The leader of the Dark Arts guild, DIL, smiled seductively and raised her index finger.
“Good question, Vassago-sama. Each of them does have the strength of a thousand, but in the end, each of them is just one person. If this warrior would be surrounded by ten thousand fighters in an open space, he’d start to incur wounds, those wounds would accumulate and eventually his entire Life would deplete. That’s why these cowards never go too far over the Mountain Range at the Edge. They are afraid of being surrounded.”
“Heh, I see. It’s like how you can take care of all of those tough mobs even if your DoT[8] is very low but you stay in a safe place and shave away their HP bit by bit…”
“Hah?… Mobs?…”
Gabriel glared at Vassago, who had completely confused D’s artificial Fluctlight with his comparison, coughed lightly and said:
“Anyway, you’re saying that if we force these Integrity Knights to fight us in an open space, we’ll be able to surround and exterminate them, correct?”
“That’s how it is in theory. But we’ll probably have to sacrifice tens of thousands of Goblins and Orcs.”
Giggling, D picked a brightly colored berry out of the cup on the carpet and licked it with her lips that were just as crimson red.
Needless to say, Gabriel was completely indifferent to the loss of infantry units. He would not care if he had to sacrifice the entire army, including even D. In a sense, this battle was the same as the tactical simulations he went through countless times back at GlowGen.
He will become the new ruler of the Human Empire with his throne on a mountain of corpses, and issue a simple order across the entire country: find and bring him the girl known as Alice. After that, his mission in this strange world would be finished.
As he thought, the exotic high-class wine in the glass became increasingly precious.
Raising his glass, Gabriel sipped the dark purple liquid.
At this time, Gabriel Miller’s mind unconsciously molded together the figure of «Alice», with the flawless, beautiful figure of his first prey that had an extremely similar name, Alicia Clingerman. Living in some place that would be similar to his home, Pacific Palisades, she would be gentle, beautiful —and absolutely powerless. That was the image in his head.
That was why Gabriel failed to consider another possibility.
He did not even begin to imagine —that the «Alice» he sought would be one of the Integrity Knights leading the enemy army.
A long military convoy, with the command car with a waving Emperor flag bringing up the rear, was slowly but surely moving to the West. At the edge of the blood-colored sky, the saw-like pitch-black Mountain Range at the Edge slowly revealed its silhouette.
On the fourth day of the march, the seventh day of the eleventh month.
The main forces of the Dark Territory approached the base of the Mountain Range, where they could see the huge gate that was just about to collapse. A countless number of black tents set up by the vanguard covered the wide plain.
Boom.
Boom.
The earth trembled from the thunderous war drums played by the tribe of Giants.
At the end of the line, Gabriel looked silently from the roof of his command car — as though they were countless blood cells pumped by a giant heart, the attack unit slowly expanded into the final formation.
The first vanguard unit consisted of several light infantry regiments composed of Goblins and heavy Orc infantry, numbering fifteen thousand overall. They lined up in a column barely the same width as that of the valley piercing through the Mountain Range. Here and there among the formation, Giants resembling siege towers were stationed; they numbered less than five hundred, but as the main force tanks supporting the infantry unit, they were worth it.
Behind the Mixed Demihuman Unit, there was the second line, comprised of five thousand Fist Fighters and five thousand Dark Knights. The young new leader of the Dark Knights wanted to wash away the shame of his predecessor and asked to be part of the vanguard, but Gabriel refused. That could cause a drop in morale of the other Knight Units and he must eliminate such this unsure factor.
The third line was built up of seven thousand Ogre Archers and an entirely female Dark Sorceress division that numbered three thousand. Their task was to charge into the valley behind the infantry and annihilate the enemy army with long range attacks. According to the head of the Sorceresses, D, even if they used long-range attacks, if they could recognize the main force of the enemy army — the shadows of the Integrity Knights, they could kill them with by concentrating their fire onto one point.
Honestly, Gabriel really wanted to take on those invincible Knights by himself and consume their souls. However, any sort of accident could result in his high-level account being lost. Besides, he could create as many Underworldians — that is, artificial Fluctlights, as he wanted in the future. Right now, the primary goal was to control «Alice» and escape the «Ocean Turtle».
