Heavenly Swords of the Twin Stars: Volume 4 E-Book

Riku Nanano

• Herausgeber: J-Novel Club
• Kategorie: Fantasy und Science-Fiction
• Serie: Heavenly Swords of the Twin Stars
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 343

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Beschreibung

In the six months since Gen rejected Ei’s attempt at bartering peace, Sekiei, Hakurei, and the others have sheltered themselves in the western regions, guided there by Oto. Though Oto is the strategist Ruri’s attendant, her true identity is that of U Torahime, the daughter of the U family.

Within that same time period, the White Wraith Adai Dada and his armies have encroached further and further into Ei territory, and the nation is in dire straits. With nowhere else to turn, Kou Miu, the younger sister of the emperor who ordered Chou Tairan’s death, comes pleading for the Chou and U families’ help.

The decision they face is a tough one. Should they stay in the western regions where it’s safe? Or should they risk their lives to defend the very nation and sovereign that have wronged their family for so long? The curtain rises on Ei’s counterattack, and Miu may just be the key to victory.

Leseprobe

Prologue

“I’d heard rumors around the court, but this is worse than I imagined. To think that things got this bad in a mere six months after Chancellor Rin Chuudou’s capture and peace talks with Gen fell through...”

The words slipped out of my mouth as I—Kou Miu, the younger half sister of the Ei emperor—took in the devastation along the coast. The military ship I’d boarded was traveling down the Grand Canal, which bisected the continent into north and south, and the skies above me were covered in thick gray clouds.

Before me was the line of water fortresses said to be an impenetrable wall protecting the Ei capital, Rinkei. However, the ones at the very front were burned and they’d even lost their flags. The soldiers moved slowly, looking as if they’d lost the war already.

I could guess why they were acting this way. The execution of Lord Chou Tairan, the National Shield, had left an unprecedented impact on the soldiers’ morale. I clutched at the protection charm hanging against my chest. It was the sole memento I had of my mother, who hailed from the western regions. The northern city Keiyou, which the Chou family had protected for so many long years, had fallen. Our enemies could let their main forces rest, whereas we could not even lift a finger to defend ourselves against their invasion.

If only my brother hadn’t put his trust in the foolish words of that treacherous Rin Chuudou, then this wouldn’t have—! I squeezed my eyes shut, fighting back the intense wave of emotion. Yet the emperor of Ei is still the only one who can save this dying country. I must tell my brother what I witnessed here, even if I must physically drag him away from his concubine to do so. As a fourteen-year-old girl, there was only so much I could do. But I had to do something, or else there was no point in my forcing people to help me sneak out of the palace.

“Your Highness, please stand behind me,” someone said as they tugged on the golden sleeve denoting my status as one of the imperial family.

“Mei?” I turned around to look at her. Mei, though older than me, was my best friend and had served as my protector ever since my mother was still alive. Like me, she wore a cloak over her clothing, but I could see her short brown hair under the hood.

She shook her head. “This is the battlefield. There is always the chance that an enemy soldier is lying in wait somewhere. Princess, if anything happens to you, then it could cause further danger to the Ei Empire.”

“Ah, yes. You’re right. Thank you,” I replied, running a pale hand through my light brown bangs. My desire to see the reality of the war as a member of the imperial family was genuine. But Mei was right. These days, despite its proximity to the capital, even the waters of the Grand Canal weren’t safe. The fearsome White Wraith ruling over the Gen Empire—a northern horse culture that took the lands north of the great river from Ei about fifty years ago—was trying to destroy my homeland, after all.

I took a deep breath and turned around. “General Gan, would you be so kind as to explain the situation to me?”

General Gan Retsurai was a veteran commander. I’d heard he was around fifty years old. His old-fashioned helmet and armor indicated his many years of service. He slammed his hand against his chest in an extravagant salute and said, “Yes, ma’am. Come this way.”

He led us down into a small cabin within the ship, and as soon as the wooden door shut behind us, Retsurai unfurled a map of the continent. “As His Imperial Majesty placed me in charge of the aquatic fortresses guarding Rinkei, it shames me to admit that—if I must be honest about our current situation—the Ei army is at a severe disadvantage.” He tapped a thick finger on the map, indicating several locations. A wooden bracelet that looked like it’d been made by a child was wrapped around his right wrist. “It’s already been six months since the Battle of Keiyou, when the Chou army fought off the White Wraith’s invasion, as well as Lord Chou Tairan’s unjust execution. We’ve lost three provinces—Koshuu, Anshuu, and Heishuu—and the enemies continue to cross the river into our lands. We cannot let our guard down.”

