Bride-Taking Ditter

Bride-Taking Ditter

Bride-Taking Ditter

“Ooh, Lady Rozemyne! The day has finally come!” Rauffen said, welcoming us to the arena with a grin so eager it was annoying. “Bride-taking ditter isn’t all that rare back in Dunkelfelger, but I never thought such a large-scale version would take place here in the Royal Academy. Ah, such passion is heartening to see!”

The only reason we’re here is because your duchy is putting so much political pressure on us... Is that really “passion”? Is this truly “heartening”?

According to Rauffen’s explanation, what we were going to play was basically the same as treasure-stealing ditter, albeit with a different name. In Dunkelfelger, it happened when a boy’s proposal to a girl was refused by her parents; relatives from both houses would come together so the bride could be with her suitor.

Generally, in cases when the groom-to-be lost, he would simply stop pursuing the girl. Further conditions were very unusual, so those from Dunkelfelger had been very surprised by my declaration that we would get Hannelore if we won. This wasn’t an Ehrenfest custom, though; we weren’t about to play ditter without anything to gain.

Though I suppose there’s some value in having a way to make obstinate Dunkelfelger boys give up for good.

“You have my full support, Lady Rozemyne,” Rauffen continued with a smile. “We would love to have you marry into our duchy.”

He was making it sound as though I actually wanted this ditter game to happen. I opened my mouth to protest, but before I could speak a word, Hirschur literally pushed Rauffen aside and glared down at me with a look of extreme displeasure.

“Lady Rozemyne, I believe I asked you not to interfere with my research. What is the meaning of this?”

Hirschur had apparently been chosen to serve as a judge from Ehrenfest. She would be watching the game from the audience, while Rauffen would be flying around the arena, evaluating the match from atop his highbeast. As a dormitory supervisor, Hirschur had been unable to refuse; she had been cruelly dragged from her laboratory, and while she was so focused on the upcoming Interduchy Tournament publications. No wonder she was ticked off.

“It was Dunkelfelger who challenged us, and their rank meant we could not refuse,” I said, trying to plead my case. “Please complain to them instead.”

“Believe me, I have already.”

It seemed that not even my excuse was enough to rid Hirschur of her discontent. Wilfried and I both went ahead and apologized to her.

“My research environment has finally been perfected,” she said. “I would not want you losing now.” She was supporting me, in her own, unusual way.

I could only respond that I would do my best.

A look at the audience revealed that students from both Dunkelfelger and Ehrenfest had come en masse to support us. A few from Dunkelfelger were holding what appeared to be a large magic tool.

What is that thing...?

I decided to ask Hannelore. She was clad in a full suit of armor, similarly to the other knights, though she wasn’t wearing a helmet.

“Um, Lady Hannelore... what is that magic tool some of your duchy’s spectators are holding? Audience participation is forbidden, is it not?”

“Oh, that is simply for recording the ditter match. Aub Dunkelfelger requested it so that he might see how the fight goes. It will not influence the game at all, so please pay it no mind, if you can.”

Aub Dunkelfelger had apparently asked to come to the Royal Academy to watch the bride-taking ditter game, putting Rauffen in quite the bind. This magic tool was more or less a desperate compromise to keep him in his home duchy.

“If your aub sent that magic tool, does that mean he supports our decision to play with your marriage on the line?” I asked. My hope had been that he would stop Lestilaut’s rampage, not enable it.

Hannelore lowered her gaze. “He said that he could not shame us all by interrupting what must be decided through ditter. ‘Do anything you can to win!’ were his words.”

“We would have been extremely grateful if he had canceled things...”

Both Hannelore and I were being treated as treasure, with our very futures on the line; we wanted this match less than anyone. But some things just didn’t pan out how you wanted them to.

“Now then, shall we go?” Rauffen asked, then took the lead and flew down to the arena grounds with the apprentice knights.

