Volume 9, Chapter 4 - Tragic Resolution, Part 3
September 23, 1026th year of the imperial calendar.
Felzen region―a plain near the former royal capital of Scheue.
The flag of Grantz covered the ground. Fifty thousand soldiers were waiting for the signal to start the war.
Tension and excitement combined to create a unique battlefield atmosphere. Yet, there was also a strange stillness in the air. An eerie stillness crawled across the ground as if it were the harbinger of a storm. Unable to bear the tense atmosphere, morning dew slid down the surface of the leaves.
The Grantz army of fifty thousand―and the one on the opposite side was a mixed army of thirty thousand Tigris and Scorpius troops belonging to the Six Kingdoms.
Coincidentally, this was the same plain where General Cain and many of his officers were killed in battle.
Many corpses were still on the ground, staring at the two armies with regretful expressions.
The scent of blood mixed with the smell of corpses filled the air with a peculiar odor. Even when the wind blew, the strange smell did not disappear, and it continued to coil over the battlefield as if it were a curse.
The red-haired princess standing at the front looked around the battlefield with a grim face, but her eyes narrowed sharply when she spotted the man at the front of the mixed Tigris-Scorpius army.
“As I thought… it was Stobel.”
It matched the reported appearance as well.
A large man with white hair―the First Prince Reinhardt Stobel von Grantz.
Arrogant and cruel, he was considered to be the next emperor, but he turned against the Great Grantz Empire, murdered his father, the emperor, and disappeared.
“Pathetic…”
He was a blond-haired, blue-eyed, strong young man, but now his cheeks are chapped, his skin was purple, his hair was gray, and there was no trace of his former fearless spirit. He had been chosen by the Thunder Emperor as one of the Five Emperors of the Spirit Sword, but he had “fallen” to seek even more power, resulting in his hideous appearance.
Liz looked back and “saw” the situation in the main camp.
Thanks to Aura’s presence this time, she could stand on the front line. The commander had been advised to stay in the main camp, but she could not afford any unnecessary casualties. Even with the strong soldiers of the Grantz, only Liz would be able to deal with Stobel. That is why Aura could not strongly stop her and, after much deliberation, allowed Liz to stand on the front line.
Above all, she did not want to continue waiting with the same feeling she had in the Streichen Republic.
Liz looked up at the sky once and smiled. The chief vassals were watching over them.
So―there was no need to be timid. She could not lose in order to show her courage to those who had preceded her.
“A glorious victory.”
Liz quietly pulled the “Flame Emperor” from its scabbard and raised it to the sky.
The soldiers were looking at her back as they waited for her order. Their faces were tight. Liz could feel the heat coming from deep within her body.
“Let’s dedicate this to the Twelve Great Gods of Grantz.”
Liz turned her gaze to the front and pointed the “Flame Emperor” tip at the enemy army.
Someone let out a sigh of admiration. The sun was shining down on her.
Her figure, shining like a flash of light, was as fantastic as though in a painting, and her divine majesty increased as the fluttering lion’s banner overlapped with her back. Her calm appearance, befitting a lioness, and her supernatural presence―her inhuman beauty―attracted people like a goddess.
Everyone knew that she was the next emperor whom they should look up to.
No one doubts the ability of the “Red-Haired Princess,” the second coming of the first emperor.
Since the goddess would fight with them, victory was guaranteed.
“Now, let’s get going.”
To slaughter the enemy, words were not necessary. Beautiful words were not needed to run on the battlefield.
What was her purpose, what was her need, and what was she trying to say?
It was enough to look at her back.
“All troops, charge!”
Morale exploded behind Liz. Horns were blown, and drums beaten.
A soul-stirring, bestial roar erupted from the battlefield, and in various places, the lion’s banner was raised one after another.
The banner of the champion was with Liz. Then the soldiers would end up in the same place.
“Give victory to our Red-Haired Princess!”
The “Knights of the Rose” shouted and followed Liz’s back as she began to run across the battlefield.
A moment later, a large number of arrows covered the sky.
“Shield!”
Liz’s order was faithfully carried out. At the same time, a great number of arrows rained down on the “Knights of the Rose.” Several of the knights who were unable to defend against the arrows fell, and more than a few were wounded by the arrows, but even so, the momentum did not stop.
Because――,
――The goddess was still leading the battle.
She was unharmed by all the arrows.
Everything was being scorched by the mass of flames spewing out from the “Flame Emperor.”
She was simply beautiful―even in the line of death, her beauty was still polished.
That was why they only wanted to look ahead. The soldiers wanted to know how far their master would continue to run, and so they wished to be with her, even if they were injured.
The “Knights of the Rose” were only getting more eager to fight. Their eyes continued to shine as they watched Liz’s back. They shouted as if they were proud of it.
“Give our Red-Haired Princess victory!”
She was often said to be the most beautiful woman in the world. She enchanted everyone. Even the bravest warriors could not resist her charms and willingly went to their deaths.
If she, beautiful as a goddess, commanded them to do so, they would immediately choose to die with honor.
What would it be called without calling her a beauty with a leaning heart?
And it was not difficult to imagine what the rear Grantz army would think when they saw their death-defying bravery.
The momentum delayed the judgment of the “long-eared race,” who considered calmness to be a virtue.
“Archers, fall back!”
Seeing the approaching Grantz’s army, the commander of the enemy army made a precise decision.
But――,
“Heavy-armed troops, move forward and line up your shields―!”
“It’s too late!”
