Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!? - Volume 35 - Chapter 4

Ralgwin’s Gamble

Saturday, June 18th

Kiriha was the first to notice something was amiss. She was fighting alongside Theia, Ruth, and Maki on the eastern side of the base as they continued to search out the command room and spiritual energy facilities. They’d had an overwhelming advantage at first thanks to their surprise raid, but that advantage dwindled over time as Ralgwin’s men started to get their wits about them. How deep the girls could get into the base before the soldiers fully recovered would be key to their victory...

Or so Kiriha had thought, but at some point, the situation took a peculiar turn.

“Strange... I doubt they’ve exhausted their forces already...” she mused, folding her arms pensively as she surveyed the fight.

Theia was in top form as usual, throwing around enemies with Melee Black. Foes who dared to attack her from her blind spots were met and chased away with Ruth’s fighters. Maki was working from the shadows, assisting both Theia and Ruth based on how the battle developed. The girls also had a supporting unit of soldiers with them, who were all doing a heroic job.

“Kiriha-sama, is something the matter?” Ruth asked. Since she was currently connected to Kiriha by the crest on her forehead, she knew immediately that concern had come over her.

“I was just thinking that things are proceeding a little too smoothly,” Kiriha replied.

By all accounts, she thought, the enemy had recovered from the initial shock of the raid by now. The overall strength of each unit had increased as they organized themselves, moving and attacking efficiently. Yet, in spite of that all, Kiriha and the girls weren’t struggling any more than they had at first. The reason to her seemed clear.

“It looks like there are fewer enemies,” she explained.

“Are you sure that’s not just your imagination?” Theia countered as she continued to swing her fists. “I think we’re having an easy go of it thanks to our overwhelming strength.”

“Wait a moment please, Your Highness...”

Where Theia was confident, Ruth was careful. She quickly pulled up combat data and initiated a facial recognition program to get a proper headcount on the enemy forces.

“What is this?! Kiriha-sama is absolutely right! A few minutes ago, there were more reinforcements!”

The enemy had rallied, and neither their equipment nor their teamwork were lacking. Yet Kiriha and the girls still firmly had the upper hand against them—and the reason was now evident. The enemy forces were diminishing. And to disguise it, they’d slowly been tapping their reinforcements while keeping their main force intact. They’d also been keeping the fight confined to narrow spaces like hallways that restricted their numbers. As a result, it was incredibly difficult to notice the change without paying extremely close attention. Only the vigilant, observant Kiriha would have noticed so soon. It would have taken anyone else much longer.

“I thought as much...” she replied with a somber nod when she heard Ruth’s assessment.

There, she sunk deep into thought once more. The exact numbers didn’t matter here. No, the far more important question was why. What did Ralgwin stand to gain by reducing his forces so?

“Should I capture one of the soldiers and find out from them?” Maki, still hidden from sight, suggested over the radio.

As a specialist in indigo magic, she could read other people’s minds. However, unlike reading what someone was thinking in real time, digging up past memories took time. Moreover, Koutarou and the other girls didn’t want Maki resorting to such tactics unless absolutely necessary. Like with timeslips, they should only be considered a last resort when there was no other alternative. Maki felt the same way, of course, but she saw no recourse under the circumstances.

“No, there’s no need for that. This is probably...” Kiriha said, leaving her answer to Maki as she switched radio channels. She connected to Koutarou, Clan, and Nefilforan on a frequency reserved for the commanders. “Sorry for the sudden call. Have the forces you’re up against noticeably gotten stronger or weaker in the past few minutes?”

“No change over here,” Nefilforan replied.

“Things have perhaps gotten a little easier over here for us,” Clan answered in kind.

“Things are still plenty busy over here,” Koutarou chimed in. “Actually, they might be getting even busier.”

“Hmm... It appears he’s over by you then, Koutarou,” Kiriha mused.

“Huh? What are you talking about?” he asked over the sounds of gunfire and clanging swords in the background.

“Ralgwin has given up on defending the base. He’s probably pooling his forces somewhere near you. I believe they’re planning to make an escape.”

That was Kiriha’s conclusion. Ralgwin was drafting forces from the eastern, western, and southern sides of the base and sending them to the northern wing. Clan and Nefilforan likely hadn’t realized it because they were up against larger forces to begin with. Percentage-wise, subtracting twenty men from a force of fifty was a much more noticeable decrease than subtracting twenty men from a force of two hundred. And in Nefilforan’s case specifically, Ralgwin couldn’t risk diminishing his forces too greatly lest she roll right into the base. He may not have even withdrawn any men from the service tunnel at all.

But why, then, concentrate those troops in the northern wing near Koutarou? And why go to the trouble of trying to do it discreetly? Kiriha believed the answer to those questions was the intent behind the maneuver—Ralgwin was pooling his men to make an escape. In order to break through the siege, they’d have to make a concerted push, and they’d need numbers to do that. All the better, even, if they could catch the raiders off guard when they made a break for it.

As for the location, Kiriha believed Ralgwin had decided on the northern wing to stage the escape for three reasons. The first two were simple: he wanted to escape by ship through the underwater gate, and he might even have a chance to get his revenge by taking out Koutarou in the process. Thirdly—and, Kiriha believed, most importantly—the northern wing probably housed the spiritual energy laboratory and factory. It was simple logistics. Ralgwin would naturally choose the closest exit to the cargo he was trying to extract.

Regardless, it was going to be a dangerous operation. The enemy would lose men in the process, but it seemed they were resolved to protect their new technology with their lives. Kiriha believed that was the decision Ralgwin had made as commander, and she believed it was the right one. It wasn’t the heated rashness of a man obsessed with victory, but the cool thinking of a levelheaded commander. She respected that.

Moreover, the way he’d chosen to concentrate his forces on Koutarou was smart. A normal Forthorthian would shudder at the thought of raising arms against the legendary Blue Knight, but Ralgwin was indeed extraordinary in that sense... Extraordinarily calculating and extraordinarily dangerous. He’d realized that not even the Blue Knight could take on an entire army by himself.

