Chapter 286 – Strategy ①
On the day after I usurped the land north of Tateyama Fortress, Motoki launched an invasion just like the days before without any way to break out of the deadlock, despite being suspicious of me.
And thus, the farce continued again, without any change.
On the fifth day when everyone believed that we’d returned to the same boring stalemate as before…
5:30 p.m. – Motoki began his attack against Tateyama Fortress like a one-trick-pony.
6:00 p.m. – the corps led by Iron, Chloe, and Layla started their attack against Nanto Fortress in order to unfold the next act of the farce.
At the same time, I began my advance from the new sector near Tateyama Fortress with my subordinates.
“In accordance with our agreement, our Aster Empire starts its attack against Tateyama Fortress!”
I loudly announced to the humans at the fortress, who had deployed a defense line against Motoki’s forces as they were attacking from the east, from the northern direction, launching a surprise attack against them.
The defense of Tateyama Fortress had been set up to oppose Motoki’s forces and thus they were completely unprepared for our attack.
――Tonight is the only chance for a surprise attack to work! Go, go, go! Kill whatever stands in your way! It’s a full buffet of experience points!
We charge at the humans’ flank while they’re performing the farce of facing Motoki’s battleline.
“Uuooooohh! Let’s go, you lot!!!”
Takaharu’s corps is leading the charge. Takaharu has transformed into a Beast King from the get-go, and is now swooping down on the humans like a brute while leading his highly mobile werewolves.
“W-W-Wh-What’s going o-on!?!?”
“Enemy attack! Shion’s forces are attacking us from…uuughha!”
“C-Calm down…”
The humans are unable to cope with the abrupt change in the battle flow after having gone through a farce for close to a month now…they’re being overrun by Takaharu’s corps.
“Taka-chi! Dodge them all! I’m gonna rain down some fire arrows on the humans, oki!? So, it’s kinda like getting a weather forecast from me? Anyway ――《Fire Arrow》!”
Sarah’s corps showers the humans with fire arrows.
“――ng! Dat was fuckin’ dangerous, ya dumb elf!”
“Aww, that’s badmouthing! I warned you just now, didn’t I!?” Sarah complains loudly, but in reality she has her corps aim deeper into the human camp so as to not hit Takaharu and his men.
At a glance, their exchange sounds like nothing but their usual horsing around, but their teamwork is actually flawless.
“Fatherly master! Us too! We cannot afford to fall behind any further!”
“I know, Cú. All of you, we’ll join the fray!”
Being urged by the hotblooded Cú Chulainn, Kotetsu’s corps follows Takaharu’s, beginning their assault.
A rain of magic, Takaharu’s corps that rampages smack down in the middle of the human camp, and Kotetsu’s corps that joins in as well. The humans, who’ve become complacent thanks to the ever-repeating farce, fall into a state of panic.
“For things to work out this smoothly… Rina, Hibiki, Saburou, we’re going to advance with the whole army! Trample down the humans!”
I order all corps to attack, and then join in myself to earn some experience points as well.
◆
30 minutes after the start of our attack against Tateyama Fortress.
Motoki’s forces, who’ve gotten a grasp on the situation at last, start to move.
“Kuuh…again…! Keep going! Keep going! We’ll follow Shion’s attack!”
The elf forces led by Motoki launch an attack on the humans who have lost all order and ranks after experiencing our surprise attack.
The battlefield, where three forces mingled with each other, turned into even more of a chaotic pandemonium.
Three hours after the start of our attack against Tateyama Fortress.
Usually the farce would have ended long ago by now and both parties would have withdrawn, but the intense battle raged on even further.
“Reinforcements! The reinforcements from Toyama City have arrived!”
The human battle camp becomes all noisy upon the arrival of their allies.
“Shion, what are we going to do?” Rina asks for our further plans after coming close to me.
――All hands! Continue the battle without moving from the spot! You’re forbidden to push the front line any further!
“Rina, eradicate all enemies between us and Takaharu’s corps with your corps so that Takaharu and his men can retreat at any given moment.”
“Understood!”
After hearing my order, Rina swiftly moves to put it into practice.
“Saburou, come with me!”
“Okay!”
Saburou and I move close to the front line, acting as clearers to make it easier for Motoki and his forces to march on Tateyama Fortress.
With the reinforcements having arrived, the humans’ morale has clearly been boosted. However, because we’ve shown our will to resist to the bitter end, the battlefield is becoming increasingly gruesome.
One hour after the arrival of the reinforcements.
Motoki’s forces have been pushing deeper and deeper while being lured into it by me.
“Tonight we shall reach a decision…! Everyone! Use all your strength!”
Motoki’s troops become all hot blooded by his encouragement.
But you know, it’d be a problem for me ― if things were to be settled tonight. I think it should be time any moment now…
It’d be fine to pull back just like that, but it’s such a great chance. Let’s boost the human’s morale a bit.
――All hands! We’ll start to retreat in five minutes! Everyone, get ready to withdraw!
I order my subordinates to prepare the retreat.
――Saburou will give the signal for the retreat! All hands, smoothly pull back without any panic!
Five minutes later.
――Saburou, come close to me. And shout what I tell you.
I instruct Saburou telepathically so that those around us won’t be able to hear.
Saburou nods, and just when he’s next to me――
“Nuuuooooo! Shion-sama! Shion-sama has been woooooooouunded!! Retreat! All hands, we’re retreating at oooooonce!!” Saburou screams at the top of his lungs what I’ve told him to say.
――All hands, we’re pulling out.
“Thirteen Evil Star Shion has been wounded!?”
“Now’s the perfect chance! Mop up the monsters!”
“””Yeaaaah!!”””
The humans’ morale leaps upon the news of my injury. They rush out to launch a counteroffensive, but…having finished our preparations to retreat, we quickly withdraw from the battlefield.
Meanwhile the forces of the pig are stranded right in the middle of the high-spirited humans.
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