The ship emanated a creak; we must have started our journey back to Rinkei. Retsurai continued to move his finger, stopping it right above the cities in northern Ei.

“These days, Keiyou has become one of Gen’s more strategic footholds. Troops from Keiyou have been attacking the fortresses we built along the Grand Canal. According to one of the Gen soldiers we captured, their commanding officer is the Millenary Diviner, a strategist of unparalleled talent. We’re only able to defend half the distance between Keiyou and Rinkei. It pains me to admit that we’re losing soldiers to desertion every day. My fool of a son foresaw this happening. He was in another army but ran away a year ago after declaring that there could be no future for a country that disrespected General Chou.”

A sharp pain stabbed through my heart. Oh, if only the National Shield and the Chou army were still around! None of this would’ve happened!

A maelstrom of emotions swirled in Retsurai’s eyes, but he looked down at the map before I could recognize them. “Around fifty thousand soldiers are stationed in the water fortresses north of Rinkei. Most of them are either much too young or much too old. They lack both morale and training. We won’t be able to fight off the enemy soldiers traveling south from Shiryuu or along the Grand Canal, which means we will require reinforcements from the Imperial Guard. My request for help was denied though.”

I reached out to draw a circle in the south and the west with my finger. Our situation with Gen was perilous enough, but Ei also had to contend with issues within its own borders. “Half of the Imperial Guard left the capital for the south just the other day. My brother, at the behest of the substitute and lieutenant chancellors, was the one to personally issue the command. Their goal is to subdue the Jo family in the southern regions, who started an uprising after killing our messenger. The U family to the west has closed off Youkaku. Though the area around Youkaku is narrow, it’s the only place with access to the main road. I hear that they’ve remained silent and are refusing to let our messengers through.” Retsurai’s and Mei’s expressions stiffened as I placed some small black stones on the map to continue my explanation. “Of the ten provinces and two regions that make up our empire, three provinces have fallen into enemy hands. Jo Hiyou, the orphan of the Phoenix Wing, is the one in charge of the south, and the U family, who has closed off communications, rules the west.”

When I was young, my mother told me that when the soldiers from the front lines got drunk, they’d always yell, “We have the Three Great Generals! What do we have to fear from the White Wraith or the Four Wolves?!” The Three Great Generals in question were Jo Shuuhou the Phoenix Wing, U Jouko the Tiger Fang, and Chou Tairan the National Shield. Not a single one of them was still alive to protect Ei.

My voice shook as badly as the hand gripping my protection charm. “It’s been half a year. A mere six months. And in such a short amount of time, Ei has already lost half of its land. The messy state of affairs that the imperial court is in has reached even the ears of a little girl such as myself.” A sudden gust of wind shook the boat, causing the little stones on the map to fall onto the floor with a clatter. “You Bunshou, the chancellor who’d supported our country for so many long years, was assassinated by Jo Hiyou. Rin Chuudou, who’d urged Lord Chou Tairan’s execution over a crime he didn’t commit in order to secure peace with Gen, went missing after he left for Keiyou. As for the substitute and lieutenant chancellors, they have no idea what to do even though rumors of the White Wraith Adai Dada’s reputation has reached even the court’s ears.”

“Your Highness...” Mei said, supporting my smaller body from behind.

I turned my head to offer her a look of gratitude, then returned my attention to the commander before me. “General Gan, what should I... What do I have to do in order to save my country?”

A heavy silence weighed over the cabin for a few moments before Retsurai shook his head. “Your Highness, my apologies, but a military man such as myself cannot possibly hope to give you an answer.” Retsurai was a soldier who’d worked his way up to the top through his own hard work. He gripped his dagger hard, as if using it to ground himself. The scabbard creaked under his strength. “The ones who could have provided you with insight were people like Lord You Bunshou, Phoenix Wing Jo Shuuhou, Tiger Fang U Jouko, and—” When I saw that gleam in his eye, sharper than any blade, I understood that Ei and the imperial family weren’t the reasons why this man continued to fight at the front lines. “And National Shield Chou Tairan! If any of them were still alive and present, then we wouldn’t have lost three provinces to Gen, nor would we need to worry about defectors to the south or the west. In fact, if only the capital had sent ten thousand—no, even just a few thousand more—we would have been able to defeat the White Wraith at Keiyou.”