After neutralizing their immediate enemies, Koutarou and his team moved out. They were now making their way to the military vessels docked at the front gate. If Kiriha’s prediction was correct, then Ralgwin was headed there to make an escape. They laid defensive measures in the hallway behind them as they went in hopes of slowing or stopping Ralgwin and his men as they approached—a tactic Koutarou hadn’t picked up from Kiriha, but from his experience two thousand years ago.

“Hurry up, everyone! If the enemy gets there first, they’ll do the same to us!”

His only concern was that Ralgwin’s men might have already reached the dock. It wouldn’t be a big deal if there were only a few of them, but if it was a full unit, they’d have the defensive advantage Koutarou was hoping to secure. Even though Kiriha had sniffed Ralgwin’s plan out in the early stages, he and his forces still had the initiative here. They’d likely already sent units to scout and secure the dock, meaning Koutarou and his troops needed to hurry before it was too late.

“Satomi-kun, over there!” Harumi shouted as they neared the docks.

She’d spotted the enemy first. It was a unit of fifty or sixty troops, not too different from Koutarou’s own numbers. Both teams were fast approaching a T-junction that led to the dock, and both were anxious to get around the corner. Given the situation, however, a fight was inevitable. Whoever took the corner first would simply be shot in the back as they went.

“We don’t have a choice here! Everyone, prepare for battle!” Koutarou declared, boldly drawing Signaltin from his waist.

With neither side able to secure an advantageous defensive position at the dock, they were forced to meet on equal terms here in a fairly narrow hallway. The clash could be a tricky one.

“Baron-san, leave the right flank to us!” Red Shine, who’d been slightly behind Koutarou, called as he moved forward with his sword and pistol in hand.

“Can you handle this, Sun Rangers?!”

“This is exactly our kind of fight!”

Koutarou was leading a unit just shy of fifty men in total, including himself, Harumi, forty Forthorthian soldiers, and the Sun Rangers. The Sun Rangers, however, had so far been largely sidelined by the scope of the battle. It was difficult for a squad of five to make a contribution in fights against ten times their numbers, after all. But this fight would be different. Even though they were up against a force that large, the narrow hallway would only allow about a dozen soldiers to fight at one time—the ideal setup for the Sun Rangers. This was what they’d trained for.

“Daisaku!”

“On it!”

Yellow Shine at the front took off running. He was a big guy, and muscular to boot. He closed the distance to Ralgwin’s men in mere seconds. In doing so, of course, he drew most of the enemy fire.

“Whoa!”

“Are you okay, Daisaku-san?!”

“You just watch, Baron-san!”

Ping, ping, ping!

None of the incoming fire ever made contact. Kiriha had supplied the Sun Rangers with personal spiritual energy fields, and Daisaku was fully equipped. Between the barrier, his own strength, and his enhanced suit—which was equipped with a mobile weapon’s defenses—he was virtually unstoppable. A few bullets and beams weren’t going to hurt him.

“Take this!”

Crack!

He charged straight into the enemy line, forcefully colliding his barrier with theirs. His—which was wide and strong enough to protect his entire team—was superior in every way to the weak individual barriers Ralgwin had only just begun producing. It was hardly a fair fight, really. If all of Ralgwin’s men had combined their barriers, they might have stood a chance against Daisaku... but that was out of the question. Instead, their fields collapsed one by one as he made contact with them.

“Your turn, Hayato!”

“You got it!”

Next up was Blue Shine, who was holding a spiritual submachine gun rather than his usual rifle as he opened fire.

Rata-tat-tat-tat!

Since it didn’t shoot physical bullets, there was little recoil. That allowed a sharpshooter like Hayato to go wild on full auto as he swept the front line of approaching soldiers off their feet.

“Kotaro!” Kenichi called before even waiting to see the results of Hayato’s attack.

“Just what I’ve been waiting for!” Green Shine called in return.

Kotaro then threw a small sphere toward Hayato’s victims as they collapsed to the ground. The men behind them were tripping over their bodies, and Kotaro’s sphere landed right in front of them all.

Bang!

It exploded without fire or smoke. It was a small blast, but a serious one nevertheless when taken head-on. The enemies now at the front of the line collapsed, slowing the men behind them even more. Kenichi then made his move, charging the obstructed soldiers with his sword and pistol.

“Haaah!”

Bang! Wham! Bang, bang!

“You little...!”

“Get him!”

Two soldiers had managed to withstand Kotaro’s bomb, and they leveled their guns at Red Shine. However...

Pew, pew!

“Wah?!”

“Wh-Where did that come from?!”

“Right over here, gentlemen!”

Kenichi remained safe. The Sun Rangers’ flashy attack had distracted the enemy, buying Pink Shine enough time to get into position with a spiritual energy beam rifle. Megumi was actually the best shot after Hayato. She usually worked as a medic and tended to keep her distance from the enemy, but she was still trained and combat ready.

“Kenichi-kun!”

“I know!”

Daisaku offered cover for Kenichi to retreat. They’d collectively defeated a good number of enemies, but their bold play wasn’t sustainable. Kenichi would be in trouble if he didn’t get back. With covering fire from the other members, Daisaku was able to safely withdraw as well.

“That’s the Sun Rangers for you... They’re so strong,” Harumi remarked after casting a spell and defeating an enemy herself.

The Sun Rangers moved in perfect sync with each other like a well-oiled machine. She felt like she could win against any one of them individually, but together, they might be unbeatable. Moreover, they fought like true heroes. While there was always the risk of collateral damage, the Sun Rangers relied on nonlethal attacks even now. They had to be good examples for the children, after all.

“Let’s show them what we can do too!” Koutarou rallied.

GoL’s beam cannon on his right shoulder kept Koutarou’s current foe in place as he defeated them with his sword. He and Harumi were just as confident as the Sun Rangers in their teamwork, so Koutarou felt they should contribute as well.

“Yes, let’s do our best!” Harumi likewise rallied.

