Genjitsushugisha no Oukokukaizouki - Volume 14 - Chapter 8

Chapter 8: A Large Skirmish

Word that Fuuga and his forces were marching towards Lastania had reached Julius. He sent a request to the Nothung Dragon Knight Kingdom for aid, while also planning to escape there with Jirukoma and anyone else who wanted to join them. Julius already laid the groundwork, so Queen Sill Munto was able to make the decision to dispatch the dragon knights immediately and lead them herself to ensure Julius’s escape.

However, with only his best men joining him, Fuuga’s forces moved faster than Julius anticipated. Fuuga’s elites found Julius’s party before they could cross the border, and were almost upon them. As the dragon knights came to support Julius, a clash with Fuuga was imminent.

You could say this battle was brought about by two geniuses—Julius and Hashim—each correctly assessing the other’s abilities.

Julius understood how decisive Hashim was, and planned to make his escape with plenty of time to spare. He had predicted that Fuuga’s forces would take the time to carefully prepare out of a wariness towards reinforcements from the Nothung Dragon Knight Kingdom.

Meanwhile, Hashim believed that if he sent in only the elites, they might capture Julius’s group before they could escape. If they could catch them before the Dragon Knight Kingdom could send reinforcements, he could avoid an unnecessary battle against the dragon knights.

In the end, Fuuga, with his highly mobile unit, finally came into contact with Julius’s party, but not until Julius was already close to the border. If either party had been better at predicting the other, this battle wouldn’t have happened. You could say it was the result of two closely matched opponents.

◇ ◇ ◇

Horsemen and carriages raced across a field near the border with the Nothung Dragon Knight Kingdom with Julius and Jirukoma at the lead.

Jirukoma specialized in fighting on foot, but today was not the time for that, so he was riding a horse. He struck up a conversation with Julius, who was riding alongside him.

“Still, I wouldn’t have expected this, Julius.”

“Wouldn’t have expected what?”

“The number of people who’ve joined us. We asked all around the country, but only about forty noncombatants were willing to come?” Jirukoma said, looking at the horsemen and carriages behind them. “The people loved Princess Tia and the royal family, didn’t they? I would have thought more would have chosen to escape together with them...”

“Right now...the people want a strong king, not a lovable one,” Julius said, looking just a little sad.

It was not out of anger or discontent towards the people, but almost out of sympathy for those who chose to stay.

“You can’t blame them. The people shed so much blood during the demon wave. We managed to eke out a victory with the help of the Kingdom of Friedonia, but many of them still lost friends and family.”

“Yeah. But it was the House of Lastania that protected them, wasn’t it?”

“They were grateful, I’m sure. But...what will happen to us in the next demon wave? Will Friedonia send reinforcements again? Even if they do, what if they arrive too late? We can’t defend ourselves alone, can we...? Those are the kinds of worries our people always had. Which is why...”

“They came to welcome Fuuga, a symbol of power. That’s just...kind of depressing.”

“I told you, you can’t blame them.” Julius smiled a little. “We all put our own families first. Look at me, I had Tia and her parents get out early because I knew that this would happen.”

“Ha ha ha, you have a point there. I mean, I had my own family join them in the name of defending the royal family.”

Captain Lauren, who was now Jirukoma’s wife, had already left for the Kingdom of Friedonia along with Princess Tia and the others. Jirukoma and Lauren already had multiple children, and because they were still small he’d gotten them out early. Initially, Lauren had been frustrated that she couldn’t be there in the country’s moment of need, but Jirukoma persuaded her of the importance of guarding the royal family.

“This is my second time being run out of the country...” Julius mumbled to himself. Jirukoma looked at him sympathetically.

“Does it hurt, Julius?”

“No... Much as I lament my own powerlessness, strangely, I’m not feeling all that depressed about it. Though, I must admit...I felt some dark feelings creeping into my heart when I fled the Principality.”

Suddenly, Julius looked up to the sky. It was clear, without a single cloud.

“I felt betrayed by my own country then, but not now.”

“That’s only natural. A country is a place for us to belong,” Jirukoma said, looking up to the sky as well. “It’s a place where we feel a sense of comfort and belonging. It’s that way because we’re there, and the people we care about are too. That’s what a country is. That’s why we love and want to defend it. When I took Lauren as my wife, and we had children together, I stopped feeling that lingering attachment to my homeland.”

For Jirukoma, having lost his country and become a refugee, he could understand why Julius had changed.

Julius let out a small laugh. “You could be right... For me, my country is wherever Tia is now.”

“Yeah. Which is why we must survive.”