I couldn’t say anything in response. To be more precise, I had no right to. My brother had been the one who made the foolish decision to murder the guardian of this country. His imperial seal had been the one on the execution order.

Retsurai removed his helmet and scratched the back of his gray-streaked head, smiling gently. “However, none of that can ever come to pass. They’re nothing more than what-ifs. And in my humble opinion, this country no longer has the luxury to ponder such hypotheticals.”

When I remained silent, Mei gave me a worried look and called my name. Yet I could not offer her a verbal reply. The most I could manage was a glance in her direction. I was so embarrassed by my own imprudence that I wanted to scream. How can I ask him for advice on how to save this country when I’m part of the family that murdered the very heroes who could have?!

Retsurai removed that old-looking dagger, scabbard and all, from his belt and narrowed his eyes down at it. “When I was younger, I served under old Lord Raigen. He died an honorable death at Hakuhou Castle, which is one of the fortresses defending our borders at the great river. When I left Keiyou, he gave me this dagger as a parting gift. It’s because of General Chou and Lord Raigen’s recommendations that I was able to attain the position I now hold, that I’m able to speak with you here, my princess. I’ve lived for so many years without repaying even a scrap of the debt I owed them!” He paused and turned his back to us. His broad shoulders shook and a torrent of tears splashed to the ground. “If only I’d discarded everything—my status, my family, all of it—and returned to Keiyou as a mere soldier! If only I’d done something in order to save General Chou! I...admit that I’d considered killing myself out of shame. But if I did so while Lady Hakurei, Lord Chou Tairan’s most precious daughter, and Lord Sekiei, who’s said to be the living embodiment of the Chou family’s martial prowess despite his youth, are still missing, then Raigen the Ogre would surely berate me in the afterlife.”

On the night before Lord Chou Tairan’s execution, a fire broke out within the judicial court in the palace. Not only that, but the Dragon Jade—a massive obsidian boulder viewed as a sacred object—had been sliced in half with some sort of sharp blade as well. I’d heard rumors that members of the Chou family were behind both incidents. Yet in the end, they hadn’t been able to rescue General Chou.

General Gan turned to look at me again. I could see in his eyes that he’d long since made his peace with his own death. He pressed his dagger against his chest and, along with a bright smile, professed his tragic determination. “Now that things have come to this, I will fight until the very end! I have no choice but to go to Lord Tairan, Lord Raigen, and my comrades who passed before me in the afterlife and apologize with ‘Though ungrateful in life, I fought my hardest until my final breath!’ Princess Imperial Kou Miu, you asked me earlier how we can save this country. I hope my determination to fight every battle like it’s my last is a suitable answer to your question.”

***

“We must hurry, Your Highness. It’ll be trouble if we don’t return to the palace by nightfall,” my best friend said, wringing her hands. We’d only just arrived in the waterways outside of Rinkei, and the skies were orange with the dusk.

“Yes, I know, Mei,” I replied.

Though I was part of the emperor’s family, I had no real power of my own. What should I do now? Lost in thought, I allowed Mei to lead me off the boat and onto the well-maintained shore. It was quite some distance between here and the palace, so we had no time to spare. I managed to shake off my melancholy and then looked around. By sheer coincidence, a slightly bigger boat than the one we’d taken was in the middle of departing. Most of the passengers were women and children. All of them were crying while holding large pieces of luggage. The vast majority of the people seeing them off from the shore and a nearby bridge were men and the elderly.

It’s forbidden to travel via water at night. So why’s a ship leaving when the sun is about to set? That wasn’t the only thing that caught my attention. Everyone’s eyes housed a deep sadness and fear.

“Princess Miu?” Mei leaned down to peer at my face with a confused expression.

“Mei, what kinds of people are aboard that ship?”

After she glanced in the direction I was staring, she explained, “As you know, the capital sees many ships come and go. I believe that one’s departure time was delayed.”

That didn’t make sense to me, but I replied, “Is that so?” anyway.

