*

　Lucas woke up feeling refreshed.
　The pain in his chest that had been going on day after day was gone like a lie, and he wasn't sweating.
　Maybe it was a good thing he slept well.
　The rebels had harassed me again last night, but I fell asleep as soon as I got into bed.
　I got out of bed and sleeved up my jacket, which had been completely soiled over the past few days.
　I wonder if it's because I'm determined to make it even more lovable.

''........Determination?''

　Lucas muttered softly.
　The bread brought by the Transportation Corps last night had been laced with poison.
　Thanks to the quick action, no one had died, but they could not eat the food.
　Since they couldn't tell if it was poisoned or not, they had no choice.
　The men were screaming that Baron Treis had betrayed them or that the rebels were manipulating them, but Lucas thought that they were neither.
　His methods were too blatant for betrayal, and his timing was too bad for manipulation.
　It seemed more natural to think that one of the people who made the bread was related to the village he had destroyed, and that he had laced it with poison in order to avenge them.
　In any case, they were still deprived of a choice.
　They didn't have any military provisions and it would have taken too long to go back for them.
　Even if they were to be requisitioned, there was only a limited number of places where they would have enough provisions to feed seventeen thousand men.
　The only thing we can do is to capture the field positions while we can and take control of Sylvania.

...you sound like a bandit.

　Or a bunch of locusts, and I chuckle at the thought of that.
　If this was going to happen, I should have submitted a proposal to the Director of Military Affairs, Ralph Libra, to review the operation.

'It would have been useless anyway,'

　The man thinks too much in terms of logic.
　Of course, logic is important in planning a strategy, but people fail even in situations where their lives are at stake, and they can't just accept everything because it's right.
　When Lucas stepped out of the tent, the infantry were waiting in formation.
　An older man ran up to him.

''Commander of the Legion, we've been expecting you.
Thank you.

　Lucas moves into a place where the infantry can see into view.

'Leaning in!'

　The man shouted, and the infantry turned to look at us.

'First, I need to tell you all something!　As you may know, the rations brought in by the Transportation Corps were laced with poisonous material!

　Lucas raised his voice.

'At this rate we will starve and lose our ability to fight!　The rebels will kill us all, and we will be helpless to do so!　Before that, we must capture the enemy field positions and conquer Sylvania!

　A chill runs down my spine as he speaks to me.
　This is a gamble.
　Whether the infantrymen will lose their motivation at Lucas' words or become motivated - a sentiment that amounts to desperation - when there's no more to go around is at stake.

"There's food in Sylvania, there's money!　I'll be accommodated to ensure that those who have done particularly fine work are knighted at the very least!
Bastards!　It's the brink of losing and losing everything, or winning and gaining everything!　Bark if you want to win!　Overwhelm the rebels with your voice!　Oooooh!
Oooooh!

　The man barked, and the infantry followed suit.

'Keep your voice down!　Are you geldings?　Let the Lord Legionnaire show him how serious you guys are!
"Oh, wow!

　The infantry turned red in the face and let out a yell.
　Their voices shook not only the atmosphere, but also Lucas's heart.

''You guys meant what you said!
Come on, Lord Commander, mount your horse. This one is a bold one... and he was eating his flesh and blood at the sound of the bomb.

　Lucas rode the horse the man had brought with him.

'Let's go!　Move on--
Legionnaire!

　It was Philip who interrupted Lucas's words.

'What?'
What should we do?
As I explained to you, you'll have to stay on the streets to avoid being attacked from behind.
Okay.

　Philip had a dissatisfied look on his face, but it was no doubt an important mission.
　There were less than seven hundred members of the Kingsguard who survived.
　According to what the Transportation Corps captain told me, the number of enemy cavalry was five or sixty.
　They could not be easily broken through if they built a barricade with a large eighteen-wheeled vehicle.
　Suddenly a feeling of unease rose in me.
　They were worried about whether Philip and the others would build a barricade with the eighteen-wheeled cart.

He said, "Don't forget to barricade them with the eighteen-wheeled cart. Without a barricade, you won't be able to stop the enemy cavalry.''
I know!

　Feeling foolish, Philip raised his voice.

'Let the march begin!'

　Lucas shouted loudly and circled his horse's neck.
　As he let the horse advance, regular footsteps followed.

'Was it alright?'
I'll be fine.