Suddenly, a single dragon knight dropped out of the sky they were looking up to. The white dragon, shining in the sun, was Naden’s best friend, Pai Long. On his back was Pai’s partner and queen of the Nothung Dragon Knight Kingdom, Sill Munto.

There was urgency on her gallant face as Sill shouted, “Sir Julius, hurry! Malmkhitan’s forces are almost here!”

“Madam Sill! Thank you for your support!” Julius shouted without stopping his horse. “You didn’t need to honor the alliance when we’ve as good as lost our country already...”

“Think nothing of it. We only did what is natural when you consider our long friendship with Lastania’s royal family and how it’s benefited us both.”

“I understand the friendship, but was there benefit for you?” Julius asked, cocking his head to the side.

“Yes. Without the Kingdom of Lastania, we lose our window to the world outside. If Fuuga’s power keeps growing, our country will be surrounded. Because our pact with the dragons keeps us from invading other countries, we’ll be left to starve, I’m sure,” Sill said bitterly.

If they were going to trade with Fuuga’s country, Fuuga would no doubt make them swear loyalty to him. But because their pact forbade them from using the dragons to take hostile actions against other countries, Fuuga had no use for the dragon knights. If he tried to use them to fight other humans, the pact said that the dragons would all return to the Star Dragon Mountain Range. Fuuga wasn’t the type to show them any consideration, so he might stop the flow of supplies, and try to have the Dragon Knight Kingdom collapse from within.

“So, Sir Julius, once you get out of here safely, we want you to be our go-between with the Kingdom of Friedonia.” Sill winked at Julius. “We can have our dragon knights carry supplies back and forth through the Star Dragon Mountain Range.”

“You’d use dragon knights as couriers?”

“Indeed, I would. Perhaps we should rename ourselves the Nothung Courier Kingdom?”

“It doesn’t have any of the same grandeur...”

It’s not a bad idea though, Julius thought. Smart as he was, even in this urgent situation he was quickly thinking through the idea of a shipping company the size of a nation.

The pact only forbade them from using the dragons for hostile actions against other countries. Shipments of supplies wouldn’t violate that—although they might have to be strictly non-military in nature. With their massive size, a dragon could likely carry a large wooden ship. But with the dragons being the symbol of their country, and everyone aspiring to become a dragon knight, there might be those opposed to the idea of dragon knights becoming couriers.

It was like using a sword that was a national treasure to mow the grass. That was probably why the idea never came up before now... Now that Fuuga was pushing them into a corner, even old-fashioned countries were going to have to change.

It’s the kind of idea Souma would implement with glee... Julius thought to himself, smiling.

“Understood. I’ll see to it that King Souma gets the message.”

“I’m counting on you... Now then, to make sure our first delivery gets to the Kingdom intact, I’m going to spar a little with Fuuga’s forces.”

“Be careful... Fuuga’s fiercer than you imagine.”

“We know,” Pai answered telepathically on Sill’s behalf. “Naden and Ruby’s letters told us all about him. When you pair Fuuga with Durga, he’s on the same level as a dragon knight, maybe even better.”

“There you have it. We won’t let our guard down. We’re going to give him everything we have,” Sill agreed.

“Godspeed...” Julius nodded.

“You too.”

With that said, Sill and Pai danced up into the sky, joining up with thirty dragon knights who were waiting there and heading off to face Fuuga’s forces.

◇ ◇ ◇

Half an hour had passed since Julius and Sill exchanged words. Near the border, the dragon knights of Nothung stood in the path of Fuuga and his air force pursuing Julius.

“Out of the way! You’re starting to annoy me!”

Roaaaaar! One swipe of Durga’s paw tore into a dragon’s chest, making it rear back in pain. As it did, Fuuga’s arrow struck the dragon knight in the breast.

“Guh...”

The dragons fell from the sky one after another, along with their knights.

Sill and Pai trembled with rage as they watched the scene unfold.

“Damn you, Fuugaaaaa!” Sill bellowed.

“How dare you do that to our comrades!” Pai shouted telepathically.

I never expected him to be so powerful... Sill thought. When they first collided with Fuuga’s forces, Sill divided the thirty dragon knights she had brought into groups. One was sent to attack and delay the soldiers on the ground, while another guarded Julius’s group from the wyvern cavalry that was closing in on him. The final group, led by herself, would confront Fuuga, the biggest threat of all.

He turned the tide on his own... He’s like some sort of epic hero from the storybooks. Sill had taken every caution. In fact, the units she had sent after Fuuga’s forces on the ground and in the air were overwhelming them. But Fuuga’s own abilities had far exceeded her expectations. Fuuga and the small number of wyvern cavalry guarding him had forced Sill and her men into a disadvantageous position.