I waved goodbye to Hannelore, then climbed into my highbeast. Inside was a box filled with magic tools and rejuvenation potions.

“Brother, Sister, do your best,” Charlotte said, having flown over to offer a few words of encouragement. The apprentice knights surrounding her, who were all first- and second-years, looked particularly anxious—as expected, considering that the older students were about to play ditter.

“Theodore,” I said; he was among those surrounding Charlotte. “Please keep my sister safe. Such is the duty I am entrusting to you.”

“You can count on me. May Angriff be with you and my sister.”

Charlotte and the others cheered me on as I made my way down to Ehrenfest’s base in the arena. All of our players had collectively dispelled their highbeasts and were now standing in formation. After confirming that Brunhilde and Isidore had taken out the box of magic tools and such, I got rid of my own highbeast and joined the others.

Making up our front line were our archknights and our medknights with an abundance of mana. Matthias, Laurenz, and Traugott were among them. The next line was composed almost entirely of medknights, with Leonore being the sole exception; she was going to be giving instructions to everyone. Behind them were the two attendants, wearing light armor that covered only their important parts, rather than a full set of plate armor.

Incidentally, I was wearing light armor as well. Full plate armor wasn’t actually very heavy—it was made with a feystone, after all—but it limited one’s vision and was very restrictive. In that sense, it was like wearing cardboard. I already found it difficult to move, so the last thing I needed was to handicap myself even more.

Wilfried was positioned between the two attendants, fully armored, and then there was the back row, which was simply me (the treasure) and Judithe, who was going to protect me while firing off long-range attacks.

Our opening move is going to depend on whether I can get my shield up in time...

Leonore had told me to use geteilt right away, then hide behind it while chanting to complete Schutzaria’s shield. The apprentice knights were confident that our opponents would try to interfere, and as there was some distance between our bases, a long-range battle was pretty much guaranteed.

Thus, our apprentice knights would all use geteilt to block Dunkelfelger’s attacks and buy me time. Meanwhile, Wilfried, Brunhilde, and Isidore would target the enemy base with an area-of-effect waschen.

Isidore touched the belt around his waist; we weren’t allowed to hold our schtappes or magic tools until the signal that marked the beginning of the game. The atmosphere truly was tense. I swallowed hard, thinking through all the strategies we had gone over.

“Both leaders, come forward!” Rauffen ordered.

Wilfried did as instructed, his helmet under his arm. From the other side of the arena, I saw Lestilaut do the same, helmet in hand.

For the first time, I peered across at Dunkelfelger’s base. Enhancing my eyes allowed me to see everything clearly—including the large boxes by some of the students’ feet. It seemed that our opponents had also thought to bring plenty of magic tools and rejuvenation potions. They were all wearing full plate armor, which made me think they were all knights, but perhaps there were some attendants of the sword among them too.

Does this mean we came up with the same plan? Or is this what they normally do for bride-taking ditter? I’m sure they received advice and assistance from the others in their duchy too.

I wonder if we’ll be okay...

Everything was so tense, and I was anxious to the point of trembling. I’d given Dunkelfelger a copy of A Ditter Story some time ago, so they probably already knew about several of Ferdinand’s strategies—and if they’d also received guidance from knights of the day, then it was possible they had predicted our intentions.

Hartmut had been visiting our dormitory each and every day, stressing that we weren’t to lose. Sylvester had allowed us to borrow a divine instrument and was providing his support on top of that. And then there were Bonifatius, Karstedt, and all the others who had advised us on strategies. We had to come out on top here.

Wilfried and Lestilaut were soon face-to-face, fixing one another with stern glares. Rauffen, who was standing between them, took out his schtappe and pointed it toward the sky, spurring them both to do the same.

“May this be a nice, fair game,” Lestilaut said.

“Our aub instructed us to do everything in our power to protect Rozemyne,” Wilfried replied. “We will not lose.”