The moment the ship disappeared into the distance, the crowd dispersed until only a young girl and an older woman remained, conversing on the small bridge. They both wore cloaks around their bodies, and the girl held a paper bag in her hand. Driven by some unknown impulse, I grabbed Mei’s hand and walked over to them.

“Huh? Princess Miu!” Mei exclaimed.

Ignoring her, I called out, “Excuse me!”

The girl turned around. An orange hat covered her head, and her brown hair, tied in pigtails, poked out from underneath. Though she was much smaller than me, she boasted a most well-endowed bosom. The tall and beautiful woman behind her had long black hair, and she wore her black-and-white clothing well. She gave the two of us a bemused look.

The small girl tilted her head to the side as she looked up at me. “Hmm? Are you talking to me?”

“Yes, I am. I apologize for the sudden question, but I’d like to inquire about the boat that departed just now. Where are the passengers sailing to? I would like to know their destination if you’re aware of it. Please.”

“P-Prin—Lady Miu?!”

I could hear Mei’s panicked voice behind me as I lowered my head in a deep bow. This might not have been proper etiquette as a member of the imperial family. However, I just had to know the answer. That was the feeling I got.

“Lady Meirin,” the beautiful black-haired woman said in a cautionary tone.

“Don’t worry, Shizuka,” the girl replied before I felt a light tap on my shoulder. “I don’t mind telling you, but please raise your head. It’s difficult to hold a conversation like this.”

“Th-Thank you so much,” I said.

I slowly straightened up from my bow to see the girl named Meirin take out a delicious-looking bun from the paper bag and bite into it.

“Mm, yummy! It’s just too bad I can’t eat that kid’s buns anymore. Oh, by the way, those people were evacuating before the big, bad White Wraith attacks the capital.”

“Huh?!” Mei and I exclaimed. This girl—Meirin—stated it in such a casual, matter-of-fact way that we could only gape at her in appalled silence.

People are running away from Rinkei? From the capital of Ei, which has boasted unprecedented wealth and glory? Not only that, but they’re doing so because the White Wraith is on his way? That many people have already given up on this country?! Meirin polished off the bun with such large and enthusiastic bites that she would’ve been a delight to watch if Mei and I weren’t in a state of shock. She even licked the remaining crumbs off her fingers. When she finally looked up at us again, there was an unbelievably keen glint of intellect in her eyes.

“With the fall of Keiyou, which is at the headwaters of the Grand Canal bisecting this continent, Rinkei lost a large portion of its more advantageous waterways. In fact, I’d go as far as to say this loss was a fatal one. It doesn’t seem that the people in the imperial court, including the substitute chancellor or the lieutenant chancellor, have noticed this yet though.”

“Lady Meirin, please have a drink of water,” the woman named Shizuka said. She wiped down Meirin’s fingers with a cloth and then handed her a bamboo bottle.

“Please keep an eye on her,” Mei whispered to me under her breath. “She’s an incredibly experienced warrior.”

After Meirin chugged down the contents of the bottle, she leaped up to sit on the railing of the bridge and began kicking her legs. “Boats are capable of carrying more cargo than horse-drawn carriages. They’re simple yet effective modes of transportation. It’s precisely because of this fact that Rinkei was able to achieve unprecedented levels of prosperity these past few years. But those glory days will end soon.”

“They’ll end soon?” I echoed, staring at her in surprise. I didn’t know anything about this girl. However, I could sense from every word out of her mouth that she was someone who was able to judge reality with a cold and calm eye. She wasn’t like those in the imperial court, who clung to optimistic hypotheticals. This was a true Rinkei resident through and through.

The sun had completely set. As the veil of night shrouded the sky, the lamps and lanterns around the capital started to light up one by one. No matter how many times I witnessed this, I found the slow illumination of the city such an ethereal sight.

The paper bag flew through the air as Meirin tossed it to Shizuka. “You should have some too,” Meirin said. “They’re delicious.”

“Lady Meirin, that was very improper of you!” Shizuka scolded even as she snagged the bag out of the air with ease.

Meirin waved her hand in a dismissive manner before she returned her gaze to me. “The number of resources shipped along the Grand Canal has reduced significantly in these past six months. As a result, the cost of living has risen, causing the streets to become much more dangerous than before. Fewer and fewer foreign ships are docking here. It was the wrong move to raise the taxes on salt in order to secure more government funding. All the work the previous grand chancellor put into curbing salt bandits has gone to waste. I hear that some bizarre cult has risen among the ranks of the salt bandits to the south.”

