Chapter 229 - Chapter 228: The Apostle of the Battlefield
[Leventein Rubalwarus's Perspective]
Rubalwarus swung his sword himself, cutting down the imperial soldiers who suddenly surged forward.
"No matter what, hold them here! Show your pride as a 'shield'!"
Rubalwarus brought down the sword held high above his head, slicing an imperial soldier in two, and shouted to rally his subordinates.
"Yessssss!!!"
The knights responded to the sight of the Marquis fighting himself.
They fell the imperial soldiers surging forward one by one, swinging their swords with a desperate resolve to let not a single one pass.
Those left at the front line... were all annihilated.
It would be reasonable to think so.
Until a little while ago, the delaying tactic had worked well, and the imperial soldiers had not reached this far.
Thanks to that, we managed to gather the scattered knights and soldiers and restore our formation.
...Though it was hard to call it sufficient manpower.
And then, suddenly, a massive army surged forward.
It seems the ones who stopped have all fallen.
(...I'm sorry.)
While swinging his sword, Rubalwarus apologized in his heart to his former subordinates.
Because of an incompetent commander, many officers and soldiers had become sacrifices.
(This possibility existed. The possibility that the imperial army [those guys] would use [that]... existed.)
Even so, I could not persuade His Majesty.
Because of that, many people lost their lives, and even the lives of the citizens of Sarbengeal are now in danger.
"Hmph!"
When Rubalwarus slashed his sword, the approaching soldier was blown away with his abdomen split open, dragging an unfortunate imperial knight along with him.
As the trapped knight writhed on the ground, Rubalwarus thrust his sword into his back from behind.
Kicking that back and pulling out the sword, Rubalwarus searched for his next prey.
"My name is Leventein Rubalwarus! If you want this head, try tearing it off with your own hands!"
Rubalwarus raised his sword high, drawing the enemy's eyes to himself as bait.
And thus, he slaughtered the imperial knights and soldiers surging forward one by one.
He didn't know how many he had cut down.
Even so, the imperial soldiers continued to surge forward as before.
In this long battle, Magnus, whom he had been able to see up to a certain point, had also disappeared.
It's hard to believe that fierce warrior has been taken down, but you never know what might happen on a battlefield.
(It's endless...)
Such a thought suddenly floated up, but he shook it off immediately.
Wishing for an end is proof of a weak heart.
While my subordinates are fighting with single-minded devotion, what good does it do for the one in charge to complain?
More importantly, how could I show such a face to those who scattered and died?
If Rubalwarus gives up, for what purpose did so many of his subordinates scatter and die?
Those who believed in Rubalwarus, shed blood, and gave their lives to serve him.
I absolutely cannot do something like turning my back on them.
I must not.
"Uooooooo-oooooo!!!"
Rubalwarus roared to spur himself on, continuing to swing his sword.
At that moment, something seemed to catch in the corner of his mind, as if he had heard something.
Rubalwarus carefully looked around, searching for the source of that voice.
"My Lord-aaah!"
Looking around, he saw a familiar pink-haired female knight running toward him from a short distance away.
"You stubbornly survived after all! Virone!"
Rubalwarus thrust his sword into an imperial knight lying on the ground, still breathing, and called out to Virone.
"You were supposed to be the delaying force. Why are you here? ...Has the front line [mae] collapsed after all?"
Virone came down to Rubalwarus, heaving her shoulders up and down heavily to catch her breath a little.
"M-my Lord...! The enemy... the imperial army... is... annihilated...!"
She tried to convey something with a pained expression, but it was incoherent.
The imperial army is annihilated?
What is she talking about?
"If you mean the imperial army [renchuu], there are mountains of them here. What are you saying."
Rubalwarus roughly wiped the sweat that seemed to be getting into his eyes, and Virone shook her head breathlessly.
And then, she pointed toward the direction of the front line.
"The enemy's... main force... has been annihilated...! My Lord...!"
"The main force? ...Have you lost your mind?"
Has she lost her sanity?
Rubalwarus thrust his sword toward Virone.
And thus, he slit the throat of a soldier approaching from behind Virone.
"It's Mika Noisheim...!"
"...What?"
Why does that name come up here?
Rubalwarus finally began to doubt Virone's sanity.
Virone and the boy Mika Noisheim have a complicated history.
In this extreme state of a battlefield, it seems her head has finally snapped.
Rubalwarus looked at the female knight, whom he had once greatly expected and even entrusted with the protection of his own daughter, with a look of pity.
■■■■■■
It was already evening, and the setting sun dyed the blood-stained battlefield even redder.
"Fire Breath!"
Mika flew at low altitude, radiating fire toward the ground.
And thus, he scorched a group of imperial soldiers as if licking them, then showered a group of imperial knights and soldiers at a slightly further distance with "Stone Bullet".
"The imperial army's main force is already crushed! The rest are just these guys!!!"
Mika loudly rallied the knights and soldiers of the domain army and the kingdom army.
It was hardly a believable story.
But a winged person flew around the battlefield, scattering the imperial army with such ease.
