There was half a month left of the deadline set by the emperor.

Folker Baran intended to make full use of the time until then. He saw no benefit in hurrying things and being the attacking side.

So for that reason, when a soldier came rus.h.i.+ng in, shouting "e-enemies" as he gasped for breath, Folker eagerly stood up, thinking - have they finally made a move? However -

"T-To the west, Bafsk Fortress has lit a beacon. Western troops have appeared near the border. Their numbers: about a thousand!"

"The West, you say?"

For all that he was known for his nerves of steel, even Folker looked grim.

A short while later, an airs.h.i.+p flew in from the west.

To the west of Birac, at the end of the River Zwimm, Bafsk was the fort that defended the westernmost tip of Mephius. As it was situated in a gorge, there was no town attached to it and those stationed there were soldiers detached from Birac's garrison, so that it was, in effect, a detached bastion belonging to Birac.

According to the report, a large number of western troops had been sighted at dawn. Counting the infantrymen, dragoons, and cavalry, they numbered about a thousand.

The many banners of the western countries fluttered in the wind, but their a.s.sembled troops had made no further move. The large, black ma.s.s seemed to crouch silently and the Bafsk soldiers held their breath at the uncanny feeling they gave off. Coming as it was right after the battle with the Taúlian army in the area around Apta, and during further war preparations, they were requesting reinforcements from Birac.

d.a.m.nit!

Folker did not show any emotion in front of the soldiers, but inwardly, he was seething.

Normally, reinforcements to Bafsk would be sent from Apta and Birac. But naturally, they could not currently expect any a.s.sistance from Apta.

It looked as though in waiting for the enemy to feel under pressure, they were the ones who had ended up being pressured.

"So that impostor has revealed his true colours," Yuriah sneered when he heard the news.

"What do you mean?"

"It's just as His Majesty said. The enemy is being backed by the West. This is the best possible proof that they're cooperating together."

It was not that Folker did not share that thought, but that still did not explain why Rogue, Odyne, and the Garberan princess were supporting the impostor.

"It's possible that this is retaliation from Taúlia. But there's no doubt that this move is to the Impostor Prince's advantage."

It was unclear whether the west and the impostor had formed an alliance, but naturally, they could not afford to ignore either of them. If both of them advanced their war horses at the same time, Folker's troops in Birac risked being attacked from multiple directions.

"How about first driving the West out of Bafsk then attacking the troops in Jozu Fortress?" Zaas, the youngest of the twelve generals, suggested. Folker however did not nod his a.s.sent.

They should not cross the border. It was too dangerous to push into western territory at this point. That one thousand... there was no way of knowing where an ambush might have been laid.

It was best to first sort out the Impostor Crown Prince's troops, since they knew what their numbers were.

While he was busy thinking, the lord of Birac, Fedom Aulin, also came rus.h.i.+ng in.

"They didn't heed the advice to surrender. But it wasn't entirely without results."

"What do you mean?"

"According to the messenger's report, he was able to meet directly with the two generals, and it looked as though both of them had some doubts. They're still not certain whether or not it's the real prince, so, General, we should start with that side. If we attack them, they might prove unexpectedly fragile."

Folker did not have any objections.

First, they took soldiers from each troop and sent about five hundred west to Bafsk as well as leaving three hundred overall to defend Birac. The main force of over two thousand began preparations to march.

Folker had heard from his scouts that the enemy had built a new fort in Tolinea Forest.

So it's to be battle, is it?

Although he regretted having been 'made to make a move', Folker did not think that was enough to overturn the situation in the enemy's favour. He had considered that if they were cooperating with the West, they might have secretly borrowed soldiers from Tauran, but it did not appear that any large number of people had been moving in and out of Apta or its vicinity.

"The enemy's troops are mostly composed of riflemen and air forces. In order to use their ranged weapons effectively, they have the option of remaining entrenched in their positions. But if they do that, they won't be able to hold out," Folker said to Yuriah and Zaas. "First, we peck at them with our spears. Whatever you do, do not chase them too far. For now, we just want Jozu Fortress to fall. The enemy is not in a position to be able to replenish their soldiers, so the plan is to tighten the net around them then fight them one by one."

Folker was by no means looking down on the enemy. There was something uncanny about an unknown enemy army.

In the early morning of the day after the Western troops had appeared along the border, the army left Birac.

This was the earliest action in what would be known in Mephian history books as "the Battle of Tolinea".

So they've come?

When he heard that the army had left Birac and was starting to head south, Orba rose to his feet.

