Chapter 0646 Port Town Mei-Hey
-x-X-x-
Seven days had passed since food had been procured with the akumas' help.
"Is this today's plan?"
"Yes—calling at the Peiyu nation's port, Mei-Hey."
In a corner of the Tenth Ship's First Deck, the usual water-attribute magician and the swordsman were chatting.
Until a little while ago, the water-attribute magician had been tinkering with an alchemy tool while the swordsman practiced his blade.
"Land in sight!"
A lookout on the mast shouted, and the two of them heard it.
"Do you think we can enter the port of Peiyu without trouble? They fought Darwei not long ago, right?"
"Ah—wasn't that what Prince Ryun intercepted?"
While the two of them had been away negotiating with the ghost ship Ruri, Peiyu suddenly marched south and invaded Darwei.
Prince Ryun, acting on the emperor's orders, moved north and repelled them.
They say a ceasefire treaty was later concluded, but still…
"The Tenth Ship will anchor offshore. We'll head to the port in a cutter."
Captain La Wu explained this to the pair in the corner.
"A cutter?"
"Like a lifeboat?"
Neither Abel nor Ryo knew much about this area.
But when they saw the ship anchored and preparations being made, they understood.
A cutter for about twenty people was being lowered from the Tenth Ship.
It was a hand-rowed boat that larger vessels always carry.
Larger ports aside, many smaller ports cannot accommodate a big ship.
In such cases, it's common to anchor offshore like this and go ashore in a cutter.
"The ship will be left in the care of First Mate Sun Ma and First Navigator Myan Mar; I will go ashore. I want to obtain charts and information about these northern waters. How about you two?"
"Let's go."
"Yes—let's go."
Abel answered immediately to Captain La Wu's question, and Ryo nodded as well.
They both wanted to know what lay to the north.
So Ryo, Abel, and Captain La Wu went ashore at Mei-Hey with seventeen crewmen.
Soon after the twenty landed, men who appeared to be port guards came up to them.
The ship anchored offshore was visible from the port.
Their response was natural enough.
"We are the Mei-Hey Port Defense. I am Captain Moa Shu. Who are you?"
A bearded man with respectable equipment announced himself.
About ten port guards stood behind him, each holding something like a spear.
They weren't raising them, but they did present an imposing air.
"I am La Wu, captain of Darwei Imperial State Vessel Tenth Ship, currently anchored offshore. We operate under orders from the Imperial Household. I would like to speak with the person responsible for the port."
La Wu's tone was not arrogant.
But it was firm— the kind of announcement that suggested he would not be easily swayed.
For an instant, Captain Moa Shu seemed taken aback; Ryo and Abel noticed it too.
But it was only a moment.
A true captain does not show weakness before his men.
"The port official is the harbor magistrate, but he is absent."
"Who is second in command?"
"I am."
Moa Shu answered clearly.
"I see. Captain Moa Shu, I have something I wish to discuss. Is there a place?"
"The magistrate's office will do. Follow me."
They were led to what appeared to be the magistrate's reception room.
Twenty people could not fit.
So only La Wu, Ryo, and Abel went inside; the other seventeen waited in an adjacent room.
"First, this is the Imperial Household's order from Imperial Prince Ryun."
La Wu said, producing the order they had once received from Ryo and the others.
Of course, it did not detail operational plans.
In short, it authorized the Tenth Ship's actions under Prince Ryun's authority.
That, however, implied that the Imperial Household stood behind and approved the ship's movements.
Captain Moa Shu read it and nodded.
Then returned the document politely.
"Some time ago, an unfortunate clash occurred between Peiyu and Darwei."
Moa Shu began.
"I hear the Darwei commander who stopped our southward advance was Prince Ryun. Is he the same person named in this order?"
"Yes. The same Prince Ryun."
La Wu answered plainly.
Moa Shu's intent in asking was unclear.
Perhaps he held a grudge against Prince Ryun.
Maybe someone close to him had died in that fight…
Lying here would be a bad move.
Once asked, the only sensible action is to answer honestly.
And if honest, to answer boldly and plainly.
"I see."
Moa Shu sighed.
There was a silence.
La Wu said nothing.
Ryo and Abel were quiet as well.
"That southward expedition of ours was baffling even to our own soldiers."
Moa Shu spoke.
"Baffling?"
La Wu tilted his head and asked.
Ryo and Abel exchanged glances but… of course, did not understand.
"No one could rationally expect Peiyu to defeat Darwei. The disparity in strength was too great. Yet the royal court decided, the order came down, and the southern campaign was launched… many soldiers fell on Darwei soil."
"Good heavens…"
Moa Shu's face mixed regret and sorrow.
La Wu's was one of stunned comprehension.
Both men carried responsibility for many under their command.
So they understood.
The anguish of being forced by reckless orders to send subordinates into deadly peril.
Decisions from the high command are usually based on information not passed down to lower ranks.
Even if those below shout, "Why such an order?!" it often does no good.
Still…
"Those who surrendered were returned home promptly and without abuse. For that fairness shown by Prince Ryun, I give respect."
"…"
"There was a nephew among those who returned. He was a child my wife adored… I can't forget my wife's face then."
"War is not good for anyone."
La Wu said, shaking his head slightly in agreement with Moa Shu.
La Wu was only thirty, but he had already been through harsh trials.
Otherwise, he could not have become captain of a state vessel at that age.
After a long silence, Moa Shu spoke again.
"Forgive me. I have yet to ask why Darwei's state vessel has called here. You cannot reveal operational details, but I suppose you are here because you seek our cooperation?"
"That is correct."
La Wu paused, then continued.
"We intend to proceed further north."
He deliberately withheld the nation's name.
"I see— to the northern country."
By phrasing it as 'the northern country', Moa Shu let it be understood without explicit naming.
Keeping certain names unspoken can reduce damage if information leaks later.
Saying "I never thought it would be the Choouchi Empire!" can be used as a defense if needed.
Sometimes a single spoken word can save many lives…
"Right now, the northern border is tense."
"Tense?"
La Wu frowned at Moa Shu's words.
Tense is not a welcome word.
"We've heard that the northern country has deployed troops to our border."
"Does that mean Peiyu will go to war?"
"That I cannot say. Little news of national importance reaches a mere port defense captain."
Moa Shu answered with a rueful tone to La Wu's query.
Indeed, Mei-Hey is just a port town of Peiyu, and Moa Shu is merely the defense captain.
Peiyu has a few towns that could be called port cities.
Among them, Mei-Hey is said to be the largest.
That stems from Peiyu's realities and the Peiyu people themselves.
The Peiyu are an equestrian tribe.
They are essentially a landfolk who spend their lives with horses; they are not a people who go to sea.
For that reason, port towns hold little importance within Peiyu.
"If I may advise you, you should not proceed north by sea."
"What? Why is that?"
"Besides ice drifting south from the north… the biggest problem is kraken lairs."
La Wu was startled by Moa Shu's words.
Ryo and Abel were even more surprised.
They exchanged looks and both frowned.
