Chapter 102 - Wall of Resolve

――Todd Fang did not consider himself to be particularly cautious or meticulous.

The result of single-mindedly probing “as a matter of course” was to close every conceivable loophole, cover all potential outcomes, and assume the worst in order to reduce missteps to the extent of one’s capabilities.

Even if all of this was executed, the opponent could still have prepared a strategy, action, or trump card which rendered one completely helpless with no recourse.

He was aware that this was the extent of his innate abilities and a reality he had to come to terms with.

Fortunately, I have never encountered such beings and even if I did, I have been able to avoid any decisive conflict, which allowed me to survive to this day.

However――,

Todd: [――At any rate, I've been quite unlucky as of late.]

Looking back over the past month or two, a rather short period of time, Todd lamented to himself.

The woes began when he was incorporated into a group of troops deployed from the Imperial Capital to the east. Just as he was reminiscing about his separation from his fiancée Katya, he made the worst possible discovery.

A man and a woman had been swept down the river near their encampment―― setting aside the woman, the man had started off all of the bad luck that befell Todd thereafter.

As previously mentioned, Todd did not consider himself special, yet he could not make heads or tails of that man whatsoever. ――He was ordinary, yet extraordinary.

Few words had been exchanged, and their interactions were short-lived, but the person in question had been completely unaware of that.
 
Before and since then, Todd had seen several of those so-called heroic beings.

While everyone was aware of the fact that their own existence was outside the norm and that they had no choice but to walk their own unique path, that man was the only exception to the rule.

It was terrifying. So, the only thing he could think about afterwards was to kill that man at any cost whenever the opportunity arose.

However, once it had become clear that said goal was unobtainable, Todd immediately abandoned his policy of extermination and chose to stay away from that pest. It was best not to get involved.

It was likewise necessary to sacrifice Jamal, his umbrella that protected him from the rain, as his only desperate recourse to rescue the captive Arakiya. He had thought that by winning the favor of the more powerful and influential Arakiya, he would be able to escape from the unwanted position he had been placed in. ――But his plan had completely backfired.
 
Chasing undesired vengeance for Jamal, Katya had ultimately been left behind in the Imperial Capital while he had to somehow make use of the empty-headed and utterly selfless Arakiya as he found himself in the middle of a major rebellion against the emperor raging throughout the entire empire.
 
Absolutely nothing, truly nothing, was going smoothly.

It seemed like the beginning of all this misery had been brought onto him by that pest. So he was hoping that at least his calculations here would work out――.

Todd: [――My bad, my bad, and here I was going to get them all at once.]

Sneaking deep into enemy territory and launching a preemptive surprise attack.

Todd grumbled to himself as he looked at the remaining enemies after the first round of armed troops had been disposed of.

There were three opponents――two girls and one delicate-looking guy. Even though he had finished off their entire force of soldiers from the get-go, Todd did not consider it to be the best outcome.

Rather, he accepted that the military gain had been minimal.

Originally, the reason why Todd had left his post and ventured into the enemy camp was to take out an opponent who was demonstrating extraordinary capabilities in information warfare ――someone who would be a nuisance in this battle for the Imperial Capital.
 
In a large-scale battle of this magnitude, the accurate dissemination of information was a critical factor which could be the difference between life and death.

Frankly, Todd believed that this was the main reason why the rebels could keep up with the Imperial Army’s solid defenses and one-man armies, being the Nine Divine Generals, despite their only boast being strength in numbers.

In a human body, the commander of a group would either correlate to the head or the heart. Both would be fatal if crushed, and since this was common knowledge, they were naturally protected. However, no matter how hard the head or the heart were to work, if the vessels which allowed blood to circulate did not function, the body would not be able to last.

In that sense, the “blood vessels” were the most crucial enemies to eliminate on a battlefield, since they fulfilled the most vital role in deciding the course of the battle.

Todd: [It's easy to just answer "There are no women or children in the battlefield," but then the residents of the Imperial City would get caught up in this. Besides, ain't that a bit too convenient?]