It was, of course, at his request that the Western troops had appeared at the border. He had estimated that Folker would not be able to disregard them and would definitely move his troops towards Apta.

Their strategy was already entirely set up. They had been able to complete their preparations before the enemy arranged their battle formations. The enemy were two thousand. Their own total number was half of that, one thousand.

It was said that in battles revolving around castles and fortresses, the defending side had the advantage. As the only troops they had enough of were Rogue's air force and Odyne's riflemen, if all they were to do was to defend, they should be able to withstand one or two a.s.saults.

However, exactly as Folker had guessed, their supply line was weak and they truly could not be said to have enough in the way of ground forces.

Moreover, Orba had divided the soldiers into two groups, one each in Jozu and Tolinea. Orba's field of expertise lay in making use of the mobility of small units but, if there was even a single mistake, each and every one of them would, in the twinkle of an eye, find themselves in danger of being crushed.

But at the same time, this division meant that the enemy would also be forced to divide their troops so as to avoid being caught in a pincer attack.

Orba intended to lure the enemy towards the two forts for as long as he was able to do so. Their infantry and cavalry was insufficient. Therefore, they would lure the enemy to the point of penetrating into the forts, where the riflemen would be able to snipe at them.

Of course, that would be no more than a delaying tactic. But that was fine. And if, in the worst case scenario, both Jozu and Tolinea were partially destroyed in the fighting and were no longer useable, that didn't matter either. To say nothing of Tolinea, which was no more than hastily constructed fences and turrets, even Jozu was, as far as...o...b.. was concerned, the equivalent of a paper decoration existing only to attract the enemy.

Meanwhile, we will be moving our detached force.

The cavalry of two hundred led by Pas.h.i.+r. They had been selected from among the best from Orba's Imperial Guards and from Rogue and Odyne's troops.

At the same time as the battle would start, they would circ.u.mvent it by taking a route going from south to east, and would arrive in a position giving onto the enemy headquarters. Since Orba liked investigating terrain, several possible routes had of course been established beforehand.

Once the detached force found the best place for them, a beacon would be lit.

At that moment, Orba would launch the dragoons, which would have been kept in reserve, into the fighting at Jozu.

The timing had to be simultaneous with the enemy becoming convinced that they could push through with brute force. For Folker, this would offer a longed-for opportunity to seize victory. So as not to lose the momentum, he would separate part of the troops defending the headquarters and would send them out to the front as a second wave.

As soon as the enemy headquarters were under-manned, Pas.h.i.+r's force would attack.

It would be at that moment that the soldiers from the two fortresses, Jozu and Tolinea, would finally also push out.

By aiming for the gap during which the enemy formation weakened and attacking in one go, they would even be able to score a direct hit on their headquarters.

There were a lot of sequences involved.

Jozu and Tolinea had to defend their positions to the death until Pas.h.i.+r's unit had finished moving into position, and Pas.h.i.+r's unit itself naturally had to move with caution. If any of these three forces made even a single mistake, the flow of battle would immediately turn to the enemy's advantage and it would be difficult to recapture it with any half-hearted measures.

And yet - the strange unsteadiness in his steps, which Orba had felt since before the war began, seemed to come from something different than the uneasy suspense before battle.

But to say that I'm afraid -

Princess Vileena's words were still echoing in his ears.

Certainly, even if they won, this strategy would not be able to avoid there being a great many victims. As the commander-in-chief who would be luring the enemy in close when the time came, while also covering Pas.h.i.+r's attack, Orba himself would need to lead a suicide attack, sword in hand.

The final effort.

In the instant that momentum was in their hands, they would push and push and keep pus.h.i.+ng to the end.

Which would come first: Pas.h.i.+r's unit successfully striking the enemy headquarters or their side falling to the enemy's superior resources? Unusually for Orba's strategies, a desperate gamble was incorporated at the very end.

Needless to say, this was because of the difference in military strength. Still, there should have been a way of lessening that pressure. They could have borrowed soldiers from the west and incorporated them among the frontline fighters.

Yet Orba had not chosen to do so.

Ax would have moved as many soldiers as Prince Gil requested, but the West had a long history with Mephius and, above all, there had been a battle not so many days past. Not only was it uncertain whether they would be able to cooperate effectively, there was also no telling how long the Tauran soldiers would be willing to risk their lives for Prince Gil.

And then there was one other thing. One other aim in this fight in which Orba was announcing himself to be Prince Gil.

First, we have to seize victory with by our own strength.