She had no objections to this plan. Since she was ordinarily so reserved, combat was a good opportunity to show off her bond with Koutarou. And, as if responding to that wish in her heart, the sword crest on her forehead began to glow. The light spread to her hair in the form of a silver sheen, then overflowed and poured forth from the sword in Koutarou’s hands.

“Looks like our princess is all fired up, Signaltin!”

Koutarou boldly held the blade aloft, striking fear into the hearts of his enemies. A knight in bright blue armor brandishing a shining silver sword... Any Forthorthian who saw it would’ve done a doubletake.

“Flow, spirits of water! Whirl, spirits of wind! Become a foundation for the dancing spirits of ice! Let your shimmering water dazzle and your freezing wind blow! Turn this serene surface into a silver reflector of the sun! Shine forth, Mirror Lake!”

With that, Harumi incanted a spell that coated the floor with ice. It was a simple trick, but an effective one against the soldiers who were focused on Koutarou.

“Whoa!”

“Wh-What in the world?!”

Since Harumi had rushed to cast the spell, she was only able to catch ten or so men in its range. They all, however, slipped and lost their balance. A few even fell over. And nary a one was able to escape the next swings of Koutarou’s blade.

“Well done, my princess!”

Koutarou fell upon the immobile soldiers without hesitation. He’d gotten Harumi to cast a shockwave spell on Signaltin ahead of time, which now blew the men away one after the other. Each lost consciousness as they hit the floor.

“All right, who’s next?!”

His sword still raised high, Koutarou intimidated his opponents. It was out of character, but it was a trick he knew worked well in the heat of battle—doubly so after the impressive show of force he and the Sun Rangers had just put on. It was a wise tactic to employ here, and the threat paid off. The remaining enemy units were unable to put up any organized opposition, instead just firing at random as they began to retreat down the hall.

The appearance of a single man, however, stopped them all in their tracks. It was the young commander of their faction, Ralgwin Vester Vandarion.

“Do try not to bully my soldiers too much, Lord Veltlion.”

“So you finally show yourself, Ralgwin...”

He had a ferocity reminiscent of his uncle Vandarion, and a similarly ruthless mind. His soldiers respected him for that, which was what had stopped them cold. They believed both that they could win now that Ralgwin was here, and that he would punish them severely if they fled. He inspired hope and fear in them at the same time.

“You should understand the situation you’re in. So go ahead and surrender, Ralgwin.”

Under the circumstances, Ralgwin’s only chance at victory had been getting to the dock with his men and supplies before Koutarou... and he’d failed. And if he clashed with Koutarou here, Theia and the others would eventually arrive and the situation would only deteriorate from there. In the worst case, even Nefilforan’s forces might show up. That would lead to a battle of attrition where, even if Ralgwin ended up winning, he wouldn’t have the manpower left to accomplish his true objectives.

“That’s not going to happen,” he declared.

“Do you want to be wiped out?” Koutarou asked flatly.

“No—I still have a card left to play.” There was light in Ralgwin’s eyes yet. He remained intent on winning this battle. “Do it!”

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Small blasts echoed down the hallway, besieging friend and foe alike. It was like the hall itself was exploding. The entire base was built upon a sturdy metal frame fitted into the walls and ceilings, which was a structural necessity underwater—and the blasts were erupting at key bolts securing the frame in place. The base was equipped with a self-destruct function as a means of destroying any evidence in the event it was compromised, and Ralgwin had selectively activated part of the system to destroy the walls in the immediate area.

“I didn’t think you’d do that...” Koutarou muttered in surprise as he looked around.

The blasts had been small and everyone present was outfitted with spiritual energy and distortion fields, so no one was hurt. It also helped that the walls were designed to fall straight down when the bolts were destroyed—a feature included to ensure the base collapsed when the self-destruct function was activated.

“I didn’t want to. I would have preferred to win without resorting to such a tactic. This was extreme, but it does allow us a shot at victory.”

Ralgwin had blown out the surrounding walls to widen the battlefield. They’d been standing at a T-junction, but there was now no evidence there had ever been a hallway short of a few remaining pillars standing here and there. He’d effectively created one giant room. It was full of obstacles and debris, but he could safely deploy far more soldiers this way. And with that, he would have the numerical advantage he’d been hoping for by gathering his troops.

“But now that I know what you’re capable of, I absolutely cannot let you escape,” Koutarou declared, leveling his sword at Ralgwin.

Ralgwin had exceeded their expectations, meaning he was even more dangerous than they’d previously believed. If they let him escape now, there was no telling what he might do next. Koutarou was determined to stop him—to win.

With the walls gone, Koutarou and the others found themselves in a wide open space. The dock was in plain sight now, which was part of Ralgwin’s strategy. His men could continue to load cargo into the crafts while Ralgwin held Koutarou and his troops back. Ships loaded with soldiers, engineers, and precious spiritual energy tech would make their escape one after another.

“I figured you’d escape right away,” remarked Koutarou.

“I wasn’t lying when I said I mean to avenge my uncle,” replied Ralgwin.

Even with his allies retreating behind him, Ralgwin stood facing Koutarou. He planned on personally serving as the rearguard until it was time to flee himself. Though he spoke of revenge, it was hard to believe that was the only thing on his mind. If a commander retreated first, it was a serious blow to morale—which could cost Ralgwin everything right now, and he knew it.

“Ralgwin, I have no intention of letting you leave here. If you want to stay and fight, that’s all the better for me.”

“How the tables have turned, Lord Veltlion. If it’s a fight you want, then come and get it.”

Time was on Ralgwin’s side. The longer he delayed Koutarou and his allies now, the more of his men and cargo could escape while they tangled. Ralgwin’s objective, essentially, was thus stalling Koutarou. Going out of his way to defeat the Blue Knight would be risky; all he really needed to do was take up a defensive position and attack from safety.

“I’d be happy to!”

Koutarou and the others, however, had no choice but to fight. Overwhelmed in terms of numbers, their only shot at victory was concentrating their efforts to break through and defeat Ralgwin. That should force the rest of the soldiers to surrender.

“I could ask for nothing more.”