Yes— krakens. Again.
"I don't know the reason, but in the past year, northern krakens have been moving south with disturbing frequency. Still, I can't say they've left the north entirely. So I advise against heading north by sea."
"I see."
La Wu averted his gaze at Moa Shu's remark.
Abel took that cue and spoke up.
"Ryo and I will travel by land."
"Yes."
Ryo nodded.
"The terrain near the northern border is quite troublesome. Horses won't do."
"I had never planned to ride. Ryo's not good at it, after all."
"If only Andalusia were here…"
At Moa Shu's comment, Abel shrugged and Ryo answered with a rueful look.
A trustworthy steed is truly the most necessary companion for travel, they realized…
"I'll give you a map up to the border. It's not very detailed, but it's better than nothing and will give you a general idea. Honestly, coastal routes are few; our country is a horse nation. The inland areas are more developed."
"Is that all right? Even if we take the map?"
"No problem. I'll just hand over the same maps kept by any town."
Moa Shu fell silent for a moment and then said quietly:
"The northern country is unsettling even to us, and it could become belligerent. By the proverb 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend', giving you maps isn't necessarily wrong."
-x-X-x-
Having parted ways with the Tenth Ship crew, Ryo and Abel decided to head for the Choouchi Empire overland.
With the map they had been given and the alchemy tool for tracking Emperor Tsuin that Commander Tin of the Forbidden Palace had entrusted to them, they should be able to manage somehow.
Anyone could tell it would not be an easy trip.
They would no doubt be visited by terrifying hardships.
Still, the two of them would press on!
To rescue the Emperor!
With that grim, tragic resolve, they departed the port town of Mei-Hei… or so the story went.
Abel would sometimes cock his head.
Traveling on foot was hard.
Even more so this time, since the route was a mountain path, not a paved road.
It would normally be difficult even to procure food.
And yet the two of them were walking while nibbling on rindo.
Was this really a 'difficult journey'?
"Abel, if you have something to say, say it!"
"No, Ryo, I have nothing to say."
"That's a lie! You've been glancing at the
As Ryo pointed out, Abel's gaze wandered.
It was hardly surprising.
Two
Most of what they carried was food.
And, wherever those
"Ryo, your attention to detail is as fine as ever."
"There's a saying in my hometown: God dwells in the details. Those who don't cut corners even in the small things can reach the very top."
"I see. That sounds like hard work."
"Somehow I feel I've been skillfully bamboozled…"
Ryo frowned.
"From the fourth day, we should be traveling through the forest, right?"
"Yes. We should reach the border in five days, so around the fourth day there's a chance we'll run into Peiyu soldiers if we keep to the road."
"War popping up everywhere, huh?"
"A ruler who can resolve problems without war is an effective one."
"I completely agree with that."
Abel nodded at Ryo's words.
"If it's going to be like this, we should've brought the Andalusia and the Oniwaban."
"Oniwaban."
"The golems that clean the garden."
"Oh…"
In their manor, the garden was kept tidy by Ice Golems.
"But the golems aren't combat-capable, right?"
"They can't use a sword like Abel, but just bracing a spear and charging is pretty effective. Captain Lu Yao praised them."
"They were led by No. 2-kun and defended the Royal Residence to the end, weren't they?"
"…That was war too, after all. Even inside the capital. I wonder how the golems perceive wars full of human folly."
Ryo sometimes became a philosopher.
"Is there any answer other than 'humans are foolish'?"
"…There isn't."
A sad conversation.
They headed north while talking like that.
Along the way they chose forks as the map indicated and proceeded.
They should have been on the right path… but on the third day—
"Is this… a road?"
"You could call it an animal trail, but ordinarily animal trails aren't on maps."
In front of them was something that could hardly be called a road.
Beyond it was nothing but forest.
Trees densely overgrown.
"There's a small chance we took a wrong turn."
"Yeah, we definitely took the wrong turn."
Both Ryo and Abel sighed.
But neither of them sank into despair.
Why?
"Let's eat while we rest."
"Yeah. Shall we grill some fish?"
Yes—they had abundant food.
The
And because everything was preserved in Ryo's ice, it was fresh!
Of course, they also had flint and other fire-starting tools.
Two of them ate grilled fish in the woods.
Their faces were filled with happiness.
"We must go rescue the Emperor, but… his health seems fine."
"Can that tracking alchemy tool tell something like that?"
"Yes. He's been eating properly and taking care of his condition. I think, probably, he's not in an underground cell but under some kind of house arrest at a manor."
"They say they need the Emperor himself to open the 'Corridor'… what on earth does that mean?"
"We don't know. The 'Corridor' is somewhere northwest of Darwei, right? Do they plan to take the Emperor there and do something?"
Both Ryo and Abel shrugged because they didn't know.
But ideas could still flash up amid uncertainty.
"Come to think of it, doesn't Knightley's royal vault only open for the king?"
"It does. The 'Hall of Heroes' inside the vault."
Ryo mentioned something he remembered, and Abel answered.
"King Richard is said to have poured the finest alchemy into it."
"Right—things that could even unbalance the world are said to be inside. If the king can open it, maybe it reacts to royal blood or something—some sort of alchemy like that?"
"I don't know the details either. But since registration is required, I don't think having royal blood alone is enough."
"Ah, I see."
So it didn't necessarily read royal genes or DNA.
That made things even less clear.
"What about the Emperor is needed…?"
"At least they need him alive."
"Indeed."
After eating grilled fish and resting a while, the two set out walking again.
Then Ryo noticed something.
"Abel, people are coming from the north."
"What? Along this animal trail?"
"I'm not sure… six people? Ah—these aren't people, they're Phantomkins."
"Seriously? We're still inside Peiyu territory, right?"
"Sabotage or reconnaissance, maybe."
Both Abel and Ryo were surprised.
They were still within Peiyu; they had one more day's walk to the border.
Had Choouchi Empire forces advanced even this far?
"Contact will occur in five minutes. Five minutes…but…"
Ryo cocked his head.
"What's wrong?"
"I said six Phantomkins, but while two are definitely Phantomkins, the other four are odd."
"Odd?"
"Yes. I don't know the details, but they're different from the Phantomkins we've met so far."
"Hmm."
Ryo analyzed the information obtained by the
Abel wondered inwardly.
There were two ordinary Phantomkins.
The Phantomkin General Yun they had fought at the Rondo Manor had been a formidable swordsman.
These two might be of that caliber.
Not an opponent to be taken lightly.
"Okay, let's leave the two ordinary Phantomkins for later."
"Hmm?"
"From their gait, the other four seem slower."
"Is that so?"
Abel accepted Ryo's suggestion.
Ryo had collected and analyzed the information.
Therefore, Ryo's proposed tactic was probably the most appropriate.
"What formation are they advancing in?"
"In a single file. The regular Phantomkins at the front and the rear."
"Then I'll strike the second and third."
"I'll take the fourth and fifth."
They had already gone through many hellish situations together.
In a couple of words, they settled the division of labor.
That was the bond of comrades-in-arms.