Since Gil had chosen friends.h.i.+p with Taúlia, borrowing soldiers from the West could, in a sense, be said to be Prince Gil's strength. However, what Orba needed to earn in this battle was not simply victory. What Orba was looking at was not Folker, the one who was right in front of him, but what lay beyond him: the Imperial Capital Solon and all the lords and generals of Mephius.

He needed to influence them by winning this fight. The resurrected Prince Gil was opposing the emperor's irrational orders and, with a strength born from righteousness, was fighting him headfirst and crus.h.i.+ng his evil designs. This was what Orba currently hoped for above all else. Therefore, without ambushes or surprise attacks, without borrowing the power of other countries, he would wage war with nothing but his own troops - such was his decision.

"Notification from all units. The preparations for the strategy are complete." A messenger knelt before him.

Orba stood up, placing his sword to his waist.

Odyne was stationed here in Jozu, Rogue was at Tolinea.

The detached force led by Pas.h.i.+r had already started moving and Gilliam had been incorporated into the cavalry that would lead the a.s.sault, so neither of them were present.

s.h.i.+que was in the command room as the representative of Orba's Imperial Guards.

"Good."

Without needing to be prompted by a glance from him, Orba hid the unsteadiness of his steps and, treading firmly with both feet, he stared sharply before him.

"Let's begin."

Very soon after Folker's forces started taking up their battle formations, the day turned to early afternoon.

The sky was the colour of lead.

The wind was somewhat tepid.

"The enemy has apparently set up a new base in Tolinea," while the battle formations were being set up, in the tent that served as their headquarters, Folker had unfolded a map and was showing it to Yuriah and Zaas. "Well now, what could be their intention?"

"To have one of them watch for our a.s.sault while the other can attack us from the side,' answered Zaas. Now that it was right before battle, his nerves were stretched even tauter than usual, his eyes were flaring, his breathing was ragged and his expression was like a fiend's[1].

"Right," Folker nodded gravely. "But we can suppose that their aim is to make us cautious of what you've just said and have us divide our forces in two."

"In that case," said Yuriah, "send my air force to Tolinea. If we burn the forest to the ground, that cobbled-together base will be destroyed in no time."

"Naturally, I think so too. Anyone would think so. In other words, the enemy will also have thought of it," Folker sounded neither hurried nor impatient. In fact, his tone was rather leisurely. This was the same att.i.tude he had whenever he was in a situation where bullets where might come flying at any moment, and it made him impressive in a different way than swinging a sword from horseback would.

Perhaps because they were fascinated by it, both the explosive Zaas and the overly self-confident Yuriah interrupted him as little as possible.

"For all that he's the scoundrel that is usurping Crown Prince Gil's name, the enemy's way of taking Jozu Fortress was pretty good, if you ask me," Folker said easily. "And so, I'm thinking I'll be a great fool and an incompetent commander."

"What do you mean, General?"

"By all rights, this is an opponent that we should defeat without suffering the slightest wound ourselves, so we will deliberately expose our skin and invite ourselves to be wounded. In doing that, we will watch what the enemy does."

Even now, you still want to watch what the enemy does? - was what no one said.

"First, Jozu Fortress," Folker Baran tapped his finger at a point on the map. "We will have soldiers advance on it."

"Oh," Yuriah nodded but Folker did not say anything further. The two young generals were bewildered for a moment by the unnatural silence, but very soon Zaas seemed to catch on to something and he looked towards Folker.

"And Tolinea? Are we going to ignore it?"

"For now, yes," said Folker.

The enemy had taken up two separate positions and were planning a pincer attack. That much should be obvious to anyone, and therefore, -

They're trying to lure us to them, was Folker's a.s.sessment.

"They've probably placed the highly mobile air force in Tolinea and intend to defend Jozu so that they can contain the attacking forces there. So don't get drawn in by them. The enemy is planning something - something that will allow them to beat us despite their low manpower. And the first step to that is to have us divide our troops. And so the first thing to do is to deliberately advance our soldiers on Jozu. When we see how Tolinea moves and how much of their strength they send to Jozu, the movements of the entire army will be visible as a matter of course."

Certainly, that's…, Yuriah and Zaas did not say anything, but the impression they had was the same.

If Folker were overestimating the enemy, or in other words, if the enemy were no more than an average commander, his tactics would undoubtedly be the height of stupidity. Many soldiers would die needlessly. Having perfectly understood that, Folker had said that he would from now on be "a great fool, and incompetent".

Gil Mephius - or rather, Orba, and Folker Baran.

Of the two of them, Folker had done a better job of clearing the initial hindrances.

