VII
There was supposed to be a gag order on the news of Baltza’s defeat, but it didn’t take long before every soldier knew about it. There had been a sheer drop in morale, after which they had lost a staggering number of soldiers. The result of this was that the encirclement had drawn tighter, and now even the commanders were starting to hear furious bellowing and cries of hatred. The tables had turned completely on the Northern Perscillan Army, and they were reconciled to going entirely on the defensive.
“Commander, if this goes on...” Lasie said, his face pale. Besides Lasie, the faces of the other commanding officers were also drawn. No one came forward with a plan to break them out of this predicament. Instead, all they did was watch Arthur’s every move. Arthur was used to thinking of his officers as no better than nasty muck.
“Commander! The vanguard of the Royal Army has engaged our fourth defensive perimeter!”
Such a report meant one thing. The Royal Army had penetrated their third defensive perimeter, the cornerstone of their defense. Arthur’s fists shook as he accepted that they would soon be within reach of the lion’s claws.
“Commander...” Lasie said. “Will you give the order to retreat?” As he gave voice to the words that Arthur had deliberately pushed from his mind, the other officers all began to voice their unanimous support.
I am beset by incompetents who hold back their betters. Oh, what a relief it would be to just round them up and lop their heads off... His arm began to reach for the hilt of his sword, but Arthur stopped himself at the last moment as it occurred to him that such an act would affect no change in the situation and invite needless chaos.
The gray timbre of Lasie’s voice shifted like a kaleidoscope and slid into Arthur’s ears.
“Commander, we no longer have the luxury of choice.”
Arthur was silent a moment, then said, “So be it.” He brushed off another vision of Drake that passed across his mind’s eye, then gave the order for a full retreat.
The lateness of the orders would place a great burden on those in command and demand flexible thinking, but with backbreaking effort, Arthur regrouped their forces into an arrowhead formation. In the end, though they lost still more soldiers along the way, his command unit succeeded in breaking out through the enemy’s heavy encirclement. Historians of later generations all rated Arthur as a merely average general, save for the high praise they gave to this thrilling escape, records of which still remained. That was how grueling it was.
“Commander!”
“So they’re not just going to let us go after all...”
A female knight riding a magnificent white horse charged at their flank with three thousand soldiers behind her. The arrowhead formation was unrivaled in its penetrative power, but it also had a weak point—it could be easily broken by attacks to the flanks. The attacks their flanks had borne in the course of breaking free had been severe and left their formation in total shambles. Now, in the face of just such an assault, the command unit was immediately plunged into disarray. Arthur took out Maitreya, his weapon.
“As if disposable scum like you could even scratch me!” he bellowed. He beat back the attacks of the crowd of Royal Army soldiers with his shield, and, with his perfectly timed movements, the bodies quickly piled up around him. Arthur’s style of fighting expurgated any and all inefficiencies. While repelling his enemies with the upside-down triangular shield strapped to his right arm, he felled them with Maitreya, in a brilliant, seamless fusion of offense and defense.
The female knight on the white horse approached him slowly, a bloodstained sword in one hand. Arthur sensed that this was not an opponent to trifle with and immediately held both sword and shield to the ready.
“I am Claudia Jung, knight of the Royal Army. Do you have a name?”
Arthur looked at her for a moment. “Not one I share with those beneath me,” he said at length.
“I see...” she replied. “No matter. I think I can guess it from that splendid armor of yours.” Arthur stared in wonderment at Claudia as she leaned forwards in her stance and raised her sword, for he had glimpsed an inscrutable yellow gleam in her eyes.
Eh? What’s that glow...?
In the moment when he was distracted by her eyes, Claudia closed in on him with terrifying speed. She shot past him like a gust of wind, and no sooner had Arthur realized it than he felt an intense pain in his right arm. He looked down and saw a gaping wound gushing blood. If he had been any slower in drawing back, she would have taken his arm off.
“My core was off-center,” Claudia said to herself. “I still can’t fully control it...” Having come around behind Arthur, she moved to assume the same stance from before. That had to mean she was going to do the same attack again. Only, Arthur had to admit he wasn’t sure if he could evade the next one. Her speed was simply too extraordinary. But if he were to block her instead, he would need his right arm, which was deeply wounded. He couldn’t even hold his shield up properly. For the first time in his life, Arthur felt death breathing down his neck.
What should I do? How do I get out—?!
While Claudia leaned forwards in her stance and fixed him with an icy glare, Arthur seized a half-dead royal soldier and pulled her close. The corners of his mouth curled.
“What are you playing at?” Claudia asked at length.
“Do you have it in you to cut through her to get to me?” he asked. Claudia didn’t respond. “Yes, just as I thought. You could never throw this soldier’s life aside. You’re not that sort of person.” This woman had just now proudly declared that she was a knight. Arthur had therefore guessed she would value honor above all else, and he had been absolutely right. He himself valued a knight’s honor no higher than dirt, but here, it had saved him.
“I’m sure I don’t need to tell you again,” he said, “but if you make even the slightest funny move, I kill her right away.” Claudia still didn’t say anything. “A wise decision. In which case, I’ll be leaving.” He took a step back, intending to leave. A second later, he lost his balance and went sprawling on the ground.
In his shock, he heard Claudia’s voice. “Oh, I see. Control requires unyielding force of will, not just technique. Well, thanks to your disgusting cowardice, I’ve made some progress. You have my thanks.” Since when had she been standing above him? She touched the tip of her sword to his brow. Here, Arthur became aware of the pain in his legs. He looked down and saw that they had been cleanly severed below the knee.
“Eh?! Euuuuurgh?!” It only took a few moments before his yell of alarm transformed into a dying scream.
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