Chapter 282 – Retreat
I guess I’ll try provoking them for starters. I take out my megaphone and breathe in deeply.
“Nice to meet you, everyone of the Nanto Fortress. I’m Shion of the Aster Empire. I despise pointless strife and deaths. I promise that I’m going to treat you appropriately if you surrender to us obediently!”
My flawless recommendation for surrender is full of contempt, directly working as provocation.
Now then, how’s the enemy going to move?………
The enemy’s response seems to be ignorance. I really wanted them to react in some way, though. Do we have no choice but to go with a brute force approach?
“We’re going to begin our advance with Iron’s corps taking the lead. Sarah’s corps is to deploy defense magic!”
{Affirmative!}
“Ay.”
While cautious of arrows with our shields at the ready, we begin to advance at a snail’s pace. It’s a careful and slow march. As soon as we enter the archery range of the fortress, a rain of arrows pours down on us with a continuous stream of grating sounds as arrows clash against shields.
A little bit more…just a tiny bit…until they come into the range of our ranged attacks. We lose out in archery range because of the enemy’s advantageous high ground, but…if it’s on the ground…Sarah’s spellcasters and Chloe’s archers should be any inferior.――Everyone, halt!
Obeying my order, the entire army stops.
――Iron corps, deploy in defensive battle formation!
――Flora corps, deploy defense magic!
――Sarah and Chloe corps, begin the attack!
I hurl out instructions in rapid succession. Once Iron’s corps finishes its defensive battle formation, Sarah and Chloe’s start their attacks. Countless arrows and spells are exchanged between us and the fortress. The projectiles shot by our side are thwarted by the shields of the humans who have lined up in front of the fortress, and the arrows fired by the humans are thwarted by the shields of Iron’s living mails.
We can’t break down the deadlock like this, huh?
If we get a bit closer, my magic and more powerful spells of Sarah’s corps are going to reach the enemy. But, it also means that the enemy’s spells are going to reach us.
“Sarah! stop attacking, and cover for Takaharu and Kotetsu’s corps!”
“Ay!”
“Takaharu, Kotetsu, advance!”
“Sure thing!”
“As you command.”
I order the two, who excel in power and speed, to advance with their corps.
First we’re going to wreck chaos among the phalanx unit in front of us. If the phalanx unit still keeps its order even after getting attacked by Takaharu and Kotetsu’s corps…it’ll become necessary to overwork the strategy from ground up.
“Let’s go, ya bums!”
“Kotetsu corps, advance!”
“I shall become a gust of wind! Aster Empire’s Cú Chulainn shall press on!”
The two hot-blooded battle freaks, Takaharu and Cú Chulainn, lead the charge. Following in their wake, Kotetsu and Takaharu’s corps also rush at the enemy.
“We’re going to babysit them a bit, ‘kay? ――《Wind Shield》!”
The wind walls cast by Sarah’s corps blow away the arrows raining down on Kotetsu and Takaharu’s corps. But, it’d be asking too much to expect for them to block all arrows. One after the other, my subordinates fall prey to the arrows, and collapse on the spot.
“Hibiki! Mobilize your men, and rescue the wounded!”
“As you wish, master! Come on, you filthy pigs! It’s our duty to suffer pain! Move it!”
With Hibiki in the lead, the heavily armored orcs save their injured comrades.
The distance between Takaharu and Kotetsu’s corps and the phalanx unit would be soon 50 m. But, the phalanx unit doesn’t budge a tiny bit, merely readying its spears and shields.
Luring them looks impossible, huh…?
Just when I resolve myself to suffer a certain amount of sacrifices――
“Uoooooohhh!!”
Takaharu’s wild roar as beast king causes the atmosphere to tremble.
“Ya bastards…ya pieces of shit…killin’ my precious…men I brought up under my personal care…how dare ya…I ain’t goin’ to forgive ya…I won’t…! I’ll butcher all of yaaaaa!!” Takaharu’s angry roaring resounds.
In response…
“H-Hiii…”
“C-Charge…! Attack them!!”
“K-Kill! K-Kill the monster!”
“C-Calm down! Won’t you calm down!?”
“Don’t break the ranks!”
A part of the humans falls into a state of panic after getting hit by Takaharu’s bloodlust, resulting in the phalanx unit’s ranks falling in disorder.
“It’s a golden chance! Cú! Get them! ――《Sky Blade》!”
“Very well! ――《Wind Chaser》!”
Kotetsu unleashes his void blade at the chaotic ranks, and Cú uses that opening to break through while clad in wind.
“Uoooooohhh!! Kill, kill, kill! I’ll massacre ya!”
Takaharu rampages like a storm within the phalanx unit… Apparently it has caused confusion within the command chain since the arrows coming from the fortress have weakened in intensity.
“Charge! All hands, attack!”
I mustn’t let this chance escape. Leading my subordinates, we begin a general offensive on the fortress. The situation on the battlefield is like an accelerated stream, swiftly transforming into a melee.
◆
Three hours since the start of the attack on the Nanto Fortress.
Our losses are what you can expect from the circumstances, I suppose. Fortunately, all my leaders are still alive and kicking.
Should we continue the offensive until dawn just like this, or…should we temporarily pull back to reform our ranks?
The humans who have run out of steam or got injured, keep withdrawing into the fortress, replaced by new combat forces. In contrast, we continue fighting without a rest.
The most essential part is to find the right timing for the retreat. It’d be horrible to watch my leaders perish. A bit longer…can we keep going for a tiny bit longer?
I try to find the ideal moment while wielding my spear. My leaders…seem to still have some leeway. The one being exhausted the most is Takaharu who made a mistake on economizing his stamina, I think. Cú, who’s as belligerent as Takaharu, gets remonstrated by Kotetsu every so often, resulting in him pulling back to an extent.
Just when I decide to use Takaharu as criterion for timing the retreat,
“Shion! It’s from Kanon!”
Rina rushes over to me with her sword in one hand and her smartphone in the other, making her look rather unbalanced.
“I’ll call her back from my smartphone! Rina, you focus on the battle!”
“Okay!” Rina puts her phone away, and runs off towards the battlefield again.
I withdraw a bit and check my smartphone’s screen. Thereupon I notices more than 20 missed calls from Kanon.
“Shion speaking! What’s up!?”
“…on…wa…t!”
“I can’t understand you! Send me a short Email!”
I can’t hear Kanon’s voice because of all the noise around me. I cut the call with Kanon, and after waiting for a short while, an Email arrives on my smartphone.
『Demon King Motoki has retreated. 70,000 humans from Toyama City are headed for Nanto Fortress』
――!
Hah?
Fuck! That shitty pig…!
――Withdraw! All hands, we’re retreating! Iron, Hibiki, I leave the rear guard to you!
The first day, which produced huge losses for both sides, came to an end with a retreat by the Aster Empire.
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