　Lucas let out a sigh.
　I thought I didn't have much time left, but I'm feeling better than ever today.
　Perhaps I still have some time left.
　Thinking about that, I feel the desire to reorganize the Eighth Konoe Order.

''Well........only after I survive.

　Lucas could only chuckle.



　I can understand how the general feels, said Mino, and he looked at the enemy - the imperial army - from the field position.
　The imperial army formed a flank formation facing the field position, and the enemy commander--Lucas--was waiting behind them.
　He didn't have the ability to instantly grasp the numbers, but he could tell that the Imperial Army had thrown in almost all of its troops.
　My stomach peristalsizes in circles, and if I don't put some effort into my anus, I think I'm going to run the larger one out of my pants.
　I thought I had brazen nerves, but apparently it was only an assumption.
　If he recalled it well, he had never felt the pressure he was under now while holding the position of second-in-command.
　I had a sense of responsibility for my job and the need to support Crono, but that's just being a deputy officer.
　Even now, my position hasn't changed, but what I'm carrying on my back has grown.
　Not only the lives of the imperial army here - the lives of the six thousand and seven hundred or so people in the early and late shifts combined, but also the future of the Marquis of Erakis and Count Caddo's territory is at stake.
　No, it's not only our own future that hangs in the balance, but the future of those who will follow us.
　It would be crazy not to be nervous about this.

''........we have no choice but to do it.

　As soon as I thought there was no other way to fight and win, I felt a whole lot better.
　The man who ran away from his parents' house because he didn't want to work at the quarry could fight for his future.
''Bastards!　From now on, we're fighting for our future! (BUMO!)
　Mino raised her voice.

'Some of these guys were at a loss because they didn't know how to get to a better tomorrow!　Some of them were suffering because they didn't know what they were about to be crushed by!' Bum!　Bummo!　(Bumo!)

　That's what Mino had been like before he met Crono.
　It felt like he was walking through a fog.
　Even though he felt like he couldn't go on like this, he didn't know how to get out of the fog.

''But now it's different!　The invisible enemy has been brought to our doorstep!　The fact that it's real means it can fight!　If we can fight, it means we can win!　We can fight and win the future!　We're going to win! Bum!　(Bumo!)
Oooooh!

　Mino pumped his fist and shouted, and his men shouted a yell.
　At that moment, a large eight-wheeled cart came out in front of the side camp.
　Perhaps to protect against arrows, the eighteenth cart is facing the opposite direction, and a shield has been installed.
　I don't know what you're thinking, but you should be the first to destroy it.

'Charge!'

　Lucas shouted, and the big eight-wheeler began to move.
　It gradually increased in speed.

''Archers, get ready!'' (BUMO!)

　Following Mino's orders, the archers set up their machine gun bows.
　The number of archers has doubled from yesterday as they have invested their entire strength.
　But it will be difficult to hold them back.
　The archers' task is to reduce the number of the enemy and reduce the load of the crossbowmen - the volunteer soldiers.

''Let go!'' (BUMO!)

　The archers shoot arrows in unison, but they fall in front of the Daihachi car.
　The Daihachi carriage pushes forward as if there are no arrows in it.
　No, I should say that it has no choice but to advance.
　The wheelbarrow is useful for carrying goods, but it is not very maneuverable.
　If they were going that fast, they would have to make only a slight correction in the direction they were going.
　The arrows that had been piercing the ground at the time of whether or not the eighteenth cart passed or not emit light.
　A roaring sound rang out, and the earth erupted like a fountain.
　The large eighteen-wheeled vehicles broke through the dust cloud, revealing themselves one by one.
　Some of them seemed to have been destroyed by the explosion, but the damage was probably ten or twenty percent.

''Archers, unleash!'' (BUMO!)

　Once again the archers fire their arrows, but they are not as aligned as they were the first time.
　The large eight-wheeler, or rather the lizardman pushing it, runs hard through the spewing of dirt.
　The arrows explode right under the eighteen wheeler, and the lizardman flies up with the entire eighteen wheeler.
　In addition, the enemy soldiers on the Daihachi cart are thrown out with the luggage.
　Mino's eyes widened in astonishment as he realized the identity of the luggage.
　What the Daihachi carriage was carrying was a piece of cloth.
　Perhaps it was a tent.
　But Mino wasn't surprised by the tent.
　He was surprised that the enemy had found a way to break through an obstacle made of iron thorns.
　Iron thorns are a fearsome weapon.
　Ordinary weapons, as well as ordinary magic and magic items, cannot destroy it.
　However, if they were covered with a thick cloth, they could break through without being destroyed.

