第１７０掘：６０億対４００万 (Part2)
"We are going to crush you, the Zilba Empire army."
"Oh?"
"Why? You don't have the slightest chance of winning, do you?"
"No, from any angle, the only possible outcome is our victory. Don't think you can stop us with a mere four-million-strong nation."
Yuki spoke with complete indifference.
What was he talking about? Even Weed only had around ten thousand, and the strongest nations on the continent where Weed was located were about the same size as the Zilba Empire. It was by no means a "mere" amount.
"Hmph, it seems it's useless to say anything to you. Let's just crush you thoroughly. Mist, we're heading back."
"……Yes. How unfortunate."
The sisters turned to return to their own lines... but they didn't.
"M-my body!?"
"Eh, why!?"
They remained frozen, still facing us.
"I haven't finished talking yet, so don't go home on your own. For now, I've fixed your bodies in place."
"Ugh, you coward!!"
"Huh? I don't want to hear that from someone trying to crush a thousand with five thousand."
"We were acting in accordance with the art of war, fair and square!!"
"Surprise attacks and targeting the enemy commander are also part of the art of war, aren't they?"
"……Tch. Even if you take us down, you'll just be overwhelmed by our five thousand."
"Are you an idiot? Can't you understand how big the disparity in military power is, given that you two sisters can't even move?"
"Sister, give the order to attack for the whole army!! He isn't doing anything!! He must be using all his effort just to keep us restrained!!"
"Understood!! All forces, charge!!"
At Olive's declaration, the five thousand began to move. Since it's standard practice to be ready to move at a moment's notice during such negotiations between representatives, the army led by Olive and her sister raised their war cries and headed toward us without hesitation.
"Is that all? Steve, start."
"You got it."
*Rumble, rumble...*
White objects rose from beneath the ground, surrounding the battlefield where we and the enemy stood.
"W-what is this!?"
"We're surrounded!?"
Olive seemed occupied with trying to grasp the situation, but her younger sister, Mist, seemed to understand that things had taken a turn for the worse.
"If you two are carrying the future of four million, then I am but a single piece of six billion. Steve, fire."
"Roger. All units, commence firing. Target: the main enemy force. Use of heavy weaponry authorized!! Use of heavy weaponry authorized!!"
At that signal, the army that had been stopped by the tremors and thrown into confusion by the encirclement was struck by weapons—weapons that, on our continent... no, weapons that were impossible in this world.
A deafening roar erupted.
It was a sound so loud it seemed to blow away all other noise. I don't know how long the explosions lasted. I don't even know how much time had passed...
"Cease fire."
"Roger, cease fire. I repeat, cease fire!!"
The moment Yuki said that, the explosions stopped, and silence returned to the area.
"W-what have you done!?"
"I-it's impossible. What just happened..."
The sisters were no longer paralyzed, but they didn't attack us. They faced the direction where the explosions had occurred—the direction where their own army had been. Olive looked stunned, and Mist sank to the ground.
It was only natural.
The army of five thousand no longer existed.
"Uuugh..."
"M-my arm..."
"It hurts, it hurts so much..."
All that remained were the surviving wounded soldiers. Only a handful of soldiers were still standing.
"Fair and square, on equal footing—don't cling to such impossible situations."
"I-I won't forgive you!!"
"S-sister, stop..."
Olive barely managed to recognize that it was the Yuki standing before her who had caused this, and she swung her magic sword, but...
*Crack.*
A sickening sound echoed.
"Agh, my arm, my arm...!!"
"Sister!? You...!!"
Mist, the younger sister, also instinctively attacked Yuki in retaliation for what was done to her sister, but...
"L-lies!? I can't use the power of my magic sword!?"
Yuki had grabbed the tip of her blade, preventing her from moving it.
"I told you from the beginning. The only outcome is our victory."
"Y-you coward."
"You were the ones who brought a large number of troops from the start. It's no different from your own methods."
"If we had fought head-on..."
"I haven't even been scratched."
Every time Olive opened her mouth, she was left with nothing to say. That's right; everything was exactly as she had said. Yuki had simply fought according to those very rules.
"Ria, bind those two. Steve and the others, secure the enemy survivors along with the demi-humans. Treatment comes later. If they die, that's that."
"Understood."
"Roger that. You guys have a big job to do!!"
Yuki's army—if you could call it that—which had been waiting in the rear, began to move. Meanwhile, Ria bound Olive and Mist with ropes.
Mist managed to look up at Yuki and opened her mouth.
"What is this 'six billion' you speak of?"
"It's the number of people living in my hometown."
"T-that's impossible!! There's no way that many people..."
Olive shouted in denial, but Yuki continued calmly.
"They exist. And I am one of those six billion people. It's a number that has accumulated from the past to the present. I haven't inherited all of their strength and knowledge, of course. But there is no logic by which I would lose to a mere four million."
"……Was it also that knowledge of six billion that prevented me from using my magic sword?"
"Obviously. I'm just an ordinary person in my hometown. You sisters simply lost to the accumulation of my hometown's history."
"It wasn't a coincidence, but an inevitability... this defeat."
Mist let her head hang low.
"In truth, you wanted to build up your own army's achievements and strength. It's laughable that you used the 'future of four million people' as a facade. You don't need mercy when you're dealing with someone who says things like that, right?"
With that, Yuki had Ria drag the sisters away as they returned to the main camp.
"……Good grief. To make an enemy of Weed... the very act of opposing them is ruin itself."
This battle had effectively become a clash between Earth and the Zilba Empire. It was less of a landslide victory and more of a total annihilation. Since the sisters had brought the full might of their nation, Yuki had gone into battle as a representative of Earth, using every means at his disposal.
It wasn't a cheat; it was simply the difference in accumulation.