Katahane no Riku

Rook Barusak was surprised by how blue the sea there was more than anything.

Looking from the small hill he was on, it was possible to give a glance at the impregnable town, Fert. At the other side of the iron wall no human could get close to, there were many houses that had orange roofs and white mud walls. And further there, it was possible to see the shore of the sea. It was white, covered with snow that accumulated there, and right ahead, it was the deep blue sea.

The Shiidoru kingdom had access to the north sea. However, that dark sea in front of his eyes was strangely very transparent. If one were to compare, the north sea would be like the seas of Shounan and Izu. In contrast to that, the sea in front of his eyes were like those shiny ones of Okinawa or Hawaii that he didn′t get the chance to go before his end. With Rook looking at the sea in fascination, Raku, who was standing next to him, cleared her throat.

“Ah, sorry…Raku-ane.”

“Even though you are at battle now, you are too much distracted.”

“…I know.”

The moment he heard the word [battle], his impressions about the sea faded away.

His armor unusually felt heavy. If he was to win this battle, he would be able to restore his honor. It was a battle that didn′t exist in the game, but he could do nothing but somehow manage to win it. If he didn′t, he would end up dying. Of course, there was the possibility he could press the “continue” button just like in the game, but he knew well enough there wouldn′t be something like that. If it existed, he would have used it at the times when Selestinna, Rebecca, Kurumi and Marii had died.

“…But, can we really win?”

Rook was anxious about this battle that didn′t exist in the game.

They were doing an strategy he had discussed with Raku about. Although, if he was to say, he would say he had confidence in it, even so, the anxiousness of him losing would constantly traverse through him.

Of course, he intended to put all of his efforts so that he wouldn′t lose. After the great defeat of Karkata, Rook had reviewed the training of his friends and subordinates. Of course, he himself also trained. He read the strategy book again, trained his sword and sorted out the memories of his previous life. However, only that wasn′t enough. If he didn′t investigate why he had lost in his own “special” ways, he would end up losing once again.(TL note:To what am I supposed to translate nakama to…? I guess he is talking about his harem members when he says that, though.)

The result of his pondering was that: [it was because his harem members were weak].

Until now…All battles were ones he would have won no matter what. However, he ended up losing.

The battle of Myuuz, the battle of Derufoi, the battle of Karkata; all of them were battles he was supposed to win. He certainly had organized his troops perfectly and advanced in accord to the game guide. He did absolutely nothing wrong. But if he lost even then, then it was obvious that it was because his allies were weak. Because of his interventions when using the knowledge of his previous world, there were many characters that the timing he should have met them was sooner than it was supposed to be. Selestinna and Rebecca were the most clear examples. Perhaps, he had met them too early, and so, after increasing his intimacy with the girls and solving their trauma, he had stolen their motivation to become stronger.

“Yes…I did nothing wrong.”

He himself did nothing wrong.

Rook muttered to himself.

But he knew the truth. The main problem wasn′t them being weak. However, he didn′t know how to solve the problem. Such a thing didn′t appear in the game.

Rook tightly closed his eyes. And just after that, he recalled the [hell] that had been just before his eyes at Karkata. It made him start to feel nauseous. That was the reality. His body was trembling. That scenery was what the battlefield was; until he lived the share Mary and the others died at the battlefield for, he needed to go past through all the battles he was going to face. This time′s battle as well, his friends definitely were going to die. Rook intended to analyze every single word of the war strategy book, use all he had from his previous life knowledge and have his allies train. But without doubt, people were going to die. Even so, he needed to win this battle at all costs. It was necessary that he wins.

“It′s alright… I.. Right now, I am Rook Barusak after all.”

Rook muttered, depending on those words. And then, to focus his mind, he and once again opened his eyes.

“Let′s go, Raku-ane. Soon, it will be the time our strategy will bring its results… I am relying on you, Raku-ane. We are putting everything on Raku-ane′s timing.”

“Alright. But you also shouldn′t let your guard down. If you do so, you will lose once again.”

“I-I know that!”

Rook gave a glance to his elder sister, who had reliability, but at the same time, he didn′t know that for sure. Despite it being the battlefield, Raku was carefree. It was as if she was smoking her smoking pipe at her laboratory. But Rook, of Raku, whose attitude hadn′t changed from her usual… strangely, was feeling extremely envious.

—-

Edgar Zerrik, who governed the city of Fert, was unusually taken by the anger.

