It is Sunday again~! Time for more s.h.i.+nwa~! ❤

Can’t really say anything about this chapter~

Just read it ^^

Chapter 1, Episode 24: Chaos

The battlefield is the epitome of chaos.

Though it is still morning, the sun rising high into the sky is covered by clouds and cannot be seen.

Below, there is an army formation being pushed back by a group of black cavalrymen who are far inferior in numbers.

The loud beating of the hooves against the earth drowns out the screams of the enemy. A single black line is closing in on enemy headquarters.

However, small drops were pouring down from the cloud filled sky, and so their speed had dropped.

In no time at all, those small drops begin to grow larger and the rain begins to pour down even harder.

The rain soaked into the ground and completely thwarted the momentum of the 「Imperial Black Knights」.

The brown haired aide, Alfred, spoke to his superior who was riding alongside him.

「Lady Aura! What do we do?!」

「The enemy general is right before us. We will take his head and withdraw. We will escape all the way to the fort.」

「Is that our only option…?」

「I will not fixate on it. If it seems impossible, we will withdraw immediately.」

「Yes!」

Aura gazes at the enemy's headquarters in order to search for their general's location.

The rain is obstructing her field of vision, but she desperately strains her eyes in order to secure a victory.

She doesn't even take notice of the enemies being knocked down by her horse's armor. She simply keeps her eyes fixed on the enemy's headquarters.

There are soldiers pointing her way looking panicked.

There are others whose faces are twisted in fear.

There are more still who lie in wait with animal like expressions.

None of them are the one she is looking for. She removes them all from her field of view—

Then, as if guided by a ray of light, she successfully captures her target with her eyes.

「I've found him. Viscount Spitz, follow me!!」

In a rare display, Aura raised her voice.

And that wasn't all. She valiantly raised her spirit weapon and kicked her horse's belly.

Alfred gulped while frozen in amazement.

However, he quickly gathers himself and runs after Aura at full speed.

He switches from his sword to his spear.

「Imperial Black Knights! Follow our 「Mars's」 lead!」

He yelled out in a thunderous voice that shook the heart.

Without saying a word, the knights replied with a spirit driven offensive.

They begin to slaughter the enemies around them, spraying the blood of their enemies high into the sky as they send them to their graves, one after another.

Aura could feel their fighting spirit from behind her. She could tell there was a burning pa.s.sion in their hands which were chilled from the rain.

Aura, with the divine protection of her spirit weapon, begins to cut down the enemy troops who stood protecting their commander.

The enemy began to keep their distance so as not to be trampled by the hooves.

In the end, they are simply conscripted soldiers. Savages who came to a foreign nation in search of slaves.

If there is no great cause, there is no ambition. It is unforgivable for such men to trample over the territory of the Great Empire.

「Let us offer this victory to his Majesty, Schwarz.」

Aura stood right before the enemy commander. There was shock and despair in his face.

The blade of Aura's spirit weapon dug into his neck. As an eerie sensation travels to her hand, she uses the momentum of her racing horse to complete her swing.

The enemy general's head rolls along the ground as it is covered in mud.

The large, lifeless body falls. After seeing that it was all over, Aura thrust her spirit weapon high into the sky.

「The enemy general has been defeated!」

Cheers erupt from her allies behind her, and unrest seeps out from the enemies around them.

She suppresses her sense of elation and stiffens up her loosening expression.

「Viscount Spitz! Retrieve the head immediately!」

Killing the enemy general itself is meaningless in ending this battle.

If the fact of his death is kept secret, they will have to continue to face almost 10,000 enemies.

They must quickly retrieve the general's head and display it to the entire battlefield.

「What—?!」

Aura, who had turned back, was wide eyed in shock.

What leapt into view, was an image of the headless enemy general calmly getting up and picking up his own head.

A sense of dread travels all throughout Aura's body. How is he moving after having lost his head? This is no human.

Aura's decision was quick. The only word that came to her mind was "withdraw".

She stiffened her throat and yelled out, almost in a shriek.

「Viscount Spitz! Withd—!」

She was unable to finish her sentence.

Having reattached his head, the enemy general lunged at Aura with weapon in hand.

She immediately brought her spirit weapon in front of her and repelled his attack creating a high pitched sound. The young girl's small body floated gently in the air.

