Rune Troopers: Self-Defense Forces Adventure

The battlefield had fallen silent. The soldiers were in a state of despair, every last one of them.

“This, this!” Richarda managed to open her trembling lips, “You monster!”

She couldn’t come up with any other expression for the object that was floating effortlessly in the sea without a scratch, despite the wave after wave of attacks by the Dragon Knights Order.

Around the object, lay the bodies of charred dragons drifting among the waves, billowing smoke. Now that the Dragon Knights Order had been destroyed, there was no doubt that this operation to attack the Nation of Marysea had completely failed.

The many giant birds that had been commandeered for transport had been withdrawn once their task was complete as they would have been an obstacle to the battle. The Southern Expeditionary Combined Force that had held the banner of invasion across the continent was now completely isolated.

With no way to contact the Empire immediately, they could no longer hope for reinforcements or retreat. The plan to occupy and rule the region after winning a glorious battle had backfired on them.

Moreover, the morale of the Generals was at rock bottom, having learned of an impossible defeat and an impossible enemy right before their eyes.

“Who are they, making the Dragon Knights Order float dead in the sea as if they were twisting a baby’s hand?”

The bureaucrats were confused, and they were hanging onto her for answers. They, too, knew that Richarda was the same as them, unknown, unaware.

But the destruction of the Dragon Knights Order was such a shock to their hearts that they begged for an answer.

“I shall not allow it.” Richarda stared at the castle gate in front of her as she grits her teeth.

Half of the castle had fallen into their hands. They were very close to taking Queen Hamiea’s head. Any hope of a retreat was lost. Their chances of victory had disappeared due to the mysterious enemy. As warriors, their last pride would be to fall on the battlefield.

Even if they were annihilated as a result, if they could destroy the Nation of Marysea, then their deaths would have meaning.

Thinking so, Richarda drew her sword from her waist. It was a sword sealed with immense magic power that had been passed down in her family for generations.

‘Ancestors, please guide us.’

She prayed like a saint and raised the sword high before announcing to the remaining soldiers, “All hands, follow me! We shall take the head of the Queen.”

Even in the midst of this despair, Richarda had a charisma that did not fade away. Her voice roused her men. It was enough to rally the troops, whose morale was on the verge of collapse.

“Follow the Commander!”

“We, the Imperial Army, will not be defeated!”

Richarda led all the remaining troops that had been assembled to the castle. But there was no hope in sight. They were the last of the so-called victors from just a few minutes before.

***

“Get the wounded on board now!”

Kuze shouted in the furious downwash as he saw a CH-47JA, a large transport helicopter with two huge rotors, landing in the courtyard.

The attack by the Imperial Army, which had lost most of its strength in the battle with Ibuki, was weakening. The area was littered with the bodies of bullet-riddled Imperial soldiers.

Kuze’s platoon was about to run out of ammunition but had barely secured the courtyard. Hearing Kuse’s voice, soldiers from the Nation of Marysea brought in the seriously wounded on stretchers.

“Hurry! People’s lives are at stake!”

Carda chided the soldiers, who seemed to be intimidated by the sound of the helicopter’s explosive sound.

“Onii-chan!”

Kuze saw that the maid girl was among the wounded who were being brought in. Rumi’s Healing Magic may have arrived in time. In the midst of his nervousness, Kuze felt a little saved.

“It’s all right,” he said. “God never abandons those who do not give up.”

Rumi looked tired from the long hours of chanting Healing Magic, but he still gently patted the children’s heads with a kind expression.

“Replenish your ammunition and accommodate the wounded! The rest of you, wait a little longer!” The helicopter crew shouted to Kuze and closed the rear boarding doors.

The seriously wounded were to be taken to the transport ship for surgery.

‘Please! Take them away as soon as possible!’

Kuse sincerely hoped that none of them would die. The large helicopter increased the power of its engines and took off, creating a ferocious wind. He watched it ascend, relieved that one of his concerns had left his hands.

It was then that he heard–

“You monster! Prepare yourself!”

An Imperial soldier, who had been hiding among the corpses of his comrades, attacked Kuze with a broadsword in hand.