First, the reason why he was irritated was because that jumped-up little girl… who despite being a filthy human, was sent to do the important mission of retrieving the crown of the Demon Lord. At the time he had heard the report, because of the anger, he had kicked a very expensive pot, sending it flying. The one that was the closest to the Sherr island was the one stationed at the center of Fert, Zerrik. That′s why he assumed he was going to be appointed to this mission and had even arranged the preparations. Despite that, the human girl was the one dispatched, as if it was the most obvious thing. He didn′t like that.

“Really! What is Charlotte-sama thinking!!”

Such a thing as to give her backing to a human was outrageous. Of course, he had guessed Charlotte had her own plans about that. However, he couldn′t completely hold back his feelings. Zerrik was walking on the walls of the castle irritated. And it was at that moment.

“Hey, look at that. There is a pig walking there.”

“No, it′s not a pig. It′s a boar.”

“It is walking very …Is it training for a circus performance?”

Zerrik had head the second reason for his irritation.

An army of spiritualists were positioned in a perfect place where arrows barely couldn′t reach them. No, rather than an army, it would be fine to call them a group. Several people were sitting with crossed legs and had been drinking alcohol since the daytime. And then, without holding back, they would shower the demons with abuse.

Even if he was to glare at them, they wouldn′t fear. Rather, they would happily start insulting them. 𝙛𝐫e𝚎wℯ𝗯𝒏𝗼ѵ𝙚l.𝒄o𝚖

“Yaah, it′s glaring, it′s looking at us!”

“If you hate it that much, then don′t hide at your pig pen and come at us!”

“No. It wants to keep in his safe pen. It is so scared of dying.”

Zerrik clenched his teeth.

He mustn′t lose to this abuse and go after them. They were clearly setting a trap. Perhaps they had a plan that would be taking a big chunk of their army at once if they were to go attack. He mustn′t fall for their bait. Somehow, Zerrik maintained his self-control. While appreciating how the guards were trembling in anger for him, he kept in mind not to give attention to the voice of those people outside.

“Men, do not worry. Those are merely provocations. Let them do as they want until they get tired of it.”

Somehow saying that to the guards, Zerrik took his leave. If he was to stay at this place longer than that, it didn′t feel he would be able to hold himself back. However… Things wouldn′t go well that easily. Just as he had turned his back to the spiritualists outside the wall, their laughs of ridicule increased. Because of the laughs, Zerrik unconsciously stopped his feet. At that moment, perhaps it was when he had ran out of luck.

“Ahahaha, look at their commander. He is turning his cute tail and running to his home.”

“He is curling his little tail and running to mommy.”

“Humans are so scary~. I am so scared of losing~. Help me, momm… Wait? Is it a child? The great general of Fert.”

“It′s a brat, a brat. A coward lower than a little girl.”

Those words.

The instant he had heard those words, his veins welled up.

“Who is a coward lower than a little human girl!!?”

There was no mistake those spiritualists had said those words by coincidence. He knew there was definitely no way they would be speaking of a certain someone. He knew that. Zerrik knew it. But once the blood went to his head, he couldn′t hold back anymore.

“Prepare for battle!! We are immediately going down there annihilate those insolent spiritualists!!”

In an instant, the battle preparations were ready and the gate was opened. There were no signs of him going to ride on his horse. He ran to the battlefield with him own trained leg strength. Zerrik and his soldiers were very much like wild boars charging. While laughing, the spiritualists that were drinking ran away.

“Don′t let them run! Follow them, follow them!!”

With smoke coming off his head, there was no way to stop Zerrik. While drawing his sword, Zerrik glared at the back of the running spiritualists. He could only see the enemy in front of his eyes. There was nothing in his head expect annihilating the filthy humans in front of his eyes.

That′s why he didn′t notice.

“Yes, with that, it is the end.”

The smiling Raku scratched the match in her hand.

And then, she put fire onto a wire. The straw made wire, in an instant, were burned through and lighted the bomb connected to it. Once that single explosion happened, in a blink of an eye, it caused secondary explosions to happen one after another. The place the bombs were installed one next to another had already been left by the running spiritualists, and… It was the place Zerrik and his army were standing at now.

“Wha-, retreat!!”

Zerrik sensed the danger with his intuition.

However, overlaying his voice, the shine and shockwave of the explosions spread.

The moment the word regret went through his mind, the sight of Edgar Zerrik had become dyed in white.