Essentially, Orba was the one who had needed to become a 'fool'. He should have pretended that he was going to fight a large opposing army that there was no hope of winning against, and in fact, if he had been the same as he always had been until now, he would successfully have done so.

But this time, Orba had underestimated his opponent.

Was it because he had become conceited from winning fights in which he had been at a disadvantage up until now, or was it because he had, from the start, been fixated on the idea that a commander facing an army less than half the size of his own would not feel the need to be vigilant? Either way, he had been lacking in information about Folker Baran.

Orba's side did not have the reserve manpower or the spare energy to prepare a new plan in the case of their strategy failing. As such, one could say that a mistake from the start might well already determine how the battle would flow.

Folker removed his finger from the map and looked at Zaas Sidious.

"There'll be a dangerous task. Can I leave it to you?"

Zaas s.h.i.+vered. I was obvious from the gesture with which he struck the armour at his chest that it was absolutely not from fear that he was trembling.

"When it comes to the battlefield, the only orders at which I shake my head," Zaas smiled ferociously, "are the ones to withdraw before my sword has been dyed red."

With their strategy and battle formations completed, all that remained was to wait for the signal to march.

Just when it looked like the sky had become dark and overcast, an especially strong ray of sunlight would occasionally break through a gap in the clouds and brightly light up the surroundings of Tolinea Forest, which would soon to be turned into a battlefield.

As per standard strategy, Folker established headquarters in an elevated position on a hill. It was defended by four hundred of the Black Steel Sword Division as well as by a hundred infantrymen led by Battalion Commander Walt.

Obviously enough, as this was the same man who had been the commanding officer at Jozu Fortress. Having splendidly been tricked and robbed of the fortress, he had become the laughingstock of those around him. Walt, however, was not the sort of man to seclude himself indefinitely and shun others out of shame.

"Please send me to the front," he had pleaded with Folker on his knees.

As the commander, Folker was a willing taker of that zeal but, while he was ready to make good use of their numbers, he had not felt any need to incorporate a separate unit into his strategy at such a late stage, and so had given them the order to defend the headquarters.

Walt was definitely dissatisfied, but he had no choice but to accept the situation. Actually - if I see a chance - he was even willing to charge alone at the Impostor Crown Prince or at the swordsman Pas.h.i.+r who had smeared mud all over his face.

But -

Along with his ardent hostility, there were also doubts that he could not shake off beneath his heavy breastplate. He had heard from his subordinates afterwards that the man he had fought in single combat was called Pas.h.i.+r. They also told him about his history.

Walt had been running around getting ready to transfer to the fortress at about the same time that the Founding Festival was being held in Solon, so he knew practically nothing about who was this year's winner in the Gladiatorial Contest that he himself had once won, nor about the circ.u.mstances surrounding it.

According to what he had heard, although Pas.h.i.+r had been the runner-up in the contest, he was also a heinous criminal who had plotted an uprising against Mephius. However, the crown prince had incorporated the slaves, Pas.h.i.+r included, into his own direct subordinates.

It was conceivable that Pas.h.i.+r, hating Mephius to this very day, had conspired with like-minded people to kill the prince, put an impostor in his place and take over the country.

But, is that man really just an impostor?

Walt shook his head with his swollen face in confusion.

His bearing was very dignified. He had spared Walt when he should have taken his life. "If you want to have a match with me, ask Folker to let you join the front," were the words he had fired off at the time.

Well then, it's fine. Walt was not to sort to agonize endlessly. If there was something that he did not understand, he would just have to check with his own eyes and his own sword.

Wrapping it in that extra layer of meaning, Walt vowed to himself that he would, without fail, cross swords with the man who called himself the crown prince.

And thus, when the drums resounded, six hundred from Zaas Sidious' Spear of Flames Division were the first to sally forward. Most of them were infantrymen but there were also about two hundred of the soldiers who carefully carried guns. Two cannons mounted on wheels were being pulled by horses, and twelve airs.h.i.+ps flew overhead.

A further two hundred soldiers were advancing in front of the main force of six hundred. They had neither armour nor guns, and their appearance was truly wretched. They were what was known as battlefield slaves. They were in essence human s.h.i.+elds, and, in accordance with what could be called the Sidious House's traditional way of waging war, that family's troops always marched while pus.h.i.+ng the slaves before them.

While the tactic might seem despicable, both Zaas and his father were very good at grasping the slaves' hearts.

