Death March kara Hajimaru Isekai Kyusoukyoku (WN)

16-68. Saga Empire, Battle at the Imperial Capital (1)

※ This is not from Satou's point of view

"We popped up farther than I thought we would."

Arisa--Golden Knight Red muttered as she stared at a spire on Saga Empire's outer wall far away from where she was.

The other girls donning golden armor are right behind her.

Several airships are flying above the capital's sky enshrouded in massive dark clouds as they shoot bombardment down to the ground.

"It appears like the battle has already started."

Liza--Golden Knight Orange spoke as she gazed at dark smokes rising up from ground.

Today, what she has in her hand is not her favorite Magic Spear Douma Rev. but the highly destructive Dragon Spear Heiron.

"Ichi--Satou probably arranged it so we wouldn't run straight into battle right after arriving here."

Hikaru is taking part as Hero Nanashi.

Hero Nanashi's robe is made of orichalcum alloy thread and Great Monstrous Fish Tovkezeera's leather fiber cloth, the robe boasts a defensive power rivaling that of the solid golden knights' equipment.

"Nothing less to expect from Master."

Liza muttered proudly.

"Anyhow, I'm going to check up on the situation with 『Clairvoyance』 before we charge there."

"Don't forget to take the possibility of Counter into account just in case."

"Ah right. I mean I'll be looking up Saga Empire's capital that's in the midst of a battle against a demon lord after all, I'll get it ready."

Arisa raised her helmet's visor, and put mana into her earring.

Just by doing that, the magic circuit that blocks anti-detection Counter created by Satou is activated.

"OK, here I go."

Arisa brandished her Sun Gem-embedded wand and closed her eyes.

Arisa cast her spell, and when the magical light reached the Imperial Castle, a white light dyed the view.

At the same time, sparks flew off the mana-poured earring.

"--Owaa"

Arisa canceled her magic from the shock sent by the sparks.

"It's a Counter."

"Are you okay?"

"But of course! That sensation just now, it must be Resistive Barrier of the City Core. Arisa-chan's gonna teach 'em, her space magic isn't mushy enough to be beaten by a Counter of this level."

"Hold on."

Hikaru stopped Arisa who rolled up her sleeves and struck a pose.

"Since it's City Core's Resistive Barrier, most likely it's been set up to deal with the demon lord. They might mistake us for demon lord's helpers if we break it without thinking."

"Oh that's right..."

After pondering a bit, Arisa looks at the girls.

"Pochi, sorry, but could you fly and circle around the capital together with Lyuryu?"

"Yes nanodesu."

Pochi--Golden Knight Yellow nodded affirmatively.

The white sword hanging on her waist is a dragon fang sword created from the fang of lesser dragon Bouryuu through Primeval Magic.

"Lyuryu, let's go nodesuyo."

--ＬＹＵＲＹＵＲＹＵＵＵ.

Pochi jumped like, pyon, onto the white dragon Lyuryu's back, and the dragon answered to her call cheerfully before soaring up.

『Don't get too close to the capital, you hear me.』

Arisa reminded Pochi through space magic [Tactical Talk].

『Roger nanodesu.』

"Roger nanodesu."

After a slight pause, Pochi's reply came through sounds and the channel.

"Tama going too~?"

"Right. Go sneak into the capital, and investigate the demon lord's location and whether there are other enemies besides it."

"Nin nin~"

Tama--Golden Knight Pink sinks into shadow as she strikes the ninja pose.

"Take out?"

Mia--Golden Knight Green asked while pulling out a Sun Gem-embedded wand.

"Let's not go with the Warship Wand since it's going to be an urban warfare."

"Arisa, should I get the Floating Fort out?"

Lulu--Golden Knight Black asked for confirmation while shouldering the portable accelerated cannon.

"Dimensional Gunboat is a no no, but I think Floating Fort should be fine, no? We can even use it to get to the city."