Even those who hate war can be comrades.
In fact, precisely because they are comrades, they may understand war's horrors.
Six members of the Choouchi Empire's First Army, Second Reconnaissance Squad had already advanced south more than a day from the border.
"Take the head of the visiting Grand General at the Peiyu rear camp? The boss always gives reckless orders."
Captain Sonjang of the Second Recon Squad grumbled as he ran at the head of the group.
He casually raised his right fist and the squad stopped.
"What is it, Sonjang?"
Deputy Captain Lara, who had been following at the rear, came up and asked.
"Just checking the map."
"I see…"
Lara looked like she wanted to say something.
The other four stood in line.
"What's wrong, Lara?"
"I just… have a bad feeling…"
Deputy Captain Lara looked around as she answered Captain Sonjang's question.
Sonjang frowned.
Lara's instinct at times couldn't be dismissed.
"Give them some water. The Peiyu are a horse-riding people. I don't think a large Peiyu force would be in the forest like this… But we should be prepared for anything."
"Understood."
Lara instructed the four standing soldiers to drink water and drank herself.
Exactly what it was, she couldn't say.
But she had an uneasy feeling.
One worse than she had ever felt before.
"Sonjang, shall we stop advancing?"
Lara surprised herself by saying it aloud.
She had never experienced saying such a thing.
Sonjang's eyes widened at the suggestion.
"Ah… sorry."
Lara hurriedly apologized.
"What's wrong, Lara?"
"I just… have a very bad feeling."
"Bad enough to say it so bluntly?"
"…Yes."
Lara nodded with a grimace.
Hearing that, Sonjang had to think.
Lara's intuition was usually right.
This was the first time Lara had voiced such a strong warning.
But…
"An order is an order."
"Yes…"
Sonjang made the decision, and Lara complied.
Truth be told, the Choouchi military was newly formed, still groping in many areas.
But disobeying orders invited punishment.
Since they were all Phantomkins, execution did not exist in the usual sense, but still no one was eager to defy commands…
"Let's complete the mission as quickly as possible and return to the main force."
"Yes."
Thus the six resumed running south.
Ten minutes after the First Army's Second Recon Squad began running again.
It happened suddenly.
When Captain Sonjang looked back, a man with a crimson magic sword had felled one of the 'vessels'.
The swordman's speed was not only in the blade but in his body.
He took down the second 'vessel' in an instant.
Both felled 'vessels' then vanished.
The swordman looked slightly surprised at that, then turned his gaze toward Captain Sonjang.
As if the other three were not his concern.
Sonjang, who had already drawn his sword, could not move.
He felt overwhelmed by something like sword-ki emanating from the swordsman wielding the magic sword.
Beyond the man, Sonjang saw two more 'vessels' vanish at the same time.
There seemed to be another enemy.
That enemy was wearing a pale robe… a magician or sorcerer perhaps?
The robed figure held an azure sword and faced off against Lara.
This opponent did not look like an easy target either.
Still, Sonjang had a question.
Why was the enemy here?
They were indeed more than a day inside the Peiyu border.
Move a bit further south, and there would be the rear camp where the Peiyu forces were concentrated and where the Grand General had arrived.
The recon squad's role was to assassinate that Grand General.
Though a recon squad, as Phantomkins with overwhelmingly superior physical ability compared to humans, two scouts accompanied by four 'vessels' could well succeed.
A sound plan.
A forest ambush would be especially effective against the Peiyu army, as people who disliked entering forests.
That was the plan.
Sonjang also thought so.
And yet they had encountered the enemy.
Moreover, they were counter-attacked.
By astonishingly powerful foes.
"They vanished as soon as I struck them down—are those the 'vessels'?"
The magic-sword man remarked to no one in particular.
"Looks like it. Those two are just like ordinary Phantomkins."
The robed man replied.
Hearing that exchange startled Sonjang and Lara—whom were referred to as 'those two'.
(Did they say 'Phantomkins'? How do they know we are Phantomkins? Wait, the magic-sword man called them 'vessels' too—how could Peiyu know about Phantomkins and 'vessels'? Where did the information leak from?)
Sonjang thought through those questions.
And his face twitched slightly.
The magic-sword man, facing him, spoke.
"What's the matter, Phantomkin? Something on your mind?"
The magic-sword man was red-haired and quite tall.
His black cloak's lining looked as if it had been dyed with blood.
Above all, it was obvious just by facing him—
He was unbelievably strong.
Sonjang could not form words.
He did not want to admit it, but he felt overwhelmed.
He, a Phantomkin who should be far stronger than a human, was being pressured by a human swordsman!
"They must be surprised by how well our Peiyu Empire intelligence has tracked them."
The robed man said to Lara.
(So we were tracked after all! Otherwise they couldn't have attacked us in this forest. I never heard Peiyu's intelligence was so good… Wait, Peiyu…)
Sonjang thought, then decided to put his doubt into words.
And should at least gather information and return even if they had to pull back to the main force.
"Has Peiyu declared itself an empire?"
"Huh?"
The robed man looked surprised at the sudden question.
He hadn't expected that.
He glanced at them.
"M—More importantly, I'm surprised you've come this far past the border!"
The robed man replied.
For some reason, the magic-sword man shook his head slightly, which Sonjang couldn't understand.
For a moment, he thought something was being concealed…
But the magic-sword man then charged, as if to stop him from formulating his thoughts…
"Ugh—"
Sonjang couldn't help the sound that escaped his mouth.
The sword flash was acute.
Not only the blade.
But the man's movement was fast, like when he knocked down the 'vessels'.
But Sonjang was the leader of a recon squad.
In a numerically small Choouchi army, the recon squads were trump cards.
They slipped into the dark, launched surprise attacks on the enemy main force, and took out commanders… a decisive strategy.
An army without its commander is fragile.
The north of Peiyu was said in the Eastern Countries to be uninhabitable.
But that only meant it was hard to feed large populations; 'states' of several thousand people.
A few states of several hundred still existed.
Yes, existed.
Those had all been conquered by the Choouchi Empire and no longer existed in name.
The people still lived there and sent tribute to the Empire…
The recon squads had been active in those conquests.
Thus, the recon squads were confident in one-on-one combat.
Both Sonjang and Lara were among the squad's best individual fighters.
They couldn't use magic or sorcery, but they had achieved results without it.
Yet the magic-sword man Sonjang faced was…
"You're strong…"
"You're not bad yourself."
Sonjang found himself saying, the Magic-Sword man replied, praise escaping his mouth as well.
But Sonjang understood.
The Magic-Sword man wasn't fighting at full strength.
Why?
Even if the man got serious, Sonjang thought he wouldn't be defeated so easily.
He would fight stubbornly, looking for some gap to exploit and reverse the situation.
He wouldn't lose that easily, so why wasn't the swordsman in front of him going all out?
He even seemed to be buying time.
But why would there be any reason to stall here?
At that moment.
"It's over."
The robed man's voice reached Sonjang.
When Sonjang glanced toward them, his thoughts stopped.
But they were still in battle.
