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Volume 4, Chapter 3: Dragon versus Tiger! Part 3

Translator: Skythewood

Editor: Hiiro

Two hours had passed since Lara’s Holy Winged Legion’s main unit clashed with Auguste’s rearguard. The Stonia army who had turned into berserkers remained steadfast even as the people around them fell. They didn’t take one step backwards and advanced eagerly to engage the enemy.

There were no strategies nor tactics as they fought like witless beasts. However, the Holy Winged Legion was still stopped in their tracks, and even forced back.

(This is literally a wall of death, half assed attacks won’t be able to break through. Hah, I thought this would be a walk in the park…)

Sneaking a peek to her side, her friend of 15 years was standing there observing the battle. There was a gloom on her beautiful face that only Historia could notice.

(From the looks of things, Lara won’t move for a while… there’s no other choice.)

Historia sighed in her heart, and dismounted from the white horse by stepping off the right saddle.

「— You are going?」

Lara asked, and Historia drew her dual swords in place of a response. They were dual silver swords glistening like the new moon. The dual swords named 『Blue Moon』 were made shorter than usual to match Historia\'s preference to get right into her opponent’s faces. A masterpiece by one of the top craftsmen of the Holy Nation of Mekia, Dagan Asylum.

「It can’t be helped, we will suffer serious losses if this goes on. Or will you use your Sorcery, Lara? That’s the quickest way.」

Even this death wall would crumble easily before Lara’s Sorcery. This was the surest, safest, and easiest way.

The subject herself grunted and said casually.

「Don’t be foolish. With so many retards there fighting through sheer madness, so this is a great chance. It will be a waste to wipe them out with Sorcery.」

「A great chance?」

Lara nodded with a smile.

「Subduing those people will be a valuable experience for the Holy Guards, this is a great chance to raise the fighting prowess of the Holy Winged Legion.」

「A valuable experience… that does sound like something Lara would say.」

Lara’s aim was clear— she wanted to nurture the Holy Winged Legion into the strongest army in the Dubedirica continent. This goal was for the sake of Sofitia, so it would be useless to refute it.

(But Lara’s demand is too much, the Empire also has the Azure Knights too…)

Feeling sympathy towards the Holy Guards who had to live up to Lara’s expectations, Historia twirled the Blue Moon in her hands as a warm up.

「It’s been a while since I saw you strut your skills, I will be watching closely.」

Lara raised the corners of her lips as Historia sighed deeply.

「My sword techniques aren’t street performances, you are taking things too easily, Commander-in-Chief.」

「I only said that because I believe in you though.」

Lara said matter of factly, and Historia felt an itch on her back. Lara seldom complimented others, so even as a friend, she felt bashful— Historia hurriedly concealed her embarrassment.

「Yes yes yes, you sure are great at complimenting others!」

「Just one yes will suffice, Dual Sword Historia.」

Lara mention of the taboo nickname made the chariot driver snicker. Historia glared at the driver.

「Like, I, said!! Don’t call me by that nickname!!」

With that, she charged towards the wall of death.

On the battlefield filled with shouts and screams, an old soldier who noticed Historia sneered as he slashed his nicked sword at her. To counter, Historia lowered herself to the point of almost touching the ground to evade and slid right into that soldier’s arms.

「Farewell.」

With that, a backslash from the sword in her right hand severed that old soldier’s artery.

With no regards for the old soldier who was sprouting blood like a fountain, three men nearby slashed at Historia with shining eyes.

Historia cut off the hand of one with a slash, sending his sword spinning in the air.

She deftly dodged the attacks of the other two with agile steps. She kicked the hilt of the sword in the air, sending it back to its owner’s chest.

「Ughh!!」

The man collapsed onto his face while clutching his chest. The Blue Moon didn’t give the other two a chance to attack again, stabbing their hearts with a thrust to her left and right.

「That woman is a master swordsman!」

Someone yelled, and the crazed gazes all focused on Historia. Historia pulled out her swords without being fazed and flicked away the blood on her swords. As the Stonia soldiers who couldn’t even utter complete sentences rushed her one after another, she waved them on.

「Kill her!」

In contrast to those soldiers wielding their weapons wildly, Historia switched her diagonal slash midway into a horizontal one, and thrust halfway into diagonal slashes, killing her opponents with her fluid and ever changing sword techniques. Her swordsmanship backed up by her talent created a mountain of corpses in no time.

「— Well, that should do.」

Historia stood calmly before the pile of cadaver, which even stopped the Stonia soldiers out of wariness.

And Historia didn’t miss that opening.

「The enemy has stopped moving! Now is our chance! Charge in!」

Historia pointed at the gap she created with her sword.

The Holy Guards renewed their assault with a roar.

— Thirteen thousand against five thousand.

Historia opened a hole in the Wall of Death. With the large difference in numbers between the two forces, casualties shot up drastically. No matter how insane one was, humans would reach their limit at some point, even more so for old soldiers.

With the passage of time, the rearguard slowly lost their momentum and the tide turned in the Holy Winged Legion’s favour.

