"Hey... do you know what kind of enemy we're facing this time?"
Gulp.
During the march, one soldier spoke with a frightened look on his face.
Several soldiers nearby heard him and answered carelessly, "Yeah, don't we? We're just chasing down some defectors."
"Idiot."
"Hah? What did you say? Say that again!"
"Idiot."
"..."
The soldier who had been insulted was about to lose his temper when a nearby veteran suddenly turned back and said.
"He's right. You really are an idiot. Do you think they'd send out an army this large just to capture two people?"
The soldier from before gripped his spear with trembling hands.
In a low voice, he said, "I heard the enemy is a terrifying monster. That sudden blizzard in the royal capital... apparently, that monster caused it."
"What? Is that true?"
A monster that could summon wind and rain, dropping Rakia's temperature by dozens of degrees in an instant and nearly freezing countless people to death.
"I'm not sure either, but... they say an ice dragon did it."
"A dragon!"
"An ice dragon!"
"Some people said they saw the shadow of an enormous dragon in the clouds. They even heard its roar."
"..."
The moment they heard their opponent might be a legendary monster—a dragon—every soldier present began to think about retreating.
Because that was a dragon!
A powerful existence that only appeared in myths and ancient legends.
It was said that in the primordial era, several countries had been destroyed by mighty evil dragons.
Once that rumor appeared, it spread through the army in an instant.
After all, something like creating a blizzard that covered an entire royal capital was probably something only a legendary dragon could accomplish.
But if they were really being sent to slay a dragon, could they actually win?
Impossible!
Even with twenty thousand men, how were they supposed to defeat an ice dragon capable of freezing the land?
For small soldiers like them, weren't they just cannon fodder?
"Stop talking nonsense. What dragon? If something like that really existed, how could we not have seen anything?"
"I heard the general mention words like Orario and adventurer. The enemy is probably a high-level adventurer from the Labyrinth City."
"An adventurer?"
The soldiers looked at one another.
Yet their faces were full of disbelief.
Compared to believing that one adventurer could possess the power to change the weather, they would rather believe all of this had been done by a legendary ice dragon.
And even if the enemy really was an adventurer...
Could people like them win?
Their opponent was a monster who had covered the entire royal capital in a blizzard!
"Are we... going there to die?"
No one knew who had muttered those words, but panic immediately began spreading through the army.
The high-intensity march, combined with confusion and despair, wore them down further.
Some of the soldiers had not only caught colds, but also carried frostbite on their bodies.
...
Rumble, rumble...
The tremors in the ground startled Rayleigh awake, causing him to open his eyes.
He looked toward the rear of the carriage.
His gaze seemed to pierce through several kilometers of distance as he sensed the approach of Rakia Kingdom's army.
"They're a little slower than expected."
Rayleigh glanced at the others, who had yet to wake up, then suddenly met Lulune's bright eyes.
"You were awake?"
When the beastman girl heard the question, she smiled faintly and said, "Don't make me repeat myself. I'm a professional."
Rayleigh did not deny it after hearing that.
He stood up and the beastman girl hurriedly asked, "Are you planning to face them head-on?"
Rayleigh shook his head.
"Of course not."
"Don't worry. The next time we meet, it'll be in Orario."
With that, Rayleigh leapt down from the carriage.
Watching the carriage gradually move farther away, Rayleigh removed his swords, held them in his arms, and sat cross-legged, waiting for the army led by Ares.
...
Roughly seven minutes later, the vast army appeared within Rayleigh's sight.
Seeing the army approach, Rayleigh stood up and waved his hand.
All four of his Zanpakutō stood upright on the ground.
He slowly drew Senbonzakura, holding it upside down in front of him.
"Bankai."
"Senbonzakura Kageyoshi."
Countless blades transformed into hundreds of millions of cherry blossom-like petals, forming a massive wave that surged toward Rakia Kingdom's army.
"It's the enemy's attack! Its range is enormous! Fire the magic!"
"Catapults, forward!"
Boom!
Creak!
All kinds of sounds mixed together.
Countless attacks landed against the tsunami of cherry blossoms, but only weakened it slightly.
When the sea of petals covered the crowd...
Hell descended.
Everyone caught within the sea of flowers looked as though they had been thrown into a meat grinder, their bodies carved beyond recognition.
Blood sprayed everywhere.
The battlefield was instantly filled with the stench of blood.
"What's happening?!"
"These flowers... they're like sharp blades!"
"It hurts!"
"My foot! My foot was cut off! Help me, don't step on me!"
Marius's expression changed.
Ares immediately shoved him aside and stared at the spectacular scene before him.
"Oooooooh! Now this is a rare sight! These petal-like things are actually sharp blades. To think he can control them in battle.... That guy doesn't only possess ice powers!"
Although his own side was suffering terrible losses, in Ares's eyes, this was simply part of war.
Of course war required bloodshed and sacrifice.
Could a war without casualties even be called war?
"Gōkei."
The boy's voice rang in everyone's ears.
In the next instant, the tsunami-like sea of flowers suddenly seemed to receive a command.
It gathered together as one, rapidly forming an enormous sphere that spun at terrifying speed.
Rayleigh raised two of his fingers together.
The gigantic sphere began moving through the formation of Rakia Kingdom's army.
Once that enormous meat grinder began advancing, horrifying screams rose one after another.
"It's coming! It's coming this way! Aaaaaah!"
"Help—!"
"Aaaaaah!"
Before the eyes of one young soldier, the veteran who had always guided and taught him was grazed by the spinning cherry blossoms.
In the blink of an eye, the man was dragged into Gōkei.
There was no scream, or cry for help to be heard.
In just an instant, three living people were turned into a mist of blood.
Even their bones were crushed until nothing remained.
The young soldier stood there in a daze.
He no longer had the strength to run.
Perhaps he was lucky.
The enormous Gōkei rolled past in front of him and did not come toward him.
Perhaps saying this was not quite right.
But he truly felt relieved.
Although he felt somewhat sorry for those who had died so horribly, he genuinely felt the gratitude of having survived a disaster.
Then he began to run.
Fuck this war!
He was going to flee!
However, he had only taken a few steps when an arrow pierced through his head and lodged in his skull!
The young soldier fell stiffly to the ground.
"No running away! There is only one end for deserters! Kill them without mercy!"
"Raise your shields!"
"Charge! Break through! The enemy is only one man! Kill him, and this thing will stop! Anyone who doesn't want to die, charge with me!"
---------
Read 30 chapters ahead and support me on patreon.
patreon (.)com/Newbietranslator