Each individual slave was only sent to the battlefield once. If they survived, they would be free. Of course, if the person themselves wished for it, they would officially be appointed as soldiers. The possibility of death was certainly very high, but, holding on to the thought that - if I can just make it through this one time - the slaves turned into demons of war. Sometimes, that spirit even allowed them to surpa.s.s soldiers who had been tempered through years of experience. Hoisting up spears and brandis.h.i.+ng crude blades, they marched on with rough footsteps.

"Don't hurry too much," Zaas hurled the order from atop his horse. "Walk slowly enough to give the enemy plenty of time to get scared."

When they arrived within sight of Jozu Fortress, the air reverberated with a loud booming noise.

The fortress had fired the first shot.

When the cannonball crashed into the ground, fragments mixed with earth and sand were sent flying in all directions. Although they were still far, Zaas' horse reared up on its hind legs and whinnied.

While forcefully bringing it back under control, Zaas roared, "Go, go, go!"

Away from the ranks of soldiers, on either side of them, the cannons returned fire. As they were not fixed in place, they were low on precision, but that also meant that they draw away the aim of the enemy guns.

While both sides exchanged their first shots with the roar of cannon fire, Zaas sent a messenger to Folker.

"So they still aren't moving?"

It was to be expected that those in Jozu would not move having drawn the enemy to them. However, even though Zaas' troops had positioned themselves in such a way that their flank was open for attack, there was absolutely no movement from Tolinea.

Meanwhile, in Jozu Fortress, a messenger had come running.

Folker Baran, was it?

When Orba heard the report that although Zaas' infantry was gradually drawing closer while returning fire, the enemy was not otherwise taking action, it was only then that he truly became aware of the enemy commander.

The Western army's appearance at the border meant that Folker had to quickly subdue Orba's side, yet the enemy commander was remaining superbly calm.

On top of that, he was willing to make sacrifices in order to set up a tactic that allowed him to sound them out. When it came to sheer audacity, Folker did not fall behind Orba.

Tolinea did not currently have the manpower to allow them to move soldiers. Or rather, it did, but now was not the right time to unleash them. Even if the enemy had acted as they had antic.i.p.ated and attacked on two fronts, they had only arranged for enough riflemen to be able to hold the fort, so there was no way for them to hinder Zaas' a.s.sault by attacking his flank.

He actually did it.

Jozu was merely one of the decoys to lure the enemy in. It was a strategy that meant incurring damage, but until the detached force had completed their manoeuvre, and even if they were driven to the point of having only a single soldier left with only a single gun to use, they had to defend their ground by every possible means.

He saw through us.

Orba hurriedly ordered that a messenger be sent to Tolinea. To request that several airs.h.i.+ps for Jozu. Attacking Zaas' flank was one way of steering the enemy their way, but in all honesty, he would have preferred for Tolinea to make a move without his having to dispatch a messenger.

It was proof that they did not have good coordination.

Although scattering soldiers had since long ago been recognized as a stupid tactic, if they could move with flawless coordination, conducting their operation as though the entire group were but one person, then it would be the same as though hardly any soldiers had been scattered at all. But for all that Rogue and Odyne were comrades whose sympathies were aligned with the prince's position, their relations.h.i.+p with him was not one of having conducted operations together since way back.

Zaas' troops had finally all but closed in on Jozu. First, the airs.h.i.+p flight that accompanied their march used a hit-and-run tactic, then, when the enemy fire had been drawn upwards, the slave unit began its charge.

Of course, the firing from the fortress was intense. Bullets poured down like rain. They pierced into the slaves one by one, and one by one their fallen corpses piled up on top of each other to form a small hill in front of the fort.

Zaas was giving orders for the deployment of each platoon of riflemen to return fire, while at the same time ostentatiously flying the flag of the Sidious House from his horse as he galloped left and right, bellowing the whole time.

"Don't be afraid. Look, they haven't even grazed me. The enemy is just a group of cowards who have been fooled by an impostor after all. Bullets fired by the likes of them won't reach us spirited warriors!"

Despite his age, his manner was in every way that of an imposing general.

While the gun fight was unfolding, airs.h.i.+ps came hurrying from Tolinea in the east, but Zaas was quick to respond to the threat and ordered the airs.h.i.+p flight from his own side to attack.

At the same time as the fighting started in the skies, back at the headquarters, Folker nodded.

"Ah yes, there is that method of drawing us to them."

The enemy's method was to divide the attacking side in two, draw them to them, and carry out a resolutely defensive battle.

Are they planning to have the West attack us from the rear when the time is right?

Folker worried as he stood outside the headquarter tent. In front of him was the map on which was the current battle progress was jotted down.

No, what if their plan is to make us think that? If we fixate on the West, we'll aim to settle things here quickly and decisively. Attacking once we show a gap...

