Chronicle Legion:Volume 3 Chapter 2
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
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Part 4
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Part 5
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Part 6
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