◆ In Front of the Noibranz Royal Capital – Defense Line ◆
Surrounded by high walls, the dry ground stretched out around the Royal Capital. I wanted to know just how far this parched, treacherous terrain extended. This wasn’t a strategy to fight against soldiers controlling Servants; it was essential to understand the landscape to prevent war. If I could employ the method I devised during the battle with Vandalsia, it should make it harder for the Nation of Noibranz to wage war.
“Peep!”
“What a noisy whistle…”
As I dodged the attacks of the army desperately blowing their whistles to coordinate with the Servants, I pondered how to inflict some pain. Of course, I wasn’t just dodging. A slash to the shoulder or abdomen, just enough to avoid killing them, would be enough to halt their movements. I could take down the Servants without mercy. I had Nemea to help me with that, and I understood the sadness of losing someone, which made my heart ache just a little. But these people didn’t seem to share such sentiments.
“Tch… Useless! Then I shall fight with my own body!”
It was as if he spat on the corpse of a fallen Servant. He merely glanced at it with disdain, showing no pity whatsoever. It was clear that to them, Servants were nothing more than tools for battle.
“You’ll die fighting with those injuries?!”
“For the sake of the nation, I have no time to feel pain! Rather, if I bear the pain that the nation suffers, I can even find comfort in it!”
Scary, too scary. I couldn’t comprehend it at all. These people, charging at me with fierce expressions despite bleeding, were far more akin to the Servants. Their movements paused for only a moment; a mere scratch wouldn’t stop them. They intended to keep fighting until they bled out. Many had already collapsed and were unable to fight, but there were still some terrifying ones among them.
“Hammer Squad! Gemark Squad! Maintain your distance!”
“Peep! Peep!”
“Giving more orders again…”
I had lost count of how many I had taken down. The squads came at me in groups, making it impossible to keep track, and the whistle was just too loud. It was effective to break into the squad and deliver a single blow to the captain.
“Ugh!”
“Hammer Squad Leader?!”
It was pretty much the same as with Geog. It seemed the squad leader didn’t possess the skill known as Neue. When the captain fell, the others were visibly shaken, and if their movements paused even slightly, I would leave them be. If they attacked, I would take them down. This way, I could avoid unnecessary movements.
“Ha! Hah-ta!”
“Ah…!”
“Nmuah!”
“Hah!”
Every time Shiny poked someone, they let out strange sounds and fell. I could tell she was hitting some kind of pressure point, but it was unsettling, and I wished she would use a different skill. Still, if I wasn’t going to kill them, Shiny’s skills were far more suited for this. She was managing to stop multiple squads by herself, truly a Ten Destroyer. She wasn’t even out of breath; in fact, she was humming a tune.
“Wait!”
“Yah!”
The Kurinka Dragon was being chased by the Dragon Knights. Platiu was riding along, making it difficult for her to maneuver. I thought for a moment that I had to help, and an idea struck me. It was a good way to end this battle quickly.
“Kurinka! Let’s escape over there for now!”
“…! Understood!”
“You won’t escape!”
Instead of mounting Kurinka, I kicked the Servant the soldier was riding and moved away. In the meantime, I was steadily reducing their numbers. Helmets and armor were being shattered, and the number of fallen soldiers was increasing. Yet, they still charged at us with vigor, creating a rumble beneath their feet. Above us were the Dragon Knights, and below, a mass of soldiers—it was quite troublesome. So, I signaled to Kurinka. She understood that I wouldn’t abandon the fight and was helping me escape, anticipating that I had a plan.
“Y-You won’t get away! Peep! Peep! Peep!”
To prevent us from escaping, the troops split into two. They intended to sandwich us from both sides, but they were simply outpaced, making their efforts futile. It seemed these people didn’t use magic much, which further tilted the advantage in our favor. I thought it would be troublesome if they used Enhancement Magic. Neither Kashiram’s cavalry nor Negesta’s melee units had used any real magic. Perhaps this was normal for a country that wasn’t as magically advanced as the Wizard Kingdom.