Todd appraised his opponents, exchanging words that should not be exchanged.

The three opponents appeared to be as described above, but there was no definitive proof as to which of them was the “blood vessel” Todd was wary of.

The two young girls hardly seemed appropriate for the battlefield.

They appeared to be in their early teens, much like the Flying Dragon General Madelyn Eschart, but while she was instantly recognizable as a being on a higher level, both these girls were likely human.
 
However, the very fact that they had no right to be here raised suspicion that the girls were meant to be here as they were.

Todd: [If you were a non-combatant who was just left behind on the battlefield, your current logic might hold. But I don't recognize a man who serves on the battlefield as a non-combatant.]

On the other hand, the delicate-looking man openly confronting Todd was not a warrior, but he came the closest to his impression of a “blood vessel.”

In terms of powerlessness, he was not much different from the girls, but there was something off about the look in his eyes. A shrewd look, the kind that turned one's own life into a tool with impunity, hiding behind a thin facade.

He could not let his eyes be drawn to the delicate-looking man, nor could he let his guard down against the two girls.

One of the girls had an strangely determined look in her eyes, and the other unmistakably had the readiness and posture of a warrior. Even though this was not uncommon in Vollachia, the latter had probably already taken a life or two.

If one had experience in killing, even if they were a young girl, they had overcome the wall of resolve.

In other words, you could never afford to let your guard down.

Todd: [Who knows. But my gut is telling me. You are the root of all evil in this war. And my gut also tells me this.]

Three opponents, each of whom caused Todd to be wary in their own way.

It was also unacceptable that he was also trying to look for openings, or plotting to create one, while conversing with Todd ――Although he still had trouble picking out who to prioritize as a target.

Todd: [――It’s better not to waste time with you guys either.]

They were all targets that must be killed, that was Todd's irrevocable conclusion.

△▼△▼△▼△

――Otto Suwen often cursed his own carelessness.

Although he wound up in the stickiest of situations coming to the Vollachian Empire as a result of both Natsuki Subaru and Rem disappearing, there were also many outside factors to consider.

The part Petra had just rebuked him for was also one matter which he needed to reflect deeply.

Using the “Divine Protection of Soul Language,” he dominated the battlefield in this siege of the Imperial Capital.

This policy, which he had declared confidently and carried out with the help of Petra, changed the shape of the battlefield without prejudice or conceit.

The power of the “Divine Protection of Soul Language,” combined with Petra's Yang Magic magnifying Otto's hearing―― kept track of ever-changing battlefield formations and positions, providing ongoing information.

Of course, the information gathered would be a wasted effort if it could not be used accordingly, but personality aside, Abel had met Otto's expectations in terms of his abilities, utilizing it splendidly.

Too few people knew how much Otto's work contributed to this battlefield, but Otto was not concerned with evaluation.

In any case, nothing that happened in the Vollachian Empire could be divulged to the outside world.

It would be worth publicizing if this were the Kingdom of Lugunica, but an evaluation of his work in the Empire would be nothing more than a useless risk. So evaluation was secondary.

Otto: [All we need is an outcome that brings back Natsuki-san and Rem. …And, without sacrifice.]

Sacrificing themselves for the sake of bringing back Subaru and Rem would be getting their priorities mixed.

Those were the minimum objectives of this journey, and simultaneously the greatest achievements. ――Rather, it was not that there were more important goals, but that there were no other goals to begin with.

Therefore, he was prepared to employ all the cards he had in his hand on the battlefield, and was admonished by Petra for his recklessness.

He reflected a lot on that―― but it still was not enough.

And the result of failing to compensate for his carelessness, was the Imperial Soldier with an axe in his hand in front of him.

Todd: [――My bad, my bad, and here I was going to get them all at once.]

An Imperial Soldier with a bandana wrapped around his head looked at them while gripping a long-handled axe.

Otto, defending Petra behind his back, cursed his own carelessness greatly in the face of an opponent demonstrating a thoroughly ruthless and pragmatic judgment.