A rush of fear surged through me and I clutched at Mei’s sleeve. Compared to the officials within the imperial court and my brother, who was spending more and more time with his favorite concubine in order to escape from the pressures of reality, this girl had a far firmer grasp on the logistics within the Ei Empire.

“You mustn’t sit on a place like that,” Shizuka continued to scold. “Come down, or I’ll tell Lord Sekiei.”

Meirin stuck her tongue out at the woman before hopping back down onto the bridge. Wait, Sekiei? She adjusted her hat before she met my eyes again. When she next spoke, it was in the same calm tone as before.

“I doubt the White Wraith feels the need to order his soldiers to attack Rinkei. So long as he keeps Rinkei isolated and in lockdown, the capital will destroy itself. On top of all these issues, the people haven’t forgotten about the unjust execution of Lord Chou Tairan. I hear that the White Wraith mourned our national hero despite General Chou thwarting his attempts to take over Ei in the past, and that he even refused to enter Keiyou out of respect. Listen, I don’t know what fairy tale you crawled out from, Princess, but the people know that Adai Dada mourned Chou Tairan’s death. It doesn’t matter if it was an act or not. I believe that it will be difficult for the emperor to regain the people’s trust, as he was the one who ordered his death and desecrated his corpse in the first place. That’s why the ones who can escape Rinkei are doing so right now.”

I took a step back with a quiet gasp, feeling as if I’d just been slapped. Mei called my name, but I couldn’t respond. The words of the sole imperial chancellor in history—Ouei, who’d lived a thousand years ago in the Tou Empire—echoed through my head: “A dynasty forsaken by its people has no way of survival.” I was too naive! Things are so much more dire than I could’ve ever imagined!

With Mei supporting me, I looked up and met Meirin’s eyes. “Just who are...? No, I suppose there’s no point in asking that. Thank you very much for all the information you’ve provided me.” I bowed to this prodigy from the city once again, and Shizuka handed me the paper bag full of steamed buns. Blinking, I looked up and accepted it.

“It must have been some sort of fate that led us to have this conversation. At least, that’s what my beloved husband, who lives far away from here right now, would say! I may not look it, but I’m the type of girl who’s easily influenced by the man I love! ♪ Princess Miu, I hope I get the chance to see you again someday! ☆” Meirin said, pressing her hands against her reddening cheeks. Then, she and the black-haired woman crossed the small bridge.

I gripped the paper bag in one hand as I ran her words over and over in my head. This so-called fate taught me that the officials within the imperial court and the citizens in the cities were living in two completely different realities. I had to make use of this somehow, for I was Kou Miu, the younger sister of the Ei Empire’s emperor.

“Princess Miu,” Mei started, but I interrupted her.

“Mei.” I looked up and met her melancholic eyes. Despite my sorrow at dragging her into this, I said, “In the near future, I will warn my brother about what shall come to pass. If he truly wishes to defend Rinkei and Ei—” Dozens of fireworks shot up into the air behind me as if in celebration of something. They were beautiful yet ephemeral. I sucked in a deep breath and continued to relay my determination: “If he truly wishes to defend Rinkei and Ei, then he must call in reinforcements. Even if the Jo family will not heed our summons, the U family returned our messenger safe and sound. There’s a chance that they’ll respond to us if I go there and negotiate with them myself. We were the ones who foolishly chose to murder the National Shield, Chou Tairan, despite his unparalleled talents and numerous contributions to our country. This is the only way my family can repent for this sin.”

Chapter One

“Lord Sekiei, I have eyes on the bandits in question. The intel we received was correct; they are around two hundred strong. Most of them are wielding swords and axes, with very few archers and cavalry. All are dressed in lightweight armor,” Oto reported from the branches of a tree as she stared down at the road below. The red cloth in her hair rippled in the wind.

Oto was the daughter and only child of U Jouko, the Tiger Fang, who’d fallen in battle. She was wearing lightweight armor over the traditional garb of the western tribes, and in her hand she held a bamboo stick with a metal cylinder attached at its end. It was a fire lance, a weapon that could shoot rocks and pieces of metal through the use of gunpowder. A sword hung from her belt, and she carried a well-polished shovel upon her back.