Even in the heat of the moment, Ralgwin remained calm. He signaled to his forces, who then split into three groups before beginning their attack. Ralgwin’s personal squad would face Koutarou’s head-on while the other two attacked from the flanks. The idea was to surround Koutarou and crush him.

“This is all over when you fall, Ralgwin!”

“Only if your soldiers can hold out that long.”

“Tch!”

Suddenly realizing how bad the situation was, Koutarou came to a near halt. The biggest problem was the discrepancy between his ability and that of his allies. Koutarou could move forward to handle Ralgwin, but he would be leaving his comrades defenseless that way. And if he lost them, he would find himself completely surrounded. Not even the Blue Knight could win in such a hopeless situation. Yet if he didn’t move forward now, Ralgwin and his men would have the perfect opportunity to escape.

“Baron-san, please go on! We’ll handle things here!”

“Red Shine?!”

“There’s no time to hesitate! Time is of the essence!”

“Right! Then I’m leaving this to you, Sun Rangers!”

Kenichi’s brave words gave Koutarou the motivation he needed, but in truth, the Sun Rangers weren’t certain they were up to the task. There was no time to question themselves, however. This was do or die, and the Sun Rangers never gave up without trying.

“Good luck, Sakuraba-senpai!”

“You too!”

Koutarou chose to put his faith in his allies and sprinted out ahead of the group. Harumi would support him from safety. This was it—the strongest play they could muster under the circumstances and their best shot at victory. A high risk, high reward gamble.

“So the Blue Knight counters with a bold move of his own! How interesting!” Ralgwin remarked with a grin, drawing his sword.

Of course, it was no ordinary blade. It was shrouded with spiritual energy, much like the swords the haniwas sometimes used in close combat. Objectively, Ralgwin had every advantage here... but he was up against the Blue Knight. Confident or not, there was no guarantee he would win. If it was possible at all, it would take everything he had.

“You lot won’t be of any use! Clear the way!”

“But Ralgwin-sama—”

“Don’t make me repeat myself! This is the Blue Knight we’re talking about!”

“U-Understood, sir!”

At Ralgwin’s orders, the soldiers in front of him made way for Koutarou. As far as Ralgwin was concerned, throwing men at the Blue Knight was simply a waste of manpower—he’d learned that the hard way. The only use for his soldiers here would be surrounding the Blue Knight once his team had been decimated.

“You must be quite confident to fight me with a sword, Ralgwin... Or do you have some other trick up your sleeve?”

Signaltin in hand, Koutarou approached Ralgwin via the path between the parting soldiers. He could sense their hostility and willingness to attack, but no one showed any sign of making a move. It seemed they were trusting this fight to Ralgwin.

“That’s correct, Blue Knight. I’m impressed.”

“I can’t imagine a smart guy like you being stupid enough to challenge me with a blade otherwise.”

“I’m pretty confident in my swordplay, I’ll have you know.”

Encircled by onlookers, Koutarou and Ralgwin squared off. Anticipating some trick, Koutarou paid especially close attention to his opponent and his surroundings. There had to be a reason Ralgwin had challenged him to a swordfight.

I guess I should try him...

Nevertheless, Koutarou couldn’t sense anything strange about the situation. Ralgwin was merely holding his sword, prepared for a fight. As such, Koutarou decided to test the waters with an attack.

“Are you sure about this? Isn’t he planning something?” Harumi worriedly asked through Signaltin.

“I’m pretty sure, so stay on your toes.”

“You can count on me.”

After their brief conference, Koutarou charged Ralgwin at less than full force. He was holding back in case something happened.

“Let’s do this, Ralgwin!”

“So he comes! Let this work!”

Ralgwin stepped forward to intercept Koutarou, the sword in his hand now emitting a suspicious glow. Ralgwin was wearing powered armor like Koutarou, and the two men met with superhuman speed and strength.

Clang!

Ralgwin’s glowing sword clashed with Signaltin, sending sparks flying. He was ecstatic at this result.

“Ha, it worked! I can do this!”

Based on the data he’d gathered on Signaltin, he’d theorized that he should be able to block it. There was no way to know for sure until he tested it, however, and now he had every assurance he needed.

What? How did he block me?

Koutarou was taken aback, less by Ralgwin’s sword and more by his movements. Koutarou’s reflexes were enhanced by Sanae’s psychic powers—but Ralgwin’s weren’t. Moreover, he’d read Ralgwin’s intent to attack and swung his sword so as to avoid it... yet Ralgwin had caught him all the same. If he hadn’t seen it happen with his own two eyes, Koutarou would’ve thought such a thing impossible.

“Now it’s my turn!”

With that, Ralgwin launched a counterattack. Pouring his strength into his sword, he pushed Koutarou away and held out his left arm.

Bang, bang, bang!

The vambrace of his armor opened up to reveal a gun barrel that fired three spiritual energy bullets. Koutarou read his aura and dodged the attack... Or, rather, he should have.

Wham!

“Guh?!”

The last bullet, however, struck true and slammed into Koutarou’s right pauldron where GoL’s beam cannon sat. Koutarou thankfully wasn’t hurt, but the cannon was destroyed in spectacular fashion.

“As I expected, this method works on you. I suppose, to use one of your Earthling expressions, it’s something of an egg of Columbus.”

“I see... You’re leaving part of your attacks up to machines.”

“Oh, so you already caught on? That’s right. With this armor, my AI can take over whenever.”

Ralgwin wasn’t wearing his suit for the physical enhancement alone; he’d programmed it to act independently, overriding his actions when necessary. That was where Koutarou’s psychic senses had failed him. He could read Ralgwin’s attacks, but not the armor’s—including that last bullet.

If I hadn’t had that practice match with Princess Nefilforan, I might be in serious trouble right now...

Koutarou had only caught on to the trick thanks to his experience fighting Nefilforan, whose unconscious attacks were nearly impossible to detect. It had taught him not to rely entirely on his spirit sight, even against a human opponent.

“So it was the armor that blocked my earlier attack too, then.”

“That’s right. This armor will automatically intervene to block attacks I can’t in time. Surely it’s no surprise the machine moves faster than a man.”