How the gathered information was handled was left to Abel, who could use it best.

But the crux of information warfare lies in how to obtain the information to handle in the first place. Most of the time, people would overlook that part and be tempted to target the main body that handled the information instead.

However, the man in front of him was different.

Todd: [It's easy to just answer "There are no women or children in the battlefield", but then the residents of the Imperial City would get caught up in this. Besides, ain't that a bit too convenient?]

The man who thus appeared before Otto and his comrades had clear intentions―― to target Otto and his comrades who gathered the information, rather than the main camp where Abel utilized the gathered information.

Regardless if they were opponents with a thin vigilance and few guards, the outcome would be the same if they were decapitated. The less information there was to handle, the less precise Abel's command would be. There was no reason not to do it.

Otto himself would have done it if he were in the same position as his opponent.

That was why――,

Todd: [If you were a non-combatant who was just left behind on the battlefield, your current logic might hold. But I don’t recognize a man who serves on the battlefield as a non-combatant.]

He observed the man in detail, while feeling that his statement was reasonable.

There were two main questions: how did he show up here without being caught in Otto's channel, and how did he locate Otto and his team?

It was safe to assume that the two questions could probably be answered by the same reason.

That this man's peculiarities of some kind had allowed him to bypass the channel and locate the source of the transmission.

Todd: [Who knows. But my gut is telling me. You are the root of all evil in this war. And my gut also tells me this.]

Otto wanted to find clues to this from the conversation, but the man was thorough, as per his initial analysis.

He understood that not saying much would allow him to defend himself. Unlike the kind typical of the Empire, who used overwhelming force to subdue their opponents, the man had a cunning attitude.

These enemies, were formidable. ――An opponent who thought he was weak was a threat.

Because of that――,

Todd: [――It’s better not to waste time with you guys either.]

The man leapt straight at him, swinging his long-handled axe.

In response, Otto gritted his teeth while pouring all his energy into avoiding the first blow. He poured it in, then braced himself. ――He wondered how far he could get against the man with minimal preparation.

△▼△▼△▼△

――Petra Leyte regretted her lack of discipline whenever she was put through adversity.

Due to her young age, Petra was often spoiled by her peers in the camp, but she had decided that it would be a different matter to resign to her position as a child and accept her own immaturity.
 
If this were because of a mistake she had made in her daily life at the mansion, in the course of her duties as a maid, she might not have had to take it so seriously.
 
However, depending on the situation, such complacency would eventually lead to a serious mistake.

Not to mention the constant nervousness.
 
However, she must at all times achieve what was expected of her. That was Petra's approach to thinking about things, or at least that was the immature ideal she aspired to.

That was why――,

Todd: [――It’s better not to waste time with you guys either.]

Trembling from head to toe, she looked up at the imperial soldier who swooped in with an axe in his hand.
 
At the edge of her vision, which was soaked with welled-up tears, she could see the charred corpse of the messenger who had been burned by raging flames.
 
If Otto had not frantically pulled her out of the way, she too would have lost her life. That fact left a crack in Petra’s spirit, and at the same time――,

Otto: [Petra-chan!]

As he called out her name, Petra was moved by the great faith Otto had in her.

Abandoning his attitude towards the role of a "young lady" that Petra had provisionally played, Otto's voice jolted the actual Petra and broke her free from the fear and regret petrifying her.

Thereupon――,

Otto: [――Number seven!]

At Otto's signal, Petra reflexively lifted her arm.

A moment later, Petra's mind was filled with anxiety. She had been entrusted with this role after proclaiming that she could do it, but there was no denying that it was a spur-of-the-moment course of action.
 
She had practiced the whole time. So she was aware of her own strength to fight when it came time to perform.

And then there was――,

Petra: [――Subaru.]

Calling out the name of her loved one to scatter the surplus of anxiety, she simply grit her teeth.

Petra: [――Jiwald!]

A ray of white light shot out from Petra's fingertips as she chanted this.
 
It was one of the few offensive spells within Yang Magic, a spear of light that pierced anything in its path―― but only when wielded by a first-rate master, and the inexperienced Petra did not meet that standard.

