Wortenia Senki (LN) - Volume 27 - Chapter 1.2

Harisha’s request to lead the charge was certainly unexpected. But Rahizya’s sharp intellect immediately perceived her intent.

So, she intends to showcase our strength to the allied forces.

A simple idea, but effective nonetheless.

It’s not a bad plan. If Lady Harisha takes charge of the vanguard, the allied forces will hold us in higher regard.

Thus far, the war elephant unit had waited in reserve at the rear. Despite the unit’s tactical role as a backup force, the allied soldiers viewed them as a mop-up squad meant to finish off a retreating enemy. The allied soldiers fighting on the front lines would stare daggers at the war elephants, seeing them as merely stealing their glory.

But that dynamic would change if the war elephant unit led the charge. At the very least, no one would dare call them freeloaders anymore.

“Understood. I’ll inform Generals Accordo and Raul of your words. I’m sure they will agree readily,” said Rahizya, nodding at Harisha’s suggestion.

Tactically, having the war elephants in the vanguard was the right choice; Bruno and the others would not likely refuse Harisha’s proposal.

“Also, I’ll be stationed at General Giordano’s headquarters. If anything happens, please send a messenger.”

Harisha gave a small nod in response. “Yes...understood. You may watch from the rear as my elephants and I crush the enemy.”

With those words, Harisha cast a cold smile at Rahizya.

“Indeed, I look forward to it.”

Rahizya bowed deeply and began walking toward the headquarters where Bruno and the others were stationed, a certainty of victory etched on his back. For him, no force could rival the war elephants led by Harisha—a belief she shared. But just hours later, both Harisha and Rahizya would come to deeply regret their decision.

It was a scene of pure hell for everyone fighting on that battlefield. A thick mass of black clouds covered a corner of the sky. Bright white light burst through them, resembling the wrath of a god. Suddenly, that light struck the earth like a divine hammer. From the heavens came the roar of thunder, the power and authority of the supreme god, the ruler of light and law. To those unfamiliar with science, it was nothing short of terrifying.

In this world, people perceived lightning as the anger of Meneos, the god of light and law, ruler of the sky. Soldiers who believed divine wrath was raining down upon them would find it impossible to maintain their composure. The soldiers who felt they had divine protection might charge into the fray, but those who believed they were being punished by the gods would lose morale and try to flee.

Even then, the allied forces might have found a way to rally their troops after the lightning strike. Being somewhat educated, the commanders understood thaumaturgy and likely tried to calm their soldiers by explaining it was a thaumaturgical attack. But when pillars of fire erupted from the earth, followed by an explosion like a dragon’s roar, it shattered any hopes they had of rallying their troops. The overwhelming power they witnessed struck fear into everyone’s hearts, binding them with terror.

But those were the fortunate ones. Ryoma’s Mikoshiba’s death trap killed most of the soldiers before they could even feel fear. A handful survived, while most perished. What separated them could only be called fate, or perhaps luck. And now, the goddess of fate was descending upon Harisha, ready to decide her fate.

The ground cracked beneath her feet, and an explosion threw her into the air. Her turban unraveled from the impact, revealing her hidden black hair and two horns. Normally, the blast would have scorched Harisha’s body or ruptured her internal organs, similar to the fate of many soldiers who had already met their end. Either way, death would have been inescapable. However, Harisha had been commanding from the rear of the assault unit and was far enough from the epicenter of the blast to partially mitigate its effects. Thanks to the giant beast she rode shielding her from the worst, her soul was allowed to remain in this world for now.

Even so, this was merely a delay of the inevitable. Unless the goddess of fate showed her mercy, her destiny was death, and it was only a question of when. If she wanted to escape this fate, she would need more than a smile from the goddess—a radiant blessing akin to a blooming flower.

But Harisha didn’t consider herself special enough to expect such divine favor.

So... I’m going to die, aren’t I?

Strangely, Harisha felt no fear of death because another emotion, far stronger, filled her heart. It was anger and frustration toward the tribal elders who had abandoned their pride as noble yaksha and forced their tribe to participate in this war. She felt regret for not stopping their foolish decision.

In the end, it was all a mistake... Our tribe never should have joined this stone city’s war...

But at the same time, Harisha couldn’t help but feel contradictory thoughts. In her mind, images of the heated arguments that had taken place under the tent hours earlier flickered like a slideshow.

Was I wrong? If I had made an effort to reach a compromise with Rahizya and the others... Maybe...

Countless possibilities surfaced in Harisha’s mind before fading away. But in the end, they were all hypothetical—lamentations over an unchangeable past. Still, faced with death, something inside Harisha had changed from just a few hours ago. As her consciousness faded, her vision blurred with tears of regret. Deep darkness finally swallowed Harisha’s awareness.

Even with the annihilation of Harisha’s war elephant unit by Ryoma Mikoshiba’s tactics, the battle on Lubua Plains was far from over.

The real fight was only just beginning.