Chapter 82 Mercuria Kingdom Uprising, Part ⑬
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Victory is mine!”
Kudo Koichi’s thunderous roar shook the battlefield. Those who turned to look froze, awestruck. Clad in bloodstained silver armor, the Hero charged forward, a battle axe in one hand, a spear in the other, tearing through enemy ranks like a storm.
”Stop him! Don’t let him through!” the enemy general bellowed, but his orders fell on deaf ears.
Kudo’s spear flashed, sending three soldiers flying. His axe roared, and five more fell in a spray of blood.
”What is he?”
”He’s not human—a monster!”
”Stay back, or you’re dead!”
Enemy soldiers screamed, trembled, and fled, some tossing aside shields and swords in panic. Their once-fearless ranks crumbled before the Hero’s onslaught.
Allies noticed the shift.
”Kudo-dono’s broken through!”
”The enemy’s collapsing—push forward!”
The battlefield surged. Seizing the gap in the enemy’s chaos, allied forces rallied, charging with renewed vigor. The enemy’s once-impenetrable formation shattered, undone by Kudo Koichi’s relentless assault.
At the heart of the carnage, surrounded by fallen foes, Kudo shouldered his axe and roared to the heavens.
”Victory is in my grasp!”
He stood like a war god reborn.
”Enough! Don’t falter!” the enemy general shouted, rallying his troops. “He’s just one man! He can’t take us all!”
His voice, laced with commanding fury, steadied the wavering soldiers. They regrouped, their movements sharpening, and surged forward like a tidal wave, intent on overwhelming the lone Hero.
But another figure stood in their path.
”You’re not getting through.”
Tsukamoto Joujirou, a towering figure in weathered armor, gripped a battered shield and a chipped greatsword. He advanced silently, planting himself between friend and foe.
An enemy soldier charged. Joujiro twisted his shield, knocking him back with brute force. Two more attacked, then three—but none could breach his defense.
”No one passes,” he growled, teeth gritted. “I hold this line.”
Bloodied, pierced, slashed, Joujiro stood unmoving, unyielding.
His resolve stirred the allied soldiers.
”Joujiro-dono’s holding them alone?”
”He’s stopping that many head-on?”
What seemed reckless transformed into unwavering determination. One by one, soldiers joined him, raising shields and spears, standing shoulder-to-shoulder.
”Hey, Joujiro, don’t hog the glory!”
”We hold here, or it’s all for nothing!”
”I’ll guard this line and win a girlfriend!”
A wall of iron formed, forged by shared will. Nameless soldiers took up Joujiro’s resolve, blocking and striking as one. It was a defensive wall born of human spirit, unbreakable even as waves of enemies crashed against it.
The tide of morale shifted. Fear gave way to certainty, and the enemy’s front began to falter once more.
Joujiro glanced back for a fleeting moment. “Well done,” he said, his words sparking renewed strength in his comrades.
* * *
The enemy’s momentum was a relentless hammer, intent on crushing everything—Joujiro included.
Yet he didn’t budge. Shoulder torn, side pierced, he raised his shield and swung his greatsword, steadfast as a rock.
Take it all. I’ll hold here, he thought, his breath ragged but his resolve burning. Kudo’s already gone ahead.
Beyond the enemy lines, toward their heart, Kudo was closing in. If I hold, he’ll make it. That’s enough.
Kudo flips the battlefield. That’s his role.
Mine is to believe in him and stand.
Joujiro’s blood-soaked vision blurred, but a faint smile crossed his lips, unheard by all. I’m not worried. Not with him.
* * *
Kudo carved through the enemy, blood coating his axe, his spear scattering the general’s guard. His target: the enemy’s core.
”Out of my way!”
His axe cleaved through a line of soldiers, splitting their formation.
Joujiro’s still holding, he thought, never looking back. He didn’t need to. He knew Joujiro was there, a shield risking everything to protect the rear.
That’s why I can charge like this.
It was reckless, but Joujiro made it possible.
I trust him. He’s got the rest.
”All I do is break through!”
Joujiro carried the weight of strategy, defense, and safety, freeing Kudo to pursue victory with single-minded fury.
He’s my shield. I’m the sword. We don’t win without both.
