57 The Merchant Watches Brave Men Fight / The Girl Fights, Warm and Protected

I offer everything I have; burn my life away to nothing.

I will show the world my rage. I will make sure they see it.

-Merchant Ange II-

My fists tremble—my lips quiver as I bite down on them.

“Lady Ange, why don’t you sit down?”

“General Bandkan ordered me to stand here. It is my duty.”

“Preserving your stamina is also part of your mission.”

“It would be a waste of energy to bend down and sit.”

I refuse to turn and look at the messenger; my gaze is locked to the south. I can’t take a single step from this observation tower. Fear has already overwhelmed me.

This battle... It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before.

General Bandkan himself said they can’t win in a head-on fight... but I never expected them to come out of the gates swinging with suicide squads. Dozens of men have already died attempting to taunt the vampires. Those giving orders and those receiving orders are equally calm and resolute. They’re also equally crazy, taking the brunt of the vampires’ fierce attack with their center column of soldiers.

Sira’s right there! What are the foot soldiers and cavalry on the sides doing? They’re withdrawing, scattering! Not even trying to help! Oh, see? See?! The enemy is focusing on the center column now. They’re practically surrounded. Soldier after soldier is crushed, shield and all, by attacking vampires from the front and sides. However, a new soldier is always there to fill the gaps, so the vampires switch to using their fearsome physical strength to leap over them instead.

They should have known this would happen. The first vampire to scale the shields is... trapped by shields on all sides and lit on fire with oil?! Now they slice him in two with a sword... he turns to ash. Is that their plan? No, I don’t think so. They... They’re being pushed back hard, steadily losing ground—but they aren’t crumbling. It’s a resoluteness filled with purpose. And I know why: General Bandkan is there to directly order the sealing of each hole in the wall of shields, so their coordination hasn’t fallen to pieces yet. Even so, it’s a miracle they can keep their morale up while being pushed back.

Sira’s there, right in the center. The soldiers are grouped up tightly to protect her. This isn’t some last-ditch battle; it’s beyond heroic—a testament to the power of a parent protecting their child.

Nevertheless, the soldiers keep falling... they can’t hope to equal the vampires in strength. Regardless, the center column refuses to say die. In fact, their formation is getting even tighter. What a crazy strategy: using the enemy’s pressure from three sides as a defensive tool! There’s no predicting the outcome of this battle anymore, and yet... What is the reason for the retreat?

Oh... I see. What a strategist General Herman Bandkan is. I’d heard he was rigid and uncompromising, but this... The central column is also withdrawing, but seen from a different angle, one could say they are drawing in the enemy’s entire offensive force—luring them into position. It’s a trap! With this, they might be able to wipe out all the vampires.

The foot soldiers to the sides bellow and charge, clashing against the vampires’ flanks while the cavalry come roaring from behind. They’re very quick to collapse on this opportunity—see? Now the vampires are completely surrounded. Injured, collapsed soldiers also dot the vampires’ ranks; no one is left unharmed. Our men might not have been able to get a hang of Sira’s training, but they certainly know how to pack their bombs full of mana. These aren’t normal explosives, either—they’re high-explosive bombs. Created in the south, they’ve yet to reach the Frontier.

I hear orders being barked and the banging of drums—the counterattack has begun. Simultaneously, the soldiers strike. Spears pierce the vampires from all sides. The cavalry charges, unleashing their bombs. Flames and explosions erupt. All of a sudden, the battle is nearly even. One of our injured soldiers runs towards the middle of the enemy’s ranks, bombs gripped in both hands. He’s followed by two more, then three. They keep coming.

Merciless fire. Roaring explosions. Bone-shattering impacts.

Our men throw everything they have, literally, at the vampires in order to crush them utterly.

I mustn’t cry. I must hold my tears in. It is my duty to watch them from this spot; to burn the image of these honest, proud, and wonderful men into my memory. I shall become a record of their proud lives and deaths, engraving their story upon my soul.

Oh, God. Please grant them your blessing. I pray that our desperate, earnest efforts lead to hope.

-Sira III-

“Wah ha ha! The vampires fell right into our trap!” the man cries, his smooth and shiny head covered by his helmet. We’re right in the middle of combat. “Attack! Attack! This is our last chance to shine!”