Then, with great force, she tumbled across the ground as she was covered in mud.

Her horse lost its head, armor and all. A spray of blood rose up from where the head was severed, and the body collapsed to the side.

While glaring at Aura, who was perfectly still, the man spoke without setting his sight on any one spot.

『Get off your high horse, little girl.』

He placed a flashy, jewel encrusted spear on his shoulder, and approached the young girl in long strides.

「Lady Aura!」

Alfred races towards her, pulls out a spear from atop his horse, but it gets lodged into the side of the large man.

「What?!」

Alfred is raised up, then slammed into the ground.

As he hits the ground, a spray of water splashes all around, but you can hardly tell with the downpour of the rain.

While he is a suffering, unable to breathe, he his struck with the spear handle.

It comes down on him over and over as he spits up large amounts of blood.

One heavy cavalrymen riles himself up and charges in to save his dying adjutant.

「Urahh—!」

A spear quite effortlessly pierces through his face, and the now lifeless soldier falls off from atop his horse.

Alfred was saved by the death of one valiant soldier.

But, perhaps because he had lost consciousness, his head points toward the sky, and the rain beating down on it spreads his blood all across his face.

Then, Aura finally staggers up to her feet.

She holds her left arm with her right hand as it dangles. Mud drips down from her sleeves.

It's broken. The fact that her expression is taken over by the pain is proof of it.

「… A spirit weapon?」

With her unsteady eyes, Aura looked at the spear which the large man grabbed.

(But even if it is… how does that explain the change in this man?)

Spirit weapons have no such divine protection which heals the wound of a beheaded man.

If such a miracle were to occur, it would be the work of a spirit sword with a spirit dwelling within it, or—

(It's possible that it's one of the Five Great Treasured Swords… But no matter how you look at it, that's a spirit weapon.)

While she was lost in thought, the enemy troops were slowly surrounding her.

In order to intimidate them, the 「Imperial Black Knights」 circle around them and kept them in check.

However, it does not hold for long. No matter how skilled one may be in riding a horse, they would be much too slow footed in the rain.

Furthermore, they're overwhelmingly at a disadvantage in terms of numbers. And now that the enemy is gathered in one spot, it is difficult to pick at them individually. They had completely lost the advantage which they had until just earlier.

The eyes of the enemy general move independently from each other as they scan the area.

Aura felt like throwing up at the eerie display.

『Seeing as how your soldiers are not abandoning you, you must be 「Mars」, little girl.』

The enemy's general's teeth were peering out from purple, crescent shaped lips.

『Hmm… It's too bad that you're not my type. I'll still be capturing you though. But I'm not a demon. I'll release you when we receive a large ransom.』

As the enemy general swings his spirit weapon, the blade tore through the air and the raindrops were flicked away.

「Ugh!」

A soldier who stood against the enemy general to protect Aura is slaughtered.

『After the troops use you as a plaything that is!』

A small unit of the 「Imperial Black Knights」 approach in order to rescue their master.

They rush towards the enemy general with a great surge of force, giving off the impression that they do not intend to let him lay one finger on Aura.

「Your Excellency, please wait just a moment! We will carve open a path for you no matter what it takes!」

『Ahaha, how courageous. Those with a deathwish can step forward first. I'm rather strong now that I have a spirit weapon..』

Aura could not believe the words coming from the enemy general.

It's true that a spirit weapon does indeed bestow great divine protection, but the power felt from the man was by no means something received from a spirit weapon.

Then, an unbelievable scene unfolds before Aura's eyes.

Despite having his hand cut off, his chest pierced and losing a leg, without faltering, the enemy general begins to murder the 「Imperial Black Knights」.

『Come on! Who's next?! Bring more soldiers! I won't lose to anyone!』

「Do not retreat! We will save her Excellency at any cost!」

Even though Aura's subordinates were tragically being slaughtered, they did not falter in the least. They continued to fight as they raised their voices.

『Haa!』

「Gah!」

The last soldier is pierced in the chest and falls from his horse.

『Phew— Haa… Haa… This is rather exhausting.』

The enemy general looks overhead, shakes his shoulders wildly, and begins to inhale.

All the soldiers from each unit of the 「Imperial Black Knights」have created a mountain of corpses around the area.

