo Caesar's intent, Shiori had devised "the next step in the plan." Rikka and Tachibana Masatsugu had agreed as well, which amounted to consensus on the Suruga side.

"How about abandoning Nagoya for the time being to pursue opportunities in the east ?"

"East... So 'Hakone Checkpoint' is what you are referring to?"

"Yes. The Tōkaidō Fiefdom will first make Suruga its temporary provincial capital then take back Hakone from Edward the Black Prince."

"Take back?"

"Indeed. This is also the purpose for which we are relying on your Chevaliers to head out to battle tonight ."

Hakone Checkpoint was an impregnable fortress. Furthermore, it was Black Prince Edward's stronghold.

Currently, the defenses at Hakone Checkpoint were far more secure than even Nagoya Castle. Akigase Shouzan widened his eyes, very surprised by the suggestion.

### 005. Part 1

Back when Shiori first appointed Tachibana Hatsune as her personal lady-in-waiting, this was the first thing she told Hatsune.

"The Empress and her inner circle all resent me very much."

"Eh!?" Hatsune was very surprised, apparently unaware of such things.

At the time, Shiori was still at the imperial capital of Tokyo. This conversation had taken place in September.

"Your Highness, you're so pretty, smart too, and an amazing person..."

Why would such a lady be the target of resentment?

Shiori did not hide anything and candidly told this new and inquisitive lady-in-waiting, "The qualities you mentioned are precisely the reasons why I am resented. Beautiful and smart as I am, if I were to stay by Her Majesty's side as a foil, the comparison would reflect poorly on her."

"......"

"Oh no, please do not mistake this for bragging, what I am describing was simply the other side's mindset!"

"Don't worry, I actually like a person who can brazenly call herself 'beautiful and smart'."

Putting aside her noble bloodline, the current Empress was an "ordinary" girl.

Consequently, this bred conflict. And conflict between women tended to be of the insidious sort, staying out of plain sight. Unfortunately, the situation between Shiori and the Empress was no exception.

In the end, Shiori, who had relocated to the Suruga City, was abandoned and neglected by those at the imperial palace for a long time.

However, the Tokyo imperial palace finally sent a messenger .

They were finally willing to show some charity and extend a helping hand to rescue the poor princess from war-torn Tōkaidō—

November 13th, it was Thursday.

The messenger made a special visit to Rinzai High. Shiori chose to "have an audience" on campus, using the principal's office lent out by the school.

Behind the somewhat classy reception desk, Shiori met with the officer from the Imperial Guard.

"Thank you for traveling all the way out here for my sake."

"Not at all, Your Highness. I was supposed to hasten my way here to rescue you as soon as the incident broke out. Having dallied for over a month, all of us at the Imperial Guard are shamed beyond compare.—"

"Do not say that. Please raise your head."

The major from the Imperial Guard, the army that served the imperial family directly, bowed his head deeply in apology.

As an aide-de-camp of the imperial palace, he was acquainted with Shiori. Back in September this year, this soldier had accompanied her to attend the garden party held for Generalissimo Caesar.

Shiori said solemnly, "Hakone Checkpoint and various areas of Tōkaidō are still under the Restoration Alliance's control. You only managed to get here now due to Suruga City's emancipation. I know that the Imperial Guard is not at fault here."

These earnest words of understanding were also "false" platitudes.

If Staff Officer Yang, a Roman soldier, succeeded in breaking through the blockade, there was no reason why soldiers of the Imperial Guard failed to do the same.

Bluntly stated, they did not have the slightest sincere intention of saving Shiori.

Meanwhile, the aide-de-camp changed the subject naturally.

"In any case, I am relieved to find you safe and sound, Your Highness."

The aide-de-camp's tone was filled with sincerity.

Presumably, he was not speaking against his conscience. The Imperial Guard had simply not taken actual action. As expected of an aide-de-camp, spending his days dealing with those aggravating ladies-in-waiting at the imperial palace, he had honed perfect skills in "professional customer service."

Using pleasing words, the major skillfully glossed over the Imperial Guard's negligence and incompetence.

In a way, this was part of his job too.

"Your Highness Shiori, Her Majesty Teruhime and the other members of the imperial family are eagerly awaiting your return. Should you wish to leave, I can make arrangements for you right away..."

Only now did an aide-de-camp arrive tardily.

At least he seemed sincere in bringing Shiori back, though it was not an "absolute" imperative. He had added a conditional at the end, contingent on Shiori's desire to return, meaning it was fine to leave her here too, since the princess still had House Akigase's protection, after all...

Someone in the Empress' inner circle must have given instructions to "handle it this way."

"I am truly overjoyed to learn of everyone's care and concern, but please forgive me for I must decline their kind wishes. In fact, I recently decided to enter employment ."

"Enter... employment? Do you mean taking a job here in Suruga?"

"The details will be announced at the ceremony this coming weekend. Please forgive my secrecy for now."

Shiori smiled gently and did not neglect to nip further questioning in the bud.

The ceremony to commemorate Akigase Shouzan's transfer of the family's headship to his beloved daughter was scheduled for the weekend. This was already common knowledge.

"But Your Highness, for an imperial princess to 'enter employment' without seeking the Imperial Household Agency's counsel, that would be quite unprecedented. It is my humble opinion that it would be prudent for you to first confer with the imperial palace."

"Be at ease. I have secured Rindou-sensei 's approval for this matter already."

Shiori smiled and brought up a name of extraordinary note.

The name worked like magic, instantly silencing the aide-de-camp. Observing this conversation from the back, Masatsugu quietly went "oh?" to himself.

For someone to wield such influence over a messenger from the imperial palace, Masatsugu was quite intrigued by this "Rindou-sensei" character.

"Is this alright with you, Masatsugu-sama?"

"What do you mean, Princess?"

"Today... Hatsune is not with us."

An hour after the meeting, Masatsugu was accompanying Princess Shiori on a stroll near Rinzai High.

Walking slightly ahead, Shiori seemed to be sulking a little. There was also a hint of sarcasm in her words just now.

"She went over to the tutelary fort. If you need her, should I give her a call?"

They were walking along a rural path on the outskirts of Suruga City.

Fortunately, wireless communications could be used normally now that noetic disruption was over.

All he needed to do was borrow a phone somewhere and call the Suruga tutelary fort, and Hatsune would rush over by car in about half an hour.

"M-Masatsugu, you fail to understand me!"

"Then what do you mean?"

"Uh, umm, Masatsugu-sama, it is fine if you wish to join her... If you prefer her company... That is simply what I am thinking," Shiori stammered.

Just earlier, she had handled an aide-de-camp with perfect composure, but her attitude now made her seem like a completely different person.

However, this too was part of Fujinomiya Shiori's nature as a person. She was not only a clever princess with ambitious goals, but also a shy and reserved maiden.

Her nature was so delicate that it was impossible for a coarse man like Tachibana Masatsugu to comprehend.

For the clever princess to be expressing her displeasure in such a manner, this indicated quite a serious emergency in a certain sense.

"Princess."

Masatsugu gazed at Shiori's beautiful face and said lightly, "I am merely someone who serves you—a person in the imperial princess' service. Fujinomiya Shiori's wellbeing and safety are my top priorities. Unless there is a particular necessity, I should remain by your side in preparation for the next battle"

"Remain by my side, you say?"

Masatsugu nodded, deliberately eschewing the use of words.

He stared at Shiori intently, causing the sulking princess to turn her head away shyly as though he had struck some kind of emotional chord.

"I-I am simply asking whether you were alright with not going along with Hatsune."

"Really?"

"Yes, Masatsugu-sama, I understand your loyalties without needing you to make such a solemn statement out of it."

There was still a sulking element in Shiori's voice, but the sarcastic tone had gone.

Through a few words and subtle nuance, Masatsugu had cleared up a little of the displeasure in his lady liege's heart. Perhaps it was time to change the subject , he thought.

"May I ask what kind of person is Rindou-sensei... the one whom you brought up earlier, Princess?"

"Ah yes, I still have not told you, Masatsugu-sama," Shiori replied smoothly. "Having served the imperial family for many years, Rindou-sensei is a distinguished veteran with prominent accomplishments... Rather, she would be best described as one of the elder statesmen who helped the current imperial family come to power. She retired over ten years ago and is currently living an idyllic life near Suruga City."

I see.

A so-called elder statesman was someone who had rendered a great service to the nation. Masatsugu now had a preliminary understanding at last.

"So even after retirement, she still retains a certain level of influence, huh..."

"Yes, she not only watches over the descendants of House Fujinomiya but is also the mentor who instructed me in noetic control."

Noetic masters learned techniques in noetic control at specialized educational institutions.

However, it was highly improbable that Shiori would attend those kinds of facilities as an imperial princess. She had her own private instructor.

This Rindou-sensei was presumably an authority on noetic control at the imperial palace.

The Tachibana clan and Rindou-sensei all lived in and around Suruga. No wonder Princess Shiori had chosen to retire to this place.

"Based on what you've said, Princess... This Rindou-sensei must be quite old?"

The current imperial family had defeated the "southern court" of the Great Empire of Japan towards the end of the Second World War to become the rulers of Japan. This would be more than half a century ago. Logically speaking, an "elder statesman" from that time would be quite old now—

"Yes, Sensei is definitely at least as old as Shouzan-sama."

"It might be rude for me to say this, but I'm surprised she's lived so long."

"Fufufufu. Sensei harbors numerous secrets. You will know when you meet her in the future. However—"

Shiori smiled suggestively then sighed.

"Sensei can be rather eccentric and I have no idea when I will have a chance to meet her again. Saying she has labored enough and weary of worldly matters, she has stayed home for a number of years and refused to go out. I was lying just now when I claimed to have received Sensei's approval."

"An elderly hermit, in other words."

"Yes... I suppose you could say that."

The princess was inexplicably vague. She took Masatsugu somewhere.

This was an elegant wooden building in a bamboo forest, reminiscent of a well-maintained Japanese inn.

Its name was Ryouzan Manor and was where Masatsugu and Shiori had their first "heart to heart" conversation.

Masatsugu noticed a case of twenty beers in front of the entrance along with domestic whiskey and several bottles of wine...

These were probably delivered from a liquor store or a supermarket?

"I have prepared many successive 'offerings' to invite Sensei, but unfortunately, she remains unmoved."

"Is this part of the offerings too?"

Masatsugu waved a bottle he was holding in his hand.

It contained junmai daiginjou , a type of premium sake brewed from pure rice. The label on the bottle featured a vibrant logo with the words "Special Selection, Lord Nanryuu."

At the princess' request, Hatsune had ordered this famous brand of sake from a nearby liquor store.

The bottle had arrived yesterday after Suruga's blockade was lifted. The liquor store owner who made the delivery to the dorm even promised "This stuff is so rare that it's absolutely a phantom sake!"

Masatsugu's job today was transporting this bottle of sake.

Hence, he had been chatting with hs lady liege while walking to Ryouzan Manor.

"And here I was thinking 'the princess is an alcoholic too' huh."

"I-I am still a minor! I have never imbibed any alcoholic beverage except for amazake. I specially ordered this brand because it is Sensei's favorite!"

"I see."

"The problem is that Sensei's 'favorite brands' number over a hundred. I am still far from completing the collection," said Shiori in distress.

This Rindou-sensei was evidently quite the drinker.

"It is time for Sensei to return to society and aid me. I really need the help now that a new Resurrectee has joined the Roman faction at Tokyo."

A few days ago, Staff Officer Yang had informed them of a certain name.

He was the newly appointed general of the Roman garrison in Kantō. His name was enough to surprise the well-learned princess, who never expected a man of such greatness to return to the human realm—

### 006. Part 1

"How peculiar."

This was meant to be a serious comment, but Wei Qing spoke in a rather carefree manner.

On the east side of Hakone was the first tutelary fort, Seiryuu Gate. Wei Qing had just witnessed the appearance of the ifrit guarding this place.

It was November 16th on Sunday morning, just as dawn was breaking.

"I never thought I'd ever encounter such a 'monster' on the battlefield," muttered Wei Qing.

Hakone's sky and mountains had acquired a rosy glow from the morning sun's rays.

The ancient Chinese general was flying in the sky over Hakone Yumoto.

He was riding a silver wyvern—The Eastern Roman military's flying retainer beast. This was virtually the same as what he had done in an age before the Common Era, riding across battlefields as a general on his trusty steed.

However, his attire was still a robe instead of a modern military uniform.

"The fortification walls are merely decoration. So that kind of monster is the real fortress here... Just as I've heard," Wei Qing remarked with poignancy.

He was currently near the Hakone Yumoto station, in the mountains a couple kilometers to the south.

This was the location of a star fort and nation-protecting keep, known as Seiryuu Gate, Hakone's first tutelary fort. In the sky over the nation-protecting keep, a strange monster had manifested.

It was a shining golden dragon, seventy meters in body length—

Imperial Japan's ifrits usually had a giant magic circle behind their back, but this golden dragon's gigantic body had an equally huge set of three eyes behind it.

The giant eyeballs were the manifestation of the powerful spirit from Britain, Morgan le Fay.

Examining the golden dragon's face closely, one would also notice a third eye had been added to the forehead area...

Next.

The three-eyed golden dragon roared thrice.

ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!

A noesis barrier in the form of a shining golden dome covered the first tutelary fort Seiryuu Gate and the golden dragon.

"A golden dragon capable of creating a wall of light... And it has three eyes too, huh?"

For a Chinese general like Wei Qing, the dragon was supposed to be a mythical beast familiar to him.

However, Wei Qing smiled wryly at the encounter with this overly adorned "dragon."

Someone spoke up to this Resurrectee, "A merged divinity composed of Seiryuu, Suzaku, Byakko, and Genbu—According to information provided by the Kantō Fiefdom, that thing is apparently called the Four Gods."

Flying next to Wei Qing, a giant eagle had opened its beak.

This was an aquila, a Roman military retainer beast in the form of a bird with a wingspan of almost four meters. It was speaking with the voice of Staff Officer Alexis Yang of the Roman army.

"This rare treasure was wasted the whole time because Japan lacked a spirit and a Chevalier capable of controlling it. Looks like it's been collared by the leader of the British forces!"

"Ah, you mean the Black Prince of rumor?"

Staff Officer Yang was physically lying down in the barracks of the Suruga tutelary fort this instant.

After being told that Wei Qing was attacking Seiryuu Gate, he had possessed the eagle retainer beast with his consciousness and flown to Hakone to observe the battle, so as to inform the Suruga side and Rome's generalissimo of the battle's process.

The ancient Chinese general also consented to Staff Officer Yang's presence.

"Resurrected in the modern world and my first major battle turns out to be against that kind of monster—Looks like my luck has never been good," Wei Qing continued to converse with a wry smile.

Taken literally, his words sounded like complaining. However, his carefree attitude was brilliantly balanced while his tone was calm and confident, causing none of what he had said to produce any negative impression.

Only a man who had abundant experience in both honor and hardship would be able to attain such a level of enlightenment.

"First, let us attack using the method seen on recorded video previously."

"What do you mean by that, General?"

"I am going to use exactly the same tactics as the Black Prince had employed."

"I see. So in other words, a frontal assault using a Resurrectee's Chevalier Strength of over a thousand to summon a great army to capture the four tutelary forts in sequence along the four cardinal directions, right?"

Such brute force tactics were impossible without an unusually large army.

As the one who suggested a bold and dignified approach to battle as befitted a king, Wei Qing's Chevalier Strength reached 1051, a powerful force living up to his historical rank of "generalissimo."

Odawarajou was the Kantō tutelary fort nearest to Hakone. From there, Wei Qing mobilized with an army of a thousand.

"...Centuriae, please prepare to attack as I have just described."

Wei Qing's tone sounded more like a request than an order.

The army under his command was composed of the Eastern Roman Empire's mainstay Legion type, the Centuria.

The Centuriae raised their bayonet rifles and aimed at the enemy position.

Less than eight meters tall, the Roman Legions were not particularly large in build. They were outfitted with crested helmets and silver chain mail with a large rectangular shields in one hand. A single glance at their warlike appearance was enough to tell that they were "soldiers."

They were adorned all over by red fabric. The decorative wings on their backs were especially distinctive.

The Centuriae formed an encircling force. The dome-shaped noesis barrier of the Four Gods was surrounded by the silver-white Roman army over all 360 degrees.

This was a donut-style encircling formation with a hole in the center.

"What an amusing sight. The generalissimo with allegiance to the Han Dynasty yet commanding purely occidental Legions."

Staff Officer Yang commented from the eagle retainer beast he was possessing and Wei Qing agreed with a smile.

The type of Legion summoned by a Resurrectee was determined by which sacred beast had brought them back to the living world .

Wei Qing had been summoned from the underworld by the twin silver wolves of Remus and Romulus—in other words, the sacred beast entity that the Empire's founder, Caesar, had brought to East Asia from the Mediterranean.

Wei Qing issued orders without haste.

"Begin the attack to thoroughly penetrate the wall created by the Four Gods. Puncture and demolish it."

The Roman army kept firing scorching beams from their rifles.

Heat and shock struck the Four Gods' noesis barrier violently in volleys without interruption.

The focused barrage continued for around ten minutes.

However, the noesis barrier remained unscathed. Let alone a hole, it did not even suffer the slightest visible damage.

The first tutelary fort Seiryuu Gate's three-eyed golden dragon was in equally good condition—

After firing continuously for an extended duration, the Centuriae were exhausted, having consumed a fair amount of ectoplasmic fluid. Wei Qing ordered them to stop firing and take a breather.

"Using the same tactic, the Black Prince had effortlessly crushed the four strongholds' defenses. Unfortunately, it doesn't work against the Four Gods, so this will be troublesome."

The handsome Resurrectee was speaking in his unique carefree attitude.

His voice did not sound too troubled. Through the aquila's beak, Staff Officer Yang gave his opinion as a noetic master.

"This noesis barrier's hardness must be extraordinary for it to survive focused fire from a large army. Perhaps by gathering the four ifrits' noetic energy in one place, an especially sturdy barrier is formed!"

"Living up to its name as an impregnable fortress. Impressive."

No sooner had Wei Qing spoken, something happened at the noesis barrier covering the first tutelary fort.

The giant dome, two or three kilometers in diameter, erupted with intense sparks from all over its surface—

'Meteorological decree... Activate. Shining spear, bring forth death.'

An adorable girl's voice resounded in the sky.

Naturally, this was a mantra recited by the genie Morrigan.

The noesis barrier covering the first tutelary fort began to release electricity, sending giant bolts of lightning outwards to swallow the thousand Centuriae gathered in the surroundings.

"Isn't this firepower way too crazy!?"

"Centuriae, please deploy your barriers."

The merged divinity of the Four Gods had released incredibly powerful lightning on a massive scale. Even a "noetic expert" like Alexis Yang was extremely shocked.

However, Wei Qing remained unfazed and issued orders calmly.

The Centuriae deployed protective barrier particles, glowing white while their mystical properties took effect to neutralize external attacks.

The denser the formation of Legions, the greater the effects of the protective barrier—

Over a thousand strong, Wei Qing's Centuriae did not fear the suddenly incoming meteorological decree at all. The mystical effects of the barrier particles enabled them to survive the onslaught without casualties.

After the electrical discharge, the noesis barrier vanished unexpectedly.

Taking its place, a large force of black British Legions—roughly four hundred of them—appeared in the sky over the nation-protecting keep at the center of the first tutelary fort. These Legions were not ordinary Crusades.

They were the Knights of the Garter, the personal guard of Edward the Black Prince.

The Garter Knights divided up into four squads of a hundred. Each squad entered a square wall formation to occupy the positions east, south, west, and north of the tutelary fort...

Wei Qing murmured, "I see now. So this is the enemy's intent."

Every black knight was equipped with a longbow, nocked with an arrow of light, aimed outward.

"Outward" from the arrows of light were the thousand Centuriae surrounding the tutelary fort. With enemies in every direction, any random shot would hit a target. Positioned at each of the four cardinal directions, the Garter Knights had all 360 degrees covered.

As expected, the four squads of Garter Knights began to attack with arrows.

Furthermore, their weapons were magic projectiles of guaranteed death—

"That's Prince Edward's Feat of Arms!"

"The English longbow, isn't it? I have heard that its firepower is extraordinary..."

The Centuriae deployed their protective barriers.

However, these barriers were completely useless. The barrier particles, supposed to neutralize attacks, could not stop the arrows from penetrating the Centuriae's silver armor deeply.

Many Centuriae hastily raised their shields.

The heavy shields just managed to block the arrows, saving many of the silver Legions.

Those who failed to raise their shields in time were pierced directly in their vitals, crashing to the ground, dead...

The four hundred Garter Knights kept drawing their bows to fire.

From drawing the bow to loosing the arrow, the whole process only took five to ten seconds. They were amazingly skilled and experienced and kept firing in succession. The Roman encircling force, originally holding the upper hand, were now "sitting ducks."

Staff Officer Yang could not help but say, "General! Hurry and order the Centuriae to hide behind their shields—"

"No, it is futile. The Centuriae's shields probably won't last for long." Wei Qing rejected Staff Officer Yang's advice decisively and said, "Centuriae, please attack instead of defending. The soldiers in front should try to shield your comrades behind you as much as possible."

A minute or so went by...

The nightmarish English longbow continued to slaughter them.

In merely a minute—only sixty seconds—102 Centuriae had been shot dead. This number had reached 10% of the thousand Roman Legions.

However, under Wei Qing's command, the Centuriae kept their enemy encircled the whole time.

Enduring the rain of arrows, they raised their rifles again and pulled the trigger, trying to shoot back in retaliation.

They targeted the first tutelary fort and the longbow-wielding Garter Knights entrenched inside.

The enemy had disengaged the noesis barrier to allow the firing of arrows.

Logically speaking, the Centuriae's counterattack ought to inflict heavy damage. But unexpectedly, the dome of noetic energy was redeployed with perfect timing just before the attack. In control of the Four Gods, the powerful British spirit Morrigan had read the Centuriae's movements accurately.

Just before the barrier went up, the black knights also lowered their longbows.

The Black Prince in command of the longbowmen truly lived up to his name as a master general. He was fully aware of his supporting spirit's intentions and achieved perfect tacit coordination of offense and defense.

Facing the tutelary fort whose barrier was deployed again, Wei Qing said, "Oh dear, this is truly..."

Reduced to roughly nine hundred, the Centuriae continued to surround the enemy.

The Roman army resumed their volley fire, but the noesis barrier was rock solid. As soon as the focused barrage stopped, the British side retaliated mercilessly again—

The noesis barrier released a massive lightning attack in all directions.

All Centuriae were paralyzed by the electrical shock. The enemy instantly disengaged the noesis barrier to allow the four hundred Garter Knights to ready their longbows and fire in succession...

After sixty seconds, Wei Qing lost another hundred Centuriae.

The Roman army's efforts to strike back were futile as the enemy had redeployed the noesis barrier again.

"At this rate, the siege battle is just going to repeat itself. My army will be wiped out in less than a day."

Only twenty minutes after the battle began, the army of Centuriae had already lost two hundred troops.

Witnessing the casualties, General Wei Qing simply gave a light sigh and did not sound like he was lamenting at all.

Quietly, he said, "With the enemy shutting themselves within the noesis barrier, there is no way for my army to break through from outside."

"You probably won't find another noesis barrier this durable elsewhere in the entire world. Why not withdraw for now and think of another strategy?"

"Then we might as well retreat back to Odawarajou."

"Huh?"

The aquila retainer beast was an eagle in form. In other words, a bird of prey.

However, Staff Officer Yang's stupefied voice coming from its beak did not suit its majestic image as a fierce bird of prey at all. In contrast, the handsome man from the Han Empire retained a cool and gentle demeanor and said with a smile, "We already know that the fortress is truly 'impregnable.' There is no need to attack now ."

"...Ah, I see."

The reason why Staff Officer Yang was fortunate enough to serve Generalissimo Caesar directly was not because of outstanding abilities in strategy.

Bluntly stated, he was mediocre in this regard. Caesar merely found him convenient as "an intelligence officer with noetic skills." Still, he was a staff officer after all.

With Wei Qing's hint, he finally understood the intent.

Staff Officer Yang concluded in his mind, What an unfathomable man...

Family name Wei. Given name Qing. Style name Zhongqing.

Since his birth mother was renowned as a beauty and attracted many lovers, Wei Qing's father was unknown. The government official claiming to be his father took him in as a servant, treating him no better than a slave since childhood.

The man who might have been his father made the young Wei Qing herd sheep.

Spending his days with a flock of sheep in the mountains, Wei Qing lived a life on horseback, herding livestock. One day, a chance to travel to the capital of Chang'an came unexpectedly. His long-absent elder sister had summoned him.

Employed in a rich and powerful household, the elder sister had the good fortune of encountering the emperor and becoming his beloved concubine .

Indeed, the emperor. Not just any emperor but Emperor Wu whose reign established the height of the Western Han Dynasty's supremacy. Thus, the "younger brother of the emperor's beloved concubine" began his rise in position and authority.

However, perhaps due to his humble beginnings...

General Wei Qing kept a low profile for his entire life, unwilling to attract attention.

"He is clearly a Resurrectee whose, Chevalier Strength exceeds 1000," said the simulacrum of the spirit Morrigan in puzzlement.

The doll was figure-size and stood thirty centimeters tall. Dressed in a sailor outfit, she was sitting on Edward's shoulder.

"In the end, he retreated so easily. Is he unused to siege battles?"

"Possibly, but even so, he is still an experienced warrior."

The confidence brought by victory made Edward smile.

He was riding a British white wyvern, flying leisurely in the sky over Hakone Yumoto. Previously cooped up in the noesis barrier, he was especially delighted for the chance to fly freely now.

"What do you mean, Prince?"

"Basically, effective siege tactics boil down to only two types . And neither of them are instantly effective. Given this dearth of choice, no matter which tactics are considered, all of them require foolishly sending troops to their deaths..."

Edward thought back to the distant Middle Ages and the wars he had taken part in.

"How about examining the battles of Crécy and Poitiers where our English longbows slaughtered the French armies...? Contemplate the extent of their folly."

The Feat of Arms—Archers of Crécy—had the ability to turn the Black Prince's knights into longbowmen.

Everyone knew that this ability originated from a textbook example of skillful longbow deployment.

The defeated French army had centered their tactics around "knights."

Knights, or heavy cavalry in other words. French knights rode their steeds gallantly across the battlefield to charge the English army that had set up their formation on a hill.

English longbowmen countered by firing a rain of arrows.

The French knights who braved the chaotic hail of arrows to reach the English position were greeted with ditches and pits ahead of them. On the other hand, the English knights dismounted voluntarily to ambush the enemy as infantry.

As a result, the English won an overwhelming victory at the Battle of Crécy.

At the Battle of Poitiers ten years later, the ditches and pits were replaced by a protective hedge.

In both of these great battles, the reason for the French defeats was the same. Essentially, "French knights charging recklessly into the English army's secured position."

"By the way, there was a similar fight in Japan. I believe it was called the Battle of Nagashino."

"Whether firearms or English longbows, one must exercise caution in attacking when the enemy possesses powerful projectile weapons."

Saying that, Edward grinned.

The enemy's intention to fight a protracted battle could be surmised from the the fact that the Roman general of unknown name and face had retreated here.

However, the British side was fully prepared.

For the past two months, the Restoration Alliance—no, the British Imperial Forces—had made various preparations to establish a reliable foundation to invade Kantō. This included securing supply lines to an impeccable extent.

That was why the British had not aggressively launched a "surprise assault on Tokyo."

"Now then, what will be your next move, Tachibana-dono...?"

The Black Prince knew the alias and appearance of the enemy general at Suruga.

Fully prepared to face any attack, Edward wondered what measures Tachibana Masatsugu would take. With these thoughts in his mind, he could hardly suppress the excitement naturally rising in his heart.

### 007. Part 1

November 22nd, Saturday.

Akigase Rikka's succession to the post of Governor General had taken place exactly a week ago.

During this time, General Wei Qing had headed out to battle, Tōkaidō's elites had gathered at the Fuji tutelary fort, and even Rindou-sensei had arrived.

As for the "Vice-Commander of the Shinsengumi," Tachibana Masatsugu...

He ordered the Tōkaidō Chevaliers to attack Izu once a day.

This was the location of the Nagahama tutelary fort occupied by the Restoration Alliance. In the waters offshore of the Izu Peninsula, the British had three sister ships of the Tintagel on active duty.

Restoration Alliance Legions using that area as their base of operations were protecting the supply lines there.

Namely, the supply lines from Izu to Hakone over, sea, land, and air.

Attacking the three British vessels and the defending force occupying the Nagahama tutelary fort would affect Hakone's supply situation adversely.

For this purpose, Masatsugu had been sending hundreds of Kamuys to various parts of Izu day after day.

General Wei Qing, who was leading the Roman army, and the Kantō Fiefdom's Chevaliers were following the same strategy. Cooperating in surprising concerted attacks, they cleverly disrupted the Izu situation.

Not to be outdone, the Restoration Alliance summoned many Chevaliers to Izu to meet them in battle.

For the past week, both sides engaged in defense and offense every day.

As for today—

Masatsugu set off from the Fuji tutelary fort, but for a different purpose.

First of all, he traveled by car to the Yamanashi region under Tōkaidō jurisdiction. Then switching to helicopter at Yamanashi, he crossed the prefectural border on the east to enter Kanagawa—thus arriving at Odawarajou . Furthermore, he did not go alone.

The new and beautiful Governor General, the little sister, and the noble lady liege also accompanied him.

"During the Edo period, Hakone Checkpoint was established near Lake Ashi."

Akigase Rikka and Tachibana Hatsune were listening attentively to Shiori's history lesson.

"Back then, the checkpoint was roughly four Japanese leagues from Ogawarajou, which is equivalent to sixteen or seventeen kilometers."

"That's less than a day's walk on ordinary roads."

"In practice, this required ascending the precipitous mountain paths of old Tōkaidō, which was no easy task."

"Hakone Checkpoint was a fortress during the Edo period and an inspection point with strict controls over 'the entry of firearms and the exit of women.' In other words, women from daimyo households leaving Edo and the carrying of firearms into Edo."

The current mood was laid back and casual, but it was also true that they were currently gathered at a particularly private location in Odawarajou.

The three girls were at the massive water shrine underground of the tutelary fort—In the bath there.

The decor and architectural style was reminiscent of an ancient Roman bath. The ectoplasmic fluid vat filled with blue holy water was also built from marble, giving off a solemn atmosphere.

Completely naked, the girls were soaking in the artificial ectoplasmic fluid.

The battle to capture Hakone was imminent and they were in the process of resupplying.

As an imperial princess, Shiori had decided to participate in the battle anonymously. Hence, she was also immersing herself in ectoplasmic fluid to boost her mystic powers even though she was not a Chevalier.

Unintentionally, Shiori's thoughts drifted in a certain direction.

"So these two have gotten into intimate relationships with Masatsugu-sama too..."

"? Did you say something, Your Highness?"

"N-Not at all. Nothing of consequence, please pay it no mind."

Shiori had accidentally murmured to herself.

While deflecting Rikka's curiosity with a smile, she secretly pondered.

(Perhaps too much has happened between me and Masatsugu-sama...)

Inexplicably, Shiori felt very curious about the figures of the other two girls.

Akigase Rikka was slim and trim in build.

However, she was by no means bony. Voluptuous in all the right parts as befitted a woman, the line from her bust to her waist was exquisite, bulging out and curving in appropriately, and the beauty of her form was enough to incite jealousy from any woman in the world.

Comparing herself to Rikka's figure... Shiori was a bit disheartened.

The princess had started her growth spurt at the age of fourteen, but she was never a fan of exercise. Compared to a lady Chevalier who trained diligently in martial arts, she seemed too flabby—Bluntly stated, she felt a bit "too fat."

On the other hand, Tachibana Hatsune's maturation had exceeded Shiori, the lady she served.

Even dressing in a kimono could not hide her magnificent bust.

However, Hatsune was a member of the Tachibana clan, who prided themselves on strength, after all. Frequent rowdy incidents and martial training had kept her slim in all the right places. Overall, hers was a voluptuous and undulating figure brimming with feminine beauty.

Needless to say, Hatsune's figure was the more full-bodied type.

However, Shiori was worried that such volume would better suit a man's tastes. Previously, she had read a men's magazine on a whim and one article reported the prevailing world-view of "size matters, the bigger the better."

In addition, there was another worrying element.

Compared to Rikka and Hatsune, Fujinomiya Shiori's intermediate figure was merely "half-baked"—Would this make her insufficiently attractive?

(These thoughts are totally meaningless...)

Recently, Shiori found herself inexplicably bothered by such matters. She was worrying whether Fujinomiya Shiori was lacking in attractiveness compared to the women around her.

She had never faced similar troubles before.

(Why am I agonizing over this? From an objective standpoint, I am undoubtedly a young maiden possessing beauty far beyond average norms...)

Shiori knew on a rational level, but could not stop thinking about it. This was quite a conundrum.

They were about to attack Hakone and she forced herself to banish these thoughts.

At that moment, she noticed that the two other girls had spontaneously fallen silent. Everyone was contemplating, sneaking glances at one another's figure...

"B-By the way, Princess and Rikka-sama," Hatsune hastily spoke up, "That General Wei Qing we just saw earlier... He's pretty handsome."

"I would agree, but of course, he is just not my cup of tea."

Unexpectedly, Rikka joined in on this type of frivolous conversation.

Perhaps she wanted to dispel the current awkward atmosphere too. Presented with this chance opportunity, Shiori decided to take it up.

"His elder sister was a renowned beauty who became the beloved consort of Emperor Wu, whose reign marked the pinnacle of the Han Empire. Perhaps he bears quite a facial resemblance to his sister."

The beautiful Wei Zifu had rose from being the emperor's beloved concubine to official empress.

The Wei family were originally lowly commoners. Wei Zifu worked at the household of Princess Pingyang, Emperor Wu's elder sister, which was how she found the opportunity to catch the emperor's eye.

Hers would be the quintessential tale of rags to riches, and the same applied to her younger brother too.

"Living in the remote mountains of China, tending to sheep, this young man went to the capital and began working as a laborer in the imperial palace thanks to his sister's connections. After learning of this, Emperor Wu made him a general and gave him an army of ten thousand to command."

"T-Ten thousand troops for a newcomer right off the bat!?"

"Yes. First of all, he was the younger brother of the emperor's beloved consort. Additionally, it was because the enemy consisted of Xiongnu nomadic tribes."

Shiori smiled at the sight of Hatsune's look of astonishment.

"General Wei Qing grew up relatively close to the Xiongnu sphere of influence. Furthermore, he knew many nomadic 'colleagues' from his sheep herding days—In other words, he had quite a few Xiongnu acquaintances... This also meant that he knew the ways and customs of the enemy better than anyone else."

"But even with these reasons, isn't he being favored way too much?"

"Normally speaking, people like him would only meet a tragic end, such as leading the army of ten thousand to death or fleeing back to the capital in disgrace. Surprisingly, all the other generals were defeated by the Xiongnu, but only General Wei Qing returned in triumph."

"Meaning that the aforementioned handsome guy had inborn talent as a general, to an unbelievable degree, right?" Rikka was extremely impressed.

Shiori nodded and said, "Yes, General Wei Qing would continue to distinguish himself, accumulating victories against the Xiongnu, rising to the dual posts of Chief Defense Minister and Generalissimo. However, for better or worse, his personality was extremely reserved and low key, and he stayed out of the spotlight in the army and the imperial court. I suppose one could call him a courteous and modest gentleman who treated his subordinates with kindness..."

"Your mission is as I've just explained. Do you understand?"

"...Understood."

Masatsugu confirmed repeatedly and the other party shifted her gaze in response to him.

However, the reply was weak and lacking in confidence. It was hard to say that a dialogue had been established.

The one whom Masatsugu was talking to was precisely the "shy" genie, Sakuya.

Sakuya looked like a young black-haired girl dressed as a shrine maiden. They were currently at Odagawarajou's central keep, overlooking the streets of Odagawara City and Sagami Bay.

This regional city facing the Pacific Ocean was located on the western end of the Kantō plain.

During the Sengoku period, the Houjou clan dominated the Kantō region and Odagawara was their stronghold. Like Atsumi, this historic castle town was the port city nearest to Hakone.

"Why can't you be more like that Rindou-sensei?"

"......?"

"Rather, I suppose Rindou-sensei is the exception."

The first thing Masatsugu did after arriving at this castle was establishing a tutelary pact with the underground water shrine.

The girls in his company were currently bathing to replenish ectoplasmic fluid. Masatsugu used this opportunity to talk to Sakuya, who had been brought here to undertake a certain mission. Very clearly, their dialogue was not lively at all.

"Looks like asking Rikka-dono to come along was the right decision."

Sakuya was the Suruga tutelary fort's guardian spirit. The principal image of the ifrit was still at Suruga.

They had brought Sakuya along for her to fulfill a certain mission. However, Sakuya was only willing to open her heart to long-time acquaintances. Just as Masatsugu shrugged, someone spoke to him, "You are Tachibana Masatsugu-dono, I presume?"

"And you are—General Wei Qing, right?"

This was the first encounter between these two, brought back to life from their deaths in the ancient past.

This general of the Eastern Roman Empire was a gentle-looking handsome man dressed in blue Chinese clothing. In contrast, Masatsugu was wearing his usual stiff-collar uniform with a new battle surcoat on top.

"I am counting on your support today, General Wei Qing. By the way, are you sure you don't mind?"

"What do you mean?"

"General Wei Qing, you will be serving as my support on this occasion. I feel bad about relegating you to such an unassuming role."

With Alexis Yang as the liaison, the Tōkaidō side had contacted the Roman army at Ogawarajou and the Kantō Fiefdom's castellan of Ogawara a number of times. Using the telephone or relaying messages through retainer beasts, there were many opportunities for direct communications.

Of course, the Ogawara castellan essentially agreed with everything said by the Roman side.

In actual practice, General Wei Qing was the only person whom Masatsugu needed to talk to. The battle plan the two of them devised today basically followed Masatsugu's ideas.

The was because General Wei Qing had accepted all requests made by the Tōkaidō side.

When the discussion was essentially over, Masatsugu wondered to himself. Why did General Wei Qing not raise any opposition against Tōkaidō at all?

Was he passive as a person or did he not have any plan better than Masatsugu's?

Or perhaps, he held a kind of enlightenment and confidence—He was deeply convinced of his ability to prevail over any kind of situation? For some reason, Masatsugu felt that this was the most probable.

"Hahaha, please do not let something so trivial bother you."

Masatsugu had apologized first, but General Wei Qing laughed cheerfully.

"This is actually better because I do not like excessive attention."

"It's great to hear that from you."

Looking at General Wei Qing's handsome face, gentle and smiling, Masatsugu was very certain.

Richard the Lionheart, Edward the Black Prince, and Generalissimo Caesar were all people who enjoyed being the center of attention, but this man was the complete opposite.

Perhaps because of that, Wei Qing was a famed general with unique qualities—

Masatsugu noticed General Wei Qing staring at him with curiosity.

"Is there something on my face?"

"No, actually, I have this unbelievable feeling."

The handsome Resurrectee showed an expression of nostalgia.

"When speaking to you, I get this impression... as though I am meeting someone from my homeland of the past. Excuse me for being forward, but may I inquire of your origins?"

"......"

"Born within the borders of Chinese territory—That does not seem to be the case for you. How unbelievable."

"Don't ask questions of this sort. I can't answer you."

"My apologies." General Wei Qing apologized to Masatsugu with a light smile. "I overstepped my bounds. Please forget I ever asked."

Prior to setting off to this battle, Masatsugu had received a great amount of ectoplasmic fluid.

This was owed to the three girls helping him. However, the powerful noesis emanating from him made it impossible to hide the fact that he was a Resurrectee.

Masatsugu politely declined probing attempts and General Wei Qing accepted with an open mind.

In any case, the two ancient generals were about to fight a common enemy in a joint operation.

### 008. Part 1

"Morrigan, inform the defensive forces at each tutelary fort on my behalf."

After the merged divinity of the Four Gods vanished, Edward immediately issued orders.

"Tell them to keep defending their respective tutelary forts for two hours. Once this designated duration is over, each army will act at their own discretion depending on the changing circumstances."

"Affirmative."

The loyal spirit Morrigan nodded in response to Edward using the doll she was possessing.

They were on the roof of the nation-protecting keep at the first tutelary fort, Seiryuu Gate. Edward quickly walked over to a waiting wyvern.

"Very well.. It is time to get back to square one. I will take my personal guard, the Knights of the Garter, and leave this first tutelary fort. Morrigan, you come with me too."

"Affirmative. Are you going to converge with the main force, Prince?"

"Indeed, you know me well."

Seeing the subtle expression on Morrigan's face, Edward smirked.

...Despite losing his impregnable fortress, the superior officer seemed to be in excellent spirits. Edward was thankful for the leveled playing field, allowing him to have a showdown against Tachibana Masatsugu on equal terms.

Morrigan was appalled by the Black Prince's love of battle, but felt curious about how he would command his army.

"Let us set off, Morrigan. I have brought four hundred Legions to Seiryuu Gate, with eight hundred remaining at the central command center. A total of a thousand and two hundred Legions should be plenty enough forces. The Japanese enemies must know that the black knights of the British Empire will be the ones to dominate the Hakone battlefield."

Apart from the Garter Knights, there were another hundred and fifty-odd Crusades at Seiryuu Gate.

The Black Prince ordered them to defend the tutelary fort while he took his personal guard to converge with the "central main force." He was going to launch a vicious counterattack next, to destroy the enemy armies in the four cardinal directions respectively—

This was Edward's plan. However...

"Of course, you are going to hinder me, right? Tachibana-dono..."

Leading the four hundred Legions under his direct command, the Black Prince moved towards Oowakudani—

There was another ambush force there. Eight hundred Knights of the Garter were already detected. Leading a total of a thousand and two hundred Legions, Prince Edward was setting up his position in the sky over Mount Souun—

Retainer beasts such as aquilas and yatagarasus had returned with the above reports.

Needless to say, Tachibana Masatsugu was kept informed of such intel at all times.

However, there was one matter that needed to be discussed and settled prior to entering the battlefield. It would not be wrong to call it a negotiation. In other words, a meeting with the renowned general of Japan's "ally," the Eastern Roman Empire.

The key point was how to defeat the enemy's leader, Edward the Black Prince—

Riding blue wyverns, Masatsugu and Rikka headed to the rendezvous point in the sky over Oowakudani.

After the battle at Suzaku Gate, six hundred of Masatsugu's Kanesadas remained while Rikka's hundred and fifty Kamuys were virtually unscathed.

Meanwhile, riding a silver wyvern, General Wei Qing brought roughly four hundred and fifty Centuriae.

In order to hold the Black Prince's attention at Seiryuu Gate, Wei Qing had confronted the English longbow formation head on, losing over half of his army of a thousand as a result.

The rest of the Roman and Tōkaidō forces had stayed at the four tutelary forts in the north, east, south, and west.

Those forces were currently fighting the armies left behind by Prince Edward.

Currently, the seven hundred and fifty Tōkaidō Legions combined with the four hundred and fifty of Rome's to give a total of a thousand and two hundred.

Given the proportions, it would not be wrong for Tōkaidō to be in command. However, if the Roman army, which had sacrificed the most so far, refused to cooperate, this battle would be extremely hard to fight—That was how the proportions worked.

While thinking over these matters, Masatsugu reached the rendezvous point in the sky over Oowakudani.

Leading his Centuriae in a spherical formation, General Wei Qing arrived from the direction of Hakone Yumoto.

"Masatsugu-dono."

"Yeah, I'm going to talk to him for a bit."

Masatsugu gave Rikka a look and left the Tōkaidō army of seven hundred and fifty Legions. Riding his wyvern alone, he approached the Roman army of four hundred and fifty. Who knew what would come out of his discussion with General Wei Qing?

The two of them met in the sky over Oowakudani.

Wei Qing said very candidly, "I am willing to cooperate with your plan, Masatsugu-dono."

"...Now that's really helpful of you to be so accommodating."

That being said, Masatsugu could not help but grumble this time.

"Since I haven't even told you the plan, aren't you agreeing too quickly?"

"Please rest assured, this is the power of my Feat of Arms."

"What?"

The ability to renact migty feats from the battlefields of one's past life—

Such was the special power of Feat of Arms. However, what kind of ability had Wei Qing invoked during this conversation? Masatsugu was greatly puzzled.

Wei Qing pointed at his own temple and explained. Normally low key, Wei Qing was speaking in a mischievous tone of voice for once.

"I have no idea whether my daily conduct resulted in karmic backlash, or I am simply afflicted with poor luck, but as a result, I am always surrounded by troubles outside of battle. Examples include unreasonable treatment from the upper class, or being forced to lead armies that are clearly weaker than the enemy..."

His words sounded like complaining, but Wei Qing's tone was filled with levity as though he were not talking about himself.

In fact, there was a gentle smile maintained on Wei Qing's face.

"Perhaps due to this, my intuition is especially sharp when it comes to matters of advance or retreat."

"Intuition?"

"Yes. My expertise lies in knowing when to advance or retreat, knowing where to move for better fortune and which positions are disadvantageous... All this is clear to me in a kind of premonition."

"You can really see that stuff?"

"This time, my intuition tells me what you hinted at is the most effective path to survival... This is precisely the effect of my Feat of Arms—Kanglong Youhui."

Wei Qing easily revealed his completely unassuming ability.

Masatsugu was very intrigued. Did this really count as a Feat of Arms?

Wei Qing smiled again and said, "There have been many eccentric people around me in the past. This includes an emperor who was a good judge of character, but had poor understanding of human hearts, the emperor's willful older sisters, obstinate generals, etc... Perhaps after being pushed around by those people for long years, I developed this kind of ability as a result."

"I see."

Masatsugu understood, but he was only half-convinced.

General Wei Qing having such an ability was probably true. Otherwise, he would not have obediently committed to Masatsugu's battle plan without knowing anything in advance.

However, a Feat of Arms purely for "improving intuition"—That was quite difficult to believe.

Masatsugu speculated that Wei Qing had exercised "temperance" in only telling part of the truth. The true effects of the Feat of Arms should be more powerful with intuition as merely the tip of the iceberg.

"General Wei Qing, if a chance arises, I'd really like to get to the 'bottom' of you some day."

"My true nature is not interesting at all. On the other hand, Tachibana-dono, your identity is far more intriguing."

"Me, you say?"

"The way you have fought your battles so far are only possible with a deep belief that your troops are the elite of the elite. Such are the types of tactics you employ, which take an excessively heavy toll on the soldiers."

"......"

"It is most likely that you hail from a strong nation, or perhaps you were a general leading heroes of the most elite sort?"

"Speaking of which, you said the troops you led were old and weak, General?"

Faced with Masatsugu's question, the handsome general smiled wryly and admitted, "Yes, the emperor assigned cavalry to me by to subjugate the equestrian Xiongnu tribes... Unfortunately, the riders and horses were all raised within Han borders. Compared to warriors who spent their entire lives riding across the steppes—The difference was as great as between heaven and earth."

In any case, the matter of command was settled with unexpected ease.

Dozens of minutes later, the two of them finally faced off against Edward the Black Prince.

"Morrigan, it is time to begin."

"As you command."

Edward had divided the Knights of the Garter into two divisions.

First of all, nine hundred of them formed a wide wall formation as the "front rank." A couple hundred meters behind, the remaining three hundred were the "back ranks."

With the black knights in the back ranks all equipped with longbows, "mode anglais" was fully prepared.

Edward himself and Morrigan were among the back ranks. The genie had switched to a doll-size simulacrum and was sitting on the Black Prince's shoulder.

Looking out at the enemy position, Edward was quite surprised.

"Drawing a diagonal line across the battlefield... An oblique formation, huh? How old-fashioned to employ the tactic of Lord Epaminondas. Hohohoho, famed generals of past and present, oriental and occidental, all use the same methods, is that it!?"

Speaking of medieval knights, the majority of them were actually uncultured brutes.

The point of promoting chivalry was to impart a system of basic morals on these unruly men who frequented battlefields. So-called knights were nowhere as elegant as imagined by modern people.

However, there was a rare exception right here.

Having received an elite education since childhood as part of the English royal family, he was instructed in courtly elegance and etiquette.

Apart from mastery in martial training and the arts of war, he was also well-versed in Latin with deep knowledge in classical Greek and Roman texts—This was what Black Prince Edward was like as a person.

Now, he noticed that Tachibana Masatsugu had recreated a famous tactic from ancient Greece.

"We are about to have a real showdown against the prince. All units, assemble into a line to create a wall."

Now consider the coalition force between the Tōkaidō Fiefdom and the Eastern Roman Empire.

They had also entered a wide wall formation like the enemy. Both sides were in the sky over Mount Souun at Hakone, forming their own respective "wall" with over a thousand Legions.

However, the coalition force's wall was very different from the British side's.

Starting from the left and moving across, there were six hundred red-purple Kanesadas, then four hundred silver Centuriae, and finally a hundred and fifty blue Kamuys.

Along the entire line, only the Kanesadas on the left were intentionally arranged in a column.

Thus, the formation became an "L" with a protrusion on the left instead of a perfect horizontal line.

█ █ █ █ █ █ █ █

The column on the left consisted of the six hundred Kanesadas.

Instead of uniform ranks, this arrangement concentrated not only manpower but also the toughest troops on the far edge in extremely deep ranks. This tactic was known as the oblique order, a type of unbalanced formation.

### 009. Part 2

Slightly earlier...

"We should head to Nagoya too."

It was the morning of November 7th when Tachibana Masatsugu had asserted that.

It was 9:13am at the time. Several hours earlier, he had just defeated the thousand Legions led by King Richard the Lionheart to invade Suruga.

Today, Richard was originally supposed to attack Nagoya too.

However, the Suruga side had succeeded in provoking his passion, setting his heart ablaze. With less than half a day before the Nagoya operation, he went straight for Suruga, unable to suppress his urge to go for a "secret snack"...

The two sides had fought a nocturnal battle.

Fighting bravely throughout the night, the forces of the Suruga tutelary fort won at last.

While everyone was celebrating the hard-earned victory, they received news that "the Restoration Alliance was beginning to march on Nagoya." As soon as Masatsugu heard it, he expressed his view.

Suruga's castellan, Akigase Rikka, tilted her head in puzzlement and asked, "You mean we will go to participate in the battle at Nagoya?"

"Precisely."

"Masatsugu-dono, to be honest, there isn't any point, is there?"

All of Suruga's Chevaliers had gathered this morning for a war council.

The ones present were respectively Masatsugu, Rikka, Tachibana Hatsune, as well as the two Chevaliers from Yamanashi, Habuna and Maike, with the additional presence of Alexis Yang, the military adviser sent by the Eastern Roman Empire.

Of course, the noble princess of Imperial Japan, Fujinomiya Shiori was present too—

House Akigase's Chevalier princess address the group calmly, "Last night, we lost a great number of Legions. My Kamuys are down to a hundred or so. I suppose Masatsugu-dono's Kanesadas are not available in decent numbers either?"

"Rikka-sama," Hatsune spoke up timidly. "What you mean is going there will be useless?"

"...Something like that. Given the current circumstances, if the Restoration Alliance—or rather, the British forces—were to get serious, there is no way for us to reverse the fate of Nagoya's fall no matter how we struggle. Should any of us fall in battle, it would be far worse than losing Nagoya."

Nagoya was Akigase Rikka's hometown and Nagoya Castle was her home.

However, she spoken with great detachment to explain why they should not head to the rescue. Her extraordinary qualities as a general were what allowed her to suppress her personal feelings regarding the matter.

Hatsune looked sadly at her senior knight.

Remaining calm and indifferent, Rikka continued to analyze. "Nagoya is quite far away from Suruga. Moving across a long distance in one go will be very draining on Legions. Masatsugu-dono, why don't we observe the situation for now instead?"

Just as Masatsugu was about to reply, Shiori spoke first, "Indeed... Rikka-sama, you make a firm case."

The noble and intelligent Shiori was well-versed in politics and strategy.

The bloodline of Lord Tenryuu the sacred beast had given her a head of platinum blonde hair as well as outstanding special powers.

As a result, every Chevalier here would listen to her seriously and consider her opinion. However, Alexis Yang was staring at Shiori's pretty face in amusement.

"Suruga currently lacks usable troops, an expedition to Nagoya would impose a heavy burden on Suruga, and we do not have sufficient power to turn the tide in the overall situation. However..."

Shiori's clear eyes gazed at Masatsugu.

This was a steadfast gaze with deep faith in her subordinate's abilities.

"Masatsugu-sama, you believe that... doing so will produce definite benefits, don't you?"

"Yes, in order to make effective use of the opportunity before us , we must make a trip to Nagoya."

Masatsugu's tone was calm without any zeal.

However, the word "opportunity" had caught everyone's attention. The other Chevaliers leaned forward, waiting for Masatsugu to speak.

"I see now," Alexis Yang said with delight after listening to Masatsugu's explanation. "I believe that this excellent idea is worth a try. Say, rather than an opportunity, I'd call it a challenge instead."

Several hours later, Rikka led an army of a hundred Kamuys and charged into Nagoya.

"To think he came up with something this outrageous so quickly after last night's battle..."

This morning, Masatsugu had provided a battle plan.

Rikka could not help but smile wryly at the thought of that plan. The staff officer from the Roman military was right. Making effective use of this shred of luck that could barely be called an opportunity would require a challenge as risky as walking on thin ice.

The first challenge was the expedition to Nagoya.

First of all, Rikka must sortie in secret.

The Restoration Alliance's scouts would notice if she openly marched out of the Suruga tutelary fort.

Rikka summoned a hundred Kamuys, applied stealth noetic techniques on them, then sent them underwater into Suruga Bay in batches of ten.

Flying in the sky without cover would be extremely easy for the enemy to spot.

After that, her army entered the mountains from Suruga City's outskirts and went upstream along the Abe River.

Then flying at low speed along the mountain ridge of the Southern Alps, they secretly made their way to Nagoya. Rikka accompanied them on a wyvern.

In fact, movement through deep mountains was quite draining on Legions.

The local earth spirits in the mountains would entangle Legions, trying to assimilate them into becoming "companions." Eliminating interference from earth spirits required expenditure of mystic power.

In any case, Rikka's army moved west while consuming ectoplasmic fluid.

Fortunately, Rikka was able to reach the outskirts of Nagoya without being detected by scouts or noetic reconnaissance. This was probably due to the Restoration Alliance devoting their resources to their large-scale operation.

Hence, it was around 16:00 on November 7th.

A group of Crusades had broken through Nagoya Castle's noesis barrier. At the same time, Rikka's army had also entered the battlefield.

"Avoid unnecessary fighting. We will rush straight to the castle!"

Rikka rode her wyvern and led her army personally.

Aerial fights were taking place in the sky all over the metropolis of Nagoya.

Despite their disadvantage, the Tōkaidō provincial army had held their ground against the Restoration Alliance's Kamuys and Crusades. Neither side was using formations anymore.

The Legions were skirmishing, acting according to their own judgment.

Amid this chaos, Rikka's army entered a wedge formation and flew straight for Nagoya Castle.

Doing so would inevitably stand out. Lady Chevalier Rikka was also standing gallantly at the forefront of the formation as a means of attracting even more attention .

"Sing for me and let everyone know that I, Akigase Rikka, have returned to Nagoya!"

Her hundred Kamuys responded to her command and roared.

—Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

—Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

This was the War Cry, where Legions emitted shouts and mystic power from behind their masks.

As soon as the friendly forces of the Tōkaidō Kamuys and Chevaliers heard this fierce song of magical effect, they would instantly understand that House Akigase's eldest daughter had returned.

What Rikka was doing was alerting allies of her presence—

This was her true aim.

She gently kicked her wyvern's belly, ordering her mount to speed up. Having flown at low speed along the mountain ridge earlier, it had been a while since she last sliced through the wind.

The refreshing feeling made her smile. Advancing without impediment was exhilarating.

Currently, Rikka's hundred Kamuys were in a packed formation, flying through the sky as a giant wedge. Her army sliced through the battlefield and Nagoya Castle was within sight.

In order to block Rikka's army, the enemy would need to muster a packed formation too.

However, for the Crusades led by the Knights of Her Majesty, immediately organizing themselves in a formation during a chaotic battle would be quite difficult.

"My patience was worth it. This is precisely the situation I had hoped for."

Rikka grinned. She could have rushed into the battlefield earlier, but chose to bide her time instead. She was well aware that reinforcements of a mere hundred Legions would not turn the tide of battle.

Nagoya Castle—Almost there.

Rikka's conspicuous act worked. Nagoya Castle immediately disengaged the defensive noesis barrier.

"They're letting me through? Thank you so much!"

Leading a hundred Kamuys, Rikka charged into Nagoya Castle's premises.

She gazed down upon the golden carps on central keep's roof, the inner citadel, the outer citadel, the government office, the Akigase residence, the majestic Japanese garden, etc. She had finally "returned home."

The noesis barrier activated again. Rikka ordered her Legions.

"Scatter. Defeat any trespassing Crusades inside the castle. Your mission is to make a last stand and guard Nagoya Castle with your lives."

The hundred Kamuys behind her broke out of formation and scattered to look for signs of the enemies.

There were twenty-odd wyverns mixed in the group, carrying personnel with special skills, such as noetic officers, all of them brought here from Suruga intentionally.

They were tasked with an important mission too.

Rikka nodded and emitted noesis, issuing further orders to her Kamuys.

"Call out to the comrades of the Tōkaidō provincial army and have them assemble here. Summon all Legions and Chevaliers to return to the castle by my command."

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh—

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh—

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh—

The blue samurai scattered throughout the castle.

The singing from their distinctive voices, with a relaxed and pliable tone color akin to ripples on the surface of water, was gradually spreading through Nagoya City.

### 010. Part 2

November 8th, 00:35.

It was late night after the date had rolled over.

Headed by Tachibana Masatsugu, the Tōkaidō Chevaliers were out in the field, too busy to take a break yet.

They were headed for the regional city facing Suruga Bay—Fuji City.

This was one of the towns conquered by the Restoration Alliance a month earlier.

"I remember it was roughly ten days ago when we came here with the princess, right?"

"Yes, though last time was on the level of sneaking into someone's back yard..."

This conversation between the Tachibana siblings was taking place on a wyvern.

As the rider in charge, Masatsugu held the reins while little sister Hatsune rode behind him. Masatsugu gazed down at Fuji City's port of Tagonoura and said, "Our objective this time is to conquer this land. Let's check out what we're up against."

The Fuji tutelary fort was built as a star fort located four or five kilometers east of Tagonoura Port.

Presently, there were 242 Kamuys approaching the tutelary fort.

These 242 Legions belonged to the Tōkaidō army that Masatsugu had taken from the Suruga tutelary fort.

However, this army was composed of Kamuys, not the red-purple "Kanesadas" summoned by the amnesiac Resurrectee.

"Will the Nagoya knights be okay?" Hatsune asked in worry. "They're probably very tired. They've been fighting since daytime, then crossing mountains to escape to Suruga, and now they're on another expedition after almost no rest."

Masatsugu had decided to leave this attack on Fuji to his comrades .

He had rescued ten Chevaliers from Nagoya Castle. Their names were Tana, Kamaru, Kusudou, Rio, Toraga, Sudo, Ikou, Bizen, Ayase, and Benke.

Their total Chevalier Strength was six hundred or so.

After the battle at Nagoya Castle, the majority of their Legions were dead or injured.

Fortunately, they still had 242 Kamuys in reserve when they retreated last evening. These forces were now deployed in full for retaking Fuji.

Setting off from the Suruga tutelary fort, they secretly marched underwater through Suruga Bay—

Then flying along Fuji City's coast, they launched a surprise attack on the Fuji tutelary fort.

"Relay orders to the noetic special ops team. It's our turn to use noetic disruption."

Masatsugu whispered from his saddle.

As the commander of the operation, he was observing from the back together with his little sister.

"Wireless communications and airwaves are no longer usable in Fuji City. Preparations for a surprise assault are almost in place. The rest is up to the Nagoya Chevaliers."

"The Kurou Hougans I brought could help out too..."

"No need. Wait here quietly."

"Understood~ ...Ooh, it's so nerve-racking to watch a battle from the sidelines."

Seventy Kurou Hougans were lurking in the sea as a reserve force.

Meanwhile, the 242 Nagoya Kamuys were advancing through the air in a spherical formation.

As the army approached the Fuji tutelary fort, they raised their rifles to fire in volleys. The enemy deployed a dome-shaped noesis barrier, completely enveloping the star-shaped fortress.

The Tōkaidō army's volley fire was blocked completely by the noesis barrier.

A gigantic eyeball also appeared in the sky over the tutelary fort.

With a diameter of sixty meters or so, it was "the eye of the death goddess."

"Onii-sama, look. It's that eyeball monster we encountered last time!"

"I think the ifrit is called Morgan le Fay... Probably an avatar."

The divinity's principal image was set up at Hakone.

However, Morgan le Fay's avatar was as powerful as an ordinary ifrit. Such was the astounding power wielded by the strongest guardian deity of the British Imperial Forces.

Around the giant eyeball was a defense force of 146 Crusades...

Hatsune was so nervous that she almost gasped.

"W-Which side has the upper hand!?"

The Tōkaidō army on the attacking side had 242 Legions. Numerical superiority was on their side, but after fighting intensely throughout the day, they were quite exhausted.

Against the enemy's noesis barrier, the Kamuy army changed formation.

They formed a "rectangular wall." The roughly two hundred and forty Kamuys arranged themselves into a rectangular prism—in other words, a "wall" eight Legions wide, five Legions tall, and six Legions deep.

The Tōkaidō army advanced as a wall, meanwhile continuing to fire.

They charged straight at the tutelary fort's noesis barrier.

The Restoration Alliance on the defending side first had the ifrit Morgan le Fay summon thunderclouds in the night sky. This was a mysterious power that controlled weather phenomena—The meteorological decree.

Blotting out the moon and the stars, the thunderclouds kept raining down lightning strikes.

Oddly enough, instead of targeting the Tōkaidō army's "wall in the air," the lightning struck Morgan le Fay's giant eyeball avatar.

The Tōkaidō army pressed forward, finally arriving at the tutelary fort's noesis barrier.

The dense wall of Legions versus the dome-shaped wall of noetic energy—

The two giant walls clashed directly.

Of the 242 Kamuys in the wall formation, the forty on the front face, i.e. 8 x 5, raised their bayonets to stab the noesis barrier before them.

Instantly, the barrier shook violently.

At the same time, a girl's adorable voice resounded throughout the night sky.

'Meteorological decree, activate. Shining spear... Receive the blessing of the death goddess.'

Masatsugu had recollections of this voice. It was the genie controlling Morgan le Fay.

Next, the giant eyeball in the sky released a powerful flash of lightning.

The eyeball had concentrated the previously absorbed lightning strikes into one intense attack—towards the Tōkaidō's 242 Legions.

The "wall in the sky" of 242 Kamuys shook violently.

Casualties for Legions on the outer surface of the wall were particularly severe.

Some of the Kamuys were scorched all over while others were blown back. Still others dropped their rifles or staggered unsteadily, etc...

There were also Kamuys that lost consciousness and crashed to the ground.

The British side took advantage of the chaos to attack.

146 Crusades had been waiting ready behind the giant eyeball in the air. Forty of them charged the right side of the "wall in the sky."

They were targeting the outer surface of the wall formation—in other words, the more seriously damaged Kamuys.

Confronted with this sudden assault, many of the Kamuys in the Tōkaidō army were caught unprepared and were stabbed in various vitals such as the throat, the chest, or the head.

The Crusades did not enter any formation.

Attacking swiftly with their blades, they sliced through the densely packed Kamuys.

Close to twenty of the small blue Legions died and crashed down.

After the quick assault, the Crusades rapidly retreated back to beside Morgan le Fay's giant eyeball...

Once again, the giant eyeball absorbed powerful electricity from the sky.

The enemy was planning to repeat the same offensive. Masatsugu's cheek twitched in a smile.

"I see, so this is what they're thinking."

"Onii-sama, did you figure out something?"

"Yes, our victory is assured."

"H-How so?"

"Hatsune, send a pipe fox to inform all Chevaliers in battle. The message is as follows: 'All units, keep going as-is and fight.'"

"Maintain the status quo? You're not offering strategies to handle the electrical attacks or directions to scatter and fight back!?"

"The way I see it, no need for that." Masatsugu declared firmly and explained to the surprised Hatsune.

"The enemy will not last."

Thirty minutes passed.

Morgan le Fay's eyeball repeated the same lightning attack ten times.

The Crusades also raided ten times in concert.

After every combo attack, the Tōkaidō army suffered significant damage... But currently, the battle was in favor of the samurai of Imperial Japan.

The "wall in the sky" formed from Kamuys remained intact.

Seizing opportunities to attack, the Tōkaidō army opened fire to unleash potent firepower.

The British Legions and the tutelary fort ahead had no choice but to take on this simple yet powerful attack.

The British side's noesis barrier was all riddled with countless holes and cracks, about to collapse. The defending Crusades were also down to about fifty...

"They're really going to win easily at this rate. Looks like the Nagoya knights still have enough energy to last the whole battle, despite fighting nonstop during the daytime. Their stamina is too amazing."

"Did you forget, Hatsune?" Masatsugu reminded the impressed Hatsune.

They were still riding one wyvern together. In the end, neither of them went up to the front line personally. There was no need to mobilize Hatsune's army either.

"Prior to setting off, the Nagoya Chevaliers established their tutelary pacts at Suruga and finished resupplying on ectoplasmic fluid. Doing this is enough to recover a Chevalier's stamina."

"Oh right."

Hatsune had experienced the same thing at Nagoya Castle so she immediately figured it out.

Their wyvern slowly flew towards the Fuji tutelary fort.

"Besides, the Nagoya Chevaliers are fueled by more than energy alone."

"What else is there?"

"Rage."

Masatsugu explained the battle situation while controlling the wyvern.

"They suffered a great defeat at Nagoya Castle without getting a chance to go all-out. If you give them a chance to fight after the fact, it's like dangling a carrot in front of a horse's nose. Their fighting spirit will be high, of course."

"Definitely, this could be considered a battle to regain their honor..."

"Compared to the Restoration Alliance at Fuji, the Tōkaidō side has superior numbers and morale. Even if the enemy play little tricks in this kind of situation, they still won't be able to dislodge our side's advantage."

"So that's why you told them to keep going as-is, Onii-sama!"

"Well, there was no way to issue any other order," said Masatsugu indifferently. "The Nagoya Chevaliers are too worked up. Besides, this army was assembled from ten Chevaliers in a hurry. They won't be able to properly carry out any command other than 'charge'."

"Your comment is a bit too direct here..."

"No matter how obedient Legions are, knights and generals are usually people with strong egos."

"But you're so amazing, Onii-sama. The battle really turned out as you predicted."

Hatsune praised Masatsugu with glimmering eyes.

After taking care of Richard the Lionheart, Masatsugu had said during the war council that 'Since Nagoya is going to fall anyway, we should set things up properly for today. We just might be able to retake Fuji City.'

Hence, their primary purpose in taking an expedition to Nagoya was not to support a retreat.

Instead, they were gathering up the scattered Chevaliers after their defeat so as to deploy them in the battle to recapture Fuji on the same day.

Indeed, they were starting a battle the same night as the Nagoya defeat.

This was the moment when the enemy would be the most complacent. Furthermore, Masatsugu was taking advantage of the fact that after Richard's defeat, the British were unable to fully compensate for the forces deployed in the Nagoya invasion.

"It's all thanks to defeating Richard yesterday." Masatsugu muttered. "Without that victory, the expedition to Nagoya would've been a dangerous gamble. The attack on Fuji might've been very difficult too."

"Oh right, Onii-sama, you said something weird a while ago."

Hatsune recalled the conversation from thirty minutes earlier.

"You saw through the British army's plan and even said 'So this is what they're thinking,' didn't you?"

"Seeing as the enemy did not choose the simplest and wisest course of action, I guessed that they had probably thought up some kind of smart-ass idea."

"What smart-ass idea?"

"Figure it out yourself. We'll compare notes later."

"I can't believe you won't tell me, that's so mean!"

"I'm not toying with you on purpose. We're going to be busy next."

"Like rushing into the Fuji tutelary fort?"

"That's one of the reasons, but I expect Hakone to send reinforcements soon. We need to come up with a solution."

"Just intercept them here!"

"No, fighting should be avoided if possible. I wish to enter a dialogue."

"...Dialogue?"

Hatsune tilted her head in puzzlement, unable to understand her older brother's words.

Her intelligence was still an unknown, but her instincts were very sharp and her wits were unexpectedly quick too. Soon enough, she would probably understand without needing detailed explanations.

Flying on the same wyvern mount, the two of them gazed upon Fuji City's night scenery and Suruga Bay below.

The tutelary fort was just ahead. Reflecting light from the moon and the stars, the night ocean's surface was filled with a fantastical atmosphere.

### 011. Part 2

"You don't know my name?"

"No, I was only asked to 'take the Roman army officer on a tour of the imperial palace' by Her Highness of House Fujinomiya..." Tachibana Genzou replied honestly when the guest asked curiously.

Genzou was Tachibana Hatsune's father and the steward of House Fujinomiya's Tokyo residence.

He was speaking to a handsome young man who had a gentle demeanor. The young man was East Asian with long hair. His slender eyes were awfully cool and refreshing. In other words, his was not the "thick and rugged" kind of face.

His well-proportioned facial features were not only calm but also beautiful.

Compared to this sort of "beauty," the massively built Tachibana Genzou was like a professional wrestler. With a bad guy's face covered by an overgrown beard, he seemed more like a bandit leader than a princess' retainer.

"Anyway, I will fulfill my mission of serving as your guide," promised Genzou, drawing upon his talent for taking things in stride.

Due to noetic disruption, he had not been able to reach the princess at Suruga for over a month.

Reportedly, his single daughter had inherited Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune during this period and Tachibana Masatsugu's power as a Resurrectee had also started to awaken. Last night, he finally received Princess Shiori's instructions for the first time in a while.

"Is this your first time at the imperial palace, sir?"

"Yes. To be honest, I am still uncomforable with these kinds of places."

The two of them were currently at the Tokyo imperial palace.

This was the official residence Japan's head of state and the palace of Empress Teruhime, granddaughter of the sacred beast Lord Tenryuu. Genzou and his guest were walking along a passage.

"It's true that you don't look like a military man."

"People always say that, but I don't know why."

"Maybe it's to do with your clothing? No soldier would dress like this."

"Ah."

Genzou's observation made the handsome young man smile.

Instead of the Eastern Roman Empire's military uniform, the young man was wearing a robe—In other words, ancient Chinese attire. The hem reached down to his ankles with a pair of pants underneath.

It was as though he were a character who had been plucked out of a Chinese historical film.

"Even if you say you're not comfortable with this kind of place, sir, you seem perfectly capable of handling the head lady-in-waiting."

"Not really, all I did was greet her."

"You may not know this, sir, but those hags tend to nag too much. They could easily take offense from a careless greeting, creating trouble down the line."

Earlier, Genzou had visited the Imperial Household Agency.

His purpose was to meet this handsome young man. Despite not looking like a soldier, he was the newly appointed commander of the "Kantō Garrison of the Eastern Roman Imperial Army."

Ignorant of politics and military matters, nevertheless, these ladies-in-waiting always behaved and spoke as though they were superior to others.

However, the ladies-in-waiting had not been difficult for a change, greeting this young soldier rather cordially. The reason was most likely because this courteous and handsome man's face, comportment, and figure were all "perfect and first-rate."

"The inability of ladies to understand men's work hasn't changed in the modern age, huh."

"The way you say that, sir, don't tell me you're also one of those... Resurrected from the past?"

Genzou's question was intended as a probing test.

Unexpectedly, the young man introduced himself straight away, making him jump in surprise.

"Indeed, my name is Wei Qing. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

"......"

"Eh, what's the matter with you?"

"Oh, nothing. I thought it might be improper to ask for your name, but you ended up introducing yourself so readily. That's quite surprising," Genzou shared his thoughts honestly, switching from his coarse usage of polite forms to a more casual tone.

Meanwhile, the handsome young man, who bore the Chinese Appellation of Wei Qing, smiled.

"It's fine. My reputation is nothing special, after all. I suppose you have no idea what kind of man Wei Qing was, right?"

"Uh, let me see, how do I put this?"

"See, that's the extent of my reputation. I'm sure the soldiers under my command will feel very troubled."

Unfazed by Tachibana Genzou's awkward response, the ancient warrior smiled.

Wei Qing. Genzou had some recollection of this name, probably from a history textbook.

However, Genzou was a Japanese man whose knowledge of history was rather rusty.

Asking someone like him to recall Wei Qing's life in detail—would be absolutely impossible.

"But modern warfare is fought by Legions instead of human soldiers. I'm quite relieved that I don't need to worry about matters on that front," The handsome Resurrectee named Wei Qing whispered casually.

Several hours later, Tachibana Genzou was reading a history book after finishing his work.

He wanted to know who exactly was "General Wei Qing."

According to historical records, Wei Qing was a soldier during the Western Han Dynasty, around 110 BCE. The ruler he served as general was Emperor Wu, who had punished the historian Sima Qian with castration. His campaigns against equestrian nomads won him great acclaim.

However, his origins were quite humble.

Wei Qing herded sheep in his childhood and was treated no better than a slave.

In time, he would rise to the rank of generalissimo and attain the highest honors of the state—

### 012. Part 2

"This is a video recording... of the battle at Hakone's Seiryuu Gate yesterday."

Reportedly, General Wei Qing had attacked Hakone before withdrawing very decisively.

Present at his side, Alexis Yang had used noetics to record the whole battle as a video.

The specialist in charge of replaying the video was Fujinomiya Shiori. This princess was currently the Tōkaidō Fiefdom's "Saiguu."

The group had traveled to the Fuji tutelary fort to hold a war council.

Apart from Odawarajou, Fuji was the tutelary fort nearest to Hakone. The new Tōkaidō provincial army's higher-ups and elite troops had finally gone to the frontier in order to keep their "promise" to the neighboring nation's generalissimo.

Attendees included the new Governor General, Akigase Rikka.

Also present was the "rising star" Tachibana Hatsune, whose Chevalier Strength was already 72 at the young age of sixteen.

Then there was Tachibana Masatsugu himself.

Tachibana Masatsugu was an alias, but no one knew his true name yet.

Recently, people have been secretly referring to him with another name. Everyone called him Imperial Japan's hero, Hijikata Toshizō.

Due to this, Masatsugu was given a squad with the flashy name of "Shinsengumi." Of course, since he was not very interested in his "real identity," this did not pose much of a problem.

"Even a three-eyed dragon came out to drive away a thousand Legions... I've never seen something so powerful at any tutelary fort I've been to." Sitting next to Masatsugu, the little sister gave her opinion.

Everyone present was sitting at a round wooden table.

The table was large enough to sit over twenty people, so the group gathered together in the middle.

Other Chevaliers and officers were going to join later, but before that, the "new Tōkaidō Governor General and her closest advisers" were having a meeting first.

"I never knew Japan had such powerful defenses."

"No one had the ability to control it, so it has been sitting there unused for a long time," Shiori replied to Hatsune's comment with a sigh.

Incidentally, Hatsune was still dressed in Haikara-san style despite her new post as captain of the Shinsengumi's first unit.

"Forty years ago, the situation between western Japan and the Kantō Fiefdom was very tense. As a precaution against attacks from western Japan, they devised a plan to strengthen Hakone Checkpoint's fortifications. Back then, the first Empress, Her Majesty Himiko, prayed to Lord Tenryuu and received the enchanted ritual of the Four Gods Union."

Sacred beasts were godlike existences.

They would generously grant "mystical blessings" in response to prayers from their consorts or descendants.

In this manner, various countries in the world obtained mystic powers such as Legions or ifrits.

Hence, women who had inherited the blood of sacred beasts were put on a pedestal as royalty or imperial families, forming a class enjoying the highest of privileges—They were treated as "princesses."

However, Masatsugu had previously learned from Shiori.

The price for these "prayers" was one's lifespan. These princesses consumed much of their lives in every case. Who knew what price had been paid in order to seal the Four Gods of Hakone?

"By the way, Princess, about that Roman general," Hatsune asked curiously. "Why did he retreat immediately? It's true that Hakone's guardian deity was very powerful, but he probably could've lasted longer..."

"As it is right now, Hakone is impossible to breach from any direction."

Well-versed in military strategy, Shiori swiftly gave an answer.

"Presumably, he believes there is a more effective method than recklessly assaulting the fortress."

"There's something like that!? Then why don't we use the same method to—"

"Unfortunately, that is impossible."

Hatsune's expression was full of optimism, but the Saiguu of Tōkaidō rained on her parade.

"In truth, even famed generals did not have many means available to them when it came to conducting siege warfare. If I may put it in extreme terms, there are no more than two methods. One is to rely on specialized equipment to overcome moats and fortifications..."

"And the other is to starve the enemy of supplies, right?" Rikka revealed the second solution. "You are quite correct, Your Highness. Tachibana, did you know? Since ancient times, sieges have always been time-consuming affairs, which is why 'holding a castle' is especially effective."

As one would expect from a seasoned veteran, Rikka knew this very well.

In fact, she had personally held the Suruga tutelary fort for over a month.

"By focusing on defense while waiting for external reinforcements when the enemy attacks, defenders in many cases were able to reverse an initially unfavorable situation."

"Oh right. I've heard 'two years of siege' before..."

"General Wei Qing's choice is precisely the use of starvation tactics." Now that Hatsune understood, Shiori said to her, "His victories in his past life were all won against the Xiongnu tribes. The Xiongnu people were fierce equestrians who dominated the lands to the north and to the west of China."

At this juncture, Shiori inexplicably sneaked a glance at Masatsugu.

Rather than motioning to him with her eyes, she had simply shifted her gaze involuntarily.

"Since the Xiongnu were nomadic tribes who followed their herds and did not build towns or castles, naturally, General Wei Qing should have virtually no experience in besieging fortifications."

"No wonder he chose starvation tactics instead... But we definitely can't do that."

"Indeed, Lord Caesar is set to arrive in Japan eight days later... It is impossible to sever the British supply lines and starve them within this time frame."

"Then what about the other method? Like using equipment to breach a castle."

"During ancient and medieval times, there were battering rams, catapults, or even trump cards such as structural engineering or explosives... But there are no such equivalents in the modern world."

"After all, tutelary forts are protected mainly by ifrits and Legions."

Shiori sighed and Rikka concurred wistfully.

"Ultimately, only Legions can oppose Legions. The attacking side needs to outnumber the defenders three to one, so assembling a great army is part of the basics of siege warfare. However, exactly how many Legions would be needed to attack a tutelary fort that stood up to a thousand Centuriae...?"

Perhaps everything that needed to be said had been said.

The ladies naturally sealed their lips and stopped talking. Silence descended upon the scene. They were not in deep thought, instead, it was the heavy atmosphere of helplessness.

After a good amount of time, Masatsugu finally spoke up. He knew it was his turn to share his view—

"I've thought of several ways to attack Hakone."

"Really, Onii-sama!?"

"Yes. Some of them are feasible while others are quite challenging. We definitely don't have much time... But there is still some leeway."

Hatsune's eyes brightened up. Masatsugu offered her reassurance then proceeded to speak indifferently as always.

"My idea will be taking form in the next few days. You'll need to help me out too."

"Yes, no problem!"

"Masatsugu-dono, could you enlighten us regarding your solution?"

Masatsugu's calm tone was extraordinarily effective.

Rikka recovered her usual dignity and imposing presence and asked Masatsugu about his battle plan.

"Of course, we must first feign intentions to cut off Hakone's supply lines to conceal our aim for a quick showdown. Also, Princess, please act as a liaison together with that Staff Officer Yang to maintain close communications with the Roman army."

"Roman army? You mean the force stationed at Odawarajou, Masatsugu-dono?"

"Yes. That General Wei Qing... is quite a useful man."

Masatsugu assessed Wei Qing's ability very clearly and decisively.

Frankly speaking, the strategy displayed in Wei Qing's first battle was less than satisfactory. Trying to find the most suitable method in the heat of the moment was admittedly commendable, but unimpressive. Wei Qing had not demonstrated competence as befitted a famous general.

However, his "plain" and "disappointing" qualities were terrifying.

Masatsugu even went as far as to conclude that these traits were what made the Resurrectee, General Wei Qing, truly valuable, no less than the magnificence of Prince Edward or the untamed nature of Richard I—

Assuming Wei Qing had chosen the most unassuming tactic on purpose...

Then he would be a man to be depended on.

"The greatest issue here is that I need a full resupply."

Shiori and Hatsune shuddered as soon as they heard the word "resupply."

The special method for providing Tachibana Masatsugu with ectoplasmic fluid was a secret only privy to those two girls.

Rikka was puzzled, so Masatsugu revealed his secret candidly to clear up the new Tōkaidō Governor General's doubts.

After listening to the explanation, Rikka was uncharacteristically flustered, her entire face turned bright red.

"I-In other words, Masatsugu-dono, your ectoplasmic fluid comes from Her Highness and Tachibana?"

"Exactly."

"O-Obtaining warmth through skin contact?"

"Indeed."

"As princess and knight, or siblings in name, you are engaging in such scandalous behavior!?"

"Yes. However, I am loath to increase the princess and Hatsune's burdens any further. Because of that, I've come up with an alternative solution."

"!? What do you mean by that, Masatsugu-sama!?"

"Y-You don't need the princess or my help anymore!?"

"If we do it my way, maybe I won't need to trouble you two again."

Shiori and Hatsune jumped in shock, questioning Masatsugu in a panic. After replying to them calmly, Masatsugu gazed upon Rikka's beautiful face.

The alternative solution required approval from her, the new Governor General.

"Rikka-dono—"

"M-Masatsugu-dono, don't tell me you would like.."

"Indeed. That is exactly what I'm suggesting. Please give me your consent."

"I-Isn't this too early to discuss!? I-I need to prepare myself mentally first. Even if you are the one requesting it, I am hard pressed to agree straight away...!"

Rikka cried out emotionally, turning her head away in embarrassment.

She could no longer bear Masatsugu's straightforward and sincere gaze.

How rare to see such a reaction from a hero among women. One could hardly blame her. Masatsugu's request was far too abrupt.

However, there was no other way. Masatsugu bowed his head and pleaded in earnest.

"Please. Those Chevaliers of the Tōkaidō Fiefdom—Allow me to take ectoplasmic fluid from them."

"...Huh?"

For some reason, Rikka was rendered speechless. She was so surprised that she could not speak.

"From the knights... serving my fiefdom?"