I’m watching everyone with eyes wide open. I don’t dare blink.

“General! It’s been a pleasure serving you!” a soldier shouts.

“Go, my man! Into the other side of the flame!” the man shouts back.

A mustachioed soldier runs off, gripping two fire bombs in his hands. The man watches with a smile as the soldier goes, then cheers once he hears the sound of the explosions.

“Sira, you better survive! General, make sure she does!” cries another warrior.

“Wa ha ha! No need to tell me twice! Leave the rest to me!”

“Yes, sir!” His arm and shield completely smashed, he grabs a spear in his remaining hand. Gripping the bound rope of a bomb in his mouth, he, too, runs off. I watch as he goes.

Everyone’s dying. One-by-one, they all die. But even so, they fight. The fighting just never ends.

“General, please move back a little! An enemy unit is charging!”

“So they move forward, even when surrounded, huh? Cursed vampires. They’re complete monsters. They fight like their only purpose is to wipe out every last one of us. Don’t give them an opening! Support your brothers!”

The vampires: creatures with brown skin and yellow eyes. They worship the Demon God and treat humans like food. Unlike them, I was able to talk to an elf. Ten Thousand Bells was such a good musician. She even brought me tea and snacks... she was very kind. Our religions, lifestyles, and beliefs were different, but I felt that we could get along. So why can’t it be the same way with the vampires? Lady Kuroi and Golden were able to talk, but not get along. Is fighting our only option?

God. Oh, God. Why do You and the other gods fight? Don’t You ever talk things out? Is the world so sad that nothing can be accomplished without killing someone?

Oh! A stone wall. That’s vampire magic. It’s so tall. It’s about to fall, too. They’re going to use it as a bridge to attack us—I know this strategy.

“Sira?!” cries the bald man’s voice.

I have to do something before it falls; before someone else dies. I have to be like Lady Kuroi.

Go, Dad!

He draws the sword I’ve been hugging, sparkles with red mana, and moves out. I can faintly see his great back. Swiftly, he slices through the stone wall—I hear something crumbling. The stone is falling to pieces.

“Ohhh! Well done! Look, the enemy is stunned! Feed them your spears!” barks the man.

I did it. I did it, Dad! I can fight too. Look, another stone wall. Cut it for me! This is how I can save everyone. Keep going! There’s another one over there. And that one too, please. Wow! My dad’s so strong... huh? Wah!

“Sira, you mustn’t let your guard down on the battlefield!” yells the shiny-headed man. He protected me from a vampire that jumped towards me. His helmet is ripped off, and there’s blood everywhere.

Ah... Ahh! His left arm... it’s gone from the shoulder down.

“It’s all right for children to fail; it’s a necessary step to becoming a great adult,” he says with a gentle voice.

He doesn’t attempt to fight the vampire with a club charging at us. He’s rooted right in front of me. Instead, the other soldiers fight. So many spears, swords, and shields. However, the vampire is too strong. It swings its club and shouts, summoning thunder magic. The spell grows stronger and stronger.

“...But that is why adults must be proud and cool!”

The man throws his sword—it flies so fast. Still, the vampire knocks it away with its club. The lightning dissipates, though, allowing everyone’s spears through. They pierce it, and it dies.

“Yessss!” shout the men.

The General smiles, but doesn’t move. He can’t move. While protecting me, he got hit with that club charged with electricity. Soon, he’ll...

“Sira, stay by your father’s side; that’s where you’ll be safest.”

Right. Dad’s back. Look, his sword is burning red. God’s heat is within it.

“Good... Now, go. Live. I’ll watch over you from here.”

Right, I have to go. The cool shiny-headed man watches as I leave, my dad and some soldiers in tow. Don’t worry, I won’t drop my guard anymore. I’ll stay sharp. I’ll work hard to end this everlasting war that started so long ago. I’ll work hard so that I can one day smile and see all the people that left before me.

Oh, God, I’m going to fight under your banner of fire.

58 About DDR Fast Movement / The Merchant Celebrates, Entrusting Her Life

My life is filled with heat. God’s power flows into me.

Run. Run! Fly! Like a comet in the sky!