''Archers!　Let go! Buh-buh-buh!

　The archers fired arrows and a series of explosions occurred.
　Even so, the enemy soldiers did not stop moving.
　That's because they know the only way to live is to move forward.
　A crunching sound could be heard.
　It was the sound of a large eight-wheeler hitting an obstacle made of iron thorns.

'Charge!'
Oooooh!

　Following Lucas's orders, the enemy infantry began to run.
　Not all of them, but a few rows from the front.
　It's a foolish idea to bring in forces in succession, but with the iron thorns blocking their path, it's hard to say that.
　It's because if you let your soldiers advance when they can't move on, they will only become targets.

''Archers!　'Aim at the one who has the cloth! (MU MU MU MU!)

　Following Mino's order, an archer shoots an enemy soldier carrying a cloth.
　An enemy soldier is shot through by an arrow and goes down, and another enemy soldier takes over.
　The area around the obstacle made of iron thorns was quickly filled with dead bodies.
　But it wasn't a wasted death.
　It was because the iron thorns were disabled in exchange for the soldier's life.

'Charge!'
Oooooh!

　The enemy soldiers shouted as if in response to Lucas and started running in unison.
　Suddenly Mino remembered the word "tsunami".
　He forgot at what time he was taught it, but he remembered learning it from Crono when he went swimming.
　A huge wave rushing in after an earthquake - it appeared in front of him, kidnapping everything.

'Archers!　Fire any arrow at will!　Crossbowmen, fire! (BUMO!)

　A crossbowman shoots an arrow and pierces an enemy soldier in the front row.
　But--.

''Oooooh!

　The enemy soldiers rushed forward while being shot through by arrows.

''Second shot!'' (BUMO!)

　The crossbowmen crouched on the spot, and the crossbowmen who had been hiding in the trenches stood up and fired arrows.
　The enemy soldier let out a short scream and went down on the spot.

''Third shot!'' (BUMO!)

　The beastmen, who had been waiting behind the trenches, fired their arrows.
　The three-stage shooting - placing the crossbowmen in the three rows of crossbowmen and firing arrows in turn - was a measure to compensate for the poor continuous shooting ability.
　However, there were six hundred and thirty-six beastmen in the third row - less than twenty percent of the crossbowmen, so it wasn't a perfect three-stage shot.
　Mino spat in his mind that he thought they would be scared off by the cross-bow and the three-step shooting.
　The momentum of the enemy soldiers did not stop.

''Crossbowmen!　Shoot! Bum!　(Bummo!)

　The crossbowman in the first row stands up and shoots an arrow.
　The timing is not right, perhaps because the enemy is close at hand.
　The crossbowmen in the second row are unable to pull the strings.

''Calm down!　If you do what you practice, you'll win!
That's right!

　Manchausen and Alonso call out to the crossbowmen under their command.

'Heavily armed infantry, throw the elven elves' elixir! (BUMO!)

　The heavily armed infantry that had been held back to protect the archers throw the jar.
　The jar falls over the horse-proof fence and the strong smell of alcohol fills the area.

''Unleash fire magic!'' (BUMO!)
"Flamebang!

　The archers unleash their magic.
　Flames the size of a clenched fist descend and ignite the alcohol.
　The swollen flames engulfed the enemy soldiers.

''Giiiiiiiii!
Hot, hotyyy!
Heeeee!

　Screams of enemy soldiers came from everywhere.
　Isn't this what a scream is all about?

"Ta, help--!

　An enemy soldier, engulfed in flames, clung to the horse-proof fence.
　A volunteer soldier who saw a human being burning in front of his eyes vomited unbearably.
　It was as if this had been a wake-up call for them to vomit one after another.
　I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to find a way to make it work.

You can't just shoot them if you don't have time to vomit!　If you don't kill them, we will do the same to you and those you care about!
'In the surrendered Barony of Treis, men were killed and women were raped to the point of being old women!　Do you want your family to go through that?

　Manchausen and Alonso shouted as they shot through the enemy soldiers who clung to the horse fence.

"Ta-help--
'Uh-oh!