Petra's Jiwald inflicted a burn at best, rather than killing a living target.

Nethertheless, that was fine.

Petra: [――――]

The white light emitted from her fingertips was not directed at the man who had leaped at her, but at the ground diagonally behind him. It was their rehearsed move “number seven,” disguised as to not look unnatural.

The goal was not to burn the man. ――The aim was to ignite what had been prepared.

Todd: [Wha-]

Otto's specialty, a ground trap using Fire Magic Stones.

Ten traps had been prepared in case Otto, who searched for enemies using open “channels,” and Petra who assisted him, were targeted.

Because of the number of magic stones he could carry and the fact that he had to move around while searching for enemies, he could hardly be perfectly prepared. Even so, Otto had said “You never know what might be useful" and his almost insidiously meticulous preparation now came to fruition as the ground behind the man exploded.

Todd: [――Hk.]

Instantly, the man's vigilance shifted slightly behind his back.
 
As Petra had been instructed, the explosion did not blow up under the man's feet or even close to him, so the shock and heat of the explosion did not reach him. Merely, it drew his attention backwards ever so slightly.
 
That was enough for the girl looking for an opening on which to pounce.

???: [Oyraaa――!]

Swinging a barbarian sword in her hand, Medium plunged into her opponent's chest.

While not much taller than Petra, the blonde girl cut boldly into the opponent's arm with a bravery entirely different to Petra's, and began to slash away at the axe-wielder's arm.

Todd: [Tsk.]

The man, distracted and clicking his tongue, twisted his wrist and quickly parried Medium's blow with his axe. They both shrugged off each other's initial blows, and got back to square one――,

Medium: [Another! Another! Anotheeerrr!]

Despite their initial expectations, Medium was not that weak-willed at all.
 
Even if her opponent's attack bounced off her sword, she used that momentum to unleash an empowered sword strike. If her opponent dodged that strike, she would use the momentum to spin around again for yet another sword strike.
 
The sword dance was like an unstoppable flow of water from a rising river――,

Otto: [Number four!]

Petra: [Yes.]

Tapping the captivated Petra on the shoulder, Otto's next instruction came flying in. 
 
Once the signal was given, she would shoot magic at the designated spot without thinking. ――When she agreed to accompany Otto on his travels around the battlefield, she was told that this was the most important condition.
 
Therefore, Petra was determined to follow those instructions, forgetting all fears and anything else.

Petra: [Jiwald!]

The magic was released once again, but this time the ground exploded at a much closer spot than before.
 
Perhaps the man may have thought they would avoid embroiling Medium since they were in the middle of crossing swords. But that was a naive thought.

Otto: [If necessary, we will involve Medium-san.]

Petra: [I'll cast a healing spell on you later, okay?]

Medium: [Uoooh!I don't really get it, but I can't stop now!]

The explosion detonated a few meters away and struck them in a way betraying such naiveté.
 
Ruthless as it may have been, Petra agreed with Otto's way of thinking. The reality of survival by accepting some wounds was more important than the ideal scenario of them getting through unscathed.

Despite her skin being scorched by the heat of the explosion, Medium's momentum never stopped.
 
With a sense of gratitude and guilt, Petra and Otto gave their all to defeat this assassin――,

Todd: [Oi, oi, give me a break.]

The moment they looked closer, the man said this within the sound of the explosion.
 
It sounded awfully clear and there was not even a sliver of anger or impatience from having suffered any setback. It was more like a strange, out-of-place sentiment.
 
Rather, the man's voice was filled with exasperation.

Todd: [Are we thinking the same thing?]

The moment Petra heard that, goosebumps ran all over her body.
 
Even without understanding these words, the intent behind them felt clear as day.

Otto: [Number two!]

Just when Petra was about to realize the true nature of the shiver in a little more detail, at Otto's scream she promptly abandoned all thought and immediately obeyed.
 
The Jiwald she fired off transferred heat to the magic stone hidden in the ground, just as before. ――However, Petra's finger was now pointing beneath their own feet.