Every single one of the wounds on the enemy general were fatal, but they all closed up in the blink of an eye.

Aura pointed her spirit weapon at the enemy general and voiced her suspicion.

「… What is that strange power you possess?」

『You mean my spirit weapon?』

The Dukedom of Lichtein has never found a spirit stone.

One reason for this is being that they have nothing but desert.

But, they do have beautiful oases, and many places in which a spirit could possibly inhabit.

However, people gather in those places and live there.

For spirits, who prefer quiet places, living in such areas would be nothing but agony for them.

Also, it's unlikely that spirits would appreciate the savage atmosphere flowing throughout the slave trade nation.

There is the possibility that they purchased it from another country, but the Dukedom of Lichtein shouldn't have such funds.

This is because one must sacrifice enough of a fortune for a commoner to enjoy an -entire life- of idleness.

And unlike a 「spirit sword」 in which a spirit dwells, it is a consumable item which eventually breaks.

There are times in which they fracture after a number of strikes., and if you make a mistake in forging it, it becomes an ordinary stone.

Although the powers of a spirit stone are alluring, it would be better advised to spend national funds on improving soldiers' equipment instead.

And so, even in the powerful Grantz Grand Empire, the only ones who possess a spirit weapon are members of the Imperial family and extensions thereof.

「No. Though I'm curious as to how you obtained a spirit weapon, I'm more concerned about that "power" of yours.」

『You prattle on about nonsense. What's the point in buying time like this?』

「You really don't understand your own state, do you…? No, even if you do, perhaps you don't think it to be abnormal.」

『I can't have a proper conversation with you, can I? Don't say any more. It'll make me want to kill you. Besides, look around you. We've begun to capture your precious soldiers!』

The surrounding area had turned into a state of chaos. The 「Imperial Black Knights」 were starting to be pulled down from their horses.

They immediately stand up and resist, but they are are outnumbered.

One after another, they are surrounded and reduced in number.

The blood flowing from the wounds of the fallen heavy infantrymen begin to mix with the mud and change color.

『It's almost time for you to gasp in pleasure. I'll keep you company until then!』

Whoosh—

The enemy general swings his spear to clear it off.

Aura stopped it with her spirit weapon, but her small body was easily blown away.

With her shoulders making contact first, she falls to the ground. Then, a kick from the enemy general stabs into her side.

Her mouth is filled with mud before she can groan. She continues to roll, one, two, three times across the ground.

By the time she came to a stop, she had lost her vitality.

「Ah, ugh…」

Her subordinates are fighting. As their commander, she cannot possibly give up.

That thought stirred her.

But even as she puts her hand on the ground and tries to get up, the strength escapes from her elbow.

Aura noticed something flowing out from her eyes on her water drenched face.

She wonders if she's crying, but she cannot tell because of the rain pouring down mercilessly.

The enemy general approaches. He grabs her hair roughly and lifts her face.

『What, are you about to lose consciousness? That may be better for you, though, because you'll be keeping countless men company after this.』

「…」

『No need to worry. We'll treat you well so we can get a ransom. We'll play with you just enough so you don't die.』

「…」

Aura doesn't say a word. She simply points her lead colored eyes at him.

After the enemy general releases his grip, Aura's head slams into the mud.

Then, as if he had lost interest, he looks away and picks up Aura spirit weapon which had fallen nearby.

『I've captured 「Mars」 and obtained two spirit weapons. My foolish brother made waste of one spirit weapon, but this will more than make up for that..』

He didn't notice. No— There was no way he could have.

『I have to thank that person.』

The enemy general spreads his arms open as if to express his delight.

At the same time, Aura's spirit weapon fell to the ground, along with his hand.

『Hmm? What's this?』

A large amount of blood gushes out from where his hand was cut off, but he pays it no mind.

He was captivated by the spirit weapon which had appeared before him.

『… Is this the spirit weapon… I gave my foolish brother?』

Something unusual is taking place behind the enemy general who is puzzled and staring out blankly.

There was a white light meandering through the large army which occupied the entirety of the battlefield.

"It" drew nearer to the enemy general as if it were running across the sky unhindered.

『Why is it here?』

You could call it lightning fast swiftness. No other words would be appropriate.

The brilliance of a drawn sword which tore through despair stagnated in darkness—

—A 「white lightning」 surged across the earth.