202: You could say the outcome’s already decided before it even starts, right?
Two low-ranking imperial soldiers, tasked with reporting the movements of the monsters, suddenly found themselves desperately chasing after a creature that had gone berserk, their faces twisted with fear.
The monsters had been sluggish and aggravating during the advance, but now that they were moving for real, the two soldiers couldn’t keep up. They screamed curses at the top of their lungs, finally catching up—only to find themselves in a strange space.
“What the hell is this place?”
“Looks like they cleared a forest and dug out a massive depression…”
A wide-open stretch of land yawned in the middle of the woods, a deep pit carved into the earth. The monsters had gathered in clusters, oddly concentrated within the depression.
“What’s with these guys? Do they like holes or something?”
“Who the hell knows! What the hell do we do now!?”
“We gotta report back!”
“What the hell are we supposed to say!? Monsters suddenly gathered in a huge hole!?”
It wasn’t the kind of thing you could believe even if someone told you. The soldier’s scream made sense.
Still, if this was real, no wonder the two of them were clutching their heads.
“Huh? What’s that?”
One of them pointed toward the depths of the depression.
“That’s… a giant metal barrel?”
“Maybe they were planning to build a reservoir here or something?”
“Huh. Still, the size of the depression doesn’t match the barrel… kind of off, you know?”
“Nah, just abandoned mid-construction. They knew we were marching this way, right?”
“Yeah, I guess. But why’d monsters gather in a dumped reservoir?”
“Who the hell knows!?”
They were yelling at each other about how to report it when the monsters changed again.
“Huh? Wait—those things are starting to move?”
"Damn it! Now's not the time to be so relaxed! Those lazy bastards!"
The two bellowed at each other, yelling about how to report it when the monsters shifted again. "Huh? Wait—those things are starting to move?"
"No, wait. Something's off."
"What?"
"I'm sure they were lying down before... wait, did they die?"
"Wait—what?"
The two stared at each other. Their faces were pale.
"...Check it."
"Are you sure you're okay?"
"Use that long branch over there."
A low-ranking soldier prodded the monster with a long branch. Nothing moved. The soldier shoved harder, prying open the giant creature’s eyelid with the stick.
"Dead... They're definitely dead!"
"You're kidding! All of them?!"
"Who the hell knows! But..."
"...Yeah."
They nodded, resolve hardening in their eyes. There was no point in wondering if anyone would believe them anymore.
The urge to report the abnormality—how a group of monsters meant to hold the front line had been wiped out—and the desperate need to flee this place drove them both to sprint toward the main camp with everything they had.
Once they’d rejoined the main force, they learned the truth.
Countless monsters had died in hidden hollows across the terrain.
◆
A certain officer of the Empire glared at the fortress looming ahead, hatred in his eyes.
Most of his soldiers believed that fortress was the Golden Dune, but the officer knew better. He knew the city lay across the great river.
Under normal circumstances, they’d have built a fleet of rafts here, tied them together with chains, and crossed to the other side. That’s what the massive fortress in front of the river was supposed to be. Even if it had taken half a year from the Mizoho Shrine Nation, it was impossible to believe such a fortress could be finished so quickly.
That wasn’t all. According to the reconnaissance unit that circled around the fortress, there’s a long bridge stretching behind it.
A river wider than the lake, deeper, with complex currents, teeming with aquatic monsters—no such bridge could exist in the Empire itself.
There are three nations on this continent worthy of being called the Three Great Countries.
One is the Zebias Allied Kingdom—the newest of the three.
Once a region of scattered states, it united, apparently, to resist the massive monster habitat to the west.
The other nation is the Maugaria Kingdom, currently under attack—the second oldest.
It claims every inch of its vast land, surrounded by impassable mountain ranges and rivers too dangerous to cross.
Ain't got a tenth of one percent of real control, and yet they’re full of themselves.
We’re the Duvatten Empire—the oldest nation on the continent, ruled by His Imperial Majesty, nestled in the northeast, surrounded by mountains and sea.
They say humanity once nearly went extinct. Yet through it all, we kept our dignity, our traditions, and now boast the highest magic and technology in the world.
The commander had a mage cast a scrying spell, and once more, they surveyed the enemy’s fortress.
“…huge.”
First, the scale. A wall that rivals the imperial capital’s, taller and thicker than even that. And how the hell was it built? No gaps. None at all.
You’d think stacking bricks or stone would leave cracks somewhere. But there aren’t any.
Short as it was, during our time in the Mizoho Shrine Nation, I’d seen parts of the castle wall and city wall built just as solidly—no seams, no gaps. Likely, the technology had been transferred from the Maugaria Kingdom.
No joints. No bumps. That’s a nightmare for attackers. Scaling’s nearly impossible. You’d need ladders, ropes—anything to get over.
The captain curses the engineer who invented this material, silently.
"Second-in-command. Could they attack from behind the river?"
"Along the riverbank, there are substantial walls. But near the massive bridge extending behind the fortress—there’s a chance."
"Hmm."
Straight-up, if the Imperial army tried to flank from behind, they’d get crushed. But if we used monsters to assault the walls, drew the enemy’s attention to the front, then hit them with a lightning strike from behind... that might just work.
"Shall we report this up the chain?"
"Magic or siege weapons seem unlikely to breach that wall."
"Not even a colored sigil mage can manage it, apparently."
"Word on the ground says so."
The bulk of the Empire’s famed magitech legion is deployed here. A world-class assembly of mages, but of course we can't throw them straight into the front lines.
"Monster numbers have dropped sharply, but there are still plenty left. According to the staff, they’re using the remaining beasts to assault the outpost—just like last time. We’re supposed to wear them down first."
"...Is the staff a war novice?"
"Huh?"
The commander shook his head, stunned.
"That’s how you siege a fortress. There’s a thick supply line behind the outpost. Reinforcements, rations—everything’s flowing in freely. What good’s a stalemate against that?"
“Y-yeah, that’s true…”
“Honestly, they made the same mistake at Mizuho. They only held out because they could transport supplies and people with some kind of magical device. Sure, their walls weren’t this solid, so a full-scale assault would’ve eventually broken them down.”
That’s exactly why Mizuho abandoned the country and fled. The fact that someone in command actually made that call—and carried it out—is what’s scary. Most people couldn’t make that kind of decision, let alone act on it.
But the real problem is this fortress right in front of us. How the hell are we supposed to take it down? It’s bigger than the Imperial City.
“Looks like we’re just gonna have to wait and see, then.”
“Yeah.”
The commander nodded. Then he realized—immediately—that he was wrong.
He’d been watching through a scrying spell. The gate had opened *before* the vanguard monsters even reached it.
“What—!?”
Out from there burst samurai riding on two-legged birds.
"Samurai of Mizuho!?!"
Yeah. In a situation that should’ve been a fortress’s advantage, it was the MauGaria Kingdom that made the move.
Front line? Mizuho samurai.
This was their dream. This was their honor.
With morale so high it felt like it touched the sky, the demon warriors charged straight into the horde of monsters.