From logging to now, eight days of internal time had passed, which corresponded to about fifteen minutes in the real world. After Gabriel assumed complete control of the Human Empire, the amount of time it would take to spread the order to find Alice to each corner of this world would take about ten more days. Thinking like that, he must end this war as quickly as possible — the longest being an entire day.
“Ahh, we’re not gonna get any action after all?”
Vassago complained from behind, clutching his umpteenth bottle of whiskey. Gabriel threw a quick look at him and reprimanded him with a sharp tone:
“Don’t think I didn’t see you. When that Knight called Shasta caused trouble, you hung me out to dry and ran off.”
“Heh, our commander sees everything, doesn’t he?”
Vassago ostentatiously laughed it off.
“Look, I specialize in PvP. I didn’t sign up to deal with that disembodied monster.”
Gazing into his subordinate’s eyes, Gabriel still failed to understand whether his explanation was a joke or not, so he asked curtly:
“Vassago, why did you volunteer to participate in this operation?”
“Operation? You mean Diving into the Underworld? Isn’t that obvious? It’s fun…”
“Before that. The operation of attacking the «Ocean Turtle». Although you are part of GlowGen DS support, you’re probably still just an internet expert. What is your motive for participating in a real fight, risking being hit by real bullets? At your age, you’re not like Hans and Brigg, the war dogs who came back from the Middle East.
It was quite a long question for Gabriel, but it did not mean that he was interested in this person called Vassago Casals. It just suddenly seemed as if this young man was hiding something under his shallow behavior.
Vassago shrugged and replied with the same answer.
“Isn’t that obvious? It’s fun… That’s it, I swear.”
“Heh…”
“Then according to your logic, sending college elites like you to the scene is weirder, whether or not you have any real military experience.”
“I am capable of adapting to my environment.”
Gabriel replied, but internally he muttered:
Vassago, what is “fun” to you? Shooting guns? Or… murdering people?
Just as Gabriel was hesitating over whether to continue to question Vassago or end the small talk, the sound of clicking high-heels, resembling that of a walking stick, came from behind the command car. A beautiful woman revealing light dark skin — Dark Sorcerer Commander D appeared.
After a respectful bow, she licked her lips and reported:
“Your Majesty, the forces have been successfully brought into their positions.”
“Mm.”
Gabriel spread his crossed legs, stood up from his temporary throne and looked around.
There were thirty-five thousand warriors in the main force, a ten-thousand-strong backup force built up of Goblins and Orcs, and the command car, flanked on both sides by a five thousand-strong
supply unit of the Commerce Guild.
This fifty-thousand person army was Gabriel’s entire force. If he suffered heavy losses and was still unable to break through the enemy’s defenses, he would be unable to correct his basic plan. The chances of securing Alice would almost completely disappear.
However, according to reports from Dragon Knight Scouts, the enemy had merely three thousand. If everything went according to plan and he could take out the Integrity Knights, it would be impossible to lose.
“… All right, good job. How much time is left until the gate collapses?”
“About eight hours.”
“Then, have the first division enter the valley an hour before the gate collapses. Fan them out as close to the gate as possible, and attack the very moment it falls. If they can push back the front, immediately send in the second and third division and annihilate the enemy in a single strike.”
“Yes. …We will take the head of the enemy before tomorrow. Of course, they will already have been charred beyond recognition.”
D giggled. After quickly giving orders to the Sorceresses awaiting them behind her, she bowed deeply and descended the steps.
Gabriel walked to the front of his huge four-wheeled vehicle, looking far off at the gigantic stone gate erected in front of him.
It was still two miles off, but its size gave off the tension of a huge mountain. Seeing an object of that quality collapse would be an astounding phenomenon.
However, the true feast will have only just begun. The thousands of souls that will crack and disappear will release an unparalleled gorgeous glow. The RATH technicians locked up on the top floor of the «Ocean Turtle» will regret missing this most grandiose scene that they established themselves.
Boom. Boom.
Boom. Boom.
The drums were beat increasingly faster, arousing a hunger and madness that flooded the wilderness.
Part 8
“Then… Please take care of Kirito.”
Alice said, gazing at each of the two girls’ faces.
Novice trainees, no, already independent swordswomen Tiese Shtolienen and Ronye Arabel straightened their backs and nodded forcefully.
“Yes, please rest assured and leave it to us, Alice-sama.”
“We will definitely protect Kirito-senpai.”
Replying to Alice, Tiese and Ronye gripped the newly constructed wheelchair’s handle with their left and right hand respectively.