"Yes. Previously, I had no one to turn to except for the princess and Hatsune, but the situation is different now. We have gained many Chevaliers."

"Masatsugu-sama, it is true that we have more Chevaliers now, but please note that they are all men!"

The demure and dignified Shiori was inexplicably shaken too.

"A-Are you telling me that you will be doing that with men too!?"

"Of course. If I rely on them, resupplying will be much easier. Besides, with ten-odd strong and healthy men—"

Masatsugu had not forgotten that he was to blame for imposing a heavy burden on the young and frail Shiori.

"If I use them to resupply, I won't have to worry about health burdens."

"Denied, Onii-sama! That's way too obscene, even though I'd like to watch too!"

"Hatsune is correct. As your liege, I absolutely forbid it!"

This secret technique for making dramatic comebacks was the linchpin to conquering Hakone.

However, the princess and the little sister were raising their voices harshly, chiding him to stop. Their ally—Akigase Rikka—was frozen in shock, unable to close her gaping mouth.

### 013. Part 2

"Prince, you do not seem too trustful, right?"

The spirit Morrigan went straight to the point.

"You do not trust, the impregnability of this fortress, Hakone Checkpoint..."

"It is not as though I distrust it. I simply believe that things used by humans can likewise be taken down by humans... Wouldn't you agree?"

Edward the Black Prince sounded confident and composed in his answer.

The two of them were on the roof of the nation-protecting keep, roughly forty meters above ground. Hakone Yumoto's skies were overcast today with thick, dark clouds.

It was currently late November, on the afternoon of the 22nd. Winter was fast approaching.

Mountain wind was howling and the air was quite cold.

This location was the eastern part of Hakone Checkpoint, the first tutelary fort Seiryuu Gate—On the roof of the nation-protecting keep in the middle of the fort, Morrigan was conversing with her superior officer.

Since this area was an entrance into Hakone, the altitude was much lower than at the center.

However, the temperature today had definitely dropped substantially.

"That is why you issued the order, 'Retreat from Hakone at your own discretion.' Right?"

This was the order that Prince Edward had issued ten minutes ago.

He had discreetly relayed the order to his adjutant, Lieutenant Colonel Grayson, at the third tutelary fort Byakko Gate on the west. The pre-condition for carrying out this order was when circumstances prevented Edward from commanding the battle.

"Relax. Grayson will be fine. If deemed necessary, he will surely lead all our forces into the Izu Peninsula or the Pacific decisively."

The Black Prince was calm in tone as though he were uninvolved, even in the midst of battle . Morrigan's response was equally calm.

"Battle has commenced, no more than two hours ago, right?"

"This is a necessary command since I have personally gone to the front line. Today's opponent is the Resurrectee in the Roman camp who has finally launched a counterattack... According to intelligence, he is a famed general from ancient China named Wei Qing."

Roughly two hours earlier...

Hakone's four prided tutelary forts, situated in the four cardinal directions, were attacked simultaneously.

Attacking the first tutelary fort on the east were a thousand Centuriae led by the rumored General Wei Qing.

Attacking the second tutelary fort on the south were a hundred and twenty Centuriae, also from the Roman side, together with seventy Kamuys of the "variant with elongated heads," perhaps belonging to the Kantō Fiefdom.

Attacking the third tutelary fort on the west were two hundred Tōkaidō Kamuys from Fuji.

Attacking the fourth tutelary fort on the north were a hundred and eighty Tōkaidō Kamuys from Yamanashi.

"Recon from retainer beast units and analysis by the noetics team, complete."

A sprite retainer beast happened to arrive with a message.

Morrigan used noetic waves to read its contents and reported indifferently.

"Apart from General Wei Qing's army, all others are formed from multiple Chevaliers—Mixed forces, in other words. Furthermore, none of the 'red-purple Legions' have been seen at any of the four battlefields."

"Tachibana-dono has yet to take to the field, huh?" Edward muttered to himself.

In the sky over the nation-protecting keep, a three-eyed golden dragon manifested.

This was the merged divinity of the Four Gods. Having deployed a secure noesis barrier around the first tutelary fort, Seiryuu Gate, they were ready for anything.

As for the thousand Centuriae under General Wei Qing's command...

Looking out from the tutelary fort, the Centuriae could be seen occupying the sky in the Odagawara direction in a square wall formation.

Compared to the donut-style encirclement last time, they were slightly farther away.

"Has the enemy discerned the ifrit's weakness?"

Edward smiled fearlessly. Last time, the British side had used the Four Gods to deliver massive lightning strikes to pin down the enemy. The range of that meteorological decree only extended seventy or eighty meters outside of the noesis barrier.

Having discerned this, Wei Qing had forbidden his Legions from getting into range.

From a hundred meters away, General Wei Qing's Centuriae entered a square wall formation and attacked Seiryuu Gate's noesis barrier using volley fire.

"Open up the top , Morrigan."

"Roger, that."

So far, the dome-shaped noesis barrier had covered the entire tutelary fort.

Obeying her superior's command, Morrigan disengaged the top portion of the noesis barrier. A group of Legions were looking up at the hole over their heads.

They were the four hundred Knights of the Garter that had gathered in the courtyard of the first tutelary fort.

They were all armed with longbows of steel. Wielding their bows in their left, the four hundred black knights aimed diagonally up, then nocked their arrows and drew their bows with their right.

"My loyal knights, fire English arrowheads into the Roman position!"

At the Black Prince's command, the four hundred Legions, that had turned into archers, began to shoot.

These longbowmen did not aim at specific targets. They simply fired at the "opened top of the dome" to produce a continuous outward stream of arrows of light.

Thousands of arrows of light shot into the sky then descended along parabolic trajectories.

In other words, countless arrows kept falling from the sky in a literal "rain of arrows." Furthermore, this rain of arrows consisted of deadly magic projectiles that could not be stopped by the protective barriers of Legions—

One after another, the silver Roman Legions were shot down by the arrows.

The black knights' shots did not follow straight lines and were different from pinpoint penetration.

This method relied on luck in order to strike vitals. Even so, these arrows inflicted definite damage regardless where they hit.

Even as a random curtain of projectile volleys, the killing power was still astounding.

Compared to last time, the efficiency in enemy elimination was not as superb, but still extraordinary.

This type of application was a characteristic of the English longbow formation. Making good use of secure defenses with the Archers of Crécy was Prince Edward's specialty.

"Prince, situation reports from the second, third, and fourth tutelary forts. Relying on powerful noesis barriers, every tutelary fort continues to hold against the enemy. In every battlefield, our side, the Restoration Alliance, is holding the upper hand."

Edward was the only Chevalier defending the first tutelary fort, Seiryuu Gate.

All the remaining Chevaliers had been sent to defend the other three tutelary forts. Back when the British learned that General Wei Qing was attacking Seiryuu Gate, the Black Prince had decided to defend this spot himself.

"Despite what I said earlier, the Four Gods have definitely proven to be very powerful. With the divinity stationed at Seiryuu Gate in the east, to think that it is possible to deploy equally durable noesis barriers at the tutelary forts in the west, south, and north..."

Prince Edward smiled wryly.

The merged divinity of the Four Gods was playing a key role at three other locations.

At the second tutelary fort in the south, Suzaku Gate, a giant three-eyed phoenix had manifested.

At the third tutelary fort in the west, Byakko Gate, a three-eyed tiger with golden fur had manifested.

At the fourth tutelary fort in the north, Genbu Gate, a three-eyed golden turtle with a snake for a tail had manifested.

Each divine beast was equal in power to the "three-eyed golden dragon" guarding Seiryuu Gate. This four-in-one collective entity was precisely the merged divinity of the Four Gods.

By combining the noetic energy of four ifrits, it was said that their power could be raised to the fourth power.

This was the defense concept behind the Four Gods system, but of course, its power reached only three or four fold in practice, nowhere as outrageous as raising to the fourth power. Moreover, extended usage could cause instabilities in the Hakone region's ley lines, hence it must not be overused arbitrarily...

Currently, the attackers were invading from the four cardinal directions simultaneously, hence, the power of the Four Gods was also intentionally dispersed.

This was a wise decision. Once any of the other three locations no longer needed defending, the freed up Four Gods could be temporarily "lent out" to another tutelary fort for combined defense...

Simply impregnable. This experimental fortress was truly quite astounding.

"Say, Morrigan."

"What is it? Prince."

"Wouldn't you agree that it is time for him to take action?"

"......"

"The power of the Four Gods is indisputable. However, it is ultimately a power bestowed upon this nation by Lord Tenryuu, Imperial Japan's sacred beast. Do not forget Eleanor's warning ."

"Of course, I have not forgotten—Prince, another message!"

A new sprite teleported next to them.

Morrigan instantly read the message brought by the small retainer beast and projected a window in midair.

Instead of showing words, the window played back a video in real time.

A gigantic object appeared, one that was very familiar to both Edward and Morrigan. But why? Why was it showing up here?

While confounded, Morrigan was filled with rage at the sight of her stolen belonging.

"I see... So such a move is possible too. It is so simple, and so ridiculous, that I never expected it. No, this method of usage is far too wasteful!"

Prince Edward suddenly laughed cheerfully.

Through astute perception, he had swiftly figured out the enemy's intent.

However, rather than "impressed," he was expressing "what the hell are they doing?" through exasperated laughter.

"In sight at last..."

Masatsugu finally arrived in the air over Hakone.

Riding a blue wyvern, he looked at the Hakone mountains beneath. A couple hundred meters ahead were the vast waters of Lake Ashi.

His ally, Akigase Rikka, was also riding a wyvern, flying beside him.

Their target was the second tutelary fort, Suzaku Gate, located on the south shore of Lake Ashi—

"So that's the second of the Four Gods. Now that's overly grand."

"Indeed, golden objects are too ostentatious."

Rikka agreed with Masatsugu's unbiased opinion.

Hakone's second tutelary fort also featured star-shaped fortification walls

A giant phoenix with a wingspan of seventy meters had appeared in the air, spreading its wings in an awe-inspiring display. There was a third eye on its forehead—The mark of Morgan le Fay.

This phoenix was the part of the Four Gods guarding Suzaku Gate.

Just as in the east, an impregnable noesis barrier was deployed around the tutelary fort.

Like at Seiryuu Gate, the top of the dome was open.

Suzaku Gate did not have Garter Knights for defense. Two hundred white British Crusades were standing ready inside.

Conversely, the attacking side consisted of a hundred and twenty Centuriae.

Mixed among the silver Roman Legions was a Japanese army—Seventy Kurou Hougans, the Kamuy variant with an elongated helmet resembling an eboshi , a type of headgear worn by court nobles in the past.

Before Masatsugu and company sortied, Hatsune had entered Hakone first.

The Kurou Hougans and the Centuriae opened fire, slowly marching upon the second tutelary fort, Suzaku Gate. They were attempting to approach the enemy through low-speed flight.

The defending side relied on their secure barrier but did not neglect to strike back.

Powerful flames from the meteorological decree invoked by the British were pinning down the approaching coalition force. Whenever an opportunity arose, they sent a few dozen Crusades to fly out from the top of the dome to fire their rifles repeatedly.

The attackers was thrown into disarray by the defending side's perfectly coordinated maneuvers.

The Centuriae and the Kurou Hougans were unable to reach the noesis barrier and create a breach.

If the battle continued at this rate, the defenders were almost certainly going to win.

"It feels like I don't have any extraordinary insight about conducting sieges." Masatsugu shrugged and said, "Unlike Caesar, the siege expert, I can't think of any clever strategies. But ultimately... There's no need to demolish an entire castle in a siege. It's enough to just breach it at one location."

"Yes, which is why specialized weapons would be transported in ancient times to break fortification walls."

Rikka conversed with Masatsugu from atop their wyverns.

Ancient siege weaponry included battering rams and catapults that threw giant rocks. And since the medieval age, places around the world started using gunpowder and explosives.

"So as modern humans, we will be using this thing as a battering ram?"

As soon as Rikka murmured, the object started its attack from the sky.

Simply stated, " a flying giant military ship emerged from the thick clouds, hurtling towards Suzaku Gate like a crashing meteor."

The ship's total length was 183m with a loaded displacement of 15 thousand tons.

The British destroyer with its streamlined body designed for stealth, the Tintagel , finally entered the stage—

The magnificent and massive ship descended from the sky. Confronted with this dramatic catastrophe, even the three-eyed phoenix could not help but squawk.

Kwehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

The giant phoenix with a wingspan of seventy meters was originally hiding behind the noesis barrier that covered Suzaku Gate's surroundings to protect itself and the stronghold—

Now, the phoenix went through the barrier, coming outside of it.

It probably knew that emergency measures were in order. The three-eyed phoenix's gigantic body exploded with an intense blaze, turning into a humongous "firebird."

The firebird charged at the Tintagel , trying to stop the ship's plunge.

However, the flying destroyer was escorted by a defending force. A hundred and fifty Kamuys were flying beside it in a spherical formation, Akigase Rikka's army.

These hundred and fifty Legions raised their rifles and shot in volleys, attacking the giant fiery phoenix with a curtain of gunfire.

The Centuriae and Kurou Hougans that had started the battle also fired in volleys to pin down the giant phoenix.

The humongous firebird was bathed in countless scorching beams and forced back momentarily.

Like crashing thunder, the large destroyer Tintagel smashed into the noesis barrier of the second tutelary fort, Suzaku Gate.

### 014. Part 2

Back to the second tutelary fort, Suzaku Gate.

The great phoenix of the Four Gods guarding this fortress was already gone.

However, the hundred-odd Crusades stationed here by the Black Prince were still around, currently fighting the coalition force of Centuriae and Kurou Hougans.

They had probably received orders to stay in the tutelary fort and continue to draw the enemy's attention.

At this rate, things should be fine.

Relieved, Shiori decided to change the subject.

"...The oblique order is an ancient Greek tactic."

The Tōkaidō side had set up a simple tent as a temporary camp on the lawn inside the tutelary fort.

Shiori was sitting on a foldable chair in the tent with a blanket over her lap. Activating the master-servant enchanted ritual had depleted her stamina greatly.

Fortunately, she remained conscious and was still able to use noetic control.

Currently, she had sent reconnaissance yatagarasu to observe the showdown between Masatsugu and the Black Prince.

The battle situation was projected into the air for a live broadcast. On the screen, Tachibana Masatsugu had ordered the Legions to enter an oblique formation.

"Back then, the mainstream tactic was to deploy troops in phalanxes with wide ranks of equal depth. However, Epaminondas, the commander of the city state Thebes, deliberately used a much deeper phalanx on the far left and succeeded in defeating a Spartan army of twice their number."

"Winning when outnumbered two to one!? That's amazing!" Hatsune's eyes glimmered brightly, very impressed. "But what I don't get is why it's a 'formation in a diagonal line'!"

"By concentrating elite troops on the left, the left side inevitably advances ahead. If the center and the right fail to keep up, the scattered forces would be subjected to either a frontal breakthrough or defeat in detail."

Consequently, the soldiers in the center and the right, which are advancing slightly slower, must follow the elite troops in the left—Shiori drew a diagonal slash in the air to explain.

"From overhead, it looks as though a diagonal line has been drawn on the battlefield from the top left to the bottom right."

"Princess, if Onii-sama knows this kind of sure-win tactic, that means he might be from ancient Greece!"

"This is undoubtedly impossible."

"Y-You don't have to reject my idea so decisively!"

"The essence of oblique order is not about 'drawing a diagonal line' but 'concentration of force on one side to be employed skillfully.' When deploying troops with this principle in mind, one would naturally choose similar formations."

After explaining the tactic in detail, Shiori added, "This has nothing to do with a commander's identity, geographic origins, or era."

"Oh I see now."

"On this occasion, it just happens to resemble oblique order, that is all."

"I get what you mean now, Princess. But from the tone in your explanations... Why do I get the feeling you already know Onii-sama's origins?"

"Is that so? I had no intention of insinuating that."

Hatsune pointed out the heart of the matter straight away, startling Shiori.

Acting as though nothing had happened, she hid her true feelings very naturally. After observing Masatsugu's behavior for a while now, Shiori had come to her own conclusion.

However, she had no evidence. It was not yet time to announce her findings at the current stage.

It was imperative to focus on the battle at hand to reach a swift conclusion, so that they could hurry to Tachibana Masatsugu's aid as early as possible—

"By the way, Hatsune, Masatsugu-sama also mentioned that your power is absolutely essential to this battle. You must prepare yourself, alright?"

"Yes, Princess!"

"I shall muster my greatest spiritual powers... to foil Prince Edward's calculations."

Shiori knew roughly what the Black Prince was thinking.

He intended to defeat the two Resurrectees of Tachibana Masatsugu and Wei Qing at the center of Hakone before moving on, successively visiting the four tutelary forts in the four cardinal directions, to defeat the Roman-Tōkaidō coalition forces.

Hence, he had ordered the Legions stationed at the various tutelary forts to stick to defense.

Conversely, Shiori's side had to do the opposite.

They must swiftly defeat the defense forces at the four tutelary forts then head over to aid the Tachibana-Wei coalition force in the center, to encircle the Black Prince—

Fujinomiya Shiori was the key to this battle plan.

Taking a deep breath, she focused her noesis again.

Back to the sky over Mount Souun...

Masatsugu's Tōkaidō-Roman coalition force versus Edward's British army.

Facing each other, separated by several kilometers, the two armies finally moved forward. If they were to continue advancing like this, they would enter melee range.

Naturally, the two armies started by exchanging gunfire.

Capable of firing at a rate of ten shots per second, the bayonet rifles kept shooting, again and again.

Each side consisted of a great army, a thousand and two hundred strong. This implied a total of two thousand and four hundred rifles discharging scorching beams, producing a curtain of gunfire.

White protective barriers neutralized the endless beams.

The glow coming from both armies was precisely their means of survival. Unfortunately, many beams remained potent, striking the winged giant soldiers in their armor or body, puncturing them directly.

In this rifle showdown, the coalition force was holding a slight upper hand.

In other words, the united army of Kanesadas, Centuriae, and Kamuys were winning slightly.

The reason was simple. The three hundred Legions in the British back ranks had not participated in this contest of volley fire.

The black carcasses of the British Knights of the Garter kept crashing down one after another.

Naturally, the three hundred black knights did not remain still. They drew their bows and nocked their arrows of light, launching an archery offensive from the back.

"All archers, I am counting on you again."

Responding to Edward's command, the Garter Knights began to fire repeatedly at high speed.

Draw, nock, loose. Arrows flew with the sound of tearing wind.

Such was the nature of bows and arrows as a weapon, unlike rifles that shot with a pull of the trigger. The contraptions of modern convenience could fire at ten shots per second, while the English longbow could only reach a maximum rate of one or two arrows every ten seconds.

However, these arrows of light were capable of piercing protective barriers.

Even with their radiant glow for defense, the Legions of the coalition army could not stop the black knights' arrows.

Furthermore, the Garter Knights in the front rank had formed a "wall" to protect the three hundred black longbowmen, completely preventing the coalition army from retaliating against the back ranks.

Enabling the longbowmen to focus on firing was the essence of "mode anglais."

The marksmen in the back ranks raised their longbows at an angle to release their arrows. Tracing out parabolic trajectories, the arrows hurtled towards the coalition army's position.

One after another, many Legions, red-purple, silver-white, or blue in color, were shot down by the arrows.

They were clearly dying much faster than the British black knights. The British Empire's side was still superior in a shooting match...

However, the coalition army was not to be outdone.

Using an echelon formation, the Tōkaidō-Roman coalition's left column stood out especially.

The Kanesadas assigned to the left side were flying slightly faster than the Centuriae in the center and the Kamuys on the right.

With the left wing ahead, the entire army formed a diagonal "\" shape.

In contrast, the Garter Knights on the enemy side were in the shape of a horizontal "-" line.

In a minute or two, the front rank of the black knights were going to clash with the leading Kanesadas head on.

"Kanesadas—the two hundred of you in the front—Draw your swords and charge."

"I knew it would come to this. Focus the rain of arrows on the advance party. Do not let them succeed, or else the samurai swords will disrupt our formation."

The army of Kanesadas at the top left of the diagonal were many ranks deep.

The two hundred at the forefront accelerated and charged, causing the unit to protrude even further, closing in on the Garter Knights in one go.

The bayonet rifles in their hands all turned into the famed sword, Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada.

The Kanesada unit with drawn swords must serve as the vanguard to approach and cut down the British Legions, thereby disrupting the enemy's packed formation by creating numerous dead bodies.

Once a packed formation began to break, all that was needed was to focus attacks at the breach and the formation's collapse would be inevitable.

However, arrows continue to rain down.

The longbowmen of the Garter Knights focused their fire, trying to annihilate the Kanesada vanguard that had their swords drawn. The red-purple Legions swung their Japanese swords, deflecting the rain of arrows.

Blades and arrows clashed.

Almost a month ago, the Kanesadas led by Masatsugu had used the same method to defend against English longbows many times.

However, the situation today was different from last time.

"Tsk."

"Sure enough, the enemy is fatigued."

Masatsugu clicked his tongue whereas Edward grinned.

The Kanesadas' swordsmanship was clearly disorderly, lacking their original acuity.

Normally, Shinsengumi swordsmanship was capable of blocking the vast majority of arrows, but today, one out of every two arrows met their mark...

Dozens of Kanesadas crashed down from the sky, heavily damaged.

"Transporting the Tintagel was an excessive drain, huh?" Edward chuckled.

Odawara's shore was roughly sixteen or seventeen kilometers from Lake Ashi. Masatsugu had ordered his Kanesadas to fly while carrying a 183m-long large destroyer. Of course, this consumed substantial ectoplasmic fluid.

For Legions, this depletion of ectoplasmic fluid was equivalent to fatigue in humans.

No longer sharp in swordsmanship, the Kanesadas kept making mistakes they would not normally make.

"My archers, no need to pity them. Shoot with all your might."

Edward told his troops that this was the chance for victory.

The merciless rain of arrows kept slaughtering the red-purple swordsmen, inflicting substantial damage to the fatigued Kanesadas.

In the end, over half of the vanguard died before they could engage the enemy.

Even so, the echelon formation's sword-wielding vanguard finally approached the horizontal line of Garter Knights—

"All units, draw your swords. Show the enemy Hijikata Toshizō's swordsmanship."

In the ensuing battle, the famed blade and Hijikata Toshizō's swordsmanship were of paramount importance.

The remaining four hundred and seventy or so Kanesadas entered the flat seigan stance and rushed at the British black knights, the Black Prince's personal guard.

Unexpectedly...

"Shame be to him who thinks ill of it—The hundred of you engaging the red-purple Legions in the front, make use of shields."

The Black Prince recited holy words to invoke a Feat of Arms of the shield.

The Garter Knights and the katana-wielding Kanesadas clashed head on. The short inscription of "Honi soit qui mal y pense," resembling Latin, appeared on each shield wielded by the Garter Knights.

"My knights, you are protected by the insignia of the garter. Now raise your shields of justice to triump over evil!" "

The Garter Knights resisting the Kanesadas head on were one hundred out of the entire army.

Their armaments transformed from the standard bayonet rifle to rectangular shields —not English longbows. The shields were almost the size of a Legion's body.

This was another of the Black Prince's trump cards and it had successfully defended against Tennen Rishin Style swordsmanship before.

However, the Kanesadas had no choice but to soldier on. Masatsugu ordered them calmly, "Forget about defense—Go."

A hundred British Legions had given up their rifles for offense to raise up giant shields.

In that case, there was no need to strike a balance between offense and defense. Just attack with the strongest slash at full strength. The Kanesadas swung their swords to chop at the "black knights with raised shields"—They used the stance of hassou .

The so-called hassou was a type of upper stance with the sword. Gripping the hilt, one would raise both hands to mouth level.

The vertical sword's tip would point at the sky and the clouds, thus in Tennen Rishin Style, its nickname was "the cloud-oriented sword"...

"Cut them down with all your might."

The Kanesadas kept chopping at the hundred shield-wielding Garter Knights.

They focused all their strength on their one sword strike without thinking about defense or follow up attacks.

However, the Japanese swords were almost always blocked by the shields of the holy knights. Some of the Japanese swords managed to cut into the shield's steel, but they were rare exceptions.

"Hohohoho, are samurai swords only capable of this much?"

"Try harder. You are the troops led by the man known as 'The Merciless.' If this is all you've got, watch out for the mockery you'll face in hell."

The commander of the holy knights smiled whereas the Merciless Vice-Commander calmly ordered the attack.

Responding to Masatsugu's orders, the Kanesadas lived up to their names as "demoniac children of the gods." Using hassou slashes, they attacked from behind their failed comrades or went over the heads of the troops in front of them—Fresh red-purple swordsman rushed out nonstop.

As for the Garter Knights, they raised their giant shields to cover their entire body.

The Kanesadas used their own bodies to smash into the shields or kicked to throw the British Legions off balance. Then seizing the opportunity, swordsmen from behind would rush forward, using their deadly swords to leave mortal wounds on the British Legion's body.

This method of fighting lacked the exquisite skill sought by the spirit of Japanese swordsmanship.

Instead, it more resembled "well-coordinated thugs used to street fighting in large groups."

This method of slaughtering enemies was unique to the Feat of Arms of Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada inherited from the Shinsengumi Vice-Commander Hijikata Toshizō. During a chaotic battle, one could not rely exclusively on skillful swordsmanship .

At the same time, this offensive was also planned by Masatsugu.

"Impressive as always, Tachibana-dono. Does the oblique formation take credit for this fierce offensive?" Edward muttered from the back of the British army.

While the soldiers in the front were locked in combat, troops in the back would rush forward to deliver a second strike, and a third, etc, fighting relentlessly to break the enemy formation—

Putting elite troops in a column with deep ranks had this effect.

And currently in a column, the katana-wielding Kanesadas had turned into a sword's tip to stab into the line of Garter Knights.

At this rate, the black knights' formation would not last for long.

However, the Black Prince had expected this as soon as he saw the enemy's oblique formation.

He said, "I knew long ago... You are a famed general capable of thrusting your samurai sword at my throat. Naturally, as a knight, I have prepared retaliatory measures as well."

Edward was flying on a wyvern mount.

He looked down at the melee battle taking place between the two armies. The Tōkaidō-Roman coalition in echelon formation was currently fighting the line of Garter Knights.

The protruding left side of the echelon formation was clashing violently with the right side of the line in a chaotic battle.

However, the other soldiers were separated by dozens to a hundred or so meters, and were exchanging gunfire without entering the chaotic battle at all.

Edward calmly observed the battle situation.

He was watching the melee contest between samurai and black knights.

Breaking through at that point would instantly overturn the battle situation—

"Upon a knight's honor... Pierce them."

The Plantagenet prince issued the order for death.

The three hundred Garter Knights in the back had been focused on firing their bows so far. Their armaments spontaneously turned back into the normal bayonet rifles.

Rising by a height of four hundred meters, they occupied the sky over the echelon formation.

The Black Prince commanded sonorously, "Knights of the Garter, charge at full speed with all your might!"

Edward had ordered a cavalry charge.

The cavalry charge was the favorite tactic of Richard the Lionheart.

Using the bayonets as "cavalry lances," the Legions flew towards the enemy at maximum speed to pierce Legion armor with the sharp blades. The impact and momentum of the charge was able to scatter the enemy. A so-called cavalry charge was to use hundreds or thousands of troops to conduct such an attack offensive—

This time, three hundred Garter Knights were used to launch a cavalry charge.

Unconcerned with harming friendly forces, Edward went as far as to issue a cruel order that attacked them as well.

The black meteors crashed towards the left wing of the echelon formation from four hundred meters above!

At the same time, Masatsugu issued a new order.

He could not help but smile when he saw that the enemy general was just as insane as he was. In a certain way, this also meant that they were truly good rivals.

"So we both came up with similar tactics..."

Immediately...

The Kanesadas and the Garter Knights that had started a melee battle, as well as the black knights charging at them, friend and foe alike—All of them were caught in an attack from the side.

This wave of attacks came from rifle fire of the hundreds of Centuriae and Kamuys on the Tōkaidō side.

### 015. Part 3

As bases from where Legions operated, tutelary forts were equipped with water shrines.

A water shrine was a massive reservoir for storing artificial ectoplasmic fluid. The mysterious liquid's purpose was not only limited to supplying Legions and Chevaliers with spiritual energy.

Ectoplasmic fluid was also the energy source for fluid reactors, which generated great quantities of electrical power for surrounding regions.

In the majority of cases, tutelary forts with their water shrines also served to support the livelihoods of the nearby population in some manner. For local businesses and shops, tutelary forts were important "customers."

Essential to regional life, tutelary forts were important facilities for civilians too.

Naturally, there was a water shrine underground of Nagoya Castle too.

Inside the giant subterranean reservoir were a neat array of columns with a bath in the depths. This architectural design was universally adopted throughout the world and identical to the one at Suruga.

Rikka's forces from Suruga should be fighting bravely on ground level.

Meanwhile, Masatsugu and company were immersed in bath's vat of ectoplasmic fluid. The facility resembled a huge public bath, but the ectoplasmic fluid was ice-cold and completely different from hot water.

Soaking in ectoplasmic fluid, Masatsugu muttered to himself, "Back when my power as a Chevalier awakened, I found it quite unbelievable."

"W-What did you find unbelievable?"

He was conversing with his little sister from the Tachibana clan.

Riding wyverns, the two of them had accompanied Rikka's army.

"Just before the tutelary fort was about to fall to the British, why didn't they destroy the water shrine? Then the enemy won't be able to use it, right?"

"I-It's written in the textbook given to us during Chevalier Conferment."

"Textbook?"

"I remember it was a book on military tactics and strategy... A manual on warfare, I guess."

Hatsune cringed, avoiding eye contact with Masatsugu.

Her voice was trembling and she seemed extremely flustered.

It was rare for the cheerful and energetic girl to react this way. One could hardly blame her. Currently, she was in front of Masatsugu, completely naked while immersed in ectoplasmic fluid.

With her knees drawn up to her chest, she was sitting in the vat of ectoplasmic fluid.

In other words, she was using her legs and knees to block "critical parts" from being exposed.

Like her, Masatsugu was nude too, soaking in the vat of ectoplasmic fluid. Unlike Hatsune, he was sitting naturally in cross-legged posture, making no effort to hide himself.

"Y-You're talking about scorched earth tactics like burning food and land to prevent the enemy from using them, right? Those tactics have existed since the ancient Greeks... B-But they're forbidden in the modern world."

"Oh, you mean the Charter of Chivalry?"

"If a water shrine is damaged, life in the surrounding area could collapse. For example, the electricity supply will apparently plummet."

"Scorched earth tactics are actually pretty useful, as long as you don't get the timing wrong."

"L-Let's put that aside for now, Onii-sama."

"What's wrong?"

"Umm... Quit staring at me, okay? I'm not wearing anything..."

"I see."

"W-Why aren't you turning your face away!? I'm begging you here!"

"Sorry, your body is too beautiful. Also, you look very cute when you're shy, so I can't help myself. I don't mean any harm at all."

"Sheesh! Onii-sama, why do you say these things out of the blue!"

Masatsugu shared his perverted thoughts nonchalantly, causing Hatsune to turn her face away in exasperation.

However, he could see faint signs of delight on the side of the Tachibana little sister's face. Perhaps Masatsugu's straightforward praise had pleased her greatly.

Masatsugu was the first to break the silence.

"Sorry, but please endure this for a while longer. We need to finish the tutelary pact as quickly as possible to turn Nagoya Castle into our stronghold."

"Y-Yeah. Bathing together saves time too, I guess."

Hatsune changed her mindset and agreed.

Her embarrassment had not gone away, but she turned her thoughts to Rikka.

Rikka had sortied with her army from Suruga, created an opening leading to Nagoya Castle, and attracted her allies' attention . However, the Chevaliers accompanying her did not need to perform all of those tasks like her.

The plan was for Masatsugu and Hatsune to make Nagoya their stronghold first before summoning Legions.

By doing so, they could increase the number of Legions they could summon while avoiding the consumption of a long journey.

Rikka's army, fighting on the surface, was actually quite exhausted already. If the fighting dragged on too long, the enemy would eventually see through their ploy .

"We need to hurry and help Rikka-sama, Onii-sama!" Hatsune finally regained composure. Sitting in the pool, she said, "It's almost ready. I need to establish the pact quickly... Upon my Appellation of Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune, I pray to the local shrine of Nagoya. Pray grant me the blessing of holy water and the authorizing seal of warfare to become a war god to defend Nagoya!"

"And allow me, Tachibana Masatsugu, to join the ranks of the war gods in defense of the local land."

Hatsune shouted loudly and Masatsugu chimed in indifferently. Their bodies glowed faintly and the tutelary pact establishing Nagoya Castle as their stronghold was complete.

Hatsune clenched her fist tightly and whispered, "I feel my whole body brimming with energy. It's probably due to resupplying ectoplasmic fluid, I guess?"

Ectoplasmic fluid had the effect of strengthening a Chevalier's physical body and conferring vitality.

The fatigue from staying up all of last night had vanished. Of course, this was also thanks to Hatsune taking a nap on her wyvern mount along the way to Nagoya.

Wyverns were very intelligent creatures and would fly while taking surrounding circumstances into consideration even when their riders were asleep.

...But then again, flying on wyvern was not a smooth ride at all. For people who need a comfortable environment to sleep, a wyvern's back was definitely not a suitable bed.

Battle preparations were complete. Only now did a thought occur to Hatsune. "Onii-sama, all you did was form a tutelary pact without obtaining ectoplasmic fluid, right?"

"That's right."

When soaked in ectoplasmic fluid, Chevaliers were able to "resupply" themselves and their Legions.

Unfortunately, Masatsugu was unable to resupply on his own unless he remembered his name from his past life. His Chevalier Strength was supposed to be around 1000, but currently, he could only summon a fraction of that.

"Sure enough, it would be a good idea to resupply here... Right?"

"Of course."

"I-I see."

Hatsune fell silent. She had realized what she needed to do and had the intention of going through with it. But due to maidenly feelings of embarrassment, she was fidgeting awkwardly, unable to bring it up—

Noticing Hatsune's thoughts and feelings, Masatsugu relaxed his face and smiled.

He got up quietly and walked over to Hatsune, who was sitting in the ectoplasmic fluid.

"Hatsune, if it's okay with you, I'd like to borrow your power. Okay?"

"O-Okay. B-But Onii-sama, I don't like doing it from the front."

Hatsune's tone sounded a little unhappy.

However, with her eyes closed and eyebrows raised, Hatsune's expression was not harsh. Instead, it seemed like she was too embarrassed to look Masatsugu in the eye due to the intense pounding in her chest.

"What do you mean?"

"Th-Think about it, two people hugging each other in the bath, that's too soon for me... I-I want you to touch me from behind instead."

Hatsune's request was filled with embarrassment and innocence.

Masatsugu circled around to the little sister's back and hugged her against his chest.

"Ah—"

Hatsune moaned. She could feel that Masatsugu's body was just as cold as ectoplasmic fluid.

In contrast, her body was boiling hot. The power of the refilled ectoplasmic fluid had warmed her entire body.

"Onii-sama, your body is still ice-cold..."

"Your warmth is all I need."

Hatsune was using her knees and legs to block the front of her body. As a result, Masatsugu could not touch her breasts—in other words, the softest and most maternal parts of the body, but he did not mind.

This maiden whom he called his sworn sister was doing so much for his sake.

This alone felt plenty blissful already. Hatsune was sharing the warmth of her body and soul with him.

"You are so adorable."

"O-Onii-sama, here you go sweet talking again. Mm—mmmmmmm."

Embraced against Masatsugu's bosom, Hatsune could not help but tremble all over.

Incidentally, after resupplying and Hatsune was drying off with bath towel, she finally learned that "Actually, the ectoplasmic fluid sharing ritual could've waited until you're dressed."

"Then I got taken advantage of!?"

Hatsune screamed in mortification.

Thus, after this interlude with his sister, preparations were complete at last.

Masatsugu was wearing his usual black stiff-collar uniform and Japanese sword, Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada, while Hatsune was dressed in Haikara-san style with a pink kimono, hakama, and low boots. The two of them returned to ground level.

A pipe fox was running ahead of them, leading the way. The noetic officers who had come along this expedition from Suruga had imparted the layout of Nagoya Castle to this small retainer beast ahead of time, allowing it to assist the Tachibana siblings who were visiting the castle for the first time.

The two of them arrived at a vast Japanese garden.

"Onii-sama, look!"

One of Rikka's Kamuys was facing off against a British Crusade.

This was a one-on-one duel between Legions both standing roughly eight meters tall. However, the British Legion was a size bigger and this was melee battle, not a shooting match.

The two Legions were using their bayonet rifles—i.e. rifles with a blade fitted on the barrel—and wielding them like "spears."

The Tachibana siblings watched as the Crusade rushed to attack first. Thrusting the bayonet blade consecutively at the Kamuy's body, it was a double thrust.

The Kamuy dodged dexterously.

Next, the Crusade swung the rifle horizontally as though brandishing a massive club.

The Crusade had given up on thrusts, choosing to attack with the rifle's body instead.

The Kamuy was knocked down—Not really.

It had dropped to the ground on its own initiative to dodge the rifle swing. While on the ground, the Japanese blue samurai did not forget to slice sideways.

This severed the Crusade's shin.

Liquid flowed out from the wound. Ectoplasmic fluid was spurting out of the British Legion's leg.

Now it was the Crusade's turn to fall. The Kamuy swiftly got up and stabbed the British Legion in the throat, ending the battle.

"So Crusades can be taken care of just like that, Onii-sama!"

"In theory, yes, but putting it into practice is not that easy."

Hatsune's eyes were glimmering, but Masatsugu had a different opinion.

Using martial arts and agility to win against the strength of British troops was quite an ideal strategy.

To have all Kamuys follow this approach and carry it out without issue, this stood testament to Rikka's outstanding abilities as a commander.

In fact, for the majority of Japanese Chevaliers, even if they issued the same command, their troops would have trouble following through to the very end.

After all, Legions were "giants with their own mind."

If a commander's noesis was too weak, or lacked a concrete image of the required tactics, Legions would move or fight according to "their own judgment."

Winning the melee battle just now in such a splendid manner, Rikka's army was impressive as always.

However, in the next instant...

The victorious Kamuy was struck in the back by a descending flash of light, blowing it away.

A new Crusade had arrived. The approaching British Legion fired with its rifle, killing the Kamuy in front of the Tachibana siblings.

Another Kamuy flying at low speed nearby rushed against the new Crusade.

This Kamuy happened to be searching for enemies. It sped up all at once, circled around to the Crusade's back and stabbed—But unfortunately, things did not go as planned.

The Kamuy's attack speed was insufficient.

This ambush from the air was a bit sluggish. The targeted Crusade shot back before the Kamuy's attack could connect, piercing the Kamuy's head and mask.

Rikka's army had set off from Suruga, spending several hours to cross the Southern Alps to reach Nagoya.

The exhaustion from this long journey had deprived the Kamuys of their speed.

"The Kamuys are reaching their limit. Let's summon our Legions."

"Yeah. Upon my Appellation of Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune, assemble, my Legions!"

"Gather, Kanesadas."

Masatsugu and Hatsune called for their own Legions, using their own contrasting styles of summoning.

The "Kanesada" was the Kamuy variant equipped with red-purple armor. The "Kurou Hougan" was the Kamuy variant in red armor and a white garment with an elongated helmet resembling an eboshi , a type of headgear worn by court nobles in the past.

Overhead, forty Kanesadas and thirty Kurou Hougans had manifested.

Hatsune's Chevalier Strength was 72. She had lost few Legions in the battle last night and actually could have summoned more than these thirty.

"Everybody ready? I'm going to ask you to fight bravely!"

"Indeed, your job is to defend this castle to the death."

This was a very merciless order, but neither Masatsugu nor Hatsune expressed any sense of martyrdom.

Masatsugu's expression was aloof as always while Hatsune grinned—Like a child about to play a prank.

"By the way, Onii-sama, don't forget Rikka-sama's request."

"Oh, you mean that . I don't really think it's necessary to use that Feat of Arms here... But whatever. Kanesadas, draw your swords."

Masatsugu was reminded by the little sister.

Rikka had told him it was imperative to use Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada's Feat of Arms when fighting inside the castle.

Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada was the Japanese sword used by Hijikata Toshizō, a samurai of the Bakumatsu era. Its Appellation granted identical katanas and Shinsengumi swordsmanship to the Legions commanded by its inheritor.

At Masatsugu's command, the forty Kanesadas transformed their bayonet rifles into Japanese swords.

"So they have arrived?"

Riding a wyvern, Rikka was flying slowly near the central keep.

This was to get an overhead view of the battle taking place in Nagoya Castle.

She saw the arrival of allies, the Kanesada and Kurou Hougan variants of the Kamuy. Seventy of them had materialized in the air over the Japanese garden.

"Their help comes at a welcome moment. My Legions are nearing their limit."

The Kamuys brought from Suruga continued to show great fortitude, but could not hide their growing fatigue. Fighting against the Crusades invading the castle, Rikka's Kamuys were losing the original dexterity in their movements.

One after another, the Kamuys died in action.

Attacked by the Restoration Alliance from outside, the noesis barrier guarding Nagoya Castle was also about to collapse. Cracks were showing all over the place.

The Crusades and the Kinai Kamuys kept invading from the cracks.

However, enemies were not the only ones coming to the castle.

The Tōkaidō provincial army's Kamuys were also gathering in Nagoya Castle successively.

Entering the castle through the cracks used by the Restoration Alliance, they shot or slashed enemies, killing them on sight.

Among them were a few Chevaliers on wyvern mounts.

They were all Rikka's colleagues and Tōkaidō Chevaliers well-acquainted with her.

"Vibes are coming together of making a last stand to the bitter end. So this what they call 'Living and dying with the castle.'"

Rikka smiled fearlessly.

Locked in a chaotic struggle, both friend and foe had gathered at Nagoya Castle.

The conditions favoring their plan were gradually ripening. This was the plan that Tachibana Masatsugu had put forth and carried out by Akigase Rikka with minor adjustments.

"Now the last piece of the puzzle is my father's consent..."

Akigase Rikka was not the Tōkaidō provincial army's commander-in-chief. That was her father's office. Rikka did not have the authority to command the Nagoya castellan and the Chevaliers who had gathered here.

What she had done earlier was an act of grandstanding as the premier Chevalier and the Governor General's daughter .

The next phase required her father's approval so as to issue new orders to the Chevaliers to be carried out swiftly.

For this purpose, Rikka had brought a team of noetic officers along with her army in addition to the Tachibana siblings.

The noetic officers' first priority was to inform her father of the detailed battle plan. After obtaining his approval, they would then contact all the Tōkaidō Chevaliers scattered across the battlefield.

How was the situation going to unfold next?

"My father should be well aware that dying in a last stand at Nagoya would be meaningless... I just hope this is not wishful thinking on my part as his daughter."

Instantly, a pipe fox teleported to Rikka's shoulder.

The messenger retainer beast projected the information into the air. It was sent by the Suruga noetic officers.

Rikka chuckled. Preparations were evidently complete.

She transmitted noesis to every Kamuy fighting relentlessly in the castle.

"Good work, all of you. Please try your best to engage and hinder the invading Legions of the Restoration Alliance."

Rikka was asking them to fight in the castle until death.

The crux of the plan depended on using the Tōkaidō Legions summoned to the castle, as well as the entire Nagoya Castle itself, as bait . Rikka tugged on her wyvern's reins, ordering it to head to a new destination.

She was going to the central keep's entrance.

According to the original plan, it was where she was to converge with her father, the Tachibana siblings, and others.

The objective was to retreat from Nagoya Castle with minimum sacrifice.

### 016. Part 3

A battle between the Tōkaidō army and the Restoration Alliance had broken out at the Fuji tutelary fort.

Just as victory was about to be decided, the genie Morrigan also began to retreat. Naturally, this so-called retreat did not refer to physical movement.

She summoned her consciousness back from the simulacrum stationed there as her avatar.

The spirit Morrigan's principal image was located at the impregnable fortress, Hakone Checkpoint.

Fuji City was thirty kilometers away from Hakone. After spending twenty minutes, Morrigan's consciousness finally returned.

"...What an, embarrassment."

As soon as Morrigan returned to her usual simulacrum, she could not help but grumble about the humiliation of defeat.

The intricate doll stood 150cm tall and looked like a living girl. Morrigan was sitting in a rocking chair, dressed in a sailor outfit with a beret.

"I am terribly, sorry. The Fuji tutelary fort's defense... was a failure."

"You have no need to apologize, Morrigan."

The man commonly referred to as prince replied gently.

Edward the Black Prince.

The ultimate military genius born to the English royal family in the medieval age, he was also the commander-in-chief of the British Imperial Forces stationed in Imperial Japan.

"Your role is nothing more than a castle's guardian goddess. Humans are the ones responsible for human accomplishments and failures . Responsibility for the defeat lies with Defoe and Chamberlain—the Chevaliers on the field who were commanding Legions and giving you directions."

Edward and Morrigan were currently at Hakone.

The location was a military facility near Komagadake, inside a room in the command center.

Back when this land was under the Kantō Fiefdom's control, the room was the office used by the "supreme commander of the Hakone tutelary fort." Now, it belonged to Britain and Edward the Black Prince.

The divinity baseplate of Morrigan's principal image Morgan le Fay was also housed in the command center.

Until a few dozen minutes ago, she was still possessing her avatar at the Fuji tutelary fort and participating in the defensive battle. Never did she expect failure as the outcome—

Morrigan was gnashing her teeth in chagrin.

The "prince" said to her, "Knowing you, Morrigan, I am certain you warned them prior to the battle. 'Against a numerically superior enemy, it would be wise to refrain from attacking recklessly. Focus on defense together with Morgan le Fay and wait for reinforcements from Hakone.' Right?"

"Precisely."

"However, Defoe and Chamberlain ignored your counsel."

"......"

"Since Uncle could not participate in the Nagoya invasion, we had no choice but to send experienced Chevaliers from areas adjacent to Hakone, which includes Fuji City. Taking over defense duty on their behalf, Defoe and Chamberlain are both young and inexperienced Chevaliers."

Edward closed his eyes and deduced what had transpired.

"With Chevalier Strengths around 70, ineligible as Knights of Her Majesty, they are impatient to distinguish themselves on the battlefield. Coincidentally, an army from Suruga attacked... Hence, they immediately ordered you to pin down the Tōkaidō army. Then they raided the enemy's disrupted ranks."

Edward correctly described what had happened over the course of those dozens of minutes as though he had witnessed it first hand.

"However, the enemy commander knew very well that," Edward shrugged, "as long as they calmly maintained the status quo... All they needed to do was stay in formation and handle Defoe and Chamberlain's little tricks, then victory was theirs for the taking with numerical superiority on their side."

Morrigan's doll eyes widened. Her commander's eyes of wisdom had astounded her.

As always, Edward had a full and detailed grasp of what had occurred in a distant battlefield.

"Since you know, so well... Why not send, other Chevaliers to Fuji?"

"Insufficient manpower. Besides, don't be silly." Edward sighed. "It's not like I am a prophet or have clairvoyance. How could I possibly predict everything about the enemy before the battle started?"

"Your abilities approach, clairvoyance already."

Morrigan's tone sounded more like sarcasm than praise.

She knew that this was neither magic nor extrasensory perception.

In his past life, Prince Edward had accumulated countless experience across hellish battlefields, naturally honing a sharp sense of perception.

Perhaps the enemy general tonight was equally wise and insightful?

Meanwhile, Edward fell into deep thought.

"Attacking Fuji from Suruga at this point in time. The strategic openings caused by Uncle's defeat that cannot be plugged until tomorrow or the day after..."

Analyzing the reasons for the defeat, the prince was showing signs of a smile on the corners of his mouth.

"He must be the one in command after all?"

At that moment, Morrigan sensed noetic waves.

A noetic officer had reported the arrival of a small messenger retainer beast sent from the Fuji tutelary fort and was requesting Commander-in-Chief Edward's decision.

"Prince, the Fuji tutelary fort has sent a message. 'Requesting dialogue between Hakone and Fuji'."

"Oh?"

The Black Prince smiled in amusement, sounding like a mischievous child in tone.

"Morrigan, help me dial that thing... called a fixed line telephone, is it? Call the command center at the Fuji tutelary fort. The other side will pick up right away."

"Affirmative." Morrigan nodded and did as requested by the medieval hero who was unused to operating modern contraptions.

Hakone Checkpoint and the Fuji tutelary fort.

After the British forces captured them, these two places came under the Restoration Alliance's control, and they usually kept close contact through frequent telephone calls.

Morrigan operated the telephone on the office desk.

She turned on the speaker phone and invited her boss to speak.

"Hello," Edward spoke a greeting to the phone.

'Are you there?' Soon after, a reply was heard on the speaker. Morrigan had recollections of this voice, it was Tachibana Masatsugu. She had previously encountered this Tōkaidō Chevalier in the outskirts of Fuji City.

'I was thinking—Perhaps you might come to Fuji yourself, Prince.'

"I have some important matters to handle at Hakone, but I did dispatch my personal guard. Three hundred Knights of the Garter are headed towards Fuji City."

'Meaning you won't be coming in person, Prince?'

"To be honest, I do regret my decision. I never thought you would run all the way over to Fuji."

Edward shrugged.

As soon as he received news of a "surprise attack on Fuji," he had immediately dispatched an army of black knights.

With Morgan le Fay's support on the battlefield, victory was assured even without the Black Prince's personal presence. Naturally, that only applied against ordinary enemies.

Morrigan held back her feelings of humiliation while listening to her superior's conversation.

"I heard you were quite active in Nagoya this morning too, Tachibana-dono. Appearing everywhere in less than half a day, now that is truly elusive... No."

The legendary prince smiled while he conversed with the mysterious enemy general over the phone.

"Rather, celerity is the soul of warfare, wouldn't you agree? Magnificent. Those self-proclaimed military advisers always love to pointlessly deliberate over intricate tactics or unusual strategies. Yet the vital principle of celerity is lost upon them where the swift and maneuverable triumphs over the slow and ponderous. Tachibana-dono, you are well-versed in the key principles of warfare."

'......'

"Your trap for defeating Uncle and the constant traveling for the past two days, every move of yours has been profoundly fascinating. What I truly want—"

Edward paused and switched to a provocative tone of voice.

"What I truly want is your name and to conduct a bit of research on that."

'Not at all, you praise me too much... So, what are your plans?'

"Well, I shall order my black knights to halt their march while I take to the field... A duel with you ought to be the ideal choice."

'The Lionheart last night and the Black Prince tonight. Two consecutive evenings of extravagant banquets.'

"Indeed. Last night, even though Uncle attacked in full force, you were able to achieve victory by using fewer than four hundred Legions. Such extraordinary methods."

'I was at wit's end too.'

"Quite so. However, thanks to your painstaking conservation of forces, I believe you probably hold five or six hundred red-purple swordsmen in peak condition, yes? Or perhaps, even more than that."

Morrigan widened her eyes in surprise.

The Black Prince was positing that the mysterious general, Tachibana Masatsugu, had a Chevalier Strength surpassing 1000.

Edward's own Chevalier Strength reached as high as 1256. He believed his opponent to be a famous general on the same level, a mighty hero rivaling the likes of Richard the Lionheart, Julius Caesar, or Admiral Nelson—

"Yesterday, the quantity of your Legions was unnaturally low... When I learned of that, I was wondering if you had deliberately conserved troops as a precaution in case I attacked. Would I be bragging if I said that?"

'No comment. I have only one thing to say to you.' On the other side of the call, Tachibana Masatsugu spoke indifferently, '...My side is prepared to defeat your English longbow formation at Hakone, the one we saw a few days ago.'

"Oh? My 'mode anglais'?"

'If you cannot wait, I don't mind demonstrating it at Fuji tonight.'

"Superb. My blood boils in excitement for the first time since my arrival to Japan. Since you say so, Tachibana-dono, I shall meet you in battle in perfect English style."

'It's a promise.'

"Then today's fighting shall conclude here."

'We will fight another day at Hakone.'

"Yes, this is the promise between you and me."

The conversation ended and the other side hung up.

The effect of the Feat of Arms—Archers of Crécy was to switch the Garter Knights' weapons to bows to create a team of longbowmen. This Feat of Arms was virtually synonymous to the name of Prince Edward.

And defeating this formation had been brought up in this conversation between two master generals.

In other words, this was a preliminary skirmish where knightly and samurai honor were at stake.

"Perhaps... Tachibana-dono isn't actually a 'samurai'?"

Once again, his whispered comment shocked Morrigan.

Meanwhile, at the castellan's office in the Fuji tutelary fort...

Just earlier, this room had still belonged to two British Chevaliers.

Sitting on a rocking chair in the room was a doll resembling a living girl. It had the appearance of a petite Caucasian blonde beauty, dressed in a sailor outfit.

According to speculation from noetic officers, this was a genie's simulacrum.

"Hey Onii-sama."

"What's up?"

Masatsugu had just ended his conversation with Prince Edward at Hakone.

After winning the battle between Legions, taking Hatsune and ground forces along, Masatsugu had entered the Fuji tutelary fort and captured various facilities.

Securing the office took first priority.

After doing that, he had sent a message demanding to speak with Hakone.

"The Black Prince thinks you're conserving the Kanesadas... But actually, Onii-sama, you don't have many troops left, do you?"

"I don't."

Legions that fall in battle near their stronghold would resurrect in roughly a day.

"Near" specifically referred to within ten kilometers. But last night, Masatsugu had gone beyond the ten-kilometer range to engage Richard's army at Mount Satsuta.

Back then, he lost a hundred and sixty Legions whose revival would take at least a week.

It is particularly easy to replenish troop numbers when fighting at one's stronghold.

This was the greatest feature of home advantage.

Moreover, Masatsugu was handicapped by the inability to replenish ectoplasmic fluid the normal way . At the present moment, the maximum number of Legions he could summon would be around a hundred and twenty.

"Onii-sama, it's because of your various ingenious moves that the legendary Black Prince thinks you're his equal, right? This is part of your power, I guess?" Hatsune commented poignantly. "It's just that it feels like scamming."

"Don't put it like that. There are three main points to remember when confronting a major nation's army with a smaller force. First of all, deception. Secondly, intimidation. Finally..."

"Don't tell me it's bluffing?"

"Correct. You're good at figuring this out."

"Luckily, the prince really fell for it."

"Now that's not really correct." Masatsugu told the naive little sister. "The English formation is actually more suited to defense than offense . This is why he didn't take the bait when I tempted him to attack Fuji. Instead, he said he'd meet me in battle at Hakone. That was a declaration made with absolute certainty of victory."

"More suited to defense than offense?"

"That's right. Before the actual battle, I'll need to come up with a solution."

"W-What? Even the mention of a way to defeat them was a bluff?"

"Exactly. Anyway, there's no need to fight again tonight, so that's pretty good already."

"I suppose. Worry about tomorrow when tomorrow comes."

Hatsune drew upon the bold and unfettered nature unique to her clan of larger-than-life characters and agreed with Masatsugu.

Masatsugu slowly said to his little sister, "By the way, Hatsune. I've been meaning to ask you for a favor, so let me take this chance to tell you."

"What's the matter? You look so serious, you know?"

"You still remember there's a school festival to be held at the beginning of next month, right? I'm a member of the executive committee after all, and in charge of the beauty contest to boot. There aren't enough contestants and I'd like your full support..."

Hatsune stared at her older brother in rare gaze of criticism.

Masatsugu felt quite troubled and wanted to know the reason.

"What's with you?"

"We are currently fighting the Restoration Alliance. Aren't you way out of line for bringing up a beauty contest?"

"Excessive suppression of entertainment during times like these would not be a good thing. People have to find chances to relax. The other students and I all need to take a breather."

"Onii-sama, you're really looking forward to it, aren't you...?"

"Suruga's situation will be improving now that the Tōkaidō Fiefdom has retaken Fuji City. Events like the school festival or the beauty contest should be able to proceed without problems."

"Why does it feel like you specifically recaptured Fuji City for the sake of the beauty contest?"

"......"

"O-Onii-sama!?"

Masatsugu invoked his right to silence to avoid putting his foot into his mouth.

### 017. Part 3

In the land of Hakone, four tutelary forts had been built at the four cardinal directions.

The first tutelary fort was Seiryuu Gate in the east. This fort was several kilometers from Hakone Yumoto, a hot spring town located at the entrance of Hakone when traveling from Tokyo.

The second tutelary fort in the south and the third tutelary fort in the west were both located near Lake Ashi.

Lake Ashi was the largest body of water in the vast area of southern Hakone. The second tutelary fort, Suzaku Gate, was on its south shore while the third tutelary fort, Byakko Gate, was on the west shore.

The fourth tutelary in the north, Genbu Gate, was situated at Sengokuhara in northern Hakone.

In other words, the land of Hakone had four strongholds, guarding the directions of north, east, south, and west respectively.

The British aristocrat who had captured Hakone, Edward, muttered to himself, "Using the Legions and ifrits at the four tutelary forts to erect a 'wall' to protect Kantō and Tokyo from attacks originating in western Japan... That seems to be the aim."

"Yes. This is Hakone Checkpoint's concept, indeed."

The genie Morrigan in his company nodded. She was possessing her usual doll, 150cm tall and dressed in a sailor outfit with a beret.

"The idea itself is sound, but ultimately, I mobilized an army surpassing the total forces of the four tutelary forts and attacked, easily capturing Hakone."

Edward and the genie Morrigan were at the central command center.

This was where the "supreme commander of the Hakone tutelary forts" used to be stationed to issue orders to the tutelary forts in the four cardinal directions. It was also located right in the center point between the four tutelary forts of Hakone.

In terms of geographic names, this was a plain near Komagatake.

"In my opinion, this isn't truly 'impregnable.' Ultimately, the fortress itself lacks the defensive strength to resist an invasion of a thousand Legions... That is the long and short of it."

"I, agree. I expect some of the Japanese, to feel the same."

"All things considered, it boils down to this mechanism of the Four Gods Union."

The central command center did not have fortification walls.

It was simply composed of four towers of stone, built on a wide open plain.

The architectural design was essentially uniform. Like the nation-protecting keeps of tutelary forts, these forty-meter all towers used red bricks as the construction material. The four towers were arranged in a rhombus.

Riding a British white wyvern together, Edward and Morrigan were flying over the four towers.

In charge of controlling the wyvern, Edward said, "Hakone's four tutelary forts can combine each fort's guardian ifrit, respectively Seiryuu, Suzaku, Byakko, and Genbu, into one monster with four times the noetic energy..."

"Furthermore, the merged entity can defend all four tutelary forts, north, east, south, west, simultaneously."

"Yes, an amazing system."

After offering praise together, the British aristocrat and Morrigan shook their heads.

"But this assumes the successful activation of the system. Had they activated it during my attack, Hakone would not have fallen so easily."

"It seems that Japan... lacks the competency required to tame this, monster," Morrigan remarked coldly.

"What they lack is a genie capable of controlling the Four Gods, the entity resulting from the union of Seiryuu, Suzaku, Byakko, and Genbu. The genie in this role also requires powerful noesis from a supreme Chevalier as support..."

"Morrigan, since you have said this much," Edward smiled and said, "then our partnership should not face any problems, right?"

"Indeed. It is not impossible. Especially since you have minimized your sorties for the past half a month, Prince, conserving substantial noesis..."

"Yes, all of it for the purpose of acquiring the Four Gods."

The night of Fuji City's capture...

Edward did not head out to the front line and ended up forfeiting the chance for a showdown against Tachibana Masatsugu.

This was because they were planning to hold the ritual for subjugating the Four Gods soon. And now, the two of them were flying in the sky over the four towers.

Riding the wyvern, Edward said slowly, "Proceed, Morrigan. Use my noesis to subjugate the Four Gods."

"Affirmative."

After the genie nodded, gigantic eyeballs manifested in the sky.

...It was what Tachibana Masatsugu and company had witnessed at the Fuji tutelary fort, a giant eyeball with a diameter of sixty meters or so. In this case, there was not one but a total of three. Three eyes.

The three giant eyeballs were arranged in a triangle in the air.

This was precisely Morrigan's true form, the image of the ifrit Morgan le Fay. Behind the three giant eyeballs, an equally large magic circle appeared.

"Prince, please."

"Shame be to him who thinks ill of it—Calling upon my name and soul, I beseech the local deities and spirits of Hakone. Abandon your home country of Japan and surrender to my army. I am Edward the Black Prince, the foremost knight of the British Empire and the undefeated general!"

Edward released an inordinate amount of noetic energy from his body and soul.

Normally, this energy would transform into a thousand and two hundred Knights of the Garter, but today, not a single black knight appeared.

All of the noesis was absorbed by the three eyes hovering in the sky!

Immediately, the noesis exuding from the British ifrit was amplified three-fold.

"O deities of Japan, recognize me, Morrigan, as your master. Obey this instant."

A change came over the four towers built by the Japanese on this Hakone plain.

Four giant beasts manifested in the sky over the roofs of the four towers.

Each beast was seventy meters or so in body length. Featuring translucent bodies, they were images without corporeal form.

The four beasts were respectively a blue dragon, a vermilion phoenix, a white tiger, and a black turtle (with a snake for a tail).

These were the holy beasts, Seiryuu, Suzaku, Byakko, and Genbu, known collectively as the Four Gods in China and Japan.

Morgan le Fay's three eyes continued to hover in the air.

Overlooking the towers and the Four Gods, the three eyes sucked away the gigantic beasts of Japan!

Seiryuu, Suzaku, Byakko, and Genbu moved away from the roofs of the towers and gradually rose up in the sky.

The three eyes watched carefully. The Four Gods of Japan released noetic energy and tried to resist Morgan le Fay's suction.

However, the three eyes had taken in Edward's noesis. The Four Gods were no match at all.

...First of all, the desperately resisting image of Seiryuu lost. Gradually approaching the three eyes , it was finally absorbed into them.

One after another, the same happened to the rest of them.

Second to go was Genbu, then Byakko, and finally Suzaku.

"The central command center is a mystical device granted by the sacred beast Lord Tenryuu to merge the Four Gods of the four cardinal directions... It can be thought of as Hakone's fifth tutelary fort, isn't that right?"

"Yes, Prince."

"And until now, it never had a chance to fulfill its function."

"Yes, we of the British, shall change this fact of history."

Treacherous and unforgiving, featuring an abundance of towering peaks and abyssal valleys...

This was how people described the mountains of Hakone back in the age before motorized transportation. This place had been a natural choke point since time immemorial and now it was made even more impregnable.

"With this... We are now fully prepared to meet the Tōkaidō army in battle."

"Quite rare to see you so motivated, Morrigan."

"They have stolen that which I had left behind at Fuji City. This is revenge."

Calm and cool, the genie was full of fight as the day of reckoning approached. Satisfied, Edward nodded in approval of Morrigan.

"Edward, my younger brother's descendant. It is my turn to take on the duty of defending Hakone."

The man who proposed this solemnly was Richard I, the one whom Edward called "Uncle."

The British forces had requisitioned a luxury hotel (a cozy and stylish building) in Hakone as Edward's living quarters. The top leaders had gathered at this hotel for a war council.

It was around 7pm on November 13th.

During the daytime, Edward and Morrigan had subjugated the Four Gods at the central command center.

"As the commander-in-chief, you should return to Kinai where it will be easier to handle matters in the newly conquered Nagoya and respond to the Roman fleet advancing on Kyoto from the Sea of Japan."

"Isn't that the job I assigned you a few days ago, Uncle?"

Edward immediately rejected the Lionheart's opinion.

Originally, this forefather of the Plantagenet family was not invited to this meeting. The Lionheart had barged in two hours earlier on his own accord.

Attendees included the spirit Morrigan and trusted subordinates such as the elderly Lieutenant Colonel Grayson.

"Nagoya is yours, Uncle, while I handle the Kantō side of things. That was the plan. There is no need to alter our approach at this point. We agreed on this from the start."

"Quit mouthing nonsense in my presence. What you want is to keep the upcoming battle for your own personal enjoyment, am I right!?"

Richard's voice was deep and rich, but the words were no different from those of a child throwing a tantrum.

Edward smiled calmly and said, "Indeed you are right, Uncle, but you have no grounds to complain. Who asked you to defy orders and come back in defeat?"

"Grr!" Richard was silenced by Edward's veiled assertion that this was his deserved punishment.

"Furthermore, Uncle, the death of your thousand-odd Escalibors would require two or three weeks for your army to recover. Please remain obediently at Kyoto."

"Grrrrrrr."

Normally, revival of Legions killed outside of their stronghold would take one to two weeks.

However, that only applied to the Legions under ordinary Chevaliers whose Chevalier Strength ranged from thirty or forty up to two hundred or so.

Resurrectees with a Chevalier Strength over a thousand had to spend even more time to revive their Legions.

"Besides, Uncle, you made an excellent point. We need to increase vigilance over the sea. According to reports... Lord Caesar and his knightly fleet are showing signs of mobilizing."

"...Oh?"

"It is unknown whether they intend to cross the Sea of Japan to head straight for Kyoto, or come in from the Pacific side. Either way, we must not be careless."

"Hmph, it is not like I hate staying at Nagoya."

Imposing yet childish at times, the Lionheart finally cheered up.

However, he still could not hide his disappointment.

"I heard that the Roman garrison in Tokyo has made new movements. Tōkaidō's samurai have constructed a new system centered in Suruga and that man will definitely invade Hakone."

"Who are you referring to, Uncle?"

"Quit playing dumb. Of course I mean Tachibana Masatsugu."

"Prince, Your Highness, may I speak on this subject?"

"Yes, go ahead, Grayson."

"Tachibana Masatsugu... There is apparently a rumor circulating among the officers and soldiers of Tōkaidō. Everyone is calling him the 'Last Samurai' and 'defender of the imperial family,' Hijikata Toshizō."

Lieutenant Colonel Grayson gave off an air more akin to a rigid old gentleman than a soldier.

Edward nodded to acknowledge what he had said.

In fact, Edward had received similar reports. Hijikata Toshizō had served as the second-in-command of the Shinsengumi special police force whose activities were mainly in Kyoto (reportedly quite an unbelievable organization which had more members die in internal purges than were killed fighting external enemies).

A master swordsman who had wielded the same samurai blade as what Tachibana Masatsugu was now using—

However, Edward had his own interpretation.

"Is Tachibana-dono truly Hijikata Toshizō...?"

"Do you have doubts, Your Highness?"

"He definitely carries the 'samurai sword' as a conspicuous signboard, but putting that aside... Would this sort of island nation be able to nurture a man like him?"

"Oh?" Richard was skeptical while Grayson seemed slightly surprised.

"What we need to consider," Edward continued, "are Tachibana Masatsugu's characteristics as a strategist and tactician."

"Firstly, feints and ambushes are his specialty."

The genie Morrigan instantly offered her answer.

She must have been pondering the issue ever since hearing her superior wonder "perhaps Tachibana-dono isn't actually a samurai."

Edward smiled and said, "Precisely, Morrigan. However, that is not the complete picture."

"He employs his army in swift and bold maneuvers. His blatant disregard of soldier exhaustion borders on negligence, yet troop movements are always orderly."

"Impressive, your opinion is not far from mine. Surely an island nation of this sort, all covered with mountains, cannot hone tactics of this sort, right? I believe that vast open plains on the continent are more likely..."

"In other words, Edward," Uncle Richard frowned and said, "It is your belief that Tachibana Masatsugu is not Japanese?"

"We should review this possibility."

"Hard to say. I have also heard legends of Minamoto no Yoshitsune. Isn't he a talented cavalry commander and the pride of Japan? More importantly..."

The Lionheart snorted and declared loudly.

"Since I am the knight of knights, it would be best if my opponent is a samurai of the Far East. Hence, I place my faith in Tachibana Masatsugu being a pure Japanese samurai."

"Hahahaha, Uncle, it is perfectly fine for you to think that."

Richard I was a "war genius."

Without any need for logic or calculations, he was able to win victories simply through instinct and passion alone.

For someone with his rare talents, the true identity of the enemy was virtually irrelevant to victory. Edward smiled cheerfully and reminisced about a past enemy.

"Du Guesclin..."

"Prince, you just mentioned the Constable of France, yes? A contemporary of yours."

Morrigan had picked up on Edward's muttering.

"Yes, speaking of him—I wouldn't really consider him a worthy rival. However, he was quite skilled in war with excellent use of feints and ambushes, perhaps even better than Tachibana-dono."

Du Guesclin was a knight born in Brittany.

Back then, under the leadership of Black Prince Edward and his father, England had gained an overwhelming upper hand in their war against France. Against such odds, du Guesclin had emerged to support Charles V, the young king of France.

That being said, he never confronted the Black Prince in a glamorous pitched battle.

Avoiding direct confrontations against the English army as much as possible, he inflicted steady losses on the English repeatedly through ingenious ambushes and swift retreats.

Du Guesclin was undoubtedly the most difficult French general to deal with in that era.

However, he had not exhibited the audacity and lightning offensives frequently used by Tachibana Masatsugu.

"The great conflict between us and France from back then is now known as the Hundred Years' War, isn't it? To be perfectly honest, I personally believe that du Guesclin was the true hero of that war instead of the rumored girl named Jeanne d'Arc. The difference in their talent and contributions is as great as night and day."

"According to my search..." The maiden doll in the sailor outfit said indifferently, "The reason why du Guesclin is overlooked is most likely due to his unimpressive appearance."

"Ah... Well, I suppose it would not be wrong to call him an ugly man."

Edward was a bit taken aback by the conversation's turn to the subject of appearance.

"He was rather obese and was derogatorily known as the 'pig'."

"Well... That is how the world works. Compared to someone like him, the crowd prefers a 'tragic maiden.' After all, fiction can arbitrarily depict her as a beauty."

"Your opinion is rather harsh, but accurate," the genie's upfront remark brought a wry smile to Edward's face.

After that, Edward turned his gaze to the only human maiden at the meeting.

"By the way, I heard that Suruga has a princess descended from a sacred beast's bloodline. Similar to how you are the beloved daughter of the Three Lions, she is the granddaughter of Lord Tenryuu..."

"This I know, good brother."

Aware that she was not a soldier, the beautiful maiden had refrained from speaking until now.

She was Princess Eleanor. Like Imperial Japan, the British Empire maintained a policy of secrecy regarding their royal family. Hence, she too was not a princess known to the general public.

She was blessed with beautiful blonde hair and a gorgeous face.

"Fujinomiya Shiori—a princess of Imperial Japan, isn't that right?"

"Yes, you are very informed."

Eleanor possessed a number of abilities akin to a "witch's" and had used them to great effect at Kyoto and Suruga City. Edward had great faith in her intelligence too.

As a result, Edward had also assigned a job to her.

"So, could you kindly report on the matter?"

"Yes... During the Second World War, the islands of Japan were for the most part controlled by the 'southern court' of the Great Empire of Japan. The sacred beast worshiped by the southern court at the time was Ōkuninushi. The current imperial family's precursor, the 'northern court,' only held Hokkaido back then."

After recounting history in her lovely voice, Eleanor turned to the heart of the matter.

"The mission of locating the body of the sealed Ōkuninushi and the resurrected Japanese warriors from that time... I have mobilized the Kinai Fiefdom's resources to conduct this search."

"Understood. Ladies and gentlemen, the other sacred beast of Japan is Lord Tenryuu," Edward addressed the group, "which it is imperative for us to secure. I believe you are all aware that our Three Lions do not have long to live. We must do our utmost in the land of the Far East, or else the British Empire shall no longer have a sacred beast within her borders."

### 018. Part 3

After Masatsugu told Rikka about the secret of resupply, followed by the war council as scheduled...

He went to the seaside.

This was Fuji City's port of Tagonoura and also the same location he had visited twenty days ago. Last time, he staged a disturbance here to rescue three Chevaliers who had been captured by the British...

The sun was gradually setting in the west.

Under the rays of dusk, there was an indescribable sense of beauty in the evening view of Suruga Bay.

However, Masatsugu did not come here to enjoy the scenery.

"This is the British ship, right? Jingle bell or something."

"I remember the ship is named the Tintagel ."

Masatsugu was chatting with Hatsune, who was driving.

At the pier of Tagonoura, a large foreign military ship was moored.

The destroyer Tintagel —When the Tōkaidō army retook Fuji City from the Restoration Alliance, they not only captured British soldiers in the city but also this ship at the port.

The ship's total length was 183m with a loaded displacement of 15 thousand tons.

Rather than a streamlined military vessel, it bore a greater resemblance to minimalist and avant-garde Scandinavian furniture. However, Masatsugu had heard that this was the result of applying designs for stealth.

The power source was a fluid reactor making use of artificial ectoplasmic fluid.

To some extent, a fluid reactor replicated some of the functions of a water shrine.

Usable as a mobile base of operations for winged giant soldiers, this ship could be called a kind of aircraft carrier.

"Why did you come all the way here, Onii-sama?"

"I was a little curious after hearing its name mentioned during the war council. There's a chance it might come in handy."

"It'd be pretty cool to sail on this ship to attack Hakone Checkpoint."

"Definitely, if only Hakone were located by the sea."

"Isn't Lake Ashi a kind of sea...? I heard they have rainbow trout and smelt there."

"There's also black bass, but it's a pure freshwater lake that's completely cut off from the sea."

The British ship was supposed to be off limits, but Masatsugu asked the guarding infantry to open the boarding gate. This could be considered one of the privileges afforded to Chevaliers.

Chatting casually, the siblings strolled around in the ship.

The deck. The helicopter hangar. The steerage section in the ship. The multi-purpose hall. The mess hall. The kitchen. The recreation room. The shower room. The sick bay—

They did not encounter a single Tōkaidō soldier, much less anyone British.

The ship was completely deserted after being sealed off. Inside the sick bay, where there was no one else, Hatsune said, "The ship should be able to move once the fluid reactor is switched on... As for stuff like weapons control and enemy detection, they can't be used without a spirit's power, right?"

"Looks like it. This is also Morgan le Fay's doing too."

The destroyer Tintagel was the British Empire's cutting-edge military ship.

Its anti-air weapons control system was linked to the genie managing the ship, thus conferring mystic power upon the ship's artillery.

Including weapons control, all noetic systems had been securely sealed.

According to the analysis of Tōkaidō noetic officers, this was probably done by the spirit managing the ship, Morgan le Fay.

Reportedly, even accessing important information from the ship's database was impossible.

Putting aside the Black Prince and the Lionheart, it was quite surprising to find out that the British had such powerful forces lying in ambush.

Once again, Masatsugu was confronted with the enemy's strength.

"By the way, Onii-sama, were you serious about what you said earlier?"

Hatsune asked suddenly.

"B-Basically, taking ectoplasmic fluid from men!"

"Totally serious. Who would joke around with something like that?"

Masatsugu objected calmly as usual, but the little sister spoke awkwardly, a far cry from her usual cheerfulness. "But, this means—having s-skin contact with men, to warm your body... How do I say this? Don't your find this kind of behavior off-putting at all!?"

"Hmm, nope."

"Ehhh!?"

"Just think of visiting the arctic. When taking on the harsh chill of extreme winters, huddling together with comrades for warmth is very normal behavior. Gender is irrelevant."

"Even naked men hugging together!?"

"I don't mind stripping for the sake of necessity."

"Stop sounding like an actress, okay? U-Umm, Onii-sama, has this ever occurred to you? What if a man gets attracted to you after experiencing skin contact and develops feelings for you...?"

"You mean a man falling in love with me?"

Masatsugu stared at Hatsune solemnly, causing the little sister to put on a fake smile in a rare moment.

"J-Just hypothetically, okay? But Onii-sama, no matter how bold you are, I'm sure you must feel a little resistant against this kind of thing..."

"Nope, actually it's fine."

"Huh?"

Hatsune exclaimed with a stupid voice and Masatsugu spoke haltingly, "Even if the other party is male, as long as the feelings are sincere—I'd still consider seriously whether to accept or not. In the end, mutual love is not out of the question..."

"Onii-sama, you don't have a problem with falling in love with a man!?"

"I can't say for certain since I don't have that kind of experience. Now that I think about it, since I've lost my past memories. If I happen to swing that way in my previous life... It's no big deal, I guess."

"Of course it's a big deal. I personally forbid it!"

"...Why?"

"No why! S-So, stop saying you'll resupply using men, okay...?"

So far, Hatsune had been very worked up during the conversation.

Unexpectedly, she lowered her voice all of a sudden and wrapped her arm around Masatsugu's arm with a sad look on her face. She looked like a worried child, seeking comfort from a parent—It was hard to imagine a strong-willed woman like Tachibana Hatsune acting this way.

Furthermore, Hatsune glanced at the bed. Only then was Masatsugu reminded they were at the sick bay.

"I know I'm making a selfish demand... but I'll work even harder."

These tempting words implied that she was going to work harder at offering herself to him from now on.

Masatsugu was quite surprised. He had never seen his little sister behaving like this.

"I'm willing to dedicate all my strength and soul to you, Onii-sama. Don't worry, I'm healthier and more persevering than the average guy. I won't lose to those Chevaliers..."

Just now, Masatsugu had asked Hatsune why she objected.

There was no need to ask again. He figured it out as soon as he saw Hatsune's reaction. Who could have thought that Hatsune would get jealous over something so minor—

Finding her innocence very adorable, Masatsugu glanced at the bed too.

The two of them sat down on the white sheets, whispering to each other.

"You also shared ectoplasmic fluid with me this morning. I don't want you to strain yourself too much."

"Don't underestimate me. This morning was already half a day ago. O-Okay, turn around first. I.. need to prepare."

Masatsugu turned his back to Hatsune and stared at the sick bay's wall.

He could hear the sound of disrobing behind him.

Their relationship of physical intimacy had gone on for about ten days or so. However, Hatsune was still bashful of showing skin in front of Masatsugu.

Normally cheerful and energetic, Hatsune behaved innocently only when alone with Masatsugu.

This contrast was also very cute.

"O-Okay."

"....."

Obtaining Hatsune's permission, Masatsugu turned his head around without saying a word.

Hatsune had taken off her Haikara-san -style kimono and hakama, and even the specialized underwear for pairing with Japanese clothing. She only had a blanket from the bed draped over herself.

Using her left arm to cleverly cover her breasts, she did not bare herself fully.

Hatsune looked extremely embarrassed.

At dusk, the setting sun's red rays were streaming in through the ship's round window. Hatsune's face and body were bright red, but not because of the sunset illumination.

"Hatsune."

"U-umm. This might sound a bit immodest, Onii-sama, but I want you to take as much warmth as you can—That's why I was wondering, maybe it might be better if I undressed more. P-Perhaps there's no need to go this far..."

"No, this is great."

Masatsugu wrapped his arms around Hatsune's shoulders and drew her into his bosom.

The two of them embraced on the bed with Hatsune ending up on top. Face to face, up close, they smiled at each other.

Normally, Masatsugu's smiles were minor twitches of the cheek without much expression on his lips.

However, he always felt that it was moments like these when he smiled naturally.

"Onii-sama..."

Whispering, Hatsune pressed her lips against Masatsugu's neck.

The kiss felt sweet and romantic. With Hatsune on top, Masatsugu could feel a pleasant weight against him.

Their legs very naturally entwined together.

Meanwhile, Hatsune suddenly reacted with alarm, realizing she was kissing her brother. It had evidently been a subconscious act.

"S-Sorry, Onii-sama. You do this from time to time, so I..."

"Did I ever do this?"

"Yes... You do, but not every time."

"You don't like it?"

"W-Well, it's not like I don't... That's why I'm..."

Hatsune's words were far too cute. Masatsugu felt compelled to hug her magnificent figure tightly. Hatsune smiled happily and kissed Masatsugu on the neck again.

The two siblings embraced for a while—

Masatsugu's cold body slowly started to warm up.

At the same time, seductive sighs were escaping from Hatsune's lips.

"Mmmm... Mmmmm... Huah. Ah—It feels hotter than usual, Onii-sama..."

"What's wrong?"

"I'm trying hard to warm you up, Onii-sama—and now my own body has become very hot... My mind is dizzy, it's hard to think..."

"You did all this for me?"

"Y-Yes... Mmmm. Huah—"

Masatsugu sat up with Hatsune sitting on his lap. They were on the bed, face to face, hugging each other tightly.

"Hatsune."

This time, it was Masatsugu's turn to bury himself against Hatsune's pale neck.

The adorable little sister's body was fiery hot. Masatsugu sucked on her neck, trying to absorb heat from her body. As hot as boiling water, her body cooled down slightly .

"Onii-sama!"

Hatsune called out to Masatsugu, her emotions reaching a climax.

Only after remaining in embrace for several minutes did her boiling body temperature subside. Masatsugu was just about to release the girl in front of him who was only wrapped in a blanket.

However, Hatsune hugged him tightly on her own initiative instead.

"No, Onii-sama... I made my decision, I've got to work harder than usual today. Please take as much from me as you can..."

Of course, the little sister had already worked so hard, Masatsugu did not want to add to her burden unnecessarily. However, Hatsune's endearing vibe aroused Masatsugu's passion and he embraced her forcefully again.

In the end, Hatsune's body temperature climaxed two more times.

Each time, Masatsugu obtained substantial ectoplasmic fluid and body warmth.

After the third time, even Hatsune with her outstanding stamina was exhausted. Masatsugu could hear the breathing from her sweet slumber on the bed.

Covering up Hatsune's naked body with the blanket, Masatsugu admired her sleeping face for a moment.

Then he left the sick bay.

His tour of the destroyer Tintagel was only half done.

Masatsugu planned on finishing his rounds before rousing Hatsune to leave together. First, he exited the interior of the ship, then walked across the deck towards the bridge section that resembled a tower.

This was where the captain of the ship, the officers in charge of the helm, and the fleet commander would gather.

One could call it the command tower of the destroyer Tintagel .

"A military ship, huh?"

Standing by the window, Masatsugu looked "outside."

Standing on the deck, the tower-like bridge was the height of a small building. On a the sailing ships of old, one would only get this kind of view from the crow's nest on top of the mast.

Night had fallen.

Since the ship was moored at the pier, Masatsugu could get a full view of Suruga Bay that surrounded the port of Tagonoura.

Gentle moonlight and the constellations of early winter were illuminating the water surface. Today, the sea was quite calm. There was a serene atmosphere to the marine scenery of the night. However, Masatsugu did not feel anything special.

On the other hand, the first time he rode a wyvern, it had felt nostalgic.

"My past life seems to have nothing to do with ships."

"Did you come here just for the sake of confirming this?"

...Someone spoke to Masatsugu from behind.

Masatsugu was not really surprised since he had already noticed her presence. Calmly, he said, "Going around alone without a bodyguard is quite imprudent, Princess."

