The Siege of Stonewood

The siege began at dawn. As expected, the previous bombardment had been a test fire for the main attack. The number of spells had doubled and Hanabi struggled to counter them by herself. We were being overwhelmed by sheer numbers and the foot soldiers hadn't even begun their march.

"We have to take out their mages," I told Lucinda.

Heavy bags pulled at the old woman's eyes. Despite Taro's protesting, she stayed up the majority of the night to help direct the final preparations. She'd done an excellent job, too. The spiked barricades the village had built to reinforce the walls had been finished and they'd even managed to finish burying the traps in the open field between the village and the forest.

"But can you do it alone? You and Lady Yahime would be diving straight into the hornet's nest and we won't be able to assist you."

"We have to do it regardless. Hanabi can't keep this up indefinitely and we don't have any way to restore her mana. I know the Exiled idolize her, but she's not invincible. At this rate she'll burn out and the village will be destroyed."

A weary sigh escaped the woman and she nodded. She was worried; not just about the village, but about me and Yahime. It was a nice feeling and one that I hoped to be able to enjoy after our victory.

"Yahime, where are you?"

"here…"

She appeared beside me in her natural form. The white halos of her eyes shone brighter than the morning sun and I could sense the anticipation emanating from her. She was still apprehensive about killing, but her battle with Ajax had shown her the reality. We had to do everything we could to protect the new friends we'd made in Stonewood.

"Wait!" Martoh yelled as he hobbled as quickly as he could to us. He was panting by the time he reached us, gasping for air and leaning on a sword twice his size for support. "Lady… Yahime's…"

Lucinda caught him and helped him to one of the chairs we'd prepared outside so the sentries could rest. I tried to pick up the sword he'd stabbed into the ground, but it held firm. How had he managed to carry something at least ten times his weight?

"Can you lift it?" I asked Yahime.

She gripped the sword in one clawed hand and lifted it with ease. Black goo crept from her hand around the sword, covering it in the same viscous liquid as her skin.

"strong…"

Her eyes flickered as she swung the sword in front of her. When she was done she placed it in her void space.

"Aye, she's strong alright," Martoh said, wiping his brow. "My second best work next to that poleaxe of yours."

I summoned my naginata to my hand and felt the power of the Essence Stones embedded in it flow through me. It was like drinking an ukon drink after a long night at an izakaya and my P.ATT tripled.

"Also…" a tiny figure hurried from the direction Martoh had come from carrying black leather armor.

"Nyu?! Why aren't you in the shelter?"

"I wanted to help Uncle protect the village! The other grownups said I had to hide with the others, but Uncle said I could carry this to you first."

Lucinda and I both glared at Martoh who didn't seem to take notice.

"Thank you," I said. I took the armor from the girl and put it on. The chest plate was lighter and more pliable than I expected, yet I felt as safe as if I were wearing metal. "Did you…?"

"No point in hoarding them if we're all gonna die anyway," Martoh laughed.

He wasn't wrong. I checked my stats again. Both my dismally low defense stats had risen to a little over a hundred. I wasn't about to complain. I thanked them both again before turning to Lucinda.

"You've done enough, Lucinda. Why don't you go to Billia's and rest?"

She hesitated before sighing in defeat.

"I suppose little Nyu shouldn't go alone. And don't think we won't be having a long talk later, Martoh."

The mouseman grunted and leaned back in his chair. Like Lucinda, there was a weariness in his eyes. He'd most likely stayed up all night to finish the sword and prepare the armor.

"You get some rest, too," I told him once Lucinda guided Nyu away. "You've done everything you can."

He mumbled something under his breath in response. I wanted to ask him what he said, but was cut off by the sound of an explosion at the wall. Hanabi was falling behind.

"Let's go," I said to Yahime.

She scooped me into her arms and leapt over the wall. I knew I looked stupid, but between her speed and silent movement, it was the most effective way of reaching the mages without fighting through the horde of foot soldiers. And what a horde it was.

The soldiers' metal chest plates gleamed in the sunlight. They wielded an assortment of spears, swords, axes, and heavy hammers, all on par with the quality of Shiro's daggers. If they'd managed to imbue even a few with Essence Stones…

I didn't want to imagine it. I didn't have time. When the mages came into view, Yahime hurled me at them like a rocket. I summoned my naginata in my hand and spun around as I passed them, gutting several and breaking their ranks.

My heart raced, flooding my veins with adrenaline. I'd done it.

I'd done it?

I looked from my stained hands to the mages I'd just killed and at the ones who were still dying, screaming for help, crying for their loved ones. Is this what I'd asked Yahime to do all this time? I reached to hold back my vomit only to yank my hand back at the scent of rusted iron. It was all I could do to stand and every part of my Japanese mind reeled from the taboo I'd broken.

The worst part was how easy it had been.

But I didn't have time to dwell.

Swallowing down the disgust I felt for myself, I continued my task as cold and methodically as I could. There was no room for emotions yet.

Like Hanabi had taught me, I used every part of my weapon, bashing and slicing through the panicked mages while using my earth magic to block their spells. Yahime was on a similar rampage, transformed into her beast form and tearing the frightened mages limb from limb. It was a massacre and I had to stop Yahime from chasing down the few mages that managed to flee.

"Wait."

I jumped back just in time to dodge the spears of fire that rained from the sky. Yahime leapt on top of me to protect me from the few I couldn't evade and I flinched as I watched her health bar drop.

"hurt?"

"No. But get ready. They're here."

They stepped into the clearing side by side, one holding a silver sword and the other a grimoire. A magic circle glowed blue above the grimoire's open pages and Richard spoke an incantation.

"Healing nectar, source of life! Imbue your blessing upon this soul. Grant them the speed of your current and the strength of your waves! [FULL BOOST]!"

Blue light surrounded Louis, pulsing with energy. I could guess the spell Richard had cast was some sort of buff, but it wasn't one I, with my countless hours of game play, recognized. It didn't even show up in Aurelie's memories and she'd memorized almost every spell known to the empire.

"Aurelie." Louis's voice was monotone and disinterested as he addressed me. It was obvious where his attention lay.

"I see you brought a friend," I said to Richard. "Are you still upset we killed your bandit chief?"

"You didn't kill anyone," Richard retorted. "Last I saw you were impaled on a wall, dead. But it seems you can't even die properly."

The moment had finally come —two of the people on my hit list were right in front of me. My hands were still trembling from the slaughter I'd just partaken in and my confidence was quickly following. I hadn't known the mages, had memories of them, known them as intimately as I'd known the male leads of Royal Hearts.

It was more than just revenge, though. There were people counting on me to protect them. If I let my uncertainty get the better of me, we would all die.

"Leave the creature to me," Louis said. As he pointed his silver sword at Yahime, small orbs of every color of the rainbow surrounded the blade. Spirit magic.

"That was already the plan. I'll subdue Aurelie in the meantime."

Subdue? Not kill? I don't like the sound of that, but I have the advantage. Aurelie's only melee skill was in fencing. He won't know how to deal with my naginata. And I have my Yozora magic. But what is that grimoire? In Royal Hearts he used a wand. I don't recognize those silver robes, either.

Surprise after surprise. I had no doubt Richard and I would be evenly matched. It was Yahime I worried about. She would have been fine if Richard hadn't casted the mystery enchantment on him. Would she still be? All I could do was have faith.