Surrounded by such an impossible sight, the domain army and kingdom army soldiers, who were cornered, were enveloped in a strange sense of elation.
(...[Battle Fervor] might be usable after all?)
Mika frequently used [Battle Fervor], rallying his allies.
"Just one more push! We can win this battle!"
"Oooooooh!!!"
At Mika's struggle and encouragement, those who had knelt down stood up again.
Floating in the air, Mika created countless "Fireballs" around him, raining them down on groups of imperial soldiers.
And thus, he himself grabbed a short sword made of copper-type rare metal [Orichalcum] and jumped into another group of imperial soldiers, blowing away knights and soldiers in the blink of an eye.
"Follow the Apostle-sama-aaaaah!"
"Victory in our hands-aaaaah!!!"
The knights and soldiers of the domain army and the kingdom army, inspired by Mika's fighting style, bravely charged at the imperial army.
Conversely, it was a nightmare itself for the imperial army.
Just a little while ago, they were winning the battle.
The kingdom's army had collapsed, and the hateful wall had been pierced with a huge hole.
They trampled over them one-sidedly, subjugating the apostates who turned their backs on the Oracle.
That should have been what the gods desired.
"Gods!? Why are we, who follow the Oracle, suffering such a fate!?"
Kneeling with the setting sun behind them, the imperial soldiers lamented at the Apostle who was spreading overwhelming violence.
The Apostle, spreading his wings, slowly raised his left hand.
"It's punishment for mocking the Oracle, isn't it?"
Saying it with boredom, the Apostle brought his hand down.
In that instant, the soldier's body was torn to shreds by countless pebbles.
■■■■■■
Faint moonlight fell upon the battlefield.
The domain army and the kingdom army, who had been forced into a difficult battle, suddenly found a turning point.
The higher-ups had already heard most of the information about what was happening at the front line.
"A boy with wings was flying around the front line."
"A girl who seemed to be an Apostle was fighting the imperial soldiers."
"The 'Apostle sent by the gods' defeated the imperial army with a mysterious power."
Whether it was a boy or a girl, or an Apostle, someone seemed to be defeating the imperial army.
Many officers and soldiers witnessed this, and many actually exchanged words with them.
And then,
"The imperial army's main force has been annihilated."
He went around spreading this on the battlefield.
It was hard to believe at first glance.
But the imperial army, which had been holding back in the rear until now, suddenly launched a charge.
No, in reality, it didn't seem to be a charge, but simply a retreat from the rear.
And then, some of the reconnaissance units returned with the same information.
"The imperial army's main force, which was waiting behind the protective wall, has been annihilated."
"The imperial army currently heading toward the kingdom army seems to have noticed the annihilation of the main force and is just fleeing."
According to eyewitnesses, something rained down from the sky, and tens of thousands of imperial soldiers were swallowed up.
Noticing this abnormal situation, they fled in the opposite direction of the main force, that is, toward the kingdom army side.
To be honest, I don't understand it at all.
But just because we don't understand doesn't mean we should wait still and lose the opportunity.
On the battlefield, situations that are not well understood are the norm.
Waiting for highly reliable information and carefully considering the best course of action is what the rear headquarters and the leaders of the capital city do.
In other words, that is necessary for strategy, not for the battlefield.
The battlefield is like walking through thick fog.
Always.
So, what should be done here and now?
If the enemy is weak, ———— strike them.
That's all.
For the past few days, the domain army and the kingdom army had been pushing themselves to the limit.
But that is no excuse.
If we don't strike them here, more blood will flow.
While both armies allowed the soldiers to take turns resting, they stayed up all night with torches in hand, continuing to hunt the remnants of the collapsing imperial army.
"Iron Bullet."
Shhh!
Mika was sweeping up the remnants of the imperial army who had fled into the forest with precision shooting.
He was already spinning his magic power so much that his nose seemed ready to bleed, but even here he was using his magic range to search for enemies.
(About one hundred and fifty meters...? They're there too.)
Mika extended his magic range only forward, first confirming the presence of people.
Even if I can handle magic power as I please, it's still tough to search for this distance with a magic range.
Even so, for surely finding enemies, the magic range is superior to "Big Ear".
And thus, when he found a hidden person, he confirmed their appearance with the impromptu "Night Vision".
If it was an imperial soldier, he would snipe them.
"Iron Bullet."
Shhh!
Confirming that the imperial knight hiding behind a tree had fallen, Mika let out a deep breath.
Was it due to fatigue?
He felt his heart fluttering.
But more than that, he felt a sense of elation and omnipotence.
It is normal to feel elation and omnipotence when manipulating magic power, but this excitement is not like that.
Treating human lives like insects and easily plucking their buds.
It feels as if I have become a god or something.
"Well, even if it is a god, it's probably an evil god or a god of destruction."
Well, gods are seen differently depending on the perspective; they can appear as benevolent gods or evil gods.
From the empire's perspective, Mika right now is nothing other than the embodiment of evil.
But from the kingdom's perspective, he is like a guardian god protecting them.