He looked back to see Fujinomiya Shiori right before him.

### 019. Part 3

Weapons such as cruise missiles and ICBMs existed once.

After the conclusion of the Second World War, the US military had greatly promoted the efficacy of these weapons.

But during the practical application stage, the US military ran into substantial setbacks. This was an age when noetic disruption could easily cause destructive interference against the likes of infrared and radio waves. Projectile weapons unable to strike targets accurately without guidance—In the end, they became "useless" weapons.

Moreover, Legions had become the modern mainstay weapon.

They were able to resist "non-mystical attacks" with high probability.

Noesis barriers shared the same property. Hence, the various nations did not devote much of a budget towards missile research.

But in recent years, trends had shifted slightly.

Humans had developed a system allowing ifrits to take over the firing of missiles and the management of guidance, thereby imbuing attacks with mystical properties. The destroyer Tintagel was also equipped with such a system.

...Painstakingly, Masatsugu and company had transported the Tintagel to the sea near Ogawara City.

It would be possible to keep the ship by the shore to serve as "stationary artillery." Ogawara was only sixteen kilometers away from Lake Ashi in terms of map distance. The weapons on the destroyer could easily strike Hakone Checkpoint.

However, one would not expect mere artillery to have much of an effect against the Four Gods.

In that case—Masatsugu thought of an exceedingly simple method. He decided to ram the Four Gods using the destroyer Tintagel to see what would happen.

Needless to say...

A military ship powered by artificial ectoplasmic fluid and a fluid reactor did not have the ability to fly in the air.

"I thought this idea was beyond ridiculous when I first heard it," Rikka admitted without pretense.

"Using Legions to transport a ship—That would be too difficult. But on further thought, assuming you could summon five or six hundred Kanesadas..."

The large destroyer had flown from the Ogawara coast to Hakone at a speed of sixty kilometers per hour.

The source of thrust was red-purple, and hundreds of them to boot .

Every red-purple source of thrust was positioned against the hull and the sides of the Tintagel .

These sources of thrust were Tachibana Masatsugu's Kamuy variant, a total of seven hundred "Kanesadas." For this day, Masatsugu had obtained a large amount of ectoplasmic fluid.

The Shinsengumi Vice-Commander's current Chevalier Strength had reached 722!

"Fortunately, this plan worked. It was not just our wishful thinking."

"Indeed, I'm relieved too."

As Kamuys, the Kanesadas were Legions with a relatively small build.

However, they were still eight-meter-tall giants, after all, and fierce winged giant soldiers to boot. They were strong enough to lift large trucks over twenty tons in weight and toss them.

Furthermore, they were able to produce thrust comparable to their arm strength—

Currently, Masatsugu and Rikka were riding wyverns, watching from the sky to see if their unusual plan would succeed.

...The Tintagel broke through the dark clouds and appeared in the sky over Hakone.

...The large destroyer began to fall, crashing towards the second tutelary fort's noesis barrier.

...The seven hundred Kanesadas separated from the ship, leaving the rest to inertia.

...Part of the defense force started to shoot, but even a screen of gunfire could not stop the military ship's plunge.

"Our naval personnel are all weeping. Their original plan was to unlock the noetic system so that they can make perpetual use of this ship to bolster their forces."

"No need to be too attached. We can just steal another one if a chance comes up."

After giving a barbarian's response, Masatsugu asked, "How is the genie doing?"

"She should be fine. Although Sakuya seems unreliable, if you give her a specified duration and ask her to work hard for ten to twenty minutes, she can deliver rather well."

"I see, that does seem to be the case."

The Tintagel 's prow struck the noesis barrier, producing a thunderous crash. The golden dome of noetic energy became distorted.

The Four Gods did their best, trying to stop the massive 183m-long ship.

Immediately...

A giant explosion occurred from the prow of the Tintagel all the way to its center.

The British cutting-edge destroyer's fluid reactor had lost control, impossible to bring back to stability.

"Sakuya has succeeded in destroying the reactor core."

Rikka smiled, for she had brought Sakuya along precisely to fulfill this task.

The spirit left on the ship was probably erased in an instant. Since it was merely an avatar, it could revive itself any time as long as the principal image remained intact at Suruga.

The fierce explosion became the final straw to break the camel's back.

The ship crashed halfway through the noesis barrier, embedding itself in the tutelary fort's interior. The massive ship, 183m long, slid into the enemy position in a dramatic turn of events.

The ship's body also collided with the star-shaped perimeter wall surrounding the tutelary fort.

Needless to say, the ship smashed the wall before finally coming to a stop.

The noesis barrier had exhibited perfect defense until now. However,the barrier was shattered and broken around the hole created by the Tintagel with huge cracks forming on the golden dome.

Legions entered the cracks one after another to invade the tutelary fort's interior.

Those Legions were the coalition force formed from the Centuriae who had been attacking the second tutelary fort, Suzaku Gate, and the Kurou Hougans led by Tachibana Hatsune.

"Masatsugu-dono, the plan has been a success of sorts."

"Thanks to everyone's help, we managed to transport the ship to Ogawara."

As mentioned previously, the map distance from Ogawara to Lake Ashi was sixteen kilometers.

Flying at a speed of sixty kilometers per hour meant traversing the distance in ten-odd minutes.

Furthermore, the Tintagel was still capable of sailing even though its noetic system was locked down by Morgan le Fay's power.

Working overtime, Tōkaidō disguised the ship's body and sailed it to Odagawara.

For this purpose, they kept attacking the Izu Peninsula and nearby waters to cause massive disruption to the Suruga Bay surveillance network, thus ensuring smooth passage. Once preparations were complete, the Tintagel passed through the surveillance network to reach the vicinity of Odagawara directly.

General Wei Qing was also acting as bait to draw the Black Prince's attention.

Only after confirming that the Black Prince and the Knights of the Garter had shown up at Seiryuu Gate did they start transporting the Tintagel by flight.

The idea itself was simple and stupid, but actually carrying it out required meticulous care.

"Now then—It is up to Her Highness and Tachibana to infiltrate and see if they can accomplish their mission successfully..." Rikka said quietly and Masatsugu nodded deeply.

Meanwhile, at the first tutelary fort, on the roof of Seiryuu Gate's nation-protecting keep...

"Tachibana-dono, do know that my side is not unprepared."

Edward the Black Prince laughed eerily.

Having witnessed Tachibana Masatsugu's bold but ridiculous ploy, the Black Prince laughed heartily. But immediately, he returned to a solemn expression. Gazing the video played by the spirit Morrigan of the battle situation at the second tutelary fort Suzaku Gate, he said, "Will your plan actually succeed?"

Edward offered taunting words to his formidable foe, who was a dozen or so kilometers away.

### 020. Part 3

Concentrating troops in one location would raise their offensive power there.

Ultimately, this was the key principle of the oblique order. What would elite troops with superb offensive power do after killing the enemies before them? Simple, move on to the next.

For example, they could move to other enemies and ambush them from the back or the flank.

Then what about the other part of the army with "low offensive power"?

There was no need for ordinary troops to be excessively aggressive. They should delay participating in battle as much as possible while keeping up just enough to avoid getting left behind. The underlying condition was that they must stay within a certain distance of the rest of the army to prevent the enemy from isolating them.

Once they clashed with the enemy in melee, there was no need to worry about defeating the enemy either.

Maintaining stalemate was the key point. Ensuring their own safety and survival was the top priority. While this was happening, the "elite unit with superior offensive power" would defeat the initial enemies in front of them before turning to the rest of the enemies stalled by their "less powerful allies."

Then afterwards, the ordinary troops would attack aggressively, to surround and destroy the enemy army in concert with the elite unit...

This was the most ideal and offensive use of the "oblique order."

However, there were different applications depending on the battlefield and the commander. On this occasion, Tachibana Masatsugu had used his "elite unit of six hundred Kanesadas" cleverly as bait.

The enemy consisted of Prince Edward and the Knights of the Garter.

What if even the oblique order's concentration of force failed to break through the ranks of the black knights?

Tachibana Masatsugu had considered this pessimistic outcome and it was not paranoia.

After using the trump cards of katana-drawing and Tennen Rishin Style swordsmanship, the Kanesadas under his command still could not overcome the longbows and the shields of the Garter Knights so easily.

While they were locked in a struggle, the enemy even launched a cavalry charge—

"Centuriae, switch the targets of your rifles for the time being."

"Do not worry about harming the Kanesadas... Rather, shoot them along with the enemy. It is imperative that you eliminate the Knights of the Garter that are fighting the Kanesadas!"

Wei Qing and Akigase Rikka issued their respective orders.

Earlier, they had received a messenger pipe fox sent by the top commander, Tachibana Masatsugu, asking them to proceed according to the original plan.

Their current forces were respectively four hundred Centuriae and a hundred and twenty Kamuys.

Just now, they had followed the forefront unit of Kanesadas to advance slowly towards the enemy while firing along the way.

Not too long ago, their rate of fire had dropped slightly.

The coalition army had suddenly changed course and accelerated during the minute or two when the enemy commander's attention was focused on the "Kanesadas of which every last one had drawn their katana," thus allowing them to move unimpeded—

The mixed force of Centuriae and Kamuys rushed ahead to the left, accelerating all at once.

While the Garter Knights and the Kanesadas were locked in a fierce struggle, this force successfully took the position on their right flank, resulting in a formation in the shape of a diagonal slash.

Once in position, the coalition force opened fire continually.

Their target was the zone containing the shield-bearing black knights, the knights that had charge from above, and the Kanesadas that were chopping away, a very chaotic situation.

The Garter Knights in that zone were no longer in an orderly formation.

Without a packed formation, their protective barriers failed to provide much of an effect. The coalition force's attack from an unexpected angle dealt a severe and unprecedented blow to the black knights. Many Garter Knights crashed into the peaks of Hakone's mountains.

The Kanesadas were also shot down in the process.

With a drastic decrease in numbers on both sides, the two armies continued in a truly fierce melee battle—

"Let the status quo continue for now..."

Wei Qing murmured to himself. Riding a silver wyvern, he was soaring the sky over the battlefield. Silver-white Roman Legions could be seen fighting bravely everywhere.

The Eastern Roman Empire's mainstay Legion was called the Centuria.

Like the Japanese Kamuy, the Centuria was a Legion type of smaller build.

In contrast, the Garter Knight, based on the Crusade, was a size larger than the silver-white Roman troops. However, unlike the blue samurai, the Centuriae did not rely on agility to compensate for their size disadvantage.

Each Centuria was equipped with a huge square shield.

They defended against the black knights' shots and blades using their raised shields and would counterattack whenever the enemy tired—

Rather than charge and attack aggressively, they would often defeat enemies by waiting for them to make the first move.

Despite their smaller build, Centuriae were extremely tough and resilient in mind, body, and shield. The fangs of their counterattacks were also extremely sharp. Such were the characteristics of the Centuria Legion.

The Centuriae specialized in defensive battles in secure and orderly formations without pushing forward too aggressively.

Relying on these traits, Wei Qing continued the protracted battle.

He said, "Tachibana-dono's destiny does not end here—Then there will be a chance for a reversal without requiring me to give fortune a spin ..."

Surrounded only by Legions locked in fierce combat, there was not a soul around him.

Hence, no one heard his murmurs.

"At this rate... The battle favors us, the British. That is what I think."

A girl's adorable voice spoke next to Edward's ear.

The genie Morrigan was sitting on his shoulder. The capable adjutant looked like she was about to offer advice—But no, despite using a small doll dozens of centimeters tall, she somehow managed to shrug.

"Prince, you see things differently, yes?"

"So you see it too? Impressive. A mere spirit knows how to read my face, huh?"

"Your mental state is easily written in your facial musculature. Guessing is not difficult."

Even in the midst of a fierce battle, she still did not keep her harsh tongue in check.

Edward smiled wryly and focused his mind on sensing the battlefield. He was carefully counting how many Legions were fighting in the sky over Mount Souun in the heart of Hakone.

First of all, there were roughly eight hundred Garter Knights on the British side.

Of the Tōkaidō-Roman coalition, a hundred and sixty of the red-purple Kamuy variant, three hundred and forty of the Centuriae, and a hundred of the standard blue Kamuys remained—A total of six hundred or so.

The "red-purples" were not the only ones tired.

It was the same for the Centuriae because they had spent a long time at Seiryuu Gate to keep Edward occupied.

This numerical gap of two hundred would only increase over time. However, Edward was still fired up for battle. Ambition and competitiveness made him cheerful.

He was deeply convinced that the opponent who had won his approval still had more tricks to play!

Back to Tachibana Masatsugu—

Currently, he was a slight distance from the battlefield where Legions of three nations were fighting intensely.

He rode his wyvern near the ground, flying along the ridge of Mount Souun. The remains of Legions killed in aerial combat were strewn all over the place.

This included Kanesadas, Centuriae, Kamuys, and Garter Knights.

In terms of proportion, the colors of red-purple and black dominated. This meant that the fighting between the red-purples and the Garter Knights was the most intense. Of all casualties, the Kanesadas were the most numerous.

As one would expect, Masatsugu's troops were mostly afflicted with arrow wounds.

The arrows of light shot by the Garter Knights did not disappear.

The arrows of light were still embedded in the Kanesadas. Some of the Kanesadas were shot in the head, chest, or neck, killing them. There were others who had arrows in their thigh, foot, or waist, immobilizing them. There were also many cases of flesh wounds in shoulders, arms, or surface damage to armor.

The majority of the Kanesadas were lying on the ground, unable to fight anymore.

Some were sitting collapsed on the ground limply, unable to even lift their head.

Having consumed vast amounts of ectoplasmic fluid, they were depleted in strength. Just as Masatsugu was satisfied with the current situation, he sensed bloodlust so he pulled the wyvern's reins lightly.

Wyverns were intelligent retainer beasts. His flying mount noticed Masatsugu's intent and changed course to the right.

Several seconds later, something descended through Masatsugu and his wyvern's former position.

A beam and the noise of gunfire.

A Garter Knight approached, its bayonet rifle pointed at Masatsugu.

This black knight was not heavily injured. It was flying at low altitude only because the shock of a collision during battle had sent it down. The two eyes beneath the mask had evidently captured Masatsugu's figure.

The enemy realized that the noesis emanating from Masatsugu was commanding a great army.

Discerning that this human was the commander, the Garter Knight was planning to take out the army's head!

"Fine, I guess I'll have to deal with it."

Masatsugu was about to raise his personal sword to take care of the attacking enemy.

Just as he gripped the hilt of Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada, he heard an ally's voice.

"My Appellation of Onikiri Yasutsuna... O trenchant blade of universal renown!"

Spurring her wyvern to fly at full speed, Akigase Rikka charged at the British Legion.

She drew the treasured blade of Genji pedigree at her waist and recited the mantra of the Feat of Arms. Rikka also intended to slay the enemy soldier with her own hand.

A slightly wavy temper-line was visible on the two-feet-seven-inch blade.

In terms of dignified appearance, Onikiri Yasutsuna was superior to the Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada held by Masatsugu.

"Demonstrate to the world the martial feat of oni slaying once more!"

The peerless treasured blade, Onikiri Yasutsuna, was precisely the Appellation inherited by Rikka.

The targeted Garter Knight was swinging its bayonet rifle at Masatsugu and Rikka as though trying to swat two flying bugs.

...The British Legion's attack worked. The gigantic blade sliced through a blue wyvern's body.

The wyvern was bifurcated in one stroke, but the rider was no longer in the saddle. Exhibiting amazing jumping power, Rikka flew into the air, swinging her treasured sword of Genji pedigree.

"Yahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

Rikka rushed at the Garter Knight's black mask and the treasured blade easily sliced through the enemy's face.

This strike combined a spectacular jump with excellent swordsmanship and physical prowess.

Mortally injured, the black knight's gigantic body began to fall, crashing violently into Mout Souun's surface. The Feat of Arms held by "the famous blade that had slain Shuten-dōji, the oni of Ooe-yama," was mystical swordsmanship allowing a human being to slay Legions personally.

However, having jumped into the air, Rikka would inevitably fall.

"Rikka-sama!"

"Counting on you, Masatsugu-dono!"

The two of them did not engage in redundant conversation. Masatsugu kicked the side of his wyvern.

The wyvern accelerated towards where Rikka was going to fall. Seeing that, the famous swordswoman and Governor General slowly sheathed her sword.

Smiling, she was calm and confident.

Two seconds later, Masatsugu released the reins in his hands and caught Rikka with both arms.

In other words, a "princess carry." Still smiling, Rikka wrapped her arms around the back of Masatsugu's neck.

Overcoming their crisis magnificently, the two of them felt compelled to praise themselves.

"It appears that... I must thank you properly, Masatsugu-dono."

"No, that won't be necessary. I'm the one who should thank you."

Exchanging pleasantries, they gazed into each other's eyes.

Masatsugu seated Rikka in front of him, instantly turning their physical contact into a hug. The noble daughter of the ruling house sat sideways on the saddle, leaning against Masatsugu's chest.

"Masatsugu-dono—"

Rikka was pressed intimately against Masatsugu's body.

Through the military uniform, Masatsugu could feel her softness and warmth.

It was early winter and the midslope region of Mount Souun in Hakone was at a fairly high altitude. Also, it was not sunny today and the two of them were flying in the air, riding a wyvern.

Naturally, the air and the wind were quite chilly.

Masatsugu's hypothermic body became even colder.

On the other hand, Rikka's body was quite warm. Simply hugging her felt very comfortable.

The physical bodies of Chevaliers were all like this. Strengthened by ectoplasmic fluid on a daily basis, their bodies were extremely healthy. There was no worry of hypothermia even under adverse conditions of this sort. Rikka herself was wearing just her usual military uniform without any winter clothing.

When resupplying ectoplasmic fluid through an embrace, the other party was obliged to undress.

However, even through the military uniform, Masatsugu was able to obtain substantial warmth today.

"Oh—E-Excuse me."

Rikka came to her senses and hastily unfastened her top buttons.

"What's the matter, Rikka-dono?"

"Pray forgive my negligence. In this situation, etiquette would dictate that I do this, wouldn't it?"

Rikka was probably trying to expose more of her skin.

She undid approximately half of the buttons of her uniform jacket and blouse. Of course, this was meaningless unless the parts in direct contact were fully disrobed.

Nevertheless, Masatsugu smiled. He was able to admire the exposed cleavage.

"I-Is this insufficient?"

"No, for me, this is truly wonderful."

"I am so glad..!"

Rikka smiled from the heart and hugged Masatsugu's neck tightly.

Her gorgeous black hair was giving off a fragrant scent. Sitting on the saddle together, whispering in each other's ear, this was a pleasure of a different sort.

Through their mutual embrace, Masatsugu was filled with ectoplasmic fluid inside.

This was all thanks to Rikka sharing her warmth with him.

"Let's go, my men."

Soon after, Masatsugu issued a command.

He was ordering the Kanesadas fighting desperately in the sky over Mount Souun, dragging their fatigued bodies to face off against the Knights of the Garter.

In addition, this included the Kanesadas that had pretended to crash and fled into the mountains—

They had been struck by English arrows, but not to the point of critical injury. Some of these wounds did not affect combat. There were over two hundred Kanesadas in this category. Sitting or lying down, they had been resting on Mount Souun.

—One purpose of doing this was to return to the battlefield once Masatsugu resupplied in ectoplasmic fluid.

—The second purpose was to make the British misjudge "their upper hand" as being better than the true situation, luring them into advancing recklessly, so as to strike back at them at an opportune moment.

Masatsugu and Rikka's wyvern was flying in the midslope section of Mount Souuun.

Everywhere they went, red-purple Legions were using their swords as crutches to get up. The eyes behind their masks were burning with fighting spirit and bloodlust. Of the ones that had crashed into the mountain, more than half were simply "playing dead."

This method was a bit underhanded, more or less, but fair play was a luxury during wartime. Masatsugu smiled quietly.

After all, his army had spent a lot of energy moving the Tintagel before the battle.

"My men, the first ten minutes of the counterattack are the most crucial. There is no need to fight with reckless abandon. Instead, I want each of you to kill more than one black knight."

Masatsugu sounded more like a criminal leader inciting rioters than a general lecturing his troops. These calmly delivered words set the Kanesadas ablaze with fighting spirit.

"Fight for ten minutes with the surefire intent to kill—The battle will definitely turn in our favor. Go."

Back to the sky over Mount Souun.

Until a couple minutes ago, the red-purple Legions were all exhausted.

In a state of depleted strength, the Kanesadas were barely keeping up with the Garter Knights in a chaotic battle. However, they were now gradually gaining strength.

Swinging their Japanese swords, their movements across the battlefield had recovered their original acuity.

Moreover—Their numbers were clearly bolstered.

Less than a hundred and fifty red-purple Kamuys remained just a while ago. Now, the Black Prince and Morrigan counted again using noetic waves.

"Prince, the enemy had reinforcements. Currently, the red-purples number three hundred and one."

"Rather than reinforcements, they were simply playing dead earlier. Their goal was to lure us into advancing recklessly, so as to deliver a vicious counterattack for a more potent comeback," Edward explained to Morrigan.

The red-purple Legion reinforcements were flying from Mount Souun to join the aerial battle as though nothing had happened.

These reinforcements were not an ambush force placed in advance.

Rather, they were Legions that had been too tired to fight, crashed into the mountains, before "resurrecting" once more.

Otherwise, Edward's discerning eye would have seen through their deliberate act of "playing dead."

"Sure enough... Tachibana-dono has used some kind of method to replenish his Legions' ectoplasmic fluid during battle. I believe this must be an effect of his Feat of Arms."

"No need to return, to a water shrine?"

"I guessed this was a possibility when I watched his battle against my uncle. Now there seems to be no doubt. He dares to push his troops to the limit only because he possesses such a Feat of Arms. Even to the point of using exhausted soldiers as bait, so as to naturally lure the enemy into carelessness or misjudgment..."

Sitting on Edward's shoulder, the Morrigan doll was speechless in surprise.

However, she was the finest spirit of the British Empire, after all. Morrigan immediately brought her mind under control and asked Edward, "So, Prince... What countermeasures, shall we take?"

"No need for special countermeasures. All we need to do is keep fighting."

Edward asserted quietly.

"Do not forget that the Knights of the Garter are the elite of the elite. It would not be an exaggeration to call them Britain's strongest army. Have faith in them."

Edward clenched his fist as though trying to stop himself from getting agitated.

"Indeed, the tides have turned during these ten minutes. The enemy currently holds the upper hand. We must exercise self-restraint for now, then counterattack at an opportune moment—Victory is destined to be ours."

The thirty-centimeter-tall Morrigan was very surprised.

Edward said to her, "Truthfully... I actually have a trump card too, capable of firing up exhausted troops."

"Trump... card?"

"Indeed, it is almost time to invoke it—Listen to me, black lions of England's pride, I hereby order you to contravene knightly ideals."

Reciting an ominous mantra, the Black Prince unleashed the power of a taboo Feat of Arms.

His tone was solemn, like that of a devout man of the cloth.

"The road to the kingdom of God only opens to those who cast aside their human identity and return to being beasts. Knights of the Garter, I hereby authorize you all to unleash your hidden faces."

### 021. Part 4

During this offensive launched by the Restoration Alliance against Nagoya...

Superficially, a Chevalier from the Kinai Fiefdom held the position of "supreme commander."

But actually, this commander had neither the authority nor the ability to direct British forces. And there were a total of six Knights of Her Majesty participating in this operation.

The one leading these six knights was Sir David.

He belonged to the Far East Fleet of the British Imperial Forces. Prior to the arrival of Edward the Black Prince, Sir David was the top knight among his peers.

Only thirty-two years old, this young knight had short blond hair.

His Chevalier Strength ws 167, which was extremely outstanding for a modern soldier who was not a Resurrectee.

"Are the Tōkaidō samurai planning to hole up in their castle?" David muttered.

Riding a British white wyvern, he was flying slowly in the city.

He was currently over a baseball field. Nagoya Castle was four or five kilometers to the west. Japanese and British Legions alike were rushing to the castle, turning it into the center of a chaotic battle.

"The Tōkaidō Kamuys seem to have suddenly lost a large fraction of their numbers."

Through noetic waves, Chevaliers were capable of sensing total numbers of Legions instantaneously.

Both the Kinai and Tōkaidō fiefdoms used Kamuys, but no Chevalier would ever mix up any Legion's allegiance.

Coincidentally, Sir Cole, a fellow Knight of Her Majesty was flying close by.

"Perhaps they're conserving their forces, preparing to fight a long war of attrition against us, David?" This colleague shared the question on his mind after hearing his leader's mutters.

Cole was only twenty-three years old, an inexperienced Knight of Her Majesty. These newcomers would occasionally leave Britain or Europe to areas such as the Far East in search of battlefields. This allowed them to fight freely without nagging from "the old folk."

"De-materializing Legions that are not in combat does reduce a Chevalier's burden."

"Perhaps they are hoping for reinforcements from Tōsandō or Kantō," Sir David smiled wryly with pity. "With the secret agreement between Tōsandō and us, they're virtually our people already. As for the Kantō Fiefdom... Their forces will never make it in time. The sun is about to set."

The setting sun's rays were dyeing Nagoya's cityscape orange.

David delivered bold words amid the colors of dusk. "Nagoya Castle will definitely fall to us before the sun rises again tomorrow morning. Cole, I'm looking forward to your contributions."

If Tachibana Masatsugu were present to witness this scene...

He would probably nod lightly and secretly celebrate the success of "the risky first phase."

In Akigase Rikka's case, she would probably clench her fist and express her joy with a pose filled with fighting spirit and youthful fervor.

The preconceptions of the Knights of Her Majesty had aided Masatsugu and his group.

These knights believed that the loyal and brave Japanese samurai had prepared themselves "to die for their cause." One would not fault them for their complacency. After all, they had yet to taste defeat since landing in Japan.

Hence, the battle-hardened Knights of Her Majesty were already blinded by their bias. They were convinced that the strengths and weaknesses of Japanese Chevaliers could all be attributed to their excessively rigid samurai spirit—

### 022. Part 4

November 12th.

Four days had gone by since the fall of Nagoya and the recapture of Fuji City.

"I'm so touched. I haven't seen shops this packed with merchandise for so long."

"Supplies are coming in every day from Yamanashi after all."

Hatsune and Masatsugu were chatting inside a supermarket in Suruga City.

The two of them had gone out for shopping.

This was a large store not far from the student dormitories. Just recently, the food and drink sections had been cleaned out with almost no merchandise at all.

Although supplies could not be considered abundant at the moment, at least half the shelf space was being occupied by merchandise.

Fresh food such as meat, vegetables, or fish, and other goods such as instant food or sweets were finally replenished.

"My days of destitution, forced to water down flour, then bake and flavor it as a substitute for snacks, has finally come to an end..."

"I can't believe you went that far."

"Man does not live on bread alone, Onii-sama."

Suruga and its surroundings had been blockaded by the Restoration Alliance for over a month.

Neither people nor goods were allowed to flow, thus interrupting all logistics. Thanks to the municipal government and the tutelary fort managing and rationing of food, crisis was narrowly averted.

After revealing she had moonlighted as a crisis pastry chef, Hatsune said solemnly, "I can't say there's an abundance of goods, but being able to shop is a good thing at least."

"Yes. The earlier situation was like those countries whose economies collapsed from hyperinflation."

This social commentary came from Okonogi Taisei's mouth.

"It's like having money but no goods to buy... I'm so touched that there's bread for sale at the school snack shop today."

Taisei was the student council vice-president and also one of Masatsugu's few friends.

Both Hatsune and the lady she served, Princess Shiori, were living in the Black Lily Dorm reserved for the princess' exclusive use. After school today, Hatsune and Masatsugu had gone shopping for dorm supplies and food.

Before returning to his home in the city, Taisei tagged along with them to stroll around.

"Masatsugu-kun, this is all thanks to you guys for taking back Fuji City."

"The many Chevaliers brought back from Nagoya are a major reason too. Now we've got a lot more troops and commanders."

West of Suruga City was Kakegawa City and its tutelary fort.

East of Suruga City was Fuji City and its tutelary fort.

For the past month, both sides had been occupied by Restoration Alliance forces. Railways leading east and west were completely shut down while roads were blocked too.

However, north of Fuji City was a usable national highway.

This highway led to Yamanashi Prefecture, which was part of the Tōkaidō Fiefdom.

After recapturing Fuji City, vehicles could finally come and go through the "Shizuoka to Yamanashi" route along Suruga-Fuji-Fujinomiya-Koufu.

Of course, ordinary cars were still restricted from free passage.

However, protected truck convoys transporting supplies were allowed to travel without impediment.

The various tutelary forts in Suruga, Fuji, and southern Yamanashi were responsible for protecting the truck convoys.

A defensive line had been set up by deploying the Chevaliers whom Masatsugu and company had brought from Nagoya and previously rescued from the Fuji tutelary fort.

"The land of Japan has mountains everywhere." Masatsugu muttered, "Hence, the first priority in ground transportation is to secure mountain routes. Regions like the plains of Kantō are actually exceptions..."

"But it's too early to celebrate the current situation, right?"

"You're right. Starting from Kakegawa, everywhere west of Suruga is within the Restoration Alliance's sphere of influence. On the east, Hakone and the Izu Peninsula are also captured by the Alliance. They also have command of the sea in Suruga Bay."

Taisei was not too optimistic and Masatsugu told him the truth.

"The east and west are under enemy control. This situation hasn't changed very much."

"Yeah."

"That sounds kinda like the game Reversi. Surrounded by enemies up, down, left, right, it feels like it's almost game over."

Hatsune's comment prompted Masatsugu to nod.

"Ultimately, this is a game of capturing castles. The more tutelary forts you have, the greater the advantage. You're instantly disadvantaged if you get surrounded or caught between two fronts. It's admittedly similar to Reversi in a way."

"It becomes very easy to understand if I use this kind of mindset... Oh right, Onii-sama." Mid-sentence, Hatsune pointed at the top shelf. "Help me get that, will you? It's a special okonomiyaki sauce that Kansai people like to use."

"This one?"

Masatsugu's height was 175cm while Hatsune was around 160cm tall.

Fulfilling his duty as a taller man, he took the required item and handed it to his little sister. Dressed in Haikara-san style, Hatsune smiled tenderly.

Watching their interactions, Taisei suddenly said, "Recently, you two have a different vibe going there."

"Eh?"

Hatsune jumped in surprise at the unexpected observation.

Taisei continued, "You seem to be closer than before. It's like you're real siblings now."

"W-Well of course. Onii-sama and I are together—uh, working hard together. For the princess and Suruga's safety, we're working our butts off."

"So your tacit understanding has improved too, I see?"

Taisei showed a look of comprehension whereas Hatsune looked extremely shy.

Listening to their conversation, Masatsugu thought to himself.

Okonogi Taisei was a high school student with handsome facial features.

However, he was a blockhead and never the subject of romantic gossip. The fact that he failed to use words like 'couple' or 'newlyweds' as description here was fully indicative of his true character.

This friend left the supermarket alone to return to his home in the city.

"Onii-sama, let's go to the tutelary fort next."

"Sure."

Left alone as a pair, the Tachibana siblings exited the store and went to the parking lot.

Getting around the Suruga suburbs was very inconvenient without your own car. This was quite different from the suburbs of Tokyo. Parked inside the parking lot was a car kept in "reserve" at the princess' personal dorm.

According to Imperial Japan's laws, sixteen was the minimum age for a driving license.

Hatsune was in charge of driving while Masatsugu sat in the front passenger seat.

"Sheesh, that Taisei-san. I can't believe he blurted out something like that. My heart almost jumped out of my mouth," Hatsune said before starting the engine.

"He just said we seem to be close, right?"

"T-True, but we have many special reasons behind that."

"And they are?"

"Think about it. Every morning lately, the two of us have been together..."

Hatsune was referring to her job of supplying ectoplasmic fluid to Tachibana Masatsugu.

This role had currently fallen upon Hatsune. Princess Shiori had secretly provided the service before, but the heavy strain had taken a toll on the princess' health.

For this purpose, Masatsugu had been going to Hatsune's personal room for the past few days.

Inside the princess' dorm, there was a bedroom used by the lady-in-waiting and bodyguard.

Every morning, Masatsugu would quietly visit her room where Hatsune had risen from bed early to engage in intimate skin contact with him, allowing him to absorb warmth and ectoplasmic fluid from her body.

Hatsune had her duties as lady-in-waiting so her mornings were quite busy.

Hence, Masatsugu always visited at around 5am while the sky was still dark. Today was no exception.

Having got up already, Hatsune was wearing just an undershirt, shyly welcoming Masatsugu's arrival.

The two of them started by drinking green tea first, sitting together on the bed's edge—

Only after chatting awkwardly for a brief while did Hatsune finally speak up timidly.

'O-Onii-sama, it's time to start...'

'Yeah.'

With Hatsune's permission, Masatsugu reached out.

He would skillfully take Hatsune into his arms without being too forceful.

'It's my fault that the princess had to endure excessive strain. I need to be careful from now on to avoid the same mistake.'

'Don't worry, my body is very healthy.'

'That's true, you've got a great body.'

'I know, right? I work out diligently.'

Hatsune had misunderstood Masatsugu's comment.

Her build was slender but the bust and hip areas were quite voluptuous.

In the beginning, woman was the sun—Hatsune's figure reminded Masatsugu of this quote. Embracing her body, he enjoyed an indescribable sense of satisfaction.

Hugging her tightly against his bosom, he could feel a clear sense of elasticity and tactile feedback.

Furthermore, Hatsune's body was always fiery hot rather than just warm.

Perhaps it was due to excellent blood circulation or her younger mental age. Recently, Masatsugu had been hugging Hatsune's body every morning.

Needless to say, their behavior was not limited to hugging alone.

Masatsugu brought his face against Hatsune's body and kissed the little sister's tender skin and neck.

'Mm, mmmmmm!'

Lovely moaning escaped from her lips.

Perhaps she was startled by Masatsugu's cold skin and the physical pleasure. However, she still accepted Masatsugu's embrace wholeheartedly...

Hatsune's undershirt opened up in front of Masatsugu.

He would enjoy the close-up view of the little sister's deep cleavage at every opportunity.

He could even remove Hatsune's undershirt. Whether to do so or not depended entirely on his choice. Initially resistant, the little sister would waver and grumble, but she probably would not refuse.

Finally, Hatsune was guaranteed to yield obediently, actively offering her tender skin to warm up Masatsugu...

However, Masatsugu did not actually do it. It would be best to save this sort of behavior until their relationship had progressed even further, such as when this maiden accepted Masatsugu's marriage proposal.

Such a moment was expected to be in the near future.

In any case, Hatsune tolerated Masatsugu's behavior, ending up disheveled and moaning. Then she would grumble quietly in a submissive voice.

'Sheesh... Onii-sama, your hands are so naughty, every time...'

With her cheeks reddened in shame, there was reproach in Hatsune's tone.

Most people probably would not find Tachibana Hatsune very feminine as a girl.

However, these expressions of hers shown only to Masatsugu were truly too innocent, adorable, and endearing.

West of Suruga City was the mountainous region formed by the adjacent peaks of Mount Udo and Mount Kunou.

Driving swiftly along the mountain road, Hatsune soon reached the Suruga tutelary fort.

"Hatsune, you have many duties in the mornings, right?"

Masatsugu spoke up from the front passenger seat. He believed that the daily resupplying of ectoplasmic fluid did not necessarily have to be done in the mornings.

"Why don't I switch to visiting your room at night from now on..."

"N-No way. If it's at night, the princess might not have gone to sleep yet. If she were to notice sounds or other signs of us doing that ..."

Hatsune shook her head, refusing to perform the ritual at night.

"If we're discovered, that'd be pretty embarrassing—no, it's extremely embarrassing..."

"Oh?"

"S-So that's why it has to be early morning. The princess is still sleeping at that hour."

"I see."

Speaking of which, their lady liege had a number of special powers.

Shiori's sixth sense or intuition was apparently quite sharp. Precisely because of that, she seemed more sensitive to secrets than the average person... Something like that.

Take this morning for example.

When Masatsugu was heading to the dorm entrance after leaving Hatsune's room...

He had encountered the princess by chance. She was dressed for bed in a nightgown.

'W-What is the matter, Masatsugu-dono?'

Shiori was already up at 6am.

Masatsugu did not know if she happened to have gotten up early, or if she secretly rose from bed only because she sensed something. In any case, the princess' countenance looked quite flustered.

'Why are you returning—c-correction—Why are you coming to the dormitory at this hour...?'

'I left something here.'

'Oh... I see.'

After the conversation, Shiori had hastily returned inside.

Was it possible that the princess had noticed signs of her two personal subordinates secretly sharing ectoplasmic fluid, and thus beset with mixed feelings, she was pacing back and forth inside the dorm in agitation?

This could very well be true.

"By the way, Onii-sama, I'd like to talk about the princess with you."

Unexpectedly, Hatsune brought up the lady they served.

"Recently when the princess is with us, have you noticed she's got this vibe like she wants to say something but can't? Like there's something she needs to get off her chest."

"......"

"Sometimes, she gives off this kind of 'I can't bring myself to say it despite this burning urge!' aura."

"Maybe you're not imagining things."

"I know, right!? Surely, it's because she has too many worries about the futures of Japan and Tōkaidō and it's weighing on her heart, which is why she wants to confide in us."

"Oh?"

"Onii-sama, let's work hard and help lift the princess' spirits!"

"Got it."

Tachibana Hatsune's benevolence and naivete was not quite the same as Okonogi Taisei's obliviousness.

Masatsugu found his little sister's brand of liberal-mindedness quite adorable and endearing. In contrast, their lady liege's personality was much more complicated.

Simultaneously good and evil, willing to resort to ruthless means, yet she had an innocent maidenly side to her.

Fujinomiya Shiori was smart and eloquent. There were very few matters she would have trouble broaching. Perhaps he should approach her to have a detailed discussion some time soon.

"Onii-sama, we're almost there."

But before that, Masatsugu and company had to take care of a matter at the Suruga tutelary fort first.

Today, they were having a meeting with the Governor General, Akigase Shouzan.

### 023. Part 4

November 15th, it was Saturday and the weekend had arrived.

"It's amazing how much the situation has changed in merely a week. Even though Nagoya fell, Suruga City is finally liberated and we even got a new Tōkaidō Governor General," Okonogi Taisei commented with poignancy.

Masatsugu said to him, "Until we retake Nagoya, Suruga will be the temporary provincial capital."

"So a temporary provincial government will be set up in Suruga City, huh? Totally inconceivable half a year ago," Hatsune expressed her own feelings on the matter.

The trio was in a commercial district near Suruga Station, in front of a scramble intersection.

Such a metropolitan neighborhood was rare to find in this quiet regional city. Trendy buildings were abundant with giant television screens.

Normally, these screens would display advertisements for local businesses or commercial events.

Masatsugu and friends stopped walking to look up at the screen. It was airing the "inauguration of the new Governor General of Tōkaidō."

"The new Governor General visited our school before, right?"

"That's right, her name is Akigase Rikka-sama. We're on pretty good terms with her."

"Taisei, her caliber is impeccable too."

"Well, I'm not in any position to comment on that... Say, she's got quite an amazing face and figure. I think she'll be very popular with both genders."

Rikka's gallant standing figure was visible on the giant screen.

She was dressed in a black military officer's uniform with the treasured sword Onikiri Yasutsuna hanging on her belt in its scabbard. She was also wearing a black military hat today, making her appearance even more perfect than usual.

The ceremony was being held at a Shinto shrine.

The venue was Mount Kunou Toushouguu near the Suruga tutelary fort.

Like Nikkou Toushouguu, this was an ancient Shinto shrine with a deep connection to Tokugawa Ieyasu. It was situated on the pinnacle of Mount Kunou. The Tōkaidō Fiefdom's top officials and civilian big shots were gathered on its premises to celebrate Rikka succeeding to the position of Governor General.

Former Governor General Akigase Shouzan was also present.

The camera rarely focused on him, but frequently provided closeups of Rikka.

In other words, this television program was intended to promote the new Governor General, Akigase Rikka.

The inauguration event had been edited by a television station in Suruga City to become news footage, then broadcast to the surrounding region through the city's telecommunications facilities.

The various parts of Tōkaidō territory currently captured by the Restoration Alliance could also receive the signal.

For example, this included the Izu Peninsula, Kakegawa, Hamamatsu, and even around Nagoya—

This was done to inform residents that "the Tōkaidō Fiefdom was still alive," thereby sustaining cohesion and preventing the populace from leaning too much over to the Restoration Alliance.

This was the true purpose of producing this program.

"The princess also said that the people in areas conquered by the Restoration Alliance are currently waiting to see whether the Restoration Alliance wins or the Tōkaidō Fiefdom makes a comeback... But before long, they'll gradually give up on Tōkaidō."

"Yeah, I hear that a lot," Taisei agreed with Hatsune's comment.

"In the cities whose tutelary forts have fallen, the residents will start cooperating with the conquerors mentally and economically. Nowadays, under the Charter of Chivalry's protection, residents can't really be expected to show a high degree of loyalty to the nation," Taisei added somewhat pessimistically. "But ultimately, the Restoration Alliance is the British Empire's lapdog. There'll be hell to pay if anyone forgets that. Like the incident ten years ago when the new Empress Teruhime came to power but actually follows Rome's will."

Taisei's tone was laid back, but there was a slight element of criticism in his words.

His father worked in the news industry and Taisei also held a part-time job at the same company. Masatsugu's friend, Okonogi Taisei was a social-minded patriot.

To such a friend, Masatsugu said, "Perhaps the establishment of deep ties between the princess and the Tōkaidō Fiefdom will come to hold great significance eventually. Don't forget this either."

"I'm quite surprised by this turn of events, actually. I never thought Princess Shiori would become a Saiguu at Tōkaidō."

Onscreen, the Shinto priests and shrine maidens of Mount Kunou Toushouguu were carrying out a ceremony.

At the forefront was a striking young beauty.

The girl was wearing a Heian-style juunihitoe and a tiara with her platinum blonde hair let down today...

She was Fujinomiya Shiori, the liege of Masatsugu and others.

Her otherworldly appearance was combined with this attire.

Every time she was caught on camera, the television screen was enhanced with overwhelming beauty.

"The princess is a noble who had inherited dragon blood from Lord Tenryuu. She possesses outstanding spiritual powers far beyond what commoners like us could ever hope for." Masatsugu said quietly, "That's why the Tōkaidō Fiefdom recruited the princess and asked her to serve as Mount Kunou's shrine maiden."

"That's right, that's right. She will serve as the shrine maiden who receives divine oracles to offer advice to Governor General Rikka-sama. Isn't that such a great idea?"

Masatsugu and Hatsune were explaining "Shiori's reason for entering employment."

One could very well call this a pretext, but the princess definitely possessed outstanding spiritual powers and was the new Governor General's indispensable adviser.

These were not lies but Taisei was a bit puzzled.

"But isn't the so-called Saiguu supposed to be 'the imperial princess who serves the gods at the Ise Grand Shrine'? Since Princess Shiori is a shrine maiden at Mount Kunou... Wouldn't it be better to pick a different title?"

"Don't sweat this kind of small stuff."

"Rikka-sama also said 'it is better to keep it simple' and even 'since it is a position that was abolished centuries ago, it would be ridiculous to get hung up on every detail'."

"Should I call the new Governor General sloppy or decisive...?"

"The opposite would be far worse. A neurotic ruler is definitely not good for the country."

While they were talking, the ceremony continued steadily onscreen.

In truth, this video was not a live broadcast but a rerun of the event at 9am.

The same program should be airing on the televisions of ordinary households too.

The current time was 12:45, already past noon.

For the Suruga residents out in the streets, this was no longer news, but many people still stood to watch.

The reason was simple. Two beautiful girls shown together onscreen.

Rikka in military uniform was solemn and dignified.

The princess in juunihitoe was in a word, divine.

Both of them made such striking impressions that a single glance was enough to produce lasting memories.

Putting complicated reasons aside, the two of them definitely made quite an impact. This was thanks to the "glamor" of these two maidens and the magical power of the medium known as television.

(In fact, Shiori was wearing a non-standard juunihitoe with reduced fabric to allow her to walk unaided but anyway, it was no big deal.)

The camera was mostly focused on Shiori and Rikka.

In terms of screen time, the proportion was something like "40% new Governor General, 30% princess, and 30% everyone else."

"But what surprised me the most was this shot," Taisei pointed at the giant screen and remarked.

Unbelievably, next to the two noble beauties was Tachibana Masatsugu .

The Masatsugu onscreen was wearing his usual stiff-collar uniform with a military officer's overcoat on top. Instead of the black one he wore before, his overcoat was light blue in color except for the lapels and sleeves which were white.

A sheathed Japanese sword—the materialized Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada—was hanging at his waist...

A scrolling ticker at the bottom of the screen read:

'The knight in Princess Shiori's service, Lord Tachibana Masatsugu, is officially assuming his post as the Vice-Commander of the Shinsengumi, a newly created order of special operative knights, and taking command of the Tōkaidō knights—'

'Furthermore, the post of commander of this order is currently left vacant. Princess Shiori is expected to assume leadership as acting commander for the interim—'

The figure shown on the giant television was identical to the Masatsugu standing on a street corner.

Dressed in a light-blue overcoat on top of his stiff-collar student uniform, wearing a sword, he was standing there with a cool expression on his face. This attire was very conspicuous and attracted attention from many pedestrians. They looked at the live Masatsugu in amazement and compared him to the one on the giant screen.

Some people even stared at them and whispered among themselves.

These type of reactions were only going to increase from now on, so getting bothered would be pointless. To Masatsugu who was unfazed by his surroundings, his friend said in exasperation, "Why on earth did you have to meet me dressed like this...?"

"Don't mind me. I still have to go back and take part in the ceremony later and changing is too much of a hassle."

"You should be more mindful. But what a weird squad you have there. Why are you called the vice-commander when you're clearly the actual commanding officer? Her Highness Shiori's position of acting commander is simply honorary, right?"

How astute of Taisei. Masatsugu nodded and said, "You're right. Of course, I can't keep commanding the Tōkaidō provincial army as 'a knight in the princess' service' so that's why we set up an arbitrary squad and official post."

"By the way, I'm the captain of the first unit, even though there's only one unit and I'm the sole member♪"

"That's so Shinsengumi. But Masatsugu-kun, I heard a weird rumor."

"What rumor?"

"Everyone is saying your real identity is Hijikata Toshizō."

Masatsugu and Hatsune did not respond.

The purpose of naming the squad Shinsengumi and setting Masatsugu's post as the vice-commander was to reinforce the rumor. The Tōkaidō Fiefdom had decided to borrow the hero's name to enhance Tachibana Masatsugu's authority and reputation.

However, the friend who knew Masatsugu well had his doubts.

"Don't mind it. After all, it's easy for weird rumors to start during wartime."

"Is that really it?"

"Yeah. By the way, I'd like to sit down with you for a discussion about the school festival and the beauty contest. Just a little longer, and I'll be free enough to go to school. Remember to make time for it."

"You never change, Masatsugu-kun. So, by 'a while,' you mean—"

"Just as you suspect, I'll be extremely busy in the near future."

Masatsugu patted the hilt of Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada.

The showdown against Edward the Black Prince was drawing near and it was time for the trenchant blade to enter the stage.

"This is unbearable," Rikka murmured quietly. Only the princess beside her could hear her.

"Under the camera all the time, it is so uncomfortable."

"Be that as it may, Rikka-sama, you look honestly majestic... This has been an excellent inauguration. After this, things will be easier to deal with in various ways."

"Credit is definitely owed to you on this regard, Your Highness."

Princess Shiori praised Rikka, who smiled wryly in return.

Starting in the morning and continuing into the afternoon, the ceremony was winding down. They were currently having a "parade" in the city.

Together with her inner circle, the new Governor General was making rounds in Suruga City.

Naturally, they were not moving on foot. Instead, a double-decker bus served this purpose. The top story of the bus had no roof, making it a kind of open car. Due to traffic restrictions in Suruga City, the bus was able to move steadily through the roads without impediment, escorted by security vehicles on the side.

Rikka was standing at the center of the bus' top story, the most conspicuous location.

Dressed up in juunihitoe, Princess Shiori stood beside her.

This positioning was designed for PR purposes. The two girls smiled cheerfully at the citizens on the roadside, waving from time to time.

The whole show was intended to drum up a glamorous and lively atmosphere for the "new Governor General's inauguration."

Everywhere, the bus was greeted by crowds of Suruga residents cheering.

There were many people who had come in from the surrounding region too. Everything looked "joyous" on the surface, but considering the difficult situation facing the Tōkaidō Fiefdom, this was "mere bravado."

Nevertheless, this was good enough.

Having the energy to tend to matters of appearance was proof that they were not pushed to the edge.

(That reminds me, we are currently stuck in quite a troublesome position...)

Looking out at the Suruga streets from the bus, Rikka thought to herself.

The invading Restoration Alliance was not the only problem. The eastern Japanese fiefdoms have proven completely unreliable despite being fellow compatriots of Imperial Japan. However, if Tōkaidō were to depend on the Eastern Roman Empire as an ally, the great hero Caesar would "take over."

Amid the desperate situation, there were several elements for optimism.

The forsaken princess next to her, Fujinomiya Shiori, was served by a mysterious Resurrectee. She herself was also highly insightful and blessed with outstanding spiritual powers.

Purely from the perspective of a general, one would be hard pressed to find better talent than hers.

Unfortunately, in the ensuing game of power against either the Japanese imperial family or the various surrounding nations, it was impossible to say whether her highborn blood would prove to be a blessing or a curse...

Shiori was an unfathomable joker card, impossible to predict.

Under normal circumstances, such a card should never be retained in one's hand.

However, the Tōkaidō Fiefdom was currently in no position to pick and choose. Furthermore, there was Tachibana Masatsugu, an exceptional being known as a Resurrectee and reminiscent of her revered Hijikata Toshizō...

(Looks like all I can do is take a gamble.)

Rikka smiled to herself. She had no choice but to go all-in before all was lost. Ordinary measures were not going to reverse the unfavorable tide.

"Your Highness, I have already heard the gist of your strategy."

Rikka lowered her voice again so that only the princess next to her could hear.

"On the matter of Hakone, let us proceed as you have suggested."

"Is that so? Then—"

"Indeed, we will join forces with the Resurrectee whom Rome stationed in Tokyo and attack Hakone Checkpoint simultaneously from the east and the west. We of Tōkaidō will take control of the Hakone region on behalf of the incompetent Kantō Fiefdom and imperial palace officials..."

At this moment, the two of them reached a consensus.

They were not only going to expel the Restoration Alliance from Tōkaidō but also stage their own uprising, turning this crisis into an opportunity.

"Simply defeating the foes at hand will not solve the problem at the root. We might as well subjugate Kantō and Tokyo in one move to become Imperial Japan's number one faction—Indeed, it is futile unless we accomplish this much," Rikka declared quietly in a voice only audible to the princess.

### 024. Part 4

Hearing Masatsugu's criticism, Shiori responded with displeasure.

"Do not treat me like a child. You should be well aware that one would be hard pressed to find a noetic master more powerful than I am."

"Indeed."

Shiori was dressed in a white blouse with a navy-blue skirt. Quite prim and proper casual clothing. She was also wearing the pair of glasses she used as a disguise, presumably with image manipulation noetics applied.

Getting back to more important matters, Masatsugu answered the princess' question. "Actually, when I heard this ship's name during the war council, a strange idea occurred to me. I wonder if this Tintagel ship could be used in the next battle."

"You want to use this ship to invade Hakone—a mountain fortress?"

"Yes. If I was an expert at using ships for war in my past life, perhaps I might be able to come up with a good plan..."

"So that was why you came to check out the ship in person?"

"Unfortunately, it was just my imagination. I couldn't come up with anything."

"After all, even the British Empire's cutting-edge ship would not be able to traverse mountains."

"Yes, it turns out I came here for nothing."

Masatsugu's blasé conclusion brought a smile to Shiori's face.

Of course, Shiori was not laughing at Masatsugu, but finding his reaction quite cute. However, she immediately resumed a solemn expression and murmured in worry. "The fact that you resorted to a vague instinctive notion of this sort implies that the conquest of Hakone must be very challenging from your perspective too..."

"The Four Gods system is definitely difficult to handle."

The Suruga tutelary fort was protected by the spirit Sakuya and the ifrit Seiryuu.

Unfortunately, the guardian deities on both sides were not comparable at all. The spirit Morrigan was controlling the merged entity of Seiryuu, Suzaku, Byakko, and Genbu—

A partnership between such a monster with Prince Edward was undoubtedly the worst enemy.

"In fact, some ideas have occurred to me after witnessing the power of the Four Gods. If I were to use appropriate means as an imperial princess, it might be possible for me to seal that monster away effortlessly."

"......"

"I am currently researching whether this method would work or not. Could you please wait a moment?"

"Princess, if you do this, your life will—"

"It is unavoidable for the sake of realizing great ambition. Relax, I will turn to other means if the strain proves to be too great."

In a rare moment, Shiori responded partially in jest and smiled, "It would be far too foolish if I were to fall ill so soon after assuming my position."

"Agreed. Please take care of yourself, Princess."

It had been so long since the last time they were alone and could have a proper chat.

Both of them felt the same way. On further thought, in the past, they would set aside time every night to be together, to replenish ectoplasmic fluid and take the opportunity to have heartfelt conversations.

"I-Incidentally, Masatsugu-sama, regarding the matter of resupply."

Shiori changed the subject. Her thoughts had turned to ectoplasmic fluid too.

"Y-You wish to ask male Chevaliers to provide—"

"Are you against it too, Princess?"

"Uh, I-I am not too supportive of that... I-I don't mean to discriminate or anything—It is not because I consider homosexual behavior subversive to society and shouldn't involve my knight. However, I simply do not want you to do it, Masatsugu-sama."

The princess brought out many "vague" reasons, probably because she was flustered.

What an adorable reaction. Masatsugu deliberately asked her in response, "You won't accept it, only because it's me?"

"Y-Yes... Umm, Masatsugu-sama."

The princess looked up with determination.

The glasses disguise added to her intellectual image.

Sure enough, she was a beautiful woman. Banishing the uncertainty in her eyes with willpower alone, Shiori said timidly, "I have rested long enough... There is no problem now."

Emotionally reserved, Shiori mustered her courage to present her demand.

Anyone who was not aroused by these words must be mentally impaired. Without another word, Masatsugu picked up the princess in his arms.

"Kyah...!?"

"Princess, of course I need your help too."

Using a literal "princess carry," Masatsugu moved her to a leather seat nearby.

Leather seats would be quite extravagant for a military ship's standard issue equipment. Perhaps this was for the captain's exclusive use.

Masatsugu had the princess reclining on the seat.

"I-I will get ready now..."

Shiori sat up after stammering.

She unbuttoned her blouse. Kneeling on the seat, she unfastened her skirt's clasp and the navy-blue fabric slid down.

The princess of dragon blood had a white blouse draped on her shoulders.

The rest consisted of her neat and trim pink underwear and the stockings covering her legs. For Masatsugu's sake, she went as far as to bare her taintless skin.

Shiori's posture was kneeling on the seat.

This compensated for their height difference, putting Shiori and the standing Masatsugu at roughly eye level.

Perhaps it slipped her mind but she did not remove her glasses disguise. Looking more scholarly than usual, the princess was within arm's reach.

"Princess, please grace me with your blessing."

"Don't put it like that. I would not not be alive without your help. For you, this bit of sacrifice is nothing—"

Masatsugu embraced the princess while she was murmuring.

Shiori hugged him in turn, accepting his embrace. Suddenly inspired with a mischievous notion, Masatsugu whispered in Shiori's ear, "Princess... Are you sure this is purely a sacrifice?"

"Q-Quit spouting nonsense and focus now."

While scolding Masatsugu, Shiori actively rubbed her cheek against him as though seeking affection. She was pressing against Masatsugu's cheek and it seemed like a subconscious act.

This behavior was an indication of the princess' feelings and the distance between the two of them.

Shiori's sweet reaction seemed to be expressing her unbearable loneliness. This also set Masatsugu's heart aflame.

He embraced Shiori even harder, perhaps a little too rough on a noble lady.

However, Shiori accepted Masatsugu completely.

"Masatsugu-sama..."

The princess called his name in rapture, then burying her face into Masatsugu's neck, she kept kissing his skin gently.

Now that Masatsugu thought about it, Shiori was more experienced than Hatsune in the process of replenishing ectoplasmic fluid.

Although her poise and behavior were prim and proper, she had shared extremely intimate moments with Masatsugu. Currently, she was caressing Masatsugu's back and arms, doing her best to warm up the Resurrectee's cold body.

"...Princess."

"...Masatsugu-sama."

They even felt that calling each other's name would deepen their bonds.

Finally, Masatsugu's body warmed up as he absorbed the essence of ectoplasmic fluid from Shiori smoothly.

Masatsugu recalled the previous scene.

During the resupplying process, his little sister's body had become as hot as boiling water. The heat had turned into a great amount of ectoplasmic fluid to provide Tachibana Masatsugu with the energy for battle. Furthermore, Hatsune had attained unprecedented excitement.

Masatsugu told himself to focus and refrain from stealing heat for now.

Soon, Shiori experienced a change.

"M-Masatsugu-sama... Today, I... feel a little strange. My body is hotter than usual, the dizziness, it is making it difficult to think—"

Shiori murmured to herself as though talking in a dream.

Under her glasses, her eyes became unfocused, losing her usual edge.

"Huah... Masatsu—Mmmmm! Ah... Mmmmmm... Ooooooh!"

Struck by a flood of emotions as though a dam had ruptured, the princess could no longer suppress her voice. Masatsugu relaxed himself at the same time.

Scorching heat instantly surged into Masatsugu's body.

Trying her best to endure the flow, Shiori also reached her limit.

"Ah—"

Shiori's entire body went limp.

Thus, Masatsugu's lady liege passed out, but there was a smile of satisfaction on the corners of her lips. Her dazed demeanor was quite blissful.

Masatsugu could not leave the fainted Shiori behind and exit the ship.

Besides, there were still things he had to do on the destroyer Tintagel . In the end, Masatsugu picked up the princess in his arms and returned to the sick bay from earlier.

Hatsune was lying on the only bed, fast asleep.

She showed no signs of waking up. Fortunately, the bed in the British ship's sick bay was quite large and should be capable of fitting three or four Japanese ladies.

Masatsugu placed Shiori next to Hatsune and went up to the deck alone.

The moon and the stars were out tonight.

"Now then—"

Masatsugu began to think again. He decided he should still go ahead with the plan to take ectoplasmic fluid from the male Chevaliers of Tōkaidō.

Although he was grateful to Shiori and Hatsune's feelings, victory hinged upon this crucial matter after all...

"Monarch's dog, you have suffered much from the shortage of energy."

A sudden voice from behind startled Masatsugu.

He had not sensed the visitor, unlike the case with Shiori earlier. Masatsugu slowly turned around and saw a young girl dressed in a blue kimono and haori.

The girl had a pretty face and looked like she was in the upper years of elementary school.

Not only was her clothing blue—Even her hair was glowing with blue radiance!

"Do you know who I am?" The girl was clearly no ordinary person, so Masatsugu decided to cut straight to the chase.

The girl in the kimono was haughty in manner, her smirking countenance almost like a mischievous child's.

"Strictly speaking, I don't know anything. However, I do have a few thoughts from looking at your face."

"Something like a flash of inspiration?"

"You are a dog, and for virtually all of your past life, you were a ruler's dog."

"You... aren't human, are you?"

"You can discern that? Impressive, undead one. No wonder my princess holds you in such high regard."

Having said that—Immediately...

The mysterious girl who spoke like an elder vanished into thin air.

She had disappeared without trace like a messenger pipe fox. Did she use teleportation? Just as Masatsugu was intrigued, someone else appeared on deck.

The one walking up to Masatsugu directly was whom he had been waiting for.

They had agreed to meet on the Tintagel tonight.

"Thank you for your patience, Masatsugu-dono."

The visitor was Tōkaidō's new Governor General, Akigase Rikka.

### 025. Part 4

Hakone's second tutelary fort, Suzaku Gate.

Inside its star-shaped perimeter walls, Legions of three nations were fighting in a great chaotic battle.

The defenders were two hundred Crusades, mainstay Legions of the British Empire. Conversely, the attacking side invading the noesis barrier was a coalition force belonging to Rome and Japan.

The main force consisted of a hundred and twenty Centuriae, commanded by two of General Wei Qing's subordinates.

Seventy Japanese Legions were "Kurou Hougans." This team had attacked together with the silver Roman army after Tachibana Hatsune summoned them at Ogawarajou. The tops of their heads were elongated like eboshi and they wore red armor with white robes.

Legions of three nations were swinging their blades, firing their scorching beams, doing everything they could to slaughter the enemy.

Most striking of the warriors were the Kurou Hougans.

Kamuys were especially noted for their agility among Legions. However, the avatars of Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune were able to move as light as a swallow in addition to their swift agility.

Jumping in a fluttering manner, the Kurou Hougans dodged the swinging blades of the Crusades repeatedly.

The agility they exhibited was akin to how Ushiwakamaru had toyed with Musashibō Benkei at Gojō Bridge. The Kurou Hougans were not only swift and nimble, with flowing footwork, but could even evade attacks from behind by jumping forward or using spectacular side steps, as though they had eyes on the back of their head.

It was hard to imagine these eight-meter-tall giants displaying such tengu-level martial arts.

When they attacked, their blades moved swiftly and sharply. Their bayonets instantly severed the Crusades' jugulars, easily penetrating the gaps in their armor.

That being said, it was hard to avoid stray shots on a chaotic battlefield.

A fair number of Kurou Hougans were hit due to bad luck or during balance recovery, and died to the blades of the Crusades.

However, these Kurou Hougans were quite a fighting force to be reckoned with, for an army belonging to a novice Chevalier.

While the Kurou Hougans were fighting bravely, their commander was accompanying the beautiful liege to sneak underground.

"Princess, we're approaching the goal!"

"I suppose there are no soldiers on guard duty, but let us proceed with caution!"

"Understood!"

Taking her personal lady-in-waiting and Chevalier Shiori had entered an underground tunnel.

Every tutelary fort was equipped with an underground water shrine and the four tutelary forts of Hakone were no exception. In case of emergencies, tunnels large enough for eight-meter-tall giant soldiers were built to allow Legions to swiftly recover from depletion of mystical power.

Of course, the tunnel went straight from ground level to the subterranean water shrine.

The two girls were each riding a Kurou Hougan. Hatsune was standing on one Kurou Hougan's shoulder while Shiori was on the other's palm.

The underground tunnel only had scattered orange lights for illumination.

The two Kurou Hougans were hovering, following the downward sloping tunnel. After a couple hundred meters, they were greeted by a wide open space.

"We reached the water shrine!" Hatsune cried out in joy.

The tunnel reached the top of the vast water shrine. Below them was a great reservoir of ectoplasmic fluid. Paths crisscrossed all over the surface like a chessboard and there was an entrance into the bath at the back.

Dozens of massive columns stood towering from the bottom of the reservoir up to the ceiling. Every column was uniform in size with a diameter of six or seven meters.

Stylistically, these giant columns were Corinthian from ancient Greek architecture.

"The ifrit protecting the tutelary fort—Its divinity baseplate is hidden inside a certain column in the water shrine. In the case of Imperial Japan, since this is always in a fixed spot, I will use noetics to search."

"Then let's go down there first, Princess!"

Hatsune directed the two Kurou Hougans to descend.

The landing spot was a path on the reservoir. The Legions instantly lowered the two girls. Just as Shiori was about to focus noesis on swiftly locating the divinity baseplate...

She sensed extremely ominous noetic waves from close by.

If one were to describe using a color, it would be "black." Shiori felt a chill down her spine. The noetic waves were filled with all sorts of negative elements—coldness, malediction, evil energy, curses.

"What is this...?"

"P-Princess!"

Just as Shiori was feeling intrigued, she heard her personal lady-in-waiting shout urgently.

Now she finally understood the noetic waves earlier were emitted at Hatsune. Shiori turned her head back, only to see the normally lively and cheerful girl standing frozen on the spot, her eyes unfocused.

Hatsune's entire body was entangled by negative noetic waves.

The one releasing these waves was a beautiful blonde maiden.

Her exquisite face was like a fairy's with an astoundingly pale complexion. Dressed in a pitch-black coat, this sort of funeral-like attire was a perfect match for her.

Rather than appearing suddenly, she had used stealth noetics to conceal herself.

The fact that Shiori had failed to sense her stood testament to her substantial prowess. The noetic waves restraining Hatsune were exuding from this young woman's body.

"Who are—"

Shiori was about to ask for her identity, but stopped halfway.

"Though I do not know your name, I presume you must be a princess of the British Empire. If necessary, I am willing to introduce myself first..."

"That would not be necessary."

The blonde's voice was crystal clear, no less exquisite than the beauty of her face.

"The British Empire has not neglected to gather intelligence. How could we possibly be unaware of Lady Fujinomiya Shiori? That being said, must I introduce myself?"

A smile bloomed on the girl's face, but there was no impression of cheerfulness.

Her essence was more akin to a mysterious bewitching rose, stars in the dark night, or faint moonlight.

"My name is Alexandrina Eleanor. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

"I knew it, the British Three Lions'—"

"I suppose I would be considered the daughter of the Three Lions. Pray forgive me but I cannot divulge the number of my siblings. I am quite surprised that you know of my existence, Lady Shiori."

The blonde maiden spoke cordially.

But held in her right hand was a dangerous instrument, a large-caliber revolver. This object looked extremely out of place in her pale and slender hand along with that cordial expression on her face.

The gun was aimed at Shiori's chest.

Suppressing her fear, Shiori said, "From Rikka-sama and Hatsune, I have heard about a masterful user of magic who made an appearance in Suruga..."

"You were able to guess from this scant information? You are truly as clever as they say, Lady Shiori."

Princess Eleanor smiled with delight.

Reportedly, she had easily infiltrated the Suruga tutelary fort after the Restoration Alliance had started the war, using a mysterious bewitching skill to control Rikka, and even transformed in front of Hatsune to flee.

Only a royal princess would have the ability to wield special powers of this sort.

"Lady Eleanor... Did you pray to your own father for a wish? You obtained taboo powers of enchantment in exchange for your own lifespan."

The British princess smiled and did not answer.

However, Shiori's guess was current. In the present times, praying to the sacred beasts "to grant magical powers" was the only way to obtain abilities of that level.

Furthermore, this was different from a one-time wish such as praying for the descent of a Resurrectee.

How many decades of life were needed to obtain "versatile magical powers" that could be used repeatedly?

Princess Eleanor probably did not have long to live...

Even so, she maintained her sultry smile while pointing the merciless gun at Shiori. What a witch, literally.

"Are those powers the reason why you knew of my arrival?"

"What do you think? I simply felt a little sense of foreboding in my heart. A while ago, I was having a private discussion with my good brother—Prince Edward—about the most likely threats to Hakone. For example, a princess inheriting Lord Tenryuu's blood would probably be able to devise an unexpected plan."

"A little sense of foreboding, you say...?"

"Fufufufu. A woman's intuition is very terrifying, and I am a witch on top of that. When it comes to matters related to the occult or magic, my intuition is almost akin to an oracle."

"......"

"For the past few days, this sense of foreboding did not go away, which is why I tried coming to Hakone to guard the location that worried me the most—As expected, I ran into your grand arrival, Lady Shiori."

"Now that I have heard your explanation, my mood cannot be any worse."

Shiori relied on upbringing to resist the urge to click her tongue. Putting her facade aside, she spoke a few harsh words.

"Who could have thought that my plan would be foiled by a witch's intuition...?"

"Oh my, Lady Shiori, aren't you a master in mystical skills too?"

"My skills are nowhere near as underhanded as yours. Lady Eleanor, your magical powers are basically cheats in the realm of human calculation and conflict."

"That I do agree... By the way, Lady Shiori."

Click. Eleanor's thumb cocked the revolver's hammer.

"It is time for us to chat about the future. Would you and the lady knight over there be so kind as to join my side as guests? Or must I use this rather rude instrument to take you both away by coercion?"

"I am terribly sorry, but I have trouble falling asleep if I were to switch pillows."

"Please rest assured. Upon the honor of the British Empire, I promise to find bedding and a bedroom satisfactory to you. Cast aside your worries and follow me now."

Confronted with the smiling Eleanor, Shiori was in quite a conundrum.

Her bodyguard Hatsune was immobilized the whole time. So were the two accompanying Kurou Hougans. It was like they were bound and restrained.

Shiori was not confident of victory in a contest of noetics or mystical powers.

Had she no other options but to abandon her ambition and plans to follow the British princess' orders obediently...?

"I—"

Frustrated by her own helplessness, Shiori's voice was trembling.

"Fufufufu, don't kill me with laughter. You think this level of magic will allow you to take Imperial Japan's princess? Over my dead body."

Underground of the second tutelary fort, Suzaku Gate, on the shore of Lake Ashi—

Someone who had no business coming to the water shrine had suddenly appeared. Her name was Rindou-sensei, and she was a reclusive figure of remarkable caliber, akin to Shiori's very own Zhuge Kongming, if one were to use a Three Kingdoms analogy.

### 026. Part 4

Edward the Black Prince was elegant as a person and extremely chivalrous.

Few would dispute such a statement.

Putting aside shortcomings of slight flippancy, he always adhered to strict discipline, striving for the "knightly ideal," making no exceptions in the way he treated his closest subordinates.

Hence, the renown of the Black Knight and the Order of the Garter was impeccable in Britain.

Edward's life was filled with the glory of victory. In addition to his ability as a commander, his qualities and principles as a knight were even more fascinating. Dying with regrets merely due to disease, he had never met defeat at anyone's hands.

He was virtually an invincible general of great renown. One could also call him a genius and a hero whose charisma transcended time.

However—

Were these characteristics alone enough to ensure his undefeated reputation?

So-called war was a cruel world filled with blood, violence, murderous impulse, malevolence, and hatred.

Waging war required massive military funds. Soldiers of old needed to be paid, unlike modern Legions. During the medieval age, there was no Charter of Chivalry to establish "universal rules to facilitate war's smooth operation." Under those conditions, terror and violence were essential for subjugating enemy territories. Money and supplies also had to be requisitioned from battlefields...

Capable as Edward was, he still could not escape these realities of war.

Confronted such situations, he was a man who dared to face reality. Well aware that such behavior ran contrary to his ideals, he was not afraid of getting his hands dirty.

Edward the Black Prince was undoubtedly England's hero.

However, to the people of France, he was the commander-in-chief of the invaders, the one ordering slaughter and plunder, and the "chevalier de noir" who engaged in massacre from time to time.

Edward often reflected upon his moniker.

"At least it is far better than being called the White Prince."

He would often mutter that to himself as a kind of self-mockery and reminder, tinged with a certain regret. He did not believe himself to be an untainted person, while on the conscience level, it was debatable.

In any case, he unleashed the mysterious reason for the "black" in the name of the Black Prince.

Now, his army went berserk on the battlefield of Hakone, giving off an aura of red noesis reminiscent of the color of blood.

"Impressive as always, my personal guard."

In front of the Black Prince, the Garter Knights began to engage in cruel carnage.

One of the Garter Knights fired two shots consecutively at close range then grabbed the head of a Centuriae that could no longer fight, crushing the enemy's skull in its left hand.

Another knight circled around to assault a Kamuy from behind, then kicked away the corpse that was about to crash.

There was one black knight that blinded a Kamuy by slashing its eyes, then proceeded to stab the enemy in the gut ten-odd times.

A Kanesada with two arms lost and unable to fight, struggling to stay afloat in the air, was fired upon by two Garter Knights, turning into swiss cheese...

The slaughter was innumerable.

On the battlefield, cruel carnage took place everywhere.

However, the violence currently employed by the Garter Knights was going too far overall, with a flavor of insanity. It would be no exaggeration to call them intoxicated by partaking in a bloodbath.

This was most likely a far cry from their usual behavior.

The Knights of the Garter were always impeccably elegant, similar to their commander.

Even on the battlefield, they would raise their bayonet rifles gracefully to fire in perfect unison to exhibit spectacular marksmanship.

Currently, these qualities were nowhere to be seen—

"I have heard of this Feat of Arms—Chevalier de Noir, by name only."

The doll possessed by the spirit Morrigan was sitting Edward's shoulder.

Her attitude remained calm, but the sight of the Garter Knights' vicious fighting was too shocking, completely impossible to avert one's eyes away.

"In the shared database in the military, there are records about you, Prince. Oddly enough, this Feat of Arms is listed by name only without detailed description... I always found it unbelievable."

"I deleted it, because it is not worth recording," said Edward indifferently. "Of all my Feat of Arms, this is the simplest and most boring. Consequently, the effect is intense on occasion—or rather, too intense."

"By effect, you mean..."

"Just as you suspect, it means ordering knights to fight as berserkers, reveling in slaughter. This raises their combat power by roughly 20%, but the drawback is that they are limited to crude actions. Unless I retract the order, they will fight with all their strength until depleted of ectoplasmic fluid..."

Despite holding an overwhelming advantage, Edward did not seem excited at all.

As a commander of troops, using this Feat of Arms necessitated extra care. Obliged to adhere dutifully to a knight's true path, he cautioned himself that this was a taboo power.

When a battle gradually reached stalemate, or the situation was about to go sour...

This could be considered a potent drug for producing an extremely intense effect if timed correctly.

"Now then, Tachibana-dono."

Edward's formidable foe was on this battlefield of splattering ectoplasmic fluid.

Calling out to his unseen enemy, he muttered, "Whether tactics for seizing victory or Feats of Arms... I believe I have used everything flawlessly. All I can do from this point onwards is to believe in my own order of knights. Do you have the ability to overturn the current situation?"

"I have borrowed all kinds of weapons to fight the Black Prince..."

Riding a flying wyvern, Masatsugu spoke quietly.

He touched the hilt of Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada at his waist.

"To think that at this juncture, the enemy pulled out an even more troublesome weapon. Furthermore, all of his weapons are his own."

Archers of Crécy, the holy shields of the Order of the Garter, a death-bringing Feat of Arms of slaughter.

Every Feat of Arms belonging to Edward the Black Prince was astounding in power. They also symbolized the many great military accomplishments to his name in the past. Great military accomplishments paired with an outstandingly talented general—

Edward had virtually no blind spots. In terms of ability as a general, the Lionheart was far inferior to the Black Prince.

"That prince really is quite a remarkable man," Masatsugu praised his opponent generously.

Together with Rikka, he was riding a wyvern, roughly a hundred meters from the battlefield of violent slaughter. Flying in the sky, they watched the chaotic battle from outside.

The Tōkaidō-Roman coalition were up against the berserk order of black knights.

Every four or five seconds, a Kanesada, Centuria, or Kamuy would be wounded, splattering blue ectoplasmic fluid in the process. Many of these were mortal blows, causing them to crash from the sky directly. The unfavorable tide of battle was clear to see.

"What comes next is an arduous struggle to see which side's troops are stronger."

Masatsugu analyzed the situation. He did not think his own army had reached its limit...

However, it was true that the battle was a difficult predicament. Tricky to deal with in the first place, the Garter Knights had obtained even greater power to go on a murderous rampage.

Unless he came up with a solution to counter this threat, defeat would be sealed.

"Rikka-dono, I will need to trouble you to accompany me a bit longer. I can't be certain how far my abilities can go... Regardless, all I can do right now is struggle to the bitter end."

"Is that so?" Leaning against Masatsugu's bosom, Rikka asked in puzzlement.

Sitting sideways on the saddle, she looked back. With her body and face oriented towards Masatsugu, she showed a mischievous look.

"The Tachibana Masatsugu I know is someone who would never lose to the Black Prince. For the past two months, I have been watching your battles with my very own eyes..."

Rikka gazed into Masatsugu's eyes and said, "I dare assert that you do not lose to that Englishman in any regard."

"Oh?"

"Well, the enemy is outstanding, Masatsugu-dono, but you are also his equal, aren't you? But additionally, he has the embarrassing title of prince, so you definitely hold the upper hand here."

"I could very well be a prince in my past life, you know?"

"Simply judging from your character, Masatsugu-dono, I would surmise roots as a commoner, I suppose?"

"Now that you say that, I do feel the same."

"Using the name and title of my revered Hijikata Toshizō, you inherit Lord Hijikata's good fortune in battle, which raises your odds of victory substantially. Besides, so what if it is a borrowed weapon? Nothing wrong with that. Borrowing during a necessary moment is more logical than preparing your own, right?"

"Yes, this is also easier and more handy."

Masatsugu smiled with delight. Rikka smiled back.

To be allies meant more than fighting alongside each other. During times of adversity, they also had to cooperate and offer mutual encouragement to lessen each other's burden. Most importantly, Masatsugu was struck by a sincere thought.

"It might be disrespectful for me to say this, but Rikka-dono, you are surely quite a fine woman."

"H-Hearing that from you... Incredibly, it does not feel bad at all."

The brave and fierce maiden blushed slightly.

Tachibana Masatsugu was certain that he was the first man to ever witness such an expression on Rikka's face. Feeling deeply satisfied, he proceeded to say suddenly, "A few days ago, I recalled a bit of my past. I used to have an ally back then. I'm not clear on the details, but... As both a soldier and as a man, he was a hero no less great than Prince Edward."

"Were you and he brothers-in-arms, Masatsugu-dono...?"

"Yes, we rode to the ends of the earth together, fighting hard for our liege. And now, it is plenty enough for me to have you by my side, Rikka-dono."

So what if it is a borrowed weapon—

Masatsugu smiled again. He really liked these words.

He smiled with a twitch of his cheek again. With such reliable allies by his side, ready to extend a helping hand at necessary moments, there was no need for him to prepare anything at all. Currently by the side of Masatsugu, whose identity was unknown, there was one such reliable girl by the side...

Masatsugu gazed at Rikka with affection and she reciprocated demurely.

Instantly, Masatsugu had a strange feeling. Normally, he would only reach a certain body temperature after resupplying ectoplasmic fluid—But unbelievably, he now felt his blood boiling.

This was no metaphor. He really felt hot and uncomfortable, as though the blood in his arteries and veins had reached boiling point.

"Masatsugu-dono, what is this..."

Rikka was surprised too. Close to him, she noticed the change as well.

She could not help but stroke Masatsugu's arm and face to confirm the temperature. Then she widened her eyes and looked straight at Masatsugu.

Masatsugu took her in his arms and said, "Rikka-dono, would you kindly listen to my request?"

Certain words surfaced in Masatsugu's mind. Borrowed weapons. Necessary moment. Ally.

The heat of blood. Fragments of memories. The best friend he missed sorely, ╳╳╳. At that moment, every blood vessel in Masatsugu's body was filled with powerful spiritual energy. His blood was also restless.

Masatsugu knew that these were signs of an awakening.

The situation was identical to when his power as a Chevalier awakened. Determination fixed upon the future, working in conjunction to a mystical environment with suitable conditions, had ushered in a revolutionary change—

"Please become my ally, sworn by blood."

"A-Ally?"

"Riding with me to the ends of the earth, sharing the same prey to partake in its flesh. Sharing glory and downfall together regardless of victory or defeat. A relationship that makes us siblings and friends at the same time."

Masatsugu rolled up the sleeve of his right arm.

He bit his wrist lightly. Blood seeped out from where the skin broke.

The raw wound was raised up in front of Rikka's eyes.

"If you are willing to accept... You and I can still move forward. Assuredly."

"Masatsugu-dono..."

Rikka slowly drew near him.

She drew near the bleeding wound on Masatsugu's wrist.

In fact, the answer had been decided long ago. Akigase Rikka would never refuse, hence the two of them were fit to become true allies.

Rikka's trembling lips touched the wound then she sucked the blood a little.

However, this was still not enough. Rikka understood that. She sucked harder, tasting the flavor of fresh blood. Masatsugu's blood was in her mouth and it spread from the tip of her tongue.

Next, she extended her tongue to lick blood from his wrist repeatedly.

The slow and gentle movements of her tongue was like using one's tongue to caress or treat a wound. Masatsugu noticed that his blood and mystical bond of fate was residing inside her.

"H-How is this...?"

"More than enough. Thank you, Rikka-dono."

The noble daughter was looking at Masatsugu with lips that were moist and red.

Of course, that was precisely Masatsugu's blood. Very grateful to Rikka for her devotion, Masatsugu accidentally did something impertinent.

He inadvertently drew near Rikka and kissed her red lips.

"Ah..."

There was a rusty taste on her lips, the taste of Masatsugu's blood.

Passionately, she licked and savored that taste. With feelings of gratitude and affection, Masatsugu sealed Rikka's lips, using his own tongue to lick away the blood.

Masatsugu's impertinent behavior did not stop there.

He even inserted his tongue into Rikka's mouth, probing around in search of Rikka's tongue to play with.

The taste of blood was on the tip of her tongue too. Soon after, he release Rikka and she murmured shyly, "B-By doing this, you make me very troubled..."

"My apologies. I will swear to heaven and promise never to do it again."

"Th-That would trouble me too. The dilemma stems from my position as the Governor General, but on a personal level, I..."

Rikka's tone was coy. It was Masatsugu's first time to hear her speaking in such a voice.

Masatsugu drew near and kissed her again. The Chevalier princess, whose swordsmanship could match any man's, accepted him gladly.

### 027. Part 5

Rikka's army had deliberately charged into the battlefield in an ostentatious manner.

Roaring, her Legions had called upon her Tōkaidō comrades to follow her and gather in the castle for a last stand to defend Nagoya Castle.

In the meantime, the noetic officers from Suruga were in charge of preparations.

They rushed over to the Tōkaidō Governor General and secured authorization to proceed with the plan. After that, they sent out pipe foxes to notify the ten-odd Chevaliers scattered throughout the castle or the city.

In other words...

'Calling all Chevaliers, leave your Kamuys on the battlefield while doing your utmost to return to Nagoya Castle. Thirty minutes from now, all units shall retreat from the castle together with His Excellency the Governor General.'

'Chevaliers unable to return to the castle shall escape Nagoya at your own discretion. Converge at the Suruga tutelary fort.'

'There is no need to defend Nagoya Castle with your life. The key to Tōkaidō's continued existence depends on future battles.'

The above was the content of the message.

The message was jointly signed by "Akigase Shouzan and Hijikata" as the ones issuing the orders.

Twelve Chevaliers returned to Nagoya Castle and the group began to retreat.

"When penetrating enemy territory, know locations to avoid and identify poorly guarded lines of retreat to ensure certain escape. Charge the enemy, break their formation, take no prisoners... Behold my Feat of Arms—Kotouhisshutsu!"

The Tachibana little sister was the one in charge of creating the opening to retreat.