　The young crossbowman screamed and fired arrows at the enemy soldiers who needed help.
　Explosions erupted in the midst of the enemy soldiers.
　Explosions licked the front line, and with each one, the enemy soldier flew through the air.
　A spear was thrust into the center of it.
　It was a spear fired by the imprinted magician - a mercenary from the Confederation of Tribes.
　When I looked at the direction the spear came from, I saw that the mercenaries of the Confederation of Tribes were about to jump out of the forest.
　The one leading them is not Sif, but his second in command, Bear.

''We're going to burn them down!

　The mercenaries lined up on the side line release flames, but the enemy soldiers are slow to move.
　The movement is only because no one died in the last attack they received.

''Release!''

　At Bear's command, the mercenaries of the Confederation of Tribes unleashed their flames.
　Swallowed by the flames, the surface of the enemy soldier's body instantly charred, and his pink guts broke through the brittle parts and flooded outward.
　It's a nightmarish sight, but it's reassuring when you're on their side.

"Shut up to the barbarians!
Oooooh!

　Enemy soldiers rush the mercenaries of the Confederated Tribes.

''Again!''

　Following Bear's orders, the mercenaries of the Confederation of Tribes unleash their flames.
　The flames engulfed the enemy soldiers, but they were not powerful enough to instantly carbonize the surface of their bodies.
　Nevertheless, it was a sufficient fatal wound.
　Even if he didn't die, he would still suffer from the after-effects.

''Its power is diminishing!　Don't give him time to recover!
Oooooh!

　An enemy soldier, inspired by Lucas, shouted a bullhorn and rushed in.
　At that moment, a sphere with a stick on it was thrown from the forest.
　It explodes in the air and the nails rain down on the enemy soldiers.
　But the enemy soldiers do not slow down.
　Those who are determined will not stop walking just because the nails pierce them.

''Show all of us here our loyalty!

　Bear shouts, and the mercenaries of the Confederation of Tribes and the enemy soldiers clash with each other.
　The enemy soldiers fell without holding on for more than a few rounds, but there were too many of them anyway.
　General, I'm counting on you, said Mino, looking behind the enemy lines.
　There, Lucas is inspiring his men.
　There aren't many soldiers to protect Lucas as he's pouring his troops into the front line.
　Now is the time.



　Crono was watching the battle from the bushes.
　The location was diagonally behind the enemy's lines - the perfect point to launch a surprise attack.

''........The Imperial Army has the advantage?
"They're gaining momentum, that they are.

　Taiga, who was sitting next to me, affirmed.
　''The Imperial Army has suffered greater losses, but their momentum has surpassed the Imperial Army.

''It's a momentum of desperation, but is it a bit difficult for the volunteer soldiers?''
"I think we could have gotten a little more momentum going with a few more wins, that we could have gotten a little more momentum going with a few more wins, that we could have gotten a little more momentum going with a few more wins, that we could have gotten a little more momentum going with a few more wins, that we could have gotten a little more momentum going with a few more wins, that we could have gotten a little more momentum going with a few more wins, that we could have gotten a little more momentum going with a few more wins, that we could have gotten a little more momentum going with a few more wins.
Well, that's good and bad.
Guru.

　He sits down and turns to his men.
　Two hundred soldiers are waiting for Crono's orders.
　If the operation went well, it would have been an easy battle, but the world is not going to be able to keep up.

''Arideed, Deneb, I'm counting on you.
We'll take care of it.
I want you to get your shit together, Master Crono!

　The red light colors Aridid and the green light colors Deneb.
　These two are the keys to victory.
　If I'm honest, I'd rather just take them by surprise, but insurance is important.

'Tyga, let's go.'
"Yes, that I do.

　As Crono activates the Mark, Taiga activates the Mark as well.
　He stands up and draws his sword.

'Charge!　Follow me!

　Crono jumped out of the bushes and ran towards Lucas.

''Keep it up, that is.'' (Gau)
Am I a child?
"It's similar in the sense that I can't take my eyes off of it, that I can't take my eyes off of it." (Gau)

　Guru, Tyga cleared his throat.

'Center, flip!'

　Lucas shouted, and half of the enemy soldiers in the center of the flanking squadron flipped in unison.
　The movement was as disciplined as if they had been reborn after not being coherent yesterday.
　The enemy soldiers surrounded Lucas as if they were protecting him.
　It's as if an indeterminate creature is preying on them.