The U soldiers hiding nearby looked up at Oto before glaring at me. In their eyes, Oto was the orphaned daughter of their deceased master. Even if she weren’t using her birth name, U Torahime, that didn’t change her identity. That she was acting as my subordinate was the likely reason behind their hostility.

“Nice! I knew I could count on you, Oto!” I said. In spite of the soldiers’ disapproval, I—Sekiei, the adopted son of the Chou family—was genuine with my praise.

About half a year ago, the foolish emperor of Ei, along with his treacherous subject Rin Chuudou, executed National Shield Chou Tairan in Rinkei, the capital of the empire. We had been in such a state of shock that only Oto, despite being our junior, had been fit enough to lead us to Butoku, a major city in the western regions the U family ruled over. She was very reliable for her youthful age.

I patted off my black military uniform and looked at the road ahead. To the east dropped a steep cliff that few would dare go near. To the west lay a thick forest. Finally, to our south, a group of bandits was approaching a small stone bridge at a sedate pace. We’d heard that they’d been causing trouble around Butoku these past few months.

I stroked my chin as I assessed their strength. “They’re a lot more organized than the bandits we’ve been dealing with lately. The one in the middle of the group with the axe is...uh...”

“That’s Shigou, or the Tigerslayer as he likes to call himself. There are rumors that he drifted here from the central plains after he couldn’t cut it in the military. But not enough reliable sources can corroborate that story. He’s defeated all of the soldiers the U army sent to capture or kill him, and he’s been vandalizing many of the old shrines to the west as well,” Oto said, scaling down the tree with ease and returning to my side.

That explains why the small and friendly tribes around these parts asked for our help in getting rid of them. I was wondering about that, since we’re not exactly within Ei territory right now.

“Listen up, you guys,” I said, causing Oto and the U soldiers to straighten their postures.

The elite soldiers of the former Chou army weren’t with me right now. They were sneaking behind the bandits in order to ambush them. Their allegiance was to Hakurei (the eldest daughter of the Chou family), Ruri (an ascendant and our military strategist), and me. Yet despite their absence, I was, for some reason, the commander in charge here. I may have the foggy memories of my past life as Kou Eihou—the great general of the Tou Empire—but I’m not really cut out for this kind of stuff. Not that I could’ve turned down Oto when she asked me to do this though.

I tapped my hand against the scabbard hanging from my belt. Inside it was Black Star, one of the twin blades that made up the Heavenly Swords. “Relax. Everything’s going according to our scary little strategist’s plans. Our enemy may be the Tigerslayer, but he’s about as threatening as a newborn cub compared to the soldiers we’ve been up against lately. Besides, I think our little princess is much scarier than this bandit. Just don’t tell her I said that.”

The soldiers chuckled. They looked a lot less nervous than before.

Oto smiled as well before she grew serious once more. “As soon as they enter our range, we’ll bombard them with fire lances and arrows. Then, when their movement from the road is cut off, we’ll commence a pincer attack alongside Lady Hakurei and Lady Ruri’s team, and destroy them! We shall let that arrogant Tigerslayer witness the strength of those who’ve fought against Gen’s Wolves.”

“Yes, Lady Oto!” all of the soldiers said, moving to their stations as one to prepare their fire lances and bows.

The stench of gunpowder, long since familiar, hit my nose. These soldiers had eliminated dozens of bandits these past three months without even a single fatality. I doubted that I needed to micromanage—

“Oh?”

“Huh?”

Oto and I couldn’t contain our surprise. The line of bandits had stopped in the middle of the canyon. A large man wielding a poleaxe was yelling something from atop his horse, a panicked look on his face. In response, the bandits picked up the pace; apparently, they planned on forcing their way through the narrow road.

Oto’s eyes widened. “Why are they...?”

“They must’ve smelled the gunpowder. Man, he’s got a sharp nose.” With bow in hand, I jumped onto my black horse, Zetsuei, and ordered in a curt voice, “Oto, I’m going to slow down the bandits at the front. I want you to follow Ruri’s plan and shoot at them from the side to incite confusion. Hakurei and the others will come once they hear the sound of fighting.”

“L-Lord Sekiei?! You can’t—”

“I’ll leave it to you!”

