Akatsuki Translations

Under the midday sun, with sunlight pouring down from the clear sky, the armies of Ode and Coral faced each other, taking positions at the central point of the Alabaster Road connecting their respective strongholds in the Abyss.

As always, this battle, initiated by Coral’s declaration of war, had no specific location designated by either side. The Alabaster Road, damaged by previous battles, served as a landmark, silently becoming the main stage for the battlefield.

On the vast Alabaster Road, laid out to push back the gray forest, robust men waited for the moment with grim expressions.

The brave war drums began to resound from both armies, rallying the troops.

A Zan, the Commanding General of Uzumi Castle of the Coral Kingdom, entrusted his heavy body to a sturdy black horse. With his helmet, modeled after an ogre’s horns, swaying, he rode back and forth in front of the lined-up soldiers, shouting encouraging words.

“I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve said ‘this time for sure’ to you all, but today is truly that day! Many top-class Stellar Knights have rushed here from the capital, and a hero from our friend Shanoa has personally come to our aid. And above all, here we have the seasoned and strong soldiers of our Uzumi Castle who have survived numerous battlefields!”

A Zan’s words, deliberately praising the lower-ranked soldiers, were met with a roar of applause, like a torrential downpour, from those who bore only turbid stones on the backs of their hands.

“Look, his chin jiggles every time he speaks,” Shara, A Zan’s daughter, remarked with a carefree smile, pointing at her father.

“Mind your manners, young lady. This is a sacred place where lives are exchanged,” Ba Ryouki, present as reinforcement from Shanoa, admonished Shara, his wrinkled face stern, as she showed no sense of tension.

“But, Lord Sword Saint, isn’t it cruel to tell someone not to laugh when they see a pig squealing atop a horse?” Shara’s words aptly described A Zan’s demeanor, causing Libi, who was beside her, to burst out laughing inadvertently. Instantly, Ba Ryouki’s angry gaze pierced through from the other side of Shara, and Libi hurriedly tried to cover it up.

“Lady Shara, those are not words to be said about your father.”

Shara glared at Libi with half-closed eyes, as if to say, “Look who’s talking, you were laughing too.”

“Don’t get me wrong, I adore my father. He looks down on those he considers beneath him, but if he sees someone even slightly above him, he’ll rub his head on the ground without hesitation, even if it’s his own daughter. He has a petty nature, but when humility reaches its peak, it becomes courage. His sensitivity to hierarchy, on par with wild animals, is something I could never imitate.”

Libi couldn’t immediately discern whether she was praising or disparaging him, so he secretly tilted his head.

The unit led by Ba Ryouki, consisting of Shanoa’s Stellar Knights and Shara, who was unexpectedly entrusted with her first battle, took their position in the rear left wing of Coral’s first line of troops.

The horses they rode on neighed anxiously. Libi stroked the sweaty neck of his horse while observing the formation of Coral’s army.

The infantry lined up at the forefront of the first line had double-edged swords at their waists, short spears that could be thrown in their hands, and circular leather-covered wooden shields in the opposite hand. Lined up behind the first line and in front of the second line were the Stellar Knights with their Sunstones and Warrior Monks, all mounted on horses and wielding unique weapons, skillfully calming their excited mounts.

The rearmost third line consisted of Hard-level troops specializing in long-range bombardment. According to what Libi had heard, the number of troops in that line had been increased by threefold compared to before. Among the mounted soldiers, there were also Warrior Monks from the King’s Guard, wearing purple-colored sashes across their shoulders, standing out from the rest. Seeing this formation, bolstered by the elites of Shanoa led by Ba Ryouki, there was no doubt that Coral had invested considerable determination and money in this battle.

Libi had only heard about the army of Murakumo, Ode, which was said to consist mostly of hired mercenaries. He felt no inclination to lose to soldiers who lacked patriotism and had nothing to protect.

Libi, who had only been on the battlefield a handful of times, couldn’t maintain a detached attitude like his uncle, who gazed into the void with a calm demeanor. Exposed to the atmosphere emanating from the people about to risk their lives in battle, his mouth grew dry, his heart pounded violently, and his hands, gripping the reins, were sweating and trembling slightly. Perhaps seeing through his state, Shara, the young girl facing her first battle, whispered to Libi.

“Don’t worry. The weak die, and the strong survive. That’s all there is to it.”