-DDR Stream/VOD Part 8-

So what if my pizza is cold? Who cares if it’s dry and gone bad? Little Sira is fighting! She’s fighting hard on a gory battlefield I’ve become all too accustomed to seeing in DDR. Against vampires, too!

Is watching her through the servant viewer window really all I can do? Ah! Look out! Whoa, the vampire that jumped out of the flames just got cut in half with a sword! This guardian spirit guy Sira’s got sure has some presence for just being an Accept Arm spell.

Sira is strong, of course. She’s an Apostle’s servant, after all. Some nameless vampire isn’t going to pose a problem for her. She can use summoning magic, and her favorite sword has an attribute bonus as well. But that’s only in a one-versus-one situation. A whole army versus one is too dangerous... Ah, see?! Phew... Nice assist, NPC soldier; good spear thrust. She almost got caught off guard after her last attack. Man, this is nerve-wracking.

After all, they’re only human. In the DDR sense, I mean. No matter how high their stats get, they can’t beat the divine blessing of physical strength given to the vampires. Our stamina just isn’t enough against their muscles. Plus, Sira’s just a little girl; one blow would end it all.

She needs to dodge—dodge like she’s never done before. In hand-to-hand combat with a vampire, you gotta float like a butterfly and sting like a bee. On the strategy sites, they recommend picking away at the enemy with an elven wind magic warrior, out-boxing style.

But allow me to propose a new theory for this DX version of the game: a human fire magic warrior. This is the best way to fight them. The fire attribute really works wonders against vampires, allowing you to deal big damage and cut through them easily. Personally, what I focus on are sneak attacks and one-shot kills. If that fails, I fall back to a hit-and-away style that relies on Kuroi’s high speed stat. Ideally, I cast Metabolize to raise my base stamina.

In other words, it is a strategy completely based around Kuroi’s skills. She’s the strongest vampire hunter! That wasn’t exactly my goal at first—in fact, I never imagined I’d get fire magic—but I eventually started building around it. It doesn’t hurt that Accept Blade gives me a lot of utility, either.

And the fact is, Kuroi defeated the strongest vampire. I was mega-drunk at the time, so I don’t remember much, but her effectiveness was quite obvious after watching the recorded video. I still can’t believe she won, though. Golden was an enemy we desperately needed to defeat, but she was still tough.

What is this strange unease in my chest? This odd feeling like there’s something I’m missing? It’s as if there’s something pasted on the back of my joy... Is it guilt? Maybe it’s because of that dream. And I know, no one likes to hear about other people’s dreams. However, there’s just something about Golden and Deep Sea...

It’s just a game, but there was real hate behind their attacks. Games are meant to be fun, so why am I feeling so stressed? Even now, I’m pulling out my hair in worry for Sira; I might even throw up... Maybe I’m just hungry, but I don’t feel like eating my pizza. How can I, when Kuroi’s not eating? She’s on a forced march, with no time for food or drink. She’s been riding all alone from the Hell Expanse on her summoned steed, Chocolate Pudding—Oh God, why did I name it that?! Now I’m drooling—and making one mad dash after another. As soon as her horse falters and falls, she immediately resummons another one. Talk about a brutal, long-distance run.

The burden on Kuroi is great, too—she’s exhausted. Metabolize is helping, but there’s still a limit. Even so...

Go. Go, Kuroi! Get to the fort! Get to Sira as fast as you can!

Night is falling; the time when the vampires’ rule is close at hand. I will save Sira, I swear it!

-Merchant Ange III-

I can’t believe it. What happened? Our offense was working so well.

“Lady Ange, please get ready.”

They’re monsters. The vampires are truly terrifying monsters. Our attack was so fierce, and yet their morale seems completely unaffected; not one of them has run away. Drunk on blood, delighting in death, they find joy on the battlefield. They kill our men, eating their flesh and slurping their blood.

Sira, you’ve been fighting these monsters for so long, with no time to rest. She’s at the very center of the fort’s army, drowning in a sea of death comprising both ally and enemy.

“General Bandkan ordered us to light the fort on fire if they weren’t able to wipe out the enemy army by nightfall... we’re out of time,” laments the messenger behind me.

“They’ve defeated so many! Must we really?”

