บท 13: Chapter Twelve: Prelude To The Clash
Nariko rode her horse, along with her party and the back up army they were bringing to help the people fighting against the demons that were protecting that one stronghold.
When Nariko got to the camp the army had set up, she and Gazef were brought into a tent.
One of the military personnel in there, when he saw both of them, straightened up and stood at attention, a fist over his heart. "Greetings, Grand Master Gazef. And hero, Nariko Kamata, welcome." He greeted them.
"At ease, what's the situation?" Gazef asked the captain. Both of them walking over to a sketch of what Nariko assumed was the battlefield, with little sketches with notes on them about notable places on the field.
One thing Nariko had noticed during her time in this world was that everybody used their first names. Even if they spoke Japanese and had Japanese names, their culture was not the same. She knew it made sense, she had met some people that didn't have any family names, apparently only nobility or people of, or descendants of, famous people or legends had them.
The captain explained what was going on.
They didn't know of this stronghold when they came across it at first, the kingdom only later learned about it because of one of the demons POW had informed them about it, but at that point they were already found out and had been engaged in a battle since, only taking breaks for short times.
"The situation is declining, we didn't have time to set up a supply line because of the sudden battle and resources were running out… but I assume that you've come with some food, water and medical equipment for the men." The captain guessed hopefully, with Gazef nodding his head in confirmation.
"By this point the soldiers I brought should be helping around, getting people off the field and helping wherever they can." Gazef reassured him.
The captain let his shoulders fall into a slumped position as he let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Grand Master." He then went back into a professional mode as he explained further. "Only half of the forces we have here are able men and women, willing, ready and already fighting against the demons. About the other half, about half of them are injured, some barely alive with lost limbs and others with broken bones that prevent them from fighting, while the other half… unfortunately have died in battle."
The captain let out a shaky breath, refusing to cry or show such weakness in front of two people in such higher positions than him.
Nariko put a hand on the mana shoulder as she reassured him. "Don't worry, their deaths weren't in vain, they died fighting for what they believed in. Once this battle is over, we'll give them a proper burial."
The man just nodded his head, stifling tears that threatened to come out. "Just… please, hero, end this war soon." The captain begged.
Nariko didn't have to be told that, she wanted this war to end as soon as it could. "It'll be over soon, I promise."
She then took one look at the map of the field, before walking out of the tent, she made a quick stop at her horse, grabbing herself a mask she wore during every battle.
It was a kitsune mask, she didn't have any particular reason for that style of mask, it just looked cool in her opinion and so she chose it.
When she started walking towards the battle, Gazef came out of the tent and her party, who had been helping around, once they saw her started to walk with her also.
"I'll go after the commanding demon at this place, once I take him out moral on the demon's side will go down, this might make some of them surrender." Gazef said to Nariko.
Nariko nodded her head, as she put the mask on her face, her hands wrapped in bandages pushing it onto her face as it stuck there. The mask itself was imbued with magic, so that it wouldn't come off unless taken off by the user or forcibly, or it broke and then fell off.
"You do, I'll see you later Gazef." She said to him, her voice only slightly muffled by the mask. He nodded his head, and in a flash of speed that she couldn't keep up with, he was gone. "Subaru, go to the east and control the demons there, Rina will go with you for support." Nariko ordered them.
Both of them nodded and went that way, with speed that Nariko could keep up with.
Subaru was a Battle Mage. He used ice magic to control large crowds, but he was far from physically weak, being able to keep up with a large portion of soldiers who solely focused on physical strength.
Rina Yelran, a Elf that was chosen personally by the Elf Queen. Despite being an elf, she wasn't that proficient in magic. Only being able to use magic to help her with her weapon, which was a bow and arrow.
"Momoe, you go to the west and help out the people there. And Riger will go with you." Nariko told the last two members of her party.
Both swiftly left to the west.
Momoe was a cat Demi-Human that specialised in stealth and fast attacks. She was probably the quickest in the party, with her being just behind or equal to Nariko in terms of speed. She used a pair of daggers as her main weapons.
Riger on the other hand was a tiger Demi-Human. He was brutal in battle, always fighting if he could despite how major his injuries seemed. His weapon was a jagged sword, it was the first sword he had ever used but he had never gotten rid of it despite how damaged it had become.
Once Nariko saw them leaving she took a breath and unsheathed her katana which was around her waist.
And she started rushing into the battle.
The outfit she was wearing wasn't designed to be the most protective, but to not restrict her movements and help speed.
It slightly resembled a school uniform, with a chestplate that only covered her front and upper half of her chest and not all of it. Along with some arm guards, and shin guards.
Nariko rushed into the battlefield. Not surprisingly, no demons wanted to surrender even when she gave them the option.
This stronghold was regarded as a significant stronghold by POW demons that had knowledge of it. So it made sense that only the most loyal demons would be stationed there, with all of them willing to give up their lives for it.