''Get out of the way, that is!'' (GASP!)

　Taiga slashes down with his greatsword, but another enemy soldier quickly fills the hole.

''Ha!''

　An enemy soldier pulls out his spear.
　Crono dives in as the enemy soldier draws his spear and swings his sword down.
　Blood spurts out and an enemy soldier falls.
　But soon, another one takes cover.

''Ugh!'' (GASP!)

　Reflexively, I looked to the side and saw that my men were being attacked by enemy soldiers.

''Don't be afraid!''

　Crono inspired his men to slash at the enemy soldiers.
　His men surrounded the enemy soldiers, but no matter how much they slashed, they couldn't get to Lucas.
　Instead of reaching him, the enemy soldiers began to move to encircle Crono and his men.
　Suddenly, I met eyes with Lucas.
　He has an expression on his face as if to say that he can see what you're thinking.

''No, well, I've been reading this far too!
"Master Crono!　And it would be nice if you could avoid it!'
Like a killer move!

　Aridid and Deneb's voices rang out from the communication magic item tucked away on the porch.
　Immediately after, a light fell.
　It was an arrow covered in red and green light.
　The arrow pierced Lucas's close proximity, sending out light and shockwaves.
　The enemy soldiers who were protecting Lucas were blown away and Crono was almost blown away as well.
　A cloud of dirt and smoke blocked the view.

'Did you do it?'

　Shit, Crono realized his mistake.
　'Did you do it?' he asked right after he unleashed his special move. Don't spit out lines like, "I'm not going to be able to do that.
　That's just a flag that will break the special move.
　Of course, the reality is different, but I want to carry an experience.
　The dust cloud had cleared and there were two enemy soldiers holding their shields.
　This is the shield that was installed on the Daihachi car.
　There were several Daihachi cars that were destroyed with magic items, but I didn't expect them to be here.
　Lucas steps out from behind the shield.
　Although it's stained with dirt, it hasn't suffered any damage that seems to be damage.

''Now!''
Dangerous, that it is! (GASP!)

　The next time Taiga grabbed Crono by the collar and pulled him back, the tip of the spear passed in front of him.
　In the meantime, the enemy soldiers surrounded Lucas again.

'Arideed, Deneb!
I think we've got company.
We have to get back on our feet!

　Aridid and Deneb's screeching voices echoed from the porch.

*

　Mino, who had been watching the whole thing from the field position, gritted his teeth as he realized that the surprise attack had failed.
　The surprise attack was a means to end the battle quickly.
　Besides, they repeatedly harassed him night after night, and last night they carried out a night attack.
　Considering that, it's no wonder the other party is on alert.
　Mino gritted his teeth because the morale of the volunteer soldiers was visibly lowered.

'We're winning!　More energy!

　Manchausen inspires, but the volunteer soldiers are not supreme.
　In fact, the imperial army is taking so much damage that they have to think about retreating.
　They can't retreat, so they are only attacking out of desperation.
　However, the volunteer soldiers are overwhelmed by the momentum of such trickery.

''Whoa!　The enemy!

　A volunteer soldier of an age that could be described as a boy shouted.
　If you look, an enemy soldier was about to enter through a gap in the horse-proof fence.
　The appearance was enough to frighten the boy.

''--!

　An arrow pierced his brow and the enemy soldier fell to the ground.

'If you don't have time to be surprised, shoot!

　Manchausen shouts, but the boy is staring at the crossbow, buzzing and shaking.
　It's like he's trying his best not to run away.
　At the time Mino wished for a chance to get a start -.

''Huh, that's where the secret weapon comes in.

　An interesting voice sounded.

''Princess Tilia?'' (MUFFLED?)

　Mino turned around and opened her eyes.
　Princess Tyria approached her, looking the same as usual despite the battle going on in front of her.

''What surprises you?''
"Princess Tyria, this is a dangerous place.
I know that, but what are you going to do without a secret weapon in the room?

　Princess Tyria said, sounding miffed.

'I'm a secret weapon to motivate soldiers, right?'
"I was going to ask them to send a soldier to console me.

　I don't want you to come to the front and inspire your soldiers.
　If we lose our flagbearer, the imperial army is done for.