Something flashed through his mind.

With a detached force.

That possibility struck him. After luring the soldiers into two groups, their method would be to send a detached force to attack the headquarters.

I 've seen through them.

The reason why Folker was known for being an unusually tenacious Mephian commander was not simply because he was good at salvaging retreats. He was, so to speak, a similar type to Orba and was known for gathering all possible information about the enemy before a battle.

This time around, information had been limited, which was why he had decided that sacrifices would first be needed before they could spread their net. Now that he had obtained his information, Folker Baran hesitated no longer.

"Send a messenger to Yuriah. Attack Tolinea. Once it's burnt to the ground, join up with Zaas. Provide support fire for the attack from the ground troops."

Just as Folker had guessed earlier, their air force was probably lying in wait within the hastily constructed fort. Its defences looked as though they would not be able to withstand enemy a.s.saults for more than a few days, but, supposing the aerial troops had been concealed there, once the enemy had been lured to them, they would be able to throw that enemy into disarray.

At the same time as Yuriah and Zaas were carrying out his orders, Folker would have his own Black Steel Sword Division defend the headquarters. Anywhere where it looked like they might be able to charge at, he deployed troops behind the ones arranged a little in front, creating double and triple defence lines. And -

"The enemy's shock troops might be drawing in on us," so saying, he divided the airs.h.i.+p and cavalry platoons more or less in two and ordered them to scout out the surroundings in all directions.

In the distance, the incessant sound of bombing and shooting could be heard.

Meanwhile -

"Hup," Pas.h.i.+r's detached force was steadily getting closer.

They had been weaving their way through a grove of trees but, suddenly realising that the sound of ether engines was coming their way, Pas.h.i.+r gave everyone the order to dismount. They were still at a distance, but the airs.h.i.+ps were definitely flying over the trees. If they continued to advance, they would soon be discovered.

Have they figured it out? A tense look pa.s.sed over Pas.h.i.+r's face. At this point, they had no choice but to go back. He gave the signal and they turned back along the way they had come.

Another soldier came rus.h.i.+ng in again. A messenger from the detached force.

It appeared that, as the defences around the headquarters had been reinforced, Pas.h.i.+r's unit was not in a position to move.

Although Orba remained outwardly impa.s.sive, he was clenching his fists so tightly that the muscles in his arms had bulged to twice their usual appearance.

Moreover, Yuriah's fleet had started advancing on Tolinea. Including the flags.h.i.+p, it contained four cruisers. Each of them carried six airs.h.i.+ps and was being escorted by a further three airs.h.i.+ps. The commander, Yuriah Mattah, was young even for a Winged Dragon officer. He considered that the doctrine of using large, heavily armed wars.h.i.+ps was outdated. He believed that, at least when one was on the attacking side, it was best to make full use of mobility in the sky.

Even with the fleet approaching, there was no conspicuous movement from Tolinea.

Do they not have that many guns? Yuriah Mattah wondered from the bridge of the flags.h.i.+p, and he had one of the other cruisers lead the way.

Sure enough, even when they were within cannon range, there was no movement from the enemy. Yuriah gave the cruisers the order to start bombing.

The trees bulged along the surface of the ground and one of the watch watchtowers was blown away. Right after that, a number of enemy airs.h.i.+ps flew out in apparent disorder from behind the hastily built fences.

"Ah, we've smoked them out," Yuriah chuckled to himself. Following standard practice, he had the s.h.i.+p momentarily pull back; then thrust a lit torch into the nest to scatter the noxious insects.

Still, Tolinea was a little too weak for a "nest". There could not have been more than ten airs.h.i.+ps that took to the sky.

Very soon, the aerial battle started but from the first, Yuriah's side held the momentum. And not only because of their numbers. In terms of tactics also, there was a wide difference between Yuriah's and the enemy side.

"Humph," Yuriah smiled scornfully as he observed the situation through a pair of binoculars.

The enemy was surely the Dawnlight Wings Division led by General Rogue Saian. He was, undoubtedly, a highly-experienced commander; but when it came to tactics for the use of airs.h.i.+ps, Yuriah had a slight edge thanks to having studied the newest strategies at the Military Academy.

All that the enemy did was charge as though they were cavalry riders, swivel around, then take up the exact same posture to do the same again. During the war against Garbera however, Mephius had been able to study the techniques of an enemy that excelled at handling airs.h.i.+ps. And their latest tactics had been taught at the Military Academy.