Watching Shara speak in a light tone, as if predicting the outcome of a cockfight on the roadside, Libi speculated that she might actually be the bearer of a Radiantore and, despite her youthful appearance, had lived a life akin to an old woman. Or rather, seeing her maintain composure more than himself, who was supposed to be much older, he wished for it to be so.

＊

In the Murakumo camp, Commander Al Baden, the commander riding his horse valiantly, addressed the soldiers lined up in a bland tone.

“I’m thinking of sending a letter after this battle, asking how many times we’ve done this.”

As Al Baden raised his eyebrows and spoke, a dry laugh erupted.

“To the Brights and Crystaliers, I ask that you fully utilize your power with the nation in mind. To the greenhorns and other squires, know that this is a battle to protect your homeland. And to those of you here as mercenaries, kill the enemy without thinking. You’ll be paid for every kill.”

The Brights listened to the speech from atop their horses with seemingly cool expressions, while the young squires who had come to make a name for themselves looked down with pale faces. The mercenaries, with the grim countenance of warriors, clashed their weapons with those beside them and let out roars.

The members of the 55th Squad, led by Shuou and positioned in the left wing of the first line, were all calm. Jin, the elderly squire, gripped a rusted sword in his thin arms, muttering something akin to an incantation. The mercenaries, with Sanji at the helm, wore a mishmash of weapons and armor, such as axes and clubs, and held a serious meeting.

Shuou, wearing only a light and unreliable breastplate, held a single sword he had received from Duchess Adulelia in one hand and repeatedly took deep breaths.

The Coral soldiers, facing them in formation, all wore the same equipment and displayed unity. In contrast, the soldiers lining up on Shuou’s side, largely consisting of mercenaries, were composed of individuals clad in mismatched and inconsistent equipment. Although he had heard about the lack of funds, the appearance of the army on the Murakumo side was far too shabby and disappointing compared to what Shuou had long envisioned in his imagination.

In the squad to the left, a young man who appeared to be a year or two younger than Shuou was trembling with a face that looked as if he had lost his entire fortune in gambling before winter, filled with despair for this world. The leader of the squad to the right also seemed to be in a similar state.

On the other hand, Shuou’s composure, who was also making his debut on the battlefield, stood out so much that it seemed out of place. His shoulders were relaxed, and his mind was calm.

Even though his life was in danger, he had no hesitation in the simple and straightforward situation of defeating the enemy. He didn’t feel any tension in this place where he only needed to fulfill the role given to him.

Commander Al Baden finished his speech, let out a valiant war cry, and returned to the main camp. As if on cue, the war drums began to beat rapidly, and from the Coral side, the sound of drums being struck in response could be heard. It was the final ceremony, signaling that both sides were ready.

Shuou called out to Sanji, who was grumbling behind him.

“Sanji.”

“Hm? What’s up? Did you get scared at the last minute?”

Ignoring the teasing words, Shuou told him directly, “Once it starts, I’m leaving the squad’s instructions to you. I don’t know the details.”

“Huh? After acting all high and mighty as the squad leader, what’s this about?”

“That’s why I’m giving you an order as the squad leader.”

Sanji made a bitter face but quickly nodded in understanding. In fact, it would be less troublesome for a man like Sanji, who had experienced battles firsthand multiple times, to take charge rather than Shuou, who had no practical knowledge of war, giving orders. Considering their positions, it should have been entrusted to Jin, but he disliked getting involved with the mercenaries, so he was out of the question.

Both armies stopped the drums simultaneously. From behind the Murakumo army, a trumpet signaling the charge sounded, and the elderly squire commander supervising the left wing of the first line raised his sword and shouted the order to advance.

A roaring voice of men filled the Abyss.

Dust swirled, and the soldiers defending Ode began to advance at a jog.

The Coral infantry moved their feet in a lively manner, following the rhythm played by the war drums that were struck at regular intervals, shouting “Ho! Ho!” in unison with each step.

Eventually, the vanguards of both armies reached the heavily scarred Alabaster Road, and a searing friction arose on the battlefield of the Abyss.

The sound of waves of people clashing melted the bland and dry world.

Footsteps, neighing horses, and the shouts of men. Amidst the discordant cacophony filling his eardrums, Shuou calmly observed the moment of encounter with the enemy, holding a sword in one hand.