''Was that so?''
That's what happened. So hurry up and go home." (Bumo)
'Well, we've come this far. Besides, you've been in trouble, haven't you?
You know what? (Bum?)
Of course.

　I didn't expect a human to know the expression on a minotaur's face.
　Princess Tyria never ceases to amaze me today.

Are you ready?
"Please, sir.

　Mino bowed deeply.
　Even if he asked her to leave, she wouldn't follow him, and it was true that they were in limbo.
　If one word from Princess Tilia would change things, he wanted to try it.

''Listen!　O soldiers of the Imperial Army fighting the false emperor Alfort!

　An interesting voice echoes across the battlefield.
　The clamor recedes and the soldiers' movements change to a gentle one.

''False Emperor Alfort has not only falsely accused my ally Crono of being innocent, he has even sent an army to him!

　Princess Tyria punctuated her words.

'But the real reason I sent the legion to you is because of the fortune Crono has amassed with his lordship!　You know what?　That the people in front of me have been commandeering them everywhere they go!　That you have invaded and destroyed the village of the Barony of Treis!

　With a fierce tone, Princess Tilia impeaches the crimes of the Imperial Army.

''It is justice to avenge a bandit in the name of the Imperial Army!　Fight to protect your property, your family, your loved ones!
'Gahhhh!　Princess Tyria has called us to justice!　This is a fight for justice!　The justice is ours!
"Princess Tyria is watching you!　You must show some signs of courage!　We must burn our exploits into the heart of Princess Tyria!
Princess Tyria is watching you!
Justice is on our side!

　Princess Tilia shouted, and Manchausen and Alonso cheered.
　Then voices rose from all over the field positions.
　Mino felt the heat.
　The voices, the heat spread throughout the imperial army.

''Fight, soldiers of the imperial army!
'Ooooooh!

　The Imperial soldiers howled in unison.

*

　The tide had changed, and Lucas could sense the change in the battlefield.
　With the arrival of Princess Tilia, the rebels had gained momentum and the imperial army had lost momentum.
　No--.

''Ah, that's Princess Tilia?''
It's just like that painting ... well, more beautiful than the painting.
We didn't destroy the village.
You're a bandit!
It's not true.
"We serve a false emperor, a false army.
Hey, man, wasn't that painting meant for Princess Tyria to fight with?
Nonsense. That's why the royal family fights--
There you are.
"His Majesty Alfort didn't even see me off.

　The imperial army - a bewilderment spreads among the subordinates.
　It was the Eighth Konoe Order that destroyed the village, but it is true that they have been repeatedly requisitioned before coming here.
　There are many soldiers from rural villages.
　To them, the actions of the imperial army are not honored.

''Princess Tilia is looking at you!　You see the bravery of the League of Nations.　There's no time like the present to show loyalty!
Oooooh!

　Even the mercenaries of the various tribal alliances have regained momentum.
　They are the ones who are causing the most damage among the rebels.

''Let's show Princess Tyria how cool we are, that we are! (GARU!)
Oooooh!

　The tiger beastman howled and the surprise squad regained momentum.

''Gah!''
Ow, ow, ow!
I don't want to die!

　A scream went up from the front lines and the entire movement stopped for a moment.
　It immediately began to move, but it no longer had the momentum it had earlier.
　The soldiers were fighting, thinking that they had no choice but to move forward.
　That's not what I would call courage.
　There are many ways to call it desperation, narrow-mindedness, and barbarism, but they were moving forward on the strength of such things.
　If he regained his composure, he would not be able to move forward.

'Do not be cowed!　Push, push back!　We're outnumbered!

　Lucas raised his voice, but his men were jittery and retreating.

'Fight!　Ta--

　An explosion rang out, interrupting Lucas's voice.
　When I turned around, a huge pillar of fire was rising up behind me - towards the street - and I saw a huge pillar of fire rising up behind me.
　Twice, three times, four times, the huge pillar of fire rose up.



　Lucas grunted softly.
　Bombastic Flame Dance is the highest level magic of the fire system.
　Would Philip and the others who were blocking the city streets have been hit?
　No, he shook his head.
　It's true that Bakuganamai is a top-tier magic, but it's not powerful enough to kill more than seven hundred people with just four shots.

''Ullahhhh!''

　I hear a roar and a fat sweat erupts.

'....No way.
"Fifth Kingsguard, Blood Hamal!　I'm here to help you, in the name of righteousness!