So he leapt well back to put distance between himself and the Magic-Sword man.
And then he looked closely again at what had frozen his thoughts.
It was a block of ice.
Not an unfamiliar sight to those who lived in the Choouchi Empire.
True, a single block of ice about two meters long was rare…
But that wasn't it!
Inside that block of ice was…
"Lara…?"
Sonjang could not believe it—the deputy captain Lara had been frozen in ice…?
"You must be shocked, but she's still alive."
"Huh?"
The magic-sword man said. Sonjang could hardly comprehend.
Alive?
Still alive?
Even though she was encased in ice?
"Really?"
"Yeah. If you don't believe me, come closer and see."
The Magic-Sword man said, then stepped aside.
Captain Sonjang walked slowly toward the ice-encased Lara.
He looked at her face.
Her eyes were wide open…but they did move.
"She moved…"
Sonjang breathed.
"If you answer a few questions for me, I'll thaw her out alive."
"! "
Sonjang was shocked by the magic-sword man's words.
"But if you don't answer, or if you resist further, she will…"
"No, I'll answer!"
Sonjang did not hesitate.
Military orders were important.
The nation did well for them.
But the person he trusted most and cared for above all was Lara.
Nothing else compared.
"What do you want to ask?"
It seemed the magic-sword man would question Sonjang.
The other robed figure stood a little apart.
"Why were you running through a place like this? You're well inside the border."
"We received word the Grand General had arrived at the rear camp. Our purpose is to assassinate that Grand General."
"Ah—ah, I see."
For some reason, the Magic-Sword man looked a little flustered at Sonjang's frank answer.
So they hadn't tracked Sonjang's movement and ambushed them?
Sonjang wondered, but his concern for Deputy Captain Lara was paramount.
He wanted to free her from the ice as quickly as possible.
"What's the next question? I want to free her as soon as I can."
"R—right. Next… how long does it take to get from here to the Choouchi Empire capital?"
"Capital? Why would you ask such a thing?"
"Is that an appropriate question? You want her freed as quickly as possible, don't you?"
"Damn it! From here to the border… two days on foot. From there to the capital is four days on foot."
"That's fairly close."
"This is the north, you know? Go further north, and even we couldn't survive there."
Abel's candid reaction made Sonjang frown.
"I want a map to the capital."
"Here! Take it."
In a gamble, Abel had blurted the question, and Sonjang immediately produced and handed over a map from his pouch.
He seemed to want Lara freed that quickly.
"Is it true the Choouchi Empire kidnapped the Darwei Emperor?"
"How do you know that? The way you asked about directions to the capital… is Peiyu cooperating with Darwei?"
Sonjang tilted his head and asked.
Abel nodded.
The captain of this scout unit believed they were Peiyu people.
"You shouldn't ask about that. It will make freeing you harder."
Abel said, lowering his voice.
That had the desired effect.
"Sorry! I won't ask anything more—forget I said that."
Sonjang hurriedly said.
Abel gave a generous nod in response.
"The Darwei Emperor was indeed abducted. He's at the summer villa, not in the palace."
"Are you sure you can say that?"
"Any Choouchi person would know."
"Is that summer villa in the capital?"
"Yes. It's adjacent to the south of the capital. Just head for the capital."
"Do you know the scale of the garrison guarding that villa?"
"That I don't know. But it shouldn't be large."
Sonjang answered with a grimace.
He wanted to answer everything frankly because Lara's life was at stake, but he couldn't speak of things he didn't know.
"The Emperor and His Majesty the Phantom King both have their main forces deployed near the Peiyu border."
"Emperor… Phantom King…"
Hearing Abel's muttered words, Sonjang's face registered dawning realization.
He thought perhaps speaking of the Phantom King was revealing too much.
"T-The Phantom King…"
"We know of his existence. And the authority he wields over Phantomkins."
Abel said clearly.
He went on.
"I've heard the Emperor's aim is Darwei, and the Phantom King's aim is the Central Countries."
That remark must have been unexpected.
Sonjang's eyes widened.
"We have more information than you think."
Abel said, and Sonjang, apparently resigned, and replied.
"The 'Emperor' aims to rule Darwei; the 'King' intends to advance into the Central Countries. We were told that… but not the reasons. We can only follow orders."
What was revealed there was the familiar sight in any age: citizens tossed about by those in power.
He provided a few more small pieces of information, and the interrogation ended.
As promised, Deputy Captain Lara was freed from the ice.
"Lara!"
"…Sonjang, I held you back."
"That's fine! As long as you're safe."
Sonjang hugged Lara.
They were inside a fairly spacious ice enclosure.
The ice was not perfectly transparent but slightly bluish.
"We've enclosed you in ice covering a radius of ten meters. If you do nothing, it will open on its own in six days. We'll leave water and food here too, so please remain calm and wait if possible."
"All right."
The robed man explained, and Sonjang nodded.
There was indeed a generous amount of water and food placed inside the ice vessel.
Enough for two people to survive for six days without problems.
Then the magic-sword man and the robed man walked north.
-x-X-x-
Ryo and Abel hurried north at a brisk pace, following the map 'provided' by Captain Sonjang.
"That captain earlier—I felt kind of sorry for him."
"Huh?"
"He looked like he was about to break under your questioning, Abel."
"Did he now?"
Ryo shook his head slightly and sighed; Abel tilted his head in curiosity.
At first, when he'd seen his comrade frozen in ice, it may have seemed that way, but afterward he had answered resolutely.
He'd seemed determined to do his best to save his companion.
"All of this is because you suddenly froze his partner, right, Ryo?"
"I—I had no choice!
Ryo answered in a fluster.
They both knew that if Ryo's water completely covered someone with the
But an ordinary
That's why he hadn't expected it to work this time either.
The target was a phantomkin, after all.
Half an experiment.
And yet it succeeded in freezing her…
"What the hell are phantomkins, really…"
"Yeah. They're different from the non-human things we've faced so far."
"Totally…"
"The first two… no, should I say the two bodies? When we tried to knock them out, they just vanished."
"That's right! Those 'Vessels'—they were really fragile… But if the captain and his deputy were leading them, then used properly, they must have an effect against humans, right?"
"If given orders, wouldn't they be able to use spells?"
Abel was recalling a little of the information he'd extracted from General Yun's head.
"Huh? That was written down somewhere?"
"I think so."
Saying that, Abel immediately began flipping through the papers.
While still walking briskly.
"See? It's written here."
"You're handy, Abel…"
"Am I?"
Abel pointed out the relevant passage, and Ryo praised Abel's dexterity.
Ryo's magic carved a small swath through the forest as the two of them pressed almost in a straight line through the trees.
Yes—even though they had the map Sonjang had given them, they favored the straight path because it was faster…
Of course, they were using the map as a reference.
It showed the Choouchi Empire's capital, the Peiyu border, and a portion of northern Peiyu—a wonderful thing for two people who had no knowledge of the area.
But if you go in a straight line…
Thirty-six hours later the two of them came out atop a cliff overlooking the road below.