In front of Nagoya Castle's central keep, Hatsune summoned five Kurou Hougans. She recited the mantra loudly and invoked the Feat of Arms—Kotouhisshutsu.

Leading the Legions under her command, the Tachibana little sister marched forward confidently.

Masatsugu was following right behind her, accompanied by Akigase Rikka, Rikka's father Akigase Shouzan, a few of Shouzan's trusted subordinates, and the team of noetic officers from Suruga.

Finally, rounding out the total were ten Tōkaidō Chevaliers.

Fujinomiya Shiori had said previously, "Can achieve instantaneous movement so long as the distance is not too great—A type of teleportation power. Perhaps it is a reenactment of the legends of the Hyodori-goe surprise assault and jumping over eight ships."

This was an explanation of the Feat of Arms—Kotouhisshutsu's power.

The Feat of Arms instantly transported everyone from Nagoya Castle to ten-odd kilometers to the northeast.

It was not a huge distance, but Japan was a nation of mountains. These ten-odd kilometers could take them to favorable terrain.

On this occasion. the group had moved to the mountainous area upstream of the Shounai River.

Escaping the intense siege, the group had arrived at a stream with pure and clean water.

Masatsugu and company were standing on the shore that was covered in gravel. They were going to sneak through the mountains, so Hatsune dismissed her five Legions.

This crazy method of movement easily rivaled Minamoto no Yoshitsune's famous legend of Hyodori-goe.

The first time he heard that story, Masatsugu had the following thoughts. Even if horses and deer were both quadrupedal creatures, how could horses traverse mountain paths used by deer exclusively? Totally ridiculous.

In any case, their retreat operation had begun.

The noetic officers summoned twenty or so retainer beasts, the Mibu wolves.

They were giant wolves with silver fur and the size of purebred racehorses. Carrying one or two people each, they raced over mountain paths.

Their destination was Suruga, more than a hundred kilometers away. Furthermore, the sky was growing dark.

Normally, it was impossible to run in the mountains under such conditions. Fortunately, the Mibu wolves had excellent night vision and sense of smell, paired with extraordinary endurance and leg strength.

With noetic officers guiding them forward using noetic control, the wolves did not have any trouble for now.

After the wolves started running, Rikka had her Mibu wolf catch up to Masatsugu's mount and run side by side with his.

"Masatsugu-dono, may I have a moment of your time?" Rikka struck up conversation with Masatsugu. "Frankly speaking, I believe that the retreat operation from Nagoya has gone relatively smoothly."

"Indeed, Hatsune's Feat of Arms—or rather, Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune's Feat of Arms—is astoundingly powerful. It's possible that the Restoration Alliance is still unaware that we have retreated."

The one who deserved the most credit in this battle was currently sitting in front of Masatsugu, riding the same wolf.

Usage of Kotouhisshutsu was very draining. Unbelievably, Hatsune was able to nod off to sleep while riding a wolf's back.

Masatsugu had his little sister leaning against his chest. He lowered his voice and said, "Were Richard present, this would've been a crazy gamble to avoid."

"I agree, it's just that..." Rikka smiled and sneaked a glance at Masatsugu. "When you devised our current strategem, Masatsugu-dono, you took this point into consideration, didn't you?"

"......"

"Last night, the Lionheart's one thousand Legions perished in battle at Suruga. It would take at last ten days or half a month for them to fully revive, which means he should be behaving these few days."

"If that man had been present at Nagoya, the castle might've fallen before we could hurry to the scene." Masatsugu shrugged and replied, "When we summoned the troops and knights to gather at the castle, it would've been possible for him to notice our intention to retreat. In any case, defeating him last night was definitely a good thing."

"Yes, which is why we dared to take a gamble." Rikka nodded in agreement.

Smart and brave—Rare and valuable were generals blessed with both intelligence and valor. Akigase Rikka was evidently one of them.

Without needing Masatsugu to spell everything out, she was able to read between the lines.

"The true challenge lay with my colleagues... How to quickly convince the Tōkaidō Chevaliers and lead them to escape, that was the key."

Listening to Rikka, Masatsugu finally understood her intent. "No wonder you used the name of Hijikata."

"Yes, I borrowed the princess' wisdom. After all, I was taken in by the same trick too."

"Personally, Rikka-dono, I feel that your own reputation alone is already enough."

"I am not that popular. People only think of me as the Governor General's unworthy daughter, stubborn and lacking in feminine charm."

"You're too modest."

Mastsugu and Rikka's Mibu wolves were currently running at the head of the pack.

The five Mibu wolves behind were carrying ten Tōkaidō Chevaliers between them. Oddly enough, these Chevaliers were staring at Masatsugu's back with eyes of fervor...

Rikka smirked. "It was worth it for you to use Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada at Nagoya Castle. Everyone is wondering whether you are Hijikata Toshizō—or rather, they are hoping for you to be Hijikata Toshizō."

"Hoping?"

"The British have Edward the Black Prince and King Richard the Lionheart. Then Japan ought to have its own hero step forward... This hope is far stronger than you can imagine. Furthermore, the Mibu wolves we are riding..." Rikka touched the silver fur of the running wolf and said, "Did you know? Hijikata Toshizō-dono used to lead a pack of Mibu wolves to fight on various battlefields across eastern Japan to protect the northern court at Hokkaidō from the Meiji government's attacks."

"I've heard bits and pieces of that."

"Stuck with inferior numbers and equipment, Hijikata-dono had no choice but to avoid pitched battles. Instead, he relied on the Mibu wolves to fight on the run. Using guerrilla tactics similar to those of bandits, he made fools out of the government's armed forces."

"Oh?"

"After battles, he often rode a Mibu wolf to retreat."

"...I see."

In a certain way, this retreat operation was a reenactment of Hijikata Toshizō's legend too.

Perhaps this was why the Tōkaidō Chevaliers were willing to accept the retreat operation. Otherwise, they were all determined to "die for their cause" in the beginning.

Now, Masatsugu finally understood where Rikka's worries were coming from.

In fact, prior to setting off, Akigase Rikka and her father had engaged in a similar debate.

Currently, the old man who was Tōkaidō's Governor General was fast asleep—or rather, unconscious. He had suffered heavy injuries during the battle at Nagoya Castle.

His wounds included bruises all over his body, external injuries to the head, sprains to the neck vertebrae, broken ribs, etc.

Currently, the Governor General was being transported by tying him to the back of a Mibu wolf.

In any case, he had to be delivered to Suruga first before they could talk about treatment and recuperation.

Akigase Shouzan had only received minimal first aid. Until just before setting off, he had remained conscious. As soon as he saw his beloved daughter, the two of them had started arguing.

'Your strategy is correct. Dying in a last stand at Nagoya would be meaningless. However, I would rather die than retreat.'

Just before escaping Nagoya Castle, everyone had gathered in front of the central keep.

Lying on a stretcher, Rikka's father made his determination clear.

As the Governor General, he could not leave behind the city's residents and escape on his own. He was going to stay behind to fulfill a lord's duties.

In contrast, the daughter gave him no respect for it.

'I am worried that the enemy will use you as a hostage or a bargaining chip in negotiations if you were to be captured. Either way, since you happen to be injured, I will transport you to Suruga in your current state.'

'Damn you!'

'My esteemed father, didn't you make the same decision? Where are my younger brothers?'

'Oh right, Rikka-sama.' Hatsune had asked without thinking. 'You have two younger brothers, right?'

'Yes, they were sent away soon after war broke out between the Restoration Alliance and us. My father knew that Nagoya would turn into a battlefield sooner or later.'

'Hmph, if the ruler's children are rendered captives,' Akigase Shouzan spoke with disdain, 'the retainers will begin to have unnecessary worries. To be perfectly honest, I wanted to order them to commit suicide if and when the castle falls, to live and die with Nagoya.'

'Had you actually given that order to your sons, history would have deemed you an anachronistic tyrant.' Rikka did not hold back her criticisms. 'Nowadays, domestic and foreign media will harshly condemn rulers who issue unreasonable commands to their retainers or children.'

'Stating the obvious. That is why I had to take precautions.'

'Then the same will be done for you who are injured.'

'......'

'Traveling to Suruga with your injuries will be quite an ordeal. Consider this a lesson and endure the pain.'

Viewed on a certain level, this kind of upfront conversation could not have happened except between this particular pair of father and daughter.

In the end, Tōkaidō Governor General Akigase Shouzan fainted during the bumpy ride on the wolf's back, turning him into silent luggage.

However, there were those who disagreed with the retreat operation.

Nagoya's castellan and two elderly Chevaliers had decided to stay, insisting someone needed to take responsibility for the civilians and the enemy armies.

In any case, Masatsugu's faction had now gained ten new Chevaliers.

Simply having a headcount would be meaningless. The whole point of taking the expedition to Nagoya from Suruga was to make effective use of their combat power.

"Masatsugu-dono, it is about time. Let us ride wyverns instead of Mibu wolves."

Masatsugu agreed with Rikka's suggestion.

They asked the noetic officers to summon wyverns then switched to flying.

For the time being, they would follow the mountain ridge and fly at low altitude, the same as what they had done during the journey to Nagoya. The plan was to instantly increase elevation once they neared Suruga to head to the tutelary fort.

This was a stealth operation, but time was of the essence.

Tonight's operation was not over. More plans lay ahead.

"Rikka-dono, take this chance while they're switching to wyverns to tell the other knights about that —"

"Very well, I shall explain. Then let us wake my father. I need his consent for the battle plan. If he is in delirium, I will need him to appoint me as the acting Governor General at least."

At a glance, Akigase Shouzan seemed to be a strict father.

However, his beloved daughter was also a strong-willed woman who was strict with her father too. One might say 'Like father, like daughter.' Perhaps this father and daughter pair were quite alike in personality.

A wry smile surfaced on Masatsugu's face while he watched their amusing interactions.

To the eyes of others, his smile would probably be nothing more than a slight twitch on the corner of his mouth—

### 028. Part 5

"Retirement?"

Princess Shiori had trouble hiding the surprise in her tone.

However, she immediately understood the underlying reason and asked the old Governor General, "Is your intention to resign as Governor General to take responsibility for Nagoya's fall?"

"It is exactly as you say, Your Highness." Akigase Shouzan admitted it readily.

They were conversing in a special sickroom at the Suruga tutelary fort's medical division. Governor General Akigase Shouzan was currently still here, recovering from heavy injuries.

The elderly man had used the princess' visit as an opportunity to declare his intention.

He had said he was going to relinquish the position of Tōkaidō Governor General in the next few days. At this moment, Masatsugu was standing behind the princess while Hatsune had left to wait outside the sickroom.

Currently, Masatsugu's lady liege was not showing any signs of the "anxious" demeanor that the siblings were discussing earlier.

With a brilliantly intellectual and dignified countenance, she was facing the Tōkaidō Governor General.

"I failed to repel the Restoration Alliance and even lost the provincial capital of Nagoya. My disgrace knows no bounds..."

Akigase Rikka's father spoke in self-mockery.

He deliberately got up from the bed and sat down on his wheelchair to greet the princess. The elderly Governor General narrowed his eyes and looked resentfully at his beloved daughter who was by his side, looking after him.

"I am supposed to disembowel myself and apologize to the people and my retainers through death."

"I have said this already. Doing something like that would do irreparable harm to people's impressions of the Tōkaidō Fiefdom."

Rikka interrupted her father unceremoniously.

She was here as a daughter to look after her hospitalized father, but she remained in her black military uniform.

"Even back in the Sengoku period, few daimyo actually went that far. Since we are no longer the Great Empire of Japan either, no one would think of a captain going down with his ship as an inspiring story. Of course, there might be some Chevaliers who would share your sentiments deeply... But the civilian populace and the media will be horrified."

Rikka explained her opinion at length.

"The people nowadays are very realistic. Besides, House Akigase only came to rule Tōkaidō for the last fifty years. The previous rulers were part of the southern court—in other words, the Empire's administration, who were preceded by a daimyo whose clan traces back to the Tokugawa lineage. Even if you commit suicide, Father, chances are unlikely that people will feel touched."

"Hmph..."

House Akigase's eldest daughter pulled no punches against her injured father.

However, the father and daughter got along with a harmonious vibe without any feeling of ill will. Perhaps this was simply a natural "family discussion."

To have discussions of this sort between parent and child, House Akigase truly lived up to its name as a prestigious samurai family.

After some contemplation, Masatsugu spoke up, "Well then, Your Excellency."

Everyone's gaze gathered upon him. In terms of status, he was actually the most respected here. Openly without regard for details of etiquette, Masatsugu asked a direct question.

"May I ask who do you have in mind as your successor?"

"Certainly, Masatsugu-dono." Akigase Shouzan was willing to speak as equals too.

He looked squarely at Masatsugu then sneaked a glance at his daughter standing on the side.

"I have three children... Rikka has two younger brothers. Unfortunately, they are not even half the man my daughter is. Although Rikka is a woman—"

"You wish for Rikka-dono to succeed you, right?"

"Precisely."

Masatsugu read the intent of the elderly Governor General's gaze and he admitted it solemnly.

Shiori raised her worries, "I believe that Rikka-sama is undoubtedly the best candidate for leading the fiefdom out of the currrent predicament. The problem is, will your two sons—especially the eldest son—have any objections...?"

"Indeed, Your Highness, your worries are perfectly logical." Akigase Shouzan grinned slightly mischievously and laughed. "Fortunately, they are rather weak in personality and completely submissive in the presence of their elder sister. Furthermore, unlike Rikka, they would not be considered first-rate generals of Tōkaidō. Consequently, I do not expect them to stubbornly press the issue. On the other hand, the ones likely to complain are..."

"Certain retainers, perhaps? For example, your sons' closest advisers."

"Hahahaha, you are truly perceptive, Your Highness."

The elderly Governor General narrowed his eyes, quite amused by the princess' intelligence.

In Imperial Japan, the position of Governor General was hereditary while male succession was an unwritten rule. For those who cling stubbornly to formalities and traditions, it would be very displeasing for Rikka to succeed to the position as a woman.

Needless to say, this was even more so for guardians of the Governor General's sons —

This was what Shiori was worrying about, but Rikka's father laughed with fortitude.

"The previous Governor General, Akigase Shouzan, will become the shield to back the new Governor General and watch those retainers carefully... This is already my plan. As long as these old bones of mine remain and the Restoration Alliance's uprising persists, Rikka's position will be secure."

"In practice, things will be hardly any different from before," Rikka finally spoke.

She had remained silent ever since the matter of succession came up.

"My main role is a general. Moreover, Tōkaidō currently cannot afford the luxury of leaving a Chevalier like me back in the castle to conserve forces."

Rikka praised herself in partial jest then smiled proudly.

"I will continue to manage military matters as the premier Chevalier, and while I am at it, I will also carry the promotional banner of 'the new Governor General' in an effort to win as much popularity as possible. Chores on the administrative side will be handled by my father."

Rikka's explanation drew a scoff from her father.

However, Rikka bluntly stated that her father had nothing to do after retirement anyway.

"After the recent fiascoes, it is imperative for the Tōkaidō Fiefdom to regain the people's trust and support. To do that, we need to craft some good scenarios, such as 'the daughter of the previous Governor General, a lady Chevalier who holds her own against any man, shall lead the Tōkaidō Fiefdom to drive out the Restoration Alliance'..."

"I now understand your concerns. In that case, I would like to make a request here."

Shiori smiled demurely and said to the father and daughter of House Akigase.

"Please allow me to deliver a 'sales pitch' here."

"Oh? What would a noble princess like you be selling, Your Highness?"

"Strength and wisdom."

Shiori replied without a moment's delay to the elderly man in the wheelchair. "I have a proposal for the new Governor General of Tōkaidō and the Governor General's father. Are the two of you willing to seek assistance from us—Fujinomiya Shiori and her retinue? If you were to hire us in some form, we would render services commensurate to our remuneration and status."

"In other words, assistance from Your Highness Shiori, Masatsugu-dono, and Tachibana Hatsune?" The Chevalier princess, who had decided to succeed as the new Governor General, murmured to the smiling imperial princess.

Fujinomiya Shiori and Akigase Rikka faced off squarely.

"I have personally witnessed the power all of you have exhibited... Regardless of a retired old man's opinion, you are all talented individuals whom I am willing to hire at a premium. However, the issue here is..."

Rikka first cast a gaze to restrain her father, who evidently had words, while voicing her concerns.

"Wouldn't the act of hiring a vaunted imperial princess be far too disrespectful...?"

"If an employment contract does not work in this case, I am amenable to alternate titles such as consultant, house guest, or freeloader. The main point here is that I will enter a contract with House Akigase on a personal basis, unrelated to the imperial family—That is the kind of relationship I wish for."

"Unrelated to the imperial family, a relationship between Your Highness Shiori and House Akigase?"

"Indeed. To elaborate further, it is also my personal relationship with you, Akigase Rikka-sama."

"I see."

Exhibiting fortitude no less than her father's, Rikka smiled cheerfully.

"Well, it is understandable. The imperial capital of Tokyo is definitely not a comfortable homeland for Your Highness Shiori."

"Perhaps it might be inappropriate for me to say so myself, but the presence of a princess like me is nothing more than a nuisance that nobody wants."

After making fun of herself, Shiori added confidently, "However, that only applies during times of normalcy. I believe that I possess irreplaceable talents needed by the current Tōkaidō."

"This I do not dispute... Father, what are your thoughts?"

"Recruiting someone of such exalted status, it is precisely as Her Highness described, a load of 'nuisance' beyond a doubt." Akigase Shouzan shrugged with a wry expression. "Unfortunately, we are in no position to be picky at the moment. Besides, the princess has 'Hijikata Toshizō' in her service, truly an opportunity we cannot afford to miss."

"Your Excellency," Masatsugu smiled with a twitch of his cheek. "Surely, you must have your own thoughts regarding this name."

"Yes, I have heard the details, Tachibana-dono. I have only one piece of advice on this subject..."

The sly old fox declared boldly.

"It is actually unimportant whether or not you are the real Hijikata Toshizō. The crux of the matter is that the one playing that role must be a hero equal to or greater than Hijikata-dono—such that no one will doubt the use of his name."

"Playing a role, huh?"

"The simple fact that Hijikata Toshizō is on our side is already enough to encourage our soldiers and Chevaliers. This is a much welcome talisman for the disadvantaged Tōkaidō. However, I do express my apologies to you, Tachibana-dono."

"No, I don't mind at all." Recalling the recapture of Fuji a few days ago, Masatsugu said very honestly, "I have no attachment to names, so it doesn't matter to me. Although I am sorry to 'the real one'... the Hijikata Toshizō signboard has been pretty handy. Since everyone supports my using it, I will continue to do so with gratitude."

"Oh my, how unexpected," the elderly Governor General smiled wryly again. "Tachibana-dono, should I call you inconstant or honest? Normally speaking, great heroes, whose mighty names shook the world in the past, tend to obsess over reputation far more than the average person..."

"Is that how it goes?"

"Certainly. Dai-Nankō Kusunoki Masahige-dono and Lord Sanada Nobushige, Resurrectees who descended to the world during the bygone Great Empire of Japan, were said to be like that."

"Oh?"

Masatsugu could sense from Akigase Shouzan the smell of a seasoned veteran.

As a result, Masatsugu felt a sense of camaraderie with him.

Watching this "nameless Resurrectee" in front of him, the elderly Governor General muttered, "During the Empire's defeat in the Second World War, those heroes either died in combat or were sealed away. Otherwise, there would be no need for you to stoop down to playing such a role, Tachibana-dono."

"......"

"Speaking of Resurrectees, I wonder what is Rome's founder up to nowadays."

The Eastern Roman Empire's generalissimo was an extraordinary hero of unparalleled greatness.

This foreigner wielded greater influence over Tōkaidō's fate than even Edward the Black Prince. As soon as he was brought up, Akigase Shouzan sighed.

### 029. Part 5

That evening, after Akigase Rikka succeeded to her father's position...

The inauguration ceremony had run its course without issue, but not all events were over.

Relevant individuals were invited to a hotel in Suruga City to attend a party known as a convivial gathering.

However, the main stars for today had yet to arrive.

They were gathered at the center of the Suruga tutelary fort, on the roof of the forty-meter tall nation-protecting keep.

This included Akigase Rikka, Fujinomiya Shiori, Tachibana Masatsugu, and one more person.

"Oh my, Your Highness got changed?"

"Mobility is too restrictive in that attire, after all."

"What a shame. His Excellency has a great liking for that. He'll definitely be disappointed that he cannot see it in the flesh ."

This exchange was taking place between Shiori and Alexis Yang.

From an etiquette standpoint, Staff Officer Yang's behavior was highly inadvisable. He lacked clear respect for an allied nation's imperial princess, but not to the point of being annoying or infuriating.

Staff Officer Yang was presumably the type who made friends easily anywhere around the world.

His talent as a staff officer were unknown, but he was definitely a "useful" employee. In addition, he was a noetic master.

At this moment, Yang whistled.

The aquila retainer beast flying around the nation-protecting keep's roof—a giant eagle with a wingspan of four meters—squawked acutely in response.

"This is the fruit of my labors after possessing the retainer beast with my consciousness and making a special trip to Hong Kong. Behold, everyone."

No sooner had he spoken than a change occurred to Yang's body.

The outline of the ethnic Chinese and citizen of Eastern Rome in a military uniform gradually blurred and disappeared. Thirty seconds later, the blurry figure took on a new appearance.

It was a middle-aged man, dressed in the military attire of ancient Rome.

Staff Officer Yang had suddenly "transformed."

"Hello, Shiori. Been a while, hasn't it? The last I saw of you was at the garden party in Tokyo."

The middle-aged man smiled cheerfully, greeting her gallantly.

Masatsugu was secretly impressed. The man was eloquent and had a pleasing voice. Right off the bat, one could tell he was a first-rate orator.

Shiori walked over to him and bowed her head politely as a greeting.

"Yes, it has been a while. I apologize for my lapse in keeping touch, especially when Your Excellency has always taken special care of me."

"You are very welcome. Given our relationship, there is no need for you to be shy."

The man gave off an incredible impression. Although his hair was thinning out and he was not particularly tall in stature...

His face was well-proportioned while retaining an air of dignity and cordiality—

"You should be well aware that I, Julius Caesar, am a champion for the ladies and an arrogant knave who makes fools out of other men. How could a couple of months' absence possibly dent our friendship?"

In his distinctive manner of speaking, the man introduced his name.

Caesar was the man whose name became cognate to "emperor." A rare conqueror from history was now standing before Masatsugu's eyes.

...This was probably a miracle made possible by noetics.

Receiving the noesis from the great generalissimo in distant Hong Kong, Alexis Yang summoned Julius Caesar's astral projection to the land of Suruga to possess his body...

Who would have thought that even appearances could change?

Masatsugu was deeply impressed.

Caesar spoke to the other beauty present, "Greetings to you, Governor General of Tōkaidō. I have had the pleasure of meeting your father on a number of occasions, but tonight is our first encounter... To be honest, not only is this a blessing for public wellbeing but I am personally also very pleased."

Turning to Akigase Rikka, Caesar smiled cordially.

"I am well aware of the Suruga tutelary fort's valiant efforts and predicament. Rising to the occasion as the Governor General in a time of crisis definitely demonstrates extraordinary military talent and ability. Furthermore, you are a beautiful young maiden, which makes you a potential ally whom I could not welcome more."

Praising the beauty of ladies at every opportunity, perhaps this was one of Caesar's talents.

In addition, he extended his right hand, trying to enact the ancient Roman custom of "handshaking." This shameless move was surprisingly fitting for the man named Caesar.

Rikka smiled wryly and shook hands, apparently thinking the same thing.

However, Rikka had prepared her own agenda, as expected of House Akigase's Chevalier princess.

"By alliance, you are alluding to a concerted attack on Hakone from the east and the west, aren't you?"

"Naturally, it extends beyond Hakone. Since the problem has arisen, we should all cooperate until the rebellion of the Restoration Alliance is taken care of."

"We of Tōkaidō would be extremely grateful for that."

"To be honest, I would like to stay longer in Suruga, but this noetic technique is most likely cannot be sustained for too long. Nevertheless, in two week's time... No, ten days, I shall be able to return to Japan. I am already making arrangements on this front."

Caesar promised with his hand on his chest.

"While I am still here, let us have a good discussion on how to conquer Hakone."

"On this subject... We believe it would be best if we were to capture Hakone before your arrival, Your Excellency."

"Oh? Meaning I don't get a chance to be under the spotlight?"

"I have heard Her Highness Shiori recount Your Excellency's siege methods from the Gallic Wars. However—"

In various siege battles in the past, Caesar had demonstrated extraordinary use of strategy and tactics.

Through clever deployment of the Roman army, he captured castles and fortresses one after another despite attacking defensive forces far greater than his own in numbers. Rikka said to this siege expert, "I believe it would be for the best if Julius Caesar did not enter the stage."

"Would you care to elaborate?"

"It is exceedingly simple, Your Excellency. It would take you at least ten days before you stepped foot in Japan. If we were to waste such a lengthy amount of time, I fear the sleeping lion shall rise again."

Tachibana Masatsugu had defeated Richard the Lionheart.

Currently, that impulsive man was laying low simply because he lacked troops.

By the time Caesar arrived in Japan after ten days—The Escalibors would have recovered almost completely, which was why Rikka had suggested a quick offensive.

Naturally, taking precautions against the Lionheart was only a pretext. Rikka had ulterior considerations too.

The true motive was that the credit of capturing Hakone must not go to Caesar alone.

"Hmm..."

Caesar gazed at Rikka. He was not only a womanizer but also a hero and strategist with a lifetime of experience.

He must have seen through the Tōkaidō Fiefdom's calculations in no time at all. Still—Masatsugu was quite confident.

Caesar was not going to refuse this suggestion.

The fact that he had sent his direct staff officer to them indicated that he believed the Tōkaidō Fiefdom had value to offer, especially the rare talents of the personnel at Suruga. Most importantly, news of Tachibana Masatsugu had already reached his ears...

"Governor General... No, may I address you as Rikka-dono?" Caesar asked unexpectedly.

Rikka immediately consented, "Yes, no problem."

"Excellent, Rikka-dono. You make a good point and I would like to go along with it. However... Will you be alright?"

"What do you mean by that, Your Excellency?"

"From what I have heard, Prince Edward is rather skilled in his methods. Needless to say, my side shall provide assistance as much as possible, but to capture Hakone within ten days—"

"Indeed, this is a difficult trial, Lord Caesar. However..." Shiori finally spoke. With a gorgeous smile, there was calm confidence hidden in her tone of voice.

"If a trial of this magnitude were beyond our ability to surmount, how could we even dream of fighting alongside the armies of Julius Caesar...? It would be utter hubris."

"I see. Yes, you are indeed correct."

Shiori's grand speech was also satirizing the Japanese imperial family and the Kantō Fiefdom.

Caesar nodded casually, winking in a very charming manner. These humorous and mischievous antics were very much in the style of a handsome ancient Roman man.

"Dear comrades, since you insist on friendship with independent spirit, I shall accept your goodwill... One more thing, by the way."

Finally—The main event.

Caesar slowly turned his gaze to Masatsugu and Masatsugu looked back at him firmly. The two great Resurrectees looked each other in the eye, their gazes meeting for the very first time.

"You are Hijikata Toshizō, yes?"

"Some people call me that... But this isn't a question I should answer."

"Hohohoho. What a very clever response."

The very symbol of emperors and heroes, Caesar, smirked in delight, then asked another question.

"I believe you are the one in actual command here. May I ask if you are confident?"

"I can only say I'll do my best. This is the one thing I can assert with certainty."

Compared to the great hero before his eyes, who knew how much renown for valor was there in Tachibana Masatsugu's name?

It was anyone's guess at the moment, but renown was irrelevant once they stepped upon the battlefield. Only the powerful, the fortunate, or the intelligent were capable of winning victories.

That was simply the nature of war. Entrenched in this mindset, Masatsugu said, "Rather than competing for honor and achievement on the same battlefield as the famous hero Lord Caesar, fighting alone allows me to focus on the showdown against the Black Prince. Please look forward to the result."

"Hahahaha! Very well, I shall place my faith in these words of yours!"

It was times up for the noetic technique.

The ancient Roman hero's figure gradually faded away, turning back into Staff Officer Yang in his military uniform.

This was the first encounter between history's most famous hero and the nameless general.

### 030. Part 5

"Oh right, this would be my first time seeing you in casual clothing, Rikka-dono."

"Indeed, I am always wearing my military uniform. Do I look odd... dressed like this?"

Tōkaidō's premier Chevalier looked a little insecure.

Tonight, Rikka was wearing a black rider jacket with gray skin pants. This combination accentuated her excellent figure—especially her slender legs.

The air temperature was not too chilly tonight, but Rikka's jacket zipper was closed.

Masatsugu narrowed his eyes slightly and said, "Of course not. It looks great on you."

"P-Please don't flatter me. By the way—"

Rikka cringed in embarrassment and said, "This has been bothering me the whole time. You do not need to speak too formally. As a Resurrectee in Her Highness' service and an officially recognized Chevalier, your status is no less than mine."

"I should say the same goes for you."

Remaining calm as always, Masatsugu argued against Rikka, "There's no need for you to be obsessed with manners when talking to someone like me, Rikka-dono. I'm lucky enough to have a place in Tōkaidō's hierarchy only because I serve the princess."

"Then allow me to put things differently, Masatsugu-dono."

The girl who had risen from being House Akigase's Chevalier princess to the Governor General refused to back down.

"You might be the famous hero, Hijikata Toshizō. Even as a fiefdom's Governor General, I must offer the greatest of respect towards someone as important as you. This is part of the show, so please accept it."

"I see."

"Besides, let me be frank. Masatsugu-dono, I wish for us to bare our souls to each other... To build a relationship of candid congeniality. Your full cooperation will be greatly appreciated."

Rikka smiled mischievously and even winked.

To insist any further would be boorish, so Masatsugu agreed to her request.

"Understood, then let's start with some candid conversation... Actually, I consider myself quite lucky tonight for the chance to admire you in your casual clothing, Rikka-dono."

"Th-This kind of candid conversation is way too abrupt!"

Masatsugu's honest confession ended up making Rikka complain.

"I have heard that you remain quite committed to a beauty contest, Masatsugu-dono. It turns out you're more of a smooth talker than I imagined."

"I really hope you'll enter the beauty contest too, Rikka-dono."

"I think I shall pass. I am a daughter of the ruling house, not to mention the Governor General now."

The vibe in their conversation was slightly different from before.

After responding cordially to Masatsugu's invitation, Rikka changed the subject.

"Also, about the... question of asking my fiefdom's knights to supply ectoplasmic fluid."

"Are you against it too, Rikka-dono?"

"Of course. Masatsugu-dono, the issue of your resupply is top secret. I-If you get involved with an unspecified number of knights, even the most confidential of secrets will be leaked!"

"True, you make a good point."

Only after listening to Rikka did Masatsugu realized this possibility.

He had been too careless. Racking his mind over matters of war, he had overlooked this one point. Tōkaidō's new Governor General looked down and said, "Th-That's why I have made my decision to take my retainers' place... to provide you with ectoplasmic fluid, Masatsugu-dono."

"You're willing to do it, Rikka-dono?"

"Yes... Oh, but please do not get the wrong idea!"

Rikka suddenly said in anger, "I-I am not interested in you simply because you might be Hijikata Toshizō. That is clearly not the reason why I started feeling curious about you, to the point of finding it impossible to ignore!"

"I see."

Rikka had evidently confessed through a suspiciously specific denial. So this was what she meant.

"Then I will be relying on your help in the future."

"W-What about now? I am fine with it."

"Now?"

Rikka was showing a shy expression but her tone was quite firm, surprising Masatsugu a little.

"Yes... There are not many days left before the deadline for capturing Hakone. Also, I need to catch up—Oh, scratch that, I mean that as someone who joined later, I should do everything I can to help you in what limited time we have, Masatsugu-dono, no less than Her Highness and Tachibana Hatsune."

"You are this determined, Rikka-dono?"

"As determined as any samurai ought to be."

This was more like a maiden's determination, but Masatsugu kept his comment to himself.

Taking the casually dressed Rikka into his arms, he gazed upon her spirited and beautiful face.

"In that case, would you care to indulge me?"

"I-I may be inexperienced but if you are alright with that, please proceed..."

Rather than embarrassment, this aristocratic daughter seemed more fearful of the unknown.

The black rider jacket wrapping her upper body tightly had the zipper pulled all the way to the top.

Needless to say, this piece of clothing was a hindrance to the ritual.

Masatsugu casually pulled down the zipper and was surprised again.

"A-As for the method of replenishment, I have heard..."

Rikka's voice was very quiet.

Under her jacket was a short tank top.

It looked almost like a bra, exposing Rikka's narrow waist completely. Moreover, she was apparently not wearing underwear beneath this flimsy tank top.

Smiling with a twitch of his cheek, Masatsugu removed her jacket.

The bridge's wall happened to be behind them, so Masatsugu had Rikka sit down, leaning her back against the wall. He also bent over, intending to embrace Rikka from the front.

"Please, Rikka-dono, share a little of your warmth and ectoplasmic fluid with me."

"Oh, hold on—" Just before Masatsugu hugged Rikka, she said quietly.

Rikka was very nervous at the thought of what was coming next. Gazing into Masatsugu's eyes, she declared with acute fortitude as befitted a hero among women.

"Please absorb as much as you can, rather than just a little. It is because you lacked ectoplasmic fluid, Masatsugu-dono, that Her Highness collapsed in exhaustion, right?"

"Well..."

"Perhaps it might sound rude for me to say this, but I'd like us to relate as equals, Masatsugu-dono, Resurrectee that you are. Please do not hold back on my account. I'd rather have you give me rough treatment as an ally on equal terms—That would make me happier instead."

"......"

"And please do not underestimate me. I train no less than Tachibana Hatsune. There is no need to be careful with me."

Masatsugu smiled. Rikka was displaying her mettle as befitted a contemporary hero.

She did not want to place the Resurrectees such as Masatsugu or Prince Edward on a pedestal, to treat them as supernatural monsters. Neither could she tolerate the fact that she was inferior to them.

Even if she could not equal them in power, at least she would never lose to them in spirit. Rikka was determined to catch up to them one day.

It would be rude to refuse Rikka's candid request that was brimming with pride. Hence, Masatsugu hugged the aristocratic daughter's beautiful body tightly.

Rikka's soft bosom was compressed against Masatsugu's chest.

In terms of volume, her bust lost to Hatsune and the princess by a slim margin. But in terms of overall shape and texture, Akigase Rikka edged out slightly.

Masatsugu was currently enjoying the dignified beauty of her skin.

Once his body started to warm up, Rikka's gaze began to lose focus gradually.

"The next part might get tougher and tougher..."

"I welcome it gladly. To think that your body was this cold, Masatsugu-dono—Mm, ah..."

Rikka was a little out of breath. It seemed like something was stirring inside her.

Using the same principle as before, Masatsugu was suppressing his absorption of heat. However, even taking that into account, the temperature of Rikka's entire body was rising too fast.

Perhaps Rikka had this sort of aptitude—Her body and soul heated up extremely easily.

Seeing a reaction different from when Shiori and Hatsune started out, Masatsugu reached the above conclusion. However, this was of no consequence at the moment.

"Rikka-dono, please relax your entire body."

"I... understand. Ah, mm ahhhhhhhhhhh!?"

As soon as she relaxed, heat was instantly sucked out of her entire body. Tōkaidō's premier lady knight fainted in Masatsugu's embrace.

The warmth and ectoplasmic fluid she had lost was now residing in the amnesiac Resurrectee's body.

"Thank you so much..."

Masatsugu covered the sleeping Rikka with her jacket.

Thanks to assistance from Princess Shiori, Tachibana Hatsune, and Akigase Rikka, Masatsugu now had the resources to put up a fight at last. He felt quite heavily indebted to them.

...Masatsugu noticed that his blood was boiling and the beating of his heart had grown stronger.

After taking ectoplasmic blood from three girls consecutively, Tachibana Masatsugu's mystic powers had risen dramatically, changing his body and soul.

Masatsugu thought that the situation would settle down soon—But unexpectedly...

"Hmm...?"

His surrounding scenery changed all of a sudden.

He was originally in late-twentieth-century Japan, on the deck of a military ship moored at a port.

Spontaneously, he found himself riding a malnourished horse, racing across a vast grassland. In fact, this was a fierce warhorse capable of crossing thousands of miles.

Previously, Shiori had led him to watch "past memories" once.

The current scenery was identical to what he had seen last time.

"Is it because my power... ectoplasmic fluid increased all at once?"

Masatsugu knew this was a vision, something similar to a dream.

Together with his elite troops, he was dashing single-mindedly across this endless wilderness. But unlike last time, Masatsugu felt a sense of certainty in his heart.

This time, he had a "destination" in his dream, and a certain man was waiting for him there...

That guy was surely leading his own army, heading to the same location. However, the route he was taking was completely different from Masatsugu's.

Who knew how many hundreds of kilometers separated the two armies?

Riding on without stopping, he would certainly find a way to converge with his ally. Then together they would annihilate the enemy army waiting for them, to assault the targeted capital.

Victory is certain if it is us. A new sense of certainty took root in Masatsugu's heart.

Even though they were not related by blood, they were allies and comrades equivalent to brothers.

The two armies led by that man and Masatsugu were the empire's strongest spear and fastest arrow. Two swords. As a pair, they were known as the "Two-Headed Dog"...

"╳╳╳."

Masatsugu was just about to say his ally's name.

Only then did he realize he had forgotten the name of this reliable man.

### 031. Part 5

A few days ago, Tachibana Hatsune was lectured by someone she met for the first time, criticizing her for lacking know-how on selecting alcoholic beverages.

The trouble was that Hatsune was still a minor. She had not the slightest clue how to judge the quality of alcohol. She also did not know how drinkers thought. Hence, she decided to use the simplest solution of "outsourcing."

One after another, Hatsune phoned her Tachibana relatives who were living in the Suruga area.

"Hello, Uncle? Please send all the 'fine wine' you've got at home to the Fuji tutelary fort. The princess needs them. Don't even think about withholding the good stuff, or else I'll report you to the princess and tell her to condemn you!"

As a result, Hatsune received her alcohol the following day.

The Tachibana clan had no lack of ruffians and were hearty drinkers whose alcohol tolerance matched their martial strength and valor. The fine liquor treasured by these men was all shipped over to the Fuji tutelary fort by military transport vehicles for Hatsune.

In total, there were at least ten big crates.

This included limited-production local beers, sake of all varieties from standard up to the rare stuff of dreams, imported whiskey that would be a rarity anywhere in the world, thirty types of "Grand Vin" that had been snatched from a wealthy household's cellar, and an extremely rare collection of shouchuu. Everything was of the finest quality, coveted by discerning drinkers.

Previously, Rindou-sensei had declined Shiori's repeated invitations to come to Suruga, citing "too much of a bother" as her reason.

Precisely due to having such a personality, Rindou-sensei moved directly into the Fuji tutelary fort's barracks and "could not be bothered to leave" after seeing so much fine liquor, spending her days locked up in the barracks, savoring the alcohol alone.

After that, the day to attack Hakone arrived.

By her protege's side, Rindou-sensei paid extra attention to Shiori than usual.

Rindou-sensei had accompanied them to Ogawarajou too. Along the way, she was drinking from a stainless steel hip flask containing a phantom sake of limited availability called "Godslayer!"

The slightly tipsy mentor had stayed in the castle. She was supposed to simply see the princess off from there.

However, she unexpectedly appeared at the second tutelary fort, Suzaku Gate, to intervene between Eleanor and Shiori.

"Rindou-sensei..."

Shiori breathed a sigh of relief and called out her mentor's name.

This young girl, who looked like she belonged in elementary school, with a blue kimono and blue hair, was undoubtedly Rindou-sensei. As for her unanticipated arrival, Shiori was not surprised.

Rindou-sensei was capable of teleporting like pipe foxes or sprites if she wanted to.

Elusive and wielding powers of great potency and versatility were precisely Rindou-sensei's traits.

"Hmph."

Rindou-sensei glanced at the immobilized Hatsune and said, "Charm noesis that captures Chevaliers, turning them into servants—You are using quite an interesting technique. Nevertheless, it is useless against the princess and me, since we are not knights , after all."

"You found out at a glance... Yours are truly discerning eyes of wisdom."

Eleanor smiled then acted swiftly and deftly.

She raised her right hand and suddenly shot, clearly very used to handling guns. The deadly bullet flew at Rindou-sensei's young face—

But it was deflected before it could hit.

"A noesis barrier..."

This time, it was Eleanor's turn for surprise to fill that pretty face of hers.

Rindou-sensei's petite body was glowing white faintly, and the light deflected the bullet. Furthermore, a snake was coiled around Sensei's blue kimono.

The silver-white snake flickered its tongue while atop Sensei.

The snake was two meters long with sharp eyes the color of rubies.

"A little snake that activates a noesis barrier... This pet wouldn't happen to be an ifrit, would it? From what I can see, you are something like a spirit, aren't you?"

"Hmph, stop wasting time on such inane matters."

Rindou-sensei conjured a fan into her hand as though performing a magic trick. Opening the closed fan, Rindou smiled and declared haughtily, "Though I am a very lazy person, I happen to be diligent at telling others to do my bidding. O daughter of lions, let my proxy punish you, go!"

"Good grief~ You're such a slave driver, Sensei!"

Immobilized all this time, Hatsune suddenly sprang into action.

Just now, the instant when Sensei had opened her fan forcefully, the noesis binding the novice Chevalier had vanished like a puff of smoke. This was due to Rindou-sensei's magical powers.

With a great swing of her arm, Hatsune threw something at Eleanor.

"But at least it was worth it for me to offer so much fine liquor as a gift!"

"Guh!"

Eleanor jumped away reflexively to dodge the blue object that Hatsune had thrown.

It was a blue scroll. For the sake of haste, Hatsune had thrown the physical manifestation of Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune's Appellation, the blue scroll, at Eleanor.

Last time, Hatsune had used the same attack to distract the witch Eleanor when she showed up at Suruga.

Unlike last time, Hatsune still had other measures available.

"Kurou!"

A winged giant soldier standing behind them also moved. One of the two Kurou Hougans. Its gigantic body, almost eight meters tall, raised its bayonet rifle with lightning speed like a tengu.

The muzzle instantly released a beam, firing ten shots in an instant.

"Father, grant me the power of your blessings!"

Just as the Kurou Hougan opened fire, Eleanor transformed into a black eagle .

The beautiful maiden swiftly turned into a bird of prey. She had used this transformation skill at Suruga too.

Eleanor flew into the air, dodging the ten consecutive flashes of light. Immediately, ten pillars of water shot up violently in the water shrine with great splashes.

The ten flashes of light had shot the water surface of the artificial ectoplasmic fluid.

Turned into an eagle, Eleanor flapped her wings and soared, escaping the water shrine through the opening in the ceiling and into the underground tunnel that Shiori and her entourage had used to enter.

Only Japanese girls, utterly drenched, were left at the scene.

"That girl reacts so quickly, just like last time."

Hatsune sounded disappointed. The other party's reflexes were like a beast's. As fellow princesses who had inherited the blood of sacred beasts, Eleanor's reflexes and athletic ability was far superior to Shiori's.

"Thanks to her swift escape, we are saved."

Rindou-sensei stuck out her tongue, trying to get the last drop of liquor from her upside-down hip flask.

"To be honest, my magic is about to run out."

"Why, Sensei?"

"Without alcohol, I have neither mood nor magic. When I no longer feel tipsy, this thing will disappear too."

"...So basically, it's like the drunken fist?" Hatsune asked in puzzlement.

The silver-white snake, coiled around Rindou-sensei until now—the miniature manifestation of the ifrit Fukuryuu—vanished spontaneously.

Now that there was no one to disturb her, Shiori focused her mind to enhance her senses.

After concentrating for around sixty seconds, she noticed signs that the divinity baseplate was hidden in a certain pillar. Next, she was going to try out the enchanted ceremony Sensei had taught her.

"Gold does not fear trials of flame. Heroes do not fear trials of hardship. Abandon all hope, ye who enter this door."

Shiori recited the mantra as an imperial princess.

Today, Hakone's sky was gray and dim.

On clear days, it was possible to see Mount Fuji in the northwest, thirty kilometers away. Currently, dark clouds were shrouding the sky, with sounds of rumbling thunder.

These were warning signs of a cataclysm about to rock the heavens and the world.

The three-eyed phoenix in the air over Suzaku gate—

The eyeball on the phoenix's head was proof of Morgan le Fay's control. However, the third eye suddenly vanished, replaced by a "皇" character, which had meanings of "emperor" or "imperial."

Hakone's second ifrit had turned to the Japanese imperial family's control.

"I hereby order you, Suzaku, subordinate kin of the sacred beast, Lord Tenryuu. Take what I, Fujinomiya Shiori, say as the decree of my grandfather, Lord Tenryuu, and swear absolute allegiance."

Transmitting noetic waves from the underground water shrine, Shiori commanded Suzaku.

Her body became drained and her legs lost strength. She was about to collapse and faint on the ground any moment.

This was probably the price of invoking the master-servant enchanted ritual by borrowing the mighty name of her grandfather, Lord Tenryuu. The vitality she had lost was perhaps equivalent to a year's lifespan.

...In fact.

Ever since the descent of sacred beasts upon the world, similar transactions have been taking place all over the world.

Starting from the latter half of the nineteenth century, the world underwent momentous changes. Women who had been wedded to sacred beasts, or their children who inherited the bloodlines of sacred beasts, would consume their life in exchange for obtaining mystical powers for their country.

Examples included Legions, artificial ectoplasmic fluid, ifrits, retainer beasts, noetic control, water shrines, fluid reactors...

Presently, Princess Shiori had taken control of the giant phoenix that protected Hakone.

She commanded, "O Suzaku, release all your noesis and go to sleep. I grant you special permission to give up your mission of protecting Hakone for the time being."

In the sky over Suzaku Gate, the golden phoenix howled loudly.

At the same time, its gigantic body, with a wingspan of seventy meters, released a golden aura.

This light was noetic energy, which was originally colorless and intangible. Excessively powerful noesis would exhibit color visible to the naked eye.

The golden noesis rushed into the sky that was filled with dark clouds, expanding like a display of aurora borealis.

The noesis presented to the heavens dispersed and vanished like smoke. The formerly golden phoenix changed color too, turning into a vivid fiery red.

Vermilion was precisely the rightful appearance of the ifrit Suzaku.

This change precipitated a chain reaction. Shiori spoke solemnly, "The trump card defending Hakone, the Four Gods, was born by merging the noetic energy of Seiryuu, Suzaku, Byakko, and Genbu. Now that the noetic energy of one of the divinities, Suzaku's, has returned to the heavens, the Four Gods can no longer be sustained... Hakone has finally lost all its walls now."

These words constituted an oracle delivered by the Saiguu, the supreme shrine maiden of the Japanese nation.

At the first tutelary fort in the east, the three-eyed golden dragon turned back into the original Seiryuu.

At the third tutelary fort in the west, the three-eyed giant tiger with golden fur turned back into Byakko.

At the fourth tutelary fort in the north, the three-eyed golden turtle with a snake for a tail turned back into the black Genbu.

The noetic energy of the four-in-one union collapsed.

Of course, the British could no longer use ultra durable noesis barriers or meteorological decrees. The Four Gods Union had been disengaged forcibly, even making it impossible to keep the ifrits manifested.

The four ifrits vanished suddenly.

Hakone Checkpoint instantly lost its castle walls.

### 032. Part 5

The berserk Knights of the Garter had been overpowering the other three types of Legions for more than ten minutes.

The various Legions were drastically reduced in number.

Britain's black knights remained the biggest faction, numbering around seven hundred in total.

On the other hand, the Kanesadas, with katanas drawn, were down to two hundred and forty. Sticking to defense, the Centuriae only had a hundred and seventy of them remaining. The standard Kamuys led by Rikka numbered sixty—

In total, the Tōkaidō-Roman coalition was roughly four hundred and seventy strong.

Locked in a chaotic battle, the numerical gap had surpassed two hundred. Furthermore, empowered by the Feat of Arms of slaughter, the seven hundred Garter Knights had clearly risen to a new level of strength.

At this rate, the British Empire would win for sure. The tide of the battle had settled mostly.

Unexpectedly, signal fires for a counterattack were lit in the coalition army too.

The fire originated at Akigase Rikka and the Legions under her command.

The remaining sixty Kamuys all glowed with blue light. Powerful noesis was turning into visible radiance.

Riding Masatsugu's wyvern, Chevalier Rikka issued orders from afar.

"Draw your bows."

Glowing blue, the Kamuys obeyed Rikka's command and got ready to attack.

They were no longer holding bayonet rifles. Instead, each of them was equipped with a small yellowish brown bow , which looked like it was made of extremely hard timber.

The English longbows were very large and comparable to the black knights in height.

The bows equipped by the Kamuys were at most half as big. Nocking arrows of blue light onto the string of their small bows, they drew their bows hard to the limit, ready to release...

The sixty Kamuys led by Rikka were scattered across the battlefield.

"Release!"

The female Governor General commanded sternly and her entire army shot in unison.

All arrows met their mark, striking enemy troops, and in their vitals too. The arrows of blue light pierced the Garter Knights' weakspots in their helmets, masks, necks, armor gaps, chest, spine, etc.

Naturally, sixty black British Legions were shot down.

The blue Japanese archers nocked and drew again, pulling their short yellowish brown bows to the limit.

"Release again!"

Rapidly, another sixty black knights were rendered corpses.

One after another, the shot Garter Knights crashed into Mount Souun's ridge line. Although bows could not shoot as quickly as volley fire, these were still magic projectiles of superb power.

Unerring accuracy combined with the effect of one shot, one kill. They did not lose to the English longbow at all.

"What accurate bows and arrows..." Rikka whispered in amazement.

Currently, the sixty Kamuys were shooting arrows from within a chaotic battle.

Unless at close range where it was impossible to miss, the other Legions did not shoot for fear of friendly fire. However, Rikka's Kamuys boldly fired their arrows, always meeting their mark regardless of distance.

"So this is your second Feat of Arms, Masatsugu-dono..."

"It is a Feat of Arms belonging both to me and my best friend from my past life. Borrowing the troops of my ally in this life, I have replicated that man's power."

"So your best friend was an amazing archer, huh..."

Indeed, Masatsugu had a faint recollection.

Both his past ally ╳╳╳ and himself, nicknamed _____, were generals of equal strength, as well as famous archers honored as "Bow Gods."

"He and I were dogs serving the same lord. We used to ride across battlefields together."

"I see. So that is the 'Two-Headed Dog.' This title used to belong to you and he, and now—It belongs to you and I, Akigase Rikka!"

"Sure enough, Tachibana-dono's luck has not run out," Wei Qing smiled and murmured to himself.

Just now, the Kamuys, Legions of Imperial Japan, had equipped themselves with bows.

Until now, the Kamuys had been operating their bayonet rifles with experienced skill. After switching to short yellowish brown bows, their combat power became almost godly.

With one hundred percent accuracy, they released incomparably powerful arrows.

Witnessing the arrows' astounding power, the berserk Garter Knights started to swing their rifles to block. Some of the black knights even went as far to dodge with reckless abandon.

As a result, killing speed was much lowered.

However, the Kamuys' accurate shooting was still a huge threat.

Struck in their limbs and vulnerabilities one after another, the British Legions were dealt a serious blow.

Some of the Garter Knights charged to attack, trying to stop the Kamuys from shooting their arrows. They tried to fire at close range or use melee to kill the Kamuys.

Fortunately, the red-purple Kanesadas rushed to their aid.

Blocking the rampaging black knights, they employed katanas and Japanese swordsmanship to chop through the pitch-black armor of the killers.

Amidst the chaotic battle, the Kamuys did not forget to demonstrate their godly marksmanship.

Even when a Kanesada's famed blade and a Garter Knights' bayonet rifle was locked in a contest of strength, the blue Japanese archers did not fear hurting their allies by accident.

In such a situation, the red-purple Legion's helmet was almost touching the helmet of the black knight.

However, the Kamuy's arrow struck the Garter Knight in the temple with unerring accuracy. Had the arrow deviated a few meters, it could have shot and killed a friendly soldier.

The Kanesadas and the Kamuys joined forces with fantastic tacit coordination.

Even the seasoned veteran Wei Qing was thoroughly impressed. Smiling, he ordered his Centuriae to attack all-out.

He had judged that it was the perfect opportunity to break the British army's spirit.

Finally, the tide of the battle began to turn.

The blood-red aura of the Garter Knights disappeared.

The terrifying Feat of Arms was interrupted, because the Black Prince made the call that fighting calmly would be more advantageous.

In fact, the British army pulled away some distance from the Tōkaidō-Roman coalition force.

After backing away, the Garter Knights formed a square wall formation, glowing with the white particles of the protective barrier. The Kamuys fired arrows to attack the British army's secure defense.

Definitely doing its job, the protective barrier neutralized the arrows.

"Unlike the English longbow, arrows shot by the Kamuys' bows cannot penetrate barriers, huh?"

It was after Wei Qing comprehended the difference between the two.

A new army arrived in the sky over Mount Souun. Forty-odd Legions of the Tōkaidō provincial army had rushed over from the south as reinforcements.

Maintaining a spherical formation, they were the "Kurou Hougan" variant of Kamuy with elongated heads.

"Onii-sama, Rikka-sama! Thanks for hanging in there! I finally got here!"

Their commander, Tachibana Hatsune, accompanied them, riding a blue wyvern.

This girl was also the "little sister" of Tachibana Masatsugu the Resurrectee.

"I recall... The army that was invading Suzaku Gate, right?"

Prince Edward frowned with doubt.

He had just heard Morrigan report that an army of Kamuys with elongated heads had arrived at the battlefield.

This revelation surprised Edward a lot. Just earlier, when the Tōkaidō army's Legions launched a fierce attack with bows, the Black Prince had merely said "I see" calmly.

It was expected that Tachibana Masatsugu would take certain measures to resist.

Perhaps Edward was secretly celebrating inside too.

After that, the Black Prince calmly observed the enemy's "Feat of Arms of the bow." Disengaging the Garter Knights' "Chevaliers de Noir" state, he prepared to regroup.

Currently, he had been thinking for a few seconds with a perturbed look on his face—

"Morrigan, any news from Suzaku Gate... The defense force at the second tutelary fort?"

"Just one. Essentially that defenses cannot hold and they are about to start retreating..."

"That explains why that army could come over to converge with Tachibana-dono. This is far ahead of schedule, not even less than an hour."

Prior to the battle, Prince Edward had issued an order.

Each army would maintain defense at their respective tutelary fort for two hours.

Holding for two hours should not be a problem.

That was what Edward believed. He intended to defeat Tachibana Masatsugu within two hours then rush over to the four tutelary forts in turn to help out with defense. Little did he expect his calculations to fail.

To think that the Black Prince Edward, whose uncanny predictions seemed like prescience, would miscalculate!

"There can only be one... possible reason. That princess' outstanding talent has far surpassed Eleanor's expectations. So that is what happened."

Morrigan's doll was sitting on the Black Prince's shoulder. Despite its small size, the doll was equipped with a full set of noetic functions. Noticing the latest message, she immediately reported to the Black Prince.

"Message from the third tutelary fort... Lieutenant Colonel Grayson of Byakko Gate. Learning of Suzaku Gate's fall, the lieutenant colonel has made a suggestion."

"Speak."

"Please move your army to the third tutelary fort to recuperate for the time being... Once the resupply of ectoplasmic fluid is complete, face off with the enemy once more."

"...Byakko Gate is definitely not the place even if we are going to retreat."

"Eh?"

Morrigant was taken aback.

Edward said sadly, "It appears that this battle is over. Inform all our forces that we are abandoning the defense of Hakone to take up a new position. Let me see, let us head to Atsumi."

"Prince, you are retreating!?"

"Yes. At this rate, we will be surrounded and eliminated at Mount Souun. An irrevocable outcome will arise unless we make haste to escape while we have energy to spare."

The English aristocrat spoke with displeasure.

"It was my mistake. Too focused on Tachibana-dono, I failed to take precautions against his lady liege. Let this defeat be the punishment for my miscalculation..."

Saturday November 22nd, 16:13.

The location was near the south shore of Hakone's Lake Ashi. Today, the sky had not been very clear, but the heavy cloud cover finally dissipated to let through glimpses of sunlight.

However, the sun was about to set.

On the roof of a nation-protecting keep, Fujinomiya Shiori looked out at the sky of dusk.

This nation-protecting keep was situated at the second tutelary fort, Suzaku Gate. The genie dressed in a kimono, Rindou-sensei, was waiting by Shiori's side. Over their heads—

"Well done, Princess. How praiseworthy."

"Only now do I dare confess. In actual fact, I was very worried... that I might fail to tame this ."

A great phoenix with a wingspan of seventy meters had manifested in the sky.

Shining with golden brilliance the phoenix was one out of the merged divinity of the Four Gods. After breaking free from Morgan le Fay's control, the phoenix no longer had three eyes—

This giant bird's master had switched to Fujinomiya Shiori, princess of Imperial Japan.

### 033. Part 6

A lone bird flew across the ocean.

However, it was no seabird but a giant eagle with a wingspan reaching almost four meters.

This type of bird was seldom found offshore or out in the open sea in the first place. Furthermore, the bird's size had far exceeded the standards of large birds of prey. In other words, this giant eagle was a retainer beast.

The aquila was a mid-size retainer beast employed by the Eastern Roman Empire.

The great eagle flew across the Pacific Ocean and the East China Sea, finally reaching the territorial waters of the Eastern Roman Empire. This air journey had traversed two thousand and seven hundred kilometers.

The starting point of the journey was Suruga City in the Tōkaidō region of Japan.

The retainer beast had spent roughly twenty hours to reach the military port at the south of Lantau Island in Hong Kong.

Such unbelievable speed and stamina would be beyond ordinary birds. The aquila had flown straight to its destination, a large Galleon -class ship, the Ferrata .

The ship was powered by a fluid reactor using artificial ectoplasmic fluid.

The British Empire's analog would be the destroyer Tintagel .

The person sought by the aquila was alone on the deck, observing his ship with satisfaction.

This Resurrectee was dressed in ancient Roman style with a red cape on top. This was the state ship belonging to Generalissimo Caesar, the great hero and founder of Eastern Rome.

When the aquila retainer beast landed in front of him, Caesar asked matter-of-factly, "So you have arrived, Staff Officer Yang. How is your new life at the Suruga tutelary fort?"

"Do you even need to ask? I can't expect to eat authentic Chinese cuisine at the mess hall there." What came out of the aquila's beak was the voice and tone of Alexis Yang.

"Their so-called Chinese food only consists of fried rice, ramen noodles, fried dumplings, and a mysterious item named tenshindon ."

"Oh?"

"I'd really like to return to Hong Kong as soon as possible and take my daughter out for some authentic Cantonese cuisine."

"Spoken magnificently like a true gourmet and not a man who always eats out at fast food joints."

"Well, people only remember the good things about their homeland when they're abroad."

Alexis Yang was a Roman soldier who did not take things too seriously.

His physical body was currently lying on a bed in the Suruga tutelary fort's barracks, seemingly taking a nap.

However, Yang was a noetic officer.

Using noetic control, he had possessed the aquila with his consciousness to travel to Hong Kong.

The purpose was to report directly to the supreme commander Caesar and handle "a certain matter" while he was at it.

"In any case, adjustments on various fronts seem to be proceeding smoothly."

"Speaking of which, Your Excellency, you are finally coming in person..."

"Yes. Once matters are handled on the Malay side, I shall be heading to Japan," Caesar said to Staff Officer Yang who was possessing the retainer beast.

"Storming the Kinai Fiefdom as soon as I reach Japan... It might be an unruly manner of going about it, but certainly a good plan."

"Another 'Conquest of Gaul'?"

The great hero smiled like a mischievous brat, prompting Staff Officer Yang to bring up that piece of history.

Prior to becoming dictator in perpetuity, Caesar had embarked on an expedition to ancient Gaul—an area covering modern France and part of Germany—as the supreme commander to put down the Gallic tribes' rebellions.

The wars had lasted many years.

The famous Commentarii de Bello Gallico was his firsthand account of the wars.

"This may sound lacking in detailed planning, but in any case, we shall make minor adjustments as dictated by the situation. Adapting on the spot is the name of the game here."

"Are you going to write another book and use a global simultaneous release gimmick?"

"That would certainly be desirable if I could spend a couple years to focus on matters in Japan. The biggest obstacle is whether this much time can be secured."

"Or why not follow the original plan and basically leave things to the Japanese samurai?"

"Yes. Biding my time while our Tōkaidō allies fight repeatedly against the British Empire's brave warriors, only to enter the stage gallantly when both sides are exhausted... That would be the ideal situation."

"Intelligently snatching away the greatest benefits at the ideal moment, in other words."

Their conversation sounded more like an exchange of jabs or jokes.

However, it also reflected human malice and guile.

Caesar said to his staff officer who was in the form of a giant eagle, "I heard that the Tōkaidō side is aided by a Resurrectee named 'Hijikata Tōshizō', isn't that right?"

"Yes, he was the Shinsengumi vice-commander during Japan's Bakumatsu era, and subsequently the commander of shogunate troops for the northern court. Judging from his life's experiences, he shouldn't be someone used to leading large armies."

Staff Officer Yang was an expert on the Far East region and knew Japan like the back of his hand.

He was well aware of what Hijikata Tōshizō was like as a historical figure.

"That Resurrectee has done quite well so far."

"Then how is our beautiful princess... Shiori?"

"You were right on the mark, Your Excellency. Under that beautiful exterior, she hides dangerous fangs and claws... But the princess' skill at putting on a facade are superb." Through the aquila, Staff Officer Yang asked, "How did you manage to see through her?"

"Shiori had been studying at our imperial capital of Xanadu until half a year ago. During her stay, a number of incidents happened around her. On the surface, none of them had any connection to her, but she was always the ultimate beneficiary—"

"Heh~ Now that's quite something."

"I am Imperial Japan's patronus after all. How could I not keep myself informed regarding their nation's beautiful princess? Hence, I paid particular attention to her affairs. Furthermore, it always boils down to this."

A charming smile appeared on Caesar's face.

"Julius Caesar has a special talent with women... You could consider that the true reason why I saw through her."

"Yeah yeah, the great man with special skills in adultery is truly extraordinary."

There was a rumor back in the day when Caesar had a seat in the Senate of the Roman Republic.

He actively ingratiated himself with the wives of his senator colleagues, building "deep" relationships with these women.

"By the way, Your Excellency, should I inform Her Highness Shiori and her faction that he will be entering Tokyo—?"

"Yes, proceed."

"Even if I reveal his name?"

"His reputation is so great that anyone with a discerning eye cannot be deceived."

"Understood. No need to hold back information, in other words."

Hearing the generalissimo's instructions, Staff Officer Yang remarked through the aquila, "The hidden 'secret weapon' will be unveiled at last, huh?"

"From the very start, he was a trump card to be deployed eventually. Let this be an opportunity for him to put on a grand performance."

"But that's pretty difficult given his personality, right? He really hates attracting attention despite his outstanding talents and accomplishments."

"Be that as it may, he is not only a talented general but also capable of handling court ladies and those of high position."

Caesar looked into the sky. It was sunny with few clouds.

This land was neither the ancient Roman Republic nor the deep forests of ancient Gaul. Instead, this was subtropical Asia in the land of the Far East.

"As a general for keeping Tokyo secure, there is no man more perfect for the job."

Caesar had personally selected a certain man to protect the imperial capital and the Kantō Fiefdom.

Unlike the Roman patrician Julius Caesar, this man hailed from the land of China.

However, the battlefields he roamed in his past life were mostly around or beyond the borders of China. Vast plains of grassland or deserts stretching to the horizon.

That man. Edward the Black Prince. Richard the Lionheart. Hijikata Toshizō.

The cast was gradually gathering for the main event in Imperial Japan.

Or rather, Imperial Japan was about to become the center of a storm. Determined to rush into this vortex of conflict, Caesar grinned.

### 034. Part 6

After Masatsugu and company spent the night at the destroyer Tintagel , dawn arrived.

"Good morning, Princess."

"G-Good morning... Uh, what is going on here?"

Masatsugu had gone to the sick bay on the ship for a morning greeting. Waking up on the bed, the princess looked around in disbelief.

One could hardly blame here. She had no idea when she had been moved to the sick bay.

The morning rays were entering through the ship's window.

Tachibana Hatsune and Akigase Rikka were sleeping on each edge of the bed respectively. Gaps in the blanket's positioning offered glimpses at their sexy figures.

"Mm~ ...I'm too full to eat anymore..."

Speaking in her dream, Hatsune was naked under the sheets.

As for Rikka, she was wearing a short tank top with gray skin pants (Masatsugu had removed her socks and shoes).

More importantly, Shiori herself had nothing on except for her pink and neat underwear.

"Kyahhhhhhhhhhhh!?"

The princess' mouth emitted an unbecoming scream.

This sound was loud enough to wake Hatsune and Rikka.

Thirty minutes later...

Masatsugu left the Tintagel on his own, greeting the guarding infantry along the way.

He returned the key he had used to board the ship. Next up, he was not returning to the Fuji tutelary fort. Instead, Masatsugu made his way to a large seaside park near the port of Tagonoura.

He had been there the last time he visited Fuji City.

On that occasion, he had secretly taken ectoplasmic fluid from Shiori while keeping Hatsune in the dark. Currently, the three girls were sitting on that same bench, waiting for Masatsugu's arrival.

The three girls were the princess, her personal lady-in-waiting, and the Tōkaidō's new Governor General, of course.

The three of them had left the ship first to avoid scandals of "spending the night together with him."

" " "......" " "

Shiori and Rikka were not talking. Even the usually cheerful Hatsune was silent.

A gloomy air seemed to be hanging over the three girls. Also, Masatsugu still had not explained what happened last night, but presumably, the girls must have exchanged information while waiting for him.

Actually, there was no need to exchange information. One could surmise the basic situation simply from the state of the bed upon awakening...

Masatsugu first bowed his head to his liege Shiori in gratitude.

"Princess, thank you very much for last night."

"Y-You are welcome. As your liege, Masatsugu-sama, this is only the least I could do..."

In this rare moment, the princess was at a loss for words. Masatsugu turned to his little sister Hatsune and his ally Rikka to express his thanks too.

"I am also very grateful to you, Hatsune and Rikka-dono. Thanks to the ectoplasmic fluid you gave me, I have received unprecedented power. Perhaps due to that, I've recalled some of my past—memories from my past life, in other words."

"R-Really, Onii-sama!? That's wonderful!"

"Strictly speaking, they're not complete memories but fragments."

"Indeed... Masatsugu-dono, your noesis is stronger this morning than ever before."

Hatsune was happy for Masatsugu while Rikka narrowed her eyes and smiled.

The three ladies present knew very well that the power filling Tachibana Masatsugu's body and soul had reached another level. His Chevalier Strength had probably surpassed four hundred now—

He had broken through a hurdle that had been insurmountable until now.

At this rate, it should be possible to become plenty prepared prior to attacking Hakone.

"Y-You mean the ectoplasmic fluid... received from all of us?"

"Almost certainly," Masatsugu asserted firmly.

Rikka motioned with her eyes to the princess and the junior Chevalier.

"Your Highness, j-just as I have mentioned earlier, to avoid having an unspecified number of Chevaliers getting involved with Masatsugu-dono—Scratch that, to avoid having too many people privy to this secret, therefore..."

"Y-You mean we alone shall take care of resupplying, right?"

"It's true, I don't want Onii-sama to go out of control and make things even more complicated. A-Although I'm a bit curious about men doing that to each other..."

As expected, the girls had discussed among themselves beforehand.

Judging from their reactions, Masatsugu was struck by a sense of deja vu, like three countries locked in a conflict over the same piece of land.

If no one was willing to compromise, every country would suffer great losses.

Instead, it would be best to reach an agreement to handle the problem in a "lenient" manner for the time being. This was what the current situation resembled, and Masatsugu wondered if he should be saying something about it.

Just as he was about to speak...

"Hey, isn't it my turn to speak?"

Someone behind him spoke first. Despite talking like a self-important elder, the voice was an adorable girl's soprano. Masatsugu had heard this voice before.

He looked back to see the girl from last night.

The girl was dressed in a blue kimono. Her done up hair was glowing with blue radiance.

Holding a fan in her hand, she exuded an aura of aloofness unique to those steeped in the occult. Shiori was the first to greet this striking girl.

"You have finally arrived, Rindou-sensei!"

Rindou-sensei was akin to Princess Shiori's own Zhuge Kongming, if one were to use a Three Kingdoms analogy.

At this very moment, Tachibana Masatsugu finally made the connection between this face and name.

"Too bland."

After tasting the drink she had ordered, Rindou-sensei complained.

Shiori originally wanted to get to the main point, but the mysterious girl had made a demand first.

'I am thirsty after coming to a dusty town. Bring me a cup to moisten my throat first. Hey, maidservant over there, get me a drink.'

'I am talking to you! When I say a drink, do not bring tea or coffee by any means.'

'The only drinks acceptable to me are alcohol and prajna soup!'

Without asking anyone to introduce themselves, she was already ordering the lady-in-waiting Hatsune around.

After revealing this extraordinary feat of perception, Rindou-sensei had made even more outrageous demands. Everyone watched as Hatsune left and returned fifteen minutes later, carrying beer bought from a convenience store. Rindou-sensei frowned and complained as soon as she took a sip.

She even said, "Good grief... I am a connoisseur of alcoholic beverages, after all. I do understand the profound custom of 'anyway, let's have a beer first' but this is no good at all. Maidservant, be a little smarter if you are going to entertain your princess' benefactor, and bring some local Suruga beer, okay? Even though it is a relatively light beer, it does have a certain richness to it."

"I-I'm still a minor so I don't know anything about drinking."

Hatsune was quite troubled.

Never in her wildest dreams would she have expected a young girl, looking like an elementary school student, to be lecturing her.

Meanwhile, Rikka whispered quietly in the princess' ear, "Your Highness, I recall that she is your guardian who lives in seclusion at the hot spring district of Mount Yu, right?"

Mount Yu was within Suruga City in a way.

However, it was located in the mountainous region of the Southern Alps. This was a part of the mountains where there was nothing except for hot springs, not even a remote village.

Rikka then said, "I heard she is quite advanced in her years, right?"

"Yes. Actually, Sensei has a reason for appearing before others like this—"

"A genie, huh?"

Masatsugu's muttering interrupted the whispers between the two girls.

He was asking Rindou-sensei directly. The girl in the blue kimono smiled proudly and took another sip of beer.

"Impressive, undead one. I'm surprised you discerned it."

"The fact that you can drink... implies you are corporeal. So you have the ability to appear in front of people without relying on projected images or possessing simulacra."

"Don't compare me to those inferior beings."

Rindou-sensei raised her can and emptied it without letting a single drop escape. She must be a drinker with amazing tolerance.

"My true identity is Fukuryuu, the Crouching Dragon, highest in rank among the likes of retainer beasts, spirits, and demons in this world."

"That explains the keen intuition."

"Indeed. Of course, there are limits to my miraculous powers when using this form. Please do make bizarre requests of me, understood?"

"Still, Sensei, thank you for coming to see me."

Shiori's tone was filled with gratitude and she even presented a small bottle of domestic whiskey.

This was something that Hatsune had bought at the convenience store together with the beer. Rindou-sensei accepted it with satisfaction and swiftly opened the cap for a sip.

"Yesterday, Princess, you delivered an entire crate of daiginjou along with a letter with a question, didn't you? On account of the excellent taste, I have decided to answer your question."

After giving a very materialistic reason, Sensei brought up the heart of the matter.

"You asked me if there was any enchantment to take control of Japanese ifrits using imperial blood, didn't you? Jumping straight to the conclusion, yes indeed—"

"Are you serious!?"

"Mm-hmm. However, it can only be used near the divinity baseplate in the enemy position. It will not be useful for the attack on Hakone, that's all."

Rindou-sensei was very frank and Shiori was disappointed.

"Indeed, the divinity baseplate is hidden inside the tutelary fort. In order to sneak inside, the noesis barrier must be neutralized in one way or another..."

This was equivalent to capturing a tutelary fort.

It was admittedly a useless method. Masatsugu agreed—But then he figured out something unexpectedly.

He finally understood why the destroyer Tintagel had aroused his curiosity in particular.

A sudden flash of inspiration of sorts. Perhaps this method of using it might come in handy during the upcoming battle.

"Princess, let's first set aside the issue of whether to use that enchantment or not. There's something for which I'd like to have your instruction."

Masatsugu's tone was indifferent as always.

However, there was a certain vibe in his words. The three ladies and Rindou-sensei also focused their interested gazes upon him.

Unfazed, Masatsugu spoke softly.

"The plan for attacking Hakone Checkpoint has finally come together."

### 035. Prologue

The biggest lake in the Kantō Fiefdom was Kasumigaura.

From here, it was possible to go sightseeing at the imperial capital of Tokyo and return on the same day. In other words, it was not far from the heart of Imperial Japan.

However, it was definitely an undeveloped rural region.

The lush natural environment here did not have any high-rise buildings. Traffic was extremely low without any congestion whatsoever. The cars on the road drove very fast.

And currently, a certain man was at a ranch near Kasumigaura.

Dairy cows were kept at the ranch along with animals such as horses and sheep.

The sight of cattle grazing leisurely was quite a pastoral scene. The inorganic office zones and trendy shopping districts would offer no such idyllic atmosphere.

Speaking of the countryside, one would inevitably come across youngsters yearning for urban prosperity.

"When I finish high school, I'm gonna study in Tokyo too~"

"Oh, I remember there's a girl whose family runs a restaurant by the national highway. Didn't she enroll in something like a hairdressing school at the capital? Is that your plan too?"

Hearing a second grader girl's declaration, he smiled and replied.

Although he was living a life akin to seclusion, he was not a man without social skills.

Knowing the local gossip about his neighbors was only par for the course. However, his eight-year-old "female friend" pouted indignantly, displeased with his perfectly ordinary comment.

"Not something like. She went to a professional school for training beauticians. Don't get it wrong~!"

"...You're right. That is definitely what I heard recently."

Corrected by the young girl, he shrugged.

Once again, he was confronted by the fact that he had not only arrived in a distant foreign land—but also future world he could never have imagined.

Incidentally, this little female friend was the ranch owner's daughter.

This man had also spent his youth as a shepherd in remote mountains. Perhaps because of that, he found ranches to be quite nostalgic. Of course, this was only relative to other places in the modern world.

"Have you been to Tokyo?"

"Only five or six times? You see, Oji-san here was never used to big cities... So I've never wanted to live there."

"...Oji-san?"

The girl made a questioning look.

"Did I say something weird?"

"Yup, you called yourself 'Oji-san' when you're younger than my dad. It's really weird. You should call yourself 'Onii-san'."

"Hahahaha... I'm only young in appearance, you know?"

In his previous life, he had passed away in his late forties.

For some reason, he had revived with a body in his twenties. This disparity between age at death and current appearance seemed to be quite common among Resurrectees.

Then he noticed that the girl was looking up at his wryly smiling face.

"What's the matter?"

"In Tokyo, do they have many ikemen like Onii-san?"

" Ike, men ? You mean good-looking guys, right? For an eight-year-old girl to be curious about this kind of thing, I don't know if I should worry for the future or lament how the world has changed..."

"What are you talking about!? This is very important~!"

"Uh, sorry, you are very right."

The girl's surprisingly stern scolding made him involuntarily apologize in earnest.

"It is possible for the beauty of a face to bring not only unexpected glory and splendor but also ruin and destruction. On further thought, it's a lesson that my clan should absolutely not forget."

He had always lived by keeping a low profile, unwilling to attract attention.

However, his face frequently drew stares from ladies. This was due to his facial resemblance to his elder sister, a renowned beauty.

"Some people in weird clothing are coming... Are they students?"

"Oh, no. Those are military uniforms."

"Liar. The men at the fort don't dress like this."

"Those aren't Imperial Japan's uniforms but Eastern Rome's... It's the Empire's military uniform."

Two men in military uniform approached.

Imperial Japan's military organizations could be roughly divided between the Imperial Guard, which served the imperial family directly, and the provincial armies of the Twelve Fiefdoms. These separate organizations all shared a common uniform.

Ignoring the stylistic differences between those of officers and common soldiers, the Japanese uniform's chic design was primarily black.

However, the arriving men were wearing uniforms featuring blue blazers.

Their neckties were red. This was the officer's uniform of the Eastern Roman military.

"I still don't think those clothes look good on me at all."

He was currently wearing a navy-blue jacket with beige cotton pants.

These ordinary garments were bought from a discount store and not fancy at all, but he liked their advantages of being modest and convenient.

Besides, he had grown tired of wearing military uniforms and armor a long time ago.

A feeling of resignation rose up.

Looks like his "days of seclusion" were coming to an end.

Not surprised, he knew this would be coming eventually. Ever since last month when the British Empire and the Kinai Fiefdom had joined forces to establish the Restoration Alliance...

He knew he was going to be summoned—

He was the "hidden trump card" Generalissimo Caesar had placed in rural Kantō. This man, who enjoyed idyllic life in the countryside, had been ready to enter Tokyo at a moment's notice...

"Time to work, huh?" He muttered to himself and nodded to greet the approaching Roman soldiers.

### 036. Chapter 1 - The Fall of Nagoya Castle

### Part 1

November 7th, 15:45.

"Nagoya is Tōkaidō's provincial capital..."

The location was the main keep of Nagoya Castle. The man occupying the position of Governor General of the Tōkaidō Fiefdom was at the castle's highest balcony, gnashing his teeth. Slender and crane-like in appearance, he was an old man with a blazing gaze.

Dressed in a kimono with an Inverness coat, he was a man of striking impression.

"Never did I expect it would fall to an enemy of a thousand..."

Governor General Akigase Shouzan, ruler of Tōkaidō, remarked in self-mockery.

Currently, "winged giant soldiers" were fighting in the skies over Nagoya.

The invader was the Restoration Alliance. Ten Kinai Chevaliers were leading roughly five hundred Kamuys to attack in concert with the British Empire's six Knights of Her Majesty and the five hundred Crusades under their command.

A mixture of Anglo-Japanese Legions had formed a coalition force of a thousand.

In contrast, on the defending side, the Tōkaidō Fiefdom had a total of sixteen Chevaliers with roughly seven hundred Kamuys.

A great battle was taking place in the sky over Nagoya between a total of seventeen hundred Legions, friend and foe combined.

"Is it impossible to oppose the British Empire when they invade in earnest?"

Akigase Shouzan muttered to himself, his voice filled with poignancy.

On the morning of November 7th, the Restoration Alliance finally started to launch a full offensive against Nagoya and its surroundings.

There were five "tutelary forts" in the region.

These tutelary forts were modernized strongholds created by repairing and remodeling ancient castles and stationing ifrits as guardian deities. The water shrines built underground allowed them to function as bases from where Chevaliers and Legions, the mainstay weapon of modern militaries, could operate.

Namely, Okazaki Castle, Kariya Castle, Kiyosu Castle, Inuyama Castle, and Nagoya Castle.

The Restoration Alliance directly attacked the defensive net formed by these five castles.

Leading five hundred Kamuys, the Kinai Fiefdom had invaded from west of Nagoya. Leading five hundred Crusades, the British Empire's six Knights of Her Majesty attacked from the east.

Nagoya was caught in the middle between the two fronts. Naturally, the enemy's ultimate target was Nagoya Castle, which was the Tōkaidō Governor General's residence and administrative center, the most vital location.

The Restoration Alliance had broken through the Tōkaidō provincial army's defenses to close in on Nagoya Castle.

However, the castles of Okazaki, Kariya, Kiyosu, and Inuyama had also sent Chevaliers leading Kamuy armies as reinforcements to rescue Nagoya Castle.

"The Crusades are truly powerful... No, it is the Knights of Her Majesty who are powerful."

The tide of battle was clear to see. Tōkaidō was obviously at a disadvantage.

"Is it all due to the difference in practical battlefield experience?"

The Restoration Alliance and the Tōkaidō provincial army had given up on formations.

The Legions were scattered about, fighting in close quarters. All over the Nagoya sky, Kamuys were getting defeated by British Crusades.

The Crusades were a size larger than the diminutive Kamuy in physique.

In terms of power output and pure combat strength alone, the Crusades were superior. Furthermore, the Knights of Her Majesty in command all had plenty of field experience and Chevalier Strengths over 90.

Imperial Japan did not have many Chevaliers capable of standing up to them.

"Inferiority in both strength and numbers, such adversity is truly impossible to overcome," Shouzan said quietly.

Also, the Charter of Chivalry imposed several restrictions on attacking civilian buildings.

When fighting in the sky over a city such as Nagoya, intentional destruction of the urban landscape below was forbidden. Indeed, intentional destruction .

For the sake of argument, consider the case of a Legion that had been shot or stabbed.

Unable to sustain flight, the Legion would crash to the ground, its gigantic body and armor crushing buildings in the process. Such cases were accepted as exceptions by the Charter of Chivalry and freed of responsibility.

Currently, the falling Kamuys and Crusades were mercilessly crushing Nagoya's streets.

Fortunately, dead or injured Legions did not explode, but they were still eight-meter-tall giants after all. Their corpses weighed dozens of tons.

Many buildings were smashed by the falling Legions, possibly killing people who had not fled to underground shelters in time.

"The Knights of Her Majesty broke through our defenses, then the Kinai forces invaded... This simple approach totally relies on the British."

Akigase Shouzan scoffed in disdain.

"However, no matter what the defeated side says, it would amount to nothing more than a loser's complaints."

Both Kinai and Tōkaidō were using Kamuys, the blue Legions of Imperial Japan. When civil war broke out, it was common for the aggressor to add fabric strips or extra garments to distinguish themselves.

In this case, the Kinai Kamuys were wearing red scarfs .

"What a disgrace. I failed to devise a single effective measure despite knowing of the enemy's imminent invasion. This incompetence is unacceptable."

"Your Excellency..." Nagoya's castellan bowed his head in anguish.

Shouzan continued, "The Kinai Fiefdom is backed by the British Empire, which means we need support from either Tōsandō or Kantō. However, I exhausted all manner of demands and negotiation methods and still they refused to be swayed..."

"I believe the Tōsandō Fiefdom is leaning towards the Restoration Alliance."

"This is currently unverifiable. Please watch your words."

Shouzan warned the castellan then proceeded to go on a sarcastic diatribe.