　The ones who jumped into the street were Brad Hamal on a white horse and over a hundred cavalrymen.

''We'll retreat as Lord Blood charges, that we will retreat as you charge! (GASP!)

　The surprise squad moved away, and then Brad rushed at Lucas with his eyes on him.
　Not a horizontal line, but a vertical charge.
　The cavalry, led by Blood, like a swarming snake, overran Lucas and the soldiers in the vicinity and ran through.
　'At this moment,' said Lucas, gritting his teeth as he fell to the ground.

''Mo, we can't do this anymore!
Run!
"I don't wanna die here!

　My men are screaming and running away.

"Run--!

　Lucas raised himself up and held his chest.
　The pain was so intense that he couldn't breathe.
　The formation has collapsed and the soldiers are running away to be the first to leave.

...here.

　This is the end.
　Are we going to die in here with no answers?

No!　Soldiers of the Empire!　Don't be afraid!　Follow me!

　Lucas stood up with the last of his strength and rushed towards the enemy field position - Princess Tilia.

''Follow the legion leader!''
Don't let the legion leader die!

　His men, who were running in reverse, reversed and followed Lucas.
　But it's only part of the story.
　There is no longer any way to hold back the crushing run.
　In that case, shouldn't I save even those subordinates who can be saved?
　Such thoughts passed through his mind, but Lucas wanted to try one last time.

'Charge!'

　Lucas ran as fast as he could.
　As he ran, he remembered the old days - the days of civil war.
　On that day, Lucas was on a sweeping mission.
　Even though they were divided into friend and foe, they were still from the same empire.
　It would be a lie to say that he had no resistance to driving them away and killing them like beasts, but he knew it was an important mission.
　However, he was exhausted that day after a massive battle.
　Normally I would have checked for enemies lurking in the shadows, but I neglected to do so.
　He figured that cutting back a little bit wouldn't change the war situation.
　So my best friend died.
　And no one blamed Lucas for it.
　On the contrary, he even offered some words of comfort for the loss of his best friend.
　After that, Lucas worked hard.
　He felt guilty for letting his best friend die through negligence, but he was also aware that he would eventually be brought to justice in the name of justice.
　He was able to work because he thought that eventually - there would be an end.
　But Lucas was not brought to justice.
　He didn't lose his job when the army was re-formed, he married and had children.
　Funny, I thought.
　He thought that he should not be allowed to enjoy the happiness of being judged.
　He rose through the ranks in the military in a state of bewilderment and came to believe that human nature was evil.
　There were injustices, big and small, within the military, and Lucas became involved in injustice.
　He did injustice.
　He did evil.
　He kept his wife and son away from the wife and son who cared for him and surrounded himself with mistresses.
　He corrupted a young man with a bright future.
　He is evil.
　If this is not evil, what is?

'I'm here!　If you claim to be a righteous man, try to beat me!

　He ran towards Princess Tilia.
　Arrows flew like a rain of horizontal blows, but they couldn't hurt Lucas.

'Justice ... where is the justice!

　Lucas barked.
　I let my best friend die, and I wasn't judged.
　He was not judged for his injustice.
　Run.
　Running.
　He kept running, and then the wall appeared in front of him.

"What the hell is this?

　I pushed against the wall, but I didn't freak out.
　My fingertips touched a pebble and I saw an arrow sticking out of the wall.
　That's when I finally realized that I was on the ground.
　My eyes slowly darken in front of me.

'Well, not yet. I haven't gotten an answer. Justice, justice is....'

　Suddenly I remember confessing my sins to my best friend's parents.
　Those words and attitudes full of compassion and mercy.

'....Why?

　Why didn't you blame me?
　If you had blamed me then, I wouldn't have suffered so much.

"...Why?

　And then Lucas's consciousness was gone.

*

You are alive this time.

　Crono let out a deep sigh as he looked at the crushing Imperial soldiers.
　It was heartbreaking when Lucas charged in and the Imperial soldiers began to head back to their field positions, but all's well that ends well.

''What's the damage?''
"Many were injured, but no one was killed, that I know of.
Good.

　Crono patted his chest.

'Master Crono, it's Kane. Please respond.'
Yeah, yeah, this is Crono.

　I take out a communication magic item from my pouch.

