CH 14

Certainly, this may be true. But he was not only kind. Whatever adversity befell him, even when he was alone, he had the strength of not giving up. And those kindness and strength are neither contradictory, rather they both resonate and complement each other. Because he was able to turn that kindness into strength, this guy was probably stronger than anyone else.

“*Pfft*, even though I’m being blamed, I never thought you’d get back at me like that. Gazelle you, are really strong.”

“You’re much stronger than me. Ah, I’m not talking about physical strength, you know.”

“…Thank you, Gazelle.” Takumi finally smiled, albeit awkwardly, and his soft expression showed no sign of the shadow he had just shed.

“What? It’s just that flower-picking has changed to lizard hunting. Simply waiting for reinforcement is boring. Speaking of that, these flying lizards should be killed with fighting spirits, I tell you!” I said it in a casual tone on purpose, nudging him on the shoulder, to which Takumi chuckled.

[….Ah~, this is better. After all, a gloomy face doesn’t suit you.]

[Commander Gazelle, is really good-looking!] 

I wondered if it was impossible for me to help everyone in Blackwing knights, and, come to think of it, how should I explain to Iris how I got his equipment for aerial combat? And… blowing away all my troubles…! Also, the way he blasted everyone earlier was really cool! As expected of our leader…!

If I was a girl, I would have jumped into his thick chest, saying, “Wonderful, *giving a sly hug*” Hmm? No, come to think of it, I’d been held before even though I wasn’t a girl. So in this case, would the analogy be the other way around…? If Gazelle were a woman, would the analogy be correct…? Well, this was not the time to think about such things.

That was it. The fact that the Blackwing knights were here… In terms of damage to them, they might have been at a disadvantage. However, looking at the bigger picture, the knights were able to battle the wyverns with a certain amount of equipment. Yes. We were moving forward, albeit steadily.

“…Alright!” I slapped my cheeks to cheer myself up as I walked over to where my unit is stationed. The unit I belonged to is a vanguard unit that mainly uses swords. Gazelle was right. If you had time to dwell on it, you’d have to be ready to fight. 

In the battle with wyverns, which was mostly aerial battles—the main assault was done with magic attacks, bows and arrows, ballistae, and trebuchets. When the rear troop was concentrating on projectiles and ballistae, they’d be defenseless, therefore it’d be our role as the vanguard to protect them.

[I don’t know how far I can go, but I’ll have to do what I can… Ha~~, even so, a wyvern…. This is really, really annoying. After all, I have to use this sword….]

I sighed deeply as I gazed at the sword hanging by my waist.

⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜⁜ 

SIDE Felix – Blackwing Knights Vice Commander

“Dammit! We’re being pushed!”

“Still no sign of healers?”

“There’s two coming from southwest!” 

“Their wings, aim for their wings! Shot them down to the ground!”

Lazarte hills quickly turned into a battlefield filled with rancorous cries. It felt as if it was a long time ago when Commander Gazelle was shouting in fury. There was no longer black or yellow vanguard forces. Instead, all of them swung their spears at the wyverns flying above them. Unlike dragons, wyverns could not breathe flames, but the flock still attacked with their claws and fangs from above—which was unfavorable to the wingless humans.

For this reason, the vanguard troops had been instructed to fight back-to-back, with a few of them standing together. By huddling together and covering each other’s blind spots, they could fend off the incoming aerial assaults.

“Gwaaargh!” 

“Dammit, I can’t reach it!”

Nonetheless, even if the wyverns’ wings were damaged and dragged down from the sky, subjugating them was not an easy feat. The wyverns were all about five meters in length, which made it impossible for the swords to reach above their necks. Furthermore, the scales that enveloped their body were also hard.

Now, in the formation I was in charge of, both Yellowwing and Blackwing knights were working together to strike the wyverns that had fallen to the ground, nevertheless we still hadn’t managed to inflict any fatal wounds on them.

“Crap, this shit is still…!” 

The crawling wyvern on the ground then glared at the knights with its fierce eyes, causing all of them to flinch in its commanding presence. The wyvern, on the other hand, took advantage of the situation by flapping its wings and attempting to soar into the sky once more.