Lulu's personal Gunboat installed with the same kind of system as the Light Ship's sub-dimensional travel capability was not created for battles occurring on the planet's surface, but rather for eliminating the mysterious creatures inhabiting the void sky--the space.

It's not like it cannot operate on the planet's surface, but since it has been crammed to the brim with Satou's technologies with no punch pulled, it could possibly cause more damage than the [rampages of dragons and demon lords].

Unfortunately, there is no anti-god armaments on board of the combat vessel, so it's strictly for fighting against common creatures.

"As it is going to be an Urban Warfare, I shall not mount my Powered Exoskeleton myself. After all, it's unsuitable for grappling fights with ground opponents."

"That thing is like a Powered Suit too though, I think it should be usable on ground, but for someone with high fundamental prowess like Liza-san, I guess it feels more like a shackle."

While saying that, Arisa let floating shields for automatic defense and adjacent protection spheres to float around her.

"Arisa, should I also go with my usual equipment, so I ask."

Nana--Golden Knight White inquired with a mirror-polished great shield in her hand.

"Right--as long as the demon lord's level is lower than Hikaru-tan, go with just Castle. We're not fighting against gods anyway, you can save the newly installed <> for when the things get tough."

"Not that, will Dimensional Shield be unnecessary?"

"Yup that too, it's kinda impractical on ground."

The warship that was built for similar purposes to Lulu's gunboat will cause massive collateral damage from the shockwave generated by its defensive mechanism if used on the planet's surface, thus Arisa denied its usage without a hint of hesitation.

『Pochi calling in nanodesu--』

◇

"Light signal from the outer wall's spire--Captain! There's a dragon in the southern sky! A white dragon is incoming!"

"A dragon right after a demon lord? Damn those battle maniacs. Showing up on the battlefield at such hectic times..."

The captain of a warship carrier flying above the capital's sky cursed bitterly.

"Should we shoot it down?"

"Don't be a fool. Even if it's a lesser dragon, the firepower of a mere airship has no hope of shooting it down."

Against a lesser dragon, they might just be able to land a hit if they take the preemptive strike, but it will most likely result in them getting taken down by the wounded dragon in the end.

"Deploy the Wyvern Unit to attract the lesser dragon's attention! Lead it away from the capital."

"H-however, that means the Wyvern Unit will..."

"I know."

No wyverns could get away unharmed from being toyed around by a lesser dragon.

"--Bridge. Blue Tail Unit, we're goin'."

Voices of the Wyvern Unit on the flight deck could be heard through the speaking tube.

"No way we're gonna let the capital get razed to the ground by dragon's flame 'rite?"

"...Forgive me."

The captain ground his teeth as he gave a reply to the Wyvern Unit who willingly volunteered in a suicide mission.

Four Wyverns took off the flight deck.

"The demon lord on ground has made a move! It has started discharging monsters that look like giant bats!"

"Discharging bats? Isn't that like those 『Vampires』 bunch in the Bloodsucking Labyrinth..."

"Captain, perhaps this one is a vampire demon lord?"

"We cannot jump to conclusions just from this little info. How's the appraisal progressing?"

"It's still getting obstructed by the black mist wrapping the demon lord's body even now."

The warship captain and his crew glare at a humanoid demon lord that has encamped itself on the imperial castle.

The Wyvern Unit that flew out of the airship carrier arrived near the outer wall that surrounds the capital.

"So that's the white dragon--"

The commander made a gesture to his unit, signaling them to make a formation toward the white dragon.

"--Golden metal around its neck? No! That's armor! Does this mean, that dragon is a dragon steed of a dragon rider!!"

The commander's surprised voice disappeared into the high altitude gust of wind.

『Pochi calling in nanodesu. There are armored persons riding on the back of meat-san flying lizards nanodesu.』

『That must be Wyvern Riders. Fighting them would be a bother, just ignore 'em Pochi.』

『Roger nanodesu. Lyuryu, speed up! nanodesu.』

The commanders and his subordinates have no way of knowing such a conversation took place for gods they are not.