Thanks to the characteristics of spiritual energy, Ralgwin’s armor could anticipate his needs by reading him. If it sensed an incoming attack and no will to block it, the armor would intercede and do so by moving his arms for him—a telltale sign that Ralgwin’s men had managed to incorporate spiritual energy tech into more than just weapons.

“Are you sure you should be spilling your secrets to me, Ralgwin?”

“There are two types of secrets, Lord Veltlion: the kind you can counteract, and the kind that you can’t. This is the latter.”

“You think this is going to win you the battle?”

“No... but I do believe it will force us into a battle of attrition, and that’s more than enough under the circumstances.”

Ralgwin was being brutally honest. Koutarou couldn’t extend himself too far in this situation, or else he’d be giving Ralgwin the chance to attack his allies. And if his team fell, Koutarou would be a sitting duck. As strong as he was, not even he could survive an attack from all sides. Ralgwin’s victory would be all but won at that point.

“Besides—”

“Kuh!”

In the middle of Ralgwin speaking, Koutarou sensed a clear line of attack emanating the will to kill. He reflexively moved to get out of the way...

Crack!

But he didn’t quite make it in time. The attack—a spiritual energy beam from out of nowhere—pierced GoL’s barrier generator on his left shoulder.

“Oh, so you could dodge even that? It seems the legends are no mere legends at all.”

“Right, I forgot you had a sniper...”

The near instantaneous beam attack was the doing of Fasta, Ralgwin’s ace sniper. The rifle she was now using worked like Ralgwin’s armor. The moment she lined up her target and manifested the will to pull the trigger, the beam fired. It took muscles between 0.2 and 0.3 seconds to respond to signals from the brain, but this weapon reduced that lag to zero. That was the reason Koutarou hadn’t been able to evade it cleanly.

“Keep it up, Fasta. Aim for when we cross blades.”

“Understood.”

“Well, this is going to be rough...” Koutarou mumbled as he readied his sword once more.

He’d narrowly avoided a fatal shot just now because he was in the middle of talking with Ralgwin, but would he be able to do the same mid-fight? Koutarou had a bad feeling about the answer, so he decided to stop thinking about it. He no longer had the time for that.

It was no exaggeration to say the outcome of this battle would be determined by Ralgwin’s and Koutarou’s subordinates. In simple terms, Ralgwin’s men had the advantage. They had twice the numbers and the room to make use of them. Moreover, they had reinforcements on the way now that they’d called for the soldiers stationed in other parts of the base.

“I’m sorry about this, Instructor Sakuraba. I’m sure you would prefer supporting Baron-san.”

“Don’t think of it that way. All of us, including Satomi-kun, will be in danger if we fail here. Besides, I can still support him from here.”

On the other hand, Koutarou’s team had Harumi and the Sun Rangers on their side. The Sun Rangers were a special asset given the strength of their teamwork, a byproduct of experience. It had a certain refined beauty to it.

“If anything, it’s reassuring to have you with us, Instructor.”

“Kotaro-san, I’m not your instructor anymore.”

“To us, you will always be our instructor.”

Meanwhile, Harumi’s presence was a boon to morale—both for the Forthorthian soldiers and for the Sun Rangers. She’d introduced them all to magic, so they knew just how capable she was.

“Harumi-dono, take command if you please,” implored Orion.

“But I...” trailed Harumi.

“I will assist you in any way I can, but you must understand there’s special meaning in you leading us.”

“Yes, of course... Then I’ll try it!”

Harumi could control Signaltin’s power, and when she did, her hair shone silver. She was the spitting image of a certain someone near and dear to the hearts of all Forthorthians... It only felt right that she take command in the absence of the Blue Knight. In truth she was the only logical candidate given that she was the only other member of the Satomi knights present, but the appointment still made the soldiers’ hearts soar.

First the Blue Knight had returned, and now it felt like the Silver Princess had as well. Harumi had a bone to pick with that notion, but if taking up the role would inspire the soldiers risking their lives, she would gladly accept it. She could think of no other way to give them such courage.

“Ahem... Attention, everyone! Though we may be few in number, we fight to protect Forthorthe from an enemy that seeks to divide her with civil war once more!”

If Harumi was good at one thing after all this time, it was acting like a legendary princess. She played the part beautifully, lighting a fire under each and every soldier.

“Defend Layous-sama! Attack!”

“Raaaaaaaah!”

They were a mere forty men, but their mighty, united roar was enough to shake the ground. They channeled their soaring morale into willpower and pressed their attack at Harumi’s behest.

“Kenichi-niichan, I don’t really get what just happened, but these guys are really fired up now!”

“I’ll take anything we can get! We should be able to put up a good fight like this! Hayato, keep the soldiers in check and make sure they don’t push too far out! Daisaku, move with them to make sure they’re protected by the spiritual energy field!”

“What about me?!”

“Kotaro, I want you and Megumi to protect Instructor Sakuraba! She’s the key to this fight!”

“Got it!”

“Leave her to us, Kenichi-kun!”

The battle had started with both sides evenly matched, but Ralgwin’s force had swollen to twice Koutarou’s. Yet even outnumbered two to one, the soldiers were ready and raring for a fight now. There was no way they were about to let Ralgwin’s troops bowl them over—which was great news for Koutarou, who was still facing Ralgwin alone.

“Flare, spirits of fire! Whirl, spirits of wind! Unite to scorch heaven and earth with a crimson tempest! Incinerate all to ash, Flame Storm!”

Harumi summoned a cyclone of fire that moved according to her will and sicced it on Ralgwin’s men. It grew even larger as it fell over the enemy’s front line, but its size severely compromised the damage it dealt. It only managed to take out a few soldiers, although it effectively slowed their entire unit down. People were instinctively afraid of that much fire, after all.

“Now! Bring up the line!”

Orion seized the opportunity to have their soldiers advance, firing all the while. The enemy, still scattered by Harumi’s spell, was moving back from cover to cover. Koutarou’s team had expected them to hold the line in a defensive fight like this, but there was more going on here...