Always send out airs.h.i.+ps in groups of three in aerial combat, and have one s.h.i.+p lure the enemy to create an opportunity for the other two to attack it from the rear. These were the basics that Yuriah had had hammered into him. And just like him, his subordinates were young. They had made these flexible tactics their own.

On the opposing side, Rogue's airs.h.i.+p units were completely unable to compete with this method. They were barely able to scatter and run without having shot down a single one of Yuriah's crafts.

Whereupon, the airs.h.i.+ps immediately commenced their bombing operation. As the defence line crumbled still further, the s.h.i.+ps drew near for a second round of bombardments. The hurriedly constructed fort was collapsing.

Meanwhile.

"Your Highness."

While the attack on Tolinea Fort had begun, Orba was still clenching his fists. Although s.h.i.+que had been calling repeatedly for a while now, he did not answer.

"Your Highness!"

"What?"

He finally turned to look at s.h.i.+que.

"Tolinea will fall. Even if we use that to attract the enemy's ground troops, Pas.h.i.+r still won't be able to move. This is…"

"This is?"

"Should we launch ourselves at an early stage than the one planned for? If a chance comes up to bring that out in Tolinea, we could hugely disrupt the enemy lines."

Zaas Sidious' forces were still closing in on Jozu Fortress. While gunfire was still being exchanged, they had finally started to set up the large-scale guns.

It's no good! Orba screamed, but only inwardly.

Certainly, their strategy had relied on launching themselves at the cost of there being victims among them. But that was only after the enemy had been drawn further in, when Pas.h.i.+r's unit would have been on the verge of breaking into the enemy camp.

Since Pas.h.i.+r's troops had not yet lit a beacon, it meant that they were not yet able to attack. If they launched themselves at this stage, how long would they be able to hold out, waiting for their shock troops?

"Your Highness, we can go with that option," Odyne also spoke up, but that option seemed to lead to almost certain death.

There has to still be something - thought Orba. Something which would allow them to remedy the state of the battle other than a suicide attack that would cost an untold number of lives.

At that very moment however, Yuriah's air force, which had effortlessly broken through the aerial defence line, closed in on Tolinea Fort.

He did not order an immediate bombardment as they could get information from the sky. At the news that his s.h.i.+ps returned with, Yuriah's smirk grew wider. On the other side of what appeared to be a hastily-constructed abattis[2], there was only one single old-style cannon manned by a small number of artillerymen, as well as a huge pile of tree branches.

"I see, so once they had drawn our soldiers in, they were planning to set them on fire." The leaves and branches were no doubt those that had been acc.u.mulated when they were building the fort. "Then we'll save them the trouble. Notify the fifth platoon, they're to bombard Tolinea's fort. The third and fourth platoons are to guard them. The remainder are to drive enemy airs.h.i.+ps from the sky."

Even now, Yuriah still did not send out all of his s.h.i.+ps. Rogue Saian's flags.h.i.+p, as well as the vessels which should have been seized when they captured Jozu Fortress, had yet to appear on the battlefield, which was why he kept some back in case of need. However, the sky remained clear of the enemy s.h.i.+p.

Was it being used to fortify Apta's defence? Or was it on standby behind Jozu Fortress in order to evacuate the military personnel? Either way, it had lost the chance to fly to Tolinea's defence. It was safe to say that the enemy had been a step too slow to make good use of their air power.

The fifth platoon started dropping ammunitions from the sky above Tolinea. They did not need to repeatedly circle and bomb the target; because of all the dry wood, the fire spread quickly and Tolinea Fort was soon engulfed in raging red flames.

The soldiers within the fort threw aside their guns, looking like baby spiders as they scattered and ran. Rogue's airs.h.i.+ps had already escaped into the sky.

"Tolinea has fallen. Good, let's hurry to go support General Sidious. Turn around," shouted Yuriah Mattah. At the same time,

"Your Highness!" In Jozu's command room, s.h.i.+que likewise raised his voice. "We have known from the start that we are at a disadvantage. Since they are coming from Tolinea, we should also attack. At this point, the enemy - right, the enemy should start to get careless at this point. If we can link up with Pas.h.i.+r's unit on the way, we can probably draw up to the enemy headquarters."

His face pale, s.h.i.+que loudly spoke his thoughts. Orba looked at him from sideways on and glared.

"Don't interfere. You don't understand anything so shut up."

"No," s.h.i.+que's gaze did not flinch.

His sense of regret was as strong, no, stronger even, than Orba's. He had known that Orba was not in his normal state. He should have probed more deeply into that and, more importantly, he should have helped him back to a normal frame of mind.