The fleeting flood of sounds left behind the slow scene captured by his left eye. Shuou’s gaze was fixed on the expressions of the Coral soldiers desperately awaiting the moment of collision. The faces of valiant warriors. The fear visible beneath them. Even while protecting themselves with shields, spears, and armor, there was no shield to be erected in their hearts, and that unseen part was always vulnerable.

Shuou broke away from the group running alongside him and took the lead. He thought he heard voices trying to stop him from behind, but they were instantly drowned out by the intermingling noise.

The Coral soldiers who had been forming a line in front gathered in groups of four and quickened their pace. Shuou, who had broken away, was the first to slash at the enemy. The two men in the front row thrust their short spears to intercept him, but Shuou nimbly dodged them with a small leap and forcefully punched the face of the nearest soldier with the blunt side of the sword held in his right hand. As the man collapsed like a cut string, his comrades hurriedly thrust their short spears, but all of them pierced the void without reaching Shuou.

Shuou’s movements were thoroughly efficient and refined. He avoided the enemy’s attacks with minimal movement, always maintaining the optimal positioning for the next counterattack. As a result, in less time than it takes for a dead leaf to fall to the ground, the bodies of the four brave men who had taken the lead lay on the Alabaster Road.

Seeing Shuou standing there with a calm demeanor, the surrounding enemy soldiers faltered and stopped in their tracks. At that moment, the Ode mercenaries who had arrived late attacked. The Coral soldiers, distracted, were assaulted by a wave of brawny men and desperately fought back while running around in confusion.

The 55th Squad, which was supposed to follow behind, was nowhere to be seen. When Shuou looked, his own subordinate mercenaries were in the midst of cutting off the wrists of the fallen enemy soldiers with serrated blades, even though they were still conscious. Three men held one down, and Sanji sawed off his left wrist. The heart-wrenching screams of the enemy soldier, who had regained consciousness and endured it while spraying blood, made Shuou’s heart clench.

Looking around, such scenes were not uncommon. Watching the backs of the men who swarmed the fallen or immobilized enemy soldiers and sliced off their left wrists, Shuou keenly realized once again the nature of the place they stood. Their goal was thoroughly not victory but the money they could earn by killing. Seeing them risking their own lives amidst the enemy, single-mindedly fixated on the wrists, Shuou strongly recognized this fact.

However, there was no time to dwell on it. Right beside him, Old Man Jin, was being cornered by enemy soldiers, scrambling to escape on his backside. Shuou dashed forward and unleashed his sword at the Coral soldier who was about to thrust his spear at that very moment. Just before the flat of the blade, held horizontally, was about to strike the opponent’s face, the screams of the man whose arm was cut off while still alive flashed through Shuou’s mind. In an instant, Shuou tilted the sword and slashed the opponent’s throat with the exposed blade. Avoiding the spraying blood, Shuou confirmed the collapsed figure of his opponent, who had clawed at his own neck, and then reached out his hand to Jin, who had stopped moving.

“Are you alright?”

“Y-yeah… You’re really no ordinary person…”

The old soldier, who had grabbed Shuou’s hand and gotten up, suddenly looked up at the sky and shouted.

“It’s coming!”

Abruptly, Shuou’s body fell into the shade. A whooshing sound was heard, and as he looked up, drawn by it, a massive reddish-black boulder was approaching right in front of him. The sudden event caused his body to freeze. The moment he reflexively covered his face with his arms, the boulder rolled past, almost directly beside Jin, who had been standing still, still holding Shuou’s hand, with a thunderous sound.

Thinking about the life he might have lost with a slight deviation, Shuou swallowed hard as he looked at the rolled boulder.

“We’re in range of the Crystaliers. This is where the real fight begins,” Jin said.

As the old man said, from the rear of both camps, massive clumps of earth, boulders, and water spheres were launched. They rained down on the groups of infantry clashing in the center, crushing entire units that were acting together one after another.

A voice from somewhere shouted, “Scatter!” and gaps began to form within the chaotic mass of people.

Shuou, finally reunited with the 55th Squad, stopped to prepare for the attacks raining down from the sky.

“Hey, isn’t this weird?” Sanji shouted, looking up at the sky and watching the massive rocks falling.

Shuou raised his voice to be heard over the clamoring battlefield. “What’s wrong?”