The scaly lizard-like face bared its fangs and snarled at the knights, as if it was scorning, or perhaps, mocking us. No, in fact, it was most likely what it was. The wyvern soon flapped its wings, lifting its body off the ground. As if being pried loose from the earth’s wedge.

However, there was no way I’d let that happen.

“—I won’t let you escape!” 

“GAGAAAGAGA!”

I slashed through its hideous body with a single stroke of my blade. Particularly, aiming at the wyvern’s hind leg joints. My aim was spot on, judging by the fact that the blade had passed through that joint more easily than the rest of his body parts.

The bright blue blood spurting from the hideous body stained the green meadow. The wyvern’s body, which had been suspended in the air, eventually fell back to the ground, likely from the pain of having its joints sliced open or from the painful blow which had caught him off guard.

As soon as this happened, the surrounding knights immediately swarmed around the wyverns. Like I had done, they zeroed in on the creatures’ joints and limb bases—thrusting their blades. 

“—Vice Commander Felix, you did a fine job!”

“Thank you. Anyone wounded?”

“*wheezing*, there is one person who’s deeply wounded in the attack by—the wyvern just now. As for everyone else, no one’s injured.”

I returned my nod to the report and took a vial from the pouch around my waist. The vial contained a prototype potion that Commander had given me prior to the battle. I handed it to my messenger and told him to use it to treat the wounded before returning to my command. He received the potion and immediately ran to the wounded. 

The gloom that had hung heavy in the air at the outset of this conflict had long since dissipated. If this continued—we’d be able to hold on. We were completely exhausted. However, the number of wyverns steadily declined. Besides, thanks to the prototype potion prepared by the Blackwing knights, fortunately there had been no casualties yet.

Even those who were initially skeptical of the mysterious elixir changed their minds after witnessing its effects. There was a glimmer of hope on their faces. Even if they could not win right now, they would almost certainly win if they could hold out until reinforcements from the royal capital arrived. Everyone was aware of this without being told. The light was beginning to shine in everyone’s eyes, and in my own, too, even though at first I had a gloomy look on my face.

But, it was this time when—

“*thud*…!” 

“Gwaarrrgh!”

“—Oi, the 5th unit has been defeated!”

Turning my head in the direction of the voice, I noticed that the troops in charge of the projectiles, as well as the 5th unit escorting them at the nearest point, were all lying on the ground together. According to the way they groaned, they were still alive. However, it appeared that they were having difficulty getting up right away. And then, a black shadow fell on top of the 5th’s leader—right, a wyvern.

“…GRUGRUUGRUUGRU…” 

Unlike other wyverns, this one appeared to be highly intelligent. It was darker in color compared to others, with its body about two times larger.

“You’re saying it’s targeting the troop with projectiles?!”

“Oi! Why didn’t anyone notice it approaching?”

“Seems like it hid behind the other wyverns before swooping down, plowing directly into the troop…!” 

I immediately gave instructions to the confused members of the group. “Those who can move, go around to the other side! If you’ll get hit with the projectiles, this place will collapse!”

But then, the wyvern overhead shrieked, “GUGGU!” Immediately after the cry, the lone wyvern rushed toward us at a furious pace.

“U-waa!?”

Everyone managed to escape, but the wyvern’s assault was certainly unnatural. I had never heard of a wyvern charging with such force that it crashed on the ground. To fly that way with such a huge body, the load on its wings must have been tremendous. Needless to say, the wyvern that soared into the sky again appeared to be moving erratically and strangely. 

Could it be that gigantic wyvern was giving orders…?! This situation is very bad. Because of that assault just now, our troops were dispersed, and we couldn’t even aid the 5th unit or even lend support to the stone thrower unit.

“GUGRU…!”

Even if someone could move, throwing a projectile or a ballista in this situation, the 5th unit which was directly below the wyvern, would definitely be caught in the middle.

Those creatures must have known that we couldn’t attack them. No, that wyvern might have factored the situation into its calculations, staying neither too high nor too low in the sky. When the wyvern realized there was no one in its path, it came to a stop in mid-air and descended toward the stone thrower. 

With doom looming in the next few seconds, everyone was prepared for the end.

*light jump*

With a sudden, lightness that was completely out of place on this battlefield, a knight jumped upward, kicking off from the trebuchet that had been set up by the 5th unit. The black-robed knight’s eccentrically shaped sword reflected the light and shone like a meteor.