At that, Wilfried and Lestilaut turned away from each other, went back to their respective bases, and then donned their helmets. After confirming that everyone was in position, Rauffen made his schtappe—which was still pointed toward the heavens—turn blue, then swung his arm down.

“Begin!”

“ Geteilt !”

In an instant, Ehrenfest’s apprentice knights all produced their schtappes and readied their shields. I did the same, then began my chant.

“O Goddess of Wind Schutzaria, protector of all...”

Isidore grabbed a magic tool from his hip and thrust it up into the air, causing several magic circles to form. It was a device that bolstered the strength of wide-ranging spells, made for us by Hartmut based on Clarissa’s research.

“O twelve goddesses who serve by her side...”

No sooner had the magic circles appeared than Wilfried, Brunhilde, and Isidore all raised their schtappes. At the same time, Matthias shouted, “Dunkelfelger has thrown something! Ready yourselves!”

Even then, I continued my chant: “Please hear my prayer and lend me your divine strength.”

An instant later, a blinding light flashed across Ehrenfest’s base. Thankfully, the attack largely missed me—I was behind several apprentice knights and shorter than everyone else—but the knights in the front row got completely blasted. Some cried out that they couldn’t see a thing.

“ Waschen !”

Still, we didn’t need to see to accomplish what was our main objective right now—flooding Dunkelfelger’s base. Wilfried, Brunhilde, and Isidore had more mana than anyone else in the Ehrenfest Dormitory, and, even with their arms covering their faces, they had unleashed the greatest waschen they could manage. A torrent of water now raced toward our opponents.

“Graaah?!”

“What the heck is going on?!”

Dunkelfelger’s knights who had been closing in on our blinded apprentices were buffeted by a torrent of water, as were the enemy knights who had raised their weapons while preparing to unleash a full-power attack. Before they knew what was going on, they were all being washed to and fro.

We could have ended the game then and there if we had swept Hannelore out of her base, but alas, the apprentice knights who had stayed to guard their treasure had stood their ground and blocked the water with their shields.

The waschen was frightfully strong—as expected, considering that it had come from three powerhouses—but it lasted only about ten seconds. And since the spell merely cleaned things before vanishing without a trace, we hadn’t even left their capes all wet and heavy.

In what felt like no time at all, the stunned Dunkelfelger knights scrambled back to their feet and started following orders to reconvene back at their base. We had managed to buy ourselves twenty seconds in total—and that was more than long enough for me to finish Schutzaria’s shield.

“Grant me your shield of Wind, so that I might blow away those who mean to cause harm!” I declared.

There was a sharp noise, then the hemisphere that was Schutzaria’s shield formed around me. At the same time, a pillar of yellow light shot up into the sky.

“Bwuh?!” I sputtered, my eyes wide. I was used to seeing beams of light during ceremonies performed at the Royal Academy, but never for something like this. Thinking about it, I usually made Schutzaria’s shield by channeling mana into my ring. This was my first time speaking the chant after turning my schtappe into a shield with geteilt.

“Well, Dunkelfelger receives blessings, so maybe the important part is using your schtappe for a ritual, or chanting the prayer...?” I muttered, staring up at the light.

Leonore, having instructed our blinded apprentice knights to retreat behind the shield, whipped her head around to look at Judithe and me. “Lady Rozemyne, begin the ocean ritual at once! Judithe, buy her time! The knights are worthless now!”

I produced my schtappe again and made Verfuhremeer’s staff, which I’d researched in the library and then practiced making. My schtappe shone as I drew Verfuhremeer’s sigil in the air and chanted, “ Streitkolben .” I needed to go through the extra step so that I wouldn’t mentally confuse it with Flutrane’s staff.

“O Goddess of Oceans Verfuhremeer...” I said, beginning the prayer while gently spinning the staff. My intention was to seize the blessings that Dunkelfelger had received for this match and return them to the gods.

