章 48: Red Reaper

Mary Cruent. Month 10, Day 15, Year A.F 652. Neil Principality.

The sounds of swords clashing ring through my ears, something that has become a daily occurrence once this war has started.

I look around to watch the other companies manning the walls, seemingly in chaos and disarray. The siege of Neil has commenced faster than expected, leaving them underprepared and unequipped.

Despite my repeated objections, no one could believe that the Iri mercenary company to gain much ground in so little time, catching the Prince's retinue in surprise, obliterating them in the process.

Now here we are, the demon mages dead, demon knights dead and now besieged by an army almost twice our size, I giggle to myself, feeling a little petty at those old men unable to listen to advice. They look like idiots and are dead, a fact which I greatly enjoy.

I lean my head to the right as an arrow whizzed by, I look at its source. My side of the wall, well the side I was tasked to guard.

The battle raging on it can be described with a single word, Massacre. They haven't even had an injury yet, well maybe it's cause of the sword, his damned overpowered sword.

That, and maybe the nearly two years of training bearing fruit. I inspect their movements, each squad working as a cohesive unit, parrying and slashing, having their comrade's back made their movements synchronised.

Michael's suggestion to have them work as team certainly built a bond of rivalry and camaraderie. Then having them read those books, made them more aware of basic strategies.

A giggle escapes me, where the hell does he get these things. I shake my head, you know what it's fine, really shouldn't blame him for hiding his secrets, since if it's as world-changing as to those that I do know, I would rather not know at all.

My thought was interrupted by the sounds of explosions. I look to its source, to see the gate bending and creaking from the explosion, It's only gonna be a matter of time before it breaks and a tide of men come and pillage the city.

Ivan laughs beside me, his jolly demeanour always was a welcome, "So Commander, it seems to be our moment to shine." His words make me smile as I take out my sword.

"Egon," I glance at him, "I'll take the first battalion, I leave you in charge here."

Egon nods, "Go nuts."

Seeing his approval I shout "First battalion! to me!" The shout echoes through the reserves as soldiers salute back in unison, depicting their discipline.

"Defend the gate!" I shout to them as I dash forward, ready to meet the tide of soldiers about to burst forth.

The men follow in battle, fuelled by their desire of glory, something they yearned for as they watch their comrades fight while they stewed in reserve, impatient for their turn.

An explosion rocks the gate once more before it explodes, sending splinters of woods towards use. My sword lights up as I feel the rush of magic, its presence filling me with power.

I swung my sword once and a powerful wind blew, turning back the splintered wood unto the enemy, resulting to screams and shouts of anger.

Despite such setbacks, the tide pushes through the gate. Soldiers charge in with their swords, shouting their battlecry.

My men shout in return, ready to push them back. I lead the charge dashing in as I slash down any incoming soldier.

A smile forms in my face as I kill men one after the other, the sounds of steel and shouts coalesce to a melodic sound as my opponent's blood sprays over me and the familiar red haze takes over.

Before I knew it I was already surrounded. I spin around with my sword taking the lives of the soldiers around me in a fountain of blood, the red haze intensifies as I rein it back, knowing that I cannot lose control now.

An overhead slash flies past me as I ducked down, slashing upwards, killing the man standing before me. Ivan shouts as he decapitates the sneaky attacker, something which he has done through the duration of this war.

I look at him and before I knew it a grin escapes me and I disappear in a dash, feeling a pang of guilt from Ivan's exasperated sigh, knowing of his worry during times like this and his insistence to guard my back.

Despite that, I jump over the men still stuck in the entrance as I take out a dagger and slicing open one of their necks in a flourish. As I land, I swing my sword down with a powerful light, blasting away anyone that tried to surround me.

Behind me the sounds of screams ring out as my soldiers catch up, killing everyone cut off from the inner gate, all the while those who remain outside the gate watch in horror as the massacre happens before them.

They take a step back as I take a step forward, their eyes are filled with fear, a tense atmosphere suffocates the enemies as they take a defensive stance, before a shout erupts behind them as they make way.

I look to them in curiosity before it was replaced with shock, a bear beastman then strode forward, in a size I never saw before, perhaps a foot taller than Ivan.

He strode with a grin as his massive bear arms flexed in strength and his bear ears twitch in excitement, I look to Ivan whose eyes turn steely.

"I can't believe, I'll ever see those eyes once more." He shouts as his eyes were filled with excitement, the scar over it an intimidating sight.

His words fill me with shock, another man, aware of my father's accomplishments.

He turns to look to Ivan, "And I never thought I'll ever see you again,"

Ivan crosses his arm in distaste, a rare occurrence to his usual welcoming demeanour, "Neither did I wish to."

The man laughs before shouting, "Enough chatter, I'll show you what you missed all these years."

The man grunts, shouting as a brown aura swallows him. I look in shock as I sense a huge concentration of magic amassing within him as he shouts and grunts.

I take a step back, to get my bearings as the power pushes me back, even if I move now the enemies would more than gladly step up in his defence. I glance behind my back, neither would it gain my men's respect.

Seeing this, Ivan runs up to me, "Mary, you have to be careful, Ishid is a beastman, one of the few powerful ones in the continent."

I look to him with a confident grin, "Then don't interfere," I loosen my shoulder and crack my neck, "I'm gonna have to make a name in this war."

Ivan smiles fondly and shakes his head, "I am aware," He grabs my shoulder in a squeeze before he walks back his arm crossed, "Just make sure you don't die,"

Nodding back to him, I grip my blade along with my knife, ready to fight. Ishid finishes with a scream as a bear appears behind him and seemingly takes over.