"Speaking of which, that fiefdom apparently feels dissatisfied because they received a landlocked realm of mountains back when the lands were divided among the vassals... It would come as no surprise if they actually are colluding with the Restoration Alliance in secret. As for the Kantō Fiefdom—It must be their old habit acting up again. Always sucking up to those women of the imperial palace, only wanting to leave all military matters to Rome."

"Your Excellency, you apparently need to exercise prudence in your words too..."

"Oh, indeed, let us return to the topic at hand. Well, since we cannot rely on the neighboring fiefdoms, Tōkaidō's only choice is to turn to Rome for help." Shouzan shrugged. "But asking them for aid would run the risk of making Rome our master."

"Just like how the Kinai Fiefdom is currently obeying the British military's every word... Right?"

"As dogs of Rome, those Kantō people are no better. No matter, regardless, we no longer have the luxury of waiting for reinforcements."

"All we can do is try our best and see how long we can hold." The castellan quietly expressed his determination, then said, "If only Rikka-sama were here."

"Even with her here, she can't turn the battle around on her own... Wait, I recall that she sent a letter whose contents I found rather intriguing."

Rikka was Akigase Shouzan's eldest child.

Although she was the beloved daughter born to Shouzan in his later years, she was definitely not a sheltered lady.

Matching any man in valor, Rikka was Tōkaidō's premier Chevalier and normally posted at Nagoya Castle.

Unfortunately, she was trapped by the Restoration Alliance at Suruga City, serving as the temporary castellan at the tutelary fort there.

In truth, out of Shouzan's retainers, his daughter was the most powerful warrior of them all.

The two younger brothers were no match for their eldest sister. The gap in their talent as generals was as great as between heaven and earth.

Regarding the name of "Hijikata Toshizō" mentioned by his beloved daughter—

Unfortunately, Shouzan did not have time to ponder it.

A ring was heard at the scene. A pipe fox had teleported to arrive.

The palm-size retainer beast released noetic waves to project the words of a message into the air.

'Partial destruction of noesis barrier. A force of Kamuys have invaded Nagoya Castle.'

"They are finally here...!"

Like ordinary tutelary forts, Nagoya Castle had a guardian deity stationed there.

Its name was the ifrit Nue, named after the monster that had appeared at the Emperor's residence of Seiryō-den in the past. The western equivalent in mythology would be the chimera.

The Nue featured a monkey's face, a tanuki's body, a tiger's limbs, and a tail in the shape of a snake.

This ifrit had deployed a noesis barrier to cover the castle.

This barrier was essentially the final defense line. The invading enemy's first priority would be to take over the underground water shrine and capture Governor General Akigase Shouzan.

"No need to protect me. You should go to the front line and focus on defending the castle."

"Affirmative."

Unlike his daughter, Akigase Shouzan did not possess a Chevalier's power. Instead, he left the fighting to his trusted retainers while shouldering all outcomes and responsibilities himself.

Both Shouzan and the castellan were in their late sixties, from the same generation.

Having known each other for so long, the castellan responded concisely and prepared to set off.

Before leaving, the castellan noticed an army of Legions flying at high speed towards Nagoya Castle from the east.

On a chaotic battlefield where friend and foe were mixed together, this army was packed in a wedge formation.

The orderly army was particularly conspicuous and consisted of about a hundred Legions. All of them blue samurai of Imperial Japan, they were Kamuys. But were they Kinai's or Tōkaidō's reinforcements?

"That is—Rikka-sama's army!"

The castellan yelled excitedly. His keen senses as a Chevalier had detected Rikka's noetic waves.

Shouzan hastily took out his binoculars.

Through the lenses, he observed the gradually approaching army. Standing at the head of the formation was indeed his beloved daughter. She was dressed in Imperial Japan's military uniform, riding a blue wyvern.

"Did she rush here from Suruga knowing that Nagoya is in trouble?"

Despite the female warrior's gallant arrival, Shouzan shook his head.

"What is she doing? Reinforcements of this number will not change the fate of Nagoya's fall."

Rikka's Chevalier Strength was 154, no less than any Knight of Her Majesty.

However, this quantity was still not enough to overturn the battle situation. The father frowned at his daughter's heroic but reckless act of bravery.

"Watch out, Your Excellency!"

A Crusade came flying and the castellan shouted sharply.

The Crusade raised its rifle to fire repeatedly while flying towards Shouzan's balcony. The enemy must have been drawn to the conspicuous main keep.

The scorching beams were being fired at the balcony with a rate of ten times per second.

Normally speaking, this situation would mean certain death, but fortunately, the castellan reacted appropriately.

"In the name of Zuihou, the appellation of the warrior—Assemble, Kamuys!"

The castellan swiftly summoned three Kamuys to block in front of the balcony.

Using themselves as shields, the blue samurai defended the balcony. Shot in the face and torso, the three Legions died in sacrifice, but they also raised their rifles to strike back.

One shot pierced the Crusade's throat, resulting in mutual annihilation—

The castellan had averted disaster in the nick of time. However, both the elderly decorated Chevalier and Shouzan were shocked.

"Your Excellency!?"

"Argh!?"

One of the Crusade's stray shots had struck the roof of the main keep.

A large amount of timber, tiles, and other debris was falling from the collapsing roof and onto the balcony where Shouzan and the castellan were. The two of them were buried alive under the rubble...

It was ten minutes later when they were finally rescued by the soldiers rushing to the scene.

The castellan only suffered light injuries with bruises all over him, but Shouzan was in no state to get up on his own—

### Part 2

Slightly earlier...

"We should head to Nagoya too."

It was the morning of November 7th when Tachibana Masatsugu had asserted that.

It was 9:13am at the time. Several hours earlier, he had just defeated the thousand Legions led by King Richard the Lionheart to invade Suruga.

Today, Richard was originally supposed to attack Nagoya too.

However, the Suruga side had succeeded in provoking his passion, setting his heart ablaze. With less than half a day before the Nagoya operation, he went straight for Suruga, unable to suppress his urge to go for a "secret snack"...

The two sides had fought a nocturnal battle.

Fighting bravely throughout the night, the forces of the Suruga tutelary fort won at last.

While everyone was celebrating the hard-earned victory, they received news that "the Restoration Alliance was beginning to march on Nagoya." As soon as Masatsugu heard it, he expressed his view.

Suruga's castellan, Akigase Rikka, tilted her head in puzzlement and asked, "You mean we will go to participate in the battle at Nagoya?"

"Precisely."

"Masatsugu-dono, to be honest, there isn't any point, is there?"

All of Suruga's Chevaliers had gathered this morning for a war council.

The ones present were respectively Masatsugu, Rikka, Tachibana Hatsune, as well as the two Chevaliers from Yamanashi, Habuna and Maike, with the additional presence of Alexis Yang, the military adviser sent by the Eastern Roman Empire.

Of course, the noble princess of Imperial Japan, Fujinomiya Shiori was present too—

House Akigase's Chevalier princess address the group calmly, "Last night, we lost a great number of Legions. My Kamuys are down to a hundred or so. I suppose Masatsugu-dono's Kanesadas are not available in decent numbers either?"

"Rikka-sama," Hatsune spoke up timidly. "What you mean is going there will be useless?"

"...Something like that. Given the current circumstances, if the Restoration Alliance—or rather, the British forces—were to get serious, there is no way for us to reverse the fate of Nagoya's fall no matter how we struggle. Should any of us fall in battle, it would be far worse than losing Nagoya."

Nagoya was Akigase Rikka's hometown and Nagoya Castle was her home.

However, she spoken with great detachment to explain why they should not head to the rescue. Her extraordinary qualities as a general were what allowed her to suppress her personal feelings regarding the matter.

Hatsune looked sadly at her senior knight.

Remaining calm and indifferent, Rikka continued to analyze. "Nagoya is quite far away from Suruga. Moving across a long distance in one go will be very draining on Legions. Masatsugu-dono, why don't we observe the situation for now instead?"

Just as Masatsugu was about to reply, Shiori spoke first, "Indeed... Rikka-sama, you make a firm case."

The noble and intelligent Shiori was well-versed in politics and strategy.

The bloodline of Lord Tenryuu the sacred beast had given her a head of platinum blonde hair as well as outstanding special powers.

As a result, every Chevalier here would listen to her seriously and consider her opinion. However, Alexis Yang was staring at Shiori's pretty face in amusement.

"Suruga currently lacks usable troops, an expedition to Nagoya would impose a heavy burden on Suruga, and we do not have sufficient power to turn the tide in the overall situation. However..."

Shiori's clear eyes gazed at Masatsugu.

This was a steadfast gaze with deep faith in her subordinate's abilities.

"Masatsugu-sama, you believe that... doing so will produce definite benefits, don't you?"

"Yes, in order to make effective use of the opportunity before us , we must make a trip to Nagoya."

Masatsugu's tone was calm without any zeal.

However, the word "opportunity" had caught everyone's attention. The other Chevaliers leaned forward, waiting for Masatsugu to speak.

"I see now," Alexis Yang said with delight after listening to Masatsugu's explanation. "I believe that this excellent idea is worth a try. Say, rather than an opportunity, I'd call it a challenge instead."

Several hours later, Rikka led an army of a hundred Kamuys and charged into Nagoya.

"To think he came up with something this outrageous so quickly after last night's battle..."

This morning, Masatsugu had provided a battle plan.

Rikka could not help but smile wryly at the thought of that plan. The staff officer from the Roman military was right. Making effective use of this shred of luck that could barely be called an opportunity would require a challenge as risky as walking on thin ice.

The first challenge was the expedition to Nagoya.

First of all, Rikka must sortie in secret.

The Restoration Alliance's scouts would notice if she openly marched out of the Suruga tutelary fort.

Rikka summoned a hundred Kamuys, applied stealth noetic techniques on them, then sent them underwater into Suruga Bay in batches of ten.

Flying in the sky without cover would be extremely easy for the enemy to spot.

After that, her army entered the mountains from Suruga City's outskirts and went upstream along the Abe River.

Then flying at low speed along the mountain ridge of the Southern Alps, they secretly made their way to Nagoya. Rikka accompanied them on a wyvern.

In fact, movement through deep mountains was quite draining on Legions.

The local earth spirits in the mountains would entangle Legions, trying to assimilate them into becoming "companions." Eliminating interference from earth spirits required expenditure of mystic power.

In any case, Rikka's army moved west while consuming ectoplasmic fluid.

Fortunately, Rikka was able to reach the outskirts of Nagoya without being detected by scouts or noetic reconnaissance. This was probably due to the Restoration Alliance devoting their resources to their large-scale operation.

Hence, it was around 16:00 on November 7th.

A group of Crusades had broken through Nagoya Castle's noesis barrier. At the same time, Rikka's army had also entered the battlefield.

"Avoid unnecessary fighting. We will rush straight to the castle!"

Rikka rode her wyvern and led her army personally.

Aerial fights were taking place in the sky all over the metropolis of Nagoya.

Despite their disadvantage, the Tōkaidō provincial army had held their ground against the Restoration Alliance's Kamuys and Crusades. Neither side was using formations anymore.

The Legions were skirmishing, acting according to their own judgment.

Amid this chaos, Rikka's army entered a wedge formation and flew straight for Nagoya Castle.

Doing so would inevitably stand out. Lady Chevalier Rikka was also standing gallantly at the forefront of the formation as a means of attracting even more attention .

"Sing for me and let everyone know that I, Akigase Rikka, have returned to Nagoya!"

Her hundred Kamuys responded to her command and roared.

—Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

—Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

This was the War Cry, where Legions emitted shouts and mystic power from behind their masks.

As soon as the friendly forces of the Tōkaidō Kamuys and Chevaliers heard this fierce song of magical effect, they would instantly understand that House Akigase's eldest daughter had returned.

What Rikka was doing was alerting allies of her presence—

This was her true aim.

She gently kicked her wyvern's belly, ordering her mount to speed up. Having flown at low speed along the mountain ridge earlier, it had been a while since she last sliced through the wind.

The refreshing feeling made her smile. Advancing without impediment was exhilarating.

Currently, Rikka's hundred Kamuys were in a packed formation, flying through the sky as a giant wedge. Her army sliced through the battlefield and Nagoya Castle was within sight.

In order to block Rikka's army, the enemy would need to muster a packed formation too.

However, for the Crusades led by the Knights of Her Majesty, immediately organizing themselves in a formation during a chaotic battle would be quite difficult.

"My patience was worth it. This is precisely the situation I had hoped for."

Rikka grinned. She could have rushed into the battlefield earlier, but chose to bide her time instead. She was well aware that reinforcements of a mere hundred Legions would not turn the tide of battle.

Nagoya Castle—Almost there.

Rikka's conspicuous act worked. Nagoya Castle immediately disengaged the defensive noesis barrier.

"They're letting me through? Thank you so much!"

Leading a hundred Kamuys, Rikka charged into Nagoya Castle's premises.

She gazed down upon the golden carps on central keep's roof, the inner citadel, the outer citadel, the government office, the Akigase residence, the majestic Japanese garden, etc. She had finally "returned home."

The noesis barrier activated again. Rikka ordered her Legions.

"Scatter. Defeat any trespassing Crusades inside the castle. Your mission is to make a last stand and guard Nagoya Castle with your lives."

The hundred Kamuys behind her broke out of formation and scattered to look for signs of the enemies.

There were twenty-odd wyverns mixed in the group, carrying personnel with special skills, such as noetic officers, all of them brought here from Suruga intentionally.

They were tasked with an important mission too.

Rikka nodded and emitted noesis, issuing further orders to her Kamuys.

"Call out to the comrades of the Tōkaidō provincial army and have them assemble here. Summon all Legions and Chevaliers to return to the castle by my command."

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh—

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh—

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh—

The blue samurai scattered throughout the castle.

The singing from their distinctive voices, with a relaxed and pliable tone color akin to ripples on the surface of water, was gradually spreading through Nagoya City.

### Part 3

As bases from where Legions operated, tutelary forts were equipped with water shrines.

A water shrine was a massive reservoir for storing artificial ectoplasmic fluid. The mysterious liquid's purpose was not only limited to supplying Legions and Chevaliers with spiritual energy.

Ectoplasmic fluid was also the energy source for fluid reactors, which generated great quantities of electrical power for surrounding regions.

In the majority of cases, tutelary forts with their water shrines also served to support the livelihoods of the nearby population in some manner. For local businesses and shops, tutelary forts were important "customers."

Essential to regional life, tutelary forts were important facilities for civilians too.

Naturally, there was a water shrine underground of Nagoya Castle too.

Inside the giant subterranean reservoir were a neat array of columns with a bath in the depths. This architectural design was universally adopted throughout the world and identical to the one at Suruga.

Rikka's forces from Suruga should be fighting bravely on ground level.

Meanwhile, Masatsugu and company were immersed in bath's vat of ectoplasmic fluid. The facility resembled a huge public bath, but the ectoplasmic fluid was ice-cold and completely different from hot water.

Soaking in ectoplasmic fluid, Masatsugu muttered to himself, "Back when my power as a Chevalier awakened, I found it quite unbelievable."

"W-What did you find unbelievable?"

He was conversing with his little sister from the Tachibana clan.

Riding wyverns, the two of them had accompanied Rikka's army.

"Just before the tutelary fort was about to fall to the British, why didn't they destroy the water shrine? Then the enemy won't be able to use it, right?"

"I-It's written in the textbook given to us during Chevalier Conferment."

"Textbook?"

"I remember it was a book on military tactics and strategy... A manual on warfare, I guess."

Hatsune cringed, avoiding eye contact with Masatsugu.

Her voice was trembling and she seemed extremely flustered.

It was rare for the cheerful and energetic girl to react this way. One could hardly blame her. Currently, she was in front of Masatsugu, completely naked while immersed in ectoplasmic fluid.

With her knees drawn up to her chest, she was sitting in the vat of ectoplasmic fluid.

In other words, she was using her legs and knees to block "critical parts" from being exposed.

Like her, Masatsugu was nude too, soaking in the vat of ectoplasmic fluid. Unlike Hatsune, he was sitting naturally in cross-legged posture, making no effort to hide himself.

"Y-You're talking about scorched earth tactics like burning food and land to prevent the enemy from using them, right? Those tactics have existed since the ancient Greeks... B-But they're forbidden in the modern world."

"Oh, you mean the Charter of Chivalry?"

"If a water shrine is damaged, life in the surrounding area could collapse. For example, the electricity supply will apparently plummet."

"Scorched earth tactics are actually pretty useful, as long as you don't get the timing wrong."

"L-Let's put that aside for now, Onii-sama."

"What's wrong?"

"Umm... Quit staring at me, okay? I'm not wearing anything..."

"I see."

"W-Why aren't you turning your face away!? I'm begging you here!"

"Sorry, your body is too beautiful. Also, you look very cute when you're shy, so I can't help myself. I don't mean any harm at all."

"Sheesh! Onii-sama, why do you say these things out of the blue!"

Masatsugu shared his perverted thoughts nonchalantly, causing Hatsune to turn her face away in exasperation.

However, he could see faint signs of delight on the side of the Tachibana little sister's face. Perhaps Masatsugu's straightforward praise had pleased her greatly.

Masatsugu was the first to break the silence.

"Sorry, but please endure this for a while longer. We need to finish the tutelary pact as quickly as possible to turn Nagoya Castle into our stronghold."

"Y-Yeah. Bathing together saves time too, I guess."

Hatsune changed her mindset and agreed.

Her embarrassment had not gone away, but she turned her thoughts to Rikka.

Rikka had sortied with her army from Suruga, created an opening leading to Nagoya Castle, and attracted her allies' attention . However, the Chevaliers accompanying her did not need to perform all of those tasks like her.

The plan was for Masatsugu and Hatsune to make Nagoya their stronghold first before summoning Legions.

By doing so, they could increase the number of Legions they could summon while avoiding the consumption of a long journey.

Rikka's army, fighting on the surface, was actually quite exhausted already. If the fighting dragged on too long, the enemy would eventually see through their ploy .

"We need to hurry and help Rikka-sama, Onii-sama!" Hatsune finally regained composure. Sitting in the pool, she said, "It's almost ready. I need to establish the pact quickly... Upon my Appellation of Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune, I pray to the local shrine of Nagoya. Pray grant me the blessing of holy water and the authorizing seal of warfare to become a war god to defend Nagoya!"

"And allow me, Tachibana Masatsugu, to join the ranks of the war gods in defense of the local land."

Hatsune shouted loudly and Masatsugu chimed in indifferently. Their bodies glowed faintly and the tutelary pact establishing Nagoya Castle as their stronghold was complete.

Hatsune clenched her fist tightly and whispered, "I feel my whole body brimming with energy. It's probably due to resupplying ectoplasmic fluid, I guess?"

Ectoplasmic fluid had the effect of strengthening a Chevalier's physical body and conferring vitality.

The fatigue from staying up all of last night had vanished. Of course, this was also thanks to Hatsune taking a nap on her wyvern mount along the way to Nagoya.

Wyverns were very intelligent creatures and would fly while taking surrounding circumstances into consideration even when their riders were asleep.

...But then again, flying on wyvern was not a smooth ride at all. For people who need a comfortable environment to sleep, a wyvern's back was definitely not a suitable bed.

Battle preparations were complete. Only now did a thought occur to Hatsune. "Onii-sama, all you did was form a tutelary pact without obtaining ectoplasmic fluid, right?"

"That's right."

When soaked in ectoplasmic fluid, Chevaliers were able to "resupply" themselves and their Legions.

Unfortunately, Masatsugu was unable to resupply on his own unless he remembered his name from his past life. His Chevalier Strength was supposed to be around 1000, but currently, he could only summon a fraction of that.

"Sure enough, it would be a good idea to resupply here... Right?"

"Of course."

"I-I see."

Hatsune fell silent. She had realized what she needed to do and had the intention of going through with it. But due to maidenly feelings of embarrassment, she was fidgeting awkwardly, unable to bring it up—

Noticing Hatsune's thoughts and feelings, Masatsugu relaxed his face and smiled.

He got up quietly and walked over to Hatsune, who was sitting in the ectoplasmic fluid.

"Hatsune, if it's okay with you, I'd like to borrow your power. Okay?"

"O-Okay. B-But Onii-sama, I don't like doing it from the front."

Hatsune's tone sounded a little unhappy.

However, with her eyes closed and eyebrows raised, Hatsune's expression was not harsh. Instead, it seemed like she was too embarrassed to look Masatsugu in the eye due to the intense pounding in her chest.

"What do you mean?"

"Th-Think about it, two people hugging each other in the bath, that's too soon for me... I-I want you to touch me from behind instead."

Hatsune's request was filled with embarrassment and innocence.

Masatsugu circled around to the little sister's back and hugged her against his chest.

"Ah—"

Hatsune moaned. She could feel that Masatsugu's body was just as cold as ectoplasmic fluid.

In contrast, her body was boiling hot. The power of the refilled ectoplasmic fluid had warmed her entire body.

"Onii-sama, your body is still ice-cold..."

"Your warmth is all I need."

Hatsune was using her knees and legs to block the front of her body. As a result, Masatsugu could not touch her breasts—in other words, the softest and most maternal parts of the body, but he did not mind.

This maiden whom he called his sworn sister was doing so much for his sake.

This alone felt plenty blissful already. Hatsune was sharing the warmth of her body and soul with him.

"You are so adorable."

"O-Onii-sama, here you go sweet talking again. Mm—mmmmmmm."

Embraced against Masatsugu's bosom, Hatsune could not help but tremble all over.

Incidentally, after resupplying and Hatsune was drying off with bath towel, she finally learned that "Actually, the ectoplasmic fluid sharing ritual could've waited until you're dressed."

"Then I got taken advantage of!?"

Hatsune screamed in mortification.

Thus, after this interlude with his sister, preparations were complete at last.

Masatsugu was wearing his usual black stiff-collar uniform and Japanese sword, Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada, while Hatsune was dressed in Haikara-san style with a pink kimono, hakama, and low boots. The two of them returned to ground level.

A pipe fox was running ahead of them, leading the way. The noetic officers who had come along this expedition from Suruga had imparted the layout of Nagoya Castle to this small retainer beast ahead of time, allowing it to assist the Tachibana siblings who were visiting the castle for the first time.

The two of them arrived at a vast Japanese garden.

"Onii-sama, look!"

One of Rikka's Kamuys was facing off against a British Crusade.

This was a one-on-one duel between Legions both standing roughly eight meters tall. However, the British Legion was a size bigger and this was melee battle, not a shooting match.

The two Legions were using their bayonet rifles—i.e. rifles with a blade fitted on the barrel—and wielding them like "spears."

The Tachibana siblings watched as the Crusade rushed to attack first. Thrusting the bayonet blade consecutively at the Kamuy's body, it was a double thrust.

The Kamuy dodged dexterously.

Next, the Crusade swung the rifle horizontally as though brandishing a massive club.

The Crusade had given up on thrusts, choosing to attack with the rifle's body instead.

The Kamuy was knocked down—Not really.

It had dropped to the ground on its own initiative to dodge the rifle swing. While on the ground, the Japanese blue samurai did not forget to slice sideways.

This severed the Crusade's shin.

Liquid flowed out from the wound. Ectoplasmic fluid was spurting out of the British Legion's leg.

Now it was the Crusade's turn to fall. The Kamuy swiftly got up and stabbed the British Legion in the throat, ending the battle.

"So Crusades can be taken care of just like that, Onii-sama!"

"In theory, yes, but putting it into practice is not that easy."

Hatsune's eyes were glimmering, but Masatsugu had a different opinion.

Using martial arts and agility to win against the strength of British troops was quite an ideal strategy.

To have all Kamuys follow this approach and carry it out without issue, this stood testament to Rikka's outstanding abilities as a commander.

In fact, for the majority of Japanese Chevaliers, even if they issued the same command, their troops would have trouble following through to the very end.

After all, Legions were "giants with their own mind."

If a commander's noesis was too weak, or lacked a concrete image of the required tactics, Legions would move or fight according to "their own judgment."

Winning the melee battle just now in such a splendid manner, Rikka's army was impressive as always.

However, in the next instant...

The victorious Kamuy was struck in the back by a descending flash of light, blowing it away.

A new Crusade had arrived. The approaching British Legion fired with its rifle, killing the Kamuy in front of the Tachibana siblings.

Another Kamuy flying at low speed nearby rushed against the new Crusade.

This Kamuy happened to be searching for enemies. It sped up all at once, circled around to the Crusade's back and stabbed—But unfortunately, things did not go as planned.

The Kamuy's attack speed was insufficient.

This ambush from the air was a bit sluggish. The targeted Crusade shot back before the Kamuy's attack could connect, piercing the Kamuy's head and mask.

Rikka's army had set off from Suruga, spending several hours to cross the Southern Alps to reach Nagoya.

The exhaustion from this long journey had deprived the Kamuys of their speed.

"The Kamuys are reaching their limit. Let's summon our Legions."

"Yeah. Upon my Appellation of Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune, assemble, my Legions!"

"Gather, Kanesadas."

Masatsugu and Hatsune called for their own Legions, using their own contrasting styles of summoning.

The "Kanesada" was the Kamuy variant equipped with red-purple armor. The "Kurou Hougan" was the Kamuy variant in red armor and a white garment with an elongated helmet resembling an eboshi , a type of headgear worn by court nobles in the past.

Overhead, forty Kanesadas and thirty Kurou Hougans had manifested.

Hatsune's Chevalier Strength was 72. She had lost few Legions in the battle last night and actually could have summoned more than these thirty.

"Everybody ready? I'm going to ask you to fight bravely!"

"Indeed, your job is to defend this castle to the death."

This was a very merciless order, but neither Masatsugu nor Hatsune expressed any sense of martyrdom.

Masatsugu's expression was aloof as always while Hatsune grinned—Like a child about to play a prank.

"By the way, Onii-sama, don't forget Rikka-sama's request."

"Oh, you mean that . I don't really think it's necessary to use that Feat of Arms here... But whatever. Kanesadas, draw your swords."

Masatsugu was reminded by the little sister.

Rikka had told him it was imperative to use Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada's Feat of Arms when fighting inside the castle.

Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada was the Japanese sword used by Hijikata Toshizō, a samurai of the Bakumatsu era. Its Appellation granted identical katanas and Shinsengumi swordsmanship to the Legions commanded by its inheritor.

At Masatsugu's command, the forty Kanesadas transformed their bayonet rifles into Japanese swords.

"So they have arrived?"

Riding a wyvern, Rikka was flying slowly near the central keep.

This was to get an overhead view of the battle taking place in Nagoya Castle.

She saw the arrival of allies, the Kanesada and Kurou Hougan variants of the Kamuy. Seventy of them had materialized in the air over the Japanese garden.

"Their help comes at a welcome moment. My Legions are nearing their limit."

The Kamuys brought from Suruga continued to show great fortitude, but could not hide their growing fatigue. Fighting against the Crusades invading the castle, Rikka's Kamuys were losing the original dexterity in their movements.

One after another, the Kamuys died in action.

Attacked by the Restoration Alliance from outside, the noesis barrier guarding Nagoya Castle was also about to collapse. Cracks were showing all over the place.

The Crusades and the Kinai Kamuys kept invading from the cracks.

However, enemies were not the only ones coming to the castle.

The Tōkaidō provincial army's Kamuys were also gathering in Nagoya Castle successively.

Entering the castle through the cracks used by the Restoration Alliance, they shot or slashed enemies, killing them on sight.

Among them were a few Chevaliers on wyvern mounts.

They were all Rikka's colleagues and Tōkaidō Chevaliers well-acquainted with her.

"Vibes are coming together of making a last stand to the bitter end. So this what they call 'Living and dying with the castle.'"

Rikka smiled fearlessly.

Locked in a chaotic struggle, both friend and foe had gathered at Nagoya Castle.

The conditions favoring their plan were gradually ripening. This was the plan that Tachibana Masatsugu had put forth and carried out by Akigase Rikka with minor adjustments.

"Now the last piece of the puzzle is my father's consent..."

Akigase Rikka was not the Tōkaidō provincial army's commander-in-chief. That was her father's office. Rikka did not have the authority to command the Nagoya castellan and the Chevaliers who had gathered here.

What she had done earlier was an act of grandstanding as the premier Chevalier and the Governor General's daughter .

The next phase required her father's approval so as to issue new orders to the Chevaliers to be carried out swiftly.

For this purpose, Rikka had brought a team of noetic officers along with her army in addition to the Tachibana siblings.

The noetic officers' first priority was to inform her father of the detailed battle plan. After obtaining his approval, they would then contact all the Tōkaidō Chevaliers scattered across the battlefield.

How was the situation going to unfold next?

"My father should be well aware that dying in a last stand at Nagoya would be meaningless... I just hope this is not wishful thinking on my part as his daughter."

Instantly, a pipe fox teleported to Rikka's shoulder.

The messenger retainer beast projected the information into the air. It was sent by the Suruga noetic officers.

Rikka chuckled. Preparations were evidently complete.

She transmitted noesis to every Kamuy fighting relentlessly in the castle.

"Good work, all of you. Please try your best to engage and hinder the invading Legions of the Restoration Alliance."

Rikka was asking them to fight in the castle until death.

The crux of the plan depended on using the Tōkaidō Legions summoned to the castle, as well as the entire Nagoya Castle itself, as bait . Rikka tugged on her wyvern's reins, ordering it to head to a new destination.

She was going to the central keep's entrance.

According to the original plan, it was where she was to converge with her father, the Tachibana siblings, and others.

The objective was to retreat from Nagoya Castle with minimum sacrifice.

### Part 4

During this offensive launched by the Restoration Alliance against Nagoya...

Superficially, a Chevalier from the Kinai Fiefdom held the position of "supreme commander."

But actually, this commander had neither the authority nor the ability to direct British forces. And there were a total of six Knights of Her Majesty participating in this operation.

The one leading these six knights was Sir David.

He belonged to the Far East Fleet of the British Imperial Forces. Prior to the arrival of Edward the Black Prince, Sir David was the top knight among his peers.

Only thirty-two years old, this young knight had short blond hair.

His Chevalier Strength ws 167, which was extremely outstanding for a modern soldier who was not a Resurrectee.

"Are the Tōkaidō samurai planning to hole up in their castle?" David muttered.

Riding a British white wyvern, he was flying slowly in the city.

He was currently over a baseball field. Nagoya Castle was four or five kilometers to the west. Japanese and British Legions alike were rushing to the castle, turning it into the center of a chaotic battle.

"The Tōkaidō Kamuys seem to have suddenly lost a large fraction of their numbers."

Through noetic waves, Chevaliers were capable of sensing total numbers of Legions instantaneously.

Both the Kinai and Tōkaidō fiefdoms used Kamuys, but no Chevalier would ever mix up any Legion's allegiance.

Coincidentally, Sir Cole, a fellow Knight of Her Majesty was flying close by.

"Perhaps they're conserving their forces, preparing to fight a long war of attrition against us, David?" This colleague shared the question on his mind after hearing his leader's mutters.

Cole was only twenty-three years old, an inexperienced Knight of Her Majesty. These newcomers would occasionally leave Britain or Europe to areas such as the Far East in search of battlefields. This allowed them to fight freely without nagging from "the old folk."

"De-materializing Legions that are not in combat does reduce a Chevalier's burden."

"Perhaps they are hoping for reinforcements from Tōsandō or Kantō," Sir David smiled wryly with pity. "With the secret agreement between Tōsandō and us, they're virtually our people already. As for the Kantō Fiefdom... Their forces will never make it in time. The sun is about to set."

The setting sun's rays were dyeing Nagoya's cityscape orange.

David delivered bold words amid the colors of dusk. "Nagoya Castle will definitely fall to us before the sun rises again tomorrow morning. Cole, I'm looking forward to your contributions."

If Tachibana Masatsugu were present to witness this scene...

He would probably nod lightly and secretly celebrate the success of "the risky first phase."

In Akigase Rikka's case, she would probably clench her fist and express her joy with a pose filled with fighting spirit and youthful fervor.

The preconceptions of the Knights of Her Majesty had aided Masatsugu and his group.

These knights believed that the loyal and brave Japanese samurai had prepared themselves "to die for their cause." One would not fault them for their complacency. After all, they had yet to taste defeat since landing in Japan.

Hence, the battle-hardened Knights of Her Majesty were already blinded by their bias. They were convinced that the strengths and weaknesses of Japanese Chevaliers could all be attributed to their excessively rigid samurai spirit—

### Part 5

Rikka's army had deliberately charged into the battlefield in an ostentatious manner.

Roaring, her Legions had called upon her Tōkaidō comrades to follow her and gather in the castle for a last stand to defend Nagoya Castle.

In the meantime, the noetic officers from Suruga were in charge of preparations.

They rushed over to the Tōkaidō Governor General and secured authorization to proceed with the plan. After that, they sent out pipe foxes to notify the ten-odd Chevaliers scattered throughout the castle or the city.

In other words...

'Calling all Chevaliers, leave your Kamuys on the battlefield while doing your utmost to return to Nagoya Castle. Thirty minutes from now, all units shall retreat from the castle together with His Excellency the Governor General.'

'Chevaliers unable to return to the castle shall escape Nagoya at your own discretion. Converge at the Suruga tutelary fort.'

'There is no need to defend Nagoya Castle with your life. The key to Tōkaidō's continued existence depends on future battles.'

The above was the content of the message.

The message was jointly signed by "Akigase Shouzan and Hijikata" as the ones issuing the orders.

Twelve Chevaliers returned to Nagoya Castle and the group began to retreat.

"When penetrating enemy territory, know locations to avoid and identify poorly guarded lines of retreat to ensure certain escape. Charge the enemy, break their formation, take no prisoners... Behold my Feat of Arms—Kotouhisshutsu!"

The Tachibana little sister was the one in charge of creating the opening to retreat.

In front of Nagoya Castle's central keep, Hatsune summoned five Kurou Hougans. She recited the mantra loudly and invoked the Feat of Arms—Kotouhisshutsu.

Leading the Legions under her command, the Tachibana little sister marched forward confidently.

Masatsugu was following right behind her, accompanied by Akigase Rikka, Rikka's father Akigase Shouzan, a few of Shouzan's trusted subordinates, and the team of noetic officers from Suruga.

Finally, rounding out the total were ten Tōkaidō Chevaliers.

Fujinomiya Shiori had said previously, "Can achieve instantaneous movement so long as the distance is not too great—A type of teleportation power. Perhaps it is a reenactment of the legends of the Hyodori-goe surprise assault and jumping over eight ships."

This was an explanation of the Feat of Arms—Kotouhisshutsu's power.

The Feat of Arms instantly transported everyone from Nagoya Castle to ten-odd kilometers to the northeast.

It was not a huge distance, but Japan was a nation of mountains. These ten-odd kilometers could take them to favorable terrain.

On this occasion. the group had moved to the mountainous area upstream of the Shounai River.

Escaping the intense siege, the group had arrived at a stream with pure and clean water.

Masatsugu and company were standing on the shore that was covered in gravel. They were going to sneak through the mountains, so Hatsune dismissed her five Legions.

This crazy method of movement easily rivaled Minamoto no Yoshitsune's famous legend of Hyodori-goe.

The first time he heard that story, Masatsugu had the following thoughts. Even if horses and deer were both quadrupedal creatures, how could horses traverse mountain paths used by deer exclusively? Totally ridiculous.

In any case, their retreat operation had begun.

The noetic officers summoned twenty or so retainer beasts, the Mibu wolves.

They were giant wolves with silver fur and the size of purebred racehorses. Carrying one or two people each, they raced over mountain paths.

Their destination was Suruga, more than a hundred kilometers away. Furthermore, the sky was growing dark.

Normally, it was impossible to run in the mountains under such conditions. Fortunately, the Mibu wolves had excellent night vision and sense of smell, paired with extraordinary endurance and leg strength.

With noetic officers guiding them forward using noetic control, the wolves did not have any trouble for now.

After the wolves started running, Rikka had her Mibu wolf catch up to Masatsugu's mount and run side by side with his.

"Masatsugu-dono, may I have a moment of your time?" Rikka struck up conversation with Masatsugu. "Frankly speaking, I believe that the retreat operation from Nagoya has gone relatively smoothly."

"Indeed, Hatsune's Feat of Arms—or rather, Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune's Feat of Arms—is astoundingly powerful. It's possible that the Restoration Alliance is still unaware that we have retreated."

The one who deserved the most credit in this battle was currently sitting in front of Masatsugu, riding the same wolf.

Usage of Kotouhisshutsu was very draining. Unbelievably, Hatsune was able to nod off to sleep while riding a wolf's back.

Masatsugu had his little sister leaning against his chest. He lowered his voice and said, "Were Richard present, this would've been a crazy gamble to avoid."

"I agree, it's just that..." Rikka smiled and sneaked a glance at Masatsugu. "When you devised our current strategem, Masatsugu-dono, you took this point into consideration, didn't you?"

"......"

"Last night, the Lionheart's one thousand Legions perished in battle at Suruga. It would take at last ten days or half a month for them to fully revive, which means he should be behaving these few days."

"If that man had been present at Nagoya, the castle might've fallen before we could hurry to the scene." Masatsugu shrugged and replied, "When we summoned the troops and knights to gather at the castle, it would've been possible for him to notice our intention to retreat. In any case, defeating him last night was definitely a good thing."

"Yes, which is why we dared to take a gamble." Rikka nodded in agreement.

Smart and brave—Rare and valuable were generals blessed with both intelligence and valor. Akigase Rikka was evidently one of them.

Without needing Masatsugu to spell everything out, she was able to read between the lines.

"The true challenge lay with my colleagues... How to quickly convince the Tōkaidō Chevaliers and lead them to escape, that was the key."

Listening to Rikka, Masatsugu finally understood her intent. "No wonder you used the name of Hijikata."

"Yes, I borrowed the princess' wisdom. After all, I was taken in by the same trick too."

"Personally, Rikka-dono, I feel that your own reputation alone is already enough."

"I am not that popular. People only think of me as the Governor General's unworthy daughter, stubborn and lacking in feminine charm."

"You're too modest."

Mastsugu and Rikka's Mibu wolves were currently running at the head of the pack.

The five Mibu wolves behind were carrying ten Tōkaidō Chevaliers between them. Oddly enough, these Chevaliers were staring at Masatsugu's back with eyes of fervor...

Rikka smirked. "It was worth it for you to use Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada at Nagoya Castle. Everyone is wondering whether you are Hijikata Toshizō—or rather, they are hoping for you to be Hijikata Toshizō."

"Hoping?"

"The British have Edward the Black Prince and King Richard the Lionheart. Then Japan ought to have its own hero step forward... This hope is far stronger than you can imagine. Furthermore, the Mibu wolves we are riding..." Rikka touched the silver fur of the running wolf and said, "Did you know? Hijikata Toshizō-dono used to lead a pack of Mibu wolves to fight on various battlefields across eastern Japan to protect the northern court at Hokkaidō from the Meiji government's attacks."

"I've heard bits and pieces of that."

"Stuck with inferior numbers and equipment, Hijikata-dono had no choice but to avoid pitched battles. Instead, he relied on the Mibu wolves to fight on the run. Using guerrilla tactics similar to those of bandits, he made fools out of the government's armed forces."

"Oh?"

"After battles, he often rode a Mibu wolf to retreat."

"...I see."

In a certain way, this retreat operation was a reenactment of Hijikata Toshizō's legend too.

Perhaps this was why the Tōkaidō Chevaliers were willing to accept the retreat operation. Otherwise, they were all determined to "die for their cause" in the beginning.

Now, Masatsugu finally understood where Rikka's worries were coming from.

In fact, prior to setting off, Akigase Rikka and her father had engaged in a similar debate.

Currently, the old man who was Tōkaidō's Governor General was fast asleep—or rather, unconscious. He had suffered heavy injuries during the battle at Nagoya Castle.

His wounds included bruises all over his body, external injuries to the head, sprains to the neck vertebrae, broken ribs, etc.

Currently, the Governor General was being transported by tying him to the back of a Mibu wolf.

In any case, he had to be delivered to Suruga first before they could talk about treatment and recuperation.

Akigase Shouzan had only received minimal first aid. Until just before setting off, he had remained conscious. As soon as he saw his beloved daughter, the two of them had started arguing.

'Your strategy is correct. Dying in a last stand at Nagoya would be meaningless. However, I would rather die than retreat.'

Just before escaping Nagoya Castle, everyone had gathered in front of the central keep.

Lying on a stretcher, Rikka's father made his determination clear.

As the Governor General, he could not leave behind the city's residents and escape on his own. He was going to stay behind to fulfill a lord's duties.

In contrast, the daughter gave him no respect for it.

'I am worried that the enemy will use you as a hostage or a bargaining chip in negotiations if you were to be captured. Either way, since you happen to be injured, I will transport you to Suruga in your current state.'

'Damn you!'

'My esteemed father, didn't you make the same decision? Where are my younger brothers?'

'Oh right, Rikka-sama.' Hatsune had asked without thinking. 'You have two younger brothers, right?'

'Yes, they were sent away soon after war broke out between the Restoration Alliance and us. My father knew that Nagoya would turn into a battlefield sooner or later.'

'Hmph, if the ruler's children are rendered captives,' Akigase Shouzan spoke with disdain, 'the retainers will begin to have unnecessary worries. To be perfectly honest, I wanted to order them to commit suicide if and when the castle falls, to live and die with Nagoya.'

'Had you actually given that order to your sons, history would have deemed you an anachronistic tyrant.' Rikka did not hold back her criticisms. 'Nowadays, domestic and foreign media will harshly condemn rulers who issue unreasonable commands to their retainers or children.'

'Stating the obvious. That is why I had to take precautions.'

'Then the same will be done for you who are injured.'

'......'

'Traveling to Suruga with your injuries will be quite an ordeal. Consider this a lesson and endure the pain.'

Viewed on a certain level, this kind of upfront conversation could not have happened except between this particular pair of father and daughter.

In the end, Tōkaidō Governor General Akigase Shouzan fainted during the bumpy ride on the wolf's back, turning him into silent luggage.

However, there were those who disagreed with the retreat operation.

Nagoya's castellan and two elderly Chevaliers had decided to stay, insisting someone needed to take responsibility for the civilians and the enemy armies.

In any case, Masatsugu's faction had now gained ten new Chevaliers.

Simply having a headcount would be meaningless. The whole point of taking the expedition to Nagoya from Suruga was to make effective use of their combat power.

"Masatsugu-dono, it is about time. Let us ride wyverns instead of Mibu wolves."

Masatsugu agreed with Rikka's suggestion.

They asked the noetic officers to summon wyverns then switched to flying.

For the time being, they would follow the mountain ridge and fly at low altitude, the same as what they had done during the journey to Nagoya. The plan was to instantly increase elevation once they neared Suruga to head to the tutelary fort.

This was a stealth operation, but time was of the essence.

Tonight's operation was not over. More plans lay ahead.

"Rikka-dono, take this chance while they're switching to wyverns to tell the other knights about that —"

"Very well, I shall explain. Then let us wake my father. I need his consent for the battle plan. If he is in delirium, I will need him to appoint me as the acting Governor General at least."

At a glance, Akigase Shouzan seemed to be a strict father.

However, his beloved daughter was also a strong-willed woman who was strict with her father too. One might say 'Like father, like daughter.' Perhaps this father and daughter pair were quite alike in personality.

A wry smile surfaced on Masatsugu's face while he watched their amusing interactions.

To the eyes of others, his smile would probably be nothing more than a slight twitch on the corner of his mouth—

### 037. Chapter 2 - To the East and to the West

### Part 1

November 8th, 0:00.

It was midnight right when the date rolled over.

Princess Shiori had gone to visit an old acquaintance.

"Our last meeting was..."

"August this year—Yes. It happened to correspond to the time when Your Highness returned from the Roman imperial capital."

"Yes, and you happened to be staying in Tokyo at the time, Akigase-sama."

This conversation was taking place at a special sickroom at the Suruga tutelary fort's medical division.

Eighteen hours earlier, Shiori had been lying on this same bed. Supplying ectoplasmic fluid for Tachibana Masatsugu for consecutive days, she had collapsed from exhaustion.

Now, her bed was being used by someone else.

Akigase Shouzan, Governor General of the Tōkaidō Fiefdom. He was Rikka's father and according to reports, he had been heavily injured at Nagoya Castle eight hours earlier.

"It is far too shameful for me to meet Your Highness in such a manner."

"Both victory and defeat are commonplace in war and injuries are often inevitable. I believe there is no shame in this." Shiori politely offered words of consolation, then changed her expression.

She smiled fearlessly and revealed the acuity of her intellect.

"It is impossible for a single fiefdom of Japan to stand against the British Empire. Any Governor General would have met the same outcome had they been in your place, Akigase-sama."

The elderly Governor General was on the bed, only managing to prop up his upper body.

He narrowed his eyes for a moment to scrutinize Shiori then smiled wryly.

"I almost thought your personality changed all of a sudden... But it turns out you had simply discarded your facade."

"Oh dear, please call it 'treating others with sincerity' instead."

Akigase Shouzan was a powerful politician and highly experienced as a judge of character.

Shiori had offered honest words to some degree, hoping to bring each other closer.

This was not to cultivate personal friendship. For a princess seeking ascension and a fiefdom's Governor General, this was simply part of their job.

"Strictly speaking, Akigase-sama, you are only to blame for one mistake."

"Waiting in vain for aid from Tōsandō and Kantō until the very end... I suppose that should be it."

"Indeed, you should have requested Eastern Rome's aid instead."

After hearing this, the elderly Governor General's wry expression lost its smile.

With a bitter face, he said, "Eastern Rome is Japan's ally, indeed, but one cannot consider them a friendly nation after all. Recklessly inviting a great army from Rome would very likely turn Tōkaidō into their dog, which was why I hoped for my compatriots in eastern Japan to extend a helping hand. All things considered, we are fellow citizens of Imperial Japan—"

"Certainly, it would be ideal to prevent Rome's participation in this situation." Shiori nodded in agreement. "The Restoration Alliance are aided by Edward the Black Prince and Richard the Lionheart, which necessitates Lord Caesar's active participation to oppose them. The problem here is that allowing Lord Caesar to join the battle would effectively make him the commander of the 'Anti-Restoration Alliance' forces—"

"Regardless of the Restoration Alliance's success or failure, Tōkaidō would end up owing him an excessively large favor."

Imperial Japan was divided into twelve provinces, ruled by the Twelve Houses as regional feudal lords. The relationship between the Japanese Empress and the houses was analogous to that "between the shogun and the various feudal clans of the Edo period."

Among the twelve, the Kantō Fiefdom held the most special position.

While serving as the protector of the imperial capital of Tokyo and the current Empress, they were also extremely wealthy economically.

And the one had Empress Teruhime and the higher-ups of the Kantō Fiefdom secretly "feeding from his hand" was none other than Generalissimo Caesar of the neighboring Eastern Roman Empire.

Akigase Shouzan had vowed to never repeat the same error as the Kantō Fiefdom.

However, the elderly Governor General now sighed in anguish.

"Lord Caesar is starting to intervene in the war, yet Japan has no one capable of relegating him to a supporting role... It would appear that Tōkaidō's futile struggle ends here."

"No, it would be impossible to relegate Lord Caesar to a supporting role."

This old man was powerful but he was not a hero of timeless transcendence.

His house and territory had fallen into an unprecedented crisis.

It was time for Shiori to deliver her feature presentation to him. Currently, there was no one in Japan in greater need of Lord Tenryuu's granddaughter and a powerful Resurrectee than him.

Shiori smiled with full confidence.

"However, as for relegating him to second billing... I do believe that such a casting would be feasible."

"Oh? Speaking of which," the Tōkaidō Governor General looked sharply at Shiori. "Lately, a familiar name has frequently come to my ears."

"Please allow me to offer a proposal, which covers this matter too. It concerns the future of the Tōkaidō Fiefdom now that it has lost Nagoya and met defeat at the hands of the Restoration Alliance..."

This was one item on the agenda during the war council this morning.

After the Roman military's Staff Officer Yang had relayed Generalissimo Caesar's intent, Shiori had devised "the next step in the plan." Rikka and Tachibana Masatsugu had agreed as well, which amounted to consensus on the Suruga side.

"How about abandoning Nagoya for the time being to pursue opportunities in the east ?"

"East... So 'Hakone Checkpoint' is what you are referring to?"

"Yes. The Tōkaidō Fiefdom will first make Suruga its temporary provincial capital then take back Hakone from Edward the Black Prince."

"Take back?"

"Indeed. This is also the purpose for which we are relying on your Chevaliers to head out to battle tonight ."

Hakone Checkpoint was an impregnable fortress. Furthermore, it was Black Prince Edward's stronghold.

Currently, the defenses at Hakone Checkpoint were far more secure than even Nagoya Castle. Akigase Shouzan widened his eyes, very surprised by the suggestion.

### Part 2

November 8th, 00:35.

It was late night after the date had rolled over.

Headed by Tachibana Masatsugu, the Tōkaidō Chevaliers were out in the field, too busy to take a break yet.

They were headed for the regional city facing Suruga Bay—Fuji City.

This was one of the towns conquered by the Restoration Alliance a month earlier.

"I remember it was roughly ten days ago when we came here with the princess, right?"

"Yes, though last time was on the level of sneaking into someone's back yard..."

This conversation between the Tachibana siblings was taking place on a wyvern.

As the rider in charge, Masatsugu held the reins while little sister Hatsune rode behind him. Masatsugu gazed down at Fuji City's port of Tagonoura and said, "Our objective this time is to conquer this land. Let's check out what we're up against."

The Fuji tutelary fort was built as a star fort located four or five kilometers east of Tagonoura Port.

Presently, there were 242 Kamuys approaching the tutelary fort.

These 242 Legions belonged to the Tōkaidō army that Masatsugu had taken from the Suruga tutelary fort.

However, this army was composed of Kamuys, not the red-purple "Kanesadas" summoned by the amnesiac Resurrectee.

"Will the Nagoya knights be okay?" Hatsune asked in worry. "They're probably very tired. They've been fighting since daytime, then crossing mountains to escape to Suruga, and now they're on another expedition after almost no rest."

Masatsugu had decided to leave this attack on Fuji to his comrades .

He had rescued ten Chevaliers from Nagoya Castle. Their names were Tana, Kamaru, Kusudou, Rio, Toraga, Sudo, Ikou, Bizen, Ayase, and Benke.

Their total Chevalier Strength was six hundred or so.

After the battle at Nagoya Castle, the majority of their Legions were dead or injured.

Fortunately, they still had 242 Kamuys in reserve when they retreated last evening. These forces were now deployed in full for retaking Fuji.

Setting off from the Suruga tutelary fort, they secretly marched underwater through Suruga Bay—

Then flying along Fuji City's coast, they launched a surprise attack on the Fuji tutelary fort.

"Relay orders to the noetic special ops team. It's our turn to use noetic disruption."

Masatsugu whispered from his saddle.

As the commander of the operation, he was observing from the back together with his little sister.

"Wireless communications and airwaves are no longer usable in Fuji City. Preparations for a surprise assault are almost in place. The rest is up to the Nagoya Chevaliers."

"The Kurou Hougans I brought could help out too..."

"No need. Wait here quietly."

"Understood~ ...Ooh, it's so nerve-racking to watch a battle from the sidelines."

Seventy Kurou Hougans were lurking in the sea as a reserve force.

Meanwhile, the 242 Nagoya Kamuys were advancing through the air in a spherical formation.

As the army approached the Fuji tutelary fort, they raised their rifles to fire in volleys. The enemy deployed a dome-shaped noesis barrier, completely enveloping the star-shaped fortress.

The Tōkaidō army's volley fire was blocked completely by the noesis barrier.

A gigantic eyeball also appeared in the sky over the tutelary fort.

With a diameter of sixty meters or so, it was "the eye of the death goddess."

"Onii-sama, look. It's that eyeball monster we encountered last time!"

"I think the ifrit is called Morgan le Fay... Probably an avatar."

The divinity's principal image was set up at Hakone.

However, Morgan le Fay's avatar was as powerful as an ordinary ifrit. Such was the astounding power wielded by the strongest guardian deity of the British Imperial Forces.

Around the giant eyeball was a defense force of 146 Crusades...

Hatsune was so nervous that she almost gasped.

"W-Which side has the upper hand!?"

The Tōkaidō army on the attacking side had 242 Legions. Numerical superiority was on their side, but after fighting intensely throughout the day, they were quite exhausted.

Against the enemy's noesis barrier, the Kamuy army changed formation.

They formed a "rectangular wall." The roughly two hundred and forty Kamuys arranged themselves into a rectangular prism—in other words, a "wall" eight Legions wide, five Legions tall, and six Legions deep.

The Tōkaidō army advanced as a wall, meanwhile continuing to fire.

They charged straight at the tutelary fort's noesis barrier.

The Restoration Alliance on the defending side first had the ifrit Morgan le Fay summon thunderclouds in the night sky. This was a mysterious power that controlled weather phenomena—The meteorological decree.

Blotting out the moon and the stars, the thunderclouds kept raining down lightning strikes.

Oddly enough, instead of targeting the Tōkaidō army's "wall in the air," the lightning struck Morgan le Fay's giant eyeball avatar.

The Tōkaidō army pressed forward, finally arriving at the tutelary fort's noesis barrier.

The dense wall of Legions versus the dome-shaped wall of noetic energy—

The two giant walls clashed directly.

Of the 242 Kamuys in the wall formation, the forty on the front face, i.e. 8 x 5, raised their bayonets to stab the noesis barrier before them.

Instantly, the barrier shook violently.

At the same time, a girl's adorable voice resounded throughout the night sky.

'Meteorological decree, activate. Shining spear... Receive the blessing of the death goddess.'

Masatsugu had recollections of this voice. It was the genie controlling Morgan le Fay.

Next, the giant eyeball in the sky released a powerful flash of lightning.

The eyeball had concentrated the previously absorbed lightning strikes into one intense attack—towards the Tōkaidō's 242 Legions.

The "wall in the sky" of 242 Kamuys shook violently.

Casualties for Legions on the outer surface of the wall were particularly severe.

Some of the Kamuys were scorched all over while others were blown back. Still others dropped their rifles or staggered unsteadily, etc...

There were also Kamuys that lost consciousness and crashed to the ground.

The British side took advantage of the chaos to attack.

146 Crusades had been waiting ready behind the giant eyeball in the air. Forty of them charged the right side of the "wall in the sky."

They were targeting the outer surface of the wall formation—in other words, the more seriously damaged Kamuys.

Confronted with this sudden assault, many of the Kamuys in the Tōkaidō army were caught unprepared and were stabbed in various vitals such as the throat, the chest, or the head.

The Crusades did not enter any formation.

Attacking swiftly with their blades, they sliced through the densely packed Kamuys.

Close to twenty of the small blue Legions died and crashed down.

After the quick assault, the Crusades rapidly retreated back to beside Morgan le Fay's giant eyeball...

Once again, the giant eyeball absorbed powerful electricity from the sky.

The enemy was planning to repeat the same offensive. Masatsugu's cheek twitched in a smile.

"I see, so this is what they're thinking."

"Onii-sama, did you figure out something?"

"Yes, our victory is assured."

"H-How so?"

"Hatsune, send a pipe fox to inform all Chevaliers in battle. The message is as follows: 'All units, keep going as-is and fight.'"

"Maintain the status quo? You're not offering strategies to handle the electrical attacks or directions to scatter and fight back!?"

"The way I see it, no need for that." Masatsugu declared firmly and explained to the surprised Hatsune.

"The enemy will not last."

Thirty minutes passed.

Morgan le Fay's eyeball repeated the same lightning attack ten times.

The Crusades also raided ten times in concert.

After every combo attack, the Tōkaidō army suffered significant damage... But currently, the battle was in favor of the samurai of Imperial Japan.

The "wall in the sky" formed from Kamuys remained intact.

Seizing opportunities to attack, the Tōkaidō army opened fire to unleash potent firepower.

The British Legions and the tutelary fort ahead had no choice but to take on this simple yet powerful attack.

The British side's noesis barrier was all riddled with countless holes and cracks, about to collapse. The defending Crusades were also down to about fifty...

"They're really going to win easily at this rate. Looks like the Nagoya knights still have enough energy to last the whole battle, despite fighting nonstop during the daytime. Their stamina is too amazing."

"Did you forget, Hatsune?" Masatsugu reminded the impressed Hatsune.

They were still riding one wyvern together. In the end, neither of them went up to the front line personally. There was no need to mobilize Hatsune's army either.

"Prior to setting off, the Nagoya Chevaliers established their tutelary pacts at Suruga and finished resupplying on ectoplasmic fluid. Doing this is enough to recover a Chevalier's stamina."

"Oh right."

Hatsune had experienced the same thing at Nagoya Castle so she immediately figured it out.

Their wyvern slowly flew towards the Fuji tutelary fort.

"Besides, the Nagoya Chevaliers are fueled by more than energy alone."

"What else is there?"

"Rage."

Masatsugu explained the battle situation while controlling the wyvern.

"They suffered a great defeat at Nagoya Castle without getting a chance to go all-out. If you give them a chance to fight after the fact, it's like dangling a carrot in front of a horse's nose. Their fighting spirit will be high, of course."

"Definitely, this could be considered a battle to regain their honor..."

"Compared to the Restoration Alliance at Fuji, the Tōkaidō side has superior numbers and morale. Even if the enemy play little tricks in this kind of situation, they still won't be able to dislodge our side's advantage."

"So that's why you told them to keep going as-is, Onii-sama!"

"Well, there was no way to issue any other order," said Masatsugu indifferently. "The Nagoya Chevaliers are too worked up. Besides, this army was assembled from ten Chevaliers in a hurry. They won't be able to properly carry out any command other than 'charge'."

"Your comment is a bit too direct here..."

"No matter how obedient Legions are, knights and generals are usually people with strong egos."

"But you're so amazing, Onii-sama. The battle really turned out as you predicted."

Hatsune praised Masatsugu with glimmering eyes.

After taking care of Richard the Lionheart, Masatsugu had said during the war council that 'Since Nagoya is going to fall anyway, we should set things up properly for today. We just might be able to retake Fuji City.'

Hence, their primary purpose in taking an expedition to Nagoya was not to support a retreat.

Instead, they were gathering up the scattered Chevaliers after their defeat so as to deploy them in the battle to recapture Fuji on the same day.

Indeed, they were starting a battle the same night as the Nagoya defeat.

This was the moment when the enemy would be the most complacent. Furthermore, Masatsugu was taking advantage of the fact that after Richard's defeat, the British were unable to fully compensate for the forces deployed in the Nagoya invasion.

"It's all thanks to defeating Richard yesterday." Masatsugu muttered. "Without that victory, the expedition to Nagoya would've been a dangerous gamble. The attack on Fuji might've been very difficult too."

"Oh right, Onii-sama, you said something weird a while ago."

Hatsune recalled the conversation from thirty minutes earlier.

"You saw through the British army's plan and even said 'So this is what they're thinking,' didn't you?"

"Seeing as the enemy did not choose the simplest and wisest course of action, I guessed that they had probably thought up some kind of smart-ass idea."

"What smart-ass idea?"

"Figure it out yourself. We'll compare notes later."

"I can't believe you won't tell me, that's so mean!"

"I'm not toying with you on purpose. We're going to be busy next."

"Like rushing into the Fuji tutelary fort?"

"That's one of the reasons, but I expect Hakone to send reinforcements soon. We need to come up with a solution."

"Just intercept them here!"

"No, fighting should be avoided if possible. I wish to enter a dialogue."

"...Dialogue?"

Hatsune tilted her head in puzzlement, unable to understand her older brother's words.

Her intelligence was still an unknown, but her instincts were very sharp and her wits were unexpectedly quick too. Soon enough, she would probably understand without needing detailed explanations.

Flying on the same wyvern mount, the two of them gazed upon Fuji City's night scenery and Suruga Bay below.

The tutelary fort was just ahead. Reflecting light from the moon and the stars, the night ocean's surface was filled with a fantastical atmosphere.

### Part 3

A battle between the Tōkaidō army and the Restoration Alliance had broken out at the Fuji tutelary fort.

Just as victory was about to be decided, the genie Morrigan also began to retreat. Naturally, this so-called retreat did not refer to physical movement.

She summoned her consciousness back from the simulacrum stationed there as her avatar.

The spirit Morrigan's principal image was located at the impregnable fortress, Hakone Checkpoint.

Fuji City was thirty kilometers away from Hakone. After spending twenty minutes, Morrigan's consciousness finally returned.

"...What an, embarrassment."

As soon as Morrigan returned to her usual simulacrum, she could not help but grumble about the humiliation of defeat.

The intricate doll stood 150cm tall and looked like a living girl. Morrigan was sitting in a rocking chair, dressed in a sailor outfit with a beret.

"I am terribly, sorry. The Fuji tutelary fort's defense... was a failure."

"You have no need to apologize, Morrigan."

The man commonly referred to as prince replied gently.

Edward the Black Prince.

The ultimate military genius born to the English royal family in the medieval age, he was also the commander-in-chief of the British Imperial Forces stationed in Imperial Japan.

"Your role is nothing more than a castle's guardian goddess. Humans are the ones responsible for human accomplishments and failures . Responsibility for the defeat lies with Defoe and Chamberlain—the Chevaliers on the field who were commanding Legions and giving you directions."

Edward and Morrigan were currently at Hakone.

The location was a military facility near Komagadake, inside a room in the command center.

Back when this land was under the Kantō Fiefdom's control, the room was the office used by the "supreme commander of the Hakone tutelary fort." Now, it belonged to Britain and Edward the Black Prince.

The divinity baseplate of Morrigan's principal image Morgan le Fay was also housed in the command center.

Until a few dozen minutes ago, she was still possessing her avatar at the Fuji tutelary fort and participating in the defensive battle. Never did she expect failure as the outcome—

Morrigan was gnashing her teeth in chagrin.

The "prince" said to her, "Knowing you, Morrigan, I am certain you warned them prior to the battle. 'Against a numerically superior enemy, it would be wise to refrain from attacking recklessly. Focus on defense together with Morgan le Fay and wait for reinforcements from Hakone.' Right?"

"Precisely."

"However, Defoe and Chamberlain ignored your counsel."

"......"

"Since Uncle could not participate in the Nagoya invasion, we had no choice but to send experienced Chevaliers from areas adjacent to Hakone, which includes Fuji City. Taking over defense duty on their behalf, Defoe and Chamberlain are both young and inexperienced Chevaliers."

Edward closed his eyes and deduced what had transpired.

"With Chevalier Strengths around 70, ineligible as Knights of Her Majesty, they are impatient to distinguish themselves on the battlefield. Coincidentally, an army from Suruga attacked... Hence, they immediately ordered you to pin down the Tōkaidō army. Then they raided the enemy's disrupted ranks."

Edward correctly described what had happened over the course of those dozens of minutes as though he had witnessed it first hand.

"However, the enemy commander knew very well that," Edward shrugged, "as long as they calmly maintained the status quo... All they needed to do was stay in formation and handle Defoe and Chamberlain's little tricks, then victory was theirs for the taking with numerical superiority on their side."

Morrigan's doll eyes widened. Her commander's eyes of wisdom had astounded her.

As always, Edward had a full and detailed grasp of what had occurred in a distant battlefield.

"Since you know, so well... Why not send, other Chevaliers to Fuji?"

"Insufficient manpower. Besides, don't be silly." Edward sighed. "It's not like I am a prophet or have clairvoyance. How could I possibly predict everything about the enemy before the battle started?"

"Your abilities approach, clairvoyance already."

Morrigan's tone sounded more like sarcasm than praise.

She knew that this was neither magic nor extrasensory perception.

In his past life, Prince Edward had accumulated countless experience across hellish battlefields, naturally honing a sharp sense of perception.

Perhaps the enemy general tonight was equally wise and insightful?

Meanwhile, Edward fell into deep thought.

"Attacking Fuji from Suruga at this point in time. The strategic openings caused by Uncle's defeat that cannot be plugged until tomorrow or the day after..."

Analyzing the reasons for the defeat, the prince was showing signs of a smile on the corners of his mouth.

"He must be the one in command after all?"

At that moment, Morrigan sensed noetic waves.

A noetic officer had reported the arrival of a small messenger retainer beast sent from the Fuji tutelary fort and was requesting Commander-in-Chief Edward's decision.

"Prince, the Fuji tutelary fort has sent a message. 'Requesting dialogue between Hakone and Fuji'."

"Oh?"

The Black Prince smiled in amusement, sounding like a mischievous child in tone.

"Morrigan, help me dial that thing... called a fixed line telephone, is it? Call the command center at the Fuji tutelary fort. The other side will pick up right away."

"Affirmative." Morrigan nodded and did as requested by the medieval hero who was unused to operating modern contraptions.

Hakone Checkpoint and the Fuji tutelary fort.

After the British forces captured them, these two places came under the Restoration Alliance's control, and they usually kept close contact through frequent telephone calls.

Morrigan operated the telephone on the office desk.

She turned on the speaker phone and invited her boss to speak.

"Hello," Edward spoke a greeting to the phone.

'Are you there?' Soon after, a reply was heard on the speaker. Morrigan had recollections of this voice, it was Tachibana Masatsugu. She had previously encountered this Tōkaidō Chevalier in the outskirts of Fuji City.

'I was thinking—Perhaps you might come to Fuji yourself, Prince.'

"I have some important matters to handle at Hakone, but I did dispatch my personal guard. Three hundred Knights of the Garter are headed towards Fuji City."

'Meaning you won't be coming in person, Prince?'

"To be honest, I do regret my decision. I never thought you would run all the way over to Fuji."

Edward shrugged.

As soon as he received news of a "surprise attack on Fuji," he had immediately dispatched an army of black knights.

With Morgan le Fay's support on the battlefield, victory was assured even without the Black Prince's personal presence. Naturally, that only applied against ordinary enemies.

Morrigan held back her feelings of humiliation while listening to her superior's conversation.

"I heard you were quite active in Nagoya this morning too, Tachibana-dono. Appearing everywhere in less than half a day, now that is truly elusive... No."

The legendary prince smiled while he conversed with the mysterious enemy general over the phone.

"Rather, celerity is the soul of warfare, wouldn't you agree? Magnificent. Those self-proclaimed military advisers always love to pointlessly deliberate over intricate tactics or unusual strategies. Yet the vital principle of celerity is lost upon them where the swift and maneuverable triumphs over the slow and ponderous. Tachibana-dono, you are well-versed in the key principles of warfare."

'......'

"Your trap for defeating Uncle and the constant traveling for the past two days, every move of yours has been profoundly fascinating. What I truly want—"

Edward paused and switched to a provocative tone of voice.

"What I truly want is your name and to conduct a bit of research on that."

'Not at all, you praise me too much... So, what are your plans?'

"Well, I shall order my black knights to halt their march while I take to the field... A duel with you ought to be the ideal choice."

'The Lionheart last night and the Black Prince tonight. Two consecutive evenings of extravagant banquets.'

"Indeed. Last night, even though Uncle attacked in full force, you were able to achieve victory by using fewer than four hundred Legions. Such extraordinary methods."

'I was at wit's end too.'

"Quite so. However, thanks to your painstaking conservation of forces, I believe you probably hold five or six hundred red-purple swordsmen in peak condition, yes? Or perhaps, even more than that."

Morrigan widened her eyes in surprise.

The Black Prince was positing that the mysterious general, Tachibana Masatsugu, had a Chevalier Strength surpassing 1000.

Edward's own Chevalier Strength reached as high as 1256. He believed his opponent to be a famous general on the same level, a mighty hero rivaling the likes of Richard the Lionheart, Julius Caesar, or Admiral Nelson—

"Yesterday, the quantity of your Legions was unnaturally low... When I learned of that, I was wondering if you had deliberately conserved troops as a precaution in case I attacked. Would I be bragging if I said that?"

'No comment. I have only one thing to say to you.' On the other side of the call, Tachibana Masatsugu spoke indifferently, '...My side is prepared to defeat your English longbow formation at Hakone, the one we saw a few days ago.'

"Oh? My 'mode anglais'?"

'If you cannot wait, I don't mind demonstrating it at Fuji tonight.'

"Superb. My blood boils in excitement for the first time since my arrival to Japan. Since you say so, Tachibana-dono, I shall meet you in battle in perfect English style."

'It's a promise.'

"Then today's fighting shall conclude here."

'We will fight another day at Hakone.'

"Yes, this is the promise between you and me."

The conversation ended and the other side hung up.

The effect of the Feat of Arms—Archers of Crécy was to switch the Garter Knights' weapons to bows to create a team of longbowmen. This Feat of Arms was virtually synonymous to the name of Prince Edward.

And defeating this formation had been brought up in this conversation between two master generals.

In other words, this was a preliminary skirmish where knightly and samurai honor were at stake.

"Perhaps... Tachibana-dono isn't actually a 'samurai'?"

Once again, his whispered comment shocked Morrigan.

Meanwhile, at the castellan's office in the Fuji tutelary fort...

Just earlier, this room had still belonged to two British Chevaliers.

Sitting on a rocking chair in the room was a doll resembling a living girl. It had the appearance of a petite Caucasian blonde beauty, dressed in a sailor outfit.

According to speculation from noetic officers, this was a genie's simulacrum.

"Hey Onii-sama."

"What's up?"

Masatsugu had just ended his conversation with Prince Edward at Hakone.

After winning the battle between Legions, taking Hatsune and ground forces along, Masatsugu had entered the Fuji tutelary fort and captured various facilities.

Securing the office took first priority.

After doing that, he had sent a message demanding to speak with Hakone.

"The Black Prince thinks you're conserving the Kanesadas... But actually, Onii-sama, you don't have many troops left, do you?"

"I don't."

Legions that fall in battle near their stronghold would resurrect in roughly a day.

"Near" specifically referred to within ten kilometers. But last night, Masatsugu had gone beyond the ten-kilometer range to engage Richard's army at Mount Satsuta.

Back then, he lost a hundred and sixty Legions whose revival would take at least a week.

It is particularly easy to replenish troop numbers when fighting at one's stronghold.

This was the greatest feature of home advantage.

Moreover, Masatsugu was handicapped by the inability to replenish ectoplasmic fluid the normal way . At the present moment, the maximum number of Legions he could summon would be around a hundred and twenty.

"Onii-sama, it's because of your various ingenious moves that the legendary Black Prince thinks you're his equal, right? This is part of your power, I guess?" Hatsune commented poignantly. "It's just that it feels like scamming."

"Don't put it like that. There are three main points to remember when confronting a major nation's army with a smaller force. First of all, deception. Secondly, intimidation. Finally..."

"Don't tell me it's bluffing?"

"Correct. You're good at figuring this out."

"Luckily, the prince really fell for it."

"Now that's not really correct." Masatsugu told the naive little sister. "The English formation is actually more suited to defense than offense . This is why he didn't take the bait when I tempted him to attack Fuji. Instead, he said he'd meet me in battle at Hakone. That was a declaration made with absolute certainty of victory."

"More suited to defense than offense?"

"That's right. Before the actual battle, I'll need to come up with a solution."

"W-What? Even the mention of a way to defeat them was a bluff?"

"Exactly. Anyway, there's no need to fight again tonight, so that's pretty good already."

"I suppose. Worry about tomorrow when tomorrow comes."

Hatsune drew upon the bold and unfettered nature unique to her clan of larger-than-life characters and agreed with Masatsugu.

Masatsugu slowly said to his little sister, "By the way, Hatsune. I've been meaning to ask you for a favor, so let me take this chance to tell you."

"What's the matter? You look so serious, you know?"

"You still remember there's a school festival to be held at the beginning of next month, right? I'm a member of the executive committee after all, and in charge of the beauty contest to boot. There aren't enough contestants and I'd like your full support..."

Hatsune stared at her older brother in rare gaze of criticism.

Masatsugu felt quite troubled and wanted to know the reason.

"What's with you?"

"We are currently fighting the Restoration Alliance. Aren't you way out of line for bringing up a beauty contest?"

"Excessive suppression of entertainment during times like these would not be a good thing. People have to find chances to relax. The other students and I all need to take a breather."

"Onii-sama, you're really looking forward to it, aren't you...?"

"Suruga's situation will be improving now that the Tōkaidō Fiefdom has retaken Fuji City. Events like the school festival or the beauty contest should be able to proceed without problems."

"Why does it feel like you specifically recaptured Fuji City for the sake of the beauty contest?"

"......"

"O-Onii-sama!?"

Masatsugu invoked his right to silence to avoid putting his foot into his mouth.

### Part 4

November 12th.

Four days had gone by since the fall of Nagoya and the recapture of Fuji City.

"I'm so touched. I haven't seen shops this packed with merchandise for so long."

"Supplies are coming in every day from Yamanashi after all."

Hatsune and Masatsugu were chatting inside a supermarket in Suruga City.

The two of them had gone out for shopping.

This was a large store not far from the student dormitories. Just recently, the food and drink sections had been cleaned out with almost no merchandise at all.

Although supplies could not be considered abundant at the moment, at least half the shelf space was being occupied by merchandise.

Fresh food such as meat, vegetables, or fish, and other goods such as instant food or sweets were finally replenished.

"My days of destitution, forced to water down flour, then bake and flavor it as a substitute for snacks, has finally come to an end..."

"I can't believe you went that far."

"Man does not live on bread alone, Onii-sama."

Suruga and its surroundings had been blockaded by the Restoration Alliance for over a month.

Neither people nor goods were allowed to flow, thus interrupting all logistics. Thanks to the municipal government and the tutelary fort managing and rationing of food, crisis was narrowly averted.

After revealing she had moonlighted as a crisis pastry chef, Hatsune said solemnly, "I can't say there's an abundance of goods, but being able to shop is a good thing at least."

"Yes. The earlier situation was like those countries whose economies collapsed from hyperinflation."

This social commentary came from Okonogi Taisei's mouth.

"It's like having money but no goods to buy... I'm so touched that there's bread for sale at the school snack shop today."

Taisei was the student council vice-president and also one of Masatsugu's few friends.

Both Hatsune and the lady she served, Princess Shiori, were living in the Black Lily Dorm reserved for the princess' exclusive use. After school today, Hatsune and Masatsugu had gone shopping for dorm supplies and food.

Before returning to his home in the city, Taisei tagged along with them to stroll around.

"Masatsugu-kun, this is all thanks to you guys for taking back Fuji City."

"The many Chevaliers brought back from Nagoya are a major reason too. Now we've got a lot more troops and commanders."

West of Suruga City was Kakegawa City and its tutelary fort.

East of Suruga City was Fuji City and its tutelary fort.

For the past month, both sides had been occupied by Restoration Alliance forces. Railways leading east and west were completely shut down while roads were blocked too.

However, north of Fuji City was a usable national highway.

This highway led to Yamanashi Prefecture, which was part of the Tōkaidō Fiefdom.

After recapturing Fuji City, vehicles could finally come and go through the "Shizuoka to Yamanashi" route along Suruga-Fuji-Fujinomiya-Koufu.

Of course, ordinary cars were still restricted from free passage.

However, protected truck convoys transporting supplies were allowed to travel without impediment.

The various tutelary forts in Suruga, Fuji, and southern Yamanashi were responsible for protecting the truck convoys.

A defensive line had been set up by deploying the Chevaliers whom Masatsugu and company had brought from Nagoya and previously rescued from the Fuji tutelary fort.

"The land of Japan has mountains everywhere." Masatsugu muttered, "Hence, the first priority in ground transportation is to secure mountain routes. Regions like the plains of Kantō are actually exceptions..."

"But it's too early to celebrate the current situation, right?"

"You're right. Starting from Kakegawa, everywhere west of Suruga is within the Restoration Alliance's sphere of influence. On the east, Hakone and the Izu Peninsula are also captured by the Alliance. They also have command of the sea in Suruga Bay."

Taisei was not too optimistic and Masatsugu told him the truth.

"The east and west are under enemy control. This situation hasn't changed very much."

"Yeah."

"That sounds kinda like the game Reversi. Surrounded by enemies up, down, left, right, it feels like it's almost game over."

Hatsune's comment prompted Masatsugu to nod.

"Ultimately, this is a game of capturing castles. The more tutelary forts you have, the greater the advantage. You're instantly disadvantaged if you get surrounded or caught between two fronts. It's admittedly similar to Reversi in a way."

"It becomes very easy to understand if I use this kind of mindset... Oh right, Onii-sama." Mid-sentence, Hatsune pointed at the top shelf. "Help me get that, will you? It's a special okonomiyaki sauce that Kansai people like to use."

"This one?"

Masatsugu's height was 175cm while Hatsune was around 160cm tall.

Fulfilling his duty as a taller man, he took the required item and handed it to his little sister. Dressed in Haikara-san style, Hatsune smiled tenderly.

Watching their interactions, Taisei suddenly said, "Recently, you two have a different vibe going there."

"Eh?"

Hatsune jumped in surprise at the unexpected observation.

Taisei continued, "You seem to be closer than before. It's like you're real siblings now."

"W-Well of course. Onii-sama and I are together—uh, working hard together. For the princess and Suruga's safety, we're working our butts off."

"So your tacit understanding has improved too, I see?"

Taisei showed a look of comprehension whereas Hatsune looked extremely shy.

Listening to their conversation, Masatsugu thought to himself.

Okonogi Taisei was a high school student with handsome facial features.

However, he was a blockhead and never the subject of romantic gossip. The fact that he failed to use words like 'couple' or 'newlyweds' as description here was fully indicative of his true character.

This friend left the supermarket alone to return to his home in the city.

"Onii-sama, let's go to the tutelary fort next."

"Sure."

Left alone as a pair, the Tachibana siblings exited the store and went to the parking lot.

Getting around the Suruga suburbs was very inconvenient without your own car. This was quite different from the suburbs of Tokyo. Parked inside the parking lot was a car kept in "reserve" at the princess' personal dorm.

According to Imperial Japan's laws, sixteen was the minimum age for a driving license.

Hatsune was in charge of driving while Masatsugu sat in the front passenger seat.

"Sheesh, that Taisei-san. I can't believe he blurted out something like that. My heart almost jumped out of my mouth," Hatsune said before starting the engine.

"He just said we seem to be close, right?"

"T-True, but we have many special reasons behind that."

"And they are?"

"Think about it. Every morning lately, the two of us have been together..."

Hatsune was referring to her job of supplying ectoplasmic fluid to Tachibana Masatsugu.

This role had currently fallen upon Hatsune. Princess Shiori had secretly provided the service before, but the heavy strain had taken a toll on the princess' health.

For this purpose, Masatsugu had been going to Hatsune's personal room for the past few days.

Inside the princess' dorm, there was a bedroom used by the lady-in-waiting and bodyguard.

Every morning, Masatsugu would quietly visit her room where Hatsune had risen from bed early to engage in intimate skin contact with him, allowing him to absorb warmth and ectoplasmic fluid from her body.

Hatsune had her duties as lady-in-waiting so her mornings were quite busy.

Hence, Masatsugu always visited at around 5am while the sky was still dark. Today was no exception.

Having got up already, Hatsune was wearing just an undershirt, shyly welcoming Masatsugu's arrival.

The two of them started by drinking green tea first, sitting together on the bed's edge—

Only after chatting awkwardly for a brief while did Hatsune finally speak up timidly.

'O-Onii-sama, it's time to start...'

'Yeah.'

With Hatsune's permission, Masatsugu reached out.

He would skillfully take Hatsune into his arms without being too forceful.

'It's my fault that the princess had to endure excessive strain. I need to be careful from now on to avoid the same mistake.'

'Don't worry, my body is very healthy.'

'That's true, you've got a great body.'

'I know, right? I work out diligently.'

Hatsune had misunderstood Masatsugu's comment.

Her build was slender but the bust and hip areas were quite voluptuous.

In the beginning, woman was the sun—Hatsune's figure reminded Masatsugu of this quote. Embracing her body, he enjoyed an indescribable sense of satisfaction.

Hugging her tightly against his bosom, he could feel a clear sense of elasticity and tactile feedback.

Furthermore, Hatsune's body was always fiery hot rather than just warm.

Perhaps it was due to excellent blood circulation or her younger mental age. Recently, Masatsugu had been hugging Hatsune's body every morning.

Needless to say, their behavior was not limited to hugging alone.

Masatsugu brought his face against Hatsune's body and kissed the little sister's tender skin and neck.

'Mm, mmmmmm!'

Lovely moaning escaped from her lips.

Perhaps she was startled by Masatsugu's cold skin and the physical pleasure. However, she still accepted Masatsugu's embrace wholeheartedly...

Hatsune's undershirt opened up in front of Masatsugu.

He would enjoy the close-up view of the little sister's deep cleavage at every opportunity.

He could even remove Hatsune's undershirt. Whether to do so or not depended entirely on his choice. Initially resistant, the little sister would waver and grumble, but she probably would not refuse.

Finally, Hatsune was guaranteed to yield obediently, actively offering her tender skin to warm up Masatsugu...

However, Masatsugu did not actually do it. It would be best to save this sort of behavior until their relationship had progressed even further, such as when this maiden accepted Masatsugu's marriage proposal.

Such a moment was expected to be in the near future.

In any case, Hatsune tolerated Masatsugu's behavior, ending up disheveled and moaning. Then she would grumble quietly in a submissive voice.

'Sheesh... Onii-sama, your hands are so naughty, every time...'

With her cheeks reddened in shame, there was reproach in Hatsune's tone.

Most people probably would not find Tachibana Hatsune very feminine as a girl.

However, these expressions of hers shown only to Masatsugu were truly too innocent, adorable, and endearing.

West of Suruga City was the mountainous region formed by the adjacent peaks of Mount Udo and Mount Kunou.

Driving swiftly along the mountain road, Hatsune soon reached the Suruga tutelary fort.

"Hatsune, you have many duties in the mornings, right?"

Masatsugu spoke up from the front passenger seat. He believed that the daily resupplying of ectoplasmic fluid did not necessarily have to be done in the mornings.

"Why don't I switch to visiting your room at night from now on..."

"N-No way. If it's at night, the princess might not have gone to sleep yet. If she were to notice sounds or other signs of us doing that ..."

Hatsune shook her head, refusing to perform the ritual at night.

"If we're discovered, that'd be pretty embarrassing—no, it's extremely embarrassing..."

"Oh?"

"S-So that's why it has to be early morning. The princess is still sleeping at that hour."

"I see."

Speaking of which, their lady liege had a number of special powers.

Shiori's sixth sense or intuition was apparently quite sharp. Precisely because of that, she seemed more sensitive to secrets than the average person... Something like that.

Take this morning for example.

When Masatsugu was heading to the dorm entrance after leaving Hatsune's room...

He had encountered the princess by chance. She was dressed for bed in a nightgown.

'W-What is the matter, Masatsugu-dono?'

Shiori was already up at 6am.

Masatsugu did not know if she happened to have gotten up early, or if she secretly rose from bed only because she sensed something. In any case, the princess' countenance looked quite flustered.