「Phew, my job’s done with that. I will leave the rest to Lara.」

Ignoring the rearguard that was being ravaged, Historia looked in Lara’s direction.

(They are finally forced to the brink…)

The rearguard had been reduced to two hundred, and were tightly surrounded. As the rearguard unit raised their shields in resistance, the Holy Winged Legion slowly tightened their encirclement.

As they faced each other down, one corner of the encirclement was suddenly opened. Auguste observed with bated breath as a transport pulled by four black horses appeared. There was no doubt that was the strange transportation device mentioned by Cecilia.

(That means…)

Two people caught Auguste’s eyes.

One was the man in golden armour acting as the driver, the other was a silver haired woman standing proudly with one feet on that man’s shoulder.

「Halt.」

The woman raised her left hand to stop the attack. Her actions and aura all told Auguste that woman was the commander of the Holy Winged Legion.

(So their commander was a woman? The nation’s ruler and army’s commander are both women? And she looked about Cecilia’s age…)

He found this hard to fathom, but Auguste still ordered his surviving followers:

「Don’t let your defences down.」

His men nodded quietly and Auguste walked forth. The woman took one look at Auguste and jumped off her chariot.

A young lion and an aged lion— the two from different eras faced each other.

「You are the commander of this unit?」

When he heard this energetic voice, Auguste couldn’t help lamenting his age and nodded in response.

「I see, then tell me the name of the fool who dare bare his fangs at the Holy Nation of Mekia.」

「…My name is Auguste Gibbs Lanvinstein.」

Auguste answered and the woman squinted her eyes.

「Oh, I have never heard of a Field Marshal taking rearguard duties… Interesting. I’m the Commander-in-Chief of the Holy Winged Legion, Holy Legate Lara Mira Crystal. Out of respect for your foolhardy spirit, I permit you to duel with me one on one. What say you?」

He didn’t mention his status, but Lara still identified him by his rank, showing her firm grasp of intel just two weeks after the declaration of war. They might be enemies, but Auguste still felt impressed.

Speaking of which, Lara’s proposal was as good as a pie falling from the sky. In any case, his plan was to kill the enemy commander to turn the tides. The other party proposing a duel was beyond his expectations.

He was about to accept when the silver eyed girl beside Lara suddenly said exasperatedly.

「What did it turn out like this? Things will be over if we continue our rampage, why did it turn into a duel? I don’t get it.」

「You think so? I’m just showing my respect to the Field Marshal who chose to act as the rearguard. And isn’t there a saying about 『giving salt to the enemy』?」

<TL: http://www.tengulife.com/2014/01/sending-salt-to-your-enemy-another.html>

「But you are giving too much. How much food are you trying to preserve…? Well, I guess this is Lara’s style.」

The silver eyed girl shrugged and backed away readily. It was clear that she had absolute confidence that Lara wouldn’t lose the duel. The soldiers around them looked calm and their eyes were steady.

「— Sorry for the interruption. So, what say you?」

Lara returned her gaze back to Auguste.

「I don’t have a choice… But is that really fine? You seemed very confident in your abilities, but this might be your undoing.」

Auguste had seen plenty of boastful people die to his sword, this was his concern for the young ones as a senior. However, the subject smiled faintly.

「I see. The Field Marshal’s advice is always worth a listen. But don’t worry, I will announce right here— your sword won’t even come close to touching my body.」

「… Hmmp. Young fledgling, this is what people call arrogance.」

He said as a gust of wind caressed Auguste’s body who was in a high guard stance. Lara didn’t draw her sword and just stood there idly.

「Are you mocking me, a Field Marshal? If the sword on your waist isn’t a decoration, then draw it out… Or are you chickening out now?」

Lara was unfazed by Auguste’s furious speech.

「Oh right, I forgot to say one more thing.」

「We are way past the talking stage… So what is it?」

「I’m the Commander of the Holy Winged Legion, and also a Sorcerer.」

「What?!」

「The one on one duel is on, so this is good bye.」

Lara showed her defenceless back as she turned around and left.

There was a dull thud by the feet of Auguste who was confused by Lara’s actions. Auguste looked down and saw it was his arms holding a black and red sword. It was so familiar that Auguste couldn’t help blinking.

「That’s— my arms?」

The strange things happening to his body were continuing, and his vision was starting to slide down. The screams from his allies rang out as clear as the blue skies.

「My Sorcery can control the wind freely, and create invisible blades in the air. These blades that could easily break cold steel is my parting gift to the Lord Field Marshal.」

When Lara finished, Auguste’s body had collapsed into pieces.

「— I will leave the cleanup to Historia.」

Lara quietly told Historia when she passed her by.

Historia slowly raised her left hand with a sigh, and the Holy Winged Legion marched into the devastated rear guard unit.

Stonia Duchy Army— 40,000 dead.

Holy Winged Legion— 3,000 dead.

The battle of Rias incited by the Empire ended with the complete victory of the Holy Winged Legion.