Volume 9 Chapter 32 Day One (The First Casualty of War)
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The boom of magic cannons pounded through McGaref, echoing like an omen of doom. Normally, the weapons were silent, but For-Elda, commander of the Fourth Army, had deliberately tuned them to thunder. She understood the power of sound—terror was as much a weapon as fire.
”Stay calm! The walls are holding!”
”Don’t panic! Get inside! No one outside without cause!”
Soldiers shouted through the streets as families slammed doors and shuttered windows—when they had the wood to spare. A young mother clutched her child tight, but her hands still trembled.
”Mom, I’m scared… What’s that noise? The ground’s shaking…”
”It’s fine, it’s fine. Hide with me here. Captain Kanare will take care of it.”
”Where’s Daddy?”
”Fighting for us. Protecting us. So let’s pray, all right?”
Across the street, the elderly couple who ran the grocer’s stood outside, faces pale as they stared west. The thud of catapults, the boom of cannons—it gnawed at them.
”It’s really started. War.”
”Do you think we’ll make it out alive?”
”The council, Captain Kanare… they’ll see us through.”
”But even as grocers, we’ve nothing left to sell. Are we really going to be all right?”
”We’ve no choice but to believe. We can’t fight.”
Information never reached the ordinary townsfolk. Only rumors—dark ones—spread from lip to lip. By nightfall they whispered that Kanare was dead, that the Gonan reinforcements had been wiped out.
”Maybe this is what comes of declaring independence.”
”Don’t say that. We’re McGaref’s people, not Quvar’s. If it comes to it, I’ll take a knife and fight.”
The words were meant to soothe his wife. Inside, fear churned. McGaref had seen little real war in decades. And now it was here.
That night, even the stubborn tavern on the back street closed its doors. But a handful of regulars refused to go home, clinging to their cups, muttering. The barkeep sighed and humored them.
”This place is safest. Cellar full of brew barrels—we can hide.”
”Hide forever? Not me. If it comes to it, I’ll run for the gate with my family.”
”Don’t be stupid. You know what they’ll do if they catch us. At least the men—they’ll all be slaughtered.”
”Strange, though. It’s gone quiet. I thought they’d attack through the night.”
”Yeah. Too quiet.”
”But that blast at dusk… I saw it. The southern sky lit up—lightning raining down like a storm. It was like that time the black dragon covered McGaref, just as terrifying.”
”A witch’s work. Can these walls really hold?”
”Damn it. I need to blow off steam. Let’s hit the brothel.”
”Closed. All the courtesans are tending the soldiers.”
”What, even now?”
”Cooking, cleaning—nothing lewd. But can you imagine? Meals made by the Night Butterfly herself. Must taste divine.”
”Then enlist.”
”Not me. I’d die. My Skill’s worthless in a fight.”
The door creaked open. A familiar guard stumbled in.
”Still open? In times like these? Good. Not booze—give me water.”
The barkeep set a cup before him. Someone leaned in.
”You’d know. Is it true? Did Captain Kanare fall?”
The guard drained his drink, then set it down with a heavy sigh.
”…It’s true. Kanare’s dead. The enemy witch is too strong. Ours is fierce too, but… honestly, it doesn’t feel like enough.”
The tavern hushed, then erupted in gasps.
”Keep it quiet. But it’s the truth. Numbers are against us. Out there, it’s death. The gates are all we can hold. I’ve got patrol, but you—decide. You live in McGaref, you’re men of McGaref, you pick up a weapon or you shame Kanare’s name.”
* * *
Weed, the veteran, did not flinch when the report reached him.
”So the dead have mounted that high.”
”Yes. Five hundred. Thirty saved by resurrection magic, but… Kanare among them, no.”
Weed’s jaw tightened. “I misjudged her. The Eternal Witch, Cartera. The Adamantine Witch warned us she held back in the labyrinth, but… gods, she was too strong.”
He accepted the failure with bitterness. On the wall above, Scaya had collapsed into exhausted sleep, barrier still shimmering faintly. One commander already slain, Kanare gone, another murdered by Almaria’s assassins—the Southern Front’s leadership lay in ruins.