Petra: [――――]

A white light flashed under their feet, turning red and causing a shockwave.
 
After doing it, Petra realized that it was an emergency escape plan, something that Otto had prefaced with, "I would rather not use it because it will hurt."
 
And in fact, Petra's small body was launched into the air as her soles bounced off the overflowing light. However, she did not ascend unprotected.

Gripped by an arm that reached out with a "Guh," Petra's body was embraced by Otto's slender frame.
 
Of course, Otto's body was also sent flying by the same impact, but Otto chose to avoid making the mistake of flying away in a direction where they would be separated and unable to support each other, or at least to minimize the damage Petra's body would suffer.

Otto's decision allowed Petra not to complain nor stiffen, but to use Yang Magic as quickly and strongly as possible, to make Otto's body ever so slightly resistant to the impact.
 
By doing this, their bodies bounced off the ground. Immediately after that――,

Petra: [――――]

With a bang, a powerful detonation exploded at the same spot where Petra and Otto had been until just before.

Catching a glimpse of the identity behind the explosion sound, Petra's eyes witnessed a flame which seemed to be the same thing that had burned the two messengers.

Said flame aimed to burn Petra and the others from behind.

Petra: [That axe…]

He made them think that he was going to cut down Petra and the others, but his real goal was the Fire Magic Stones planted behind them.

The man's refusal to engage in a head-on confrontation was his specialty, and the fact that it overlapped with Otto's preparedness was probably the true explanation behind the man's grumblings.

Petra: [Tch!]

Petra almost simultaneously arrived at the same thought as Otto who was tumbling to the ground while holding Petra in his arms.

Otto grunted in pain as he rolled on the hard ground and bit his teeth while being bombarded by shockwaves. However, Otto immediately got to his knees on the spot and turned to face the man while lifting up Petra’s body.

Petra also supported Otto's body and glared at the man who was some distance away.

However, contrary to the concerns of Petra and the others, the man did not immediately give chase.

They understood right away why that was as well as his intention behind it.

Todd: [I don't really want to do that though.]

While spilling that out, the man with an axe pointed at them and turned his head to check.

The man sniffed at the scent of burning grass turning into black smoke as he felt under his feet where the explosion had occurred.

Todd: [There, and there. And then, over there.] 

Petra widened her eyes at what followed, after the man had quietly muttered something.

The man had turned his head, and the ground had exploded in his line of sight. It was number six. Then the ninth and the first, followed by the fifth and the eighth, and so on.

Petra: [B-But how…]

Otto: [...No way, a Spirit?]

It was a surprise that he had seen through the traps’ hiding places, but they could not comprehend how he had blown them up.

Otto's words made Petra gasp at the mysterious method of the man, who showed no signs of using magic the same way as Petra had induced the explosion.

If he were a Spiritual Arts User, that would make him the same as Subaru and Emilia.

From Petra’s perspective, she was severely reluctant to admit the man in front of her as the same kind of person as two people whom she loved so dearly in many ways――,

Petra: [But, there is no Spirit to be seen here…]

Todd: [There's more than one way to get them to comply. If they don't want to be eaten, that is.]

Petra: [Eh?]

Otto: [I'm not just saying this out of spite, but it's probably for the best if we don’t listen to him.]

Petra, who couldn't understand his reply, froze with wide eyes. And then, with a tap on her shoulders, Otto immediately brought her back to her senses.

It was impossible to tell whether the man’s reply was intended to create an opening or whether he was partly telling them the truth.

However, one thing could be said for certain.

Petra: [I despise you.]

Medium: [I feel the same!]

In response to Petra, a small shadow flew, clenching her fists tightly whilst shouting.

It was Medium, who had been wary of the mysterious man's peculiar skill so she chose an opportune moment to strike. She slipped into the smoke created by the series of explosions the man had set off, and aimed at her opponent's back by lunging her barbarian sword all the way from the other side.