“I’m going!” Judithe called out in response to Leonore’s command and jumped onto her highbeast. She flew up and took the place of the Wilfried squad, all of whom had fallen back to chug rejuvenation potions. Then—

“Hyah!”

Judithe used a sling to throw a softball-sized magic tool at our opponents reconvening at their base.

“Something’s coming!” one of their knights shouted. “Knock it back!”

“It’s not worth the risk!” cried another. “Catch it with a net!”

One of Dunkelfelger’s apprentice knights transformed their schtappe into a net and caught the magic tool. They had anticipated that it would explode—and explode it did, spraying out dust and red smoke the instant it made contact.

“Gaaah! My eyes!”

“H-Hrk! M-My throat!”

“Don’t breathe in! It makes your extremities go numb!”

The apprentice knights regrouping at Dunkelfelger’s base suddenly began to flail and struggle in pain. They were in no condition to attack us.

“Hartmut shows not even a shred of mercy for Lady Rozemyne’s enemies...” Brunhilde uttered, awestruck, as she recovered her mana using a potion. Hartmut had gotten the apprentice knights to gather a red-and-white spiky fruit called a “negarosh.” He had then crushed the fruit into powder and weaponized it with the use of an exploding magic tool.

Powdered negarosh was a very effective irritant, making those who got even the smallest amount in their eyes weep uncontrollably. Those who inhaled it wouldn’t fare any better; their noses would itch and gush snot, and their throats would sting and burn. Some would end up feverish, while others would lose all feeling in their hands and feet. Hartmut had said that the effects were short-lived and that a simple waschen could wash the powder from one’s eyes, but still—Ehrenfest’s magic tool had proven far more vicious than Dunkelfelger’s simple blinding one.

“Do not falter!” Lestilaut exclaimed. “We learned two years ago that Rozemyne uses vicious, cowardly tricks unbefitting a saint. Wash the powder away with waschen!”

I didn’t come up with this; Hartmut did.

Putting that aside, I poured mana into my physical enhancement magic tools while spinning Verfuhremeer’s staff. There came the rushing sound of waves, then the Dunkelfelger apprentice knights started being stripped of their blessings.

Our opponents, who were so accustomed to their enhancements, immediately began to stumble and drop to the ground. I was also trying to steal their passionate, competitive spirit and calm their hearts; it would take them some time to pump themselves up again.

“What are you doing?!” Lestilaut roared at us from Dunkelfelger’s base. “The match isn’t over yet!” This was far more than just a post-ditter ritual, however; it was meant to calm heat.

Though it’s not really meant to be performed midway through winter...

“To the gods who granted us their blessings, with our gratitude and prayers, we offer our mana,” I prayed, holding Verfuhremeer’s staff overhead. A tremendous boom then followed as a pillar of light fired up into the sky, followed shortly after by the mana of the blessings I had stolen.

Our opponents were dazed, their blessings having been stolen before the fight could properly begin... but now we were going to be playing on more equal terms.

By the time Dunkelfelger’s apprentice knights were back in formation, our knights who had previously been blinded were able to see again. Everyone was on highbeast, ready to fight.

“Lady Rozemyne may have removed our opponents’ blessings, but do not let your guard down; they still have Rarstark,” Leonore said. “Traugott, Laurenz, stay on him at all times. Do not separate from one another. Is that understood?”

“Yes, ma’am!” Traugott and Laurenz replied, saluting. Whoever this “Rarstark” person was, he was evidently strong enough that our two best close-range fighters needed to face him together.

Since our game two years ago, when we were very clearly outmatched, our apprentice knights had learned to coordinate with one another and gotten stronger by obtaining more mana. Still, our opponent was on another level; according to Matthias, our research into earning blessings through rituals had made them more impassioned than ever before.

Taking on Dunkelfelger was like playing an imbalanced game of chess; we were stuck with the usual distribution of pieces, while our opponent had many, many more to choose from. Its pawns were gone, replaced with bishops, rooks, knights, and queens. We were already at a disadvantage, yet now two of our high-value pieces were having to focus on Rarstark.