"Down there on the road—isn't that some kind of checkpoint?"
"Where are we?"
Both Ryo and Abel had apparently arrived somewhere they hadn't expected…
They checked the map again.
There should have been no checkpoint near where they were supposed to emerge.
"Ah! There it is!"
Ryo found it on the map.
"Isn't that pretty far off?"
Abel tilted his head.
The checkpoint mark was a fair distance from the place they were supposed to have passed through.
If that was it…
If they were to head for the imperial capital from there…
"We'd have to pass right through the place the captain said the Choouchi Empire's main force is camped."
"That'd be trouble."
Abel frowned as Ryo's finger traced the map.
Indeed, that finger crossed right over the spot Sonjang had marked with an X and told them, "The main force is here".
"Better to avoid it, right?"
"I'd avoid it, but I won't stop you, Abel. If you want to charge in, take care to defeat that Phantom King or whatever's there."
"Thanks—but no thanks."
Both agreed: although it might be a bit longer, they would skirt the Choouchi Empire's main force and head for the capital.
Another thirty hours passed.
"There are a lot of phantomkins."
"How did things get like this…"
They had managed to arrive near the Choouchi Empire's main force.
Strictly speaking, Ryo's
"Abel, we didn't come here to fight a war."
"Right. We came to rescue the Emperor."
They reaffirmed their objective.
It mattered.
If they made a mistake here, even a plan that had been going well could fall apart.
They didn't want a fight.
But battles aren't decided by one side alone.
Clang clang clang, clang clang clang…
A bell sounded suddenly.
"Enemy attack!"
Voices rose from all around the Empire's main force.
"We've been spotted?"
"We were found out?"
The two of them immediately went to alert posture.
According to Ryo's
"From the west… a mounted unit is coming. Oh, and from the south too…"
"Horses? This is a forest."
"But the readings indicate cavalry."
Generally, charging through a forest on horseback is nearly impossible.
Even walking through it would be difficult for the unaccustomed.
And yet…
"They're moving pretty fast."
Ryo marveled as he observed with the sonar.
How could they dash through the forest at that speed on horseback?
"We can't get caught up in this."
"We shouldn't get in the way of those attackers."
"Let's sneak through the side."
"Agreed."
It was indeed a band of horsemen that attacked the Choouchi Empire's main force.
They tore through the forest as one with their mounts and struck the imperial troops with a single blow.
"Shaah!"
With a shout, the attackers fell upon the imperial soldiers—it was the Peiyu forces.
"Get everyone inside the fences, quickly!"
Orders flew from within the imperial ranks.
The imperial main force was surrounded by fairly sturdy wooden palisades.
With those, they thought they could withstand a cavalry charge.
But many of the imperial soldiers were not inside the palisades.
They hadn't expected an attack inside the forest.
They certainly hadn't expected mere humans to be able to defeat the overwhelmingly powerful phantomkins…
It was clear complacency.
And at the same time, it was the kind of deep-seated confidence that never disappears.
Even if the enemy took the initiative with an unexpected tactic, they believed their own strength would see them through.
Because of that, the imperial troops were initially thrown into confusion, but they quickly moved behind the palisades and prepared to repel the attack.
If they had wooden fences, they thought they'd be fine.
If the palisades could stop the cavalry's charge and strip away the force of the blow… then the Vessels' spells would take care of the rest!
That confidence wasn't entirely unfounded.
But in that place, there was a magician whom the imperial soldiers did not know about.
A water-attribute magician who had been sneaking around with his swordsman partner, watching the situation.
The instant he chanted in his heart…
(
The wooden fences all fell at once.
"Huh?"
It must have been an incredible sight.
If anyone had been careful enough to look, they might have noticed the posts were cleanly cut near the base… but no one had that luxury.
The palisades' collapse surprised the Peiyu forces as well.
They had been unsure what to do if the palisades stopped their charge, and then suddenly the fences fell.
"Charge!"
The commander shouted almost reflexively.
"Wooo!"
The troops charged on with pure reflex.
The battle between foot phantomkins and the mounted Peiyu forces became a chaotic melee.
-x-X-x-
"Considering he called it the Empire's main force, wasn't it pretty thin?"
"You thought so too, Abel?"
Putting the melee behind them, the two slipped past the border and once again quickened their pace toward the Choouchi Empire capital.
"Actually, none of the phantomkins I know were in there."
"Who? The Phantom King?"
"No—I can't tell from the sonar about the Phantom King. When I faced him at Kwebasa, he possessed Duke Helb."
"Ah…"
"Special Envoy Berke, who came to the Rondo Manor, and his subordinates… they weren't among them."
Ryo said this with a frown.
"They were diplomatic envoys— they probably wouldn't come to a battlefield, right?"
"That might be true… but, you see, General Yun who was captured — he wasn't there either. Isn't he supposed to be one of the Seven-Star Generals? Isn't it strange that he wasn't there?"
"I see. That is indeed odd."
Of course, the two of them didn't know exactly how high a position the 'Seven-Star Generals' held within the Choouchi imperial army.
Still, they guessed it was above the rank of the scout leaders they had questioned.
After all, the title contained 'General'.
"So that wasn't the main force?"
"Or maybe the truly powerful unit you'd call the main body was somewhere else?"
Neither Abel nor Ryo knew for sure.
But both felt that the 'main force' encountered earlier had been surprisingly weak.
Until now, the phantomkins the pair had faced in Darwei and around had been overwhelmingly powerful.
Compared to those, this was just too…
"To be honest, even now I don't really understand this country."
"I completely agree. Thinking about it this way makes me feel our kingdom is actually fairly sane."
"Yeah… in the past, the kingdom's knight order had some problems, but…"
"Now Captain Dontan is leading them and they're doing their best!"
"Hm, true."
Both the Premier Duke and the King made a point of praising those who were working hard.
"Our kingdom does have a long history. Maybe that makes its roots sturdier."
"Certainly the Choouchi Empire seems like a young nation… but our knowledge about the phantomkins that make up that country is far too scant."
"Right. Maybe we should have asked more of the two scouts the other day?"
"They were scared of Abel, so that would've been impossible."
"I didn't do anything, though."
Captain Sonjang of the Second Scout Unit and Vice-Captain Lara… at least those two didn't seem like bad people— rather, they didn't seem like bad phantomkins.
"Just because they're phantomkins doesn't mean they're all bad."
"Of course. Humans have good and bad people, too."
Ryo's remark was met with an obvious agreement from Abel.
"Abel… no, never mind."
Ryo started to say something, then stopped halfway. It was ridiculously contrived.
"That's way too blatant."
"No, no— there's nothing implied at all, you know?"
"You know, Ryo. Whether to reinstate your weekly cake privilege is something I can decide."
"Th-that's a low blow!"
Abel grinned slyly as he said it, and Ryo opened his eyes wide in protest.
"I'm a good guy, right?"
"Taking cake as a hostage…"
Of course, their joking and laughter— Abel acting uncharacteristically teasing—was just that: friendly banter.
Despite that peaceful air, neither of them stopped walking.