Perhaps, the wyvern being dazzled by the glint of the sword, his huge body also came to a halt for a moment. Although it was only for a split second, that brief moment seemed to be enough for him. 

“GYU, GYAAAAAAA!”

The wyvern’s two eyes were slashed open by a ray of light from the sword. Having lost its vision, the wyvern soon cried out in an unworldly roar. While on the contrary, the knight’s figure which could be seen from this side, appeared perfectly calm, not paying any attention to the wyvern’s vindictive cry.

While wearing the same expression on his face, he climbed onto the trebuchet from where he had landed, and leaped again—this time, clinging to the wyvern’s neck. Then, without even giving the wyvern time to shake him off, he plunged the point of his sword deep beneath his chin into the thinnest part of its scales; called the reverse scale!

“GYA——GYU, GYAAA…!” 

The wyvern tried to shake off the knight attached to its neck with its last ounce of strength. But it was already too late. A torrent of blue-black blood poured from the spot where the sword had been drawn.

“It’s coming down, get out of the way!”

A voice shouted out from nowhere, bringing everyone back to their senses, and the injured were hurriedly carried away by those who could move. Shortly after, the wyvern crashed its massive body to the ground with a ground-shaking roar.

“…Awesome.” 

“What a chap. Who the hell is that?”

“That black-haired, black-eyed appearance… could it be, the one from rumors.”

Every knight in the area was looking at the young man, forgetting that they were on the battlefield.

Defeating a flying monster like a wyvern all by yourself… 

As he landed on the ground, he did not boast of his war achievement, but kept a nonchalant expression on his face, waving his sword and shaking off the blue-black blood on its blade. Everyone was deeply moved by his solitary and noble appearance.

“..Takumi…” Unknowingly, I whispered his name.

Whenever I called his name, I always had this illusion of tasting sweetness somewhere on my tongue. Takumi looked up and saw me, though he probably did not hear my voice. His dark eyes, like the clear night sky, stared back at me, causing my heart to pound.

It had always been like this whenever I was in front of him. I felt I was no longer myself anymore. When Takumi’s eyes met mine, he smiled. But it was not a smile of triumph after defeating a powerful enemy. It was a sad, quiet look of resignation. 

That expression on his face reminded me of the incident at the perfume shop the other day, which caused me to naturally clench my own fists. The feelings that sprouted deep within my heart had only grown stronger, akin to snow piling up on the ground. And yet, I was still not allowed to enter his heart. If only he would say one word to me, I would do anything for him. Despite this, he didn’t even rely on me.

Do I, in his eyes, appear to be such a helpless man?

“Takumi…”

Takumi didn’t seem to pay any attention to me or the wyvern that had collapsed to the ground, instead, he turned his back to us and began dashing toward the next wyvern. 

⁜⁜⁜

[A swarm of wyverns attacked during a joint operation between the Yellowwing knights and the Blackwing knights. ]

This news shook the royal palace and reinforcements were immediately sent from the royal capital. However, when the reinforcements from the royal capital arrived at the hill of Lazarte, they were surprised by an unexpected turn of events.

The fact that the Blackwing knights had equipped themselves with air combat equipment in the joint operation, and there was a “potion”—had meant that these two factors resulted in the knights’ losses far less than they expected. 

Moreover, by the time the reinforcements arrived, the morale of the knights was explosive, having defeated more than half of the wyverns. Among the things that came up in the mouths of the knights who had participated in the battle was one knight’s fighting spirit.

At the head of the pack of 20 wyverns was an earth wyvern with an exceptionally huge physique.

The knights were on the verge of collapse when the earth wyvern, which was more intelligent and ferocious than the average wyvern, attacked them. However, the Earth wyvern was defeated by a single knight from the Blackwing knights.

Who would not be inspired and encouraged by his valiant and daring actions? 

The wyverns, startled by the sudden loss of their leader that was falling to the ground, halted their movements. Not wasting this opportunity, the knights under Commander Gazelle went on the offensive all at once, sealing their victory.

With their numbers dwindling, the remaining wyvern quickly made their escape. After seeing this, the knight members all shouted a cry of victory. Their faces were filled with joy at their accomplished victory and survival.