“They’re retreating faster than expected! Sun Rangers, can you do something?!” Harumi cried, her hair glowing silver and her face stricken with panic.

She was watching the soldiers beyond even Koutarou and Ralgwin as they loaded up personnel and cargo into the escape crafts. If they managed to get away, this fight would be for naught. Even if it were smaller in scale, Ralgwin would simply take his men elsewhere and set up shop all over again.

“I’m sorry, Instructor! We have our hands full already!”

“Kenichi-niichan, should we go?!”

“No, Kotaro! You and Megumi stay there no matter what!”

Harumi wanted the Sun Rangers to stop the fleeing enemy soldiers, but they were occupied with the current fighting at hand. In spite of high morale, they simply didn’t have the manpower to overcome the numbers against them. If the Sun Rangers left the imperial soldiers on their own, the team might fully collapse.

I can’t even go myself... What should I do?!

She didn’t let it show, but Harumi was anguished over the situation. She knew her magic could stop the soldiers, but she had no formal combat training and would put herself in grave danger if she went alone. She was also the team’s current pillar of support. Losing her would spell a damning defeat, and she knew it, leaving her to rue her own weakness. She burned with envy for Theia, who could fight boldly on her own without worry.

“This is bad, Kenichi! We’ll be too late at this rate, even if we manage to hold out!” Blue Shine saw the grim reality of their current situation. They’d need a daring move to turn the tables. “I might be able to pull it off!”

“Don’t, Hayato! That would be suicide!”

“But if we don’t do something, this will all be for nothing!”

Hayato knew good and well that going in alone would be suicide, but he saw no alternative. There was just too much at stake here. Come fall, there would be an influx of Forthorthians on Earth, and the thought of the terror that might befall them if Ralgwin escaped spurred him on.

“I’ll go instead! You’re not suited for close combat, Hayato!”

“But you’re our leader!”

“You can find a new leader later, but you can’t handle close combat right now! You follow me?!”

“Tch...”

If they were going to do this, they needed to make sure it would succeed. A lone fighter would inevitably be surrounded, and Hayato would be at a serious disadvantage with just his guns. Moreover, Kenichi thought he’d make a fine replacement leader. That was why he was willing to run the attack himself—with his pistol and sword, he was ideal for the job.

“Kotaro, give me some of your bombs!”

“Kenichi-niichan, are you serious?!”

“Hayato is right! If someone doesn’t go, it will be too late!”

“Calm down, Kenichi-kun!” Daisaku shouted as he swept an enemy away with his arm.

“Daisaku?!” Kenichi froze for a moment, but quickly recovered. He knew he couldn’t afford to hesitate. “There’s no time to mess around! I have to go now!”

“No one has to go. Just use this.”

There, Daisaku tossed Kenichi a small, oblong device covered by a transparent case. Seeing it, Kenichi’s eyes shot open wide.

“Isn’t this—”

“You said yourself there’s no time to mess around, didn’t you?” Daisaku said in a strikingly quiet voice.

“You’re absolutely right, Daisaku,” Kenichi replied with a nod and a bitter smile.

He then removed the transparent case and glanced back toward the gate.

“I’m sorry. This was your first battle and everything...” he whispered, apologizing to someone as he pressed the button.

Now that he was in Fasta’s sight, Koutarou couldn’t afford to stop moving. He decided to channel all his strength—bolstered by his armor, magic, and spiritual energy—into one definitive blow. The idea was to overpower Ralgwin and push him back, even if he blocked the blow, allowing Koutarou to keep moving.

“You really think I’ll answer you in a test of pure strength, Blue Knight?!”

“I bet you won’t! That’s why I’ll use this—”

There, Koutarou routed some of his energy into Kiriha’s gauntlet and unleashed a fireball.

“Shit! That thing!”

Ralgwin repelled it on reflex, which was only possible thanks to his spiritual energy blade. The big surprise, however, was what came next.

“Haaaaaaaah!”

Koutarou brought his sword down with a fierce battle cry. Having just used his sword to deflect the fireball, Ralgwin was in a poor position to defend himself a second time. It seemed he’d be knocked backward just as Koutarou had hoped, but...

Kaboom!

That was when something unexpected happened.

A sudden explosion rocked the entire base. When the shockwave hit the large open room where Koutarou and Ralgwin were fighting, Koutarou abandoned his attack and jumped back to safety. Ralgwin similarly sensed something amiss and activated his barrier before hurriedly turning to his subordinates for details.

“Fasta! What was that?! What happened?!” he shouted.

“I saw a large pillar of water!” she answered. “It appears something exploded in the waterway!”

“In the waterway?!”

While Ralgwin was thrown for a loop, Harumi contacted Koutarou via Signaltin to apprise him of the situation.

“Satomi-kun, the Sun Rangers used their submersible to take out the waterway leading outside. No one should be able to escape that way now.”

“So that’s what that was!”

This was the first bit of good news Koutarou had gotten in a while, and his voice and expression both brightened when he heard it. The waterway the Sun Rangers had just blown up was the only way to reach the front gate of the base from the dock.

“The enemy was preparing to escape much faster than we expected, so there was no time... The Sun Rangers made a hard decision.”

“It was definitely a daring move...”

Destroying their brand new Sun Diver was indeed a high price to pay for the Sun Rangers. Self-destructing it on its first mission would hamstring them for the foreseeable future, especially seeing as it was meant to be the legs of their combined craft. Sacrificing it was a costly loss for the Sun Rangers, but a necessary one—a testament to how dangerous they believed the situation to be.

Ralgwin learned of the situation from his subordinates not long after Koutarou. They’d sent an unmanned scout to investigate, and it had relayed dire news.

“Now you’ve done it, Blue Knight...” Ralgwin hissed.

“I didn’t tell them to do that,” Koutarou replied.

“Then you have some very crafty subordinates. And now you’ve got me with my back against the wall...”

According to the scout, the explosion had collapsed the waterway and made it impassable. A fish might be able to squeeze its way through if it was lucky, but retreat for Ralgwin and his men was now impossible.

“Nevertheless, you may have just wrung your own neck, Blue Knight.”