At some point Nariko had stopped asking for them to surrender, realising the futility of it. It also wasted her energy, something she couldn't afford when all of the demons seemed to know she was the hero and because of that were aiming for her.
…
A demon at the top of the stronghold pointed out on the battlefield, which was starting to turn to the humans advantage.
"That one right there, that's the bastard 'hero'." The demon said, abhor in his voice.
Fumiko looked to where he was pointing.
At that location was a girl, around her age, with a kitsune mask on wielding a katana to strike down any demons that came to her, although that number seemed to slow down.
"So that's my 'replacement'." Fumiko grit out. She hated looking at that girl. While she was a failure to the humans they now had a new hero for themselves, one they adored.
She would kill the hero, show them it was a mistake for them to throw her away. Show them she was the strongest. Make them feel despair as she plunged her sword into the neck of the hero.
Just the thought of that brought a smile to Fumiko's face.
Fumiko looked at the demon commander who was with her, with him looking nervous and refusing to look at her directly.
"You be a coward and retreat with the supplies and whatever. I've got a hero to kill." Fumiko said casually, but her voice held disdain as she said the first sentence.
She hated cowards and people who betrayed Lord Zerad.
The commander could only hold her breath until she finally left. Once she was gone he let out a breath of relief, but his face held hatred as he remembered Fumiko, the 'demons hero'. Such a preposterous title, the demons didn't need a hero, and certainly not a human like her.
When Fumiko jumped down from her position on the wall of the stronghold and landed on the ground, her clothes and armour had changed.
It was a magic she had created herself with inspiration from other magic spells. She had been made fun of for looking like she had horns like a demon, so she decided to become as close as she close as she could to a demon.
Her hair had remained the same, long and black with controlled bits sticking out like mini horns. She had a long skirt that had a strip of armour at the side. Her chestplate had covered everything there, with it having some intricate designs on it.
Underneath her chestplate was just a normal black long sleeved shirt, which could be seen on her arms. She had arm guards that also covered her hands, to form something similar that looked like a demon's hand with claws, with the claws themselves being blood red.
And covering her face was an oni mask, with a big mouth that had two small tusks on the lower row of teeth. The mask also covered the top of her head as well, with the same design of the lower half of it.
Holding her arm out to the side, darkness seemed to swarm around there. When the darkness dispersed a giant great sword was now in her hand.
Fumiko slung it over shoulder and held it there as she started to walk forward at a leisurely pace, in no rush. She didn't care if some extra demons died because she was taking her time, it just meant that they were weak and were meant to die.
…
Nariko held her katana at a demon who was on his back on the ground, holding his arm above his head in surrender.
"Don't kill me! I'll- I'll give you useful information- whatever you want, just don't kill me!" He begged on the ground.
Nariko nodded her head, a small smile on her face that at least one demon had surrendered, although the demon couldn't see that because of the mask covering her face. She didn't want every demon to die, if she could just get every demon to surrender then she would.
"Don't worry, I'll guarantee your safety." Nariko reassured the demon. Removing the katana from his neck as she held out a hand.
The demon let out a sigh of relief as his muscles seemed to stop working because of the relief of death not coming to him. "Thank godn-."
His voice was cut off as blood splashed onto Nariko's hand and kitsune mask.
Nariko's eyes widened at the sudden death of the demon in front of her, not seeing it coming.
In the demon's neck was a giant sword that decapitated his head from his body, the blood pooling around where his neck should be.
The wielder of the sword didn't seem to mind the death as they shoved the sword deeper into the ground, that the handle was almost at the ground.
"Cowards like him don't get to live." A distorted female voice said.
Nariko looked up at the person who had killed the demon.
They put one foot on the handle of the sword as they leaned forward a little bit.
They were clearly on the demon's side, despite just killing one. They had a mask of a demon on, and everything was either a black or blood red.
If Nariko had to guess who this was she only had one suspect at who it was… the Demon Lords Hero.
The tension between the two was skyrocketing rapidly. With both of them using mana to put pressure on the other, but it does nothing to either of them.
The people on the battlefield noticed this of course, and seeing two people that each side knew who they were made everyone realise this could be a decisive battle and that the destruction of it would be massive.
Nariko moved forward until she was right in front of the demon hero. Both were the same height, the tension only rising as they stared down.
"Hello, replacement." The female distorted voice said, hate flowing out with every word like venom.
Nariko was a bit confused by that, but didn't dwell on it. "I don't suppose you'll go down quietly." She said rhetorically, already knowing there was no way.
A mocking laugh resounded from behind the demon's mask as she spoke again. "What a stupid question. That's like asking a hero to not do good, it just doesn't happen."
There was no more talking after that, and both realised that a fight was going to break out.
And while Fumiko could wait for it, dying to get the blood of the replacement hero on her blade. Wanting this to go on for a long time so she can inflict as much pain as she wanted onto this weakling.
Nariko on the other hand wanted this to end as soon as it could, not wanting to risk anyone else getting caught up in this fight.
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