''I had the Fifth Kingsguard go to reinforce us, but it looks like we've made it.
How do you know?
"Well, that's what happens when you see an imperial army walking right past you. There are quite a few of them. What are you going to do with all of them?
'I'd like to launch a chase after the break, but when you get into Baron Trace's territory...'

　In case you don't put down roots, you never know what they'll say later.

What about the Kingsguard who were blocking the road?
"They'd have run off into the woods.
We'll have to go after them.
"You can't chase him down until after the break,
Like there are too many wounded to reorganize first.

　Aridid and Deneb's voices echoed from the communication magic item.

'Good. You're safe.'
"Uh-huh, we're supercharged.
'It's like he doesn't use his imprinting technique very much, so the repercussions are severe.

　Crono looked at Taiga.

''I'm fine, that I am.'' (Gururu)

　Tyga bared his fangs and laughed.

'Well anyway I'm glad we won.

　Just as Crono let out a deep sigh, the battle cry rose from the field position.

*

　Evening--Philip was limping away through the woods.
　When he looked down, he saw an arrow stuck in his thigh.

'Shit, those pigs. There's no way I'm going to stop those guys.

　A cavalryman rushed into the place where he was shot at with arrows and sorcery.
　Without bows and arrows or sorcery, how are we supposed to counter them?
　There was nothing to do but to run.

It's that piggy bastard. It's that swine's fault.

　Philip made a strange noise when he remembered the pig bastard - Lucas.
　He had hated the piggy bastard from the moment he met him.
　He grew fat and pudgy and sniffed.
　Because he joined the Eighth Kingsguard, the other members of the Kingsguard made fun of him because he joined the Eighth Kingsguard, his fiancée looked down on him, and he wandered around the forest as a defeated soldier.



　Especially a brown-skinned elf.
　That woman shot an arrow into her thigh.

''Watch me when we return to the Imperial City.

　He complains about the ferocity of the rebels and gets a new army sent to him.
　It's a shame he can't kill them with his own hands, but he must feel peaceful when the woman who put an arrow in his thigh dies.
　Philip brushed away the tree that blocked his path and opened his eyes.



　I couldn't help but smile.

'It's me. God must love you.

　I looked around and soon found the street.
　For now, we'll go to the nearby village and get treated.
　After that, you can have Baron Trace carry you down to him.
　We limped and finally got to the street.

'Is that a man?'

　When I squinted, I saw a person standing on the street.
　Immediately after I started walking towards the person, my vision wavered.
　Someone had hit me.
　When I turned around, I saw a man standing there with a stick.

''My wife and daughter are avenged!''
You commoner!
Heeeee!

　When Philip touched the hilt of his sword, the man swung the stick around recklessly.
　The stick hit his thigh where the arrow had pierced it, and he couldn't bear to poke one knee in the air.
　The man who raised the stick was controlled by his hand.

'Well, wait. Let's talk about it. Let's talk about it. Torture an unarmed person and leave a bad taste in their mouth.
We didn't resist!

　The man's face contorted and he swung the stick down.
　Philip grabbed the stick with one hand.

'I'm telling you I'm going to talk to you, and you're being cocky--'

　Philip collapsed as the impact was many times greater than when he was hit with a stick.
　A stone larger than a clenched fist fell in front of him.

'Are you okay?'
Yeah, I'll be fine.

　As Philip tried to raise himself up, there was a shock around his pigeon tail.

''Gehaha!''

　He vomits unbearably and gets his head stomped on.

"Hey, a**h*le, how dare you kick me in the leg?
"I'm not gonna let you complain about a kick in the leg!　We had our families killed and our homes burned to the ground!

　They stomped on me again and again.
　The attacks stopped when I was beginning to lose consciousness.
　I can see several feet.

'What are we going to do with this guy?'
Isn't that what the ransom will be for?
No, we don't have any leverage to negotiate. And we don't have to keep them alive.
Let's take these wraps off and kill them.
"Wait. Let's keep the clothes on, and we'll just take the money.
It's a bit of a mess, but it'll do for your clothes.
If I let you take your clothes off, you won't be able to buy my body.

　A horrific conversation is going on in front of us.

'That too, I suppose. 'Sheesh. If I'd known the corpse was going to be sold, I wouldn't have stepped on it like that.
You'll have to be more careful next time because half your face is intact.

　You despicable commoner," Philip tried to spit, but all he could do was mumble and move his mouth.