“Of course. Even an invasion squad of ten vampires would turn the fort into a bloodbath. At that point, escaping would be too dangerous; they have an excellent night vision and sense of smell.”

“Is... Is there no hope of victory?”

“...Please hurry. The horses are already loaded up.”

So this is what it means to go to war with vampires. This absurdity, this powerlessness...

The sky is beginning to darken. Night will be upon us soon, as if trying to hasten humanity’s end. Detached and beautiful, it silently looks down upon our deaths.

Oh, God. Why? Why is the world so cruel?

We humans cannot live alone. Being drawn to each other is what makes us human. To be human is to love and be loved. To bear children; to protect and raise a family. That’s the extent of our natural lifespan, isn’t it? And having achieved that, then we should face our... natural death, right? Such life and death is happiness, is it not? But reality—human reality—is to lose those you love, yet still love others and be forced to leave them behind; equal parts meeting and farewell... There are too many lives being taken, like they’re being harvested. Too many heartrending partings.

Are humans simply born to suffer? Please, tell me that’s not so. Give me a sign that says it’s not—that human life and death isn’t pitiful, but beautiful and wonderful.

“Lady Ange, we cannot wait. Please, take our wills north.”

“N-North?” I look towards the horizon.

“Yes. A few days’ ride should see you intersecting with Lord Willow’s army as they head south. Please do not forget to tell them about the mountain stores.”

“She’s come... She’s come!”

“L-Lady Ange?”

I can see her. Underneath the reddening sky, at the edge of the horizon, a lone rider gallops upon the plains. Such speed. Such strength. Even from a distance, I can see her raven hair whipping in the wind and the burning fire in her eyes.

“The gates! Open the gates! Make it so she can come straight this way!” I shout.

“What are you talking about? Th-That... That rider...”

“She’s come! That girl... Our Apostle! Mounted on her horse that overcomes even death itself!”

“O-Oh! Ohhh! Oh, God!”

The messenger runs off, shouting repeatedly in excitement. The northern and southern gates are opening, but they’re so vexingly slow. Can’t you see she’s coming? She’s almost here!

She gallops through the fort like a flying spear. What few soldiers left inside cheer her on. I cheer as well. I pray that my voice may become the wind at her back; I offer my life’s energy to her. I shout, tears streaming down my face.

This is His answer. This is His sign.

There is hope, and it exists right here. How precious it is! Please, Kuroi. We know God through you; that is the role of Apostles. Where your happiness lies, I cannot say, but you... You have the right to do whatever you want with our lives. You can even take mine if you like. If it’ll make you stronger, then that’s fine—I want to become your strength.

Deus Ex. I pray for your victory. Deus Ex.

59 About DDR Battlefields / The Middle Brother Senses Death

God’s rage and sadness fill my heart.

The strength He’s blessed me with, His emotions are in all of it.

-DDR Stream/VOD Part 9-

Into the fray I charge at 70 km/h for a dynamic how-do-you-do! My appetite is back, by the way! Charging at full speed, I Ignite my dual blades, and split not an enemy, but the entire enemy army in half. Get close and I’ll turn you to ash, you bastards! I am Kuroi, hear me roar!

I can’t stop her, and I don’t want to. There’s no time—and not just because the sun’s setting; I’m running out of time on a lot of things. Kuroi’s stamina is nearly empty, and her mana won’t last much longer, either. There’s no telling when my fire magic might just give out, too, since the vampires are advancing on the palace. Not having Ignite would be bad, but without Metabolize I’m screwed. If Kuroi passes out, it’s all over.

I know I’m pushing it. This is clearly crazy. Of that, I’m confident. But I made it. Somehow, I made it; just gotta give a little more. Let’s finish this quickly, Kuroi! Come, my warriors! Call Einherjar! Rise from my horse’s shadow! Fill the gap Kuroi cut open for you! Form ranks in the center of the enemy army! No need for mercy or common sense! Now, let them go ham on auto! Beat ’em to a pulp!

You’re too slow, vampires. I don’t even need to break your Earth Walls or Stone Shields; I can just dodge them. Oh, and good luck trying to hit me with those Stone Bullets and Thunderbolts. I’m just that fast!