“Don’t leave me behind! Hah!”
“Whoa! You’re heavy!”
“I can’t keep up with your speed! So, piggyback me!”
“Ahhh! No way!”
I was forced to carry Shiny on my back as she jumped on me, and Kurinka scolded me. This wasn’t the time for that. Now that I thought about it, I hadn’t carried Kurinka on my back in a while. The last time I did was during the Comet Wolf Brigade’s attack on the Avangarde Royal Capital, back when she could transform into a Dragon.
“By the way, are we really escaping?”
“Not a chance. We’ve distanced ourselves enough; it’s about time.”
The large Noibranz force was far behind us, but I could still see the storm of dust they kicked up as they advanced. Looking back, their numbers were indeed impressive.
“Alright, from here, I can aim well.”
I set Shiny down and firmly planted my sword into the clustered Noibranz troops. While I couldn’t guarantee accuracy for everyone, I had a general direction, so I shouldn’t miss by much. Time for the first strike.
“Sonic Rain!”
By rapidly firing the Sonic Spear in succession, a rain of strikes assaulted the Noibranz army from the front. Just like the regular Sonic Ripper, unless they were formidable opponents, they wouldn’t have time to react or even comprehend what was happening. To them, it would feel like something had pierced their bodies, and they would fall without understanding why.
The heads of the Servants exploded, and soldiers were pierced through the arms and waists. The advancing large force came to a sudden halt in an instant. I wouldn’t kill them, but I hoped they were prepared to have their arms ripped off. I still couldn’t bring myself to kill like Elmera, but they were coming to kill me. At the very least, I wanted them to suffer as much as the Comet Wolf Brigade had.
“Don’t stop! The enemy is right there!”
“Battalion Commander Libre! The damage is severe… Gah!”
“My arm! My arm! But we—Gah!”
“What’s happening…?”
The large force, continuously pierced by unseen strikes, finally began to slow down. It seemed more soldiers were gathering from other areas, but that didn’t matter. They couldn’t help but feel something as they watched their comrades fall, unable to fight. I could see the momentum of their troops gradually diminishing.
“Neue! Catoblepas!”
“Battalion Commander Libre! Then we too…”
“I command all troops! Battalion Commander Libre has become Neue! Do not look at him, and if you do, do not let him see you! I repeat! Battalion Commander Libre has…”
Just as something leaped out, a grotesque figure clad in armor with a massive eyeball for a head appeared. The giant eye glared at us, and I could feel its gaze freezing our bodies. This was petrification; an attack that could turn one to stone in an instant. I recognized it from the Abyss Cave.
“Lua-chan! Platiu-chan has turned to stone…”
“Don’t worry, it’s over now.”
“Gihiii!”
Having leaped into the air, it was naturally exposed to the Sonic Rain. It was a skill meant to end things in an instant, but it was too late. The eye armor shattered on the spot, and the exposed flesh lost its arms and legs, falling to the ground.
“Battalion Commander Libre! No way! This must be a mistake! Right, everyone?!”
“N-No… This is a nightmare…”
“This is a nightmare… After eight years of hardship to become a private… After enduring days of blood and suffering, all for the nation… I wished for nothing but that…”
“If you look at him, you will be turned to stone forever… Battalion Commander Libre’s Neue is…”
“Neue means new! It is the hope to build a new era for us! It must be hope!”
Screams and shouts echoed as the large force lost momentum. I felt a twinge of pity, but I couldn’t stop here. There was still much to do.
“Kurinka, transform into a Dragon.”
“Y-Yeah. Next, are we going to the sky?”
“Yes, normally I would stop here, but this time I can’t. I don’t want Noibranz to engage in war for a while. So, I’ve thought of a way.”
What can I do to prevent war? The answer is simple: make it impossible for them to fight, even if they want to. If they lack the skill, they can’t wield a sword, and as the number of injured increases, their fighting strength diminishes. If there are no people willing to wage war, then war cannot occur.
“Wow, they’ve really dwindled.”
“Are you going to unleash Sonic Rain from here?”
“Of course.”