“May Angriff the God of War bless those of Ehrenfest,” I said, channeling mana into my ring and trying to level the playing field. After performing back-to-back rituals, I was in a bad enough state that I needed to replenish my mana too.

Wilfried is going to use Ewigeliebe’s sword soon, so I’ll need a lot of mana to preserve the shield.

After a lot of experimentation, we had confirmed that Schutzaria’s shield was weakened whenever Ewigeliebe’s sword was used nearby. Divinity-wise, the latter was presumably stronger than the former. I suspected that Dunkelfelger intended to use this knowledge for its anti-shield plan.

“Lady Rozemyne,” Leonore said, “please get in your highbeast and focus on recovering. Lord Wilfried, prepare to use Ewigeliebe’s sword when I give the signal. Brunhilde, Isidore, take turns giving Judithe more mana-filled magic tools, though take care not to deplete yourselves.”

According to both Leonore and Matthias, Judithe was essential to making this game as close to even as possible.

“Natalie, Alexis,” Leonore continued, “move so that Laurenz and Traugott can focus on Rarstark. Matthias, watch the skies.”

“Ma’am!”

Our apprentice knights flew out of our base, following their instructions.

“We will not lose simply because our blessings were stolen!” Lestilaut declared. “Go, Rarstark! Smash Ehrenfest to bits!”

“Yes, my lord!”

Dunkelfelger’s apprentice knights mounted their highbeasts and set off, enacting their own plan. I chugged a kindness-filled rejuvenation potion while spectating the battle that followed from within my Pandabus.

As per Leonore and everyone’s plans, Judithe continued to attack Dunkelfelger’s knights with magic tools, forcing them to increase their defenses and thereby devote less manpower to attacking. Even so, every single one of their knights was as strong as an Ehrenfest archknight. We were barely able to hold them back.

Wow. So quick...

Plus, even without their blessings, Dunkelfelger’s apprentice knights were moving a little faster than our own.

“You can steal our blessings, but you cannot steal our talent for swordplay!” declared one of the enemy knights as he readied and then brought down his sword. Laurenz moved to block the attack, which told me that it was probably Rarstark.

“There’s no point trying to act cool,” Laurenz remarked. “You had snot pouring from your nose after Judithe hit you with our magic tool.”

“S-Silence! That was after you were all so pitifully blinded, was it not?!”

The battle in the sky began with a series of taunts.

“The outcome of this fight will depend on whether we can keep Rarstark in place,” Matthias warned. “Don’t get pushed back.”

Now that I’d completed Schutzaria’s shield and successfully stolen Dunkelfelger’s blessings, our main objective and second challenge was to contain our biggest threat, Rarstark. Matthias had said that our victory would depend on how much damage we could do now, while so many of Dunkelfelger’s knights were holding back to guard their base.

“Hyaaah!” Traugott roared, filling his sword with mana before charging at Rarstark. There was a resounding clatter as their blades met, marking the start of an intense showdown. Laurenz was flitting about, seemingly acting more as support for Traugott than a main combatant.

“Respectable enthusiasm, but how long will you last?” Rarstark jeered, effortlessly knocking away even Traugott and Laurenz’s desperate joint attacks. It seemed that he was far from reaching his limit.

“They appear to be going all out right from the start,” I said. “Is Traugott going to be okay?” I was a little nervous, since it seemed as though he hadn’t grown at all from when his only focus had been rushing headlong into battle, but Leonore gave me a reassuring smile.

“Rarstark cannot be contained without going all out. Plus, I can assure you, Traugott has begun to listen to others. Once he starts slowing down, Matthias will change places with him.”

The dexterous Matthias was providing support with his bow while shouting out directions to those around him. Even while his attention was elsewhere, he always had an eye on Rarstark and was apparently ready to trade places with Traugott or Laurenz at any moment.