'Why are you returning—c-correction—Why are you coming to the dormitory at this hour...?'

'I left something here.'

'Oh... I see.'

After the conversation, Shiori had hastily returned inside.

Was it possible that the princess had noticed signs of her two personal subordinates secretly sharing ectoplasmic fluid, and thus beset with mixed feelings, she was pacing back and forth inside the dorm in agitation?

This could very well be true.

"By the way, Onii-sama, I'd like to talk about the princess with you."

Unexpectedly, Hatsune brought up the lady they served.

"Recently when the princess is with us, have you noticed she's got this vibe like she wants to say something but can't? Like there's something she needs to get off her chest."

"......"

"Sometimes, she gives off this kind of 'I can't bring myself to say it despite this burning urge!' aura."

"Maybe you're not imagining things."

"I know, right!? Surely, it's because she has too many worries about the futures of Japan and Tōkaidō and it's weighing on her heart, which is why she wants to confide in us."

"Oh?"

"Onii-sama, let's work hard and help lift the princess' spirits!"

"Got it."

Tachibana Hatsune's benevolence and naivete was not quite the same as Okonogi Taisei's obliviousness.

Masatsugu found his little sister's brand of liberal-mindedness quite adorable and endearing. In contrast, their lady liege's personality was much more complicated.

Simultaneously good and evil, willing to resort to ruthless means, yet she had an innocent maidenly side to her.

Fujinomiya Shiori was smart and eloquent. There were very few matters she would have trouble broaching. Perhaps he should approach her to have a detailed discussion some time soon.

"Onii-sama, we're almost there."

But before that, Masatsugu and company had to take care of a matter at the Suruga tutelary fort first.

Today, they were having a meeting with the Governor General, Akigase Shouzan.

### Part 5

"Retirement?"

Princess Shiori had trouble hiding the surprise in her tone.

However, she immediately understood the underlying reason and asked the old Governor General, "Is your intention to resign as Governor General to take responsibility for Nagoya's fall?"

"It is exactly as you say, Your Highness." Akigase Shouzan admitted it readily.

They were conversing in a special sickroom at the Suruga tutelary fort's medical division. Governor General Akigase Shouzan was currently still here, recovering from heavy injuries.

The elderly man had used the princess' visit as an opportunity to declare his intention.

He had said he was going to relinquish the position of Tōkaidō Governor General in the next few days. At this moment, Masatsugu was standing behind the princess while Hatsune had left to wait outside the sickroom.

Currently, Masatsugu's lady liege was not showing any signs of the "anxious" demeanor that the siblings were discussing earlier.

With a brilliantly intellectual and dignified countenance, she was facing the Tōkaidō Governor General.

"I failed to repel the Restoration Alliance and even lost the provincial capital of Nagoya. My disgrace knows no bounds..."

Akigase Rikka's father spoke in self-mockery.

He deliberately got up from the bed and sat down on his wheelchair to greet the princess. The elderly Governor General narrowed his eyes and looked resentfully at his beloved daughter who was by his side, looking after him.

"I am supposed to disembowel myself and apologize to the people and my retainers through death."

"I have said this already. Doing something like that would do irreparable harm to people's impressions of the Tōkaidō Fiefdom."

Rikka interrupted her father unceremoniously.

She was here as a daughter to look after her hospitalized father, but she remained in her black military uniform.

"Even back in the Sengoku period, few daimyo actually went that far. Since we are no longer the Great Empire of Japan either, no one would think of a captain going down with his ship as an inspiring story. Of course, there might be some Chevaliers who would share your sentiments deeply... But the civilian populace and the media will be horrified."

Rikka explained her opinion at length.

"The people nowadays are very realistic. Besides, House Akigase only came to rule Tōkaidō for the last fifty years. The previous rulers were part of the southern court—in other words, the Empire's administration, who were preceded by a daimyo whose clan traces back to the Tokugawa lineage. Even if you commit suicide, Father, chances are unlikely that people will feel touched."

"Hmph..."

House Akigase's eldest daughter pulled no punches against her injured father.

However, the father and daughter got along with a harmonious vibe without any feeling of ill will. Perhaps this was simply a natural "family discussion."

To have discussions of this sort between parent and child, House Akigase truly lived up to its name as a prestigious samurai family.

After some contemplation, Masatsugu spoke up, "Well then, Your Excellency."

Everyone's gaze gathered upon him. In terms of status, he was actually the most respected here. Openly without regard for details of etiquette, Masatsugu asked a direct question.

"May I ask who do you have in mind as your successor?"

"Certainly, Masatsugu-dono." Akigase Shouzan was willing to speak as equals too.

He looked squarely at Masatsugu then sneaked a glance at his daughter standing on the side.

"I have three children... Rikka has two younger brothers. Unfortunately, they are not even half the man my daughter is. Although Rikka is a woman—"

"You wish for Rikka-dono to succeed you, right?"

"Precisely."

Masatsugu read the intent of the elderly Governor General's gaze and he admitted it solemnly.

Shiori raised her worries, "I believe that Rikka-sama is undoubtedly the best candidate for leading the fiefdom out of the currrent predicament. The problem is, will your two sons—especially the eldest son—have any objections...?"

"Indeed, Your Highness, your worries are perfectly logical." Akigase Shouzan grinned slightly mischievously and laughed. "Fortunately, they are rather weak in personality and completely submissive in the presence of their elder sister. Furthermore, unlike Rikka, they would not be considered first-rate generals of Tōkaidō. Consequently, I do not expect them to stubbornly press the issue. On the other hand, the ones likely to complain are..."

"Certain retainers, perhaps? For example, your sons' closest advisers."

"Hahahaha, you are truly perceptive, Your Highness."

The elderly Governor General narrowed his eyes, quite amused by the princess' intelligence.

In Imperial Japan, the position of Governor General was hereditary while male succession was an unwritten rule. For those who cling stubbornly to formalities and traditions, it would be very displeasing for Rikka to succeed to the position as a woman.

Needless to say, this was even more so for guardians of the Governor General's sons —

This was what Shiori was worrying about, but Rikka's father laughed with fortitude.

"The previous Governor General, Akigase Shouzan, will become the shield to back the new Governor General and watch those retainers carefully... This is already my plan. As long as these old bones of mine remain and the Restoration Alliance's uprising persists, Rikka's position will be secure."

"In practice, things will be hardly any different from before," Rikka finally spoke.

She had remained silent ever since the matter of succession came up.

"My main role is a general. Moreover, Tōkaidō currently cannot afford the luxury of leaving a Chevalier like me back in the castle to conserve forces."

Rikka praised herself in partial jest then smiled proudly.

"I will continue to manage military matters as the premier Chevalier, and while I am at it, I will also carry the promotional banner of 'the new Governor General' in an effort to win as much popularity as possible. Chores on the administrative side will be handled by my father."

Rikka's explanation drew a scoff from her father.

However, Rikka bluntly stated that her father had nothing to do after retirement anyway.

"After the recent fiascoes, it is imperative for the Tōkaidō Fiefdom to regain the people's trust and support. To do that, we need to craft some good scenarios, such as 'the daughter of the previous Governor General, a lady Chevalier who holds her own against any man, shall lead the Tōkaidō Fiefdom to drive out the Restoration Alliance'..."

"I now understand your concerns. In that case, I would like to make a request here."

Shiori smiled demurely and said to the father and daughter of House Akigase.

"Please allow me to deliver a 'sales pitch' here."

"Oh? What would a noble princess like you be selling, Your Highness?"

"Strength and wisdom."

Shiori replied without a moment's delay to the elderly man in the wheelchair. "I have a proposal for the new Governor General of Tōkaidō and the Governor General's father. Are the two of you willing to seek assistance from us—Fujinomiya Shiori and her retinue? If you were to hire us in some form, we would render services commensurate to our remuneration and status."

"In other words, assistance from Your Highness Shiori, Masatsugu-dono, and Tachibana Hatsune?" The Chevalier princess, who had decided to succeed as the new Governor General, murmured to the smiling imperial princess.

Fujinomiya Shiori and Akigase Rikka faced off squarely.

"I have personally witnessed the power all of you have exhibited... Regardless of a retired old man's opinion, you are all talented individuals whom I am willing to hire at a premium. However, the issue here is..."

Rikka first cast a gaze to restrain her father, who evidently had words, while voicing her concerns.

"Wouldn't the act of hiring a vaunted imperial princess be far too disrespectful...?"

"If an employment contract does not work in this case, I am amenable to alternate titles such as consultant, house guest, or freeloader. The main point here is that I will enter a contract with House Akigase on a personal basis, unrelated to the imperial family—That is the kind of relationship I wish for."

"Unrelated to the imperial family, a relationship between Your Highness Shiori and House Akigase?"

"Indeed. To elaborate further, it is also my personal relationship with you, Akigase Rikka-sama."

"I see."

Exhibiting fortitude no less than her father's, Rikka smiled cheerfully.

"Well, it is understandable. The imperial capital of Tokyo is definitely not a comfortable homeland for Your Highness Shiori."

"Perhaps it might be inappropriate for me to say so myself, but the presence of a princess like me is nothing more than a nuisance that nobody wants."

After making fun of herself, Shiori added confidently, "However, that only applies during times of normalcy. I believe that I possess irreplaceable talents needed by the current Tōkaidō."

"This I do not dispute... Father, what are your thoughts?"

"Recruiting someone of such exalted status, it is precisely as Her Highness described, a load of 'nuisance' beyond a doubt." Akigase Shouzan shrugged with a wry expression. "Unfortunately, we are in no position to be picky at the moment. Besides, the princess has 'Hijikata Toshizō' in her service, truly an opportunity we cannot afford to miss."

"Your Excellency," Masatsugu smiled with a twitch of his cheek. "Surely, you must have your own thoughts regarding this name."

"Yes, I have heard the details, Tachibana-dono. I have only one piece of advice on this subject..."

The sly old fox declared boldly.

"It is actually unimportant whether or not you are the real Hijikata Toshizō. The crux of the matter is that the one playing that role must be a hero equal to or greater than Hijikata-dono—such that no one will doubt the use of his name."

"Playing a role, huh?"

"The simple fact that Hijikata Toshizō is on our side is already enough to encourage our soldiers and Chevaliers. This is a much welcome talisman for the disadvantaged Tōkaidō. However, I do express my apologies to you, Tachibana-dono."

"No, I don't mind at all." Recalling the recapture of Fuji a few days ago, Masatsugu said very honestly, "I have no attachment to names, so it doesn't matter to me. Although I am sorry to 'the real one'... the Hijikata Toshizō signboard has been pretty handy. Since everyone supports my using it, I will continue to do so with gratitude."

"Oh my, how unexpected," the elderly Governor General smiled wryly again. "Tachibana-dono, should I call you inconstant or honest? Normally speaking, great heroes, whose mighty names shook the world in the past, tend to obsess over reputation far more than the average person..."

"Is that how it goes?"

"Certainly. Dai-Nankō Kusunoki Masahige-dono and Lord Sanada Nobushige, Resurrectees who descended to the world during the bygone Great Empire of Japan, were said to be like that."

"Oh?"

Masatsugu could sense from Akigase Shouzan the smell of a seasoned veteran.

As a result, Masatsugu felt a sense of camaraderie with him.

Watching this "nameless Resurrectee" in front of him, the elderly Governor General muttered, "During the Empire's defeat in the Second World War, those heroes either died in combat or were sealed away. Otherwise, there would be no need for you to stoop down to playing such a role, Tachibana-dono."

"......"

"Speaking of Resurrectees, I wonder what is Rome's founder up to nowadays."

The Eastern Roman Empire's generalissimo was an extraordinary hero of unparalleled greatness.

This foreigner wielded greater influence over Tōkaidō's fate than even Edward the Black Prince. As soon as he was brought up, Akigase Shouzan sighed.

### Part 6

A lone bird flew across the ocean.

However, it was no seabird but a giant eagle with a wingspan reaching almost four meters.

This type of bird was seldom found offshore or out in the open sea in the first place. Furthermore, the bird's size had far exceeded the standards of large birds of prey. In other words, this giant eagle was a retainer beast.

The aquila was a mid-size retainer beast employed by the Eastern Roman Empire.

The great eagle flew across the Pacific Ocean and the East China Sea, finally reaching the territorial waters of the Eastern Roman Empire. This air journey had traversed two thousand and seven hundred kilometers.

The starting point of the journey was Suruga City in the Tōkaidō region of Japan.

The retainer beast had spent roughly twenty hours to reach the military port at the south of Lantau Island in Hong Kong.

Such unbelievable speed and stamina would be beyond ordinary birds. The aquila had flown straight to its destination, a large Galleon -class ship, the Ferrata .

The ship was powered by a fluid reactor using artificial ectoplasmic fluid.

The British Empire's analog would be the destroyer Tintagel .

The person sought by the aquila was alone on the deck, observing his ship with satisfaction.

This Resurrectee was dressed in ancient Roman style with a red cape on top. This was the state ship belonging to Generalissimo Caesar, the great hero and founder of Eastern Rome.

When the aquila retainer beast landed in front of him, Caesar asked matter-of-factly, "So you have arrived, Staff Officer Yang. How is your new life at the Suruga tutelary fort?"

"Do you even need to ask? I can't expect to eat authentic Chinese cuisine at the mess hall there." What came out of the aquila's beak was the voice and tone of Alexis Yang.

"Their so-called Chinese food only consists of fried rice, ramen noodles, fried dumplings, and a mysterious item named tenshindon ."

"Oh?"

"I'd really like to return to Hong Kong as soon as possible and take my daughter out for some authentic Cantonese cuisine."

"Spoken magnificently like a true gourmet and not a man who always eats out at fast food joints."

"Well, people only remember the good things about their homeland when they're abroad."

Alexis Yang was a Roman soldier who did not take things too seriously.

His physical body was currently lying on a bed in the Suruga tutelary fort's barracks, seemingly taking a nap.

However, Yang was a noetic officer.

Using noetic control, he had possessed the aquila with his consciousness to travel to Hong Kong.

The purpose was to report directly to the supreme commander Caesar and handle "a certain matter" while he was at it.

"In any case, adjustments on various fronts seem to be proceeding smoothly."

"Speaking of which, Your Excellency, you are finally coming in person..."

"Yes. Once matters are handled on the Malay side, I shall be heading to Japan," Caesar said to Staff Officer Yang who was possessing the retainer beast.

"Storming the Kinai Fiefdom as soon as I reach Japan... It might be an unruly manner of going about it, but certainly a good plan."

"Another 'Conquest of Gaul'?"

The great hero smiled like a mischievous brat, prompting Staff Officer Yang to bring up that piece of history.

Prior to becoming dictator in perpetuity, Caesar had embarked on an expedition to ancient Gaul—an area covering modern France and part of Germany—as the supreme commander to put down the Gallic tribes' rebellions.

The wars had lasted many years.

The famous Commentarii de Bello Gallico was his firsthand account of the wars.

"This may sound lacking in detailed planning, but in any case, we shall make minor adjustments as dictated by the situation. Adapting on the spot is the name of the game here."

"Are you going to write another book and use a global simultaneous release gimmick?"

"That would certainly be desirable if I could spend a couple years to focus on matters in Japan. The biggest obstacle is whether this much time can be secured."

"Or why not follow the original plan and basically leave things to the Japanese samurai?"

"Yes. Biding my time while our Tōkaidō allies fight repeatedly against the British Empire's brave warriors, only to enter the stage gallantly when both sides are exhausted... That would be the ideal situation."

"Intelligently snatching away the greatest benefits at the ideal moment, in other words."

Their conversation sounded more like an exchange of jabs or jokes.

However, it also reflected human malice and guile.

Caesar said to his staff officer who was in the form of a giant eagle, "I heard that the Tōkaidō side is aided by a Resurrectee named 'Hijikata Tōshizō', isn't that right?"

"Yes, he was the Shinsengumi vice-commander during Japan's Bakumatsu era, and subsequently the commander of shogunate troops for the northern court. Judging from his life's experiences, he shouldn't be someone used to leading large armies."

Staff Officer Yang was an expert on the Far East region and knew Japan like the back of his hand.

He was well aware of what Hijikata Tōshizō was like as a historical figure.

"That Resurrectee has done quite well so far."

"Then how is our beautiful princess... Shiori?"

"You were right on the mark, Your Excellency. Under that beautiful exterior, she hides dangerous fangs and claws... But the princess' skill at putting on a facade are superb." Through the aquila, Staff Officer Yang asked, "How did you manage to see through her?"

"Shiori had been studying at our imperial capital of Xanadu until half a year ago. During her stay, a number of incidents happened around her. On the surface, none of them had any connection to her, but she was always the ultimate beneficiary—"

"Heh~ Now that's quite something."

"I am Imperial Japan's patronus after all. How could I not keep myself informed regarding their nation's beautiful princess? Hence, I paid particular attention to her affairs. Furthermore, it always boils down to this."

A charming smile appeared on Caesar's face.

"Julius Caesar has a special talent with women... You could consider that the true reason why I saw through her."

"Yeah yeah, the great man with special skills in adultery is truly extraordinary."

There was a rumor back in the day when Caesar had a seat in the Senate of the Roman Republic.

He actively ingratiated himself with the wives of his senator colleagues, building "deep" relationships with these women.

"By the way, Your Excellency, should I inform Her Highness Shiori and her faction that he will be entering Tokyo—?"

"Yes, proceed."

"Even if I reveal his name?"

"His reputation is so great that anyone with a discerning eye cannot be deceived."

"Understood. No need to hold back information, in other words."

Hearing the generalissimo's instructions, Staff Officer Yang remarked through the aquila, "The hidden 'secret weapon' will be unveiled at last, huh?"

"From the very start, he was a trump card to be deployed eventually. Let this be an opportunity for him to put on a grand performance."

"But that's pretty difficult given his personality, right? He really hates attracting attention despite his outstanding talents and accomplishments."

"Be that as it may, he is not only a talented general but also capable of handling court ladies and those of high position."

Caesar looked into the sky. It was sunny with few clouds.

This land was neither the ancient Roman Republic nor the deep forests of ancient Gaul. Instead, this was subtropical Asia in the land of the Far East.

"As a general for keeping Tokyo secure, there is no man more perfect for the job."

Caesar had personally selected a certain man to protect the imperial capital and the Kantō Fiefdom.

Unlike the Roman patrician Julius Caesar, this man hailed from the land of China.

However, the battlefields he roamed in his past life were mostly around or beyond the borders of China. Vast plains of grassland or deserts stretching to the horizon.

That man. Edward the Black Prince. Richard the Lionheart. Hijikata Toshizō.

The cast was gradually gathering for the main event in Imperial Japan.

Or rather, Imperial Japan was about to become the center of a storm. Determined to rush into this vortex of conflict, Caesar grinned.

### 038. Chapter 3 - Restless Warlords

### Part 1

Back when Shiori first appointed Tachibana Hatsune as her personal lady-in-waiting, this was the first thing she told Hatsune.

"The Empress and her inner circle all resent me very much."

"Eh!?" Hatsune was very surprised, apparently unaware of such things.

At the time, Shiori was still at the imperial capital of Tokyo. This conversation had taken place in September.

"Your Highness, you're so pretty, smart too, and an amazing person..."

Why would such a lady be the target of resentment?

Shiori did not hide anything and candidly told this new and inquisitive lady-in-waiting, "The qualities you mentioned are precisely the reasons why I am resented. Beautiful and smart as I am, if I were to stay by Her Majesty's side as a foil, the comparison would reflect poorly on her."

"......"

"Oh no, please do not mistake this for bragging, what I am describing was simply the other side's mindset!"

"Don't worry, I actually like a person who can brazenly call herself 'beautiful and smart'."

Putting aside her noble bloodline, the current Empress was an "ordinary" girl.

Consequently, this bred conflict. And conflict between women tended to be of the insidious sort, staying out of plain sight. Unfortunately, the situation between Shiori and the Empress was no exception.

In the end, Shiori, who had relocated to the Suruga City, was abandoned and neglected by those at the imperial palace for a long time.

However, the Tokyo imperial palace finally sent a messenger .

They were finally willing to show some charity and extend a helping hand to rescue the poor princess from war-torn Tōkaidō—

November 13th, it was Thursday.

The messenger made a special visit to Rinzai High. Shiori chose to "have an audience" on campus, using the principal's office lent out by the school.

Behind the somewhat classy reception desk, Shiori met with the officer from the Imperial Guard.

"Thank you for traveling all the way out here for my sake."

"Not at all, Your Highness. I was supposed to hasten my way here to rescue you as soon as the incident broke out. Having dallied for over a month, all of us at the Imperial Guard are shamed beyond compare.—"

"Do not say that. Please raise your head."

The major from the Imperial Guard, the army that served the imperial family directly, bowed his head deeply in apology.

As an aide-de-camp of the imperial palace, he was acquainted with Shiori. Back in September this year, this soldier had accompanied her to attend the garden party held for Generalissimo Caesar.

Shiori said solemnly, "Hakone Checkpoint and various areas of Tōkaidō are still under the Restoration Alliance's control. You only managed to get here now due to Suruga City's emancipation. I know that the Imperial Guard is not at fault here."

These earnest words of understanding were also "false" platitudes.

If Staff Officer Yang, a Roman soldier, succeeded in breaking through the blockade, there was no reason why soldiers of the Imperial Guard failed to do the same.

Bluntly stated, they did not have the slightest sincere intention of saving Shiori.

Meanwhile, the aide-de-camp changed the subject naturally.

"In any case, I am relieved to find you safe and sound, Your Highness."

The aide-de-camp's tone was filled with sincerity.

Presumably, he was not speaking against his conscience. The Imperial Guard had simply not taken actual action. As expected of an aide-de-camp, spending his days dealing with those aggravating ladies-in-waiting at the imperial palace, he had honed perfect skills in "professional customer service."

Using pleasing words, the major skillfully glossed over the Imperial Guard's negligence and incompetence.

In a way, this was part of his job too.

"Your Highness Shiori, Her Majesty Teruhime and the other members of the imperial family are eagerly awaiting your return. Should you wish to leave, I can make arrangements for you right away..."

Only now did an aide-de-camp arrive tardily.

At least he seemed sincere in bringing Shiori back, though it was not an "absolute" imperative. He had added a conditional at the end, contingent on Shiori's desire to return, meaning it was fine to leave her here too, since the princess still had House Akigase's protection, after all...

Someone in the Empress' inner circle must have given instructions to "handle it this way."

"I am truly overjoyed to learn of everyone's care and concern, but please forgive me for I must decline their kind wishes. In fact, I recently decided to enter employment ."

"Enter... employment? Do you mean taking a job here in Suruga?"

"The details will be announced at the ceremony this coming weekend. Please forgive my secrecy for now."

Shiori smiled gently and did not neglect to nip further questioning in the bud.

The ceremony to commemorate Akigase Shouzan's transfer of the family's headship to his beloved daughter was scheduled for the weekend. This was already common knowledge.

"But Your Highness, for an imperial princess to 'enter employment' without seeking the Imperial Household Agency's counsel, that would be quite unprecedented. It is my humble opinion that it would be prudent for you to first confer with the imperial palace."

"Be at ease. I have secured Rindou-sensei 's approval for this matter already."

Shiori smiled and brought up a name of extraordinary note.

The name worked like magic, instantly silencing the aide-de-camp. Observing this conversation from the back, Masatsugu quietly went "oh?" to himself.

For someone to wield such influence over a messenger from the imperial palace, Masatsugu was quite intrigued by this "Rindou-sensei" character.

"Is this alright with you, Masatsugu-sama?"

"What do you mean, Princess?"

"Today... Hatsune is not with us."

An hour after the meeting, Masatsugu was accompanying Princess Shiori on a stroll near Rinzai High.

Walking slightly ahead, Shiori seemed to be sulking a little. There was also a hint of sarcasm in her words just now.

"She went over to the tutelary fort. If you need her, should I give her a call?"

They were walking along a rural path on the outskirts of Suruga City.

Fortunately, wireless communications could be used normally now that noetic disruption was over.

All he needed to do was borrow a phone somewhere and call the Suruga tutelary fort, and Hatsune would rush over by car in about half an hour.

"M-Masatsugu, you fail to understand me!"

"Then what do you mean?"

"Uh, umm, Masatsugu-sama, it is fine if you wish to join her... If you prefer her company... That is simply what I am thinking," Shiori stammered.

Just earlier, she had handled an aide-de-camp with perfect composure, but her attitude now made her seem like a completely different person.

However, this too was part of Fujinomiya Shiori's nature as a person. She was not only a clever princess with ambitious goals, but also a shy and reserved maiden.

Her nature was so delicate that it was impossible for a coarse man like Tachibana Masatsugu to comprehend.

For the clever princess to be expressing her displeasure in such a manner, this indicated quite a serious emergency in a certain sense.

"Princess."

Masatsugu gazed at Shiori's beautiful face and said lightly, "I am merely someone who serves you—a person in the imperial princess' service. Fujinomiya Shiori's wellbeing and safety are my top priorities. Unless there is a particular necessity, I should remain by your side in preparation for the next battle"

"Remain by my side, you say?"

Masatsugu nodded, deliberately eschewing the use of words.

He stared at Shiori intently, causing the sulking princess to turn her head away shyly as though he had struck some kind of emotional chord.

"I-I am simply asking whether you were alright with not going along with Hatsune."

"Really?"

"Yes, Masatsugu-sama, I understand your loyalties without needing you to make such a solemn statement out of it."

There was still a sulking element in Shiori's voice, but the sarcastic tone had gone.

Through a few words and subtle nuance, Masatsugu had cleared up a little of the displeasure in his lady liege's heart. Perhaps it was time to change the subject , he thought.

"May I ask what kind of person is Rindou-sensei... the one whom you brought up earlier, Princess?"

"Ah yes, I still have not told you, Masatsugu-sama," Shiori replied smoothly. "Having served the imperial family for many years, Rindou-sensei is a distinguished veteran with prominent accomplishments... Rather, she would be best described as one of the elder statesmen who helped the current imperial family come to power. She retired over ten years ago and is currently living an idyllic life near Suruga City."

I see.

A so-called elder statesman was someone who had rendered a great service to the nation. Masatsugu now had a preliminary understanding at last.

"So even after retirement, she still retains a certain level of influence, huh..."

"Yes, she not only watches over the descendants of House Fujinomiya but is also the mentor who instructed me in noetic control."

Noetic masters learned techniques in noetic control at specialized educational institutions.

However, it was highly improbable that Shiori would attend those kinds of facilities as an imperial princess. She had her own private instructor.

This Rindou-sensei was presumably an authority on noetic control at the imperial palace.

The Tachibana clan and Rindou-sensei all lived in and around Suruga. No wonder Princess Shiori had chosen to retire to this place.

"Based on what you've said, Princess... This Rindou-sensei must be quite old?"

The current imperial family had defeated the "southern court" of the Great Empire of Japan towards the end of the Second World War to become the rulers of Japan. This would be more than half a century ago. Logically speaking, an "elder statesman" from that time would be quite old now—

"Yes, Sensei is definitely at least as old as Shouzan-sama."

"It might be rude for me to say this, but I'm surprised she's lived so long."

"Fufufufu. Sensei harbors numerous secrets. You will know when you meet her in the future. However—"

Shiori smiled suggestively then sighed.

"Sensei can be rather eccentric and I have no idea when I will have a chance to meet her again. Saying she has labored enough and weary of worldly matters, she has stayed home for a number of years and refused to go out. I was lying just now when I claimed to have received Sensei's approval."

"An elderly hermit, in other words."

"Yes... I suppose you could say that."

The princess was inexplicably vague. She took Masatsugu somewhere.

This was an elegant wooden building in a bamboo forest, reminiscent of a well-maintained Japanese inn.

Its name was Ryouzan Manor and was where Masatsugu and Shiori had their first "heart to heart" conversation.

Masatsugu noticed a case of twenty beers in front of the entrance along with domestic whiskey and several bottles of wine...

These were probably delivered from a liquor store or a supermarket?

"I have prepared many successive 'offerings' to invite Sensei, but unfortunately, she remains unmoved."

"Is this part of the offerings too?"

Masatsugu waved a bottle he was holding in his hand.

It contained junmai daiginjou , a type of premium sake brewed from pure rice. The label on the bottle featured a vibrant logo with the words "Special Selection, Lord Nanryuu."

At the princess' request, Hatsune had ordered this famous brand of sake from a nearby liquor store.

The bottle had arrived yesterday after Suruga's blockade was lifted. The liquor store owner who made the delivery to the dorm even promised "This stuff is so rare that it's absolutely a phantom sake!"

Masatsugu's job today was transporting this bottle of sake.

Hence, he had been chatting with hs lady liege while walking to Ryouzan Manor.

"And here I was thinking 'the princess is an alcoholic too' huh."

"I-I am still a minor! I have never imbibed any alcoholic beverage except for amazake. I specially ordered this brand because it is Sensei's favorite!"

"I see."

"The problem is that Sensei's 'favorite brands' number over a hundred. I am still far from completing the collection," said Shiori in distress.

This Rindou-sensei was evidently quite the drinker.

"It is time for Sensei to return to society and aid me. I really need the help now that a new Resurrectee has joined the Roman faction at Tokyo."

A few days ago, Staff Officer Yang had informed them of a certain name.

He was the newly appointed general of the Roman garrison in Kantō. His name was enough to surprise the well-learned princess, who never expected a man of such greatness to return to the human realm—

### Part 2

"You don't know my name?"

"No, I was only asked to 'take the Roman army officer on a tour of the imperial palace' by Her Highness of House Fujinomiya..." Tachibana Genzou replied honestly when the guest asked curiously.

Genzou was Tachibana Hatsune's father and the steward of House Fujinomiya's Tokyo residence.

He was speaking to a handsome young man who had a gentle demeanor. The young man was East Asian with long hair. His slender eyes were awfully cool and refreshing. In other words, his was not the "thick and rugged" kind of face.

His well-proportioned facial features were not only calm but also beautiful.

Compared to this sort of "beauty," the massively built Tachibana Genzou was like a professional wrestler. With a bad guy's face covered by an overgrown beard, he seemed more like a bandit leader than a princess' retainer.

"Anyway, I will fulfill my mission of serving as your guide," promised Genzou, drawing upon his talent for taking things in stride.

Due to noetic disruption, he had not been able to reach the princess at Suruga for over a month.

Reportedly, his single daughter had inherited Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune during this period and Tachibana Masatsugu's power as a Resurrectee had also started to awaken. Last night, he finally received Princess Shiori's instructions for the first time in a while.

"Is this your first time at the imperial palace, sir?"

"Yes. To be honest, I am still uncomforable with these kinds of places."

The two of them were currently at the Tokyo imperial palace.

This was the official residence Japan's head of state and the palace of Empress Teruhime, granddaughter of the sacred beast Lord Tenryuu. Genzou and his guest were walking along a passage.

"It's true that you don't look like a military man."

"People always say that, but I don't know why."

"Maybe it's to do with your clothing? No soldier would dress like this."

"Ah."

Genzou's observation made the handsome young man smile.

Instead of the Eastern Roman Empire's military uniform, the young man was wearing a robe—In other words, ancient Chinese attire. The hem reached down to his ankles with a pair of pants underneath.

It was as though he were a character who had been plucked out of a Chinese historical film.

"Even if you say you're not comfortable with this kind of place, sir, you seem perfectly capable of handling the head lady-in-waiting."

"Not really, all I did was greet her."

"You may not know this, sir, but those hags tend to nag too much. They could easily take offense from a careless greeting, creating trouble down the line."

Earlier, Genzou had visited the Imperial Household Agency.

His purpose was to meet this handsome young man. Despite not looking like a soldier, he was the newly appointed commander of the "Kantō Garrison of the Eastern Roman Imperial Army."

Ignorant of politics and military matters, nevertheless, these ladies-in-waiting always behaved and spoke as though they were superior to others.

However, the ladies-in-waiting had not been difficult for a change, greeting this young soldier rather cordially. The reason was most likely because this courteous and handsome man's face, comportment, and figure were all "perfect and first-rate."

"The inability of ladies to understand men's work hasn't changed in the modern age, huh."

"The way you say that, sir, don't tell me you're also one of those... Resurrected from the past?"

Genzou's question was intended as a probing test.

Unexpectedly, the young man introduced himself straight away, making him jump in surprise.

"Indeed, my name is Wei Qing. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

"......"

"Eh, what's the matter with you?"

"Oh, nothing. I thought it might be improper to ask for your name, but you ended up introducing yourself so readily. That's quite surprising," Genzou shared his thoughts honestly, switching from his coarse usage of polite forms to a more casual tone.

Meanwhile, the handsome young man, who bore the Chinese Appellation of Wei Qing, smiled.

"It's fine. My reputation is nothing special, after all. I suppose you have no idea what kind of man Wei Qing was, right?"

"Uh, let me see, how do I put this?"

"See, that's the extent of my reputation. I'm sure the soldiers under my command will feel very troubled."

Unfazed by Tachibana Genzou's awkward response, the ancient warrior smiled.

Wei Qing. Genzou had some recollection of this name, probably from a history textbook.

However, Genzou was a Japanese man whose knowledge of history was rather rusty.

Asking someone like him to recall Wei Qing's life in detail—would be absolutely impossible.

"But modern warfare is fought by Legions instead of human soldiers. I'm quite relieved that I don't need to worry about matters on that front," The handsome Resurrectee named Wei Qing whispered casually.

Several hours later, Tachibana Genzou was reading a history book after finishing his work.

He wanted to know who exactly was "General Wei Qing."

According to historical records, Wei Qing was a soldier during the Western Han Dynasty, around 110 BCE. The ruler he served as general was Emperor Wu, who had punished the historian Sima Qian with castration. His campaigns against equestrian nomads won him great acclaim.

However, his origins were quite humble.

Wei Qing herded sheep in his childhood and was treated no better than a slave.

In time, he would rise to the rank of generalissimo and attain the highest honors of the state—

### Part 3

In the land of Hakone, four tutelary forts had been built at the four cardinal directions.

The first tutelary fort was Seiryuu Gate in the east. This fort was several kilometers from Hakone Yumoto, a hot spring town located at the entrance of Hakone when traveling from Tokyo.

The second tutelary fort in the south and the third tutelary fort in the west were both located near Lake Ashi.

Lake Ashi was the largest body of water in the vast area of southern Hakone. The second tutelary fort, Suzaku Gate, was on its south shore while the third tutelary fort, Byakko Gate, was on the west shore.

The fourth tutelary in the north, Genbu Gate, was situated at Sengokuhara in northern Hakone.

In other words, the land of Hakone had four strongholds, guarding the directions of north, east, south, and west respectively.

The British aristocrat who had captured Hakone, Edward, muttered to himself, "Using the Legions and ifrits at the four tutelary forts to erect a 'wall' to protect Kantō and Tokyo from attacks originating in western Japan... That seems to be the aim."

"Yes. This is Hakone Checkpoint's concept, indeed."

The genie Morrigan in his company nodded. She was possessing her usual doll, 150cm tall and dressed in a sailor outfit with a beret.

"The idea itself is sound, but ultimately, I mobilized an army surpassing the total forces of the four tutelary forts and attacked, easily capturing Hakone."

Edward and the genie Morrigan were at the central command center.

This was where the "supreme commander of the Hakone tutelary forts" used to be stationed to issue orders to the tutelary forts in the four cardinal directions. It was also located right in the center point between the four tutelary forts of Hakone.

In terms of geographic names, this was a plain near Komagatake.

"In my opinion, this isn't truly 'impregnable.' Ultimately, the fortress itself lacks the defensive strength to resist an invasion of a thousand Legions... That is the long and short of it."

"I, agree. I expect some of the Japanese, to feel the same."

"All things considered, it boils down to this mechanism of the Four Gods Union."

The central command center did not have fortification walls.

It was simply composed of four towers of stone, built on a wide open plain.

The architectural design was essentially uniform. Like the nation-protecting keeps of tutelary forts, these forty-meter all towers used red bricks as the construction material. The four towers were arranged in a rhombus.

Riding a British white wyvern together, Edward and Morrigan were flying over the four towers.

In charge of controlling the wyvern, Edward said, "Hakone's four tutelary forts can combine each fort's guardian ifrit, respectively Seiryuu, Suzaku, Byakko, and Genbu, into one monster with four times the noetic energy..."

"Furthermore, the merged entity can defend all four tutelary forts, north, east, south, west, simultaneously."

"Yes, an amazing system."

After offering praise together, the British aristocrat and Morrigan shook their heads.

"But this assumes the successful activation of the system. Had they activated it during my attack, Hakone would not have fallen so easily."

"It seems that Japan... lacks the competency required to tame this, monster," Morrigan remarked coldly.

"What they lack is a genie capable of controlling the Four Gods, the entity resulting from the union of Seiryuu, Suzaku, Byakko, and Genbu. The genie in this role also requires powerful noesis from a supreme Chevalier as support..."

"Morrigan, since you have said this much," Edward smiled and said, "then our partnership should not face any problems, right?"

"Indeed. It is not impossible. Especially since you have minimized your sorties for the past half a month, Prince, conserving substantial noesis..."

"Yes, all of it for the purpose of acquiring the Four Gods."

The night of Fuji City's capture...

Edward did not head out to the front line and ended up forfeiting the chance for a showdown against Tachibana Masatsugu.

This was because they were planning to hold the ritual for subjugating the Four Gods soon. And now, the two of them were flying in the sky over the four towers.

Riding the wyvern, Edward said slowly, "Proceed, Morrigan. Use my noesis to subjugate the Four Gods."

"Affirmative."

After the genie nodded, gigantic eyeballs manifested in the sky.

...It was what Tachibana Masatsugu and company had witnessed at the Fuji tutelary fort, a giant eyeball with a diameter of sixty meters or so. In this case, there was not one but a total of three. Three eyes.

The three giant eyeballs were arranged in a triangle in the air.

This was precisely Morrigan's true form, the image of the ifrit Morgan le Fay. Behind the three giant eyeballs, an equally large magic circle appeared.

"Prince, please."

"Shame be to him who thinks ill of it—Calling upon my name and soul, I beseech the local deities and spirits of Hakone. Abandon your home country of Japan and surrender to my army. I am Edward the Black Prince, the foremost knight of the British Empire and the undefeated general!"

Edward released an inordinate amount of noetic energy from his body and soul.

Normally, this energy would transform into a thousand and two hundred Knights of the Garter, but today, not a single black knight appeared.

All of the noesis was absorbed by the three eyes hovering in the sky!

Immediately, the noesis exuding from the British ifrit was amplified three-fold.

"O deities of Japan, recognize me, Morrigan, as your master. Obey this instant."

A change came over the four towers built by the Japanese on this Hakone plain.

Four giant beasts manifested in the sky over the roofs of the four towers.

Each beast was seventy meters or so in body length. Featuring translucent bodies, they were images without corporeal form.

The four beasts were respectively a blue dragon, a vermilion phoenix, a white tiger, and a black turtle (with a snake for a tail).

These were the holy beasts, Seiryuu, Suzaku, Byakko, and Genbu, known collectively as the Four Gods in China and Japan.

Morgan le Fay's three eyes continued to hover in the air.

Overlooking the towers and the Four Gods, the three eyes sucked away the gigantic beasts of Japan!

Seiryuu, Suzaku, Byakko, and Genbu moved away from the roofs of the towers and gradually rose up in the sky.

The three eyes watched carefully. The Four Gods of Japan released noetic energy and tried to resist Morgan le Fay's suction.

However, the three eyes had taken in Edward's noesis. The Four Gods were no match at all.

...First of all, the desperately resisting image of Seiryuu lost. Gradually approaching the three eyes , it was finally absorbed into them.

One after another, the same happened to the rest of them.

Second to go was Genbu, then Byakko, and finally Suzaku.

"The central command center is a mystical device granted by the sacred beast Lord Tenryuu to merge the Four Gods of the four cardinal directions... It can be thought of as Hakone's fifth tutelary fort, isn't that right?"

"Yes, Prince."

"And until now, it never had a chance to fulfill its function."

"Yes, we of the British, shall change this fact of history."

Treacherous and unforgiving, featuring an abundance of towering peaks and abyssal valleys...

This was how people described the mountains of Hakone back in the age before motorized transportation. This place had been a natural choke point since time immemorial and now it was made even more impregnable.

"With this... We are now fully prepared to meet the Tōkaidō army in battle."

"Quite rare to see you so motivated, Morrigan."

"They have stolen that which I had left behind at Fuji City. This is revenge."

Calm and cool, the genie was full of fight as the day of reckoning approached. Satisfied, Edward nodded in approval of Morrigan.

"Edward, my younger brother's descendant. It is my turn to take on the duty of defending Hakone."

The man who proposed this solemnly was Richard I, the one whom Edward called "Uncle."

The British forces had requisitioned a luxury hotel (a cozy and stylish building) in Hakone as Edward's living quarters. The top leaders had gathered at this hotel for a war council.

It was around 7pm on November 13th.

During the daytime, Edward and Morrigan had subjugated the Four Gods at the central command center.

"As the commander-in-chief, you should return to Kinai where it will be easier to handle matters in the newly conquered Nagoya and respond to the Roman fleet advancing on Kyoto from the Sea of Japan."

"Isn't that the job I assigned you a few days ago, Uncle?"

Edward immediately rejected the Lionheart's opinion.

Originally, this forefather of the Plantagenet family was not invited to this meeting. The Lionheart had barged in two hours earlier on his own accord.

Attendees included the spirit Morrigan and trusted subordinates such as the elderly Lieutenant Colonel Grayson.

"Nagoya is yours, Uncle, while I handle the Kantō side of things. That was the plan. There is no need to alter our approach at this point. We agreed on this from the start."

"Quit mouthing nonsense in my presence. What you want is to keep the upcoming battle for your own personal enjoyment, am I right!?"

Richard's voice was deep and rich, but the words were no different from those of a child throwing a tantrum.

Edward smiled calmly and said, "Indeed you are right, Uncle, but you have no grounds to complain. Who asked you to defy orders and come back in defeat?"

"Grr!" Richard was silenced by Edward's veiled assertion that this was his deserved punishment.

"Furthermore, Uncle, the death of your thousand-odd Escalibors would require two or three weeks for your army to recover. Please remain obediently at Kyoto."

"Grrrrrrr."

Normally, revival of Legions killed outside of their stronghold would take one to two weeks.

However, that only applied to the Legions under ordinary Chevaliers whose Chevalier Strength ranged from thirty or forty up to two hundred or so.

Resurrectees with a Chevalier Strength over a thousand had to spend even more time to revive their Legions.

"Besides, Uncle, you made an excellent point. We need to increase vigilance over the sea. According to reports... Lord Caesar and his knightly fleet are showing signs of mobilizing."

"...Oh?"

"It is unknown whether they intend to cross the Sea of Japan to head straight for Kyoto, or come in from the Pacific side. Either way, we must not be careless."

"Hmph, it is not like I hate staying at Nagoya."

Imposing yet childish at times, the Lionheart finally cheered up.

However, he still could not hide his disappointment.

"I heard that the Roman garrison in Tokyo has made new movements. Tōkaidō's samurai have constructed a new system centered in Suruga and that man will definitely invade Hakone."

"Who are you referring to, Uncle?"

"Quit playing dumb. Of course I mean Tachibana Masatsugu."

"Prince, Your Highness, may I speak on this subject?"

"Yes, go ahead, Grayson."

"Tachibana Masatsugu... There is apparently a rumor circulating among the officers and soldiers of Tōkaidō. Everyone is calling him the 'Last Samurai' and 'defender of the imperial family,' Hijikata Toshizō."

Lieutenant Colonel Grayson gave off an air more akin to a rigid old gentleman than a soldier.

Edward nodded to acknowledge what he had said.

In fact, Edward had received similar reports. Hijikata Toshizō had served as the second-in-command of the Shinsengumi special police force whose activities were mainly in Kyoto (reportedly quite an unbelievable organization which had more members die in internal purges than were killed fighting external enemies).

A master swordsman who had wielded the same samurai blade as what Tachibana Masatsugu was now using—

However, Edward had his own interpretation.

"Is Tachibana-dono truly Hijikata Toshizō...?"

"Do you have doubts, Your Highness?"

"He definitely carries the 'samurai sword' as a conspicuous signboard, but putting that aside... Would this sort of island nation be able to nurture a man like him?"

"Oh?" Richard was skeptical while Grayson seemed slightly surprised.

"What we need to consider," Edward continued, "are Tachibana Masatsugu's characteristics as a strategist and tactician."

"Firstly, feints and ambushes are his specialty."

The genie Morrigan instantly offered her answer.

She must have been pondering the issue ever since hearing her superior wonder "perhaps Tachibana-dono isn't actually a samurai."

Edward smiled and said, "Precisely, Morrigan. However, that is not the complete picture."

"He employs his army in swift and bold maneuvers. His blatant disregard of soldier exhaustion borders on negligence, yet troop movements are always orderly."

"Impressive, your opinion is not far from mine. Surely an island nation of this sort, all covered with mountains, cannot hone tactics of this sort, right? I believe that vast open plains on the continent are more likely..."

"In other words, Edward," Uncle Richard frowned and said, "It is your belief that Tachibana Masatsugu is not Japanese?"

"We should review this possibility."

"Hard to say. I have also heard legends of Minamoto no Yoshitsune. Isn't he a talented cavalry commander and the pride of Japan? More importantly..."

The Lionheart snorted and declared loudly.

"Since I am the knight of knights, it would be best if my opponent is a samurai of the Far East. Hence, I place my faith in Tachibana Masatsugu being a pure Japanese samurai."

"Hahahaha, Uncle, it is perfectly fine for you to think that."

Richard I was a "war genius."

Without any need for logic or calculations, he was able to win victories simply through instinct and passion alone.

For someone with his rare talents, the true identity of the enemy was virtually irrelevant to victory. Edward smiled cheerfully and reminisced about a past enemy.

"Du Guesclin..."

"Prince, you just mentioned the Constable of France, yes? A contemporary of yours."

Morrigan had picked up on Edward's muttering.

"Yes, speaking of him—I wouldn't really consider him a worthy rival. However, he was quite skilled in war with excellent use of feints and ambushes, perhaps even better than Tachibana-dono."

Du Guesclin was a knight born in Brittany.

Back then, under the leadership of Black Prince Edward and his father, England had gained an overwhelming upper hand in their war against France. Against such odds, du Guesclin had emerged to support Charles V, the young king of France.

That being said, he never confronted the Black Prince in a glamorous pitched battle.

Avoiding direct confrontations against the English army as much as possible, he inflicted steady losses on the English repeatedly through ingenious ambushes and swift retreats.

Du Guesclin was undoubtedly the most difficult French general to deal with in that era.

However, he had not exhibited the audacity and lightning offensives frequently used by Tachibana Masatsugu.

"The great conflict between us and France from back then is now known as the Hundred Years' War, isn't it? To be perfectly honest, I personally believe that du Guesclin was the true hero of that war instead of the rumored girl named Jeanne d'Arc. The difference in their talent and contributions is as great as night and day."

"According to my search..." The maiden doll in the sailor outfit said indifferently, "The reason why du Guesclin is overlooked is most likely due to his unimpressive appearance."

"Ah... Well, I suppose it would not be wrong to call him an ugly man."

Edward was a bit taken aback by the conversation's turn to the subject of appearance.

"He was rather obese and was derogatorily known as the 'pig'."

"Well... That is how the world works. Compared to someone like him, the crowd prefers a 'tragic maiden.' After all, fiction can arbitrarily depict her as a beauty."

"Your opinion is rather harsh, but accurate," the genie's upfront remark brought a wry smile to Edward's face.

After that, Edward turned his gaze to the only human maiden at the meeting.

"By the way, I heard that Suruga has a princess descended from a sacred beast's bloodline. Similar to how you are the beloved daughter of the Three Lions, she is the granddaughter of Lord Tenryuu..."

"This I know, good brother."

Aware that she was not a soldier, the beautiful maiden had refrained from speaking until now.

She was Princess Eleanor. Like Imperial Japan, the British Empire maintained a policy of secrecy regarding their royal family. Hence, she too was not a princess known to the general public.

She was blessed with beautiful blonde hair and a gorgeous face.

"Fujinomiya Shiori—a princess of Imperial Japan, isn't that right?"

"Yes, you are very informed."

Eleanor possessed a number of abilities akin to a "witch's" and had used them to great effect at Kyoto and Suruga City. Edward had great faith in her intelligence too.

As a result, Edward had also assigned a job to her.

"So, could you kindly report on the matter?"

"Yes... During the Second World War, the islands of Japan were for the most part controlled by the 'southern court' of the Great Empire of Japan. The sacred beast worshiped by the southern court at the time was Ōkuninushi. The current imperial family's precursor, the 'northern court,' only held Hokkaido back then."

After recounting history in her lovely voice, Eleanor turned to the heart of the matter.

"The mission of locating the body of the sealed Ōkuninushi and the resurrected Japanese warriors from that time... I have mobilized the Kinai Fiefdom's resources to conduct this search."

"Understood. Ladies and gentlemen, the other sacred beast of Japan is Lord Tenryuu," Edward addressed the group, "which it is imperative for us to secure. I believe you are all aware that our Three Lions do not have long to live. We must do our utmost in the land of the Far East, or else the British Empire shall no longer have a sacred beast within her borders."

### Part 4

November 15th, it was Saturday and the weekend had arrived.

"It's amazing how much the situation has changed in merely a week. Even though Nagoya fell, Suruga City is finally liberated and we even got a new Tōkaidō Governor General," Okonogi Taisei commented with poignancy.

Masatsugu said to him, "Until we retake Nagoya, Suruga will be the temporary provincial capital."

"So a temporary provincial government will be set up in Suruga City, huh? Totally inconceivable half a year ago," Hatsune expressed her own feelings on the matter.

The trio was in a commercial district near Suruga Station, in front of a scramble intersection.

Such a metropolitan neighborhood was rare to find in this quiet regional city. Trendy buildings were abundant with giant television screens.

Normally, these screens would display advertisements for local businesses or commercial events.

Masatsugu and friends stopped walking to look up at the screen. It was airing the "inauguration of the new Governor General of Tōkaidō."

"The new Governor General visited our school before, right?"

"That's right, her name is Akigase Rikka-sama. We're on pretty good terms with her."

"Taisei, her caliber is impeccable too."

"Well, I'm not in any position to comment on that... Say, she's got quite an amazing face and figure. I think she'll be very popular with both genders."

Rikka's gallant standing figure was visible on the giant screen.

She was dressed in a black military officer's uniform with the treasured sword Onikiri Yasutsuna hanging on her belt in its scabbard. She was also wearing a black military hat today, making her appearance even more perfect than usual.

The ceremony was being held at a Shinto shrine.

The venue was Mount Kunou Toushouguu near the Suruga tutelary fort.

Like Nikkou Toushouguu, this was an ancient Shinto shrine with a deep connection to Tokugawa Ieyasu. It was situated on the pinnacle of Mount Kunou. The Tōkaidō Fiefdom's top officials and civilian big shots were gathered on its premises to celebrate Rikka succeeding to the position of Governor General.

Former Governor General Akigase Shouzan was also present.

The camera rarely focused on him, but frequently provided closeups of Rikka.

In other words, this television program was intended to promote the new Governor General, Akigase Rikka.

The inauguration event had been edited by a television station in Suruga City to become news footage, then broadcast to the surrounding region through the city's telecommunications facilities.

The various parts of Tōkaidō territory currently captured by the Restoration Alliance could also receive the signal.

For example, this included the Izu Peninsula, Kakegawa, Hamamatsu, and even around Nagoya—

This was done to inform residents that "the Tōkaidō Fiefdom was still alive," thereby sustaining cohesion and preventing the populace from leaning too much over to the Restoration Alliance.

This was the true purpose of producing this program.

"The princess also said that the people in areas conquered by the Restoration Alliance are currently waiting to see whether the Restoration Alliance wins or the Tōkaidō Fiefdom makes a comeback... But before long, they'll gradually give up on Tōkaidō."

"Yeah, I hear that a lot," Taisei agreed with Hatsune's comment.

"In the cities whose tutelary forts have fallen, the residents will start cooperating with the conquerors mentally and economically. Nowadays, under the Charter of Chivalry's protection, residents can't really be expected to show a high degree of loyalty to the nation," Taisei added somewhat pessimistically. "But ultimately, the Restoration Alliance is the British Empire's lapdog. There'll be hell to pay if anyone forgets that. Like the incident ten years ago when the new Empress Teruhime came to power but actually follows Rome's will."

Taisei's tone was laid back, but there was a slight element of criticism in his words.

His father worked in the news industry and Taisei also held a part-time job at the same company. Masatsugu's friend, Okonogi Taisei was a social-minded patriot.

To such a friend, Masatsugu said, "Perhaps the establishment of deep ties between the princess and the Tōkaidō Fiefdom will come to hold great significance eventually. Don't forget this either."

"I'm quite surprised by this turn of events, actually. I never thought Princess Shiori would become a Saiguu at Tōkaidō."

Onscreen, the Shinto priests and shrine maidens of Mount Kunou Toushouguu were carrying out a ceremony.

At the forefront was a striking young beauty.

The girl was wearing a Heian-style juunihitoe and a tiara with her platinum blonde hair let down today...

She was Fujinomiya Shiori, the liege of Masatsugu and others.

Her otherworldly appearance was combined with this attire.

Every time she was caught on camera, the television screen was enhanced with overwhelming beauty.

"The princess is a noble who had inherited dragon blood from Lord Tenryuu. She possesses outstanding spiritual powers far beyond what commoners like us could ever hope for." Masatsugu said quietly, "That's why the Tōkaidō Fiefdom recruited the princess and asked her to serve as Mount Kunou's shrine maiden."

"That's right, that's right. She will serve as the shrine maiden who receives divine oracles to offer advice to Governor General Rikka-sama. Isn't that such a great idea?"

Masatsugu and Hatsune were explaining "Shiori's reason for entering employment."

One could very well call this a pretext, but the princess definitely possessed outstanding spiritual powers and was the new Governor General's indispensable adviser.

These were not lies but Taisei was a bit puzzled.

"But isn't the so-called Saiguu supposed to be 'the imperial princess who serves the gods at the Ise Grand Shrine'? Since Princess Shiori is a shrine maiden at Mount Kunou... Wouldn't it be better to pick a different title?"

"Don't sweat this kind of small stuff."

"Rikka-sama also said 'it is better to keep it simple' and even 'since it is a position that was abolished centuries ago, it would be ridiculous to get hung up on every detail'."

"Should I call the new Governor General sloppy or decisive...?"

"The opposite would be far worse. A neurotic ruler is definitely not good for the country."

While they were talking, the ceremony continued steadily onscreen.

In truth, this video was not a live broadcast but a rerun of the event at 9am.

The same program should be airing on the televisions of ordinary households too.

The current time was 12:45, already past noon.

For the Suruga residents out in the streets, this was no longer news, but many people still stood to watch.

The reason was simple. Two beautiful girls shown together onscreen.

Rikka in military uniform was solemn and dignified.

The princess in juunihitoe was in a word, divine.

Both of them made such striking impressions that a single glance was enough to produce lasting memories.

Putting complicated reasons aside, the two of them definitely made quite an impact. This was thanks to the "glamor" of these two maidens and the magical power of the medium known as television.

(In fact, Shiori was wearing a non-standard juunihitoe with reduced fabric to allow her to walk unaided but anyway, it was no big deal.)

The camera was mostly focused on Shiori and Rikka.

In terms of screen time, the proportion was something like "40% new Governor General, 30% princess, and 30% everyone else."

"But what surprised me the most was this shot," Taisei pointed at the giant screen and remarked.

Unbelievably, next to the two noble beauties was Tachibana Masatsugu .

The Masatsugu onscreen was wearing his usual stiff-collar uniform with a military officer's overcoat on top. Instead of the black one he wore before, his overcoat was light blue in color except for the lapels and sleeves which were white.

A sheathed Japanese sword—the materialized Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada—was hanging at his waist...

A scrolling ticker at the bottom of the screen read:

'The knight in Princess Shiori's service, Lord Tachibana Masatsugu, is officially assuming his post as the Vice-Commander of the Shinsengumi, a newly created order of special operative knights, and taking command of the Tōkaidō knights—'

'Furthermore, the post of commander of this order is currently left vacant. Princess Shiori is expected to assume leadership as acting commander for the interim—'

The figure shown on the giant television was identical to the Masatsugu standing on a street corner.

Dressed in a light-blue overcoat on top of his stiff-collar student uniform, wearing a sword, he was standing there with a cool expression on his face. This attire was very conspicuous and attracted attention from many pedestrians. They looked at the live Masatsugu in amazement and compared him to the one on the giant screen.

Some people even stared at them and whispered among themselves.

These type of reactions were only going to increase from now on, so getting bothered would be pointless. To Masatsugu who was unfazed by his surroundings, his friend said in exasperation, "Why on earth did you have to meet me dressed like this...?"

"Don't mind me. I still have to go back and take part in the ceremony later and changing is too much of a hassle."

"You should be more mindful. But what a weird squad you have there. Why are you called the vice-commander when you're clearly the actual commanding officer? Her Highness Shiori's position of acting commander is simply honorary, right?"

How astute of Taisei. Masatsugu nodded and said, "You're right. Of course, I can't keep commanding the Tōkaidō provincial army as 'a knight in the princess' service' so that's why we set up an arbitrary squad and official post."

"By the way, I'm the captain of the first unit, even though there's only one unit and I'm the sole member♪"

"That's so Shinsengumi. But Masatsugu-kun, I heard a weird rumor."

"What rumor?"

"Everyone is saying your real identity is Hijikata Toshizō."

Masatsugu and Hatsune did not respond.

The purpose of naming the squad Shinsengumi and setting Masatsugu's post as the vice-commander was to reinforce the rumor. The Tōkaidō Fiefdom had decided to borrow the hero's name to enhance Tachibana Masatsugu's authority and reputation.

However, the friend who knew Masatsugu well had his doubts.

"Don't mind it. After all, it's easy for weird rumors to start during wartime."

"Is that really it?"

"Yeah. By the way, I'd like to sit down with you for a discussion about the school festival and the beauty contest. Just a little longer, and I'll be free enough to go to school. Remember to make time for it."

"You never change, Masatsugu-kun. So, by 'a while,' you mean—"

"Just as you suspect, I'll be extremely busy in the near future."

Masatsugu patted the hilt of Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada.

The showdown against Edward the Black Prince was drawing near and it was time for the trenchant blade to enter the stage.

"This is unbearable," Rikka murmured quietly. Only the princess beside her could hear her.

"Under the camera all the time, it is so uncomfortable."

"Be that as it may, Rikka-sama, you look honestly majestic... This has been an excellent inauguration. After this, things will be easier to deal with in various ways."

"Credit is definitely owed to you on this regard, Your Highness."

Princess Shiori praised Rikka, who smiled wryly in return.

Starting in the morning and continuing into the afternoon, the ceremony was winding down. They were currently having a "parade" in the city.

Together with her inner circle, the new Governor General was making rounds in Suruga City.

Naturally, they were not moving on foot. Instead, a double-decker bus served this purpose. The top story of the bus had no roof, making it a kind of open car. Due to traffic restrictions in Suruga City, the bus was able to move steadily through the roads without impediment, escorted by security vehicles on the side.

Rikka was standing at the center of the bus' top story, the most conspicuous location.

Dressed up in juunihitoe, Princess Shiori stood beside her.

This positioning was designed for PR purposes. The two girls smiled cheerfully at the citizens on the roadside, waving from time to time.

The whole show was intended to drum up a glamorous and lively atmosphere for the "new Governor General's inauguration."

Everywhere, the bus was greeted by crowds of Suruga residents cheering.

There were many people who had come in from the surrounding region too. Everything looked "joyous" on the surface, but considering the difficult situation facing the Tōkaidō Fiefdom, this was "mere bravado."

Nevertheless, this was good enough.

Having the energy to tend to matters of appearance was proof that they were not pushed to the edge.

(That reminds me, we are currently stuck in quite a troublesome position...)

Looking out at the Suruga streets from the bus, Rikka thought to herself.

The invading Restoration Alliance was not the only problem. The eastern Japanese fiefdoms have proven completely unreliable despite being fellow compatriots of Imperial Japan. However, if Tōkaidō were to depend on the Eastern Roman Empire as an ally, the great hero Caesar would "take over."

Amid the desperate situation, there were several elements for optimism.

The forsaken princess next to her, Fujinomiya Shiori, was served by a mysterious Resurrectee. She herself was also highly insightful and blessed with outstanding spiritual powers.

Purely from the perspective of a general, one would be hard pressed to find better talent than hers.

Unfortunately, in the ensuing game of power against either the Japanese imperial family or the various surrounding nations, it was impossible to say whether her highborn blood would prove to be a blessing or a curse...

Shiori was an unfathomable joker card, impossible to predict.

Under normal circumstances, such a card should never be retained in one's hand.

However, the Tōkaidō Fiefdom was currently in no position to pick and choose. Furthermore, there was Tachibana Masatsugu, an exceptional being known as a Resurrectee and reminiscent of her revered Hijikata Toshizō...

(Looks like all I can do is take a gamble.)

Rikka smiled to herself. She had no choice but to go all-in before all was lost. Ordinary measures were not going to reverse the unfavorable tide.

"Your Highness, I have already heard the gist of your strategy."

Rikka lowered her voice again so that only the princess next to her could hear.

"On the matter of Hakone, let us proceed as you have suggested."

"Is that so? Then—"

"Indeed, we will join forces with the Resurrectee whom Rome stationed in Tokyo and attack Hakone Checkpoint simultaneously from the east and the west. We of Tōkaidō will take control of the Hakone region on behalf of the incompetent Kantō Fiefdom and imperial palace officials..."

At this moment, the two of them reached a consensus.

They were not only going to expel the Restoration Alliance from Tōkaidō but also stage their own uprising, turning this crisis into an opportunity.

"Simply defeating the foes at hand will not solve the problem at the root. We might as well subjugate Kantō and Tokyo in one move to become Imperial Japan's number one faction—Indeed, it is futile unless we accomplish this much," Rikka declared quietly in a voice only audible to the princess.

### Part 5

That evening, after Akigase Rikka succeeded to her father's position...

The inauguration ceremony had run its course without issue, but not all events were over.

Relevant individuals were invited to a hotel in Suruga City to attend a party known as a convivial gathering.

However, the main stars for today had yet to arrive.

They were gathered at the center of the Suruga tutelary fort, on the roof of the forty-meter tall nation-protecting keep.

This included Akigase Rikka, Fujinomiya Shiori, Tachibana Masatsugu, and one more person.

"Oh my, Your Highness got changed?"

"Mobility is too restrictive in that attire, after all."

"What a shame. His Excellency has a great liking for that. He'll definitely be disappointed that he cannot see it in the flesh ."

This exchange was taking place between Shiori and Alexis Yang.

From an etiquette standpoint, Staff Officer Yang's behavior was highly inadvisable. He lacked clear respect for an allied nation's imperial princess, but not to the point of being annoying or infuriating.

Staff Officer Yang was presumably the type who made friends easily anywhere around the world.

His talent as a staff officer were unknown, but he was definitely a "useful" employee. In addition, he was a noetic master.

At this moment, Yang whistled.

The aquila retainer beast flying around the nation-protecting keep's roof—a giant eagle with a wingspan of four meters—squawked acutely in response.

"This is the fruit of my labors after possessing the retainer beast with my consciousness and making a special trip to Hong Kong. Behold, everyone."

No sooner had he spoken than a change occurred to Yang's body.

The outline of the ethnic Chinese and citizen of Eastern Rome in a military uniform gradually blurred and disappeared. Thirty seconds later, the blurry figure took on a new appearance.

It was a middle-aged man, dressed in the military attire of ancient Rome.

Staff Officer Yang had suddenly "transformed."

"Hello, Shiori. Been a while, hasn't it? The last I saw of you was at the garden party in Tokyo."

The middle-aged man smiled cheerfully, greeting her gallantly.

Masatsugu was secretly impressed. The man was eloquent and had a pleasing voice. Right off the bat, one could tell he was a first-rate orator.

Shiori walked over to him and bowed her head politely as a greeting.

"Yes, it has been a while. I apologize for my lapse in keeping touch, especially when Your Excellency has always taken special care of me."

"You are very welcome. Given our relationship, there is no need for you to be shy."

The man gave off an incredible impression. Although his hair was thinning out and he was not particularly tall in stature...

His face was well-proportioned while retaining an air of dignity and cordiality—

"You should be well aware that I, Julius Caesar, am a champion for the ladies and an arrogant knave who makes fools out of other men. How could a couple of months' absence possibly dent our friendship?"

In his distinctive manner of speaking, the man introduced his name.

Caesar was the man whose name became cognate to "emperor." A rare conqueror from history was now standing before Masatsugu's eyes.

...This was probably a miracle made possible by noetics.

Receiving the noesis from the great generalissimo in distant Hong Kong, Alexis Yang summoned Julius Caesar's astral projection to the land of Suruga to possess his body...

Who would have thought that even appearances could change?

Masatsugu was deeply impressed.

Caesar spoke to the other beauty present, "Greetings to you, Governor General of Tōkaidō. I have had the pleasure of meeting your father on a number of occasions, but tonight is our first encounter... To be honest, not only is this a blessing for public wellbeing but I am personally also very pleased."

Turning to Akigase Rikka, Caesar smiled cordially.

"I am well aware of the Suruga tutelary fort's valiant efforts and predicament. Rising to the occasion as the Governor General in a time of crisis definitely demonstrates extraordinary military talent and ability. Furthermore, you are a beautiful young maiden, which makes you a potential ally whom I could not welcome more."

Praising the beauty of ladies at every opportunity, perhaps this was one of Caesar's talents.

In addition, he extended his right hand, trying to enact the ancient Roman custom of "handshaking." This shameless move was surprisingly fitting for the man named Caesar.

Rikka smiled wryly and shook hands, apparently thinking the same thing.

However, Rikka had prepared her own agenda, as expected of House Akigase's Chevalier princess.

"By alliance, you are alluding to a concerted attack on Hakone from the east and the west, aren't you?"

"Naturally, it extends beyond Hakone. Since the problem has arisen, we should all cooperate until the rebellion of the Restoration Alliance is taken care of."

"We of Tōkaidō would be extremely grateful for that."

"To be honest, I would like to stay longer in Suruga, but this noetic technique is most likely cannot be sustained for too long. Nevertheless, in two week's time... No, ten days, I shall be able to return to Japan. I am already making arrangements on this front."

Caesar promised with his hand on his chest.

"While I am still here, let us have a good discussion on how to conquer Hakone."

"On this subject... We believe it would be best if we were to capture Hakone before your arrival, Your Excellency."

"Oh? Meaning I don't get a chance to be under the spotlight?"

"I have heard Her Highness Shiori recount Your Excellency's siege methods from the Gallic Wars. However—"

In various siege battles in the past, Caesar had demonstrated extraordinary use of strategy and tactics.

Through clever deployment of the Roman army, he captured castles and fortresses one after another despite attacking defensive forces far greater than his own in numbers. Rikka said to this siege expert, "I believe it would be for the best if Julius Caesar did not enter the stage."

"Would you care to elaborate?"

"It is exceedingly simple, Your Excellency. It would take you at least ten days before you stepped foot in Japan. If we were to waste such a lengthy amount of time, I fear the sleeping lion shall rise again."

Tachibana Masatsugu had defeated Richard the Lionheart.

Currently, that impulsive man was laying low simply because he lacked troops.

By the time Caesar arrived in Japan after ten days—The Escalibors would have recovered almost completely, which was why Rikka had suggested a quick offensive.

Naturally, taking precautions against the Lionheart was only a pretext. Rikka had ulterior considerations too.

The true motive was that the credit of capturing Hakone must not go to Caesar alone.

"Hmm..."

Caesar gazed at Rikka. He was not only a womanizer but also a hero and strategist with a lifetime of experience.

He must have seen through the Tōkaidō Fiefdom's calculations in no time at all. Still—Masatsugu was quite confident.

Caesar was not going to refuse this suggestion.

The fact that he had sent his direct staff officer to them indicated that he believed the Tōkaidō Fiefdom had value to offer, especially the rare talents of the personnel at Suruga. Most importantly, news of Tachibana Masatsugu had already reached his ears...

"Governor General... No, may I address you as Rikka-dono?" Caesar asked unexpectedly.

Rikka immediately consented, "Yes, no problem."

"Excellent, Rikka-dono. You make a good point and I would like to go along with it. However... Will you be alright?"

"What do you mean by that, Your Excellency?"

"From what I have heard, Prince Edward is rather skilled in his methods. Needless to say, my side shall provide assistance as much as possible, but to capture Hakone within ten days—"

"Indeed, this is a difficult trial, Lord Caesar. However..." Shiori finally spoke. With a gorgeous smile, there was calm confidence hidden in her tone of voice.

"If a trial of this magnitude were beyond our ability to surmount, how could we even dream of fighting alongside the armies of Julius Caesar...? It would be utter hubris."

"I see. Yes, you are indeed correct."

Shiori's grand speech was also satirizing the Japanese imperial family and the Kantō Fiefdom.

Caesar nodded casually, winking in a very charming manner. These humorous and mischievous antics were very much in the style of a handsome ancient Roman man.

"Dear comrades, since you insist on friendship with independent spirit, I shall accept your goodwill... One more thing, by the way."

Finally—The main event.

Caesar slowly turned his gaze to Masatsugu and Masatsugu looked back at him firmly. The two great Resurrectees looked each other in the eye, their gazes meeting for the very first time.

"You are Hijikata Toshizō, yes?"

"Some people call me that... But this isn't a question I should answer."

"Hohohoho. What a very clever response."

The very symbol of emperors and heroes, Caesar, smirked in delight, then asked another question.

"I believe you are the one in actual command here. May I ask if you are confident?"

"I can only say I'll do my best. This is the one thing I can assert with certainty."

Compared to the great hero before his eyes, who knew how much renown for valor was there in Tachibana Masatsugu's name?

It was anyone's guess at the moment, but renown was irrelevant once they stepped upon the battlefield. Only the powerful, the fortunate, or the intelligent were capable of winning victories.

That was simply the nature of war. Entrenched in this mindset, Masatsugu said, "Rather than competing for honor and achievement on the same battlefield as the famous hero Lord Caesar, fighting alone allows me to focus on the showdown against the Black Prince. Please look forward to the result."

"Hahahaha! Very well, I shall place my faith in these words of yours!"

It was times up for the noetic technique.

The ancient Roman hero's figure gradually faded away, turning back into Staff Officer Yang in his military uniform.

This was the first encounter between history's most famous hero and the nameless general.

### 039. Chapter 4 - The Hakone Siege

### Part 1

"How peculiar."

This was meant to be a serious comment, but Wei Qing spoke in a rather carefree manner.

On the east side of Hakone was the first tutelary fort, Seiryuu Gate. Wei Qing had just witnessed the appearance of the ifrit guarding this place.

It was November 16th on Sunday morning, just as dawn was breaking.

"I never thought I'd ever encounter such a 'monster' on the battlefield," muttered Wei Qing.

Hakone's sky and mountains had acquired a rosy glow from the morning sun's rays.

The ancient Chinese general was flying in the sky over Hakone Yumoto.

He was riding a silver wyvern—The Eastern Roman military's flying retainer beast. This was virtually the same as what he had done in an age before the Common Era, riding across battlefields as a general on his trusty steed.

However, his attire was still a robe instead of a modern military uniform.

"The fortification walls are merely decoration. So that kind of monster is the real fortress here... Just as I've heard," Wei Qing remarked with poignancy.

He was currently near the Hakone Yumoto station, in the mountains a couple kilometers to the south.

This was the location of a star fort and nation-protecting keep, known as Seiryuu Gate, Hakone's first tutelary fort. In the sky over the nation-protecting keep, a strange monster had manifested.

It was a shining golden dragon, seventy meters in body length—

Imperial Japan's ifrits usually had a giant magic circle behind their back, but this golden dragon's gigantic body had an equally huge set of three eyes behind it.

The giant eyeballs were the manifestation of the powerful spirit from Britain, Morgan le Fay.

Examining the golden dragon's face closely, one would also notice a third eye had been added to the forehead area...

Next.

The three-eyed golden dragon roared thrice.

ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!

A noesis barrier in the form of a shining golden dome covered the first tutelary fort Seiryuu Gate and the golden dragon.

"A golden dragon capable of creating a wall of light... And it has three eyes too, huh?"

For a Chinese general like Wei Qing, the dragon was supposed to be a mythical beast familiar to him.

However, Wei Qing smiled wryly at the encounter with this overly adorned "dragon."

Someone spoke up to this Resurrectee, "A merged divinity composed of Seiryuu, Suzaku, Byakko, and Genbu—According to information provided by the Kantō Fiefdom, that thing is apparently called the Four Gods."

Flying next to Wei Qing, a giant eagle had opened its beak.

This was an aquila, a Roman military retainer beast in the form of a bird with a wingspan of almost four meters. It was speaking with the voice of Staff Officer Alexis Yang of the Roman army.

"This rare treasure was wasted the whole time because Japan lacked a spirit and a Chevalier capable of controlling it. Looks like it's been collared by the leader of the British forces!"

"Ah, you mean the Black Prince of rumor?"

Staff Officer Yang was physically lying down in the barracks of the Suruga tutelary fort this instant.

After being told that Wei Qing was attacking Seiryuu Gate, he had possessed the eagle retainer beast with his consciousness and flown to Hakone to observe the battle, so as to inform the Suruga side and Rome's generalissimo of the battle's process.

The ancient Chinese general also consented to Staff Officer Yang's presence.

"Resurrected in the modern world and my first major battle turns out to be against that kind of monster—Looks like my luck has never been good," Wei Qing continued to converse with a wry smile.

Taken literally, his words sounded like complaining. However, his carefree attitude was brilliantly balanced while his tone was calm and confident, causing none of what he had said to produce any negative impression.

Only a man who had abundant experience in both honor and hardship would be able to attain such a level of enlightenment.

"First, let us attack using the method seen on recorded video previously."

"What do you mean by that, General?"

"I am going to use exactly the same tactics as the Black Prince had employed."

"I see. So in other words, a frontal assault using a Resurrectee's Chevalier Strength of over a thousand to summon a great army to capture the four tutelary forts in sequence along the four cardinal directions, right?"

Such brute force tactics were impossible without an unusually large army.

As the one who suggested a bold and dignified approach to battle as befitted a king, Wei Qing's Chevalier Strength reached 1051, a powerful force living up to his historical rank of "generalissimo."

Odawarajou was the Kantō tutelary fort nearest to Hakone. From there, Wei Qing mobilized with an army of a thousand.

"...Centuriae, please prepare to attack as I have just described."

Wei Qing's tone sounded more like a request than an order.

The army under his command was composed of the Eastern Roman Empire's mainstay Legion type, the Centuria.

The Centuriae raised their bayonet rifles and aimed at the enemy position.

Less than eight meters tall, the Roman Legions were not particularly large in build. They were outfitted with crested helmets and silver chain mail with a large rectangular shields in one hand. A single glance at their warlike appearance was enough to tell that they were "soldiers."

They were adorned all over by red fabric. The decorative wings on their backs were especially distinctive.

The Centuriae formed an encircling force. The dome-shaped noesis barrier of the Four Gods was surrounded by the silver-white Roman army over all 360 degrees.

This was a donut-style encircling formation with a hole in the center.

"What an amusing sight. The generalissimo with allegiance to the Han Dynasty yet commanding purely occidental Legions."

Staff Officer Yang commented from the eagle retainer beast he was possessing and Wei Qing agreed with a smile.

The type of Legion summoned by a Resurrectee was determined by which sacred beast had brought them back to the living world .

Wei Qing had been summoned from the underworld by the twin silver wolves of Remus and Romulus—in other words, the sacred beast entity that the Empire's founder, Caesar, had brought to East Asia from the Mediterranean.

Wei Qing issued orders without haste.

"Begin the attack to thoroughly penetrate the wall created by the Four Gods. Puncture and demolish it."

The Roman army kept firing scorching beams from their rifles.

Heat and shock struck the Four Gods' noesis barrier violently in volleys without interruption.

The focused barrage continued for around ten minutes.

However, the noesis barrier remained unscathed. Let alone a hole, it did not even suffer the slightest visible damage.

The first tutelary fort Seiryuu Gate's three-eyed golden dragon was in equally good condition—

After firing continuously for an extended duration, the Centuriae were exhausted, having consumed a fair amount of ectoplasmic fluid. Wei Qing ordered them to stop firing and take a breather.

"Using the same tactic, the Black Prince had effortlessly crushed the four strongholds' defenses. Unfortunately, it doesn't work against the Four Gods, so this will be troublesome."

The handsome Resurrectee was speaking in his unique carefree attitude.

His voice did not sound too troubled. Through the aquila's beak, Staff Officer Yang gave his opinion as a noetic master.

"This noesis barrier's hardness must be extraordinary for it to survive focused fire from a large army. Perhaps by gathering the four ifrits' noetic energy in one place, an especially sturdy barrier is formed!"

"Living up to its name as an impregnable fortress. Impressive."

No sooner had Wei Qing spoken, something happened at the noesis barrier covering the first tutelary fort.

The giant dome, two or three kilometers in diameter, erupted with intense sparks from all over its surface—

'Meteorological decree... Activate. Shining spear, bring forth death.'

An adorable girl's voice resounded in the sky.

Naturally, this was a mantra recited by the genie Morrigan.

The noesis barrier covering the first tutelary fort began to release electricity, sending giant bolts of lightning outwards to swallow the thousand Centuriae gathered in the surroundings.

"Isn't this firepower way too crazy!?"

"Centuriae, please deploy your barriers."

The merged divinity of the Four Gods had released incredibly powerful lightning on a massive scale. Even a "noetic expert" like Alexis Yang was extremely shocked.

However, Wei Qing remained unfazed and issued orders calmly.

The Centuriae deployed protective barrier particles, glowing white while their mystical properties took effect to neutralize external attacks.

The denser the formation of Legions, the greater the effects of the protective barrier—

Over a thousand strong, Wei Qing's Centuriae did not fear the suddenly incoming meteorological decree at all. The mystical effects of the barrier particles enabled them to survive the onslaught without casualties.

After the electrical discharge, the noesis barrier vanished unexpectedly.

Taking its place, a large force of black British Legions—roughly four hundred of them—appeared in the sky over the nation-protecting keep at the center of the first tutelary fort. These Legions were not ordinary Crusades.

They were the Knights of the Garter, the personal guard of Edward the Black Prince.

The Garter Knights divided up into four squads of a hundred. Each squad entered a square wall formation to occupy the positions east, south, west, and north of the tutelary fort...

Wei Qing murmured, "I see now. So this is the enemy's intent."

Every black knight was equipped with a longbow, nocked with an arrow of light, aimed outward.

"Outward" from the arrows of light were the thousand Centuriae surrounding the tutelary fort. With enemies in every direction, any random shot would hit a target. Positioned at each of the four cardinal directions, the Garter Knights had all 360 degrees covered.

As expected, the four squads of Garter Knights began to attack with arrows.

Furthermore, their weapons were magic projectiles of guaranteed death—

"That's Prince Edward's Feat of Arms!"

"The English longbow, isn't it? I have heard that its firepower is extraordinary..."

The Centuriae deployed their protective barriers.

However, these barriers were completely useless. The barrier particles, supposed to neutralize attacks, could not stop the arrows from penetrating the Centuriae's silver armor deeply.

Many Centuriae hastily raised their shields.

The heavy shields just managed to block the arrows, saving many of the silver Legions.

Those who failed to raise their shields in time were pierced directly in their vitals, crashing to the ground, dead...

The four hundred Garter Knights kept drawing their bows to fire.

From drawing the bow to loosing the arrow, the whole process only took five to ten seconds. They were amazingly skilled and experienced and kept firing in succession. The Roman encircling force, originally holding the upper hand, were now "sitting ducks."

Staff Officer Yang could not help but say, "General! Hurry and order the Centuriae to hide behind their shields—"

"No, it is futile. The Centuriae's shields probably won't last for long." Wei Qing rejected Staff Officer Yang's advice decisively and said, "Centuriae, please attack instead of defending. The soldiers in front should try to shield your comrades behind you as much as possible."

A minute or so went by...

The nightmarish English longbow continued to slaughter them.

In merely a minute—only sixty seconds—102 Centuriae had been shot dead. This number had reached 10% of the thousand Roman Legions.

However, under Wei Qing's command, the Centuriae kept their enemy encircled the whole time.

Enduring the rain of arrows, they raised their rifles again and pulled the trigger, trying to shoot back in retaliation.

They targeted the first tutelary fort and the longbow-wielding Garter Knights entrenched inside.

The enemy had disengaged the noesis barrier to allow the firing of arrows.

Logically speaking, the Centuriae's counterattack ought to inflict heavy damage. But unexpectedly, the dome of noetic energy was redeployed with perfect timing just before the attack. In control of the Four Gods, the powerful British spirit Morrigan had read the Centuriae's movements accurately.

Just before the barrier went up, the black knights also lowered their longbows.

The Black Prince in command of the longbowmen truly lived up to his name as a master general. He was fully aware of his supporting spirit's intentions and achieved perfect tacit coordination of offense and defense.

Facing the tutelary fort whose barrier was deployed again, Wei Qing said, "Oh dear, this is truly..."

Reduced to roughly nine hundred, the Centuriae continued to surround the enemy.

The Roman army resumed their volley fire, but the noesis barrier was rock solid. As soon as the focused barrage stopped, the British side retaliated mercilessly again—

The noesis barrier released a massive lightning attack in all directions.

All Centuriae were paralyzed by the electrical shock. The enemy instantly disengaged the noesis barrier to allow the four hundred Garter Knights to ready their longbows and fire in succession...

After sixty seconds, Wei Qing lost another hundred Centuriae.

The Roman army's efforts to strike back were futile as the enemy had redeployed the noesis barrier again.

"At this rate, the siege battle is just going to repeat itself. My army will be wiped out in less than a day."

Only twenty minutes after the battle began, the army of Centuriae had already lost two hundred troops.

Witnessing the casualties, General Wei Qing simply gave a light sigh and did not sound like he was lamenting at all.

Quietly, he said, "With the enemy shutting themselves within the noesis barrier, there is no way for my army to break through from outside."

"You probably won't find another noesis barrier this durable elsewhere in the entire world. Why not withdraw for now and think of another strategy?"

"Then we might as well retreat back to Odawarajou."

"Huh?"

The aquila retainer beast was an eagle in form. In other words, a bird of prey.

However, Staff Officer Yang's stupefied voice coming from its beak did not suit its majestic image as a fierce bird of prey at all. In contrast, the handsome man from the Han Empire retained a cool and gentle demeanor and said with a smile, "We already know that the fortress is truly 'impregnable.' There is no need to attack now ."