“We’ve been overwhelming them in the artillery battle, but the amount of attacks coming from the Southern Army is more than double the usual.”

Jin nodded in agreement with Sanji’s words. “Yeah, and that’s not all. Their skill is also on a whole different level compared to before.”

The Ode soldiers surrounding them were becoming victims of the relentless attacks, crushed and reduced to miserable states. However, gradually, the bombardment became more intermittent, and the sky above was once again left with nothing but clear blue.

The Crystaliers’ strikes, boasting high power and size, were indeed powerful, but they lacked endurance. Both armies had run out of breath on the battlefield, but without allowing even a moment’s rest, the battle moved to the next stage.

The mounted Brights and Stellar Knights galloped through the swarm of infantry on the battlefield, their hooves resounding. The Murakumo Brights, charging in groups of three with their longswords thrust forward, fired materialized Crynetic Energy like arrows, annihilating enemies one after another. In contrast, the Coral Stellar Knights shouldered massive axes, swords, and clubs that were beyond human capacity, sweeping away the swarming mercenaries with a single swing.

Both armies had deployed their main forces, and a full-scale brawl of strength against strength had begun.

Shuou entrusted his back to his squad mates and slashed the throats of the enemies standing in his way one after another. From the tip of his sword, reddish, murky blood dripped down.

Once he started moving, four or five people would spurt fresh blood from their throats and perish in an instant. His extraordinary performance was drawing the gazes of those around him, both friend and foe. However, that proved to be disastrous as one of the Warrior Monks, swinging a giant axe atop his horse, set his sights on Shuou. Kicking the horse’s belly, he raised the enormous weapon that could easily cleave a person in two with a single blow. It not only possessed immense power but also speed that defied common sense.

“If it doesn’t hit…”

Shuou concentrated all his awareness on the act of seeing. The attack had power, speed, and accurate aim, and above all, it was a refined swing, but it was a linear attack that was inferior to the Rabidaemons’ in every way. For Shuou, who knew better, evading it was child’s play.

“Heh.”

Exhaling briefly, Shuou dodged the axe that was swung down diagonally. Kicking the axe that had ingloriously dug into the Alabaster Road, he leaped into the air. Gripping the pommel of his sword and extending his reach, he twisted his body and added a spin to his strike, slashing the Warrior Monk’s throat. The attack, combining precision with the power of the rotation, tore through the depths of the throat in a straight line.

Unable to even struggle, the Warrior Monk fell from his horse, still clutching his weapon, splattering fresh blood. In that instant, the surrounding air froze.

It was Shuou’s mercenary allies who made the first move. They swarmed the Warrior Monk’s corpse, each wielding a dagger, and began chopping off the wrists without regard for their surroundings. One particularly well-built man emerged victorious in the struggle and succeeded in severing the wrist adorned with a chartreuse Miracrystal, letting out a victorious cry as he escaped the grasping hands of those around him.

“I did it! With this, I won’t have to worry about food for a while—”

At that moment, right in the middle of the battlefield, as the man shouted while holding up the Warrior Monk’s wrist, an enemy Warrior Monk passed behind him, and the man’s head rolled on the ground.

The mercenaries who had lost the struggle swarmed the headless body that had fallen forward, and the man who had pounced first smugly tucked the wrist with the Sunstone into his bosom.

Witnessing the sickening clash of desires, Shuou felt nauseous from the heavy, unpleasant sensation weighing down on his stomach.

“H-hey, don’t push!” Sanji’s voice shouted from behind.

When Shuou looked, he saw a wave of mercenaries surging towards him with enough force to crush him. Their clouded eyes were all intently focused on him.

“These guys are flocking together to take advantage of the chaos.”

There was no escape, and the wave of people pressed down with even greater pressure. The front was swarming with bloodthirsty men, while from behind, his allies were urging him forward, seeking an easy gain. From within the crowd, Borge suddenly appeared, accompanied by a frightened-looking Saburi and Hario, making their way to Shuou.

“Shuou! This is bad. We’ve advanced too far ahead here.”

“I know, but—”

Pushed by the force of the crowd surging from behind, only the group led by the 55th Squad penetrated deep into enemy lines. Shuou cut down the attacking soldiers with a single stroke of his sword, while those pushing up from behind swarmed the corpses Shuou had slain. The sight was no different from flies swarming rotten flesh on the roadside.