Alice had used an Art to transform an extra full set of armor from the supply tent into the thin, long chair that reflected a grayish-white glow. It was not only lighter than the wooden wheelchair they had used in Rulid, it was guaranteed to be durable.
Even so, she could not do anything about the weight of the two swords that Kirito clutched onto. Alice worried in her heart over whether the girls could push them or not, but the duo inhaled and exhaled in collaboration, pushing the wheelchair straight in front of Alice.
This way, they would not be delayed even if they received an emergency retreat order. Even so, when the time came that they could not help but escape from the valley, it would also be the time when the Defense Army would be surrounded and destroyed.
In honesty, as soon as the battle took a turn slightly for the worse, Alice would take Kirito and flee towards the east. But it would only be delaying their fate by a few months — no, just a few weeks.
If the Defense Army was defeated, the four Knights protecting the Mountain Range at the Edge would also retreat, ordering citizens from each village and city to evacuate, and set up the city wall of Central Capital Centoria as the last line of defense. But that would only be pointless resistance. Eventually to be ravaged by the invading army, that beautiful city and its white Cathedral would be burned down. Within the wall-like, now sealed Mountain Range at the Edge, they would have absolutely nowhere to run…
Alice bent her knees down to Kirito’s height and gazed into his eyes.
In the five days since they arrived at the camp, whenever she had time, Alice would speak to Kirito, caress his hands, and hug him tight and close. But, up to today, he still failed to produce any response that was worth mentioning.
“Kirito… Perhaps, this is our last farewell.”
Alice murmured to the black-haired youth, trying to keep her smile.
“Oji-sama said that he feels you can decide the outcome of this battle. I feel the same way, since this Defense Army was set up because of you.”
In actuality, if it were not for Kirito and Eugeo, the ones embattling the Great Eastern Gate would be the Highest Minister Administrator and the entire Integrity Knighthood, and that ominous Sword Golem army.
If they had two to three thousand Sword Golems, known for their chilling fighting strength, the fifty thousand-strong Dark Territory army would indeed be not worth mentioning. But that would also mean the destruction of the Human Empire. Kirito and the others sacrificed a life and a heart to prevent that tragedy.
But if this continues and the Defense Army is defeated, a different kind of heavy tragedy would bear down upon and attack the people.
“… I will also try my best. I will burn and exhaust this Life you bestowed upon me to its very last drop. So… If I fall and use my last bit of strength to call upon you, you must stand up and draw that sword. As long as you can wake up, it wouldn’t matter if the enemy numbered thousands or tens of thousands. Evoke a miracle again, and protect the Human Empire… everyone. Because, you are…”
—The one who defeated even the Highest Minister, the strongest swordsman.
Silently murmuring in her heart, Alice extended both hands and tightly hugged Kirito’s emaciated frame.
After some time, Alice released the embrace, stood up, and noticed Ronye’s blue eyes, shaking with a complicated radiance, turned firmly towards them. Why would this be? She blinked a few times, and suddenly understood.
“Ronye-san. You… like Kirito, don’t you?”
After Alice said that with a smile, the delicate girl covered her mouth with her hands, her face reddening ear to ear. She looked down and replied in a feeble voice:
“No, it’s not, how can… How could I be so disrespectful…? Someone like me, I’m only a novice trainee valet…”
“What do you mean, disrespectful? Ronye-san, you’re the successor of a noble family, aren’t you? I’m just a civilian born in a border town, and even Kirito is a moneyless, incapable, unemployed person with an unknown birthplace…”
Suddenly, Ronye shook her head vehemently and interrupted Alice.
“No! I… I…”
With her left hand, Tiese gently supported Ronye, whose eyes were filling with tears and had stopped her words abruptly. Her reddish-leafy colored eyes also dampened as she began in a trembling voice:
“Alice-sama… You know of the Taboo that Kirito-senpai and Eugeo-senpai broke, right?”
“Yeah… I know. I heard that there was a conflict within the Academy… They murdered other students.”
Half a year ago, when Alice, still oblivious as an Axiom Church elite soldier, received the Senate’s order for arrest, she still remembered today the slight shock she felt then. There were never any records of that kind of major Taboo violation involving Central Capital Academy students murdering other students in the Church’s historical records.
“Then… Do you know why the Senpais broke the Taboo…?”