They kept up a brisk pace.
Incidentally, the number of
They had left the others behind for Captain Sonjang and Vice-Captain Lara.
"Should we also think about what to do after rescuing His Majesty the Emperor?"
"Ah… moving through a forest will be tough… won't it?"
"Well, he's basically someone who had been inside the Imperial Palace, so it'd be difficult, right?"
"Yeah, that's true…"
As he spoke, Abel looked at the path they had walked and the one they were about to continue down.
An ice-covered walkway topped by a water-attribute magic canopy…
"It's nearly a straight line."
"We can use magic, so we'd be fools not to."
"Y-yeah…"
Somehow, Abel thought that with a path like this, even moving the Emperor through the forest might be manageable…
They kept walking.
"We're already inside the Choouchi Empire, right?"
"Yes. In fact, we should reach the capital in about two days."
"But we haven't seen a single…"
"Yeah. Not even a village, let alone a town."
Both Abel and Ryo found it strange.
They had passed the border and traveled this far, yet they hadn't seen a town, a village… or even a single imperial citizen.
"Maybe the only settlement is the capital?"
"That's possible."
"But didn't Captain Sonjang say there were several small countries with a few hundred people north of Peiyu, and even some with a few thousand, all made to pay tribute?"
"He did. He said they'd fought and subjugated them."
Ryo had asked that out of curiosity after the interrogation.
Why Choouchi Empire?
Captain Sonjang answered by explaining the 'Empire' part.
That several countries were under their control.
"And the scout unit was active in that campaign."
"But when you don't meet anyone at all like this, it makes you wonder what a country really is."
"There it is—Abel's philosophical nation theory."
"What's that supposed to mean? Don't put it that way."
Ryo said it casually, and Abel made a face in reply.
"I think a country is a group of people gathered to live together…"
"Probably that's the root of it. But, hey, just like there are many kinds of people, there might be many kinds of countries."
"Yeah, that's probably it. It might be strange to force this land into the shape of a 'country' we know."
Abel seemed to accept that.
Nodding several times.
Two days later, the pair reached the top of a hill.
"This is not a failure. It's exactly as calculated!"
"S-sure…"
Ryo proclaimed loudly, and Abel accepted it.
It wasn't exactly the capital, but it couldn't exactly be called a failure.
Because from the hill, they could confirm a vast estate where large buildings dotted the grounds a short distance away.
According to the alchemy tool Commander Tin had given them for tracking Emperor Tsuin, he was there.
In other words, this was the place…
"The 'Summer Villa'."
"We've finally arrived."
"We didn't get lost at all on the way."
"Yeah, no need to tell a lie that would be easily found out. Besides, who are you making excuses to, really?"
Abel let out a small sigh.
At that moment, Ryo's face darkened.
"What's wrong?"
"I checked with the sonar. His Majesty the Emperor is definitely there."
"Good."
"But there are other familiar reactions as well."
"Who's there?"
"Marie."
-x-X-x-
"Marie… who is that?"
Abel plainly didn't remember.
"Marie Cloche. You know, the Phantomkin who attacked the Imperial Palace during the reception."
"Oh…"
Abel seemed to recall.
"She was a fire-attribute magician, right?"
"Yes. She certainly uses fire magic, but…"
"Does she also do close combat?"
"Abel, you had the same impression?"
"Somehow, yeah. Ryo, did you think that too?"
"Somehow—her footwork gave me that impression."
"Footwork, I see."
Abel nodded repeatedly at Ryo's observation.
Abel knew Ryo's powers of observation were sharp in moments like that.
"She's quite a troublesome opponent."
"Troublesome indeed. A Phantomkin who uses magic on the level of an Akuma like Leonor, and also handles close combat. Abel, I'll take Marie-san."
"Understood. So I secure and protect the Emperor and escape, right?"
"Please."
The two of them went down the hill and arrived in front of the 'Summer Villa'.
"
The villa gate was sliced by lines of water.
They stormed in from the front.
"Marie Cloche! We've come to take back His Majesty the Emperor!"
Ryo's kendo-honed voice rang out, resonant and commanding.
Of course the Phantomkin, surrounded them… but—
"
Ice spears fanned out and pierced the throats of the 'vessels' with deadly precision.
The moment they were pierced, every one of the 'vessels' vanished.
Seeing that, the other Phantomkin could not move.
The robed and mantled men who had attacked were extraordinary beings, and it was instantly clear even to the Phantomkin—who overwhelmingly surpass humans—that they could not win.
So they merely encircled at a distance; no one stepped forward.
After a short time, the front door opened and a woman came out.
Ryo remembered her: Marie Cloche.
"Ah, finally you've come to rescue him. You're late… huh? A robe? Have we met somewhere?"
"You defended against our attack when we raided the Imperial Palace."
"Oh—yes, I remember! Dynamic Steam Mine, right?"
"Uh… yes, I used that magic too."
Marie Cloche nodded broadly; Ryo tilted his head.
He had indeed unleashed the
"Yes, you came to rescue Emperor Darwei, right? He's sleeping in that bedroom over there."
"Sleeping?"
"He gave a blood donation a little while ago. I think it's better not to move him for a while."
"Blood donation?"
Ryo was surprised to hear that familiar phrase.
Come to think of it, Twilight Land had such a system.
Collecting human blood via a donation system for use by vampires…
Could it be that Phantomkin, like vampires, needed human blood?
"Do Phantomkin also need human blood like vampires?"
Ryo asked frankly.
"Huh? No, that's not it. The reason Emperor Darwei's blood is needed is by order of the Leader. It seems necessary to open some 'Corridor'. I don't really know the details."
Marie shrugged.
From the way she said it, it didn't seem to be a job she liked.
"We can't disobey the Leader's orders, you see. Ah, we're taking care of the Emperor's condition properly. The blood donations are spaced out, so there shouldn't be a problem."
"O—okay…"
At that, Ryo had a sudden flash.
It seemed unrelated at first… but perhaps the phrase "We can't disobey the Leader's orders" had stuck with him.
"By any chance, is that Leader the Phantom King?"
When Ryo said that, Marie's eyes opened wide.
Literally round with surprise…
"How do you know that word?"
But the question was asked in a low, almost hushed voice.
"Because he said it."
"Huh?"
"A Phantomkin acquaintance of mine had their body taken over by the Phantom King. I fought them, and the Phantom King himself said those words."
"That idiot Leader… if that's what happened, you should say so properly! He always wants to look good, like he never fails. That kind of image crumbles quick!"
Marie cursed and ranted on about the Phantom King.
Ryo was silent, saying nothing.
After venting, Marie glanced at Abel as if remembering something.
"Oh, by the way, you can go to Emperor Darwei's bedroom. And you—yes, you the swordsman— were in the Imperial Palace too, weren't you? You sliced up a Shadow Stalker."
"Yeah, I was."
"But the one who will fight me is the magician over there, right?"
Marie said, smiling faintly at Ryo.
"Do we really have to fight?"