Whoa! They still jump at me. I guess I should have expected that. Slice! I cleanly repel one. Countering jump attacks is the most basic of basics. I’ve got a bit of history in fighting games, you see. At least, enough to look like I know what I’m doing. These anti-air strats are easy to pull off.

Now, Kuroi, keep going! Tear this battlefield to shreds! Ruin this fight in no time at all! This is just too cruel to let go on. It’s almost like I’m looking at Hell itself: burned fields filled with corpses and ash... A classic DDR sight, of course, but... such destruction. It’s no longer an issue of winning or losing; it’s all down to whoever manages to survive this bloodbath.

That’s just so sad... I can’t accept it. Where’s the salvation?

I charge all the way through the enemy army by myself. I should be happy, but I’m not. I’m angry. Really, really angry. I almost feel nauseous... and not because I’m hungry.

Kuroi turns around, and the battlefield fills my monitor.

The Einherjar’s attacks are vicious. Maybe it’s because it’s dusk and the shadows are deeper, but the burning red from within their black armor flickers brightly. Though they are silent, their emotions—their rage—comes through clearly.

The vampires, not to be outdone, unleash battle cries and fight back with a vengeance... but their inferiority is also clear. Stabbed by spears and slashed by swords, one by one they turn to ash. I catch the sight of one vampire grabbing hold of an Einherjar, only to be caught by its overflowing red flames, the enemy’s hand turned to ash. It tries to struggle, but this only serves to turn the rest of its body into a pile of ashes.

Looks like there’s no need for another charge. We can win; I can just watch the rest from here. Even so, it doesn’t make me happy. I mean, this was supposed to be an incredibly difficult game. Who knows, maybe it’s just one of those events. Maybe real war is like this, and the devs went all out on the high-quality realism. Perhaps I should be grateful.

Regardless, I don’t like it. This isn’t to my tastes; I don’t accept it. Just because battle can’t be avoided doesn’t mean I want it to be crush or be crushed. I want a happy end; a cliched yet sweet finale. An ending that doesn’t involve annihilating our enemies, but one where we all can live in prosperity. That’s what I want.

Horrific scenes like this, where I can practically hear the Demon God cackling in the background... where everyone’s efforts are not met with salvation... I want to smash them all!

Strength fills my hands. My mouse and keyboard are rattling. Maybe that’s why Kuroi seems to move on her own. She fits her foot into the stirrup and stands in the saddle. I know she’s tired—I can tell just from looking at her stamina gauge. What’s she doing? She drops her swords and extends her arms to balance herself. Then, balling her hands into fists, she takes a deep breath.

“OHHHHHHHHHH!” she roars.

Huh? Why’d she do that? She’s out of mana and stamina. Huh? Is this some kind of technique or spell? And how is she moving on her own? But this voice, this roar... I feel like I’ve heard it before. Once, long ago.

Kuroi’s cry seems to be filled with rage towards the world.

O-Oh! The battle... stopped? Did my computer freeze? Looks like that’s a no. Geez, don’t scare me like that! Still, no one’s moving. And judging from the smoke, the wind’s died down as well. The world is completely silent.

The Einherjar are all lined up. They look so cool posing with their swords and spears, like statues. The vampires are either totally still, down on their knees, or sitting. None of them are holding weapons; I can’t sense any bloodlust.

The battlefield... is no longer a battlefield. Does that mean it’s over?

Ha... Aha ha... Wow... Kuroi’s amazing. She’s so strong. Her voice reached the entire world. Not only that—the world listened. She scolded them, and they gave up.

Yeah, this is how it should be. Sira and the soldiers should be fine now, too. Since vampires and humans can speak the same language, we should be able to figure this out properly somewhere else. It’d be stupid if we couldn’t. Our conversations, stories, legends, songs... everything that moves our hearts has a meaning to it.

Maybe this peace right now was brought about by force, but that’s okay; it’s still progress. One day, I’m sure we’ll all be able to smile together.

Hm? What’s with my monitor? I can’t really see... Am I sleepy? I feel so sluggish. Like, I can’t even keep sitting. Damn, this isn’t just malnourishment, is it? Oh no, my vision’s slowly getting narrower...