To be more precise, the wyvern riders had desperately tried to buy time while Fuuga and Durga fought and won one-on-one duels. By the time Sill and Pai had exterminated the meddlesome wyvern cavalry, they had already lost five dragon knights. Never in the history of the Nothung Dragon Knight Kingdom had they ever lost so many against one man before. The only ones able to fight against dragon knights had been other dragon knights.

Unable to believe what they were witnessing, the dragon knights cowered in fear.

“Hahhhhh!”

Rushing towards a stopped dragon knight, Fuuga leapt from Durga’s back, his Zanganto sparking with electricity, and swung down at the man. The dragon knight instinctively raised his sword to block, but...

Bzzzap!!! The moment Fuuga’s Zanganto slammed into it, a thick bolt of lightning tore through both the knight and the dragon. It was the same move he’d once used to tear a big hole in a massive zombie rhinosaurus.

The knight was vaporized, and the dragon fell with a great hole in its body. Only Fuuga remained, using the wings on his back to hover.

Pai gulped at the sight. “I can’t believe a human can wield lightning like Naden’s...”

“Grr! If the tiger’s monstrously powerful, then the man is too, huh!”

Sill ground her teeth as she watched Durga pick Fuuga up out of the air.

“We can’t let him take down any more of our men. Let’s do this, Pai!”

“Yes, Lady Sill!”

Pai the white dragon attacked before Fuuga and Durga fully recovered. As Pai spat fire, Durga turned in order to protect Fuuga. When the flames struck, Durga was sent flying.

When Durga recovered in midair, the tiger’s left side had its fur burned in some places and was injured in others. Considering how little damage was sustained from the dragon’s breath, it showed just how incredible a creature Durga was.

Seeing his partner’s injuries, Fuuga’s face lost its usual calm.

“Tch. They’re good. This won’t be as easy as it was with the others.”

“Fuuga Haan! I will avenge my men!”

Sill swung her lance while on Pai’s back. Fuuga instinctively leaned right and it grazed his face, tearing a shallow gash in his cheek. He wiped away the blood with his bracer, glaring at Sill.

“Not bad. I guess they put you in charge of the dragon knights for a reason.”

“Enough talk!”

Sill and Pai attacked with blades of wind and flaming breath at the same time. Fuuga had Durga rush in, dodging as they approached, then leapt from the tiger’s back as before. He wreathed his Zanganto in electricity, swinging downwards at Sill.

“I won’t let you do that!”

Whoosh— Bash! Pai spun around like a windmill, batting away Fuuga with his wings. After being hit with a force akin to that of a charging rhinosaurus, even Fuuga looked like he was feeling the pain.

“Guh... Durga!” Fuuga shouted as he was sent flying, and Durga answered his call, swinging a paw at Pai who had not recovered yet.

Pai tried to lean back and out of the way, but Durga’s claws were rushing towards his face. That strike, too sharp to call a cat punch, tore into him.

“Gwah!”

“Pai?!”

There were distinct, bloody claw marks on the left half of Pai’s head. He’d probably lost sight in that eye. But if he fell, his partner Sill would die too. Knowing this, Pai struggled to stay aloft through the pain.

“It’s okay... I can still fight.”

“Pai...”

“Heh, I see we’re both blessed with good partners,” said Fuuga, who was using his own wings to float in midair at the spot he’d been knocked to.

Durga rushed to his side, and Fuuga mounted the tiger again. He was a little worse for wear after being buffeted by Pai’s wing, but Fuuga was still full of energy. Pai, meanwhile, was only staying in the air by sheer force of will.

Fuuga pointed his Zanganto towards them and said, “But Durga and I will win.”

““““Princess!””””

The four dragon knights who had been unable to join the battle got in between them to act as Sill’s shield. Even if they had to launch a desperate suicide attack, they were ready to take Fuuga down with them.

Fuuga gave them a fierce grin. “Bring it on. I’ll gobble up as many of you as I have to.”

“Urkh!” Sill grunted, her face twisting in pain.

In the midst of all this, a single wyvern approached.

“Lord Fuuga! Lord Hashim is proposing a truce!”

“He wants me to stop fighting? We were just getting to the good part...” Fuuga grumbled as he looked down below.

The ground force had been totally stopped by the dragon knights’ attack. It was hard to blame them, given they were defenseless against fire attacks from the air.

The group led by Julius of Lastania was also out of sight, having no doubt crossed the border into the Nothung Dragon Knight Kingdom now. If he pursued them across the border, that would mean total war against them.

With six dragons down, the Dragon Knight Kingdom had lost twenty percent of the forces they’d brought. Fuuga’s own forces likely had lost a similar percentage, but having failed to capture Julius, this was a strategic loss.

