56 The Girl Sheds Tears and Prepares Herself for a Fight to the Death

O God, grant this world fire through me.

Grant us fire so that man’s work may never die. Grant us an inferno.

-Sira II-

My armor is custom-made of wood, leather, and chainmail. It’s light and easy to move in. However, the helmet is made of steel, so it’s heavy, and the chin strap chafes; I can hardly keep my head up while wearing it.

“Wah ha ha! A very heroic look, I must say, Sira!” A man with a shining head arrives. He’s the top military man in this fort. He’s very loud and always laughing, plus he gives me lots of food. “And I like this thing you’ve put on your helmet! It’s red and wavy, like fire!”

I can’t say thank you. I want to, but he won’t let me. You see...

“Don’t you agree, Lady Ange?” He asks her before I get a chance to speak.

“Yes, General Bandkan, it’s a marvelous gift,” I compliment him. “As representative of the Northern Frontier, I—WHOA!”

“Ah-hah! Blocked, eh? What a shame!”

...He likes to touch my butt every time I try to say thank you.

“Please, enough with the jokes. We have much to prepare for,” I warn him.

“Jokes? You wound me! Very well, let us get married on the eve of our great battle!”

“Please, enough with the jokes. We have much to prepare for,” I repeat, ignoring his nonsense.

“Like I said... huh? Lady Ange? Why, what a dangerous smile that is!” he laughs while looking at the Crimson Flower Company lady.

Despite it all, I don’t hate this man. In fact, I like him a lot. He listens to me, tells me lots of fun stories, and praises me often. Not to mention...

“Ahem! In any case, I felt the need to express my gratitude to Sira! Not only did she enlighten my soldiers to the existence of God, but she also showed them a very special training method! Furthermore, she now says she’ll fight alongside us...”

His eyes remind me a lot of Dad. Deep in his heart, something burns, spilling out of his quiet smile... it’s faintly warm, and makes me miss him.

“What sad excuses we are for adults, to be forced to accept a child’s help in battle,” he laments.

They really are alike; he gets angry and sad on behalf of others. He works hard, ignoring his own needs. I’ve met many like him, and I’ve said goodbye to most of them. His type is common among soldiers.

“General, might I say something, though you might find it imprudent?” I ask.

“No, no. Speak your mind.”

“Our enemy is fifty thousand strong. Our allies number two thousand cavalry and three thousand foot soldiers. From the numbers alone, even a draw would be...”

“Yes, if we clash head-on, we don’t stand a chance. It’d be one vampire for every platoon of men. We’d be overrun easily.”

“Even so... must you ride out to battle?”

“We must. This fort was designed with the intention of fighting enemies coming from the north; we are beyond weak to an invasion from the south. It’s possible this will be more of a slaughter than a true battle; we can’t fight in groups with all the buildings in the way. And a one-on-one battle with a vampire? I can already imagine the gore.”

I don’t want him to die. I don’t want anyone else to die. Everyone here is a good person. They ask me how son Peine is doing; they comment about how gallant Lord Willow is; they tell me that they wish they had a son or a daughter like me, and pat my head; they all smile, but in their eyes, I can see they’re all prepared to fight to the death.

God. Oh, God. Does surviving mean you have to keep fighting like this?

“That said, I will need you to stay at our headquarters, Sira. Unfortunately, that is the only way we can use fire magic. Otherwise, it’s as good as a dull blade.”

“So you mean to make use of Sira after all?” asks the Crimson Flower Company lady.

“I do. We must win. There is no possible retreat for humanity at this point. If we fall, the supply trains required to mount a counterattack will be destroyed. Moreover, the plains to the north will turn into a mass graveyard, and all hope... will be lost.”

Thinking of Lady Kuroi fills my eyes with tears. I’m fine when we’re together, but I can’t stand being apart. Just remembering her face lit up by the bonfire... oh, here I go again. But I can’t help it; if we keep fighting, even Lady Kuroi will die eventually.

“Sira, are you crying? What’s the matter, dear? Are you scared?” Ange wants to know.

“I’m always scared.”

“Sira...” the old man trails off.

“I’m not scared of fighting; I can bear the pain. But...”

So many lives... So many deaths weigh on Lady Kuroi’s shoulders as she fights for all our sakes. She works so hard, and burns brighter than anyone else. She’s the greatest flame of all—an inferno granted to us by God to light up this cold, dark world.

“Everyone’s going to die,” I weep.

A flame that burns too bright is beautiful, but leaves nothing behind. I know that her fire is so beautiful because it uses every last bit of fuel; that’s the nature of blinding infernos. Odysson taught me that.

“I won’t let that happen!” the shiny-headed man barks.

Whoa! That surprised me. Aaah, he’s picking me up on his shoulders! He’s so strong; I’m wearing full armor, too.