Shion approached with reports. “We’ve destroyed the enemy’s forward forts. Ginga and the others pushed them down.”
”Well done. But rest. Your Magic Power Transfer is worth more than any of us. Don’t spend yourself needlessly. Lucky for us, the revenants pulled back at night.”
At dusk, the Margrave of the Valkyries arrived with the Gonan reinforcements, drawing pressure off the eastern gate. But then Cartera struck. A hundred bolts of lightning ripped through their two thousand men, shattering barriers, scattering troops. The Margrave fell. Their army broke, fleeing not west but east, straight into chaos.
”Kanare never had a chance,” Weed muttered.
Dragged into the panicked rout, his battalion faltered. Then Cartera’s storm fell again. Only Scaya’s barrier saved them—barely. But as they staggered back toward the east gate, the Ghost Army closed in.
And there stood the Black Sword King, Berhardt.
Kanare fought him head-on, holding the line so his men could retreat. They had hoped, at least, for a draw.
But the third exchange ended it. One mighty slash tore his shoulder, and the next stroke took his head.
Resurrection magic fired across the battlefield, snatching lives at random from the pile of corpses. Kanare was not among the three restored.
”All this in a single day,” Weed growled. “South unmoving. North strangely quiet. No scouts to spare.”
Clarice was still delayed. Their trump card had not arrived.
”Kanare… I’ll miss you. Hurry back, Chinatsu. Only you can beat Berhardt now.”
But disaster layered upon disaster. Moments later came word: the elite unit, meant to strike from the gates, had been ambushed by the Black Flame General, Grano. In the chaos, their strongest youth—Kito Ginga—had been taken captive.
—
At the end of the original text, the author explains the mechanics of resurrection:
1. No registration (commoners, early classmates).
2. Suicide (like Naje’s execution).
3. Mass death (capacity too small; random selection fails many).
4. Registration too far away (success rate drops).
Kanare fell victim to case (3).
Notes:
• McGaref – Fortress city, adventurer hub.
• Kanare – The stern battalion commander, who once led Chinatsu, shares a solemn mission, his eyes reflecting battlefield memories.
• Night Butterfly – It is a prestigious brothel located on Dream Street, known for its elegant and sexy atmosphere, frequented by those seeking ultimate pleasure.
• Weed – He is a retired knight and martial arts master, appeared as a sword seller, known for his bloodthirsty grin and elite ‘Sword Master’ skill.
• Cartera – Eternal Witch — The First Emperor’s mistress and a resurrected sorceress of immense power. Cruel and seductive, she takes pleasure in destruction and defilement. Her loyalty to the Emperor is absolute, and she shares his desire to end the world. First appears in v9c3.
• Scaya – The ‘Flame Witch,’ employed by the Dark Elves; captured after the battle where the Celon Dukedom army was defeated.
• Shion – Ginga’s GF. Archery, healing.
• Clarice – The ‘Witch of Abundance’ from Lesta Kingdom.
• Chinatsu – White Wall — Black hair, B-cup. Adventurous, masochistic, Takumi’s first slave & lover. Master of Asakura-ryu Iaijutsu, wields cursed sword Chisame (blood-powered). 12th-ranked fighter, close to Hikari. First appears in v1c1 Prologue.
• Kito Ginga – 1st Division leader. Modest, respected.
• Grano – The Black Flame General, a legendary figure from Quvar’s past, now resurrected as part of the First Emperor’s ghostly host. Known for his ruthless tactics and unwavering loyalty to the Emperor, Grano commands a significant portion of the undead army. He is disdainful of the living, particularly those who oppose the Emperor’s plans, and shows no mercy in battle. His presence, alongside other legendary generals like Belhart, underscores the immense threat posed by the Emperor’s forces. First mentioned in v9c7.
• Naje – First princess of the Lesta Kingdom and deputy commander. The tragic princess of the Lesta Kingdom who was executed for her country.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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