“Not on my watch!”
As he spoke, Rudrett charged in. Even though their numbers had decreased, the remaining Dragon Cavalry were coming at us with full force, so we couldn’t let our guard down.
“Rudred, are you not considering surrendering?”
“Fleeing before the enemy is a grave sin, and besides, I never had any intention of doing so! I believe we should not judge our own faults!”
“…I won’t let you face the death penalty, though.”
I murmured my last thought, but I knew it was futile. In the end, I had no choice but to crush Rudred and his Neue, sending them crashing to the ground. With the loss of their Wyverns, the remaining soldiers could no longer stay airborne. In a way, they were more fragile than the ground troops. Like threads cut loose, the soldiers fell one after another, as if a quiet rain were falling.
“That man is a soldier too…”
“I know. I just hoped he might be able to talk a little.”
With Sonic Rain unleashed from atop the Kurinka Dragon, Noibranz’s massive forces continued to weaken. As time passed, even the relentless attacks from Noibranz’s soldiers began to wane. For the sake of their country, for their king, their fierce spirit remained unbroken, but it was clear they had long since lost the will to fight.
“The illustrious Noibranz army…”
“Unable to fulfill their long-held aspirations since the Demon Continent War, reduced to this… by a mere monster…”
“Do not falter! We are a nation! Fight, even if our limbs are torn asunder, there is only one path for us to tread!”
Even as they put on their bravest faces, in the next moment, they would become unable to fight. I watched as a once-spirited soldier was pierced through the abdomen, silencing him, and the others lost even more resolve. This created a chain reaction, gradually leading the army to its demise.
“…I think this should be enough.”
“Lua-chan, you don’t have to push yourself any further. From what I can see, Noibranz’s main forces have practically come to a halt.”
“You’re right…”
I hoped there were no corpses among them. With the loss of their Servants, countless soldiers lay sprawled across the ground. All of them had been struck down by Sonic Rain. Some among them still had the strength to move, but they showed no inclination to fight. Some knelt in shock, while others stared blankly in our direction, as if their souls had left their bodies.
“Have we… been defeated? Your Majesty…”
I thought I heard someone whisper that faintly. It was the moment they finally acknowledged their defeat.
“It’s over now…”
“Not yet, we still have the final touches to complete.”
“Could it be… that too?”
“Yes, that too. We’re just at the stage before the final touches.”
A colossal elephant with glowing red eyes swayed its trunk. Just the act of lifting one foot and slowly rising would be awe-inspiring from the Royal Capital.
“Great King… Kurinka, do you have the Detect Ring?”
“I’ve already activated it.”
As it stood, it towered over the castle. Even a slight shake of its long trunk could send the Royal Capital flying. I imagined there was quite a commotion over there. That elephant was a symbol for this country, and chaos must have ensued. Yet, even if roofs were blown away by the wind, I felt those people would be rejoicing.
【The Great King Ganeija, who tramples upon natural calamities, has appeared! HP 294700】
Even without looking at the information from the Detect Ring, I understood its strength. It was a monster that could very well be sealed away in the Abyss Cave, undoubtedly a Calamity Class. It was absurd for such a creature to be peacefully coexisting alongside the Dragon God on this continent. It was equally strange for such a being to be under Noibranz’s command.
“Perhaps that monster… has simply been passing the time in Noibranz all along. It’s not a creature that Noibranz could ever handle.”
The thick, long trunk that hung down began to move once more.
◆ Shin Report ◆
Little elephant, little elephant, why is your nose so long?
To eat the leaves from the trees, of course.
What could you possibly reach, having grown so large?
Lua was not a monster that Noibranz could handle.
It was pitiful to watch, a mere spectacle.
What do those creatures see?
Despair, fear, humiliation.
To have their spirits collapse without accepting reality is only natural.
The Noibranz army, approximately 100,000 strong, nearly 90% casualties.
The combat-ready soldiers, nearly 90% incapacitated.
What is frightening is the fact that not a single one of them has been killed.
Little elephant, little elephant, why do you challenge Lua?