“This is a massive battle! A time of great danger! Many will die, it’s true! Not even God can stop that! But, Sira, you mustn’t be mistaken. We do not go to battle to die... a warrior fights to prevent death!”

He stomps around, and I sway with every step. I have to keep my helmet on. His shiny head is too slippery for me to get a grip on.

“Behold, our five thousand warriors! Wah ha ha!” Standing on the balcony, we look down into the courtyard. The man laughs loudly. “If we include their mothers and fathers, that’s ten thousand warriors! Of course, some of them are siblings, so that’s just an estimate, but... there’s also their grandparents! That at least quadruples our numbers. Humanity’s unbroken history is on display right here, with these warriors. In other words, they are the product of tens of thousands of ancestral wills!”

Everyone’s looking at us. They’re flying banners and waving their hands at us. Their armor, swords, spears, and eyes are all glittering.

“And, Sira, you are a child. A brave, pious girl whom we all love like a daughter. One could even say that you are humanity’s brightest star. You are the source of our fighting spirit, and the symbol of our will. We will not let you die. Your survival is our victory!”

I want to tell him he’s wrong. I want to tell him that I’m worried about everyone else... but it’s no use. No one here wants to die, but they will anyway. That’s why I can’t say anything. I have to accept their feelings.

Oh, Lady Kuroi... this is your job. It’s so hot. Everyone’s passion is raining down on me... I feel so sad and lonely—my heart is about to rip in two. It’s like I’m burning. Resisting the urge to cry grants me strength. The mana is building up inside me.

“Lady Ange, I’ve prepared a messenger party and horses. Do you understand?” asks the man.

“If the time comes, Sira and I...”

“Yes. I will burn the fort if it comes to that. We will buy time for Agias to heroically scoop you up. Be sure to tell him of the supplies we’ve hidden in the mountains.”

“I swear on my life.”

“Sorry, and thank you. It’s not a gigantic cache, but if worst comes to worst, I pray even one cup of soup made from its stores will support humanity’s pride, and that each grain, imbued with our citizens’ wills, becomes your strength.”

I think the fire engulfing me is calling for God. I hug Dad’s sword tight. God poured power into this blade. It’s hot. It should burn me, but it doesn’t; I don’t even sweat. It’s a strange heat.

“Now, my warriors! It is time for battle!”

Right, I’m coming, too. Ange watches as we march towards the south exit. We go to fight, together. Our bootsteps are in harmony. No one cries or is afraid.

“Heavy armor to the center! Form ranks! Cavalry, form two wings!” commands the bald man.

A red banner unfurls and flutters in the wind like a giant fire. I wonder if God is watching. This banner is saying: “We won’t lose! Watch over us, God!”

The vampires’ banner is black and gold, like lightning at night. I can see lots of them across the field. The gray shacks dotting the horizon are camps made of stone. They’re waiting inside them for night to fall. That’s when they’ll attack.

Which is why now is our time. We have to act now, before many die later.

“All right! My honored fifty knights! Go forth!”

“Yes, sir!” they answer, and spur their horses into a gallop. In their hands are vials of oil. They pour mana into them... Oh, no, the vampires have noticed them! Boulders smash them, they crash into stone walls, holes open underneath their horses’ legs—many, many perish. And yet...

They manage to throw their bombs. They’ve done their best. All over, the vials break and explode into a mass of flames. Some even land inside the stone camps and set them on fire. I can hear the vampires scream.

Only nine knights return.

Even so, everyone bangs their swords against their shields and cheers loudly. “We did it!” they cry.

“Good, good! An excellent first strike! Behold! The blood-sucking badgers are afraid of the fire! Wah ha ha ha haa!”

He can’t be happy. He can’t be celebrating... yet he smiles. To smile is to fight as well.

Moving on to the next assault, another troop of a hundred soldiers gallops forth. Again, they’re unable to get close before dying, but they still unleash their bombs. About half of them return.

“What’s the matter? Not going to counterattack? Cowards! I figured as much! You had to dig a detour through an entire mountain because you were afraid of the fort our army defends! All you can do is attack defenseless towns! Weaklings! Wah ha ha!”

The soldiers nod in agreement. They move. Oh! The vampires are coming. So many. An incredibly large number of them approaches.

“Center soldiers, maintain position! Those to the left and right, back up! Cavalry, form an opening!”

I’m in the center, so those of us here have to stand their ground. The soldiers in the front line set their shields in position, forming a wall, and dig into the earth with their feet. The rear line of soldiers brace their backs. Some grip spears in their hands; others, oil vials. United, we wait.

“We are the army of the fort! Defenders of humanity! Let yourselves be heard, men!”

Shouts and noises fill the air. Humans and vampires collide. It feels like the world itself is shaking; like my soul is being compressed. We push and are pushed back, losing little by little. We’re going to be squished, and yet...

“Push! Puuush!” the shiny-headed man shouts. I push on his butt, too.

I won’t lose. We won’t lose!