Ignoring Oto’s surprised cry, I galloped out of the forest, my black hair flowing in the wind. My field of vision cleared as soon as I broke through the line of trees. I reached the road before the bandits could cross the stone bridge, nocked three arrows into my bow, and, turning to face the bandits, let them fly. The arrows landed in the enemies’ shoulders, one by one, as they scattered with faces twisted in desperation. After knocking about a dozen of them out of commission, I steered Zetsuei to stand at the end of the bridge.

The bandits stared at me, expressions slack with shock. They were completely frozen in place, so I called out to them. “I’d sure like to praise you all for catching on to our trap so quickly.” With slow and deliberate movements, I placed an arrow into my bow and looked up to meet the eyes of Shigou the Tigerslayer, who was in the middle of the group. He looked to be in his late twenties and had a piece of black cloth tied around his forehead. I smirked. “Sorry, but it’s the end of the line for all of you. If you put down your weapons, then we’ll spare your lives. Granted, I’ve no clue what will happen to you later. I mean, you guys did mess up some shrines.”

“Shut up!”

“You little brat!”

“Go to hell!”

Three of the bandits—the few on horses—rushed towards me with furious expressions, ignoring Shigou’s commands to stop. In their hands, they held poleaxes and metal clubs. But they were much too slow. I unleashed my arrows without mercy, shooting them in the shoulders, arms, and legs. None of them got anywhere close to me.

“Gah!” they cried as they fell off their horses and to the ground. The remaining bandits couldn’t hide their fear at the sight.

“Don’t bother trying to flee,” I warned. “None of you’d be able to escape at this distance. Besides...”

A thunderous rumbling echoed through the air. Oto and her soldiers had started their bombardment. Because fire lances’ range of effectiveness and accuracy were far inferior to a bow, very few of their shots actually hit the bandits. But on a battlefield, nothing spread fear better than noise.

“D-Dammit!”

“Wh-What’s this?! Just who are these people?!”

“It’s all over for us!”

“I didn’t know the U soldiers could use magic!”

“H-Hey, what should we do?!”

The bandits were at a complete loss. As Oto and her soldiers continued their assault from a distance, they wounded some bandits and destroyed many of the wooden boxes they were carrying, sowing even more chaos through the group. Oto and the elite U soldiers had survived multiple battles throughout the course of this war, so they were well aware of the power that the fire lances held. Right when I thought I could take a short break, Shigou slammed his fist against the official Ei armor he was wearing.

“Give me that shield!” he yelled, grabbing a giant one and holding it aloft. “I’ll lead the charge! Watch my back, you bastards!”

“Y-Yessir!” the bandits replied, their morale recovering somewhat after hearing their boss’s order.

They started shooting arrows at me as Shigou charged me on horseback, his teeth bared in a ferocious snarl. He knows that a commander’s main job when fighting on the front lines is to inspire their soldiers! The rumors about him being former military from the plains are probably true, then. I released even more arrows as quickly as I could, aiming them at Shigou and his archers, as well as the arrows flying my way. All of them hit their mark. They pierced shields, cut through bowstrings, and knocked arrows out of the air.

“H-He aimed at and shot down the arrows mid-flight?”

“He’s a monster!”

“Wh-What the hell? Just who is this guy?!”

“Wait! Black hair, red eyes, black sword on his belt... D-Don’t tell me he’s the Chou family’s...?!”

Upon seeing the opening, my soldiers let fly their arrows and shot their fire lances in an all-out attack. Despair fell over the bandits yet again. Shigou tossed his shield aside to grip his poleaxe with both hands before swinging it down at me, his voice raised in a war cry.

“Whoa!” I tugged on Zetsuei’s reins and dodged his attack. With a quick glance back, I could see Oto and her soldiers had revealed themselves from their hiding spots to approach the bandits, who no longer had any functional bows to wield. They chose the right time to come out.

“Your arrows are useless against me. You’re not even aiming to kill!” Shigou bellowed, distracting me from my satisfaction at Oto’s leadership skills. Blood dripped down his left arm.

“Oops, you caught me. I just thought it was interesting how you attached a breastplate to that shield to make it effective against arrows!”

No doubt, Shigou was well aware that he’d be ruined if we captured him here. He charged at me with wild abandon, but Zetsuei was far faster than his mount. Though he kept swinging his poleaxe, it sliced through nothing but air. The arrow I shot in retaliation cut through the cloth around his head right at the knot, and it fluttered away, revealing his thin black hair.