"HA! That was refreshing," He grins in my direction as he cracks his neck, "Make sure you don't die missy."

"I don't plan to."

"Good." His words end as he appears before me in a flash, he swipes down with his claws. I guard his strike with my sword as the strength launches me back.

The world spins as I try and get my bearings back, before I realized it, I already jumped from intuition as the ground where I stood before exploded into a mess of dust and rocks.

I stab my sword at the gate as I lower myself to the ground, I throw my knife at him as it stabs at his shoulder. He grabs the knife as he grins, "Was that all you can do?"

His blood drips unto the ground, as the sight alone brings what I have been holding back this whole time.

It calls to me, as my eyes turn redder and my expression turns manic as I watch his blood drip unto the ground. A fact that makes me smile as I let a red haze take over and my sword shakes up in delight.

I glance back to Ivan, who watching in attention, "I'll be gone for a few minutes." I spoke with as my smile turns to a grin and my eyes redden in excitement and before I knew it, time slows to a crawl.

Ishid looks to me, his speed matching that of mine, I look in anticipation before I dashed forward and he meets my dash with his own.

And the gate exploded.

My downward sword swing has deflected, the strength of which turns the wall above the gate into rubble.

Weaving through the falling rubble, I watch Ishid in great attention and he watches me back, stepping through each falling stone I disappear in a dash and appearing above him.

I swing my sword down with enough strength to create a whirlwind, he only shouts as he puts up his arms in defence, his bear aura coalescing to defend against my attack, he swipes me back as I fly from his strength.

I look around me as I flew, my mind in a whirlwind trying to find something to break the stalemate. Then a plan comes to mind as I take out my daggers.

I throw one up and throw three more around me, Ishid sees this and watches them ricochet around the broken wall, I jump to him with a downward slash and his aura coalesces to his arms once, he raises his hand as he tries to swipe at me.

But a dagger plans itself to his hand, he winces as I grin. He jumps back, hoping to gain time to remove the dagger, but before he could try, I appear behind him.

He spins around, raising his arm to defend against a slash. Predicting this I spun around and kicked him in the gut making fly back.

As he lands back down to where he was before his defences lowered as he balanced himself, taking this chance a dagger imbed itself in his thigh, He shouts in anger.

But before he could take it out I dash in front of him. Seeing this, he raises his arm as the magic concentrates over his arm, but I kicked his thigh, burying the dagger further in.

The pain makes him scream, his aura strengthens as his expression was filled with rage. The aura of magic strengthens over his arms as he swipes back, flinging me across.

"You're good greenhorn, But not good enough!" He shouts as his aura expands, he swipes down a dagger with his hand and an unexpected bear claw smashes me to my knees.

I look up from the ground and immediately raises my arm in defence against his swipe, but I still flew from his strength and was smashed against the wall, I puke out blood and look down on my battered body.

Damn it! I should've been more careful, I look up to see his furious expression, before noticing the dust behind me.

"Not good enough? Pretty sure you got wounded by this greenhorn." I taunt him.

He takes out the dagger from his thigh as he looks to me in contempt, "Did you think those little taunts would work."

I smirk, "Yeah it probably wouldn't work, I don't think you got the brains to do so."

His expression was filled with fury as he tries to calm himself down, he looks to me in contempt, "So since you aren't moving, I assume you have already lost."

"Nope," I stab my sword to the wall, "I was just gathering magic," I swing my sword down as dust and smoke erupted, covering what used to be the gate and ripping chunks and dust off the wall.

I throw my weapon at him, one which he defended, by swiping his hand in front of him, thinking I would follow up.

Instead of that, I appeared behind him and kicked him in the head, putting him where I want him to.

Though as he stood back up, I come from above ready to give a heavy blow. But before I could do so, he concentrates his aura on his arms, defending from my strike, before grabbing my feet in mid air.

I dangle before as he holds on to my feet and he spoke, "It seems you were too weak," He glances at my sword, "You even threw you sword, thinking that would be enough."

I smirk up at him as I replied, "Who said I'd kill you with my sword."

My words stop as I do the motion stabging him in his stomach without a sword, Ishid realizes something as a dagger fell between us, directly into my hands already in motion to stab his stomach.

Before he could react, the dagger sheats itself in him, hitting his liver. He lets go of me in pain and I take the chance to jump away, taking my sword in hand.

"Well, it looks like I win this one." I take my sword as I spoke, leisurely walking as the soldiers around us watch in trepidation.

I raise my sword up as he remains unable to resist, he looks up and mutters, "I guess the daughter was gonna finish the job."

I smirk as I lower it down, ready to take his life. But then, a sudden near-instantaneous concentration of magic erupts behind enemy lines.

The power of which makes me jump as I shout, "RETREAT!"

My men follow as an explosion shakes behind me, I look to the destroyed wall as a red demon walked out, with a voice filled mocking, "I never thought, You would lose so easily."

"Ha, guess I owe you one." Ishid looks to me, "Then let's do this next time, girlie."

I look around as the red demon takes Ishid by the arm and drags him back, along with his army retreating away from the walls.

I look to the men and shouts, my clothes soaked in red from battle before and that of my own blood.

"WE WON!"

They shout back in excitement, the exciting battle more than made up for their boring posts as they clamour for my name. The nickname though was a little embarassing.

"RED REAPER!"