Chronicle Legion – The Road of Conquest v3c5

Chapter 5 - Bloodlines of Sacred Princesses[edit]
Part 1[edit]
November 22nd, Sat.u.r.day.

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 s.h.i.+nsengumi," 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 offsh.o.r.e of the Izu Peninsula, the British had three sister s.h.i.+ps 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 Yamanas.h.i.+ region under Tōkaidō jurisdiction. Then switching to helicopter at Yamanas.h.i.+, 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 n.o.ble lady liege also accompanied him.


"During the Edo period, Hakone Checkpoint was established near Lake As.h.i.+."

Akigase Rikka and Tachibana Hatsune were listening attentively to s.h.i.+ori's history lesson.

"Back then, the checkpoint was roughly four j.a.panese 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 ma.s.sive 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, s.h.i.+ori had decided to partic.i.p.ate 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, s.h.i.+ori's thoughts drifted in a certain direction.

"So these two have gotten into intimate relations.h.i.+ps with Masatsugu-sama too..."

"? Did you say something, Your Highness?"

"N-Not at all. Nothing of consequence, please pay it no mind."

s.h.i.+ori 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, s.h.i.+ori 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... s.h.i.+ori 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 s.h.i.+ori, 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 br.i.m.m.i.n.g with feminine beauty.

Needless to say, Hatsune's figure was the more full-bodied type.

However, s.h.i.+ori 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 s.h.i.+ori's intermediate figure was merely "half-baked"—Would this make her insufficiently attractive?

(These thoughts are totally meaningless...)

Recently, s.h.i.+ori found herself inexplicably bothered by such matters. She was worrying whether Fujinomiya s.h.i.+ori 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...)

s.h.i.+ori 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, s.h.i.+ori 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."

s.h.i.+ori 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.

s.h.i.+ori nodded and said, "Yes, General Wei Qing would continue to distinguish himself, acc.u.mulating 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 s.h.i.+fted 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 establis.h.i.+ng 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 princ.i.p.al 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 una.s.suming 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 pa.s.sive 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[edit]
"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 alt.i.tude 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 circ.u.mstances 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 Yamanas.h.i.+.

"Recon from retainer beast units and a.n.a.lysis 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 G.o.ds. 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 G.o.ds to deliver ma.s.sive 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 G.o.ds 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 G.o.ds 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 ent.i.ty was precisely the merged divinity of the Four G.o.ds.

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 G.o.ds 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 G.o.ds was also intentionally dispersed.

This was a wise decision. Once any of the other three locations no longer needed defending, the freed up Four G.o.ds 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 G.o.ds is indisputable. However, it is ultimately a power bestowed upon this nation by Lord Tenryuu, Imperial j.a.pan'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 h.e.l.l 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 As.h.i.+.

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 sh.o.r.e of Lake As.h.i.+—

"So that's the second of the Four G.o.ds. 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 G.o.ds 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 j.a.panese army—Seventy Kurou Hougans, the Kamuy variant with an elongated helmet resembling an ebos.h.i.+, a type of headgear worn by court n.o.bles 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 s.h.i.+p emerged from the thick clouds, hurtling towards Suzaku Gate like a cras.h.i.+ng meteor."

The s.h.i.+p'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 ma.s.sive s.h.i.+p 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 s.h.i.+p'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 cras.h.i.+ng thunder, the large destroyer Tintagel smashed into the noesis barrier of the second tutelary fort, Suzaku Gate.

Part 3[edit]
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 s.h.i.+fted 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 s.h.i.+p by the sh.o.r.e to serve as "stationary artillery." Ogawara was only sixteen kilometers away from Lake As.h.i.+ 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 G.o.ds.

In that case—Masatsugu thought of an exceedingly simple method. He decided to ram the Four G.o.ds using the destroyer Tintagel to see what would happen.

Needless to say...

A military s.h.i.+p 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 s.h.i.+p—That would be too difficult. But on further thought, a.s.suming 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 s.h.i.+nsengumi 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, cras.h.i.+ng towards the second tutelary fort's noesis barrier.

...The seven hundred Kanesadas separated from the s.h.i.+p, leaving the rest to inertia.

...Part of the defense force started to shoot, but even a screen of gunfire could not stop the military s.h.i.+p'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 s.h.i.+p 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 G.o.ds did their best, trying to stop the ma.s.sive 183m-long s.h.i.+p.