"Yes, of course. Personally, I don't mind you taking Emperor Darwei back, but if he's taken back without me doing anything, the Leader will be angry. And…"
Marie's smile shifted, just a little.
What had been an easy laugh turned into something with a hint of ferocity.
"You're strong, aren't you? I like fighting strong people."
"Oh… a battle maniac…"
"Yes, I won't deny it."
Ryo looked up at the sky and sighed.
Why was he always in situations like this?
"I'm a pacifist, you know."
"Liar."
"Huh?"
"You're smiling too."
"That's impossible!"
Ryo did not realize… he was smiling faintly.
"A person who truly loves peace wouldn't move their feet like that."
"Eh…"
"So you can do close combat as well as magic?"
"You too, Marie?"
There, two battle maniacs faced each other.
Abel went to the bedroom Ryo had been told of and confirmed Emperor Tuin was lying there.
He checked the pulse and understood there was no problem.
Then he opened the window on the courtyard side where the two were facing.
"The Emperor is fine."
He informed Ryo.
Ryo nodded at that.
"Now then, shall we fight with no reservations?"
"Yes. No problem."
The two of them laughed.
But that smile… was the smile of those about to throw themselves into battle.
"Let me introduce myself properly. I am Seven-Star General Marie Cloche."
"Ryo Mihara, Duke of Rondo of the Knightley Kingdom."
"Nice! Knightley!"
"Huh?"
"That's cool."
"Right! Compared to that…"
"Yeah… why am I stuck with Choouchi…"
Marie lamented.
Then, as if remembering something, she lifted her head.
"You're a water-attribute magician, right?"
"Yes, that's right."
"Then you're Henoheno Moheji."
"Huh?"
Ryo was surprised by the sudden accusation.
He did recall using that alias… but he had just given his real name.
"You called yourself Henoheno Moheji to Garibech and Yun Chen, didn't you?"
"Why…"
"That kind of obvious alias is no good."
"Pardon?"
"It's like telling everyone you're a reincarnator."
"…Excuse me?"
Ryo failed to grasp what he'd just heard.
What exactly had the woman in front of him just said?
"…Did you say 'reincarnator'?"
"Yes, I said it. Ryo, you're a reincarnator, aren't you?"
"That means…"
"Yes, I'm a reincarnator too."
Ryo realized she was the third reincarnator he'd recognized.
"The first thing that made me think so was Dynamic Steam Mine. Mines—don't you hate mines? And steam? Water vapor? Right, that magic turns the moisture in the air into mine-like traps. It was the spell name more than the spell itself that gave me the feel of a reincarnator."
"B-but…"
"Also, it doesn't have to be a spell you made. The namer might not be you."
"Right."
"But I got certain earlier. Ryo Mihara… black hair… you look Japanese through and through."
"That much…"
Ryo had no comeback to Marie's observation.
Since she was only pointing out facts, there was nothing to argue.
"Oh, and I'm Japanese too."
"But your hair is green…"
Marie let her long hair, a deep green, fall down; she was a beautiful woman with large black eyes.
Green hair, of all things.
"Oh, that's a choice you can make when you 'incarnate'. I tried green this time—stands out, doesn't it?"
"It certainly does… Wait, 'incarnate'?"
An unsettling word had come up.
"Yeah… we call it incarnation. Basically, after a Phantomkin's body is destroyed, the soul wanders this world."
"What…?"
"And when a 'mass' suitable for the soul to enter is found, the soul goes into it and becomes a Phantomkin."
"Umm… the people who are 'vessels'…?"
"They were made as 'vessels', so they remain vessels forever. A soul never enters them; they're dolls."
Phantomkins were complicated, it seemed.
"Now then, shall we get on with the fight?"
"So we're really fighting?"
"Of course. If I let you take Emperor Darwei away without fighting, that would be terrible. Even if that wasn't the case, I wanted to fight you, Ryo."
"It can't be helped."
At that moment, Ryo finally noticed the sword Marie held in her left hand.
It was sheathed, but thin and curved…
"A katana?"
"Yes. It just feels right."
Marie smiled and drew the sheath.
"You didn't have this when you attacked the Imperial Palace the other day, did you?"
"You remembered well—it broke just before that… The smith was furious, but he forged a new one like this for me."
Marie showed it off.
"Oh… it's beautiful."
"Isn't it?"
Ryo complimented it and Marie nodded.
"What's your weapon, Ryo?"
"This."
Ryo said, drew Murasame, and manifested the blade.
"Ice blade!"
"It's called Murasame."
Ryo looked pleased.
"When drawn, jewels scatter… something like the Nanso Satomi Hakkenden."
"Exactly! "
Marie nodded and Ryo nodded back.
"Nice! I'll match my Kotetsu against you!"
"Oh! Then, let's go!"
And so the curtain rose on their fight.
-x-X-x-
But the first action Marie Cloche took was a strange one.
She sheathed the sword she had drawn—the blade she called 'Kotetsu'.
And slipped it into her belt.
She loosened the mouth of the scabbard, bent her knees, lowered her hips, and leaned forward.
Her left hand held the scabbard; her right hand only barely touched the hilt…
"No way… battoujutsu."
Ryo muttered.
Battoujutsu, or iaijutsu.
A technique found almost only using the Japanese sword, anywhere in the world.
Some say "iaijutsu isn't fast", but that comes from not understanding the folded-arm structure and wrist mobility.
To be blunt: it's fast.
Though surprised, Ryo quickly calmed himself.
As usual, he took a seigan* stance. (TLN: A fundamental kendo sword guard)
At no point would Ryo adopt a battoujutsu stance himself.
To trade battoujutsu blows would be reckless… or rather, impossible with the Murasame…
Ryo noticed Marie's presence changing once she took the battoujutsu stance.
Gradually, deeply, and with increasing density.
The very air around them felt it…
Slash.
Ryo's abdomen was sliced in a straight line.
He leapt back in panic, but it was too late.
However, that was not the end!
Battoujutsu is a set that includes the attack that follows.
Clang.
Ryo received Marie's downward cut.
Because he knew the sequence—the cut following Battoujutsu, the second strike—he was able to react.
But…
Clang, clang, clang…
Marie's flurry continued.
Contrary to the single flash of battou, she forced the exchange with power and speed.
Ryo withstood it.
(A flurry combining power and speed, and with a katana, no less! )
A Japanese sword's nature is to cut and to thrust.
Simply pressing a blade against something won't cut. You must pull or push.
Each of Marie's strikes performed exactly that.
And then a thrust from below, after a diagonal slash and a slight pull of the blade.
That thrust, woven into the flurry, was surprisingly troublesome.
Still, this was Ryo.
Unlike the initial battou, he began to show an ironclad defense.
After having all her strikes parried, Marie jumped back once to create distance.
"Amazing, Ryo."
Marie praised him.
But Ryo could not answer.
He had no room to reply.
Only five minutes had passed since the clash of swords began.
And yet they had exchanged about twenty clashes.
The belly sliced by the first battou no longer bled.
He had formed an ice membrane to stop the blood.