"...Ah, I see."

The reason why Staff Officer Yang was fortunate enough to serve Generalissimo Caesar directly was not because of outstanding abilities in strategy.

Bluntly stated, he was mediocre in this regard. Caesar merely found him convenient as "an intelligence officer with noetic skills." Still, he was a staff officer after all.

With Wei Qing's hint, he finally understood the intent.

Staff Officer Yang concluded in his mind, What an unfathomable man...

Family name Wei. Given name Qing. Style name Zhongqing.

Since his birth mother was renowned as a beauty and attracted many lovers, Wei Qing's father was unknown. The government official claiming to be his father took him in as a servant, treating him no better than a slave since childhood.

The man who might have been his father made the young Wei Qing herd sheep.

Spending his days with a flock of sheep in the mountains, Wei Qing lived a life on horseback, herding livestock. One day, a chance to travel to the capital of Chang'an came unexpectedly. His long-absent elder sister had summoned him.

Employed in a rich and powerful household, the elder sister had the good fortune of encountering the emperor and becoming his beloved concubine .

Indeed, the emperor. Not just any emperor but Emperor Wu whose reign established the height of the Western Han Dynasty's supremacy. Thus, the "younger brother of the emperor's beloved concubine" began his rise in position and authority.

However, perhaps due to his humble beginnings...

General Wei Qing kept a low profile for his entire life, unwilling to attract attention.

"He is clearly a Resurrectee whose, Chevalier Strength exceeds 1000," said the simulacrum of the spirit Morrigan in puzzlement.

The doll was figure-size and stood thirty centimeters tall. Dressed in a sailor outfit, she was sitting on Edward's shoulder.

"In the end, he retreated so easily. Is he unused to siege battles?"

"Possibly, but even so, he is still an experienced warrior."

The confidence brought by victory made Edward smile.

He was riding a British white wyvern, flying leisurely in the sky over Hakone Yumoto. Previously cooped up in the noesis barrier, he was especially delighted for the chance to fly freely now.

"What do you mean, Prince?"

"Basically, effective siege tactics boil down to only two types . And neither of them are instantly effective. Given this dearth of choice, no matter which tactics are considered, all of them require foolishly sending troops to their deaths..."

Edward thought back to the distant Middle Ages and the wars he had taken part in.

"How about examining the battles of Crécy and Poitiers where our English longbows slaughtered the French armies...? Contemplate the extent of their folly."

The Feat of Arms—Archers of Crécy—had the ability to turn the Black Prince's knights into longbowmen.

Everyone knew that this ability originated from a textbook example of skillful longbow deployment.

The defeated French army had centered their tactics around "knights."

Knights, or heavy cavalry in other words. French knights rode their steeds gallantly across the battlefield to charge the English army that had set up their formation on a hill.

English longbowmen countered by firing a rain of arrows.

The French knights who braved the chaotic hail of arrows to reach the English position were greeted with ditches and pits ahead of them. On the other hand, the English knights dismounted voluntarily to ambush the enemy as infantry.

As a result, the English won an overwhelming victory at the Battle of Crécy.

At the Battle of Poitiers ten years later, the ditches and pits were replaced by a protective hedge.

In both of these great battles, the reason for the French defeats was the same. Essentially, "French knights charging recklessly into the English army's secured position."

"By the way, there was a similar fight in Japan. I believe it was called the Battle of Nagashino."

"Whether firearms or English longbows, one must exercise caution in attacking when the enemy possesses powerful projectile weapons."

Saying that, Edward grinned.

The enemy's intention to fight a protracted battle could be surmised from the the fact that the Roman general of unknown name and face had retreated here.

However, the British side was fully prepared.

For the past two months, the Restoration Alliance—no, the British Imperial Forces—had made various preparations to establish a reliable foundation to invade Kantō. This included securing supply lines to an impeccable extent.

That was why the British had not aggressively launched a "surprise assault on Tokyo."

"Now then, what will be your next move, Tachibana-dono...?"

The Black Prince knew the alias and appearance of the enemy general at Suruga.

Fully prepared to face any attack, Edward wondered what measures Tachibana Masatsugu would take. With these thoughts in his mind, he could hardly suppress the excitement naturally rising in his heart.

### Part 2

"This is a video recording... of the battle at Hakone's Seiryuu Gate yesterday."

Reportedly, General Wei Qing had attacked Hakone before withdrawing very decisively.

Present at his side, Alexis Yang had used noetics to record the whole battle as a video.

The specialist in charge of replaying the video was Fujinomiya Shiori. This princess was currently the Tōkaidō Fiefdom's "Saiguu."

The group had traveled to the Fuji tutelary fort to hold a war council.

Apart from Odawarajou, Fuji was the tutelary fort nearest to Hakone. The new Tōkaidō provincial army's higher-ups and elite troops had finally gone to the frontier in order to keep their "promise" to the neighboring nation's generalissimo.

Attendees included the new Governor General, Akigase Rikka.

Also present was the "rising star" Tachibana Hatsune, whose Chevalier Strength was already 72 at the young age of sixteen.

Then there was Tachibana Masatsugu himself.

Tachibana Masatsugu was an alias, but no one knew his true name yet.

Recently, people have been secretly referring to him with another name. Everyone called him Imperial Japan's hero, Hijikata Toshizō.

Due to this, Masatsugu was given a squad with the flashy name of "Shinsengumi." Of course, since he was not very interested in his "real identity," this did not pose much of a problem.

"Even a three-eyed dragon came out to drive away a thousand Legions... I've never seen something so powerful at any tutelary fort I've been to." Sitting next to Masatsugu, the little sister gave her opinion.

Everyone present was sitting at a round wooden table.

The table was large enough to sit over twenty people, so the group gathered together in the middle.

Other Chevaliers and officers were going to join later, but before that, the "new Tōkaidō Governor General and her closest advisers" were having a meeting first.

"I never knew Japan had such powerful defenses."

"No one had the ability to control it, so it has been sitting there unused for a long time," Shiori replied to Hatsune's comment with a sigh.

Incidentally, Hatsune was still dressed in Haikara-san style despite her new post as captain of the Shinsengumi's first unit.

"Forty years ago, the situation between western Japan and the Kantō Fiefdom was very tense. As a precaution against attacks from western Japan, they devised a plan to strengthen Hakone Checkpoint's fortifications. Back then, the first Empress, Her Majesty Himiko, prayed to Lord Tenryuu and received the enchanted ritual of the Four Gods Union."

Sacred beasts were godlike existences.

They would generously grant "mystical blessings" in response to prayers from their consorts or descendants.

In this manner, various countries in the world obtained mystic powers such as Legions or ifrits.

Hence, women who had inherited the blood of sacred beasts were put on a pedestal as royalty or imperial families, forming a class enjoying the highest of privileges—They were treated as "princesses."

However, Masatsugu had previously learned from Shiori.

The price for these "prayers" was one's lifespan. These princesses consumed much of their lives in every case. Who knew what price had been paid in order to seal the Four Gods of Hakone?

"By the way, Princess, about that Roman general," Hatsune asked curiously. "Why did he retreat immediately? It's true that Hakone's guardian deity was very powerful, but he probably could've lasted longer..."

"As it is right now, Hakone is impossible to breach from any direction."

Well-versed in military strategy, Shiori swiftly gave an answer.

"Presumably, he believes there is a more effective method than recklessly assaulting the fortress."

"There's something like that!? Then why don't we use the same method to—"

"Unfortunately, that is impossible."

Hatsune's expression was full of optimism, but the Saiguu of Tōkaidō rained on her parade.

"In truth, even famed generals did not have many means available to them when it came to conducting siege warfare. If I may put it in extreme terms, there are no more than two methods. One is to rely on specialized equipment to overcome moats and fortifications..."

"And the other is to starve the enemy of supplies, right?" Rikka revealed the second solution. "You are quite correct, Your Highness. Tachibana, did you know? Since ancient times, sieges have always been time-consuming affairs, which is why 'holding a castle' is especially effective."

As one would expect from a seasoned veteran, Rikka knew this very well.

In fact, she had personally held the Suruga tutelary fort for over a month.

"By focusing on defense while waiting for external reinforcements when the enemy attacks, defenders in many cases were able to reverse an initially unfavorable situation."

"Oh right. I've heard 'two years of siege' before..."

"General Wei Qing's choice is precisely the use of starvation tactics." Now that Hatsune understood, Shiori said to her, "His victories in his past life were all won against the Xiongnu tribes. The Xiongnu people were fierce equestrians who dominated the lands to the north and to the west of China."

At this juncture, Shiori inexplicably sneaked a glance at Masatsugu.

Rather than motioning to him with her eyes, she had simply shifted her gaze involuntarily.

"Since the Xiongnu were nomadic tribes who followed their herds and did not build towns or castles, naturally, General Wei Qing should have virtually no experience in besieging fortifications."

"No wonder he chose starvation tactics instead... But we definitely can't do that."

"Indeed, Lord Caesar is set to arrive in Japan eight days later... It is impossible to sever the British supply lines and starve them within this time frame."

"Then what about the other method? Like using equipment to breach a castle."

"During ancient and medieval times, there were battering rams, catapults, or even trump cards such as structural engineering or explosives... But there are no such equivalents in the modern world."

"After all, tutelary forts are protected mainly by ifrits and Legions."

Shiori sighed and Rikka concurred wistfully.

"Ultimately, only Legions can oppose Legions. The attacking side needs to outnumber the defenders three to one, so assembling a great army is part of the basics of siege warfare. However, exactly how many Legions would be needed to attack a tutelary fort that stood up to a thousand Centuriae...?"

Perhaps everything that needed to be said had been said.

The ladies naturally sealed their lips and stopped talking. Silence descended upon the scene. They were not in deep thought, instead, it was the heavy atmosphere of helplessness.

After a good amount of time, Masatsugu finally spoke up. He knew it was his turn to share his view—

"I've thought of several ways to attack Hakone."

"Really, Onii-sama!?"

"Yes. Some of them are feasible while others are quite challenging. We definitely don't have much time... But there is still some leeway."

Hatsune's eyes brightened up. Masatsugu offered her reassurance then proceeded to speak indifferently as always.

"My idea will be taking form in the next few days. You'll need to help me out too."

"Yes, no problem!"

"Masatsugu-dono, could you enlighten us regarding your solution?"

Masatsugu's calm tone was extraordinarily effective.

Rikka recovered her usual dignity and imposing presence and asked Masatsugu about his battle plan.

"Of course, we must first feign intentions to cut off Hakone's supply lines to conceal our aim for a quick showdown. Also, Princess, please act as a liaison together with that Staff Officer Yang to maintain close communications with the Roman army."

"Roman army? You mean the force stationed at Odawarajou, Masatsugu-dono?"

"Yes. That General Wei Qing... is quite a useful man."

Masatsugu assessed Wei Qing's ability very clearly and decisively.

Frankly speaking, the strategy displayed in Wei Qing's first battle was less than satisfactory. Trying to find the most suitable method in the heat of the moment was admittedly commendable, but unimpressive. Wei Qing had not demonstrated competence as befitted a famous general.

However, his "plain" and "disappointing" qualities were terrifying.

Masatsugu even went as far as to conclude that these traits were what made the Resurrectee, General Wei Qing, truly valuable, no less than the magnificence of Prince Edward or the untamed nature of Richard I—

Assuming Wei Qing had chosen the most unassuming tactic on purpose...

Then he would be a man to be depended on.

"The greatest issue here is that I need a full resupply."

Shiori and Hatsune shuddered as soon as they heard the word "resupply."

The special method for providing Tachibana Masatsugu with ectoplasmic fluid was a secret only privy to those two girls.

Rikka was puzzled, so Masatsugu revealed his secret candidly to clear up the new Tōkaidō Governor General's doubts.

After listening to the explanation, Rikka was uncharacteristically flustered, her entire face turned bright red.

"I-In other words, Masatsugu-dono, your ectoplasmic fluid comes from Her Highness and Tachibana?"

"Exactly."

"O-Obtaining warmth through skin contact?"

"Indeed."

"As princess and knight, or siblings in name, you are engaging in such scandalous behavior!?"

"Yes. However, I am loath to increase the princess and Hatsune's burdens any further. Because of that, I've come up with an alternative solution."

"!? What do you mean by that, Masatsugu-sama!?"

"Y-You don't need the princess or my help anymore!?"

"If we do it my way, maybe I won't need to trouble you two again."

Shiori and Hatsune jumped in shock, questioning Masatsugu in a panic. After replying to them calmly, Masatsugu gazed upon Rikka's beautiful face.

The alternative solution required approval from her, the new Governor General.

"Rikka-dono—"

"M-Masatsugu-dono, don't tell me you would like.."

"Indeed. That is exactly what I'm suggesting. Please give me your consent."

"I-Isn't this too early to discuss!? I-I need to prepare myself mentally first. Even if you are the one requesting it, I am hard pressed to agree straight away...!"

Rikka cried out emotionally, turning her head away in embarrassment.

She could no longer bear Masatsugu's straightforward and sincere gaze.

How rare to see such a reaction from a hero among women. One could hardly blame her. Masatsugu's request was far too abrupt.

However, there was no other way. Masatsugu bowed his head and pleaded in earnest.

"Please. Those Chevaliers of the Tōkaidō Fiefdom—Allow me to take ectoplasmic fluid from them."

"...Huh?"

For some reason, Rikka was rendered speechless. She was so surprised that she could not speak.

"From the knights... serving my fiefdom?"

"Yes. Previously, I had no one to turn to except for the princess and Hatsune, but the situation is different now. We have gained many Chevaliers."

"Masatsugu-sama, it is true that we have more Chevaliers now, but please note that they are all men!"

The demure and dignified Shiori was inexplicably shaken too.

"A-Are you telling me that you will be doing that with men too!?"

"Of course. If I rely on them, resupplying will be much easier. Besides, with ten-odd strong and healthy men—"

Masatsugu had not forgotten that he was to blame for imposing a heavy burden on the young and frail Shiori.

"If I use them to resupply, I won't have to worry about health burdens."

"Denied, Onii-sama! That's way too obscene, even though I'd like to watch too!"

"Hatsune is correct. As your liege, I absolutely forbid it!"

This secret technique for making dramatic comebacks was the linchpin to conquering Hakone.

However, the princess and the little sister were raising their voices harshly, chiding him to stop. Their ally—Akigase Rikka—was frozen in shock, unable to close her gaping mouth.

### Part 3

After Masatsugu told Rikka about the secret of resupply, followed by the war council as scheduled...

He went to the seaside.

This was Fuji City's port of Tagonoura and also the same location he had visited twenty days ago. Last time, he staged a disturbance here to rescue three Chevaliers who had been captured by the British...

The sun was gradually setting in the west.

Under the rays of dusk, there was an indescribable sense of beauty in the evening view of Suruga Bay.

However, Masatsugu did not come here to enjoy the scenery.

"This is the British ship, right? Jingle bell or something."

"I remember the ship is named the Tintagel ."

Masatsugu was chatting with Hatsune, who was driving.

At the pier of Tagonoura, a large foreign military ship was moored.

The destroyer Tintagel —When the Tōkaidō army retook Fuji City from the Restoration Alliance, they not only captured British soldiers in the city but also this ship at the port.

The ship's total length was 183m with a loaded displacement of 15 thousand tons.

Rather than a streamlined military vessel, it bore a greater resemblance to minimalist and avant-garde Scandinavian furniture. However, Masatsugu had heard that this was the result of applying designs for stealth.

The power source was a fluid reactor making use of artificial ectoplasmic fluid.

To some extent, a fluid reactor replicated some of the functions of a water shrine.

Usable as a mobile base of operations for winged giant soldiers, this ship could be called a kind of aircraft carrier.

"Why did you come all the way here, Onii-sama?"

"I was a little curious after hearing its name mentioned during the war council. There's a chance it might come in handy."

"It'd be pretty cool to sail on this ship to attack Hakone Checkpoint."

"Definitely, if only Hakone were located by the sea."

"Isn't Lake Ashi a kind of sea...? I heard they have rainbow trout and smelt there."

"There's also black bass, but it's a pure freshwater lake that's completely cut off from the sea."

The British ship was supposed to be off limits, but Masatsugu asked the guarding infantry to open the boarding gate. This could be considered one of the privileges afforded to Chevaliers.

Chatting casually, the siblings strolled around in the ship.

The deck. The helicopter hangar. The steerage section in the ship. The multi-purpose hall. The mess hall. The kitchen. The recreation room. The shower room. The sick bay—

They did not encounter a single Tōkaidō soldier, much less anyone British.

The ship was completely deserted after being sealed off. Inside the sick bay, where there was no one else, Hatsune said, "The ship should be able to move once the fluid reactor is switched on... As for stuff like weapons control and enemy detection, they can't be used without a spirit's power, right?"

"Looks like it. This is also Morgan le Fay's doing too."

The destroyer Tintagel was the British Empire's cutting-edge military ship.

Its anti-air weapons control system was linked to the genie managing the ship, thus conferring mystic power upon the ship's artillery.

Including weapons control, all noetic systems had been securely sealed.

According to the analysis of Tōkaidō noetic officers, this was probably done by the spirit managing the ship, Morgan le Fay.

Reportedly, even accessing important information from the ship's database was impossible.

Putting aside the Black Prince and the Lionheart, it was quite surprising to find out that the British had such powerful forces lying in ambush.

Once again, Masatsugu was confronted with the enemy's strength.

"By the way, Onii-sama, were you serious about what you said earlier?"

Hatsune asked suddenly.

"B-Basically, taking ectoplasmic fluid from men!"

"Totally serious. Who would joke around with something like that?"

Masatsugu objected calmly as usual, but the little sister spoke awkwardly, a far cry from her usual cheerfulness. "But, this means—having s-skin contact with men, to warm your body... How do I say this? Don't your find this kind of behavior off-putting at all!?"

"Hmm, nope."

"Ehhh!?"

"Just think of visiting the arctic. When taking on the harsh chill of extreme winters, huddling together with comrades for warmth is very normal behavior. Gender is irrelevant."

"Even naked men hugging together!?"

"I don't mind stripping for the sake of necessity."

"Stop sounding like an actress, okay? U-Umm, Onii-sama, has this ever occurred to you? What if a man gets attracted to you after experiencing skin contact and develops feelings for you...?"

"You mean a man falling in love with me?"

Masatsugu stared at Hatsune solemnly, causing the little sister to put on a fake smile in a rare moment.

"J-Just hypothetically, okay? But Onii-sama, no matter how bold you are, I'm sure you must feel a little resistant against this kind of thing..."

"Nope, actually it's fine."

"Huh?"

Hatsune exclaimed with a stupid voice and Masatsugu spoke haltingly, "Even if the other party is male, as long as the feelings are sincere—I'd still consider seriously whether to accept or not. In the end, mutual love is not out of the question..."

"Onii-sama, you don't have a problem with falling in love with a man!?"

"I can't say for certain since I don't have that kind of experience. Now that I think about it, since I've lost my past memories. If I happen to swing that way in my previous life... It's no big deal, I guess."

"Of course it's a big deal. I personally forbid it!"

"...Why?"

"No why! S-So, stop saying you'll resupply using men, okay...?"

So far, Hatsune had been very worked up during the conversation.

Unexpectedly, she lowered her voice all of a sudden and wrapped her arm around Masatsugu's arm with a sad look on her face. She looked like a worried child, seeking comfort from a parent—It was hard to imagine a strong-willed woman like Tachibana Hatsune acting this way.

Furthermore, Hatsune glanced at the bed. Only then was Masatsugu reminded they were at the sick bay.

"I know I'm making a selfish demand... but I'll work even harder."

These tempting words implied that she was going to work harder at offering herself to him from now on.

Masatsugu was quite surprised. He had never seen his little sister behaving like this.

"I'm willing to dedicate all my strength and soul to you, Onii-sama. Don't worry, I'm healthier and more persevering than the average guy. I won't lose to those Chevaliers..."

Just now, Masatsugu had asked Hatsune why she objected.

There was no need to ask again. He figured it out as soon as he saw Hatsune's reaction. Who could have thought that Hatsune would get jealous over something so minor—

Finding her innocence very adorable, Masatsugu glanced at the bed too.

The two of them sat down on the white sheets, whispering to each other.

"You also shared ectoplasmic fluid with me this morning. I don't want you to strain yourself too much."

"Don't underestimate me. This morning was already half a day ago. O-Okay, turn around first. I.. need to prepare."

Masatsugu turned his back to Hatsune and stared at the sick bay's wall.

He could hear the sound of disrobing behind him.

Their relationship of physical intimacy had gone on for about ten days or so. However, Hatsune was still bashful of showing skin in front of Masatsugu.

Normally cheerful and energetic, Hatsune behaved innocently only when alone with Masatsugu.

This contrast was also very cute.

"O-Okay."

"....."

Obtaining Hatsune's permission, Masatsugu turned his head around without saying a word.

Hatsune had taken off her Haikara-san -style kimono and hakama, and even the specialized underwear for pairing with Japanese clothing. She only had a blanket from the bed draped over herself.

Using her left arm to cleverly cover her breasts, she did not bare herself fully.

Hatsune looked extremely embarrassed.

At dusk, the setting sun's red rays were streaming in through the ship's round window. Hatsune's face and body were bright red, but not because of the sunset illumination.

"Hatsune."

"U-umm. This might sound a bit immodest, Onii-sama, but I want you to take as much warmth as you can—That's why I was wondering, maybe it might be better if I undressed more. P-Perhaps there's no need to go this far..."

"No, this is great."

Masatsugu wrapped his arms around Hatsune's shoulders and drew her into his bosom.

The two of them embraced on the bed with Hatsune ending up on top. Face to face, up close, they smiled at each other.

Normally, Masatsugu's smiles were minor twitches of the cheek without much expression on his lips.

However, he always felt that it was moments like these when he smiled naturally.

"Onii-sama..."

Whispering, Hatsune pressed her lips against Masatsugu's neck.

The kiss felt sweet and romantic. With Hatsune on top, Masatsugu could feel a pleasant weight against him.

Their legs very naturally entwined together.

Meanwhile, Hatsune suddenly reacted with alarm, realizing she was kissing her brother. It had evidently been a subconscious act.

"S-Sorry, Onii-sama. You do this from time to time, so I..."

"Did I ever do this?"

"Yes... You do, but not every time."

"You don't like it?"

"W-Well, it's not like I don't... That's why I'm..."

Hatsune's words were far too cute. Masatsugu felt compelled to hug her magnificent figure tightly. Hatsune smiled happily and kissed Masatsugu on the neck again.

The two siblings embraced for a while—

Masatsugu's cold body slowly started to warm up.

At the same time, seductive sighs were escaping from Hatsune's lips.

"Mmmm... Mmmmm... Huah. Ah—It feels hotter than usual, Onii-sama..."

"What's wrong?"

"I'm trying hard to warm you up, Onii-sama—and now my own body has become very hot... My mind is dizzy, it's hard to think..."

"You did all this for me?"

"Y-Yes... Mmmm. Huah—"

Masatsugu sat up with Hatsune sitting on his lap. They were on the bed, face to face, hugging each other tightly.

"Hatsune."

This time, it was Masatsugu's turn to bury himself against Hatsune's pale neck.

The adorable little sister's body was fiery hot. Masatsugu sucked on her neck, trying to absorb heat from her body. As hot as boiling water, her body cooled down slightly .

"Onii-sama!"

Hatsune called out to Masatsugu, her emotions reaching a climax.

Only after remaining in embrace for several minutes did her boiling body temperature subside. Masatsugu was just about to release the girl in front of him who was only wrapped in a blanket.

However, Hatsune hugged him tightly on her own initiative instead.

"No, Onii-sama... I made my decision, I've got to work harder than usual today. Please take as much from me as you can..."

Of course, the little sister had already worked so hard, Masatsugu did not want to add to her burden unnecessarily. However, Hatsune's endearing vibe aroused Masatsugu's passion and he embraced her forcefully again.

In the end, Hatsune's body temperature climaxed two more times.

Each time, Masatsugu obtained substantial ectoplasmic fluid and body warmth.

After the third time, even Hatsune with her outstanding stamina was exhausted. Masatsugu could hear the breathing from her sweet slumber on the bed.

Covering up Hatsune's naked body with the blanket, Masatsugu admired her sleeping face for a moment.

Then he left the sick bay.

His tour of the destroyer Tintagel was only half done.

Masatsugu planned on finishing his rounds before rousing Hatsune to leave together. First, he exited the interior of the ship, then walked across the deck towards the bridge section that resembled a tower.

This was where the captain of the ship, the officers in charge of the helm, and the fleet commander would gather.

One could call it the command tower of the destroyer Tintagel .

"A military ship, huh?"

Standing by the window, Masatsugu looked "outside."

Standing on the deck, the tower-like bridge was the height of a small building. On a the sailing ships of old, one would only get this kind of view from the crow's nest on top of the mast.

Night had fallen.

Since the ship was moored at the pier, Masatsugu could get a full view of Suruga Bay that surrounded the port of Tagonoura.

Gentle moonlight and the constellations of early winter were illuminating the water surface. Today, the sea was quite calm. There was a serene atmosphere to the marine scenery of the night. However, Masatsugu did not feel anything special.

On the other hand, the first time he rode a wyvern, it had felt nostalgic.

"My past life seems to have nothing to do with ships."

"Did you come here just for the sake of confirming this?"

...Someone spoke to Masatsugu from behind.

Masatsugu was not really surprised since he had already noticed her presence. Calmly, he said, "Going around alone without a bodyguard is quite imprudent, Princess."

He looked back to see Fujinomiya Shiori right before him.

### Part 4

Hearing Masatsugu's criticism, Shiori responded with displeasure.

"Do not treat me like a child. You should be well aware that one would be hard pressed to find a noetic master more powerful than I am."

"Indeed."

Shiori was dressed in a white blouse with a navy-blue skirt. Quite prim and proper casual clothing. She was also wearing the pair of glasses she used as a disguise, presumably with image manipulation noetics applied.

Getting back to more important matters, Masatsugu answered the princess' question. "Actually, when I heard this ship's name during the war council, a strange idea occurred to me. I wonder if this Tintagel ship could be used in the next battle."

"You want to use this ship to invade Hakone—a mountain fortress?"

"Yes. If I was an expert at using ships for war in my past life, perhaps I might be able to come up with a good plan..."

"So that was why you came to check out the ship in person?"

"Unfortunately, it was just my imagination. I couldn't come up with anything."

"After all, even the British Empire's cutting-edge ship would not be able to traverse mountains."

"Yes, it turns out I came here for nothing."

Masatsugu's blasé conclusion brought a smile to Shiori's face.

Of course, Shiori was not laughing at Masatsugu, but finding his reaction quite cute. However, she immediately resumed a solemn expression and murmured in worry. "The fact that you resorted to a vague instinctive notion of this sort implies that the conquest of Hakone must be very challenging from your perspective too..."

"The Four Gods system is definitely difficult to handle."

The Suruga tutelary fort was protected by the spirit Sakuya and the ifrit Seiryuu.

Unfortunately, the guardian deities on both sides were not comparable at all. The spirit Morrigan was controlling the merged entity of Seiryuu, Suzaku, Byakko, and Genbu—

A partnership between such a monster with Prince Edward was undoubtedly the worst enemy.

"In fact, some ideas have occurred to me after witnessing the power of the Four Gods. If I were to use appropriate means as an imperial princess, it might be possible for me to seal that monster away effortlessly."

"......"

"I am currently researching whether this method would work or not. Could you please wait a moment?"

"Princess, if you do this, your life will—"

"It is unavoidable for the sake of realizing great ambition. Relax, I will turn to other means if the strain proves to be too great."

In a rare moment, Shiori responded partially in jest and smiled, "It would be far too foolish if I were to fall ill so soon after assuming my position."

"Agreed. Please take care of yourself, Princess."

It had been so long since the last time they were alone and could have a proper chat.

Both of them felt the same way. On further thought, in the past, they would set aside time every night to be together, to replenish ectoplasmic fluid and take the opportunity to have heartfelt conversations.

"I-Incidentally, Masatsugu-sama, regarding the matter of resupply."

Shiori changed the subject. Her thoughts had turned to ectoplasmic fluid too.

"Y-You wish to ask male Chevaliers to provide—"

"Are you against it too, Princess?"

"Uh, I-I am not too supportive of that... I-I don't mean to discriminate or anything—It is not because I consider homosexual behavior subversive to society and shouldn't involve my knight. However, I simply do not want you to do it, Masatsugu-sama."

The princess brought out many "vague" reasons, probably because she was flustered.

What an adorable reaction. Masatsugu deliberately asked her in response, "You won't accept it, only because it's me?"

"Y-Yes... Umm, Masatsugu-sama."

The princess looked up with determination.

The glasses disguise added to her intellectual image.

Sure enough, she was a beautiful woman. Banishing the uncertainty in her eyes with willpower alone, Shiori said timidly, "I have rested long enough... There is no problem now."

Emotionally reserved, Shiori mustered her courage to present her demand.

Anyone who was not aroused by these words must be mentally impaired. Without another word, Masatsugu picked up the princess in his arms.

"Kyah...!?"

"Princess, of course I need your help too."

Using a literal "princess carry," Masatsugu moved her to a leather seat nearby.

Leather seats would be quite extravagant for a military ship's standard issue equipment. Perhaps this was for the captain's exclusive use.

Masatsugu had the princess reclining on the seat.

"I-I will get ready now..."

Shiori sat up after stammering.

She unbuttoned her blouse. Kneeling on the seat, she unfastened her skirt's clasp and the navy-blue fabric slid down.

The princess of dragon blood had a white blouse draped on her shoulders.

The rest consisted of her neat and trim pink underwear and the stockings covering her legs. For Masatsugu's sake, she went as far as to bare her taintless skin.

Shiori's posture was kneeling on the seat.

This compensated for their height difference, putting Shiori and the standing Masatsugu at roughly eye level.

Perhaps it slipped her mind but she did not remove her glasses disguise. Looking more scholarly than usual, the princess was within arm's reach.

"Princess, please grace me with your blessing."

"Don't put it like that. I would not not be alive without your help. For you, this bit of sacrifice is nothing—"

Masatsugu embraced the princess while she was murmuring.

Shiori hugged him in turn, accepting his embrace. Suddenly inspired with a mischievous notion, Masatsugu whispered in Shiori's ear, "Princess... Are you sure this is purely a sacrifice?"

"Q-Quit spouting nonsense and focus now."

While scolding Masatsugu, Shiori actively rubbed her cheek against him as though seeking affection. She was pressing against Masatsugu's cheek and it seemed like a subconscious act.

This behavior was an indication of the princess' feelings and the distance between the two of them.

Shiori's sweet reaction seemed to be expressing her unbearable loneliness. This also set Masatsugu's heart aflame.

He embraced Shiori even harder, perhaps a little too rough on a noble lady.

However, Shiori accepted Masatsugu completely.

"Masatsugu-sama..."

The princess called his name in rapture, then burying her face into Masatsugu's neck, she kept kissing his skin gently.

Now that Masatsugu thought about it, Shiori was more experienced than Hatsune in the process of replenishing ectoplasmic fluid.

Although her poise and behavior were prim and proper, she had shared extremely intimate moments with Masatsugu. Currently, she was caressing Masatsugu's back and arms, doing her best to warm up the Resurrectee's cold body.

"...Princess."

"...Masatsugu-sama."

They even felt that calling each other's name would deepen their bonds.

Finally, Masatsugu's body warmed up as he absorbed the essence of ectoplasmic fluid from Shiori smoothly.

Masatsugu recalled the previous scene.

During the resupplying process, his little sister's body had become as hot as boiling water. The heat had turned into a great amount of ectoplasmic fluid to provide Tachibana Masatsugu with the energy for battle. Furthermore, Hatsune had attained unprecedented excitement.

Masatsugu told himself to focus and refrain from stealing heat for now.

Soon, Shiori experienced a change.

"M-Masatsugu-sama... Today, I... feel a little strange. My body is hotter than usual, the dizziness, it is making it difficult to think—"

Shiori murmured to herself as though talking in a dream.

Under her glasses, her eyes became unfocused, losing her usual edge.

"Huah... Masatsu—Mmmmm! Ah... Mmmmmm... Ooooooh!"

Struck by a flood of emotions as though a dam had ruptured, the princess could no longer suppress her voice. Masatsugu relaxed himself at the same time.

Scorching heat instantly surged into Masatsugu's body.

Trying her best to endure the flow, Shiori also reached her limit.

"Ah—"

Shiori's entire body went limp.

Thus, Masatsugu's lady liege passed out, but there was a smile of satisfaction on the corners of her lips. Her dazed demeanor was quite blissful.

Masatsugu could not leave the fainted Shiori behind and exit the ship.

Besides, there were still things he had to do on the destroyer Tintagel . In the end, Masatsugu picked up the princess in his arms and returned to the sick bay from earlier.

Hatsune was lying on the only bed, fast asleep.

She showed no signs of waking up. Fortunately, the bed in the British ship's sick bay was quite large and should be capable of fitting three or four Japanese ladies.

Masatsugu placed Shiori next to Hatsune and went up to the deck alone.

The moon and the stars were out tonight.

"Now then—"

Masatsugu began to think again. He decided he should still go ahead with the plan to take ectoplasmic fluid from the male Chevaliers of Tōkaidō.

Although he was grateful to Shiori and Hatsune's feelings, victory hinged upon this crucial matter after all...

"Monarch's dog, you have suffered much from the shortage of energy."

A sudden voice from behind startled Masatsugu.

He had not sensed the visitor, unlike the case with Shiori earlier. Masatsugu slowly turned around and saw a young girl dressed in a blue kimono and haori.

The girl had a pretty face and looked like she was in the upper years of elementary school.

Not only was her clothing blue—Even her hair was glowing with blue radiance!

"Do you know who I am?" The girl was clearly no ordinary person, so Masatsugu decided to cut straight to the chase.

The girl in the kimono was haughty in manner, her smirking countenance almost like a mischievous child's.

"Strictly speaking, I don't know anything. However, I do have a few thoughts from looking at your face."

"Something like a flash of inspiration?"

"You are a dog, and for virtually all of your past life, you were a ruler's dog."

"You... aren't human, are you?"

"You can discern that? Impressive, undead one. No wonder my princess holds you in such high regard."

Having said that—Immediately...

The mysterious girl who spoke like an elder vanished into thin air.

She had disappeared without trace like a messenger pipe fox. Did she use teleportation? Just as Masatsugu was intrigued, someone else appeared on deck.

The one walking up to Masatsugu directly was whom he had been waiting for.

They had agreed to meet on the Tintagel tonight.

"Thank you for your patience, Masatsugu-dono."

The visitor was Tōkaidō's new Governor General, Akigase Rikka.

### Part 5

"Oh right, this would be my first time seeing you in casual clothing, Rikka-dono."

"Indeed, I am always wearing my military uniform. Do I look odd... dressed like this?"

Tōkaidō's premier Chevalier looked a little insecure.

Tonight, Rikka was wearing a black rider jacket with gray skin pants. This combination accentuated her excellent figure—especially her slender legs.

The air temperature was not too chilly tonight, but Rikka's jacket zipper was closed.

Masatsugu narrowed his eyes slightly and said, "Of course not. It looks great on you."

"P-Please don't flatter me. By the way—"

Rikka cringed in embarrassment and said, "This has been bothering me the whole time. You do not need to speak too formally. As a Resurrectee in Her Highness' service and an officially recognized Chevalier, your status is no less than mine."

"I should say the same goes for you."

Remaining calm as always, Masatsugu argued against Rikka, "There's no need for you to be obsessed with manners when talking to someone like me, Rikka-dono. I'm lucky enough to have a place in Tōkaidō's hierarchy only because I serve the princess."

"Then allow me to put things differently, Masatsugu-dono."

The girl who had risen from being House Akigase's Chevalier princess to the Governor General refused to back down.

"You might be the famous hero, Hijikata Toshizō. Even as a fiefdom's Governor General, I must offer the greatest of respect towards someone as important as you. This is part of the show, so please accept it."

"I see."

"Besides, let me be frank. Masatsugu-dono, I wish for us to bare our souls to each other... To build a relationship of candid congeniality. Your full cooperation will be greatly appreciated."

Rikka smiled mischievously and even winked.

To insist any further would be boorish, so Masatsugu agreed to her request.

"Understood, then let's start with some candid conversation... Actually, I consider myself quite lucky tonight for the chance to admire you in your casual clothing, Rikka-dono."

"Th-This kind of candid conversation is way too abrupt!"

Masatsugu's honest confession ended up making Rikka complain.

"I have heard that you remain quite committed to a beauty contest, Masatsugu-dono. It turns out you're more of a smooth talker than I imagined."

"I really hope you'll enter the beauty contest too, Rikka-dono."

"I think I shall pass. I am a daughter of the ruling house, not to mention the Governor General now."

The vibe in their conversation was slightly different from before.

After responding cordially to Masatsugu's invitation, Rikka changed the subject.

"Also, about the... question of asking my fiefdom's knights to supply ectoplasmic fluid."

"Are you against it too, Rikka-dono?"

"Of course. Masatsugu-dono, the issue of your resupply is top secret. I-If you get involved with an unspecified number of knights, even the most confidential of secrets will be leaked!"

"True, you make a good point."

Only after listening to Rikka did Masatsugu realized this possibility.

He had been too careless. Racking his mind over matters of war, he had overlooked this one point. Tōkaidō's new Governor General looked down and said, "Th-That's why I have made my decision to take my retainers' place... to provide you with ectoplasmic fluid, Masatsugu-dono."

"You're willing to do it, Rikka-dono?"

"Yes... Oh, but please do not get the wrong idea!"

Rikka suddenly said in anger, "I-I am not interested in you simply because you might be Hijikata Toshizō. That is clearly not the reason why I started feeling curious about you, to the point of finding it impossible to ignore!"

"I see."

Rikka had evidently confessed through a suspiciously specific denial. So this was what she meant.

"Then I will be relying on your help in the future."

"W-What about now? I am fine with it."

"Now?"

Rikka was showing a shy expression but her tone was quite firm, surprising Masatsugu a little.

"Yes... There are not many days left before the deadline for capturing Hakone. Also, I need to catch up—Oh, scratch that, I mean that as someone who joined later, I should do everything I can to help you in what limited time we have, Masatsugu-dono, no less than Her Highness and Tachibana Hatsune."

"You are this determined, Rikka-dono?"

"As determined as any samurai ought to be."

This was more like a maiden's determination, but Masatsugu kept his comment to himself.

Taking the casually dressed Rikka into his arms, he gazed upon her spirited and beautiful face.

"In that case, would you care to indulge me?"

"I-I may be inexperienced but if you are alright with that, please proceed..."

Rather than embarrassment, this aristocratic daughter seemed more fearful of the unknown.

The black rider jacket wrapping her upper body tightly had the zipper pulled all the way to the top.

Needless to say, this piece of clothing was a hindrance to the ritual.

Masatsugu casually pulled down the zipper and was surprised again.

"A-As for the method of replenishment, I have heard..."

Rikka's voice was very quiet.

Under her jacket was a short tank top.

It looked almost like a bra, exposing Rikka's narrow waist completely. Moreover, she was apparently not wearing underwear beneath this flimsy tank top.

Smiling with a twitch of his cheek, Masatsugu removed her jacket.

The bridge's wall happened to be behind them, so Masatsugu had Rikka sit down, leaning her back against the wall. He also bent over, intending to embrace Rikka from the front.

"Please, Rikka-dono, share a little of your warmth and ectoplasmic fluid with me."

"Oh, hold on—" Just before Masatsugu hugged Rikka, she said quietly.

Rikka was very nervous at the thought of what was coming next. Gazing into Masatsugu's eyes, she declared with acute fortitude as befitted a hero among women.

"Please absorb as much as you can, rather than just a little. It is because you lacked ectoplasmic fluid, Masatsugu-dono, that Her Highness collapsed in exhaustion, right?"

"Well..."

"Perhaps it might sound rude for me to say this, but I'd like us to relate as equals, Masatsugu-dono, Resurrectee that you are. Please do not hold back on my account. I'd rather have you give me rough treatment as an ally on equal terms—That would make me happier instead."

"......"

"And please do not underestimate me. I train no less than Tachibana Hatsune. There is no need to be careful with me."

Masatsugu smiled. Rikka was displaying her mettle as befitted a contemporary hero.

She did not want to place the Resurrectees such as Masatsugu or Prince Edward on a pedestal, to treat them as supernatural monsters. Neither could she tolerate the fact that she was inferior to them.

Even if she could not equal them in power, at least she would never lose to them in spirit. Rikka was determined to catch up to them one day.

It would be rude to refuse Rikka's candid request that was brimming with pride. Hence, Masatsugu hugged the aristocratic daughter's beautiful body tightly.

Rikka's soft bosom was compressed against Masatsugu's chest.

In terms of volume, her bust lost to Hatsune and the princess by a slim margin. But in terms of overall shape and texture, Akigase Rikka edged out slightly.

Masatsugu was currently enjoying the dignified beauty of her skin.

Once his body started to warm up, Rikka's gaze began to lose focus gradually.

"The next part might get tougher and tougher..."

"I welcome it gladly. To think that your body was this cold, Masatsugu-dono—Mm, ah..."

Rikka was a little out of breath. It seemed like something was stirring inside her.

Using the same principle as before, Masatsugu was suppressing his absorption of heat. However, even taking that into account, the temperature of Rikka's entire body was rising too fast.

Perhaps Rikka had this sort of aptitude—Her body and soul heated up extremely easily.

Seeing a reaction different from when Shiori and Hatsune started out, Masatsugu reached the above conclusion. However, this was of no consequence at the moment.

"Rikka-dono, please relax your entire body."

"I... understand. Ah, mm ahhhhhhhhhhh!?"

As soon as she relaxed, heat was instantly sucked out of her entire body. Tōkaidō's premier lady knight fainted in Masatsugu's embrace.

The warmth and ectoplasmic fluid she had lost was now residing in the amnesiac Resurrectee's body.

"Thank you so much..."

Masatsugu covered the sleeping Rikka with her jacket.

Thanks to assistance from Princess Shiori, Tachibana Hatsune, and Akigase Rikka, Masatsugu now had the resources to put up a fight at last. He felt quite heavily indebted to them.

...Masatsugu noticed that his blood was boiling and the beating of his heart had grown stronger.

After taking ectoplasmic blood from three girls consecutively, Tachibana Masatsugu's mystic powers had risen dramatically, changing his body and soul.

Masatsugu thought that the situation would settle down soon—But unexpectedly...

"Hmm...?"

His surrounding scenery changed all of a sudden.

He was originally in late-twentieth-century Japan, on the deck of a military ship moored at a port.

Spontaneously, he found himself riding a malnourished horse, racing across a vast grassland. In fact, this was a fierce warhorse capable of crossing thousands of miles.

Previously, Shiori had led him to watch "past memories" once.

The current scenery was identical to what he had seen last time.

"Is it because my power... ectoplasmic fluid increased all at once?"

Masatsugu knew this was a vision, something similar to a dream.

Together with his elite troops, he was dashing single-mindedly across this endless wilderness. But unlike last time, Masatsugu felt a sense of certainty in his heart.

This time, he had a "destination" in his dream, and a certain man was waiting for him there...

That guy was surely leading his own army, heading to the same location. However, the route he was taking was completely different from Masatsugu's.

Who knew how many hundreds of kilometers separated the two armies?

Riding on without stopping, he would certainly find a way to converge with his ally. Then together they would annihilate the enemy army waiting for them, to assault the targeted capital.

Victory is certain if it is us. A new sense of certainty took root in Masatsugu's heart.

Even though they were not related by blood, they were allies and comrades equivalent to brothers.

The two armies led by that man and Masatsugu were the empire's strongest spear and fastest arrow. Two swords. As a pair, they were known as the "Two-Headed Dog"...

"╳╳╳."

Masatsugu was just about to say his ally's name.

Only then did he realize he had forgotten the name of this reliable man.

### Part 6

After Masatsugu and company spent the night at the destroyer Tintagel , dawn arrived.

"Good morning, Princess."

"G-Good morning... Uh, what is going on here?"

Masatsugu had gone to the sick bay on the ship for a morning greeting. Waking up on the bed, the princess looked around in disbelief.

One could hardly blame here. She had no idea when she had been moved to the sick bay.

The morning rays were entering through the ship's window.

Tachibana Hatsune and Akigase Rikka were sleeping on each edge of the bed respectively. Gaps in the blanket's positioning offered glimpses at their sexy figures.

"Mm~ ...I'm too full to eat anymore..."

Speaking in her dream, Hatsune was naked under the sheets.

As for Rikka, she was wearing a short tank top with gray skin pants (Masatsugu had removed her socks and shoes).

More importantly, Shiori herself had nothing on except for her pink and neat underwear.

"Kyahhhhhhhhhhhh!?"

The princess' mouth emitted an unbecoming scream.

This sound was loud enough to wake Hatsune and Rikka.

Thirty minutes later...

Masatsugu left the Tintagel on his own, greeting the guarding infantry along the way.

He returned the key he had used to board the ship. Next up, he was not returning to the Fuji tutelary fort. Instead, Masatsugu made his way to a large seaside park near the port of Tagonoura.

He had been there the last time he visited Fuji City.

On that occasion, he had secretly taken ectoplasmic fluid from Shiori while keeping Hatsune in the dark. Currently, the three girls were sitting on that same bench, waiting for Masatsugu's arrival.

The three girls were the princess, her personal lady-in-waiting, and the Tōkaidō's new Governor General, of course.

The three of them had left the ship first to avoid scandals of "spending the night together with him."

" " "......" " "

Shiori and Rikka were not talking. Even the usually cheerful Hatsune was silent.

A gloomy air seemed to be hanging over the three girls. Also, Masatsugu still had not explained what happened last night, but presumably, the girls must have exchanged information while waiting for him.

Actually, there was no need to exchange information. One could surmise the basic situation simply from the state of the bed upon awakening...

Masatsugu first bowed his head to his liege Shiori in gratitude.

"Princess, thank you very much for last night."

"Y-You are welcome. As your liege, Masatsugu-sama, this is only the least I could do..."

In this rare moment, the princess was at a loss for words. Masatsugu turned to his little sister Hatsune and his ally Rikka to express his thanks too.

"I am also very grateful to you, Hatsune and Rikka-dono. Thanks to the ectoplasmic fluid you gave me, I have received unprecedented power. Perhaps due to that, I've recalled some of my past—memories from my past life, in other words."

"R-Really, Onii-sama!? That's wonderful!"

"Strictly speaking, they're not complete memories but fragments."

"Indeed... Masatsugu-dono, your noesis is stronger this morning than ever before."

Hatsune was happy for Masatsugu while Rikka narrowed her eyes and smiled.

The three ladies present knew very well that the power filling Tachibana Masatsugu's body and soul had reached another level. His Chevalier Strength had probably surpassed four hundred now—

He had broken through a hurdle that had been insurmountable until now.

At this rate, it should be possible to become plenty prepared prior to attacking Hakone.

"Y-You mean the ectoplasmic fluid... received from all of us?"

"Almost certainly," Masatsugu asserted firmly.

Rikka motioned with her eyes to the princess and the junior Chevalier.

"Your Highness, j-just as I have mentioned earlier, to avoid having an unspecified number of Chevaliers getting involved with Masatsugu-dono—Scratch that, to avoid having too many people privy to this secret, therefore..."

"Y-You mean we alone shall take care of resupplying, right?"

"It's true, I don't want Onii-sama to go out of control and make things even more complicated. A-Although I'm a bit curious about men doing that to each other..."

As expected, the girls had discussed among themselves beforehand.

Judging from their reactions, Masatsugu was struck by a sense of deja vu, like three countries locked in a conflict over the same piece of land.

If no one was willing to compromise, every country would suffer great losses.

Instead, it would be best to reach an agreement to handle the problem in a "lenient" manner for the time being. This was what the current situation resembled, and Masatsugu wondered if he should be saying something about it.

Just as he was about to speak...

"Hey, isn't it my turn to speak?"

Someone behind him spoke first. Despite talking like a self-important elder, the voice was an adorable girl's soprano. Masatsugu had heard this voice before.

He looked back to see the girl from last night.

The girl was dressed in a blue kimono. Her done up hair was glowing with blue radiance.

Holding a fan in her hand, she exuded an aura of aloofness unique to those steeped in the occult. Shiori was the first to greet this striking girl.

"You have finally arrived, Rindou-sensei!"

Rindou-sensei was akin to Princess Shiori's own Zhuge Kongming, if one were to use a Three Kingdoms analogy.

At this very moment, Tachibana Masatsugu finally made the connection between this face and name.

"Too bland."

After tasting the drink she had ordered, Rindou-sensei complained.

Shiori originally wanted to get to the main point, but the mysterious girl had made a demand first.

'I am thirsty after coming to a dusty town. Bring me a cup to moisten my throat first. Hey, maidservant over there, get me a drink.'

'I am talking to you! When I say a drink, do not bring tea or coffee by any means.'

'The only drinks acceptable to me are alcohol and prajna soup!'

Without asking anyone to introduce themselves, she was already ordering the lady-in-waiting Hatsune around.

After revealing this extraordinary feat of perception, Rindou-sensei had made even more outrageous demands. Everyone watched as Hatsune left and returned fifteen minutes later, carrying beer bought from a convenience store. Rindou-sensei frowned and complained as soon as she took a sip.

She even said, "Good grief... I am a connoisseur of alcoholic beverages, after all. I do understand the profound custom of 'anyway, let's have a beer first' but this is no good at all. Maidservant, be a little smarter if you are going to entertain your princess' benefactor, and bring some local Suruga beer, okay? Even though it is a relatively light beer, it does have a certain richness to it."

"I-I'm still a minor so I don't know anything about drinking."

Hatsune was quite troubled.

Never in her wildest dreams would she have expected a young girl, looking like an elementary school student, to be lecturing her.

Meanwhile, Rikka whispered quietly in the princess' ear, "Your Highness, I recall that she is your guardian who lives in seclusion at the hot spring district of Mount Yu, right?"

Mount Yu was within Suruga City in a way.

However, it was located in the mountainous region of the Southern Alps. This was a part of the mountains where there was nothing except for hot springs, not even a remote village.

Rikka then said, "I heard she is quite advanced in her years, right?"

"Yes. Actually, Sensei has a reason for appearing before others like this—"

"A genie, huh?"

Masatsugu's muttering interrupted the whispers between the two girls.

He was asking Rindou-sensei directly. The girl in the blue kimono smiled proudly and took another sip of beer.

"Impressive, undead one. I'm surprised you discerned it."

"The fact that you can drink... implies you are corporeal. So you have the ability to appear in front of people without relying on projected images or possessing simulacra."

"Don't compare me to those inferior beings."

Rindou-sensei raised her can and emptied it without letting a single drop escape. She must be a drinker with amazing tolerance.

"My true identity is Fukuryuu, the Crouching Dragon, highest in rank among the likes of retainer beasts, spirits, and demons in this world."

"That explains the keen intuition."

"Indeed. Of course, there are limits to my miraculous powers when using this form. Please do make bizarre requests of me, understood?"

"Still, Sensei, thank you for coming to see me."

Shiori's tone was filled with gratitude and she even presented a small bottle of domestic whiskey.

This was something that Hatsune had bought at the convenience store together with the beer. Rindou-sensei accepted it with satisfaction and swiftly opened the cap for a sip.

"Yesterday, Princess, you delivered an entire crate of daiginjou along with a letter with a question, didn't you? On account of the excellent taste, I have decided to answer your question."

After giving a very materialistic reason, Sensei brought up the heart of the matter.

"You asked me if there was any enchantment to take control of Japanese ifrits using imperial blood, didn't you? Jumping straight to the conclusion, yes indeed—"

"Are you serious!?"

"Mm-hmm. However, it can only be used near the divinity baseplate in the enemy position. It will not be useful for the attack on Hakone, that's all."

Rindou-sensei was very frank and Shiori was disappointed.

"Indeed, the divinity baseplate is hidden inside the tutelary fort. In order to sneak inside, the noesis barrier must be neutralized in one way or another..."

This was equivalent to capturing a tutelary fort.

It was admittedly a useless method. Masatsugu agreed—But then he figured out something unexpectedly.

He finally understood why the destroyer Tintagel had aroused his curiosity in particular.

A sudden flash of inspiration of sorts. Perhaps this method of using it might come in handy during the upcoming battle.

"Princess, let's first set aside the issue of whether to use that enchantment or not. There's something for which I'd like to have your instruction."

Masatsugu's tone was indifferent as always.

However, there was a certain vibe in his words. The three ladies and Rindou-sensei also focused their interested gazes upon him.

Unfazed, Masatsugu spoke softly.

"The plan for attacking Hakone Checkpoint has finally come together."

### 040. Chapter 5 - Bloodlines of Sacred Princesses

### Part 1

November 22nd, Saturday.

Akigase Rikka's succession to the post of Governor General had taken place exactly a week ago.

During this time, General Wei Qing had headed out to battle, Tōkaidō's elites had gathered at the Fuji tutelary fort, and even Rindou-sensei had arrived.

As for the "Vice-Commander of the Shinsengumi," Tachibana Masatsugu...

He ordered the Tōkaidō Chevaliers to attack Izu once a day.

This was the location of the Nagahama tutelary fort occupied by the Restoration Alliance. In the waters offshore of the Izu Peninsula, the British had three sister ships of the Tintagel on active duty.

Restoration Alliance Legions using that area as their base of operations were protecting the supply lines there.

Namely, the supply lines from Izu to Hakone over, sea, land, and air.

Attacking the three British vessels and the defending force occupying the Nagahama tutelary fort would affect Hakone's supply situation adversely.

For this purpose, Masatsugu had been sending hundreds of Kamuys to various parts of Izu day after day.

General Wei Qing, who was leading the Roman army, and the Kantō Fiefdom's Chevaliers were following the same strategy. Cooperating in surprising concerted attacks, they cleverly disrupted the Izu situation.

Not to be outdone, the Restoration Alliance summoned many Chevaliers to Izu to meet them in battle.

For the past week, both sides engaged in defense and offense every day.

As for today—

Masatsugu set off from the Fuji tutelary fort, but for a different purpose.

First of all, he traveled by car to the Yamanashi region under Tōkaidō jurisdiction. Then switching to helicopter at Yamanashi, he crossed the prefectural border on the east to enter Kanagawa—thus arriving at Odawarajou . Furthermore, he did not go alone.

The new and beautiful Governor General, the little sister, and the noble lady liege also accompanied him.

"During the Edo period, Hakone Checkpoint was established near Lake Ashi."

Akigase Rikka and Tachibana Hatsune were listening attentively to Shiori's history lesson.

"Back then, the checkpoint was roughly four Japanese leagues from Ogawarajou, which is equivalent to sixteen or seventeen kilometers."

"That's less than a day's walk on ordinary roads."

"In practice, this required ascending the precipitous mountain paths of old Tōkaidō, which was no easy task."

"Hakone Checkpoint was a fortress during the Edo period and an inspection point with strict controls over 'the entry of firearms and the exit of women.' In other words, women from daimyo households leaving Edo and the carrying of firearms into Edo."

The current mood was laid back and casual, but it was also true that they were currently gathered at a particularly private location in Odawarajou.

The three girls were at the massive water shrine underground of the tutelary fort—In the bath there.

The decor and architectural style was reminiscent of an ancient Roman bath. The ectoplasmic fluid vat filled with blue holy water was also built from marble, giving off a solemn atmosphere.

Completely naked, the girls were soaking in the artificial ectoplasmic fluid.

The battle to capture Hakone was imminent and they were in the process of resupplying.

As an imperial princess, Shiori had decided to participate in the battle anonymously. Hence, she was also immersing herself in ectoplasmic fluid to boost her mystic powers even though she was not a Chevalier.

Unintentionally, Shiori's thoughts drifted in a certain direction.

"So these two have gotten into intimate relationships with Masatsugu-sama too..."

"? Did you say something, Your Highness?"

"N-Not at all. Nothing of consequence, please pay it no mind."

Shiori had accidentally murmured to herself.

While deflecting Rikka's curiosity with a smile, she secretly pondered.

(Perhaps too much has happened between me and Masatsugu-sama...)

Inexplicably, Shiori felt very curious about the figures of the other two girls.

Akigase Rikka was slim and trim in build.

However, she was by no means bony. Voluptuous in all the right parts as befitted a woman, the line from her bust to her waist was exquisite, bulging out and curving in appropriately, and the beauty of her form was enough to incite jealousy from any woman in the world.

Comparing herself to Rikka's figure... Shiori was a bit disheartened.

The princess had started her growth spurt at the age of fourteen, but she was never a fan of exercise. Compared to a lady Chevalier who trained diligently in martial arts, she seemed too flabby—Bluntly stated, she felt a bit "too fat."

On the other hand, Tachibana Hatsune's maturation had exceeded Shiori, the lady she served.

Even dressing in a kimono could not hide her magnificent bust.

However, Hatsune was a member of the Tachibana clan, who prided themselves on strength, after all. Frequent rowdy incidents and martial training had kept her slim in all the right places. Overall, hers was a voluptuous and undulating figure brimming with feminine beauty.

Needless to say, Hatsune's figure was the more full-bodied type.

However, Shiori was worried that such volume would better suit a man's tastes. Previously, she had read a men's magazine on a whim and one article reported the prevailing world-view of "size matters, the bigger the better."

In addition, there was another worrying element.

Compared to Rikka and Hatsune, Fujinomiya Shiori's intermediate figure was merely "half-baked"—Would this make her insufficiently attractive?

(These thoughts are totally meaningless...)

Recently, Shiori found herself inexplicably bothered by such matters. She was worrying whether Fujinomiya Shiori was lacking in attractiveness compared to the women around her.

She had never faced similar troubles before.

(Why am I agonizing over this? From an objective standpoint, I am undoubtedly a young maiden possessing beauty far beyond average norms...)

Shiori knew on a rational level, but could not stop thinking about it. This was quite a conundrum.

They were about to attack Hakone and she forced herself to banish these thoughts.

At that moment, she noticed that the two other girls had spontaneously fallen silent. Everyone was contemplating, sneaking glances at one another's figure...

"B-By the way, Princess and Rikka-sama," Hatsune hastily spoke up, "That General Wei Qing we just saw earlier... He's pretty handsome."

"I would agree, but of course, he is just not my cup of tea."

Unexpectedly, Rikka joined in on this type of frivolous conversation.

Perhaps she wanted to dispel the current awkward atmosphere too. Presented with this chance opportunity, Shiori decided to take it up.

"His elder sister was a renowned beauty who became the beloved consort of Emperor Wu, whose reign marked the pinnacle of the Han Empire. Perhaps he bears quite a facial resemblance to his sister."

The beautiful Wei Zifu had rose from being the emperor's beloved concubine to official empress.

The Wei family were originally lowly commoners. Wei Zifu worked at the household of Princess Pingyang, Emperor Wu's elder sister, which was how she found the opportunity to catch the emperor's eye.

Hers would be the quintessential tale of rags to riches, and the same applied to her younger brother too.

"Living in the remote mountains of China, tending to sheep, this young man went to the capital and began working as a laborer in the imperial palace thanks to his sister's connections. After learning of this, Emperor Wu made him a general and gave him an army of ten thousand to command."

"T-Ten thousand troops for a newcomer right off the bat!?"

"Yes. First of all, he was the younger brother of the emperor's beloved consort. Additionally, it was because the enemy consisted of Xiongnu nomadic tribes."

Shiori smiled at the sight of Hatsune's look of astonishment.

"General Wei Qing grew up relatively close to the Xiongnu sphere of influence. Furthermore, he knew many nomadic 'colleagues' from his sheep herding days—In other words, he had quite a few Xiongnu acquaintances... This also meant that he knew the ways and customs of the enemy better than anyone else."

"But even with these reasons, isn't he being favored way too much?"

"Normally speaking, people like him would only meet a tragic end, such as leading the army of ten thousand to death or fleeing back to the capital in disgrace. Surprisingly, all the other generals were defeated by the Xiongnu, but only General Wei Qing returned in triumph."

"Meaning that the aforementioned handsome guy had inborn talent as a general, to an unbelievable degree, right?" Rikka was extremely impressed.

Shiori nodded and said, "Yes, General Wei Qing would continue to distinguish himself, accumulating victories against the Xiongnu, rising to the dual posts of Chief Defense Minister and Generalissimo. However, for better or worse, his personality was extremely reserved and low key, and he stayed out of the spotlight in the army and the imperial court. I suppose one could call him a courteous and modest gentleman who treated his subordinates with kindness..."

"Your mission is as I've just explained. Do you understand?"

"...Understood."

Masatsugu confirmed repeatedly and the other party shifted her gaze in response to him.

However, the reply was weak and lacking in confidence. It was hard to say that a dialogue had been established.

The one whom Masatsugu was talking to was precisely the "shy" genie, Sakuya.

Sakuya looked like a young black-haired girl dressed as a shrine maiden. They were currently at Odagawarajou's central keep, overlooking the streets of Odagawara City and Sagami Bay.

This regional city facing the Pacific Ocean was located on the western end of the Kantō plain.

During the Sengoku period, the Houjou clan dominated the Kantō region and Odagawara was their stronghold. Like Atsumi, this historic castle town was the port city nearest to Hakone.

"Why can't you be more like that Rindou-sensei?"

"......?"

"Rather, I suppose Rindou-sensei is the exception."

The first thing Masatsugu did after arriving at this castle was establishing a tutelary pact with the underground water shrine.

The girls in his company were currently bathing to replenish ectoplasmic fluid. Masatsugu used this opportunity to talk to Sakuya, who had been brought here to undertake a certain mission. Very clearly, their dialogue was not lively at all.

"Looks like asking Rikka-dono to come along was the right decision."

Sakuya was the Suruga tutelary fort's guardian spirit. The principal image of the ifrit was still at Suruga.

They had brought Sakuya along for her to fulfill a certain mission. However, Sakuya was only willing to open her heart to long-time acquaintances. Just as Masatsugu shrugged, someone spoke to him, "You are Tachibana Masatsugu-dono, I presume?"

"And you are—General Wei Qing, right?"

This was the first encounter between these two, brought back to life from their deaths in the ancient past.

This general of the Eastern Roman Empire was a gentle-looking handsome man dressed in blue Chinese clothing. In contrast, Masatsugu was wearing his usual stiff-collar uniform with a new battle surcoat on top.

"I am counting on your support today, General Wei Qing. By the way, are you sure you don't mind?"

"What do you mean?"

"General Wei Qing, you will be serving as my support on this occasion. I feel bad about relegating you to such an unassuming role."

With Alexis Yang as the liaison, the Tōkaidō side had contacted the Roman army at Ogawarajou and the Kantō Fiefdom's castellan of Ogawara a number of times. Using the telephone or relaying messages through retainer beasts, there were many opportunities for direct communications.

Of course, the Ogawara castellan essentially agreed with everything said by the Roman side.

In actual practice, General Wei Qing was the only person whom Masatsugu needed to talk to. The battle plan the two of them devised today basically followed Masatsugu's ideas.

The was because General Wei Qing had accepted all requests made by the Tōkaidō side.

When the discussion was essentially over, Masatsugu wondered to himself. Why did General Wei Qing not raise any opposition against Tōkaidō at all?

Was he passive as a person or did he not have any plan better than Masatsugu's?

Or perhaps, he held a kind of enlightenment and confidence—He was deeply convinced of his ability to prevail over any kind of situation? For some reason, Masatsugu felt that this was the most probable.

"Hahaha, please do not let something so trivial bother you."

Masatsugu had apologized first, but General Wei Qing laughed cheerfully.

"This is actually better because I do not like excessive attention."

"It's great to hear that from you."

Looking at General Wei Qing's handsome face, gentle and smiling, Masatsugu was very certain.

Richard the Lionheart, Edward the Black Prince, and Generalissimo Caesar were all people who enjoyed being the center of attention, but this man was the complete opposite.

Perhaps because of that, Wei Qing was a famed general with unique qualities—

Masatsugu noticed General Wei Qing staring at him with curiosity.

"Is there something on my face?"

"No, actually, I have this unbelievable feeling."

The handsome Resurrectee showed an expression of nostalgia.

"When speaking to you, I get this impression... as though I am meeting someone from my homeland of the past. Excuse me for being forward, but may I inquire of your origins?"

"......"

"Born within the borders of Chinese territory—That does not seem to be the case for you. How unbelievable."

"Don't ask questions of this sort. I can't answer you."

"My apologies." General Wei Qing apologized to Masatsugu with a light smile. "I overstepped my bounds. Please forget I ever asked."

Prior to setting off to this battle, Masatsugu had received a great amount of ectoplasmic fluid.

This was owed to the three girls helping him. However, the powerful noesis emanating from him made it impossible to hide the fact that he was a Resurrectee.

Masatsugu politely declined probing attempts and General Wei Qing accepted with an open mind.

In any case, the two ancient generals were about to fight a common enemy in a joint operation.

### Part 2

"Prince, you do not seem too trustful, right?"

The spirit Morrigan went straight to the point.

"You do not trust, the impregnability of this fortress, Hakone Checkpoint..."

"It is not as though I distrust it. I simply believe that things used by humans can likewise be taken down by humans... Wouldn't you agree?"

Edward the Black Prince sounded confident and composed in his answer.

The two of them were on the roof of the nation-protecting keep, roughly forty meters above ground. Hakone Yumoto's skies were overcast today with thick, dark clouds.

It was currently late November, on the afternoon of the 22nd. Winter was fast approaching.

Mountain wind was howling and the air was quite cold.

This location was the eastern part of Hakone Checkpoint, the first tutelary fort Seiryuu Gate—On the roof of the nation-protecting keep in the middle of the fort, Morrigan was conversing with her superior officer.

Since this area was an entrance into Hakone, the altitude was much lower than at the center.

However, the temperature today had definitely dropped substantially.

"That is why you issued the order, 'Retreat from Hakone at your own discretion.' Right?"

This was the order that Prince Edward had issued ten minutes ago.

He had discreetly relayed the order to his adjutant, Lieutenant Colonel Grayson, at the third tutelary fort Byakko Gate on the west. The pre-condition for carrying out this order was when circumstances prevented Edward from commanding the battle.

"Relax. Grayson will be fine. If deemed necessary, he will surely lead all our forces into the Izu Peninsula or the Pacific decisively."

The Black Prince was calm in tone as though he were uninvolved, even in the midst of battle . Morrigan's response was equally calm.

"Battle has commenced, no more than two hours ago, right?"

"This is a necessary command since I have personally gone to the front line. Today's opponent is the Resurrectee in the Roman camp who has finally launched a counterattack... According to intelligence, he is a famed general from ancient China named Wei Qing."

Roughly two hours earlier...

Hakone's four prided tutelary forts, situated in the four cardinal directions, were attacked simultaneously.

Attacking the first tutelary fort on the east were a thousand Centuriae led by the rumored General Wei Qing.

Attacking the second tutelary fort on the south were a hundred and twenty Centuriae, also from the Roman side, together with seventy Kamuys of the "variant with elongated heads," perhaps belonging to the Kantō Fiefdom.

Attacking the third tutelary fort on the west were two hundred Tōkaidō Kamuys from Fuji.

Attacking the fourth tutelary fort on the north were a hundred and eighty Tōkaidō Kamuys from Yamanashi.

"Recon from retainer beast units and analysis by the noetics team, complete."

A sprite retainer beast happened to arrive with a message.

Morrigan used noetic waves to read its contents and reported indifferently.

"Apart from General Wei Qing's army, all others are formed from multiple Chevaliers—Mixed forces, in other words. Furthermore, none of the 'red-purple Legions' have been seen at any of the four battlefields."

"Tachibana-dono has yet to take to the field, huh?" Edward muttered to himself.

In the sky over the nation-protecting keep, a three-eyed golden dragon manifested.

This was the merged divinity of the Four Gods. Having deployed a secure noesis barrier around the first tutelary fort, Seiryuu Gate, they were ready for anything.

As for the thousand Centuriae under General Wei Qing's command...

Looking out from the tutelary fort, the Centuriae could be seen occupying the sky in the Odagawara direction in a square wall formation.

Compared to the donut-style encirclement last time, they were slightly farther away.

"Has the enemy discerned the ifrit's weakness?"

Edward smiled fearlessly. Last time, the British side had used the Four Gods to deliver massive lightning strikes to pin down the enemy. The range of that meteorological decree only extended seventy or eighty meters outside of the noesis barrier.

Having discerned this, Wei Qing had forbidden his Legions from getting into range.

From a hundred meters away, General Wei Qing's Centuriae entered a square wall formation and attacked Seiryuu Gate's noesis barrier using volley fire.

"Open up the top , Morrigan."

"Roger, that."

So far, the dome-shaped noesis barrier had covered the entire tutelary fort.

Obeying her superior's command, Morrigan disengaged the top portion of the noesis barrier. A group of Legions were looking up at the hole over their heads.

They were the four hundred Knights of the Garter that had gathered in the courtyard of the first tutelary fort.

They were all armed with longbows of steel. Wielding their bows in their left, the four hundred black knights aimed diagonally up, then nocked their arrows and drew their bows with their right.

"My loyal knights, fire English arrowheads into the Roman position!"

At the Black Prince's command, the four hundred Legions, that had turned into archers, began to shoot.

These longbowmen did not aim at specific targets. They simply fired at the "opened top of the dome" to produce a continuous outward stream of arrows of light.

Thousands of arrows of light shot into the sky then descended along parabolic trajectories.

In other words, countless arrows kept falling from the sky in a literal "rain of arrows." Furthermore, this rain of arrows consisted of deadly magic projectiles that could not be stopped by the protective barriers of Legions—

One after another, the silver Roman Legions were shot down by the arrows.

The black knights' shots did not follow straight lines and were different from pinpoint penetration.

This method relied on luck in order to strike vitals. Even so, these arrows inflicted definite damage regardless where they hit.

Even as a random curtain of projectile volleys, the killing power was still astounding.

Compared to last time, the efficiency in enemy elimination was not as superb, but still extraordinary.

This type of application was a characteristic of the English longbow formation. Making good use of secure defenses with the Archers of Crécy was Prince Edward's specialty.

"Prince, situation reports from the second, third, and fourth tutelary forts. Relying on powerful noesis barriers, every tutelary fort continues to hold against the enemy. In every battlefield, our side, the Restoration Alliance, is holding the upper hand."

Edward was the only Chevalier defending the first tutelary fort, Seiryuu Gate.

All the remaining Chevaliers had been sent to defend the other three tutelary forts. Back when the British learned that General Wei Qing was attacking Seiryuu Gate, the Black Prince had decided to defend this spot himself.

"Despite what I said earlier, the Four Gods have definitely proven to be very powerful. With the divinity stationed at Seiryuu Gate in the east, to think that it is possible to deploy equally durable noesis barriers at the tutelary forts in the west, south, and north..."

Prince Edward smiled wryly.

The merged divinity of the Four Gods was playing a key role at three other locations.

At the second tutelary fort in the south, Suzaku Gate, a giant three-eyed phoenix had manifested.

At the third tutelary fort in the west, Byakko Gate, a three-eyed tiger with golden fur had manifested.

At the fourth tutelary fort in the north, Genbu Gate, a three-eyed golden turtle with a snake for a tail had manifested.

Each divine beast was equal in power to the "three-eyed golden dragon" guarding Seiryuu Gate. This four-in-one collective entity was precisely the merged divinity of the Four Gods.

By combining the noetic energy of four ifrits, it was said that their power could be raised to the fourth power.

This was the defense concept behind the Four Gods system, but of course, its power reached only three or four fold in practice, nowhere as outrageous as raising to the fourth power. Moreover, extended usage could cause instabilities in the Hakone region's ley lines, hence it must not be overused arbitrarily...

Currently, the attackers were invading from the four cardinal directions simultaneously, hence, the power of the Four Gods was also intentionally dispersed.

This was a wise decision. Once any of the other three locations no longer needed defending, the freed up Four Gods could be temporarily "lent out" to another tutelary fort for combined defense...

Simply impregnable. This experimental fortress was truly quite astounding.

"Say, Morrigan."

"What is it? Prince."

"Wouldn't you agree that it is time for him to take action?"

"......"

"The power of the Four Gods is indisputable. However, it is ultimately a power bestowed upon this nation by Lord Tenryuu, Imperial Japan's sacred beast. Do not forget Eleanor's warning ."

"Of course, I have not forgotten—Prince, another message!"

A new sprite teleported next to them.

Morrigan instantly read the message brought by the small retainer beast and projected a window in midair.

Instead of showing words, the window played back a video in real time.

A gigantic object appeared, one that was very familiar to both Edward and Morrigan. But why? Why was it showing up here?

While confounded, Morrigan was filled with rage at the sight of her stolen belonging.

"I see... So such a move is possible too. It is so simple, and so ridiculous, that I never expected it. No, this method of usage is far too wasteful!"

Prince Edward suddenly laughed cheerfully.

Through astute perception, he had swiftly figured out the enemy's intent.

However, rather than "impressed," he was expressing "what the hell are they doing?" through exasperated laughter.

"In sight at last..."

Masatsugu finally arrived in the air over Hakone.

Riding a blue wyvern, he looked at the Hakone mountains beneath. A couple hundred meters ahead were the vast waters of Lake Ashi.

His ally, Akigase Rikka, was also riding a wyvern, flying beside him.

Their target was the second tutelary fort, Suzaku Gate, located on the south shore of Lake Ashi—

"So that's the second of the Four Gods. Now that's overly grand."

"Indeed, golden objects are too ostentatious."

Rikka agreed with Masatsugu's unbiased opinion.

Hakone's second tutelary fort also featured star-shaped fortification walls

A giant phoenix with a wingspan of seventy meters had appeared in the air, spreading its wings in an awe-inspiring display. There was a third eye on its forehead—The mark of Morgan le Fay.

This phoenix was the part of the Four Gods guarding Suzaku Gate.

Just as in the east, an impregnable noesis barrier was deployed around the tutelary fort.

Like at Seiryuu Gate, the top of the dome was open.

Suzaku Gate did not have Garter Knights for defense. Two hundred white British Crusades were standing ready inside.

Conversely, the attacking side consisted of a hundred and twenty Centuriae.

Mixed among the silver Roman Legions was a Japanese army—Seventy Kurou Hougans, the Kamuy variant with an elongated helmet resembling an eboshi , a type of headgear worn by court nobles in the past.

Before Masatsugu and company sortied, Hatsune had entered Hakone first.

The Kurou Hougans and the Centuriae opened fire, slowly marching upon the second tutelary fort, Suzaku Gate. They were attempting to approach the enemy through low-speed flight.

The defending side relied on their secure barrier but did not neglect to strike back.

Powerful flames from the meteorological decree invoked by the British were pinning down the approaching coalition force. Whenever an opportunity arose, they sent a few dozen Crusades to fly out from the top of the dome to fire their rifles repeatedly.

The attackers was thrown into disarray by the defending side's perfectly coordinated maneuvers.

The Centuriae and the Kurou Hougans were unable to reach the noesis barrier and create a breach.

If the battle continued at this rate, the defenders were almost certainly going to win.

"It feels like I don't have any extraordinary insight about conducting sieges." Masatsugu shrugged and said, "Unlike Caesar, the siege expert, I can't think of any clever strategies. But ultimately... There's no need to demolish an entire castle in a siege. It's enough to just breach it at one location."

"Yes, which is why specialized weapons would be transported in ancient times to break fortification walls."

Rikka conversed with Masatsugu from atop their wyverns.

Ancient siege weaponry included battering rams and catapults that threw giant rocks. And since the medieval age, places around the world started using gunpowder and explosives.

"So as modern humans, we will be using this thing as a battering ram?"

As soon as Rikka murmured, the object started its attack from the sky.

Simply stated, " a flying giant military ship emerged from the thick clouds, hurtling towards Suzaku Gate like a crashing meteor."

The ship's total length was 183m with a loaded displacement of 15 thousand tons.

The British destroyer with its streamlined body designed for stealth, the Tintagel , finally entered the stage—

The magnificent and massive ship descended from the sky. Confronted with this dramatic catastrophe, even the three-eyed phoenix could not help but squawk.

Kwehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

The giant phoenix with a wingspan of seventy meters was originally hiding behind the noesis barrier that covered Suzaku Gate's surroundings to protect itself and the stronghold—

Now, the phoenix went through the barrier, coming outside of it.

It probably knew that emergency measures were in order. The three-eyed phoenix's gigantic body exploded with an intense blaze, turning into a humongous "firebird."

The firebird charged at the Tintagel , trying to stop the ship's plunge.

However, the flying destroyer was escorted by a defending force. A hundred and fifty Kamuys were flying beside it in a spherical formation, Akigase Rikka's army.

These hundred and fifty Legions raised their rifles and shot in volleys, attacking the giant fiery phoenix with a curtain of gunfire.

The Centuriae and Kurou Hougans that had started the battle also fired in volleys to pin down the giant phoenix.

The humongous firebird was bathed in countless scorching beams and forced back momentarily.

Like crashing thunder, the large destroyer Tintagel smashed into the noesis barrier of the second tutelary fort, Suzaku Gate.

### Part 3

Weapons such as cruise missiles and ICBMs existed once.

After the conclusion of the Second World War, the US military had greatly promoted the efficacy of these weapons.

But during the practical application stage, the US military ran into substantial setbacks. This was an age when noetic disruption could easily cause destructive interference against the likes of infrared and radio waves. Projectile weapons unable to strike targets accurately without guidance—In the end, they became "useless" weapons.

Moreover, Legions had become the modern mainstay weapon.

They were able to resist "non-mystical attacks" with high probability.

Noesis barriers shared the same property. Hence, the various nations did not devote much of a budget towards missile research.

But in recent years, trends had shifted slightly.

Humans had developed a system allowing ifrits to take over the firing of missiles and the management of guidance, thereby imbuing attacks with mystical properties. The destroyer Tintagel was also equipped with such a system.

...Painstakingly, Masatsugu and company had transported the Tintagel to the sea near Ogawara City.

It would be possible to keep the ship by the shore to serve as "stationary artillery." Ogawara was only sixteen kilometers away from Lake Ashi in terms of map distance. The weapons on the destroyer could easily strike Hakone Checkpoint.

However, one would not expect mere artillery to have much of an effect against the Four Gods.

In that case—Masatsugu thought of an exceedingly simple method. He decided to ram the Four Gods using the destroyer Tintagel to see what would happen.

Needless to say...

A military ship powered by artificial ectoplasmic fluid and a fluid reactor did not have the ability to fly in the air.

"I thought this idea was beyond ridiculous when I first heard it," Rikka admitted without pretense.

"Using Legions to transport a ship—That would be too difficult. But on further thought, assuming you could summon five or six hundred Kanesadas..."

The large destroyer had flown from the Ogawara coast to Hakone at a speed of sixty kilometers per hour.

The source of thrust was red-purple, and hundreds of them to boot .

Every red-purple source of thrust was positioned against the hull and the sides of the Tintagel .

These sources of thrust were Tachibana Masatsugu's Kamuy variant, a total of seven hundred "Kanesadas." For this day, Masatsugu had obtained a large amount of ectoplasmic fluid.

The Shinsengumi Vice-Commander's current Chevalier Strength had reached 722!

"Fortunately, this plan worked. It was not just our wishful thinking."

"Indeed, I'm relieved too."

As Kamuys, the Kanesadas were Legions with a relatively small build.

However, they were still eight-meter-tall giants, after all, and fierce winged giant soldiers to boot. They were strong enough to lift large trucks over twenty tons in weight and toss them.

Furthermore, they were able to produce thrust comparable to their arm strength—

Currently, Masatsugu and Rikka were riding wyverns, watching from the sky to see if their unusual plan would succeed.

...The Tintagel broke through the dark clouds and appeared in the sky over Hakone.

...The large destroyer began to fall, crashing towards the second tutelary fort's noesis barrier.

...The seven hundred Kanesadas separated from the ship, leaving the rest to inertia.

...Part of the defense force started to shoot, but even a screen of gunfire could not stop the military ship's plunge.

"Our naval personnel are all weeping. Their original plan was to unlock the noetic system so that they can make perpetual use of this ship to bolster their forces."

"No need to be too attached. We can just steal another one if a chance comes up."

After giving a barbarian's response, Masatsugu asked, "How is the genie doing?"

"She should be fine. Although Sakuya seems unreliable, if you give her a specified duration and ask her to work hard for ten to twenty minutes, she can deliver rather well."

"I see, that does seem to be the case."

The Tintagel 's prow struck the noesis barrier, producing a thunderous crash. The golden dome of noetic energy became distorted.

The Four Gods did their best, trying to stop the massive 183m-long ship.

Immediately...

A giant explosion occurred from the prow of the Tintagel all the way to its center.

The British cutting-edge destroyer's fluid reactor had lost control, impossible to bring back to stability.

"Sakuya has succeeded in destroying the reactor core."

Rikka smiled, for she had brought Sakuya along precisely to fulfill this task.

The spirit left on the ship was probably erased in an instant. Since it was merely an avatar, it could revive itself any time as long as the principal image remained intact at Suruga.

The fierce explosion became the final straw to break the camel's back.

The ship crashed halfway through the noesis barrier, embedding itself in the tutelary fort's interior. The massive ship, 183m long, slid into the enemy position in a dramatic turn of events.

The ship's body also collided with the star-shaped perimeter wall surrounding the tutelary fort.

Needless to say, the ship smashed the wall before finally coming to a stop.

The noesis barrier had exhibited perfect defense until now. However,the barrier was shattered and broken around the hole created by the Tintagel with huge cracks forming on the golden dome.

Legions entered the cracks one after another to invade the tutelary fort's interior.

Those Legions were the coalition force formed from the Centuriae who had been attacking the second tutelary fort, Suzaku Gate, and the Kurou Hougans led by Tachibana Hatsune.

"Masatsugu-dono, the plan has been a success of sorts."

"Thanks to everyone's help, we managed to transport the ship to Ogawara."

As mentioned previously, the map distance from Ogawara to Lake Ashi was sixteen kilometers.

Flying at a speed of sixty kilometers per hour meant traversing the distance in ten-odd minutes.

Furthermore, the Tintagel was still capable of sailing even though its noetic system was locked down by Morgan le Fay's power.

Working overtime, Tōkaidō disguised the ship's body and sailed it to Odagawara.

For this purpose, they kept attacking the Izu Peninsula and nearby waters to cause massive disruption to the Suruga Bay surveillance network, thus ensuring smooth passage. Once preparations were complete, the Tintagel passed through the surveillance network to reach the vicinity of Odagawara directly.