“I, too, will be providing support while giving instructions,” Leonore said. “Judithe, attack the enemy lines.”

From there, Leonore stopped glaring at the battlefield and moved to join the fight. I strained my eyes as I watched her leave Schutzaria’s shield, but the highbeasts in the sky were moving too fast for me to make anything out.

I wonder who’s who?

Everyone’s positions changed on a dime. I could see weapons striking each other, but I couldn’t tell the knights apart, since they were all wearing helmets. As my eyes darted across the battlefield, the only people I could recognize were Matthias as he gave instructions, and Laurenz and Traugott, since they were always sticking together.

Nobody even tried to attack Schutzaria’s shield, likely because they had seen the Sovereign Knight’s Order confirm its strength for the royal family. Their focus right now was the battle at hand; everything else could come later.

“Judithe, use this next,” Isidore said, handing her another mana-filled magic tool made by Hartmut.

Judithe flew out of the shield, then slung the magic tool at the opposing knights with a loud “Hyah!” By the time she returned, an explosion had rung out from the enemy lines, and there were screams again. Hartmut’s magic tools really were proving effective.

“Still, I’m impressed that Hartmut managed to make this many...” I said, peering into the box stuffed with magic tools.

Brunhilde smiled, having taken a pause to recover her mana. “We left the apprentice scholars exhausted and unmoving within the brewing room before coming here.”

Hartmut had made many different magic tools, and they were organized according to their destructive might. The low-level ones produced deafening noise or blinding light, like the tool that Dunkelfelger had thrown out at the start. Others produced a nauseating odor or made gross bugs fly out. They weren’t too bad, all things considered; anyone in range when one went off would only be temporarily immobilized or distracted.

Mid-level tools were those that utilized numbing or sleep powder, or that caused one’s eyes to water or nose to run uncontrollably. The tool we had used at the very beginning of the game was included in this category. They caused physical ailments, but since they were generally dependent on powders, a quick waschen worked as an effective counter. If using waschen wasn’t an immediate option, however, or if those affected took in a lot of the powder, then the effects would last much longer.

The high-level tools were apparently to be used in brutal, horrifying strategies taken from Ferdinand’s reference documents. They were genuinely quite dangerous when detonated; some fired out rock shrapnel, while others produced a sequence of explosions like fireworks. The attacks from these magic tools could do serious damage if not properly shielded.

Isidore was handing over low- and mid-level tools seemingly at random, so we weren’t sure what any given one would do before it exploded. Our opponents were equally unsure; all they could do was ready their shields in fear of what was to come.

For now, we don’t need to worry about an attack on our base, at least.

Just as that thought crossed my mind, Wilfried’s guard knight Alexis dove into Schutzaria’s shield. “Heal me, please!” he shouted, falling from his highbeast and then turning back to face the battlefield, holding his arm all the while.

I followed Alexis’s gaze just in time to see the Dunkelfelger apprentice knight who had been chasing him collide with Schutzaria’s shield and get thrown back with great force. The burst threw him out of position, but he quickly regained his footing and returned to the battlefield; he must have understood that entering the shield wasn’t an option.

After confirming that his pursuer had given up the chase, Alexis sighed in relief and removed his helmet. “Dunkelfelger’s knights are much stronger than they were two years ago. They have better technique and throw us into disarray faster than expected.”

“What?!” Wilfried exclaimed.

Alexis had ended up losing to an opponent whom he had at least been expected to match on his own. At the moment, Leonore’s and Matthias’s support was keeping the front line stable, but it seemed that it wouldn’t last long.

Wilfried turned to watch the battle. I did the same. From the look of things, Ehrenfest was already struggling to stand its ground, and its position was only getting worse.

“Dunkelfelger comes across as more serious and dedicated than ever before,” Wilfried remarked. “Apparently, they started playing nonstop ditter in their dormitory to gain blessings from the ritual.”