“It looks like it’s not enough for me to win on my own.” Fuuga’s shoulders slumped and he lowered his Zanganto before calling out to Sill. “You heard the man, Dragon Knight Princess. Our target’s escaped into your country. If we keep going, it’ll mean war. I’m pretty sure that’s not something you want either. I’ll pull back my troops, so go back to your own country.”

“Urgh...”

Sill’s face distorted with frustration at the sudden offer of a truce. She wanted to avenge her comrades, but if they continued fighting, there would be more sacrifices. They had already succeeded in their goal of aiding Julius’s escape. To continue fighting now would be an entirely personal battle. If she wasn’t careful, it could violate their pact with the dragons.

As the leader of the dragon knights, she couldn’t afford to be a fool.

“Very well... But you will allow us to collect the dragons and their knights’ remains. We must return them to the Star Dragon Mountain Range. This is to prevent them turning into monsters like skull dragons.”

“Hmph, fine by me.”

“Signal the retreat,” Sill ordered.

The dragon knights blew their whistles. Her forces near the ground stopped when they heard it. With their battle over, they all gathered to Sill’s side. From there, she directed them to collect the remains of the fallen. When that was complete, the dragon knights organized in a defensive formation around Sill and Pai. She took one last look at Fuuga before turning to go.

“They’re damn well organized... I could use an air force like that,” Fuuga thought aloud as he landed, watching the dragon knights go.

Then, riding Durga down to the ground forces led by Hashim, he dismounted as his advisor welcomed him with a bow.

“I almost had the enemy queen too...”

“I believe I have told you repeatedly that war against the Nothung Dragon Knight Kingdom would be pure folly,” said Hashim, raising his head and shrugging his shoulders in exasperation.

Then, with a sharp look in his eyes, he told Fuuga, “The battle just now made me sure of one thing. If our two countries went to war, we would undoubtedly win. The dragon knights are powerful, but their numbers are limited. If we attack from multiple fronts, and retreat whenever the dragon knights appear, their country will be laid waste, and war-weariness will spread throughout the majority of the population that are not dragon knights.”

“You were saying that the common people would choose us over their pact with the dragons.”

“Yes. And that would be the ruin of the Dragon Knight Kingdom. However, if that happens, we risk the dragon knights all defecting to other countries. That would be incredibly bad for us. So...”

“If we’re going to destroy them, we save them for last, right? I know,” Fuuga said, putting a hand on Hashim’s shoulder and nodding. “Still, it’s a shame about Julius.”

“Yes... He was able to make decisions faster than I’d thought. That makes him exactly the sort of person I want for your country, and a dangerous man to make an enemy of. That’s why I wanted to secure him for ourselves...”

“It wasn’t meant to be. But we managed to accomplish our other objective, right?”

“Yes. We caught up, and were able to fight the Dragon Knight Kingdom.”

In Fuuga’s dispatch of troops to Lastania, the primary objective was to capture the Lastanian royal family (especially Julius), but there was also a secondary objective of putting up a good fight against the dragon knights of the Nothung Dragon Knight Kingdom who would be coming to assist. And if they fought well against the Dragon Knight Kingdom, whereas the Empire could only fight them to a standstill in their heyday, the people’s hopes for Fuuga would grow.

Fuuga and Durga had slain six dragon knights. This news would not fail to excite the people’s zeal. Fuuga and his men had accomplished this not in a full war against the Dragon Knight Kingdom, but in what was still a skirmish.

Hashim crossed his arms and told Fuuga, “Up until now, the people knew we would retake the Demon Lord’s Domain. However, after this battle, they will think it’s no dream for you to conquer the entire continent. Please, ride that wave of popular sentiment as far as it will take you.”

“Yeah. But first, we’ll need to bring together this country that no longer has any enemies in it. If we’re going to rise up, we need to make sure the ground beneath our feet is steady first.”

Fuuga and his men headed into the capital of the Kingdom of Lastania to sort out what would happen after the war.

◇ ◇ ◇

With this battle against the Dragon Knight Kingdom, Fuuga earned himself the moniker “the tiger who eats dragons” from his people, and the tiger became the symbol of his forces.

Fuuga would go on to be called the Great Tiger King, and his followers would earn monikers of their own like “the tiger’s X.” His wife, Mutsumi Haan, was “the tiger’s partner,” his advisor, Hashim Chima, was “the tiger’s resourceful schemer,” his right-hand man, Shuukin Tan, was “the tiger’s sword,” and the old commander who took an arrow for him, Gaifuku Kiin, was “the tiger’s shield.”

But it would still be some time before that happened.