A quiet trust burned beneath Kudo’s rage, unspoken but unshakable. Having someone to watch my back… it’s not bad.
* * *
Mercuria’s general, Zucchi Jorgen, was baffled. His forces—5,000 cavalry from Gebrock, 5,000 of his own heavy infantry, and 300 mercenaries—numbered over 10,000. The enemy had, at most, 3,000. A third of his strength shouldn’t be losing.
”No more! Full assault! Crush them all!”
His roar unleashed his army, a tidal wave of raw numbers, abandoning tactics for brute force. It was desperate, yet logical—his superior numbers should overwhelm.
The ground trembled under the onslaught, a black flood of soldiers rushing forward.
Joujiro took a deep breath, heavy and steady.
Here they come.
His knee buckled, but he forced himself upright. His shield was splintered, his greatsword dull.
I’m still standing.
He was at his limit, but collapse wasn’t an option. If I fall, it’s over—for the line, for Kudo.
”I won’t let you through!”
Joujiro’s roar sent an enemy flying with his shield. His sword trembled as he swung—not from fear, but from unyielding will to fight on.
* * *
Kudo, deep in the enemy’s core, paused. The air had changed. The ground shook, the wind howled.
”Mercuria’s main army,” he muttered, seeing the mass of soldiers closing in, encircling them.
A grim laugh escaped him. “No way out now.”
Retreat was impossible. Breaking through, equally so.
Victory was slipping away, fading into a distant haze.
Joujiro, you’re at your limit. I pushed you too hard, Kudo thought, his grip tightening on his sword.
For a fleeting moment, he wondered, Is this it?
”Even so!”
Kudo channeled mana through his body, his voice a defiant roar. “Ultimate Art: Sevenfold Tumult!”
A shockwave erupted, hurling the surrounding soldiers back. A clear space formed around him, and Kudo, wreathed in mana, charged deeper into the enemy ranks.
* * *
”Damn it, they’re coming!”
”No way—we’re too outnumbered!”
”Don’t falter! Kudo-dono and Joujirou-dono are fighting! We have to match them!”
Some allies tried to rally, but the enemy’s overwhelming numbers crushed their spirit. Soldiers sank to their knees, dropping weapons, despair spreading like wildfire. They knew, no matter how strong Kudo was or how steadfast Joujiro stood, there were limits.
”It’s… over,” one muttered.
Despair loomed over the battlefield—
Then, everything changed.
A deafening roar shook the air. Fireballs streaked across the sky like meteors, thunderclaps splitting the earth. Arrows rained down, thousands strong, from hills, valleys, and beyond, joined by barrages of magic.
Pillars of flame rose, and dust clouds tore through enemy lines.
”What the—?!”
”Arrows from above?! Magic corps? Reinforcements?!”
The enemy’s charge halted, forced to a standstill.
Joujirou looked up, his weary eyes catching the scorched sky, lightning flashing through it. Arrows fell like rain, shattering the enemy’s formation.
Amatsuka? Yukishiro? Whoever it is, I owe you, he thought.
Strength surged back into his trembling legs. “Late, but perfect timing!”
Fire reignited in Joujiro’s eyes as he stood tall.
* * *
Kudo grinned—not with relief, but with the savage thrill of victory within reach.
”Finally showed up, huh? It’s over, Mercuria!”
His sword pulsed with renewed strength, his gaze locked on the enemy general.
I charge forward. Joujiro’s holding the line. And now, they’ve got my back.
The battlefield had shifted. From this moment, Kudo knew, it was an annihilation.
* * *
The enemy ranks crumbled, burned by fireballs, struck by lightning, pierced by arrows. The commander’s shouts were lost in the chaos, and fallen soldiers piled up.
Amid the carnage, a pocket of the battlefield felt like another world.
”Hero always arrive fashionably late, right?”
Kotono’s cheerful voice rang out as she unleashed another fireball, engulfing the enemy in a blaze. Clad in a crimson robe, she wove magic circles with fluid grace, her smile bright as if she were at a festival.
”Kotono, tone it down,” came Shizuka’s cool reply. The black-clad sniper nocked an arrow, her face expressionless, her shots tearing through the wind to strike enemy vitals with unerring precision.