“If it puts a stop to your plots here and now, I’ll still call it a victory.”

Now that retreat was out of the question, Ralgwin decided to pour all of the soldiers and resources he had into this battle. Making a break for the service tunnel would be just as risky, so he chose to stay and fight it out with Koutarou instead.

“I’ll at least avenge my uncle.”

“Can’t you just surrender, Ralgwin?”

“If I kill you here, there may still be a way.”

The death of the Blue Knight would shake all of Forthorthe. The instability it would cause would be a heyday for insurgents seeking to overthrow the nation. If Ralgwin and the secrets of spiritual energy technology died here, future generations of rebels were unlikely to succeed... but there was still a chance, and Ralgwin clung to that.

“Think again, Ralgwin! I’ll crush you with all of my might, the same way I did your uncle!”

“Try it if you think you can win against these numbers!”

In terms of the fight at hand, Ralgwin still had an advantage. With all of his men now tapped for combat, they dramatically outmanned Koutarou’s side. He believed they may yet be able to overwhelm and kill the Blue Knight.

“You’ll regret underestimating me, Ralgwin. I’m warning you.”

“You won’t live long enough to make me regret anything!”

Ralgwin made the first move. Or rather, Fasta did. Koutarou knew her beam would come flying the instant he saw her intent to attack, but as long as he knew it was coming, there were still ways to block it. He focused on his left hand and gathered his spiritual energy in the form of a shield. Kiriha’s gauntlet was originally a weapon designed to conjure fireballs and lightning bolts, but they were still made out of spiritual energy. By holding it instead of releasing it, he could easily channel a shield instead.

Thwack!

A heavy impact struck Koutarou’s left arm, but that was all. The spiritual shield protected him from any real damage otherwise.

“Well played, Blue Knight!” Ralgwin shouted, pressing forward. “Too bad you’re already maxing yourself out!”

Since Koutarou had just stopped Fasta’s shot with his left arm, he only had his right to stop Ralgwin’s slash. He swiftly pulled back and deflected it with his sword. But...

Damn, he’s still coming?!

As his swing was counter to his movement backward, it didn’t bear Koutarou’s full strength. It pushed Ralgwin’s blade away, but not Ralgwin himself. This would have been a golden opportunity for GoL’s shoulder-mounted cannon, but alas, it had already been silenced. Koutarou would have to think of something else—and fast.

“Die, Blue Knight!”

Ralgwin was already upon him again, and if he stepped any farther back, he would just be lining up a shot for Fasta. The situation was grim.

“Put everything you’ve got into the distortion field!”

“As you wish, my lord.”

“And then...”

Boom!

Koutarou poured spiritual energy into his gauntlet and created a fireball that he detonated before releasing it. The explosion sent him flying to the right. Effectively, he’d used the blast like a gust of wind and his distortion field like a sail.

“Urgh, that smarts...”

“Alert: Eight motors have malfunctioned, reducing mobility by 8 percent.”

Koutarou heeded his armor’s warning as he leaned on his sword and used it to keep himself upright. The stunt he’d just pulled wasn’t without cost. Not only was his armor somewhat compromised, his whole body was racked with pain and his vision was a little narrower. But even so, there was no time to lose. The billowing flames of the explosion provided a certain amount of cover from ranged attacks, but he knew he needed to keep moving.

“So you’d rather taste your own explosion than my blade? Clearly the better choice, but not one easily made. I’m starting to see how it was you managed to defeat my uncle...”

Even while Koutarou was momentarily stunned, Ralgwin didn’t make a move. He’d been hit by the explosion too, and he knew Fasta had lost line of sight on Koutarou through the flames.

That’s the Blue Knight, all right. Even though I have every advantage, he’s still making this difficult...

Ralgwin had no intention of underestimating Koutarou. That was the fundamental difference between him and Vandarion. He knew if he charged Koutarou now, he’d be throwing himself in harm’s way. The Blue Knight had both hands back on his sword and was just waiting for a chance to attack.

“Nevertheless, you’ve managed to put yourself in a worse situation. I doubt even the Blue Knight has an inexhaustible supply of spiritual energy. How many more times can you use that trick, hmm? And it seems your armor is slowing down as well. I doubt you’ll be able to pull such a stunt again! What will you do now, Blue Knight?!”

“Oh, not much. Just keep believing and fighting.”

“Keep believing? In what?! Those soldiers on the verge of death over there?!”

There, Ralgwin finally moved to attack again. The flames had now died down, and Fasta had lined up another shot.

“I believe in something even bigger!” Koutarou rallied, stepping forward to meet him.

As if in support, Signaltin began glowing brighter as Koutarou moved. Suddenly, two new voices came to him through the sword: Yurika and Maki.

“Okay, Satomi-san!”

“Preparations are ready!”

This was it—the sign Koutarou was waiting for.

“Do it, you two!” he cried.

“Right!”

“Release Delay!”

The magicians were both holding spells on standby, and on Koutarou’s orders, they released their magic simultaneously.

“What are you planning at this stage of the game, Blue Knight?!”

“Just a little something. But it’ll be enough now.”

“Urgh!”

Instantly, two abnormalities seized Ralgwin. The first was a strange numbness through his body, although it wasn’t strong enough to incapacitate him. The second was a peculiar sensation in his right arm. Something just felt wrong, like there was sand in his gears. Combined, both anomalies threw him off.

“Haaaaaaaah!”

Koutarou took the opportunity to attack, charging the sluggish Ralgwin with Signaltin raised high. As he closed in, however, he sensed murderous hostility ready to pierce right through him.

“The sniper?! Oh well!”

Koutarou ignored it and swung his sword anyway. A rifle beam came hurtling toward him in that instant, but...

Cling!

The only thing it hit was Signaltin, deflecting off of it and burying itself in the floor.

“Gragh!”

Koutarou then landed a direct hit with his sword, electrified with Harumi’s magic, which left smoke rising from Ralgwin’s armor and sent him flying. Ralgwin took considerable damage in the process and found himself unable to move.

“J-Just what...”