Of course, if it goes too far, it will only be an object of fear.
(...If it goes too far? There's no way I haven't gone too far after doing this much.)
He had annihilated tens of thousands of soldiers alone.
The kingdom will surely become wary of Mika's existence.
Whether that power might be turned against them.
Mika scratched his head vigorously and turned his back on the forest where the search was finished.
(...Still, I will protect what I want to protect.)
Muttering that, Mika disappeared into the starry sky.
Seeking his next prey...
■■■■■■
With dawn, Rubalwarus came to the protective wall broken by the imperial army, leading a part of his knight order.
Most of the imperial army's remnants had been swept up, but there is a high possibility that some are still hiding.
Therefore, the remaining remnant hunting was handed over to the kingdom army holding the defensive line in the rear, and Rubalwarus came to check on another problem.
"What should I do with this? ...Just thinking about it gives me a headache."
The protective wall, which had blocked the imperial army's invasion for over fifty years, had collapsed by about fifty to sixty meters.
It was probably destroyed by considerable high temperature and explosive power.
There were debris scattered around the protective wall and the surroundings, and burn marks remained on the ground as well.
"The army's engineers alone can't do anything about it. I must arrange for the construction department at the Government Office to handle it urgently..."
I must discuss with the leaders of the domain army, including how much to repair.
More importantly, it is now wartime.
It is unclear if there is even time to leisurely repair it.
"I must revise the defense plan as well."
There are so many things to do, such as reorganizing the domain army and confirming the damage to the territory.
More importantly, I must take responsibility for the defeat.
Defeat.
Rubalwarus was undoubtedly the general of a defeated army.
In the end, we succeeded in pushing them back, but that was not due to Rubalwarus.
There are many headache-inducing problems, but I have no choice but to deal with them one by one.
"My Lord."
While Rubalwarus was pondering, he was called by a knight accompanying him.
Turning around, he saw a small mage at the end of the knight's gaze.
It seems they had been fighting all night.
He was in a terrible state, covered in spattered blood and mud all over his body.
However, that mage was not the only one in such a state.
Everyone present was in a tattered condition.
The report said he had wings, but now he does not.
Is it just invisible, or is he storing them?
I don't know if such a thing is possible, but at least now he is in human form.
"It's been a while, Mika-kun. I heard from Virone."
Rubalwarus had doubted Virone, thinking she had lost her mind in this extreme state of a battlefield, but it seems she was telling the truth.
Reports began to arrive that others had seen an Apostle with wings, and combining this with Virone's story, he realized it was Mika.
But Mika did not answer, keeping his cold eyes fixed on Rubalwarus.
And thus, he came right up to Rubalwarus.
Mika was in a truly terrible state.
However, the most striking impression was his eyes.
That killing intent.
So much so that the knights accompanying Rubalwarus involuntarily reached for their swords.
Rubalwarus held back the knights with his hand and looked straight at Mika.
"Thanks to you, we were saved. I thank you."
But Mika did not even answer that.
He just pierced Rubalwarus straight with those killing eyes.
"My Lord...!"
The knights around them were closer to their limit.
The killing intent released from Mika rang the alarm bells of the knights' defensive instincts.
Glancing at the knights, Rubalwarus raised one eyebrow.
And thus, he smiled at Mika.
"I'm sorry, but you can't have this head. If there is no one to take responsibility, my subordinates will be in trouble."
When Rubalwarus said that, Mika closed his eyes painfully.
Only then did he finally withdraw that killing intent.
"Later, let me hear about that [are] you used. We need to align things."
Hearing that from Rubalwarus, Mika made a suspicious face.
(...That?)
Mika frowned, not knowing what he was talking about.
Well, strictly speaking, he didn't not know, but there were too many possibilities to guess which one he meant.
But perhaps Mika's reaction was unexpected, and now the Marquis frowned.
And thus,
"...Did you use it without knowing?"
He muttered such a thing.
Rubalwarus hesitated, then asked Mika.
"What are you planning to do from now on?"
"Even if you ask me... I will return to the capital."
"Right now?"
When told that, Mika hesitated this time.
As expected, the fatigue is great.
Flying for two hours from now, he might fall asleep halfway.
"I will rest a little somewhere before returning."
"I see. Then, at my mansion ——"
"I refuse."
Mika immediately refused the Marquis's offer, and the knights became agitated.
But the Marquis did not seem to mind much and made another proposal.
"I see. Then, come to my mansion today. Joran... talk with Baron Limpēre."
"With Baron Limpēre...?"
It seems that the lords of the Hailhord Region have gathered in this Leventein territory, each leading their own domain army.
However, Baron Limpēre is older and not very good with a sword, so he is stationed at the domain army headquarters for rear support.
"This time, thanks to Mika-kun, we were saved. But because of that, we are worried about your position. I will convey it from my side. Let's talk well."
It seems some complicated circumstances are involved.
But now Mika is too tired to think clearly.
Mika nodded weakly and turned his back to the Marquis.
And thus, he flew into the brilliant blue sky, heading for Rish Village.