General Wei Qing was also acting as bait to draw the Black Prince's attention.

Only after confirming that the Black Prince and the Knights of the Garter had shown up at Seiryuu Gate did they start transporting the Tintagel by flight.

The idea itself was simple and stupid, but actually carrying it out required meticulous care.

"Now then—It is up to Her Highness and Tachibana to infiltrate and see if they can accomplish their mission successfully..." Rikka said quietly and Masatsugu nodded deeply.

Meanwhile, at the first tutelary fort, on the roof of Seiryuu Gate's nation-protecting keep...

"Tachibana-dono, do know that my side is not unprepared."

Edward the Black Prince laughed eerily.

Having witnessed Tachibana Masatsugu's bold but ridiculous ploy, the Black Prince laughed heartily. But immediately, he returned to a solemn expression. Gazing the video played by the spirit Morrigan of the battle situation at the second tutelary fort Suzaku Gate, he said, "Will your plan actually succeed?"

Edward offered taunting words to his formidable foe, who was a dozen or so kilometers away.

### Part 4

Hakone's second tutelary fort, Suzaku Gate.

Inside its star-shaped perimeter walls, Legions of three nations were fighting in a great chaotic battle.

The defenders were two hundred Crusades, mainstay Legions of the British Empire. Conversely, the attacking side invading the noesis barrier was a coalition force belonging to Rome and Japan.

The main force consisted of a hundred and twenty Centuriae, commanded by two of General Wei Qing's subordinates.

Seventy Japanese Legions were "Kurou Hougans." This team had attacked together with the silver Roman army after Tachibana Hatsune summoned them at Ogawarajou. The tops of their heads were elongated like eboshi and they wore red armor with white robes.

Legions of three nations were swinging their blades, firing their scorching beams, doing everything they could to slaughter the enemy.

Most striking of the warriors were the Kurou Hougans.

Kamuys were especially noted for their agility among Legions. However, the avatars of Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune were able to move as light as a swallow in addition to their swift agility.

Jumping in a fluttering manner, the Kurou Hougans dodged the swinging blades of the Crusades repeatedly.

The agility they exhibited was akin to how Ushiwakamaru had toyed with Musashibō Benkei at Gojō Bridge. The Kurou Hougans were not only swift and nimble, with flowing footwork, but could even evade attacks from behind by jumping forward or using spectacular side steps, as though they had eyes on the back of their head.

It was hard to imagine these eight-meter-tall giants displaying such tengu-level martial arts.

When they attacked, their blades moved swiftly and sharply. Their bayonets instantly severed the Crusades' jugulars, easily penetrating the gaps in their armor.

That being said, it was hard to avoid stray shots on a chaotic battlefield.

A fair number of Kurou Hougans were hit due to bad luck or during balance recovery, and died to the blades of the Crusades.

However, these Kurou Hougans were quite a fighting force to be reckoned with, for an army belonging to a novice Chevalier.

While the Kurou Hougans were fighting bravely, their commander was accompanying the beautiful liege to sneak underground.

"Princess, we're approaching the goal!"

"I suppose there are no soldiers on guard duty, but let us proceed with caution!"

"Understood!"

Taking her personal lady-in-waiting and Chevalier Shiori had entered an underground tunnel.

Every tutelary fort was equipped with an underground water shrine and the four tutelary forts of Hakone were no exception. In case of emergencies, tunnels large enough for eight-meter-tall giant soldiers were built to allow Legions to swiftly recover from depletion of mystical power.

Of course, the tunnel went straight from ground level to the subterranean water shrine.

The two girls were each riding a Kurou Hougan. Hatsune was standing on one Kurou Hougan's shoulder while Shiori was on the other's palm.

The underground tunnel only had scattered orange lights for illumination.

The two Kurou Hougans were hovering, following the downward sloping tunnel. After a couple hundred meters, they were greeted by a wide open space.

"We reached the water shrine!" Hatsune cried out in joy.

The tunnel reached the top of the vast water shrine. Below them was a great reservoir of ectoplasmic fluid. Paths crisscrossed all over the surface like a chessboard and there was an entrance into the bath at the back.

Dozens of massive columns stood towering from the bottom of the reservoir up to the ceiling. Every column was uniform in size with a diameter of six or seven meters.

Stylistically, these giant columns were Corinthian from ancient Greek architecture.

"The ifrit protecting the tutelary fort—Its divinity baseplate is hidden inside a certain column in the water shrine. In the case of Imperial Japan, since this is always in a fixed spot, I will use noetics to search."

"Then let's go down there first, Princess!"

Hatsune directed the two Kurou Hougans to descend.

The landing spot was a path on the reservoir. The Legions instantly lowered the two girls. Just as Shiori was about to focus noesis on swiftly locating the divinity baseplate...

She sensed extremely ominous noetic waves from close by.

If one were to describe using a color, it would be "black." Shiori felt a chill down her spine. The noetic waves were filled with all sorts of negative elements—coldness, malediction, evil energy, curses.

"What is this...?"

"P-Princess!"

Just as Shiori was feeling intrigued, she heard her personal lady-in-waiting shout urgently.

Now she finally understood the noetic waves earlier were emitted at Hatsune. Shiori turned her head back, only to see the normally lively and cheerful girl standing frozen on the spot, her eyes unfocused.

Hatsune's entire body was entangled by negative noetic waves.

The one releasing these waves was a beautiful blonde maiden.

Her exquisite face was like a fairy's with an astoundingly pale complexion. Dressed in a pitch-black coat, this sort of funeral-like attire was a perfect match for her.

Rather than appearing suddenly, she had used stealth noetics to conceal herself.

The fact that Shiori had failed to sense her stood testament to her substantial prowess. The noetic waves restraining Hatsune were exuding from this young woman's body.

"Who are—"

Shiori was about to ask for her identity, but stopped halfway.

"Though I do not know your name, I presume you must be a princess of the British Empire. If necessary, I am willing to introduce myself first..."

"That would not be necessary."

The blonde's voice was crystal clear, no less exquisite than the beauty of her face.

"The British Empire has not neglected to gather intelligence. How could we possibly be unaware of Lady Fujinomiya Shiori? That being said, must I introduce myself?"

A smile bloomed on the girl's face, but there was no impression of cheerfulness.

Her essence was more akin to a mysterious bewitching rose, stars in the dark night, or faint moonlight.

"My name is Alexandrina Eleanor. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

"I knew it, the British Three Lions'—"

"I suppose I would be considered the daughter of the Three Lions. Pray forgive me but I cannot divulge the number of my siblings. I am quite surprised that you know of my existence, Lady Shiori."

The blonde maiden spoke cordially.

But held in her right hand was a dangerous instrument, a large-caliber revolver. This object looked extremely out of place in her pale and slender hand along with that cordial expression on her face.

The gun was aimed at Shiori's chest.

Suppressing her fear, Shiori said, "From Rikka-sama and Hatsune, I have heard about a masterful user of magic who made an appearance in Suruga..."

"You were able to guess from this scant information? You are truly as clever as they say, Lady Shiori."

Princess Eleanor smiled with delight.

Reportedly, she had easily infiltrated the Suruga tutelary fort after the Restoration Alliance had started the war, using a mysterious bewitching skill to control Rikka, and even transformed in front of Hatsune to flee.

Only a royal princess would have the ability to wield special powers of this sort.

"Lady Eleanor... Did you pray to your own father for a wish? You obtained taboo powers of enchantment in exchange for your own lifespan."

The British princess smiled and did not answer.

However, Shiori's guess was current. In the present times, praying to the sacred beasts "to grant magical powers" was the only way to obtain abilities of that level.

Furthermore, this was different from a one-time wish such as praying for the descent of a Resurrectee.

How many decades of life were needed to obtain "versatile magical powers" that could be used repeatedly?

Princess Eleanor probably did not have long to live...

Even so, she maintained her sultry smile while pointing the merciless gun at Shiori. What a witch, literally.

"Are those powers the reason why you knew of my arrival?"

"What do you think? I simply felt a little sense of foreboding in my heart. A while ago, I was having a private discussion with my good brother—Prince Edward—about the most likely threats to Hakone. For example, a princess inheriting Lord Tenryuu's blood would probably be able to devise an unexpected plan."

"A little sense of foreboding, you say...?"

"Fufufufu. A woman's intuition is very terrifying, and I am a witch on top of that. When it comes to matters related to the occult or magic, my intuition is almost akin to an oracle."

"......"

"For the past few days, this sense of foreboding did not go away, which is why I tried coming to Hakone to guard the location that worried me the most—As expected, I ran into your grand arrival, Lady Shiori."

"Now that I have heard your explanation, my mood cannot be any worse."

Shiori relied on upbringing to resist the urge to click her tongue. Putting her facade aside, she spoke a few harsh words.

"Who could have thought that my plan would be foiled by a witch's intuition...?"

"Oh my, Lady Shiori, aren't you a master in mystical skills too?"

"My skills are nowhere near as underhanded as yours. Lady Eleanor, your magical powers are basically cheats in the realm of human calculation and conflict."

"That I do agree... By the way, Lady Shiori."

Click. Eleanor's thumb cocked the revolver's hammer.

"It is time for us to chat about the future. Would you and the lady knight over there be so kind as to join my side as guests? Or must I use this rather rude instrument to take you both away by coercion?"

"I am terribly sorry, but I have trouble falling asleep if I were to switch pillows."

"Please rest assured. Upon the honor of the British Empire, I promise to find bedding and a bedroom satisfactory to you. Cast aside your worries and follow me now."

Confronted with the smiling Eleanor, Shiori was in quite a conundrum.

Her bodyguard Hatsune was immobilized the whole time. So were the two accompanying Kurou Hougans. It was like they were bound and restrained.

Shiori was not confident of victory in a contest of noetics or mystical powers.

Had she no other options but to abandon her ambition and plans to follow the British princess' orders obediently...?

"I—"

Frustrated by her own helplessness, Shiori's voice was trembling.

"Fufufufu, don't kill me with laughter. You think this level of magic will allow you to take Imperial Japan's princess? Over my dead body."

Underground of the second tutelary fort, Suzaku Gate, on the shore of Lake Ashi—

Someone who had no business coming to the water shrine had suddenly appeared. Her name was Rindou-sensei, and she was a reclusive figure of remarkable caliber, akin to Shiori's very own Zhuge Kongming, if one were to use a Three Kingdoms analogy.

### Part 5

A few days ago, Tachibana Hatsune was lectured by someone she met for the first time, criticizing her for lacking know-how on selecting alcoholic beverages.

The trouble was that Hatsune was still a minor. She had not the slightest clue how to judge the quality of alcohol. She also did not know how drinkers thought. Hence, she decided to use the simplest solution of "outsourcing."

One after another, Hatsune phoned her Tachibana relatives who were living in the Suruga area.

"Hello, Uncle? Please send all the 'fine wine' you've got at home to the Fuji tutelary fort. The princess needs them. Don't even think about withholding the good stuff, or else I'll report you to the princess and tell her to condemn you!"

As a result, Hatsune received her alcohol the following day.

The Tachibana clan had no lack of ruffians and were hearty drinkers whose alcohol tolerance matched their martial strength and valor. The fine liquor treasured by these men was all shipped over to the Fuji tutelary fort by military transport vehicles for Hatsune.

In total, there were at least ten big crates.

This included limited-production local beers, sake of all varieties from standard up to the rare stuff of dreams, imported whiskey that would be a rarity anywhere in the world, thirty types of "Grand Vin" that had been snatched from a wealthy household's cellar, and an extremely rare collection of shouchuu. Everything was of the finest quality, coveted by discerning drinkers.

Previously, Rindou-sensei had declined Shiori's repeated invitations to come to Suruga, citing "too much of a bother" as her reason.

Precisely due to having such a personality, Rindou-sensei moved directly into the Fuji tutelary fort's barracks and "could not be bothered to leave" after seeing so much fine liquor, spending her days locked up in the barracks, savoring the alcohol alone.

After that, the day to attack Hakone arrived.

By her protege's side, Rindou-sensei paid extra attention to Shiori than usual.

Rindou-sensei had accompanied them to Ogawarajou too. Along the way, she was drinking from a stainless steel hip flask containing a phantom sake of limited availability called "Godslayer!"

The slightly tipsy mentor had stayed in the castle. She was supposed to simply see the princess off from there.

However, she unexpectedly appeared at the second tutelary fort, Suzaku Gate, to intervene between Eleanor and Shiori.

"Rindou-sensei..."

Shiori breathed a sigh of relief and called out her mentor's name.

This young girl, who looked like she belonged in elementary school, with a blue kimono and blue hair, was undoubtedly Rindou-sensei. As for her unanticipated arrival, Shiori was not surprised.

Rindou-sensei was capable of teleporting like pipe foxes or sprites if she wanted to.

Elusive and wielding powers of great potency and versatility were precisely Rindou-sensei's traits.

"Hmph."

Rindou-sensei glanced at the immobilized Hatsune and said, "Charm noesis that captures Chevaliers, turning them into servants—You are using quite an interesting technique. Nevertheless, it is useless against the princess and me, since we are not knights , after all."

"You found out at a glance... Yours are truly discerning eyes of wisdom."

Eleanor smiled then acted swiftly and deftly.

She raised her right hand and suddenly shot, clearly very used to handling guns. The deadly bullet flew at Rindou-sensei's young face—

But it was deflected before it could hit.

"A noesis barrier..."

This time, it was Eleanor's turn for surprise to fill that pretty face of hers.

Rindou-sensei's petite body was glowing white faintly, and the light deflected the bullet. Furthermore, a snake was coiled around Sensei's blue kimono.

The silver-white snake flickered its tongue while atop Sensei.

The snake was two meters long with sharp eyes the color of rubies.

"A little snake that activates a noesis barrier... This pet wouldn't happen to be an ifrit, would it? From what I can see, you are something like a spirit, aren't you?"

"Hmph, stop wasting time on such inane matters."

Rindou-sensei conjured a fan into her hand as though performing a magic trick. Opening the closed fan, Rindou smiled and declared haughtily, "Though I am a very lazy person, I happen to be diligent at telling others to do my bidding. O daughter of lions, let my proxy punish you, go!"

"Good grief~ You're such a slave driver, Sensei!"

Immobilized all this time, Hatsune suddenly sprang into action.

Just now, the instant when Sensei had opened her fan forcefully, the noesis binding the novice Chevalier had vanished like a puff of smoke. This was due to Rindou-sensei's magical powers.

With a great swing of her arm, Hatsune threw something at Eleanor.

"But at least it was worth it for me to offer so much fine liquor as a gift!"

"Guh!"

Eleanor jumped away reflexively to dodge the blue object that Hatsune had thrown.

It was a blue scroll. For the sake of haste, Hatsune had thrown the physical manifestation of Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune's Appellation, the blue scroll, at Eleanor.

Last time, Hatsune had used the same attack to distract the witch Eleanor when she showed up at Suruga.

Unlike last time, Hatsune still had other measures available.

"Kurou!"

A winged giant soldier standing behind them also moved. One of the two Kurou Hougans. Its gigantic body, almost eight meters tall, raised its bayonet rifle with lightning speed like a tengu.

The muzzle instantly released a beam, firing ten shots in an instant.

"Father, grant me the power of your blessings!"

Just as the Kurou Hougan opened fire, Eleanor transformed into a black eagle .

The beautiful maiden swiftly turned into a bird of prey. She had used this transformation skill at Suruga too.

Eleanor flew into the air, dodging the ten consecutive flashes of light. Immediately, ten pillars of water shot up violently in the water shrine with great splashes.

The ten flashes of light had shot the water surface of the artificial ectoplasmic fluid.

Turned into an eagle, Eleanor flapped her wings and soared, escaping the water shrine through the opening in the ceiling and into the underground tunnel that Shiori and her entourage had used to enter.

Only Japanese girls, utterly drenched, were left at the scene.

"That girl reacts so quickly, just like last time."

Hatsune sounded disappointed. The other party's reflexes were like a beast's. As fellow princesses who had inherited the blood of sacred beasts, Eleanor's reflexes and athletic ability was far superior to Shiori's.

"Thanks to her swift escape, we are saved."

Rindou-sensei stuck out her tongue, trying to get the last drop of liquor from her upside-down hip flask.

"To be honest, my magic is about to run out."

"Why, Sensei?"

"Without alcohol, I have neither mood nor magic. When I no longer feel tipsy, this thing will disappear too."

"...So basically, it's like the drunken fist?" Hatsune asked in puzzlement.

The silver-white snake, coiled around Rindou-sensei until now—the miniature manifestation of the ifrit Fukuryuu—vanished spontaneously.

Now that there was no one to disturb her, Shiori focused her mind to enhance her senses.

After concentrating for around sixty seconds, she noticed signs that the divinity baseplate was hidden in a certain pillar. Next, she was going to try out the enchanted ceremony Sensei had taught her.

"Gold does not fear trials of flame. Heroes do not fear trials of hardship. Abandon all hope, ye who enter this door."

Shiori recited the mantra as an imperial princess.

Today, Hakone's sky was gray and dim.

On clear days, it was possible to see Mount Fuji in the northwest, thirty kilometers away. Currently, dark clouds were shrouding the sky, with sounds of rumbling thunder.

These were warning signs of a cataclysm about to rock the heavens and the world.

The three-eyed phoenix in the air over Suzaku gate—

The eyeball on the phoenix's head was proof of Morgan le Fay's control. However, the third eye suddenly vanished, replaced by a "皇" character, which had meanings of "emperor" or "imperial."

Hakone's second ifrit had turned to the Japanese imperial family's control.

"I hereby order you, Suzaku, subordinate kin of the sacred beast, Lord Tenryuu. Take what I, Fujinomiya Shiori, say as the decree of my grandfather, Lord Tenryuu, and swear absolute allegiance."

Transmitting noetic waves from the underground water shrine, Shiori commanded Suzaku.

Her body became drained and her legs lost strength. She was about to collapse and faint on the ground any moment.

This was probably the price of invoking the master-servant enchanted ritual by borrowing the mighty name of her grandfather, Lord Tenryuu. The vitality she had lost was perhaps equivalent to a year's lifespan.

...In fact.

Ever since the descent of sacred beasts upon the world, similar transactions have been taking place all over the world.

Starting from the latter half of the nineteenth century, the world underwent momentous changes. Women who had been wedded to sacred beasts, or their children who inherited the bloodlines of sacred beasts, would consume their life in exchange for obtaining mystical powers for their country.

Examples included Legions, artificial ectoplasmic fluid, ifrits, retainer beasts, noetic control, water shrines, fluid reactors...

Presently, Princess Shiori had taken control of the giant phoenix that protected Hakone.

She commanded, "O Suzaku, release all your noesis and go to sleep. I grant you special permission to give up your mission of protecting Hakone for the time being."

In the sky over Suzaku Gate, the golden phoenix howled loudly.

At the same time, its gigantic body, with a wingspan of seventy meters, released a golden aura.

This light was noetic energy, which was originally colorless and intangible. Excessively powerful noesis would exhibit color visible to the naked eye.

The golden noesis rushed into the sky that was filled with dark clouds, expanding like a display of aurora borealis.

The noesis presented to the heavens dispersed and vanished like smoke. The formerly golden phoenix changed color too, turning into a vivid fiery red.

Vermilion was precisely the rightful appearance of the ifrit Suzaku.

This change precipitated a chain reaction. Shiori spoke solemnly, "The trump card defending Hakone, the Four Gods, was born by merging the noetic energy of Seiryuu, Suzaku, Byakko, and Genbu. Now that the noetic energy of one of the divinities, Suzaku's, has returned to the heavens, the Four Gods can no longer be sustained... Hakone has finally lost all its walls now."

These words constituted an oracle delivered by the Saiguu, the supreme shrine maiden of the Japanese nation.

At the first tutelary fort in the east, the three-eyed golden dragon turned back into the original Seiryuu.

At the third tutelary fort in the west, the three-eyed giant tiger with golden fur turned back into Byakko.

At the fourth tutelary fort in the north, the three-eyed golden turtle with a snake for a tail turned back into the black Genbu.

The noetic energy of the four-in-one union collapsed.

Of course, the British could no longer use ultra durable noesis barriers or meteorological decrees. The Four Gods Union had been disengaged forcibly, even making it impossible to keep the ifrits manifested.

The four ifrits vanished suddenly.

Hakone Checkpoint instantly lost its castle walls.

### 041. Chapter 6 - Two-Headed Dog

### Part 1

"Morrigan, inform the defensive forces at each tutelary fort on my behalf."

After the merged divinity of the Four Gods vanished, Edward immediately issued orders.

"Tell them to keep defending their respective tutelary forts for two hours. Once this designated duration is over, each army will act at their own discretion depending on the changing circumstances."

"Affirmative."

The loyal spirit Morrigan nodded in response to Edward using the doll she was possessing.

They were on the roof of the nation-protecting keep at the first tutelary fort, Seiryuu Gate. Edward quickly walked over to a waiting wyvern.

"Very well.. It is time to get back to square one. I will take my personal guard, the Knights of the Garter, and leave this first tutelary fort. Morrigan, you come with me too."

"Affirmative. Are you going to converge with the main force, Prince?"

"Indeed, you know me well."

Seeing the subtle expression on Morrigan's face, Edward smirked.

...Despite losing his impregnable fortress, the superior officer seemed to be in excellent spirits. Edward was thankful for the leveled playing field, allowing him to have a showdown against Tachibana Masatsugu on equal terms.

Morrigan was appalled by the Black Prince's love of battle, but felt curious about how he would command his army.

"Let us set off, Morrigan. I have brought four hundred Legions to Seiryuu Gate, with eight hundred remaining at the central command center. A total of a thousand and two hundred Legions should be plenty enough forces. The Japanese enemies must know that the black knights of the British Empire will be the ones to dominate the Hakone battlefield."

Apart from the Garter Knights, there were another hundred and fifty-odd Crusades at Seiryuu Gate.

The Black Prince ordered them to defend the tutelary fort while he took his personal guard to converge with the "central main force." He was going to launch a vicious counterattack next, to destroy the enemy armies in the four cardinal directions respectively—

This was Edward's plan. However...

"Of course, you are going to hinder me, right? Tachibana-dono..."

Leading the four hundred Legions under his direct command, the Black Prince moved towards Oowakudani—

There was another ambush force there. Eight hundred Knights of the Garter were already detected. Leading a total of a thousand and two hundred Legions, Prince Edward was setting up his position in the sky over Mount Souun—

Retainer beasts such as aquilas and yatagarasus had returned with the above reports.

Needless to say, Tachibana Masatsugu was kept informed of such intel at all times.

However, there was one matter that needed to be discussed and settled prior to entering the battlefield. It would not be wrong to call it a negotiation. In other words, a meeting with the renowned general of Japan's "ally," the Eastern Roman Empire.

The key point was how to defeat the enemy's leader, Edward the Black Prince—

Riding blue wyverns, Masatsugu and Rikka headed to the rendezvous point in the sky over Oowakudani.

After the battle at Suzaku Gate, six hundred of Masatsugu's Kanesadas remained while Rikka's hundred and fifty Kamuys were virtually unscathed.

Meanwhile, riding a silver wyvern, General Wei Qing brought roughly four hundred and fifty Centuriae.

In order to hold the Black Prince's attention at Seiryuu Gate, Wei Qing had confronted the English longbow formation head on, losing over half of his army of a thousand as a result.

The rest of the Roman and Tōkaidō forces had stayed at the four tutelary forts in the north, east, south, and west.

Those forces were currently fighting the armies left behind by Prince Edward.

Currently, the seven hundred and fifty Tōkaidō Legions combined with the four hundred and fifty of Rome's to give a total of a thousand and two hundred.

Given the proportions, it would not be wrong for Tōkaidō to be in command. However, if the Roman army, which had sacrificed the most so far, refused to cooperate, this battle would be extremely hard to fight—That was how the proportions worked.

While thinking over these matters, Masatsugu reached the rendezvous point in the sky over Oowakudani.

Leading his Centuriae in a spherical formation, General Wei Qing arrived from the direction of Hakone Yumoto.

"Masatsugu-dono."

"Yeah, I'm going to talk to him for a bit."

Masatsugu gave Rikka a look and left the Tōkaidō army of seven hundred and fifty Legions. Riding his wyvern alone, he approached the Roman army of four hundred and fifty. Who knew what would come out of his discussion with General Wei Qing?

The two of them met in the sky over Oowakudani.

Wei Qing said very candidly, "I am willing to cooperate with your plan, Masatsugu-dono."

"...Now that's really helpful of you to be so accommodating."

That being said, Masatsugu could not help but grumble this time.

"Since I haven't even told you the plan, aren't you agreeing too quickly?"

"Please rest assured, this is the power of my Feat of Arms."

"What?"

The ability to renact migty feats from the battlefields of one's past life—

Such was the special power of Feat of Arms. However, what kind of ability had Wei Qing invoked during this conversation? Masatsugu was greatly puzzled.

Wei Qing pointed at his own temple and explained. Normally low key, Wei Qing was speaking in a mischievous tone of voice for once.

"I have no idea whether my daily conduct resulted in karmic backlash, or I am simply afflicted with poor luck, but as a result, I am always surrounded by troubles outside of battle. Examples include unreasonable treatment from the upper class, or being forced to lead armies that are clearly weaker than the enemy..."

His words sounded like complaining, but Wei Qing's tone was filled with levity as though he were not talking about himself.

In fact, there was a gentle smile maintained on Wei Qing's face.

"Perhaps due to this, my intuition is especially sharp when it comes to matters of advance or retreat."

"Intuition?"

"Yes. My expertise lies in knowing when to advance or retreat, knowing where to move for better fortune and which positions are disadvantageous... All this is clear to me in a kind of premonition."

"You can really see that stuff?"

"This time, my intuition tells me what you hinted at is the most effective path to survival... This is precisely the effect of my Feat of Arms—Kanglong Youhui."

Wei Qing easily revealed his completely unassuming ability.

Masatsugu was very intrigued. Did this really count as a Feat of Arms?

Wei Qing smiled again and said, "There have been many eccentric people around me in the past. This includes an emperor who was a good judge of character, but had poor understanding of human hearts, the emperor's willful older sisters, obstinate generals, etc... Perhaps after being pushed around by those people for long years, I developed this kind of ability as a result."

"I see."

Masatsugu understood, but he was only half-convinced.

General Wei Qing having such an ability was probably true. Otherwise, he would not have obediently committed to Masatsugu's battle plan without knowing anything in advance.

However, a Feat of Arms purely for "improving intuition"—That was quite difficult to believe.

Masatsugu speculated that Wei Qing had exercised "temperance" in only telling part of the truth. The true effects of the Feat of Arms should be more powerful with intuition as merely the tip of the iceberg.

"General Wei Qing, if a chance arises, I'd really like to get to the 'bottom' of you some day."

"My true nature is not interesting at all. On the other hand, Tachibana-dono, your identity is far more intriguing."

"Me, you say?"

"The way you have fought your battles so far are only possible with a deep belief that your troops are the elite of the elite. Such are the types of tactics you employ, which take an excessively heavy toll on the soldiers."

"......"

"It is most likely that you hail from a strong nation, or perhaps you were a general leading heroes of the most elite sort?"

"Speaking of which, you said the troops you led were old and weak, General?"

Faced with Masatsugu's question, the handsome general smiled wryly and admitted, "Yes, the emperor assigned cavalry to me by to subjugate the equestrian Xiongnu tribes... Unfortunately, the riders and horses were all raised within Han borders. Compared to warriors who spent their entire lives riding across the steppes—The difference was as great as between heaven and earth."

In any case, the matter of command was settled with unexpected ease.

Dozens of minutes later, the two of them finally faced off against Edward the Black Prince.

"Morrigan, it is time to begin."

"As you command."

Edward had divided the Knights of the Garter into two divisions.

First of all, nine hundred of them formed a wide wall formation as the "front rank." A couple hundred meters behind, the remaining three hundred were the "back ranks."

With the black knights in the back ranks all equipped with longbows, "mode anglais" was fully prepared.

Edward himself and Morrigan were among the back ranks. The genie had switched to a doll-size simulacrum and was sitting on the Black Prince's shoulder.

Looking out at the enemy position, Edward was quite surprised.

"Drawing a diagonal line across the battlefield... An oblique formation, huh? How old-fashioned to employ the tactic of Lord Epaminondas. Hohohoho, famed generals of past and present, oriental and occidental, all use the same methods, is that it!?"

Speaking of medieval knights, the majority of them were actually uncultured brutes.

The point of promoting chivalry was to impart a system of basic morals on these unruly men who frequented battlefields. So-called knights were nowhere as elegant as imagined by modern people.

However, there was a rare exception right here.

Having received an elite education since childhood as part of the English royal family, he was instructed in courtly elegance and etiquette.

Apart from mastery in martial training and the arts of war, he was also well-versed in Latin with deep knowledge in classical Greek and Roman texts—This was what Black Prince Edward was like as a person.

Now, he noticed that Tachibana Masatsugu had recreated a famous tactic from ancient Greece.

"We are about to have a real showdown against the prince. All units, assemble into a line to create a wall."

Now consider the coalition force between the Tōkaidō Fiefdom and the Eastern Roman Empire.

They had also entered a wide wall formation like the enemy. Both sides were in the sky over Mount Souun at Hakone, forming their own respective "wall" with over a thousand Legions.

However, the coalition force's wall was very different from the British side's.

Starting from the left and moving across, there were six hundred red-purple Kanesadas, then four hundred silver Centuriae, and finally a hundred and fifty blue Kamuys.

Along the entire line, only the Kanesadas on the left were intentionally arranged in a column.

Thus, the formation became an "L" with a protrusion on the left instead of a perfect horizontal line.

█ █ █ █ █ █ █ █

The column on the left consisted of the six hundred Kanesadas.

Instead of uniform ranks, this arrangement concentrated not only manpower but also the toughest troops on the far edge in extremely deep ranks. This tactic was known as the oblique order, a type of unbalanced formation.

### Part 2

Back to the second tutelary fort, Suzaku Gate.

The great phoenix of the Four Gods guarding this fortress was already gone.

However, the hundred-odd Crusades stationed here by the Black Prince were still around, currently fighting the coalition force of Centuriae and Kurou Hougans.

They had probably received orders to stay in the tutelary fort and continue to draw the enemy's attention.

At this rate, things should be fine.

Relieved, Shiori decided to change the subject.

"...The oblique order is an ancient Greek tactic."

The Tōkaidō side had set up a simple tent as a temporary camp on the lawn inside the tutelary fort.

Shiori was sitting on a foldable chair in the tent with a blanket over her lap. Activating the master-servant enchanted ritual had depleted her stamina greatly.

Fortunately, she remained conscious and was still able to use noetic control.

Currently, she had sent reconnaissance yatagarasu to observe the showdown between Masatsugu and the Black Prince.

The battle situation was projected into the air for a live broadcast. On the screen, Tachibana Masatsugu had ordered the Legions to enter an oblique formation.

"Back then, the mainstream tactic was to deploy troops in phalanxes with wide ranks of equal depth. However, Epaminondas, the commander of the city state Thebes, deliberately used a much deeper phalanx on the far left and succeeded in defeating a Spartan army of twice their number."

"Winning when outnumbered two to one!? That's amazing!" Hatsune's eyes glimmered brightly, very impressed. "But what I don't get is why it's a 'formation in a diagonal line'!"

"By concentrating elite troops on the left, the left side inevitably advances ahead. If the center and the right fail to keep up, the scattered forces would be subjected to either a frontal breakthrough or defeat in detail."

Consequently, the soldiers in the center and the right, which are advancing slightly slower, must follow the elite troops in the left—Shiori drew a diagonal slash in the air to explain.

"From overhead, it looks as though a diagonal line has been drawn on the battlefield from the top left to the bottom right."

"Princess, if Onii-sama knows this kind of sure-win tactic, that means he might be from ancient Greece!"

"This is undoubtedly impossible."

"Y-You don't have to reject my idea so decisively!"

"The essence of oblique order is not about 'drawing a diagonal line' but 'concentration of force on one side to be employed skillfully.' When deploying troops with this principle in mind, one would naturally choose similar formations."

After explaining the tactic in detail, Shiori added, "This has nothing to do with a commander's identity, geographic origins, or era."

"Oh I see now."

"On this occasion, it just happens to resemble oblique order, that is all."

"I get what you mean now, Princess. But from the tone in your explanations... Why do I get the feeling you already know Onii-sama's origins?"

"Is that so? I had no intention of insinuating that."

Hatsune pointed out the heart of the matter straight away, startling Shiori.

Acting as though nothing had happened, she hid her true feelings very naturally. After observing Masatsugu's behavior for a while now, Shiori had come to her own conclusion.

However, she had no evidence. It was not yet time to announce her findings at the current stage.

It was imperative to focus on the battle at hand to reach a swift conclusion, so that they could hurry to Tachibana Masatsugu's aid as early as possible—

"By the way, Hatsune, Masatsugu-sama also mentioned that your power is absolutely essential to this battle. You must prepare yourself, alright?"

"Yes, Princess!"

"I shall muster my greatest spiritual powers... to foil Prince Edward's calculations."

Shiori knew roughly what the Black Prince was thinking.

He intended to defeat the two Resurrectees of Tachibana Masatsugu and Wei Qing at the center of Hakone before moving on, successively visiting the four tutelary forts in the four cardinal directions, to defeat the Roman-Tōkaidō coalition forces.

Hence, he had ordered the Legions stationed at the various tutelary forts to stick to defense.

Conversely, Shiori's side had to do the opposite.

They must swiftly defeat the defense forces at the four tutelary forts then head over to aid the Tachibana-Wei coalition force in the center, to encircle the Black Prince—

Fujinomiya Shiori was the key to this battle plan.

Taking a deep breath, she focused her noesis again.

Back to the sky over Mount Souun...

Masatsugu's Tōkaidō-Roman coalition force versus Edward's British army.

Facing each other, separated by several kilometers, the two armies finally moved forward. If they were to continue advancing like this, they would enter melee range.

Naturally, the two armies started by exchanging gunfire.

Capable of firing at a rate of ten shots per second, the bayonet rifles kept shooting, again and again.

Each side consisted of a great army, a thousand and two hundred strong. This implied a total of two thousand and four hundred rifles discharging scorching beams, producing a curtain of gunfire.

White protective barriers neutralized the endless beams.

The glow coming from both armies was precisely their means of survival. Unfortunately, many beams remained potent, striking the winged giant soldiers in their armor or body, puncturing them directly.

In this rifle showdown, the coalition force was holding a slight upper hand.

In other words, the united army of Kanesadas, Centuriae, and Kamuys were winning slightly.

The reason was simple. The three hundred Legions in the British back ranks had not participated in this contest of volley fire.

The black carcasses of the British Knights of the Garter kept crashing down one after another.

Naturally, the three hundred black knights did not remain still. They drew their bows and nocked their arrows of light, launching an archery offensive from the back.

"All archers, I am counting on you again."

Responding to Edward's command, the Garter Knights began to fire repeatedly at high speed.

Draw, nock, loose. Arrows flew with the sound of tearing wind.

Such was the nature of bows and arrows as a weapon, unlike rifles that shot with a pull of the trigger. The contraptions of modern convenience could fire at ten shots per second, while the English longbow could only reach a maximum rate of one or two arrows every ten seconds.

However, these arrows of light were capable of piercing protective barriers.

Even with their radiant glow for defense, the Legions of the coalition army could not stop the black knights' arrows.

Furthermore, the Garter Knights in the front rank had formed a "wall" to protect the three hundred black longbowmen, completely preventing the coalition army from retaliating against the back ranks.

Enabling the longbowmen to focus on firing was the essence of "mode anglais."

The marksmen in the back ranks raised their longbows at an angle to release their arrows. Tracing out parabolic trajectories, the arrows hurtled towards the coalition army's position.

One after another, many Legions, red-purple, silver-white, or blue in color, were shot down by the arrows.

They were clearly dying much faster than the British black knights. The British Empire's side was still superior in a shooting match...

However, the coalition army was not to be outdone.

Using an echelon formation, the Tōkaidō-Roman coalition's left column stood out especially.

The Kanesadas assigned to the left side were flying slightly faster than the Centuriae in the center and the Kamuys on the right.

With the left wing ahead, the entire army formed a diagonal "\" shape.

In contrast, the Garter Knights on the enemy side were in the shape of a horizontal "-" line.

In a minute or two, the front rank of the black knights were going to clash with the leading Kanesadas head on.

"Kanesadas—the two hundred of you in the front—Draw your swords and charge."

"I knew it would come to this. Focus the rain of arrows on the advance party. Do not let them succeed, or else the samurai swords will disrupt our formation."

The army of Kanesadas at the top left of the diagonal were many ranks deep.

The two hundred at the forefront accelerated and charged, causing the unit to protrude even further, closing in on the Garter Knights in one go.

The bayonet rifles in their hands all turned into the famed sword, Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada.

The Kanesada unit with drawn swords must serve as the vanguard to approach and cut down the British Legions, thereby disrupting the enemy's packed formation by creating numerous dead bodies.

Once a packed formation began to break, all that was needed was to focus attacks at the breach and the formation's collapse would be inevitable.

However, arrows continue to rain down.

The longbowmen of the Garter Knights focused their fire, trying to annihilate the Kanesada vanguard that had their swords drawn. The red-purple Legions swung their Japanese swords, deflecting the rain of arrows.

Blades and arrows clashed.

Almost a month ago, the Kanesadas led by Masatsugu had used the same method to defend against English longbows many times.

However, the situation today was different from last time.

"Tsk."

"Sure enough, the enemy is fatigued."

Masatsugu clicked his tongue whereas Edward grinned.

The Kanesadas' swordsmanship was clearly disorderly, lacking their original acuity.

Normally, Shinsengumi swordsmanship was capable of blocking the vast majority of arrows, but today, one out of every two arrows met their mark...

Dozens of Kanesadas crashed down from the sky, heavily damaged.

"Transporting the Tintagel was an excessive drain, huh?" Edward chuckled.

Odawara's shore was roughly sixteen or seventeen kilometers from Lake Ashi. Masatsugu had ordered his Kanesadas to fly while carrying a 183m-long large destroyer. Of course, this consumed substantial ectoplasmic fluid.

For Legions, this depletion of ectoplasmic fluid was equivalent to fatigue in humans.

No longer sharp in swordsmanship, the Kanesadas kept making mistakes they would not normally make.

"My archers, no need to pity them. Shoot with all your might."

Edward told his troops that this was the chance for victory.

The merciless rain of arrows kept slaughtering the red-purple swordsmen, inflicting substantial damage to the fatigued Kanesadas.

In the end, over half of the vanguard died before they could engage the enemy.

Even so, the echelon formation's sword-wielding vanguard finally approached the horizontal line of Garter Knights—

"All units, draw your swords. Show the enemy Hijikata Toshizō's swordsmanship."

In the ensuing battle, the famed blade and Hijikata Toshizō's swordsmanship were of paramount importance.

The remaining four hundred and seventy or so Kanesadas entered the flat seigan stance and rushed at the British black knights, the Black Prince's personal guard.

Unexpectedly...

"Shame be to him who thinks ill of it—The hundred of you engaging the red-purple Legions in the front, make use of shields."

The Black Prince recited holy words to invoke a Feat of Arms of the shield.

The Garter Knights and the katana-wielding Kanesadas clashed head on. The short inscription of "Honi soit qui mal y pense," resembling Latin, appeared on each shield wielded by the Garter Knights.

"My knights, you are protected by the insignia of the garter. Now raise your shields of justice to triump over evil!" "

The Garter Knights resisting the Kanesadas head on were one hundred out of the entire army.

Their armaments transformed from the standard bayonet rifle to rectangular shields —not English longbows. The shields were almost the size of a Legion's body.

This was another of the Black Prince's trump cards and it had successfully defended against Tennen Rishin Style swordsmanship before.

However, the Kanesadas had no choice but to soldier on. Masatsugu ordered them calmly, "Forget about defense—Go."

A hundred British Legions had given up their rifles for offense to raise up giant shields.

In that case, there was no need to strike a balance between offense and defense. Just attack with the strongest slash at full strength. The Kanesadas swung their swords to chop at the "black knights with raised shields"—They used the stance of hassou .

The so-called hassou was a type of upper stance with the sword. Gripping the hilt, one would raise both hands to mouth level.

The vertical sword's tip would point at the sky and the clouds, thus in Tennen Rishin Style, its nickname was "the cloud-oriented sword"...

"Cut them down with all your might."

The Kanesadas kept chopping at the hundred shield-wielding Garter Knights.

They focused all their strength on their one sword strike without thinking about defense or follow up attacks.

However, the Japanese swords were almost always blocked by the shields of the holy knights. Some of the Japanese swords managed to cut into the shield's steel, but they were rare exceptions.

"Hohohoho, are samurai swords only capable of this much?"

"Try harder. You are the troops led by the man known as 'The Merciless.' If this is all you've got, watch out for the mockery you'll face in hell."

The commander of the holy knights smiled whereas the Merciless Vice-Commander calmly ordered the attack.

Responding to Masatsugu's orders, the Kanesadas lived up to their names as "demoniac children of the gods." Using hassou slashes, they attacked from behind their failed comrades or went over the heads of the troops in front of them—Fresh red-purple swordsman rushed out nonstop.

As for the Garter Knights, they raised their giant shields to cover their entire body.

The Kanesadas used their own bodies to smash into the shields or kicked to throw the British Legions off balance. Then seizing the opportunity, swordsmen from behind would rush forward, using their deadly swords to leave mortal wounds on the British Legion's body.

This method of fighting lacked the exquisite skill sought by the spirit of Japanese swordsmanship.

Instead, it more resembled "well-coordinated thugs used to street fighting in large groups."

This method of slaughtering enemies was unique to the Feat of Arms of Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada inherited from the Shinsengumi Vice-Commander Hijikata Toshizō. During a chaotic battle, one could not rely exclusively on skillful swordsmanship .

At the same time, this offensive was also planned by Masatsugu.

"Impressive as always, Tachibana-dono. Does the oblique formation take credit for this fierce offensive?" Edward muttered from the back of the British army.

While the soldiers in the front were locked in combat, troops in the back would rush forward to deliver a second strike, and a third, etc, fighting relentlessly to break the enemy formation—

Putting elite troops in a column with deep ranks had this effect.

And currently in a column, the katana-wielding Kanesadas had turned into a sword's tip to stab into the line of Garter Knights.

At this rate, the black knights' formation would not last for long.

However, the Black Prince had expected this as soon as he saw the enemy's oblique formation.

He said, "I knew long ago... You are a famed general capable of thrusting your samurai sword at my throat. Naturally, as a knight, I have prepared retaliatory measures as well."

Edward was flying on a wyvern mount.

He looked down at the melee battle taking place between the two armies. The Tōkaidō-Roman coalition in echelon formation was currently fighting the line of Garter Knights.

The protruding left side of the echelon formation was clashing violently with the right side of the line in a chaotic battle.

However, the other soldiers were separated by dozens to a hundred or so meters, and were exchanging gunfire without entering the chaotic battle at all.

Edward calmly observed the battle situation.

He was watching the melee contest between samurai and black knights.

Breaking through at that point would instantly overturn the battle situation—

"Upon a knight's honor... Pierce them."

The Plantagenet prince issued the order for death.

The three hundred Garter Knights in the back had been focused on firing their bows so far. Their armaments spontaneously turned back into the normal bayonet rifles.

Rising by a height of four hundred meters, they occupied the sky over the echelon formation.

The Black Prince commanded sonorously, "Knights of the Garter, charge at full speed with all your might!"

Edward had ordered a cavalry charge.

The cavalry charge was the favorite tactic of Richard the Lionheart.

Using the bayonets as "cavalry lances," the Legions flew towards the enemy at maximum speed to pierce Legion armor with the sharp blades. The impact and momentum of the charge was able to scatter the enemy. A so-called cavalry charge was to use hundreds or thousands of troops to conduct such an attack offensive—

This time, three hundred Garter Knights were used to launch a cavalry charge.

Unconcerned with harming friendly forces, Edward went as far as to issue a cruel order that attacked them as well.

The black meteors crashed towards the left wing of the echelon formation from four hundred meters above!

At the same time, Masatsugu issued a new order.

He could not help but smile when he saw that the enemy general was just as insane as he was. In a certain way, this also meant that they were truly good rivals.

"So we both came up with similar tactics..."

Immediately...

The Kanesadas and the Garter Knights that had started a melee battle, as well as the black knights charging at them, friend and foe alike—All of them were caught in an attack from the side.

This wave of attacks came from rifle fire of the hundreds of Centuriae and Kamuys on the Tōkaidō side.

### Part 3

Concentrating troops in one location would raise their offensive power there.

Ultimately, this was the key principle of the oblique order. What would elite troops with superb offensive power do after killing the enemies before them? Simple, move on to the next.

For example, they could move to other enemies and ambush them from the back or the flank.

Then what about the other part of the army with "low offensive power"?

There was no need for ordinary troops to be excessively aggressive. They should delay participating in battle as much as possible while keeping up just enough to avoid getting left behind. The underlying condition was that they must stay within a certain distance of the rest of the army to prevent the enemy from isolating them.

Once they clashed with the enemy in melee, there was no need to worry about defeating the enemy either.

Maintaining stalemate was the key point. Ensuring their own safety and survival was the top priority. While this was happening, the "elite unit with superior offensive power" would defeat the initial enemies in front of them before turning to the rest of the enemies stalled by their "less powerful allies."

Then afterwards, the ordinary troops would attack aggressively, to surround and destroy the enemy army in concert with the elite unit...

This was the most ideal and offensive use of the "oblique order."

However, there were different applications depending on the battlefield and the commander. On this occasion, Tachibana Masatsugu had used his "elite unit of six hundred Kanesadas" cleverly as bait.

The enemy consisted of Prince Edward and the Knights of the Garter.

What if even the oblique order's concentration of force failed to break through the ranks of the black knights?

Tachibana Masatsugu had considered this pessimistic outcome and it was not paranoia.

After using the trump cards of katana-drawing and Tennen Rishin Style swordsmanship, the Kanesadas under his command still could not overcome the longbows and the shields of the Garter Knights so easily.

While they were locked in a struggle, the enemy even launched a cavalry charge—

"Centuriae, switch the targets of your rifles for the time being."

"Do not worry about harming the Kanesadas... Rather, shoot them along with the enemy. It is imperative that you eliminate the Knights of the Garter that are fighting the Kanesadas!"

Wei Qing and Akigase Rikka issued their respective orders.

Earlier, they had received a messenger pipe fox sent by the top commander, Tachibana Masatsugu, asking them to proceed according to the original plan.

Their current forces were respectively four hundred Centuriae and a hundred and twenty Kamuys.

Just now, they had followed the forefront unit of Kanesadas to advance slowly towards the enemy while firing along the way.

Not too long ago, their rate of fire had dropped slightly.

The coalition army had suddenly changed course and accelerated during the minute or two when the enemy commander's attention was focused on the "Kanesadas of which every last one had drawn their katana," thus allowing them to move unimpeded—

The mixed force of Centuriae and Kamuys rushed ahead to the left, accelerating all at once.

While the Garter Knights and the Kanesadas were locked in a fierce struggle, this force successfully took the position on their right flank, resulting in a formation in the shape of a diagonal slash.

Once in position, the coalition force opened fire continually.

Their target was the zone containing the shield-bearing black knights, the knights that had charge from above, and the Kanesadas that were chopping away, a very chaotic situation.

The Garter Knights in that zone were no longer in an orderly formation.

Without a packed formation, their protective barriers failed to provide much of an effect. The coalition force's attack from an unexpected angle dealt a severe and unprecedented blow to the black knights. Many Garter Knights crashed into the peaks of Hakone's mountains.

The Kanesadas were also shot down in the process.

With a drastic decrease in numbers on both sides, the two armies continued in a truly fierce melee battle—

"Let the status quo continue for now..."

Wei Qing murmured to himself. Riding a silver wyvern, he was soaring the sky over the battlefield. Silver-white Roman Legions could be seen fighting bravely everywhere.

The Eastern Roman Empire's mainstay Legion was called the Centuria.

Like the Japanese Kamuy, the Centuria was a Legion type of smaller build.

In contrast, the Garter Knight, based on the Crusade, was a size larger than the silver-white Roman troops. However, unlike the blue samurai, the Centuriae did not rely on agility to compensate for their size disadvantage.

Each Centuria was equipped with a huge square shield.

They defended against the black knights' shots and blades using their raised shields and would counterattack whenever the enemy tired—

Rather than charge and attack aggressively, they would often defeat enemies by waiting for them to make the first move.

Despite their smaller build, Centuriae were extremely tough and resilient in mind, body, and shield. The fangs of their counterattacks were also extremely sharp. Such were the characteristics of the Centuria Legion.

The Centuriae specialized in defensive battles in secure and orderly formations without pushing forward too aggressively.

Relying on these traits, Wei Qing continued the protracted battle.

He said, "Tachibana-dono's destiny does not end here—Then there will be a chance for a reversal without requiring me to give fortune a spin ..."

Surrounded only by Legions locked in fierce combat, there was not a soul around him.

Hence, no one heard his murmurs.

"At this rate... The battle favors us, the British. That is what I think."

A girl's adorable voice spoke next to Edward's ear.

The genie Morrigan was sitting on his shoulder. The capable adjutant looked like she was about to offer advice—But no, despite using a small doll dozens of centimeters tall, she somehow managed to shrug.

"Prince, you see things differently, yes?"

"So you see it too? Impressive. A mere spirit knows how to read my face, huh?"

"Your mental state is easily written in your facial musculature. Guessing is not difficult."

Even in the midst of a fierce battle, she still did not keep her harsh tongue in check.

Edward smiled wryly and focused his mind on sensing the battlefield. He was carefully counting how many Legions were fighting in the sky over Mount Souun in the heart of Hakone.

First of all, there were roughly eight hundred Garter Knights on the British side.

Of the Tōkaidō-Roman coalition, a hundred and sixty of the red-purple Kamuy variant, three hundred and forty of the Centuriae, and a hundred of the standard blue Kamuys remained—A total of six hundred or so.

The "red-purples" were not the only ones tired.

It was the same for the Centuriae because they had spent a long time at Seiryuu Gate to keep Edward occupied.

This numerical gap of two hundred would only increase over time. However, Edward was still fired up for battle. Ambition and competitiveness made him cheerful.

He was deeply convinced that the opponent who had won his approval still had more tricks to play!

Back to Tachibana Masatsugu—

Currently, he was a slight distance from the battlefield where Legions of three nations were fighting intensely.

He rode his wyvern near the ground, flying along the ridge of Mount Souun. The remains of Legions killed in aerial combat were strewn all over the place.

This included Kanesadas, Centuriae, Kamuys, and Garter Knights.

In terms of proportion, the colors of red-purple and black dominated. This meant that the fighting between the red-purples and the Garter Knights was the most intense. Of all casualties, the Kanesadas were the most numerous.

As one would expect, Masatsugu's troops were mostly afflicted with arrow wounds.

The arrows of light shot by the Garter Knights did not disappear.

The arrows of light were still embedded in the Kanesadas. Some of the Kanesadas were shot in the head, chest, or neck, killing them. There were others who had arrows in their thigh, foot, or waist, immobilizing them. There were also many cases of flesh wounds in shoulders, arms, or surface damage to armor.

The majority of the Kanesadas were lying on the ground, unable to fight anymore.

Some were sitting collapsed on the ground limply, unable to even lift their head.

Having consumed vast amounts of ectoplasmic fluid, they were depleted in strength. Just as Masatsugu was satisfied with the current situation, he sensed bloodlust so he pulled the wyvern's reins lightly.

Wyverns were intelligent retainer beasts. His flying mount noticed Masatsugu's intent and changed course to the right.

Several seconds later, something descended through Masatsugu and his wyvern's former position.

A beam and the noise of gunfire.

A Garter Knight approached, its bayonet rifle pointed at Masatsugu.

This black knight was not heavily injured. It was flying at low altitude only because the shock of a collision during battle had sent it down. The two eyes beneath the mask had evidently captured Masatsugu's figure.

The enemy realized that the noesis emanating from Masatsugu was commanding a great army.

Discerning that this human was the commander, the Garter Knight was planning to take out the army's head!

"Fine, I guess I'll have to deal with it."

Masatsugu was about to raise his personal sword to take care of the attacking enemy.

Just as he gripped the hilt of Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada, he heard an ally's voice.

"My Appellation of Onikiri Yasutsuna... O trenchant blade of universal renown!"

Spurring her wyvern to fly at full speed, Akigase Rikka charged at the British Legion.

She drew the treasured blade of Genji pedigree at her waist and recited the mantra of the Feat of Arms. Rikka also intended to slay the enemy soldier with her own hand.

A slightly wavy temper-line was visible on the two-feet-seven-inch blade.

In terms of dignified appearance, Onikiri Yasutsuna was superior to the Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada held by Masatsugu.

"Demonstrate to the world the martial feat of oni slaying once more!"

The peerless treasured blade, Onikiri Yasutsuna, was precisely the Appellation inherited by Rikka.

The targeted Garter Knight was swinging its bayonet rifle at Masatsugu and Rikka as though trying to swat two flying bugs.

...The British Legion's attack worked. The gigantic blade sliced through a blue wyvern's body.

The wyvern was bifurcated in one stroke, but the rider was no longer in the saddle. Exhibiting amazing jumping power, Rikka flew into the air, swinging her treasured sword of Genji pedigree.

"Yahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

Rikka rushed at the Garter Knight's black mask and the treasured blade easily sliced through the enemy's face.

This strike combined a spectacular jump with excellent swordsmanship and physical prowess.

Mortally injured, the black knight's gigantic body began to fall, crashing violently into Mout Souun's surface. The Feat of Arms held by "the famous blade that had slain Shuten-dōji, the oni of Ooe-yama," was mystical swordsmanship allowing a human being to slay Legions personally.

However, having jumped into the air, Rikka would inevitably fall.

"Rikka-sama!"

"Counting on you, Masatsugu-dono!"

The two of them did not engage in redundant conversation. Masatsugu kicked the side of his wyvern.

The wyvern accelerated towards where Rikka was going to fall. Seeing that, the famous swordswoman and Governor General slowly sheathed her sword.

Smiling, she was calm and confident.

Two seconds later, Masatsugu released the reins in his hands and caught Rikka with both arms.

In other words, a "princess carry." Still smiling, Rikka wrapped her arms around the back of Masatsugu's neck.

Overcoming their crisis magnificently, the two of them felt compelled to praise themselves.

"It appears that... I must thank you properly, Masatsugu-dono."

"No, that won't be necessary. I'm the one who should thank you."

Exchanging pleasantries, they gazed into each other's eyes.

Masatsugu seated Rikka in front of him, instantly turning their physical contact into a hug. The noble daughter of the ruling house sat sideways on the saddle, leaning against Masatsugu's chest.

"Masatsugu-dono—"

Rikka was pressed intimately against Masatsugu's body.

Through the military uniform, Masatsugu could feel her softness and warmth.

It was early winter and the midslope region of Mount Souun in Hakone was at a fairly high altitude. Also, it was not sunny today and the two of them were flying in the air, riding a wyvern.

Naturally, the air and the wind were quite chilly.

Masatsugu's hypothermic body became even colder.

On the other hand, Rikka's body was quite warm. Simply hugging her felt very comfortable.

The physical bodies of Chevaliers were all like this. Strengthened by ectoplasmic fluid on a daily basis, their bodies were extremely healthy. There was no worry of hypothermia even under adverse conditions of this sort. Rikka herself was wearing just her usual military uniform without any winter clothing.

When resupplying ectoplasmic fluid through an embrace, the other party was obliged to undress.

However, even through the military uniform, Masatsugu was able to obtain substantial warmth today.

"Oh—E-Excuse me."

Rikka came to her senses and hastily unfastened her top buttons.

"What's the matter, Rikka-dono?"

"Pray forgive my negligence. In this situation, etiquette would dictate that I do this, wouldn't it?"

Rikka was probably trying to expose more of her skin.

She undid approximately half of the buttons of her uniform jacket and blouse. Of course, this was meaningless unless the parts in direct contact were fully disrobed.

Nevertheless, Masatsugu smiled. He was able to admire the exposed cleavage.

"I-Is this insufficient?"

"No, for me, this is truly wonderful."

"I am so glad..!"

Rikka smiled from the heart and hugged Masatsugu's neck tightly.

Her gorgeous black hair was giving off a fragrant scent. Sitting on the saddle together, whispering in each other's ear, this was a pleasure of a different sort.

Through their mutual embrace, Masatsugu was filled with ectoplasmic fluid inside.

This was all thanks to Rikka sharing her warmth with him.

"Let's go, my men."

Soon after, Masatsugu issued a command.

He was ordering the Kanesadas fighting desperately in the sky over Mount Souun, dragging their fatigued bodies to face off against the Knights of the Garter.

In addition, this included the Kanesadas that had pretended to crash and fled into the mountains—

They had been struck by English arrows, but not to the point of critical injury. Some of these wounds did not affect combat. There were over two hundred Kanesadas in this category. Sitting or lying down, they had been resting on Mount Souun.

—One purpose of doing this was to return to the battlefield once Masatsugu resupplied in ectoplasmic fluid.

—The second purpose was to make the British misjudge "their upper hand" as being better than the true situation, luring them into advancing recklessly, so as to strike back at them at an opportune moment.

Masatsugu and Rikka's wyvern was flying in the midslope section of Mount Souuun.

Everywhere they went, red-purple Legions were using their swords as crutches to get up. The eyes behind their masks were burning with fighting spirit and bloodlust. Of the ones that had crashed into the mountain, more than half were simply "playing dead."

This method was a bit underhanded, more or less, but fair play was a luxury during wartime. Masatsugu smiled quietly.

After all, his army had spent a lot of energy moving the Tintagel before the battle.

"My men, the first ten minutes of the counterattack are the most crucial. There is no need to fight with reckless abandon. Instead, I want each of you to kill more than one black knight."

Masatsugu sounded more like a criminal leader inciting rioters than a general lecturing his troops. These calmly delivered words set the Kanesadas ablaze with fighting spirit.

"Fight for ten minutes with the surefire intent to kill—The battle will definitely turn in our favor. Go."

Back to the sky over Mount Souun.

Until a couple minutes ago, the red-purple Legions were all exhausted.

In a state of depleted strength, the Kanesadas were barely keeping up with the Garter Knights in a chaotic battle. However, they were now gradually gaining strength.

Swinging their Japanese swords, their movements across the battlefield had recovered their original acuity.

Moreover—Their numbers were clearly bolstered.

Less than a hundred and fifty red-purple Kamuys remained just a while ago. Now, the Black Prince and Morrigan counted again using noetic waves.

"Prince, the enemy had reinforcements. Currently, the red-purples number three hundred and one."

"Rather than reinforcements, they were simply playing dead earlier. Their goal was to lure us into advancing recklessly, so as to deliver a vicious counterattack for a more potent comeback," Edward explained to Morrigan.

The red-purple Legion reinforcements were flying from Mount Souun to join the aerial battle as though nothing had happened.

These reinforcements were not an ambush force placed in advance.

Rather, they were Legions that had been too tired to fight, crashed into the mountains, before "resurrecting" once more.

Otherwise, Edward's discerning eye would have seen through their deliberate act of "playing dead."

"Sure enough... Tachibana-dono has used some kind of method to replenish his Legions' ectoplasmic fluid during battle. I believe this must be an effect of his Feat of Arms."

"No need to return, to a water shrine?"

"I guessed this was a possibility when I watched his battle against my uncle. Now there seems to be no doubt. He dares to push his troops to the limit only because he possesses such a Feat of Arms. Even to the point of using exhausted soldiers as bait, so as to naturally lure the enemy into carelessness or misjudgment..."

Sitting on Edward's shoulder, the Morrigan doll was speechless in surprise.

However, she was the finest spirit of the British Empire, after all. Morrigan immediately brought her mind under control and asked Edward, "So, Prince... What countermeasures, shall we take?"

"No need for special countermeasures. All we need to do is keep fighting."

Edward asserted quietly.

"Do not forget that the Knights of the Garter are the elite of the elite. It would not be an exaggeration to call them Britain's strongest army. Have faith in them."

Edward clenched his fist as though trying to stop himself from getting agitated.

"Indeed, the tides have turned during these ten minutes. The enemy currently holds the upper hand. We must exercise self-restraint for now, then counterattack at an opportune moment—Victory is destined to be ours."

The thirty-centimeter-tall Morrigan was very surprised.

Edward said to her, "Truthfully... I actually have a trump card too, capable of firing up exhausted troops."

"Trump... card?"

"Indeed, it is almost time to invoke it—Listen to me, black lions of England's pride, I hereby order you to contravene knightly ideals."

Reciting an ominous mantra, the Black Prince unleashed the power of a taboo Feat of Arms.

His tone was solemn, like that of a devout man of the cloth.

"The road to the kingdom of God only opens to those who cast aside their human identity and return to being beasts. Knights of the Garter, I hereby authorize you all to unleash your hidden faces."

### Part 4

Edward the Black Prince was elegant as a person and extremely chivalrous.

Few would dispute such a statement.

Putting aside shortcomings of slight flippancy, he always adhered to strict discipline, striving for the "knightly ideal," making no exceptions in the way he treated his closest subordinates.

Hence, the renown of the Black Knight and the Order of the Garter was impeccable in Britain.

Edward's life was filled with the glory of victory. In addition to his ability as a commander, his qualities and principles as a knight were even more fascinating. Dying with regrets merely due to disease, he had never met defeat at anyone's hands.

He was virtually an invincible general of great renown. One could also call him a genius and a hero whose charisma transcended time.

However—

Were these characteristics alone enough to ensure his undefeated reputation?

So-called war was a cruel world filled with blood, violence, murderous impulse, malevolence, and hatred.

Waging war required massive military funds. Soldiers of old needed to be paid, unlike modern Legions. During the medieval age, there was no Charter of Chivalry to establish "universal rules to facilitate war's smooth operation." Under those conditions, terror and violence were essential for subjugating enemy territories. Money and supplies also had to be requisitioned from battlefields...

Capable as Edward was, he still could not escape these realities of war.

Confronted such situations, he was a man who dared to face reality. Well aware that such behavior ran contrary to his ideals, he was not afraid of getting his hands dirty.

Edward the Black Prince was undoubtedly England's hero.

However, to the people of France, he was the commander-in-chief of the invaders, the one ordering slaughter and plunder, and the "chevalier de noir" who engaged in massacre from time to time.

Edward often reflected upon his moniker.

"At least it is far better than being called the White Prince."

He would often mutter that to himself as a kind of self-mockery and reminder, tinged with a certain regret. He did not believe himself to be an untainted person, while on the conscience level, it was debatable.

In any case, he unleashed the mysterious reason for the "black" in the name of the Black Prince.

Now, his army went berserk on the battlefield of Hakone, giving off an aura of red noesis reminiscent of the color of blood.

"Impressive as always, my personal guard."

In front of the Black Prince, the Garter Knights began to engage in cruel carnage.

One of the Garter Knights fired two shots consecutively at close range then grabbed the head of a Centuriae that could no longer fight, crushing the enemy's skull in its left hand.

Another knight circled around to assault a Kamuy from behind, then kicked away the corpse that was about to crash.

There was one black knight that blinded a Kamuy by slashing its eyes, then proceeded to stab the enemy in the gut ten-odd times.

A Kanesada with two arms lost and unable to fight, struggling to stay afloat in the air, was fired upon by two Garter Knights, turning into swiss cheese...

The slaughter was innumerable.

On the battlefield, cruel carnage took place everywhere.

However, the violence currently employed by the Garter Knights was going too far overall, with a flavor of insanity. It would be no exaggeration to call them intoxicated by partaking in a bloodbath.

This was most likely a far cry from their usual behavior.

The Knights of the Garter were always impeccably elegant, similar to their commander.

Even on the battlefield, they would raise their bayonet rifles gracefully to fire in perfect unison to exhibit spectacular marksmanship.

Currently, these qualities were nowhere to be seen—

"I have heard of this Feat of Arms—Chevalier de Noir, by name only."

The doll possessed by the spirit Morrigan was sitting Edward's shoulder.

Her attitude remained calm, but the sight of the Garter Knights' vicious fighting was too shocking, completely impossible to avert one's eyes away.

"In the shared database in the military, there are records about you, Prince. Oddly enough, this Feat of Arms is listed by name only without detailed description... I always found it unbelievable."

"I deleted it, because it is not worth recording," said Edward indifferently. "Of all my Feat of Arms, this is the simplest and most boring. Consequently, the effect is intense on occasion—or rather, too intense."

"By effect, you mean..."

"Just as you suspect, it means ordering knights to fight as berserkers, reveling in slaughter. This raises their combat power by roughly 20%, but the drawback is that they are limited to crude actions. Unless I retract the order, they will fight with all their strength until depleted of ectoplasmic fluid..."

Despite holding an overwhelming advantage, Edward did not seem excited at all.

As a commander of troops, using this Feat of Arms necessitated extra care. Obliged to adhere dutifully to a knight's true path, he cautioned himself that this was a taboo power.

When a battle gradually reached stalemate, or the situation was about to go sour...

This could be considered a potent drug for producing an extremely intense effect if timed correctly.

"Now then, Tachibana-dono."

Edward's formidable foe was on this battlefield of splattering ectoplasmic fluid.

Calling out to his unseen enemy, he muttered, "Whether tactics for seizing victory or Feats of Arms... I believe I have used everything flawlessly. All I can do from this point onwards is to believe in my own order of knights. Do you have the ability to overturn the current situation?"

"I have borrowed all kinds of weapons to fight the Black Prince..."

Riding a flying wyvern, Masatsugu spoke quietly.

He touched the hilt of Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada at his waist.

"To think that at this juncture, the enemy pulled out an even more troublesome weapon. Furthermore, all of his weapons are his own."

Archers of Crécy, the holy shields of the Order of the Garter, a death-bringing Feat of Arms of slaughter.

Every Feat of Arms belonging to Edward the Black Prince was astounding in power. They also symbolized the many great military accomplishments to his name in the past. Great military accomplishments paired with an outstandingly talented general—

Edward had virtually no blind spots. In terms of ability as a general, the Lionheart was far inferior to the Black Prince.

"That prince really is quite a remarkable man," Masatsugu praised his opponent generously.

Together with Rikka, he was riding a wyvern, roughly a hundred meters from the battlefield of violent slaughter. Flying in the sky, they watched the chaotic battle from outside.

The Tōkaidō-Roman coalition were up against the berserk order of black knights.

Every four or five seconds, a Kanesada, Centuria, or Kamuy would be wounded, splattering blue ectoplasmic fluid in the process. Many of these were mortal blows, causing them to crash from the sky directly. The unfavorable tide of battle was clear to see.

"What comes next is an arduous struggle to see which side's troops are stronger."

Masatsugu analyzed the situation. He did not think his own army had reached its limit...

However, it was true that the battle was a difficult predicament. Tricky to deal with in the first place, the Garter Knights had obtained even greater power to go on a murderous rampage.

Unless he came up with a solution to counter this threat, defeat would be sealed.

"Rikka-dono, I will need to trouble you to accompany me a bit longer. I can't be certain how far my abilities can go... Regardless, all I can do right now is struggle to the bitter end."

"Is that so?" Leaning against Masatsugu's bosom, Rikka asked in puzzlement.

Sitting sideways on the saddle, she looked back. With her body and face oriented towards Masatsugu, she showed a mischievous look.

"The Tachibana Masatsugu I know is someone who would never lose to the Black Prince. For the past two months, I have been watching your battles with my very own eyes..."

Rikka gazed into Masatsugu's eyes and said, "I dare assert that you do not lose to that Englishman in any regard."

"Oh?"

"Well, the enemy is outstanding, Masatsugu-dono, but you are also his equal, aren't you? But additionally, he has the embarrassing title of prince, so you definitely hold the upper hand here."

"I could very well be a prince in my past life, you know?"

"Simply judging from your character, Masatsugu-dono, I would surmise roots as a commoner, I suppose?"

"Now that you say that, I do feel the same."

"Using the name and title of my revered Hijikata Toshizō, you inherit Lord Hijikata's good fortune in battle, which raises your odds of victory substantially. Besides, so what if it is a borrowed weapon? Nothing wrong with that. Borrowing during a necessary moment is more logical than preparing your own, right?"

"Yes, this is also easier and more handy."

Masatsugu smiled with delight. Rikka smiled back.

To be allies meant more than fighting alongside each other. During times of adversity, they also had to cooperate and offer mutual encouragement to lessen each other's burden. Most importantly, Masatsugu was struck by a sincere thought.

"It might be disrespectful for me to say this, but Rikka-dono, you are surely quite a fine woman."

"H-Hearing that from you... Incredibly, it does not feel bad at all."

The brave and fierce maiden blushed slightly.

Tachibana Masatsugu was certain that he was the first man to ever witness such an expression on Rikka's face. Feeling deeply satisfied, he proceeded to say suddenly, "A few days ago, I recalled a bit of my past. I used to have an ally back then. I'm not clear on the details, but... As both a soldier and as a man, he was a hero no less great than Prince Edward."

"Were you and he brothers-in-arms, Masatsugu-dono...?"

"Yes, we rode to the ends of the earth together, fighting hard for our liege. And now, it is plenty enough for me to have you by my side, Rikka-dono."

So what if it is a borrowed weapon—

Masatsugu smiled again. He really liked these words.

He smiled with a twitch of his cheek again. With such reliable allies by his side, ready to extend a helping hand at necessary moments, there was no need for him to prepare anything at all. Currently by the side of Masatsugu, whose identity was unknown, there was one such reliable girl by the side...

Masatsugu gazed at Rikka with affection and she reciprocated demurely.

Instantly, Masatsugu had a strange feeling. Normally, he would only reach a certain body temperature after resupplying ectoplasmic fluid—But unbelievably, he now felt his blood boiling.

This was no metaphor. He really felt hot and uncomfortable, as though the blood in his arteries and veins had reached boiling point.

"Masatsugu-dono, what is this..."

Rikka was surprised too. Close to him, she noticed the change as well.

She could not help but stroke Masatsugu's arm and face to confirm the temperature. Then she widened her eyes and looked straight at Masatsugu.

Masatsugu took her in his arms and said, "Rikka-dono, would you kindly listen to my request?"

Certain words surfaced in Masatsugu's mind. Borrowed weapons. Necessary moment. Ally.

The heat of blood. Fragments of memories. The best friend he missed sorely, ╳╳╳. At that moment, every blood vessel in Masatsugu's body was filled with powerful spiritual energy. His blood was also restless.

Masatsugu knew that these were signs of an awakening.

The situation was identical to when his power as a Chevalier awakened. Determination fixed upon the future, working in conjunction to a mystical environment with suitable conditions, had ushered in a revolutionary change—

"Please become my ally, sworn by blood."

"A-Ally?"

"Riding with me to the ends of the earth, sharing the same prey to partake in its flesh. Sharing glory and downfall together regardless of victory or defeat. A relationship that makes us siblings and friends at the same time."

Masatsugu rolled up the sleeve of his right arm.

He bit his wrist lightly. Blood seeped out from where the skin broke.

The raw wound was raised up in front of Rikka's eyes.

"If you are willing to accept... You and I can still move forward. Assuredly."

"Masatsugu-dono..."

Rikka slowly drew near him.

She drew near the bleeding wound on Masatsugu's wrist.

In fact, the answer had been decided long ago. Akigase Rikka would never refuse, hence the two of them were fit to become true allies.

Rikka's trembling lips touched the wound then she sucked the blood a little.

However, this was still not enough. Rikka understood that. She sucked harder, tasting the flavor of fresh blood. Masatsugu's blood was in her mouth and it spread from the tip of her tongue.

Next, she extended her tongue to lick blood from his wrist repeatedly.

The slow and gentle movements of her tongue was like using one's tongue to caress or treat a wound. Masatsugu noticed that his blood and mystical bond of fate was residing inside her.

"H-How is this...?"

"More than enough. Thank you, Rikka-dono."

The noble daughter was looking at Masatsugu with lips that were moist and red.

Of course, that was precisely Masatsugu's blood. Very grateful to Rikka for her devotion, Masatsugu accidentally did something impertinent.

He inadvertently drew near Rikka and kissed her red lips.

"Ah..."

There was a rusty taste on her lips, the taste of Masatsugu's blood.

Passionately, she licked and savored that taste. With feelings of gratitude and affection, Masatsugu sealed Rikka's lips, using his own tongue to lick away the blood.

Masatsugu's impertinent behavior did not stop there.

He even inserted his tongue into Rikka's mouth, probing around in search of Rikka's tongue to play with.

The taste of blood was on the tip of her tongue too. Soon after, he release Rikka and she murmured shyly, "B-By doing this, you make me very troubled..."

"My apologies. I will swear to heaven and promise never to do it again."

"Th-That would trouble me too. The dilemma stems from my position as the Governor General, but on a personal level, I..."

Rikka's tone was coy. It was Masatsugu's first time to hear her speaking in such a voice.

Masatsugu drew near and kissed her again. The Chevalier princess, whose swordsmanship could match any man's, accepted him gladly.

### Part 5

The berserk Knights of the Garter had been overpowering the other three types of Legions for more than ten minutes.

The various Legions were drastically reduced in number.

Britain's black knights remained the biggest faction, numbering around seven hundred in total.

On the other hand, the Kanesadas, with katanas drawn, were down to two hundred and forty. Sticking to defense, the Centuriae only had a hundred and seventy of them remaining. The standard Kamuys led by Rikka numbered sixty—

In total, the Tōkaidō-Roman coalition was roughly four hundred and seventy strong.

Locked in a chaotic battle, the numerical gap had surpassed two hundred. Furthermore, empowered by the Feat of Arms of slaughter, the seven hundred Garter Knights had clearly risen to a new level of strength.

At this rate, the British Empire would win for sure. The tide of the battle had settled mostly.

Unexpectedly, signal fires for a counterattack were lit in the coalition army too.

The fire originated at Akigase Rikka and the Legions under her command.

The remaining sixty Kamuys all glowed with blue light. Powerful noesis was turning into visible radiance.

Riding Masatsugu's wyvern, Chevalier Rikka issued orders from afar.

"Draw your bows."

Glowing blue, the Kamuys obeyed Rikka's command and got ready to attack.

They were no longer holding bayonet rifles. Instead, each of them was equipped with a small yellowish brown bow , which looked like it was made of extremely hard timber.

The English longbows were very large and comparable to the black knights in height.

The bows equipped by the Kamuys were at most half as big. Nocking arrows of blue light onto the string of their small bows, they drew their bows hard to the limit, ready to release...

The sixty Kamuys led by Rikka were scattered across the battlefield.

"Release!"

The female Governor General commanded sternly and her entire army shot in unison.

All arrows met their mark, striking enemy troops, and in their vitals too. The arrows of blue light pierced the Garter Knights' weakspots in their helmets, masks, necks, armor gaps, chest, spine, etc.

Naturally, sixty black British Legions were shot down.

The blue Japanese archers nocked and drew again, pulling their short yellowish brown bows to the limit.

"Release again!"

Rapidly, another sixty black knights were rendered corpses.

One after another, the shot Garter Knights crashed into Mount Souun's ridge line. Although bows could not shoot as quickly as volley fire, these were still magic projectiles of superb power.

Unerring accuracy combined with the effect of one shot, one kill. They did not lose to the English longbow at all.

"What accurate bows and arrows..." Rikka whispered in amazement.

Currently, the sixty Kamuys were shooting arrows from within a chaotic battle.

Unless at close range where it was impossible to miss, the other Legions did not shoot for fear of friendly fire. However, Rikka's Kamuys boldly fired their arrows, always meeting their mark regardless of distance.

"So this is your second Feat of Arms, Masatsugu-dono..."

"It is a Feat of Arms belonging both to me and my best friend from my past life. Borrowing the troops of my ally in this life, I have replicated that man's power."

"So your best friend was an amazing archer, huh..."

Indeed, Masatsugu had a faint recollection.

Both his past ally ╳╳╳ and himself, nicknamed _____, were generals of equal strength, as well as famous archers honored as "Bow Gods."

"He and I were dogs serving the same lord. We used to ride across battlefields together."

"I see. So that is the 'Two-Headed Dog.' This title used to belong to you and he, and now—It belongs to you and I, Akigase Rikka!"

"Sure enough, Tachibana-dono's luck has not run out," Wei Qing smiled and murmured to himself.

Just now, the Kamuys, Legions of Imperial Japan, had equipped themselves with bows.

Until now, the Kamuys had been operating their bayonet rifles with experienced skill. After switching to short yellowish brown bows, their combat power became almost godly.

With one hundred percent accuracy, they released incomparably powerful arrows.

Witnessing the arrows' astounding power, the berserk Garter Knights started to swing their rifles to block. Some of the black knights even went as far to dodge with reckless abandon.

As a result, killing speed was much lowered.

However, the Kamuys' accurate shooting was still a huge threat.

Struck in their limbs and vulnerabilities one after another, the British Legions were dealt a serious blow.

Some of the Garter Knights charged to attack, trying to stop the Kamuys from shooting their arrows. They tried to fire at close range or use melee to kill the Kamuys.

Fortunately, the red-purple Kanesadas rushed to their aid.

Blocking the rampaging black knights, they employed katanas and Japanese swordsmanship to chop through the pitch-black armor of the killers.

Amidst the chaotic battle, the Kamuys did not forget to demonstrate their godly marksmanship.

Even when a Kanesada's famed blade and a Garter Knights' bayonet rifle was locked in a contest of strength, the blue Japanese archers did not fear hurting their allies by accident.

In such a situation, the red-purple Legion's helmet was almost touching the helmet of the black knight.

However, the Kamuy's arrow struck the Garter Knight in the temple with unerring accuracy. Had the arrow deviated a few meters, it could have shot and killed a friendly soldier.

The Kanesadas and the Kamuys joined forces with fantastic tacit coordination.

Even the seasoned veteran Wei Qing was thoroughly impressed. Smiling, he ordered his Centuriae to attack all-out.

He had judged that it was the perfect opportunity to break the British army's spirit.

Finally, the tide of the battle began to turn.

The blood-red aura of the Garter Knights disappeared.

The terrifying Feat of Arms was interrupted, because the Black Prince made the call that fighting calmly would be more advantageous.

In fact, the British army pulled away some distance from the Tōkaidō-Roman coalition force.

After backing away, the Garter Knights formed a square wall formation, glowing with the white particles of the protective barrier. The Kamuys fired arrows to attack the British army's secure defense.

Definitely doing its job, the protective barrier neutralized the arrows.

"Unlike the English longbow, arrows shot by the Kamuys' bows cannot penetrate barriers, huh?"

It was after Wei Qing comprehended the difference between the two.

A new army arrived in the sky over Mount Souun. Forty-odd Legions of the Tōkaidō provincial army had rushed over from the south as reinforcements.

Maintaining a spherical formation, they were the "Kurou Hougan" variant of Kamuy with elongated heads.

"Onii-sama, Rikka-sama! Thanks for hanging in there! I finally got here!"

Their commander, Tachibana Hatsune, accompanied them, riding a blue wyvern.

This girl was also the "little sister" of Tachibana Masatsugu the Resurrectee.

"I recall... The army that was invading Suzaku Gate, right?"

Prince Edward frowned with doubt.

He had just heard Morrigan report that an army of Kamuys with elongated heads had arrived at the battlefield.

This revelation surprised Edward a lot. Just earlier, when the Tōkaidō army's Legions launched a fierce attack with bows, the Black Prince had merely said "I see" calmly.

It was expected that Tachibana Masatsugu would take certain measures to resist.

Perhaps Edward was secretly celebrating inside too.

After that, the Black Prince calmly observed the enemy's "Feat of Arms of the bow." Disengaging the Garter Knights' "Chevaliers de Noir" state, he prepared to regroup.

Currently, he had been thinking for a few seconds with a perturbed look on his face—

"Morrigan, any news from Suzaku Gate... The defense force at the second tutelary fort?"

"Just one. Essentially that defenses cannot hold and they are about to start retreating..."

"That explains why that army could come over to converge with Tachibana-dono. This is far ahead of schedule, not even less than an hour."

Prior to the battle, Prince Edward had issued an order.

Each army would maintain defense at their respective tutelary fort for two hours.

Holding for two hours should not be a problem.

That was what Edward believed. He intended to defeat Tachibana Masatsugu within two hours then rush over to the four tutelary forts in turn to help out with defense. Little did he expect his calculations to fail.

To think that the Black Prince Edward, whose uncanny predictions seemed like prescience, would miscalculate!

"There can only be one... possible reason. That princess' outstanding talent has far surpassed Eleanor's expectations. So that is what happened."

Morrigan's doll was sitting on the Black Prince's shoulder. Despite its small size, the doll was equipped with a full set of noetic functions. Noticing the latest message, she immediately reported to the Black Prince.

"Message from the third tutelary fort... Lieutenant Colonel Grayson of Byakko Gate. Learning of Suzaku Gate's fall, the lieutenant colonel has made a suggestion."

"Speak."

"Please move your army to the third tutelary fort to recuperate for the time being... Once the resupply of ectoplasmic fluid is complete, face off with the enemy once more."

"...Byakko Gate is definitely not the place even if we are going to retreat."

"Eh?"

Morrigant was taken aback.

Edward said sadly, "It appears that this battle is over. Inform all our forces that we are abandoning the defense of Hakone to take up a new position. Let me see, let us head to Atsumi."

"Prince, you are retreating!?"

"Yes. At this rate, we will be surrounded and eliminated at Mount Souun. An irrevocable outcome will arise unless we make haste to escape while we have energy to spare."

The English aristocrat spoke with displeasure.

"It was my mistake. Too focused on Tachibana-dono, I failed to take precautions against his lady liege. Let this defeat be the punishment for my miscalculation..."

Saturday November 22nd, 16:13.

The location was near the south shore of Hakone's Lake Ashi. Today, the sky had not been very clear, but the heavy cloud cover finally dissipated to let through glimpses of sunlight.

However, the sun was about to set.

On the roof of a nation-protecting keep, Fujinomiya Shiori looked out at the sky of dusk.

This nation-protecting keep was situated at the second tutelary fort, Suzaku Gate. The genie dressed in a kimono, Rindou-sensei, was waiting by Shiori's side. Over their heads—

"Well done, Princess. How praiseworthy."

"Only now do I dare confess. In actual fact, I was very worried... that I might fail to tame this ."

A great phoenix with a wingspan of seventy meters had manifested in the sky.

Shining with golden brilliance the phoenix was one out of the merged divinity of the Four Gods. After breaking free from Morgan le Fay's control, the phoenix no longer had three eyes—

This giant bird's master had switched to Fujinomiya Shiori, princess of Imperial Japan.