“But we trained really hard as well...” Alexis muttered, frustrated.

“And our opponents trained even harder,” I said. It was clear at a glance, and they really were taking the battle a lot more seriously. Their apprentice knights could obtain blessings on their own, whereas our apprentice knights couldn’t.

“Not to mention,” I continued, “Dunkelfelger is fielding mostly archknights. Ehrenfest, in contrast, is relying mostly on medknights. Even with mana compression on our side, there can be no avoiding the difference in our duchies’ mana quantities.”

Mana compression needed to be done with some level of desperation; I could teach others my multistep method, but how much they gained from it would depend on their own efforts. Sure, our apprentice knights had gotten stronger through Bonifatius’s mandatory training, but Dunkelfelger’s students simply cared way more. They played ditter nigh constantly, and their skill level determined whether they would get to play in the Interduchy Tournament.

“Alexis, allow me to heal you,” I said. “Then return to battle as soon as you are able.”

I reached my ringed hand out the window of my Pandabus and gestured Alexis over before granting him Heilschmerz’s blessing. Once the green light had healed his wounds, he chugged a rejuvenation potion in one go and then put a new one on his leather belt.

“They got me!”

This time, it was Natalie who flew over for aid. Alexis’s expression hardened; he gave the empty bottle to Brunhilde, put his helmet back on, and then headed off to take Natalie’s place.

“Come here, Natalie,” I said. “May Heilschmerz’s healing be granted.”

“Thank you, Lady Rozemyne.”

While I was healing Natalie, two more apprentice knights returned to our base. Dunkelfelger was largely on the defensive, and we had more active fighters, yet more and more of our apprentice knights were getting wounded. This meant fewer knights on the battlefield, putting Ehrenfest in an increasingly worse position.

“How goes the battle?” I asked.

“Not well. Matthias is fighting in my place, and Leonore in his.”

In other words, Matthias and Leonore were having to observe the battlefield and give out instructions while at the same time participating in the battle themselves.

But wasn’t Matthias supposed to take over from Traugott or Laurenz?!

I frantically scanned the battlefield until I spotted two ocher capes fighting one blue. Traugott had been fighting all out from the start, so he was slower than before; now, he was providing support for Laurenz instead of the other way around.

“Traugott, return to base for healing!” Laurenz’s voice resounded.

“No!” Traugott roared in response. “I was ordered to hold down Rarstark with you. I cannot leave until support comes or I am ordered to do something else. Until then, I must endure!”

Traugott wasn’t just being stubborn; he was acting strategically while keeping the entire battlefield in mind. Laurenz must have realized this, as he replied with a determined “Right!”

Traugott and Laurenz were still cooperating well, but with Matthias now covering for the wounded, support would never arrive. Once they were both completely exhausted, there would be nobody to contain Rarstark.

Our battle plan is falling to pieces...

Not only was our front line starting to waver, but I was stuck healing one person after another, meaning I didn’t yet have all of my mana back.

This isn’t good.

Still, what mattered right now was getting the apprentice knights back into the fight. I continued to aid them as they arrived, though I could feel that Dunkelfelger was slowly encroaching on us. And soon enough...

“Ehrenfest’s front line is crumbling!” Lestilaut roared. “Use this chance to crush them all at once!” He must have been sure that victory was in Dunkelfelger’s grasp, as he sent some of the knights defending their base to attack us instead. There was no way we would be able to hold on when we were already stretched so thin.

“Rozemyne, do you think I should go now?” Wilfried asked, eyeing the box containing Ewigeliebe’s sword. “We need to heal all of our knights at once and get our front line back in order. I’ll go buy some time.”

“You have my full support, Brother. No matter what happens, do not stop until the ritual is complete.”

“Right.”

Keeping half an eye on Wilfried as he picked up Ewigeliebe’s sword, I turned to those gathered in the shield and started giving out orders.