“Tch. Dammit, stay still!” he yelled.

He’s getting all riled up. I retreated to the halfway point of the bridge and asked in a mocking tone, “You’re really good, so why did you decide to take up banditry when you could’ve joined the U army? I hear they’re hiring.”

“Shut the hell up!” Shigou’s face had turned bright crimson from rage. He was just about to kick his horse into a gallop again when— “Huh?!”

“Oh, right on time.”

The sound of a gong rang through the air. A massive war flag emblazoned with a single character—Chou—rippled into view behind the bandits, who were exhausted from trying to repel the U army’s attacks. In the next second, hundreds of cavalry appeared, charging at the bandits while roaring their battle cries. Shigou’s eyes widened as he reared back. The movement revealed a wooden bracelet wrapped around his right wrist. It looked as if it’d been made by a child.

“Th-That flag... Why is the Chou army here?!”

“So sorry. My only job here was to buy them time.” I looked over at the charging Chou soldiers. Despite her position as the commander in chief, a beautiful girl with silver hair and blue eyes rode at the very front. In her hand, she held White Star, the other half to Black Star. Projecting my voice to be heard over the din of the battlefield, I yelled, “I’m going to say this one final time. Drop your weapons! You will repent for your crimes, but we won’t kill you if you surrender!”

The bandits had taken to using what remained of their carriages and boxes as shelter against the arrows and fire lances still raining down upon them. However, on hearing my proclamation, they looked at each other. They were close to agreeing to our terms.

But then, Shigou, twirling his poleaxe above his head, rushed towards me. “If we kill you, we’ll be able to get past this bridge! I’m not going to fall to your pathetic and cowardly archers!”

“Man, you leave me no choice,” I sighed. The poleaxe descended upon me, slicing through the wind with a sharp whistle. But I threw my bow into the air and then, with a single hand, drew Black Star from my belt and slashed out with it!

“Wha—?! Impossi— Gah!” The tip of the poleaxe soared through the air, its blade glinting in the sunlight.

Without missing a beat, I slammed the butt of my sword into Shigou’s stomach to stun him, and then knocked him off his horse. I snagged my bow out of the air with my left hand before announcing myself. “I am Chou Sekiei, son of the National Shield, Chou Tairan! This is your last chance. Surrender!”

The bandits had given up. With wordless gasps, they tossed their weapons aside and kowtowed on the ground. Looks like father’s reputation has reached even the western regions. Good, good. Pride surged through me. Oto rode up to me, and the soldiers behind her surrounded Shigou, throwing ropes around him to hold him in place.

“Don’t kill them,” I said. “They still have to tell us where they hid everything they stole. Make sure the wounded are attended to and...uh... Miss Oto? Er, what’s this string here?”

Oto, who’d once again proven that talent as a leader ran through the U family’s bloodline, had approached me in silence and tied a black string around my left wrist. Still shouldering a fire lance and carrying a shovel on her back, and while maintaining an unbothered expression, she explained, “Lady Hakurei and Lady Ruri instructed me to tie this around you and bring you to them if you did anything stupid in battle. To tell the truth, I’m not too happy with you either.”

“What?!” I looked over to that beautiful silver-haired girl Hakurei, who was issuing orders to the soldiers around her without a hint of hesitation.

Despite the distance between us, she noticed my gaze and looked over at me. Our eyes met and she mouthed the words “You’re in for a scolding later. Do not run away.”

Chou Hakurei, you’re a scary one indeed! I... I wanna escape from here. A blonde girl with green eyes, whose blue hat and clothing made for a striking impression, rode up behind Hakurei. She was Ruri, our military strategist and a self-professed ascendant. Though I gave her a pitiful look in an attempt to seek aid, she denied my request with a wave of her hand.

“You made your bed. Now lay in it,” she mouthed.

Our master strategist isn’t any better than Hakurei. I sighed, already exhausted, and returned Black Star to its sheath.

“Hee hee hee.” The muffled giggle came from Shigou, who was being held in place by the soldiers. He fought against their attempts to keep him down and stared up at me before shouting, “What are the two orphans of the traitorous National Shield doing in a place as remote as this?! Did you flee all the way here in hopes of rebuilding your army? Ha! Don’t make me laugh! You guys are nothing more than pathetic losers!”

“How dare—?!”