Kyokuto Western Front: Off the Coast of Trade City Tulanami
On the blue sea, the Kyokuto fleet and the Rudain Federation fleet were fiercely exchanging cannon fire.
Exploding magic shells tore through the waves, mixing blast flames and steam. Yet the Kyokuto defensive line held perfectly, without the slightest gap.
Among them were Katina and Huey. The two had boarded a frontline warship and were assisting the commanding military officer.
Huey guided the targeting of magic weapons from long range, while Katina deployed barrier magic tools to block the enemy's main cannons.
The moment they exploded, the waves shattered and a wall of light blasted the water columns away.
Damage on the Kyokuto side was kept to a minimum.
"…Something's definitely off," Katina muttered quietly.
The battle situation clearly favored Kyokuto. They had more ships, better equipment, and higher morale.
On top of that, the currents off Tulanami were complicated and should have been unfavorable for an invasion from the open sea. It was hard to believe the Federation didn't know that.
So why launch an attack of this scale—?
It almost looked like a diversionary tactic that assumed defeat from the start.
That thought crossed her mind, and Katina unconsciously bit her lip. The black smoke rising across the sea seemed to mirror the unease in her chest.
Kyokuto Southern Front: Coastline Near the Capital Hanemiya
Countless Rudain Federation soldiers lay fallen on the sandy beach where white waves rolled in. The only one still standing was a single man who appeared to be their commander. Staring at the unbelievable scene before him, he muttered in a trembling voice.
"I-it can't be… A little girl and… one dog… wiped out the Federation's elite troops…?"
"Someone's calling me a dog, Sakuramochi," Fuka called out over her shoulder.
Floating above her head was a small fox glowing with a faint cherry-blossom light.
"I'm not a dog, and I'm not Sakuramochi!"
"Sakuramochi, spoiled."
"Whose fault do you think that is?!"
Their light banter melted into the sound of the waves.
But the commander's temple twitched with rage at the sight.
"You've gotta be kidding me…!"
A cold killing intent sliced through the air.
The girl in front of him, Fuka, had eyes as still and cold as ice.
"Who's the one kidding around?" she asked in a flat voice. Beneath the calm lay clear anger and murderous intent.
"…Tch! Fine, no choice then! Everyone, take the special 'enhancement serum'!"
Pressed into a corner, the commander roared the order.
The soldiers who had been lying on the ground unsteadily pulled bottles from their storage magic tools. Inside was a thick, reddish liquid.
The moment they all gulped it down; the soldiers clutched their throats in agony and began groaning.
Black veins crawled under their skin, and bone-like spikes protruded from their shoulders and arms. With the sickening sound of burning flesh, their bodies swelled to several times the size of a normal person.
They had become monsters modeled after demons that had devoured their own reason.
"Ugly as hell… Forcing people to turn into demons like that," Sakuramochi muttered quietly.
"But at least it happened right in front of me."
Fuka quietly drew her blade. The sword glowed with a pale cherry-blossom color, and妖 force scattered from the edge like cherry-blossom petals in the wind. Cherry blossoms also bloomed in her own aura.
"Sakuramochi. Next time, fight in your true form. Prove you can fight alongside me."
"…Tch, what a cocky little brat."
As he grumbled, Sakuramochi's body was wrapped in faint light. It swelled more than twice its size, and his single round tail split into nine. A nine-tailed fox cloaked in cherry-blossom mist appeared.
"We'll exorcise every last one. Sakuramochi, you're on support."
"Got it. …Try to be as gentle as possible, yeah?"
Fuka nodded silently.
The sea breeze carried the scent of cherry blossoms, and petals of light covered the battlefield.
Every time her blade flashed and waves of妖 force clashed, the "demons'" roars turned from agony into silence.
Kyokuto Northern Front: Forest Area Near Agricultural City Honae
A separate Federation unit advanced through the trees, slicing through the silence. Their goal was to reach the sacred mountain.
One of the soldiers stepping on the damp soil suddenly screamed.
"—What the!?"
The next instant, his body was hoisted upside down. A thin thread wrapped around his leg connected to a branch like an animal trap.
His comrades frantically looked around, but there was no sign of the enemy anywhere.
A figure approached the hanging soldier from his blind spot.
"Sorry, but this area is off-limits from here on out."
With a light punch, the suspended soldier rolled his eyes back and passed out.
It was Hart who had appeared.
"Don't think you can slip past my eyes and Telshe's spider webs."
Hart grinned smugly, the corners of his mouth turning up.
"…Could you please stop calling me a spider?"
Telshe complained while neutralizing the soldiers who had been distracted by Hart. Glowing threads—traps created with her[Magic Thread Manipulation]ability, were spread all around her fingertips.
Hart chuckled lightly at the sight and gently lowered the fallen soldier to the base of a tree.
There was no need to take their lives. Stopping their movement was more than enough.
After sensing the Federation's separate unit, Hart had finished organizing the fleet command at Tulanami, left the south to Fuka, and headed north with Telshe and a small number of troops.
"Looks like two or three more squads left on this side."
"Yeah. I set threads deeper in the forest too, so they should get caught soon."
"Thanks. …Still, managing such a wide area is impressive."
"If I couldn't do at least this much, I wouldn't be able to serve as Lady Shion's maid."
Exchanging light banter, the two advanced deeper into the woods. Before long, the sound of branches snapping and armor scraping echoed from afar.
Hart quietly clenched his fist.
"Alright. Next batch, let's go!"
"Understood. …Don't go too overboard."
The moment they nodded to each other, the wind rustled and the forest came alive.
The silently spread magic threads caught the light, and the trapped soldiers were hoisted into the air one after another.
In the center, Hart's fists thundered like lightning.
All that remained between the trees were soldiers tangled in threads, unconscious, and the quiet sounds of the forest.