”Easy, easy! Watch your mana reserves,” Miyako added, her gentle voice at odds with the thunder spear she conjured, felling enemies with a sweep of her hand. Dressed in pale purple, the Dark Sage wove lightning with serene focus.
The three traded banter but never slowed. Without signals or orders, they moved in sync, reading each other’s rhythm. Kotono burned swathes of enemies, Shizuka picked off stragglers, and Miyako pinned distant foes with lightning. Their flow was seamless, like a dance.
”Time to punch a hole through their spine?” Kotono said, spinning with a playful grin.
”Three seconds. Enemy commander, twenty paces ahead. Piercing shot,” Shizuka murmured, drawing her bow. Jokes didn’t faze her.
”Then I’ll clear the area first,” Miyako said with a smile, layering magic circles in the sky.
Their casual chatter felt like a village gossip session, yet their hands never stopped. The enemy dwindled steadily.
To them, this chaos was just another day.
The enemy’s fear turned to panic, and they fled—only for flames, lightning, and arrows to chase them down.
Finally, Kotono flashed a radiant smile. “The hero’ part is done. Now, let’s see the prince finish it!”
The three girls swept through the battlefield, vibrant and unstoppable, turning despair into their everyday routine.
* * *
”It looks like the battle’s decided,” Tsubasa said, eyeing the monitor.
”That easily?” Melshy, former First Princess of Melmarc, gasped, watching the same feed.
”Not easy,” Tsubasa corrected. “The Hero’s power barely tipped the scales. Numbers matter.”
Kudo’s Goddess-given Gift made him a one-man army, but even that had limits. The enemy’s incompetence—failing to deploy their full force or flank effectively—had saved them. A smarter general could’ve crushed Kudo and Joujiro with coordinated tactics.
Tsubasa had contingencies, but the core issue remained: insufficient troops.
”Still, we won,” Tsubasa continued. “The real challenge starts now. Your Highness, can I count on your help?”
Melshy nodded. “If I can be of use, I’ll do my best.”
The next step was invading Melmarc Kingdom. With Kanata leading the way, direct conflict might be avoided, but they needed enough forces to intimidate—enough to make the Royal Capital fear annihilation. Melshy’s title as First Princess of Melmarc was a key asset.
Tsubasa bowed respectfully and led her toward the room holding Taniella and the others. The first task: recruit soldiers from the False Dungeon conquest.
Kanata, you owe me big for this, Tsubasa thought, glaring inwardly as they escorted Melshy.
Notes:
• Kudo – A classmate and a Swordsman gift holder, slices through enemies with precision in training battles.
• Joujirou – A classmate and a wielder of Guardian’s Shield, anchors the training line with unyielding defense
• Tsukamoto – Joujirou’s Family Name. The Defense of class who wield Guardian’s Shield.
• Gebrock – The usurper of Mercuria, Alusia’s sworn enemy, whose betrayal drives her to seek Kanata’s aid.
• Amatsuka – Shizuka’s Family Name. The Sniper Hero.
• Yukishiro – Kotono’s Family Name. The wielder of mage.
• Kotono – A classmate, and a wielder of Mage.
• Shizuka – Classmate, wielder of Sniper, nicknamed “Shizu-tan.” Neglected, raised herself after father’s death and mother’s abandonment. Nearly assaulted in another world, broke her stoicism with first real plea for help. Saved by Kanata, now torn between distrust and fragile hope. Reminder: hardened loner, only cracks under extreme pressure.
• Miyako – Quiet library girl with golden hair, intelligent and book-savvy, occasional silent companion to Kanata.
• Tsubasa – A classmate, and a gift holder of Creator. He has an androgynous charm, popular yet approachable, bonds with Taichi’s group. The only son of the Ninari Conglomerate family.
• Mel – Former first princess of Mercuria Kingdom.
• Melshy – former First Princess of Melmarc
• Taniella – Commoner knight of Mercuria’s Knight Order appearing after failed mass invasion of the Dungeon. Challenges commander Nui Tanggamus’s tactics to save soldiers. Commands 100 troops to prove her plan. Ally of Mary. Trait: brave, duty-bound.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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