He was struggling to understand what had happened. He knew it was the fault of the numbness and the strange feeling in his arm, but he still didn’t understand what had caused them.

“Did you forget?” said Koutarou. “We have a specialist in such attacks.”

“I see... So you spread some kind of weak chemical agent... through this sealed facility... and you’re using some means to counteract the effects yourselves... Damn it...”

Koutarou was alluding to the mistaken belief that he had a chemical weapons expert on his team, but the real specialists here were none other than magicians. Yurika and Maki had both cast wide-range spells. Yurika’s invoked numbness, while Maki’s manipulated targets’ minds so that they perceived a strange feeling in their right arms.

Both took some time to incant, and both girls had taken care to lower the potency of their spells since they would affect their allies as well as their enemies over such a large area. Thanks to that, the talismans Koutarou’s men had kept them safe. In fact, the majority of Ralgwin’s soldiers were able to withstand the spells’ effects as well. Only about one in three were completely immobilized or had dropped their weapons. Most were only partially affected.

Yet in a battle between skilled soldiers, that partial effect was fatal. Numbness and discomfort in one’s shooting arm were especially dangerous in such a close, heated battle. There was also the added panic of watching their fellow soldiers immobilized by the mysterious phenomenon. Moreover, Fasta had just missed a shot and Ralgwin had been sent flying. The soldiers of Vandarion’s faction were now rightfully quite rattled.

Yurika and Maki’s spells only lasted for thirty seconds or so, but it was a devastating thirty seconds. It was a well executed attack—and part of a well calculated plan.

“In truth, they were just making way for us!”

“Even given how strong Theia-dono and Shizuka are, we couldn’t risk concentrated fire on them as we entered such a wide area from the hallway. This was a necessary defensive measure.”

“Yeah, getting shot at is honestly terrifying, so I think it was a great plan.”

It was Kiriha’s plan, of course, and her real goal was to allow reinforcements a safe opportunity to reach Koutarou. Once she’d realized Ralgwin was trying to escape, she’d instructed everyone to head for his location. They thus wrapped up their immediate fights and made a beeline for him. They’d run into a few hiccups and smaller fights along the way, but they’d plowed through each one without a problem.

Yet still, even with such momentum, they couldn’t afford to rush right into the docks. The space had been blown wide open, so there was no cover upon entering from the hallway. They had to do something to stymie Ralgwin’s forces and make an opening for themselves. And the combination of spells they’d chosen for the job just happened to benefit Koutarou in the moment—or rather, hamper Ralgwin.

“Don’t you worry, Koutarou! Sanae-chan is here now!”

“Sanae, it’s dangerous to go in alone like that! Pardomshiha!”

“Right! I’ll send the fighters with her!”

Kiriha had thought to outfit all of their soldiers with talismans in case Ralgwin already had magic at his disposal, and they’d proved especially useful here by protecting them from friendly fire. Thus Kiriha’s plan was a great success. Not only did she manage to reunite her team and Clan’s with Koutarou, but she also managed to take Ralgwin and his men by surprise. The tables had turned almost instantly.

“Lord Veltlion, this is Nefilforan. We just took care of the sniper unit.”

“That’s great news. Thanks.”

“Just doing my job.”

The one who’d made all this possible, however, was Princess Nefilforan. She’d seized a narrow victory in the service tunnel and then sent her spare forces into the base as reinforcements. She got them to watch Kiriha and the others’ backs as they rushed the dock. She’d also covered Yurika and Maki while they were casting their spells.

And she didn’t stop there. She took her most elite soldiers farther in and challenged Fasta’s squad. They were still locked in combat even now, but Nefilforan had forced them to retreat and driven them out of the dock. Thanks to that, Koutarou wouldn’t have to worry about being sniped anymore.

“It’s over, Ralgwin.”

“It appears I have no choice but to accept that. And I haven’t even avenged my uncle...”

Ralgwin readily admitted defeat. His armor wasn’t functioning and Fasta had retreated. Even if he continued to fight, the outcome was clear. He no longer had any chance of winning, and he recognized that. So, in spite of his frustration, he resigned himself to his fate. Ralgwin always kept his cool, even now.

“This is a message to all forces. Cease all combat and—”

But just as he was issuing the order to surrender, something unexpected happened in the dock once more. A misty gray smoke suddenly filled the entire room, robbing Koutarou and the others of their ability to see.

“What?! Clan, what’s happening?!”

“I don’t know either! My sensors and radar are being jammed!”

“Koutarou, it’s that thing! It’s coming! The creepy gray spinning thing!”

“What?!”

Sanae was referring to the whirlpool of chaos—the very same one that had preyed on the likes of Dark Purple and Vandarion. It fed off of malice in exchange for power, making it an exceedingly dangerous force of evil. Sanae had sensed it amidst the mist that was blocking their sight and sensors. She feared what might happen if this was some kind of attack, and Koutarou was now similarly worried.

“Be careful, everyone! If that whirlpool is around, danger’s imminent!”

He couldn’t see anything, but Koutarou was ready to move at a moment’s notice. He could sense a presence in the mist... but he couldn’t tell if it was the mist itself or simply the enemy soldiers. Either way, he was on his guard.

“What’s going on...?”

About a minute had passed since the gray mist first appeared, and it was now gradually beginning to subside.

“Koutarou, it’s dissipating!”

“Don’t get impatient, Theia! Haste will only endanger you here!”

“I know that! Not even I would try something reckless under the circumstances!”

There was no discernible movement among the enemy, and the mist didn’t seem to be harming Koutarou and the girls. The whirlpool of chaos kept its distance. But when the mist faded completely, they saw what had happened...

“What in the world?!” Koutarou shouted. “Ralgwin and his men are gone?!”

“Impossible! Where could that many people have disappeared to?!” Theia likewise exclaimed.

Yet as hard as it was to believe, Koutarou, the girls, and their soldiers were the only ones at the dock now. Koutarou doubted his eyes at first, but the girls’ confusion rivaled his. He clearly wasn’t imagining things... Ralgwin and his soldiers really had vanished.