“Brunhilde, stay with Judithe and use two or three of the high-level magic tools in quick succession. After experiencing so many low- and mid-level tools, our opponents surely have their guard down. They might even call some of their knights back to defend and heal.”

“Understood.”

Brunhilde picked out a high-level magic tool. Judithe accepted it, looking tense, and then flew up into the air.

“Hyah!”

Again, Judithe targeted the enemy base—this time just as Dunkelfelger’s reinforcements moved to enter the fray. All of our offensive tools thus far had produced sound, light, or powder, but not this one; it detonated with a thundering boom , unleashing violent flames and a pillar of smoke.

Hannelore shrieked, and the enemy knights all turned to the source of the commotion. Both the would-be reinforcements and those pushing back Ehrenfest were completely distracted.

“More are coming! Retreat!” one of the opposing knights cried upon seeing Judithe throw a second tool. “Their attacks are more devastating than before!”

Those in Dunkelfelger’s base readied their shields and took defensive positions just as the second tool exploded, scattering shrapnel in all directions. Those closest to the blast screamed and reeled, providing Wilfried with the perfect opportunity to act. He left Schutzaria’s shield with Ewigeliebe’s sword in hand; trying to activate it inside the shield would cause the shield to disappear.

“All of you who can fight, protect Wilfried,” I said. “Do everything in your power to ensure his ritual is not interrupted.”

“Right!”

Ewigeliebe’s sword had been preemptively filled with mana, but that still wasn’t enough to use its power as a divine instrument. It was similar to how you needed to infuse Leidenschaft’s spear with an excess of mana to make it start crackling with blue lightning.

“Isidore, prepare for rejuvenation.”

“As you will.”

Anyone who used Ewigeliebe’s sword would find themselves almost entirely drained of mana and unable to move—that was why it was crucial to have someone standing by to retrieve them. This wasn’t something we could leave to Brunhilde, so Isidore had accepted the responsibility as Wilfried’s attendant and a fellow male.

“They’re doing something!” one of the opposing knights cried. “Stop them!”

“We won’t let you!” shouted another.

Those protecting Wilfried while he channeled mana into Ewigeliebe’s sword threw nets and Hartmut’s magic tools to fend off the approaching enemies.

Over time, Ewigeliebe’s sword began to change. Its white feystone blade shone bright white, and an icy wind started to swirl around it. Pouring more mana into the sword would intensify the cold air until it turned into a whirlwind of ice and snow.

“O God of Life Ewigeliebe, ruler of restoration and death,” Wilfried prayed. “O twelve gods who serve by his side.” He was squeezing his eyes shut while gripping the sword at his chest, pointing its blade toward the heavens. The sight alone was enough to whip Dunkelfelger’s knights into a frenzy.

“Stop him!” one cried. “Don’t let him finish that prayer!”

All at once, Dunkelfelger’s knights dropped whatever they were doing to swarm Wilfried. This sudden change came as a surprise to our own knights who had been engaged in combat, but they quickly recovered and gave chase.

“Protect him!” one of our knights shouted in response. “Don’t let them get close!”

Dunkelfelger’s apprentice knights rained arrows down on Wilfried, trying to interrupt his prayer. The surrounding knights deflected as many as they could, but one or two met their mark. Thankfully, Wilfried was wearing the charms he had received from Ferdinand, which reflected the arrows and responded with mana counterattacks.

“Hear my prayer and lend me your divine strength,” he continued, ice and snow now whirling around him. “Grant me the power to protect Geduldh from those who would steal her.”

Dunkelfelger’s apprentice knights started to back off. They could doubtless feel Ewigeliebe’s power and were on guard about what was going to happen.

“I offer thee my unwavering faith. May my highest ideals be met with praise and with lasting protection. Grant me thy divine power so that no enemies may approach.”

His prayer complete, Wilfried suddenly opened his eyes again. He was holding Ewigeliebe’s sword at the ready.