The commander’s body was engulfed in flames when he saw the goddess jumping into the front line. One after another, the “Flame Emperors” continued to slaughter the enemies at a dizzying pace. The enemy soldiers on the front line surrounding her were unsure of how to deal with her monstrous movements, and their expressions clearly showed it.
The “Knights of the Rose” were rushing toward them.
“I will give you death. Be an offering for the Red-Haired Princess!”
A moment later, the two armies clashed.
Screams, shouts, and strange noises―a complex mix of voices are launched into the sky.
Bones shatter, the flesh is torn, and blood splatters.
Some enemy soldiers were crushed by the hoofs of cavalrymen who dashed into the gap. The enemy’s ranks were disorganized. A large hole was created by the momentum of the “Knights of the Rose.”
Rushing in there were the first twenty thousand of the Grantz Army, which had been following from the rear.
“Fast!”
“Wha-!?”
A pile of corpses was piled up in front of Liz. All of them had burnt wounds and were dying, their faces contorted in pain.
“Now, who will be next?”
No matter how skilled they were, they were no match for her, even if they had the advantage of numbers. The hesitation that had taken root in their hearts became fear, and the long-eared people were naturally forced to retreat.
“You seem to have grown stronger.”
A huge axe sliced through the space as if to clear away the blood smoke that covered the battlefield. Liz calmly parried the blade as it approached her.
“Yes, I’m strong enough to take you down.”
She jumped back and readied the “Flame Emperor.”
The soldiers were thrown to the ground at her feet in a heap. A large, white-haired man named Stobel stood laughing as fresh blood rained down on the ground from the splattered bits of flesh.
The air burst. Several explosions echoed eerily around them as if they were firecrackers exploding. The electric current emitted from the white-haired man was bouncing sand in the air.
“It has been a long time, my dear sister.”
Stobel thrust the “Thunder Emperor” into the ground and opened his arms.
It’s as if he’s asking Liz to jump in. She sniffed wryly since he had never once shown such family affection for her.
“That makes me want to vomit.”
“Don’t be so cruel to me. I’m your loving brother who’s going to make it easier for you to be cursed.”
“Fufufu, so… I’ll save my poor brother from the curse.”
Liz, who was staring at Stobel with cold eyes, chuckled.
A moment later―Stobel’s figure vanished.
Without panicking, Liz spreads her legs and places her left hand on the blade of the “Flame Emperor.”
The next shock comes. The place where Liz was standing caved in.
“You really did it, didn’t you?”
“I can see you!”
Stobel exploded with joy and swung his axe. But, on the other hand, Liz did not move from her spot, and they slashed at each other again and again, one, two, three times, until they both collided violently.
The violent collision between the two released a shockwave into the surrounding area. Driven by a gust of wind, several soldiers rolled on the ground. Even those who managed to escape falling were pinned down by the cracked ground and unable to move. A momentary stalemate was created between the two armies in the face of the storm of tyranny that engulfed both friend and foe alike. Soon, the soldiers began to distance themselves from the spectacle of what could be described as a battle outside of humanity so as not to get caught in the middle of it.
“You…”
Lightning blasts were offset by flames. Winds were blown away by heat waves.
Stobel’s anger swelled as all his attacks were rendered meaningless.
Liz brushes her hair out of her face and smiles at him.
“I’m going to kill you right here.”
Liz began to fight back. At first, it was slow. She slowly swung the “Flame Emperor” as if she were stroking him.
Of course, Stobel took it in stride, but his face was doubtful.
“What… what is this reluctant attack?”
With a face colored with anger, Stobel thrust out the “Thunder Emperor” with great vigor.
Liz pointed the “Flame Emperor” blade to the side and held it at an angle just before the collision.
The “Thunder Emperor” attack cut through the air as it slid across the “Flame Emperor’s” blade.
Liz immediately delivered a slash to Stobel, who was knocked out of his stance.
“What?”
Stobel’s face contorted in astonishment at the sudden increase in speed of the attack.
Having her blade bounced off, Liz surrendered her body without going against the flow and flipped around to make the “Flame Emperor” soar.
Up, down, right, left, and in every direction, sword flashes cut through the air. The sword marks, filled with strong killing intent, created countless wounds as they toyed with Stobel.
Stobel was tossed about by the shifting speed of the attack.
――The softest of the soft can conquer the hardest of the hard.
This was a technique that “he” often used against those who are more powerful than he was.
Liz had seen “him” fight many times. From the past to the present, it was imprinted in her memory. Having made her own improvements, Liz has never missed her daily training.
All in order to surpass “him.”
“Stobel, I won’t lose. I will not be defeated by someone who has abandoned his potential.”
Even if the fighting styles were the same, they are different from one another. The weight of a person’s personal experience is added to the weapon.
Whether it is sadness, joy, or anger, it becomes a person’s vitality and makes them stronger.
Thoughts make a person strong. It is as if they soar to the heavens, knowing no bounds.
“Liz… you are…”
The “Red-Haired Princess” had a strange fate, and her feelings were far heavier.
She had overcome a lot of sorrows.
She had overcome many fits of anger.
She had overcome many joys.
Therefore――,
Her swordsmanship was refined and beautiful.
It was as if a shrine maiden danced, defying the flow of time, yet it was intense.
She lacked experience. There would be some poor parts. If her predecessors saw her, they might sigh.
She was still inexperienced, and that was why her figure attracted both friends and foes alike.
She was loved by her vassals, by her people, by her soldiers, and even by her enemies.
It is a quality she was born with―a “royal authority” that only she possesses.
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