--ＬＹＵＲＹＵＲＹＵＵＵ.

The white dragon cried out from afar.

Every Wyvern of the Wyvern Riders stiffened up from fear.

However, the white dragon took a glance at the Wyvern Unit for an instant before it zoomed off toward the capital at several times its previous speed.

"--So fast."

Yearning and jealousy welled up from within the commander's mind along with a sense of relief.

『Should we go after it?』

His subordinate made that gesture.

"No way in hell we'll catch up--『Return to base』"

The commander gave the order with a gesture and turned his wyvern toward the warship carrier.

As a result, they ended up clashing with the giant bats and saved the carrier from a crisis in the process.

◇

"Nin nin~"

Golden Knight Pink showed up from within shadow on top of the capital's outer wall.

"So spacious~?"

Saga Empire's capital is overly too big for one girl to look around by herself.

It's several times the size of the already vast Shiga Kingdom's capital.

"Bun bun bun, bunshin no jutsu~?"

With fluttering pink mantles, several ninjas whose faces are hidden behind cat masks make their entrance, "nin nin."

"Split up and search around~?"

"""Aye aye sir~"""

The ninjas that have multiplied by way of ninjutsu go and get scattered about in the capital.

There is no one here who could quip this.

At the center of the capital, a main street expands out radially from the imperial castle.

One of the ninjas landed on top of a high-rise building overlooking the street.

The street itself is flooded with crowd of people and wagons full of luggage.

"Ouch, hey stop pushing!"

"Shut up, outta my way!"

"Mom, where are youuuu"

"Hurry up! The demon lord's coming for us!"

"Noo! I don't wanna get caught by demons and dragged to hellllll!"

The crowd is rushing toward the gate while screaming and yelling angrily.

"Panic~?"

The cat ninja had a troubled look on her face.

A child who was separated from their mother was pushed by adults and fell down inside the crowd.

Ordinarily, the child would have met a tragic fate there.

However, a ninja saw what happened.

"Nin nin~"

The child got swallowed up into shadow and appeared under the ninja's foot.

"This, where?"

"Top of roof~?"

The ninja tilted her head as she replied to the anxious child.

The ninja gave the child a piggy back and carried her around to look for her mother.

It might seem like a worthless miracle looking in the big picture, but similar spectacles are cropping up here and there in the capital.

Showing up inside a burning house, taking people who have fallen into despair out of the house--.

Protecting the escaping crowd, assisting soldiers who are about to get swallowed up by a swarm of Blood Stalkers--.

Even at the site of a bloody battle between black knights and Vampire Slaves, one ninja has been witnessed cheering for them with folding fans in her hands--.

They also rescued ladies captured by vampires in a certain mansion.

『Tama, how's the situation in the capital?』

『『『Exciting~?』』』

Though, there may be a tiny bit of problem with their reporting as a scout.

◇

"E-exciting must mean that there are monsters on ground other than the demon lord."

"Nn, confirmed. Vampires."

Following after Tama and Pochi, Mia too has dispatched an artificial spirit to the capital for scouting purpose.

"Is the demon lord too?"

"Wait."

Mia concentrates on her artificial spirit, giving it an order.

"Mwuu, failed."

Mia makes an 'x' sign with her fingers in front of her face.

Looks like her artificial spirit got taken down when it tried to get close to the demon lord.

"Combining the info we got from Pochi, looks like our enemy only consists of swarms of giant bats split from the demon lord and vampire-type monsters overrunning the capital."

"Vampires are good at hiding, what's with their ability to transform into mist and animals, this will be difficult."

Hikaru who's well experienced in fighting against vampires groans with her hand on her chin.

"No worries. Now it's your time to shine--Lulu onee-sama."

"Eh? Me?"

The big sister (Lulu) replied in bewilderment to her little sister (Arisa) who pointed her finger at the dark clouds hanging over the capital, urging her like, "Go get 'em."