Of course, he couldn't fight a long battle.
He exhaled deeply.
As a result, he inhaled deeply.
A forced deep breath.
"Fine. If you want to speak, speak with the sword."
Marie said and once more she sheathed Kotetsu.
If Ryo could strike at that moment, it would be ideal… but of course, impossible.
It wasn't that the physical damage he suffered was so severe.
It was impossible because Marie's interception posture was already set.
If he plunged into Marie's range now, even in this condition, he would be literally cut in two.
Her bending of the knees, lowering of the hips, the changing air—these were nothing more than the shift from intercept to attack.
There was no opening.
Ryo returned to seigan.
He had been in a half-open gaze, but now he closed his eyes completely.
Marie's step-in was a godspeed so fast that even the sound of the wind she cut lagged.
The draw was superhumanly fast—impossible to track with the eyes.
Clang.
But Ryo's Murasame accepted it.
He stepped forward as if to fall and countered with a diagonal slash.
That prevented Marie from delivering the second cut.
Marie again leapt far back to create distance.
"To think you can react even to iaijutsu."
Her astonishment exceeded praise.
"I could see it."
Ryo answered.
"No way. You had your eyes closed, didn't you?"
"Yes. In any case, I couldn't catch it with my eyes."
Marie pointed out, and Ryo agreed.
Of course, he didn't close his eyes out of mockery.
"Could it be water-attribute magic? Using water vapor in the air or something?"
"Yes. No matter how fast something moves, it 'pushes' the water vapor. The pushed vapor is transmitted forward in succession…"
Simply put, Ryo had been continuously applying an
So the moment Marie moved—when the distance changed—he could detect it.
"Impressive."
Marie nodded in admiration.
Yet she still seemed to have some leeway.
"Against strength and speed, your reactions were perfect, Ryo. In other words, you've fought many opponents like that before, haven't you?"
"Indeed, I may have fought that kind of opponent many times."
The Duke Helb taken over by a phantom king, the Djinn Garwin, even the Akuma Leonore—all fell into that sort of category.
"I thought brute force would be impossible, but if it came to finesse, maybe I could win."
"That was Battoujutsu, then?"
Battoujutsu isn't something you learn that easily.
Where on earth did she pick it up?
"Before I came here, my grandfather ran an iaijutsu dojo."
"What…?"
"I wanted a job where I could make use of that, but it was hard to find."
"Is there such a job where you can use iaijutsu?"
"There wasn't. So being able to use it here like this might make Grandpa happy."
"Ah, I see…"
Marie said this while nodding, and Ryo could only nod in return.
Aside from kendo, jobs that make use of iaijutsu… yeah, he really couldn't think of any.
"They recommended the police, but even in the police, you'd need to be a riot police or something. And apparently it's hard for a woman to get into riot police."
"I don't think riot police need iaijutsu…"
"Is that so?"
Marie tilted her head.
"Um, excuse me for asking, but what was your job back on Earth?"
"A doctor."
"Eh… What specialty?"
"Cardiac surgery."
"I see…"
Marie seemed good at delicate work.
Ryo had heard it long ago.
Cardiac and neurosurgery require people good at fine work.
"So it helps in this job—knowing which tendons to sever so something won't work, how to pass a blade without hitting ribs, things like that."
"Your job…"
"I get paid, you know, as a Seven-Star General. Ryo, you do your job properly too, right?"
"Ah, yes…"
Marie said that properly doing one's work was, as a member of society, the obvious thing to do.
Ryo could only nod.
"Still, even within work, there are tasks you like and tasks you don't."
"Y-yes."
"To be honest, I don't like imprisoning the Emperor to draw his blood."
"You'd think not."
"But I love fighting strong foes like this. Regardless of work."
At that, Marie's mouth curved up.
A smile appeared.
But it exceeded beauty; it was a savage, ferocious smile—one should call it a dreadful grin.
"Then, shall we go to round two? You can apply a potion to that belly wound, okay?"
"No, it's not necessary."
"Really? Well, the bleeding seems stopped… huh? I meant to cut you in two with that swing, and you evaded it, but I still cut quite deep… why has the bleeding stopped?"
"I'm a water-attribute magician."
"…Can you control blood too?"
"I can. Haven't you heard the story about General Yun being frozen solid?"
"…I heard."
Ryo said this with a smile; Marie's smile shifted into an expression of surprise.
"Could you control another person's blood flow too…?"
"Shall we test it?"
Marie grimaced; Ryo wore a confident look.
Marie's Earth-born medical knowledge told her this:
The water-attribute magician before her was dangerous.
If he could control another's blood flow, he might be unbeatable in one-on-one combat!
"This might be a troublesome fight."
Yet, contrary to her words, a cruel grin returned.
"The prime example of someone whose words and actions are completely different."
Ryo's mutter, sadly, reached no one's ears.
"
"
Round two began with magic.
Marie's fire-attribute magic against Ryo's water-attribute magic.
Over a thousand flaming rounds assailed Ryo.
They shattered and were annihilated, emitting light of mutual destruction, but the overlapping ice walls continued to block them.
"Still no good."
"I've seen that spell before."
Confirming that Marie couldn't get through, Ryo answered.
"How about this?
The world around Ryo was sliced into a semicircle in an instant.
A hemisphere of ten-meter radius…its boundary was searing heat.
"
Around himself, Ryo automatically generated overlapping layers of ice outward.
The wall of flame and the wall of ice collided; lights of mutual annihilation danced.
"Not just a hemisphere, you know?"
The instant Marie muttered that, the ground exploded.
Flame spouted from underground as well.
But that, too, was countered by an ice floor.
"I figured as much."
Ryo had already countered with
"Nice! Hey, water magician-san, do you know what happens when you layer flame on flame to increase pressure?"
"Eh?"
"This happens!
At that moment, lightning streaked.
It was the light of plasma.
Electrons freed from atomic nuclei—plasma.
Released immense energy.
In an instant, the piled ice walls vanished.
Of course, the center too…
Dust and dirt danced.
After a while, the center became visible.
"Amazing…"
Marie murmured.
At the center stood an ice object.
"Did you freeze yourself to prevent getting evaporated by the plasma?"
Marie murmured, shaking her head slightly.
She was not careless.
She was genuinely surprised.
But surprise meant the thread of tension had been cut.
Thud.
A blade bearing an ice edge thrust into Marie's left chest.
More surprised by the result was not Marie, who had been pierced, but Ryo, the one who had stabbed.
His face immediately distorted—his expression showed that he had struck in error.
Marie reacted and moved just a fraction to the right.
Ryo's thrust had aimed precisely at Marie's heart, yet…
"
A fist-sized fireball swelled instantly.
"
Ryo deployed an icy package to wrap the fireball.
Of course, he knew he couldn't fully suppress it.
What he needed now was not to suppress it completely.
He needed to buy a little time.
Marie cast magic to create distance from Ryo.
So he must not let her get away!
Ryo pursued the retreating Marie.
He leaned forward.
"Foolish."
The next moment, Ryo's right arm was severed.