Kuze noticed this and tried to point his rifle at him, but he was caught off guard and was slow to move.

“Ugh!” His eyes widened and he regretted being so careless. He thought he was going to be killed.

The next moment, however, a spear was thrust into the Imperial soldier’s chest with blinding speed.

‘What the hell?’

The Imperial soldier crumpled to the ground. Kuze recognized the spear. It was beautifully decorated, with what seemed like red jewels embedded in the tip. And it looked quite heavy.

It was the spear belonging to Carda.

After pulling the spear out of the enemy’s hand, Carda glared sharply at Kuze.

“Don’t let your guard down on the battlefield! Your death is synonymous with the death of your unit!”

“I’m sorry…”

Kuze mumbled an apology and could not reply. This was all due to his carelessness.

Seeing him like that, Carda suddenly smiled.

“Please don’t die. You, a person from another world, who originally had nothing to do with this nation… You mustn’t die here.”

Kuze instinctively stared at Carda’s face. It was a kind expression. Apparently, she had been following Kuze in her own way. He then raised his gun and said to her as he walked back to the barricade with caution.

“Can I tell you one personal thing?”

“Huh?”

He entered the barricade and ducked for cover. Carda also stood by her side, mid-air. Kuze continued talking as he checked the stock of their ammunition.

“I’m not saying I won’t get involved, Miss. Carda. I have met you, the maid of honor’s daughter, and Rumi. Even if it was only for a short time. Even if it is a feeling I should not have as a Japanese Self-Defense Officer, I wanted to protect you in a different nation in a different world.”

“Kuze-dono…” Carda gasped at Kuze’s words.

“I wanted to protect you, Carda.”

A memory of the past flashed through her mind. It was the memory of the last time she had seen her fiancé. He had not excelled in military prowess, but he loved literature.

Every time we met, he would tell me about the flowers of the Cardas’ territory and the origins of their folk tales. He was an erudite man. He was also a man of kindness who tried to get along with the people of his domain, without pretending to be an aristocrat.

She could not show much emotion toward him. From the outside, he must have looked like a pathetic provincial noble who was being treated coldly by his good family’s daughter-in-law.

But Carda was happy with that. Even though it was a political marriage, he was trying to make his wife happy in his own way. She liked his sincerity.

Although she did not say so, she had no complaints. But the last time they met. When he told her that there was a skirmish on the border with a neighboring nation and that he was departing with the troops.

His words were, ‘I want to protect you.’

Like the young man named Kuze from another world before her. Not for the sake of valor, nor for the duty of nobility. He just wanted to protect her.

“It’s all right,” Kuze added, “I’m lucky. I have Miss. Carda to protect me like this.”

“What!?” Calda was brought back to reality by Kuze’s words. She looked at him and saw his smile.

“I have no intention of dying.”

She turned her face away as quickly as she could, realizing she was on the verge of tears.

Being kind to everyone. Putting others’ happiness before her own.

He tried to protect someone without regard for the cost of his life. Even though he had a different face, race, clothes, and everything else.

He was similar to him.

“Did something happen?” Seeing her behavior, Kuze asked.

“No, I’m sorry. Some dust entered my eyes from your ride.”

It was a blatant lie. But Kuze took it seriously.

“That’s not good. Oh no. I usually wear goggles to prevent flying debris. Let me take a look.”

He sat up and looked into Carda’s face. This subtle inability to read the air around here might have been the reason why he broke up with his ex-girlfriend.

“Kya!”

Not wanting him to see her crying face, Carda let out a short scream and shook his hand free.

Kuze, too, was upset that she, who was supposed to be a Commander, a person who rarely moved even on the battlefield, screamed like a little girl.

“Woah! I’m sorry.”

He didn’t know what was going on and reflexively apologized.

“No, no, it’s my fault too. It’s all right now.”

Carda picked up her spear and got up from the barricade as if he was trying to escape.

“Wait a minute.”

“No, no, it’s all right!”

“No, it isn’t!”

Kuze was listening to the message from the communicator. It was Ichinose, the sniper up on the spire.

[ Third Lieutenant Kuze! Enemy movement in front of us! A large number of infantry soldiers are moving toward us! ]