The pizza. I have to get to the pizza. I gotta eat. It’s so cold.

Kuroi, make sure you eat too. Switching to observation mode. We... We still have lots more fighting to do...

-Origis I-

I look up at the slowly darkening sky from my saddle, as my horse trots quickly along. Will the fort still be recognizable when I get there? Will their army still be fighting? I bet General Bandkan will be leading them, and he’s not the type to go down without a fight.

Did Lady Kuroi make it in time? Where is she now? Is she fighting? Five thousand of our Bomber Knights are riding hard to catch up, drawing a straight line to the battlefield; no scouts of any kind. None of our men have had any rest. Our horses drain dry every watering hole that we come across as we rush on. Even so, we haven’t been able to catch up.

“What’s the matter, Origis? Why the sigh?” Marius wants to know.

“Hm? Oh, I was just thinking that I couldn’t be an outrider.”

“That’s... Hm... You have a point.”

Marius’s face is uncharacteristically gloomy. He’s used to hard rides, so I doubt he’s tired. The battle at the Hell Expanse must still be weighing on his mind, which is odd. To the outsider, he’d appear to have done very well, having captured the enemy general in an easy battle. However, humanity’s current predicament stems from the fact that we weren’t able to see the bigger picture. This isn’t Marius’s fault, and I’m sure he understands that, but the fact that the battle itself was a trap must be what hurts most.

“It’s funny that we’re actually taking an army from the Frontier to the fort. It’s almost like the rumors were true,” I chuckle.

“Oh, that stuff about the House Willow revolt? I suppose I heard something about that.”

“According to son Peine, the folks at the fort have been preparing for it.”

“Talk about overreacting. Then again, maybe not; Agias is popular.”

“Besides, General Bandkan is one of us.”

The rumor goes that Agias, driven to the Frontier after a dispute over succession, is planning a revolt with me and Marius in tow. It’s not completely unreasonable, I suppose. My father’s only concerns are of loyalty to the throne, and my brother Nazarus is completely covered in the rot that is noble society. Thus, it was always Agias who took charge of the Willow forces. Eventually, he was punished for hunting down monsters, which was seen as “misappropriating war funds.” Then, without resisting or talking to anyone, he left.

Some time later, out of the blue, he sent us a letter—the bastard was doing just fine. Honestly, I felt compelled to action at the time, that’s why I brought Marius along with me.

“In retrospect, a revolt seems so carefree,” I remark.

“Heh heh. Those are the words of a big man. I remember when you called Agias a freak during our reunion.”

“What else could I have said? There was no way I could have known that that thing he was doing was training... It’s amazing I didn’t draw my sword right there. Besides, you fought alongside me.”

“I wanted to train with the both of you; the reason didn’t matter.”

“No wonder you didn’t stop me. Remind me to keep a closer eye on you.”

We both chuckle as our eyes wander ahead. Agias’ gaze is locked on the south. He doesn’t seem panicked in the least. We left the foot soldiers behind with Father Felipo, while the cavalry raced on ahead.

“You think there’s enough time?” Whether Marius’s question refers to us or Lady Kuroi, I cannot say.

What can we save if we get there in time, anyway? What will be lost if we don’t make it? There’s no room for error in this war. Agias’s resoluteness is reassuring, at least.

“I’m sure Lady Kuroi will make it in time,” I assure, half praying. The situation seems too forlorn to do anything else. “Besides, she won’t be outnumbered even if she’s alone. She’s a one-girl army, after all. If the fort still stands, she should be able to figure something out.”

“The times are in such chaos... but yeah, you might be right.”

“See?”

“But it’s not like Lady Kuroi doesn’t get tired, right?”

“Of course not, she just has more stamina than me or even Agias.”

“Right. She’s got all that training on top of God’s blessing.”

“Yeah, we’ve even been doing it at night around the fire lately...”

Good, Marius is back to normal. Some color’s even returned to his cheeks.

I gaze at the horizon far ahead. I have the feeling that death and farewell await us—a military man’s constant companions. No matter what I do, I just can’t shake off this premonition.

Agias barks some orders. We’re heading to the next watering hole. Nice, let’s ride so I can stop thinking. Let’s ride as far as we can, towards the horizon.