After patiently enduring for a long time, her bold blow went straight for the man's back――,

Todd: [Of the three of you, you're the easiest to read.]

Medium: [――Ah.]

Leaning his body to the side, the man had escaped the downward trajectory of the barbarian sword.

Just like that, the man turned himself around and thrust his axe towards Medium who was behind him.

Todd: [You're the only one who does things the imperial Way. It's absolutely sickening.]

Petra: [Medium-chan!]

The sight of the man's relentless axe was absorbed by the screaming Petra, who was trailing behind, and Medium's wide-eyed face.

△▼△▼△▼△

――Medium O'Connell did not put too much thought into all of this.

Strictly speaking, Medium had a lot to think about on her own.

She was always worried about her brother, Flop O'Connell, and at the same time she trusted him. When she heard that he had been taken away from the Fortress City, the surprise and worry were enough that her chest was about to burst; but her brother would have probably panicked if he had known her body had shrunk while she was on her own.

So she thought that they were about even in terms of worry and trust.

Flop: [Dear sister! Rather than racking our brains, we arrive at way better solutions when we think with our hearts. That seems especially the case for you, so keep that in mind!]

Those words that her brother had said considerably earlier served as an important guiding light within Medium, irrespective of her chest being shrunk or not.

Since thinking about things with the heart tended to be linked to completely nonsensical, outrageous statements, it was also detested by some. Abel in particular seemed to find it quite disagreeable.

But what her brother said was great. In fact, this approach had worked out great for Medium.

Medium: [As expected, big bro is awesome!]

Of course, if that made everything go well, she wouldn’t have become smaller, her brother wouldn’t have been taken to the capital, Rem wouldn’t have disappeared, Natsumi wouldn’t have been flung away, Chaosflame wouldn’t have been destroyed, and Emily and the others wouldn’t have been all over the place, probably.

There was no way everything would go well.

However, as far as Medium’s actions were concerned, it was the best way to achieve the optimal outcome.

For that reason, the moment an axe had swung violently at her defenseless face after her surprise attack from behind had failed, Medium did not panic, even while thinking, “Ah, I’m dead.”

It was similar to feeling no regret after taking the best possible action and fulfilling one’s role to the end, but one would still end up losing because the outcome was inevitable.

Of course, she hated the thought of dying here since it would leave her heartbroken after being unable to reunite with her brother, and she was full of regret for not being able to help her new friends like Rem and Natsumi.

However, after thinking through things with her heart, Medium took the best possible bargain she could.

The results came down, for want of a better word, to luck――if it didn’t work out, her life was forfeit, as it was the way of the world here in Vollachia.

However――,

Medium: [――――]

Just before it slashed her face, the thick axe blade sparked and was repelled.

While just barely feeling the scent of steel in her nose, Medium exhaled slightly,

Medium: [As expected, big bro is awesome. I haven’t even died once doing things this way.]

???: [――Oh, I'm jealous of that. I've completely lost count.]

Medium, expressing how the method her brother had taught her saved her once again, was answered by the person who had bounced away the axe that should have taken her life.

What had been swung was the Blue Dragon Sword that was as thick as the axe that was repelled―― The person gripping it was quite strange, with his appearance earning high marks from Medium’s perspective.

Todd: [You’re...]

Todd turned his gaze to the person that had stepped in, the man who protected Medium when she was sure to have been killed and moved his lips in displeasure.

The man who interrupted him―― a one-armed wanderer with a jet-black helmet hiding his face said, "Sorry to interrupt your good mood.”

One-Armed Man: [I was wondering where things looked worst, but as people say, “It’s darkest right below the lamp post.” But man, is it seriously troubling when the future is this dark.]

Todd: [――――]

The man who had quietly come to kill the non-combatants assumed a cautious stance.

However, it was not the stance of a lion cutting corners against a rabbit, but that of a hunter who was wary that the rabbit had disguised itself as something else, and seeing that, the wanderer―― Al shrugged.

And then――,

Al: [That dark future is out of my hands. I can't even see the stars in it after all.]

Thus, he had declared his participation in this battle.