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 s.h.i.+p was probably erased in an instant. Since it was merely an avatar, it could revive itself any time as long as the princ.i.p.al image remained intact at Suruga.

The fierce explosion became the final straw to break the camel's back.

The s.h.i.+p crashed halfway through the noesis barrier, embedding itself in the tutelary fort's interior. The ma.s.sive s.h.i.+p, 183m long, slid into the enemy position in a dramatic turn of events.

The s.h.i.+p's body also collided with the star-shaped perimeter wall surrounding the tutelary fort.

Needless to say, the s.h.i.+p 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 s.h.i.+p to Ogawara."

As mentioned previously, the map distance from Ogawara to Lake As.h.i.+ 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 s.h.i.+p's body and sailed it to Odagawara.

For this purpose, they kept attacking the Izu Peninsula and nearby waters to cause ma.s.sive disruption to the Suruga Bay surveillance network, thus ensuring smooth pa.s.sage. Once preparations were complete, the Tintagel pa.s.sed 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[edit]
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 j.a.pan.

The main force consisted of a hundred and twenty Centuriae, commanded by two of General Wei Qing's subordinates.

Seventy j.a.panese 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 ebos.h.i.+ 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 Yos.h.i.+tsune 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 Us.h.i.+wakamaru had toyed with Musas.h.i.+bō 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 s.h.i.+ori 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 s.h.i.+ori 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 s.p.a.ce.

"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 ma.s.sive 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 j.a.pan, 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 s.h.i.+ori 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." s.h.i.+ori 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 s.h.i.+ori was feeling intrigued, she heard her personal lady-in-waiting shout urgently.

Now she finally understood the noetic waves earlier were emitted at Hatsune. s.h.i.+ori 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 s.h.i.+ori 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—"

s.h.i.+ori was about to ask for her ident.i.ty, 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 s.h.i.+ori? 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 s.h.i.+ori."

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 s.h.i.+ori's chest.

Suppressing her fear, s.h.i.+ori 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 s.h.i.+ori."

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, s.h.i.+ori'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 s.h.i.+ori. 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 s.h.i.+ori."

"Now that I have heard your explanation, my mood cannot be any worse."

s.h.i.+ori 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 s.h.i.+ori, 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 s.h.i.+ori."

Click. Eleanor's thumb c.o.c.ked 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 a.s.sured. 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, s.h.i.+ori 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.

s.h.i.+ori 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, s.h.i.+ori's voice was trembling.

"Fufufufu, don't kill me with laughter. You think this level of magic will allow you to take Imperial j.a.pan's princess? Over my dead body."

Underground of the second tutelary fort, Suzaku Gate, on the sh.o.r.e of Lake As.h.i.+—

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 s.h.i.+ori's very own Zhuge Kongming, if one were to use a Three Kingdoms a.n.a.logy.

Part 5[edit]
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.

"h.e.l.lo, 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 s.h.i.+pped 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 s.n.a.t.c.hed 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 s.h.i.+ori'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 s.h.i.+ori 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 "G.o.dslayer!"

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 s.h.i.+ori.

"Rindou-sensei..."

s.h.i.+ori 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 unantic.i.p.ated arrival, s.h.i.+ori 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 pet.i.te 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 Yos.h.i.+tsune'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 s.h.i.+ori and her entourage had used to enter.

Only j.a.panese 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 s.h.i.+ori'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 f.u.kuryuu—vanished spontaneously.

Now that there was no one to disturb her, s.h.i.+ori 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 hards.h.i.+p. Abandon all hope, ye who enter this door."

s.h.i.+ori 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 j.a.panese imperial family's control.

"I hereby order you, Suzaku, subordinate kin of the sacred beast, Lord Tenryuu. Take what I, Fujinomiya s.h.i.+ori, say as the decree of my grandfather, Lord Tenryuu, and swear absolute allegiance."

Transmitting noetic waves from the underground water shrine, s.h.i.+ori 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 s.h.i.+ori 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. s.h.i.+ori spoke solemnly, "The trump card defending Hakone, the Four G.o.ds, 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 G.o.ds can no longer be sustained... Hakone has finally lost all its walls now."

These words consti