He did not know if it was only because the plan had failed, but it was now obvious that Orba was -

"Your Highness, what are you afraid of?" s.h.i.+que finally asked.

"What did you say? Afraid," Orba kicked his chair back as he sprang to his feet. His violent inner conflict suddenly disappeared, replaced instead by an even stronger emotion that filled his mind at a terrifying speed. "Are you that desperate to launch a suicide attack? In that case -"

'Go ahead and do it' was what he had been about to say. But at that moment -

What are you afraid of?

Vileena's words re-emerged from within his memories and, resonating with s.h.i.+que's voice, they struck him hard. Orba suddenly faltered.

Afraid.

Am I afraid?

When he asked himself that question, the burning torrent that had been filling his chest vanished abruptly. A feeling so cold it almost made him s.h.i.+ver took its place.

The image of himself fighting, sword in hand, flashed through his mind. Followed by a rush of images of enemies raising swords, spears, axes or guns with blood-curling yells.

It felt as though a pale, unidentifiable hand was clutching his heart, and Orba stood paralysed.

The sky roared with angry voices, the sound of cannon fire echoed in crescendo, the forest soaked up the blood of corpses until it was dyed red, everything flickered violently until even the bright sun in heaven became entangled in it and silently started falling.

That was -

Death.

When he thought about it, Orba realised that for the first time, he was afraid.

He was afraid of fighting.

He was terrified of dying.

It was the first time he felt like that. Which was why it had taken him so long to identify the feeling.

Orba had experienced countless dangerous situations. Every time, he had wondered if he was going to die.

He had had to survive for the sake of fulfilling his revenge. Put otherwise, if he had fallen along the way and lost his life, his only desire would have been crushed.

It was different now.

He no longer had a goal that he could not die without accomplis.h.i.+ng. It was just that now, he had the feeling that -

I mustn't die.

If I fall here…

Orba's unfocused gaze hardly saw the people a.s.sembled in the command room. What he saw in his mind's eye were Rogue and Gilliam and the others that were lying in wait for their chance, and the soldiers who were fighting and shooting their guns. Although it might mean betraying their own country and facing Mephius itself, each of them was prepared to risk their own lives.

If I -

If his corpse were to be exposed, the brand on his back would be seen.

The Gil Mephius who had risen in rebellion would be revealed as an impostor and a former slave. He would be labelled a fool and a heinous criminal with ambitions far above his station, who had sought to use his striking resemblance to the crown prince to take over Mephius.

Not only that, but it was obvious that Rogue and Odyne would be presented as villains who had taken part in the plot in order the s.n.a.t.c.h for themselves the positions of chief retainers.

Those who had longed for Mephius' future and who chivalrously fought, even at the cost of innumerable sacrifices, would merely end up captured and killed as part of a despicable rebel army, their names reviled forevermore.

It was different from when he had fought for revenge. That had been Orba's own personal fight.

And the meaning was not the same as when he had joined the war in the west to bring down Garda. That had been "Ax's battle". Victory and defeat, the honours and the future had all been for Ax Bazgan to carry.

Now it was...o...b.. alone who bore the burden. Of the corpses piled on today's battlefield, of each and every one of those lives.

Do I have what it takes to carry that?

Even if it was just one battle, the boy that Orba still was felt dizzy from the weight of it.

And in that case, what kind of person did you have to be to shoulder the responsibility for an entire country?

Zaas, who was fast approaching Orba's fortress, Yuriah who was bombing Tolinea, Folker who was commanding them from the rear and, even further behind them, the one who was pulling the strings, Emperor Guhl Mephius.

Now, Guhl's shadow was like that of a giant, filling Orba's vision. Stretching a huge black arm, he struck Orba in the chest. And, for all he boasted of being forged by training, that chest now seemed as frail as a baby's as the impact went right through him.

Orba staggered and sat back down in the chair from which he had just risen.

"Y-Your Highness."

"What happened, Your Highness!"

Immediately after, a small tremor shook the command room.

An enemy cannonball had smashed through the fortress' outer gate. The infantrymen raised their war cries as they began to break in.

Odyne's men, who been watching for this, and, from the top of staircases, from the covered galleries, from the shadows of pillars, they all started firing at once. Since the plan had been from the start to draw the enemy in, their ambush was fully prepared.

But Zaas Sidious had ordered the battlefield slaves to rush in first. Sprays of blood were spurted upwards. Trampling over the corpses of the slaves, Zaas' riflemen followed after them. And started returning fire.

In no time at all, Jozu Fortress was filled with gunpowder smoke and the echoes of gunshots.