War Chronicles of the Land of Twilight

―In the eastern borderlands of the demon territory known as the [Land of twilight].

 A castle without walls stood alone in the middle of a vast plain without any obstacles. In one of the rooms of this castle, a man was sitting at a desk, writing something. He dipped his quill pen in ink occasionally and continued to write on parchment paper. The man was wearing a cotton shirt with long sleeves that he had rolled up to his elbows, giving a casual look to his upper body. However, his lower body was covered in heavy armor.

Next to the desk where the man was writing, there was a sturdy coat rack that held a full set of upper body armor and a helmet that covered his entire face. The armor had a deep black lacquer-like color with golden patterns placed in some areas, representing the man’s high status.

The man had a face that looked like he was in his late twenties in human terms, and his skin had a yellowish tint. He was completely focused on his writing, and although his mouth was closed, he occasionally let out a small sigh as if remembering something.

A knocking sound came from outside the room. ‘’Come in, it’s open,’’ the man said.

He put down his pen and waited as the door opened, revealing a black-armored knight standing in the doorway. The knight was wearing a helmet that covered his face even though he was inside the room. Despite the muffled voice, it was clear that the knight’s voice had not yet changed, sounding like that of a young boy.

“Is that you, Berukuto? What’s up?”

“It’s time for the scheduled shift change for the surveillance personnel.”

“Oh, I see. Is it already that time?”

The man at the desk extends his right hand to his waist and searches for the pocket watch connected to the armored part of his waist with a chain, opens the lid, and checks the dial.

“Yes. It’s past 3:15 pm. Lord Gorda.”

Berukuto also had a pocket watch with the same structure as the man at the desk hanging from his armor. Looking at the dial of his own pocket watch, Berukuto informs Gorda, the man at the desk, of the time.

“If you’re not used to it, your sense of time gets messed up.”

As Gorda sits in his chair, he turns his tired shoulders and neck, making a creaking sound from the stiffness.

“Rather than swinging a heavy sword, holding this light pen makes my shoulders much stiffer. It’s a funny story.”

“That’s because Lord Gorda is a warrior.”

“You’re good at flattery, Berukuto. I want to be like that… However, no matter what world you’re in, those who hold a position like mine always get this kind of work.” Looking at the bundle of parchment spread out on the desk, Gorda muttered bitterly.

“What are you talking about?”

“It’s just a soliloquy. Don’t worry about it.”

＊＊＊＊＊＊

Suddenly, a high-pitched whistle echoed throughout the fortress. Of course, the sound of the whistle also reached the ears of Gorda and Berukuto.

“Enemy attack,” Berukuto calmly reported in a boy’s voice.

“It seems so. Again, from the ‘Land of the Rising Sun’… it’s been happening a lot lately,” Gorda replied.

“We were in the middle of a shift change. There may have been a slight delay in detection,” Berukuto explained.

“It shouldn’t be a problem. This is a vast plain, so even if the detection was a little delayed, it won’t make a big difference,” Gorda assured.

“What are your orders, Gorda-sama?” Berukuto asked.

“Draw your swords and prepare for battle. Wait at the main gate of the fortress until I’m ready to lead the charge,” Gorda ordered.

“Understood,” Berukuto replied, relaying the orders to the others, while Gorda adjusted his armor and sleeves before heading towards the weapon rack.

Watching him leave, Berukuto repeated the orders: “Draw your swords and prepare for battle. We will wait at the main gate of the fortress until Gorda-sama is ready to lead the charge.”

Hearing Berukuto’s echo, Gorda couldn’t help but slightly relax his mouth.

“Very well.”

＊＊＊＊＊＊

―At the same moment, on the large plain in front of the fortress, the army of the Human Kingdom of “Land of the Rising Sun” was stationed.

“Movement at Izun Fortress. Demon troops are deploying in front of the fortress,” reported the reconnaissance soldier, peering through his binoculars.

“Hmph, they’re a nervous bunch,” laughed the human who seemed to be the general, towering over the others.

“Even if we station a considerable force on the Land of Twilight side of the border, they won’t even flinch. But the moment they step even a step over, this is what happens. I had heard they were disciplined, but they are eerie in their precision,” he continued.

“Just like the bureaucrats in an office,” commented one of the soldiers around him.

“Indeed. The way they maintain their control, it’s almost like they’re human. We might face some pain if we underestimate them,” the general said, frowning as he observed the demon knights forming their formation in front of the fortress through his binoculars.

“What do you suggest, sir? Should we charge before they complete their formation?” asked another soldier.

“Not a bad idea, but it wouldn’t be elegant if they move with such discipline,” the general replied, standing up and putting on the helmet he had been holding. He carried a mace with a blade on its end on his shoulder and gave the order: “From this moment on, the East Garrison of ‘the Land of Twilight’ and the ‘Izun Cavalry Unit’ will confront each other. Let’s begin with negotiations. All units, advance.”

＊＊＊＊＊＊

―― Before the fortress of Izun, on a vast plain. The Izun Cavalry, from the land of “Yoi no Kuni” (Land of the twilight), and the Order of Knights from the land of “Ake no Kuni” (Land of the rising sun), face each other.

“Soldiers of the Land of rising sun, this is already our territory, the demon territory of Yoi no Kuni. Your army has crossed the border. Leave immediately,” warned Gorda, clad in jet-black armor, standing in front of the human army, with the Izun Cavalry orderly lined up behind him, numbering about 50.

“I presume you are the general of the Izun cavalry. I am Demirov , a knight serving the Land of  the rising sun,” responded the leader of the human army, whose forces numbered over 200. Among the knights of the Land of Dawn, who wore silver armor, only Demirov ‘s armor and mace were a light blue color, different from the others.

“Let me be frank. Abandon the fortress immediately and surrender. This is not a warning, but a final ultimatum,” said Demirov .

Tension ran through the ranks of the Izun Cavalry.

“… To give a final ultimatum out of the blue, how rude,” muttered Gorda, accompanied by Berukuto, in a surprised tone, breaking his serious tone.

“Indeed, I am the leader of the Izun Cavalry. Did you give us an ultimatum, Sir Demirov ? Are you asking us to abandon the defense of Yoi no Kuni?” Gorda asked.

“That’s right. The difference in our military strength is 4 to 1. Moreover, how much chance does your army, who do not even carry shields, have to win? If you surrender, we will not treat you roughly. I hope you make a wise decision,” replied Sir Demirov calmly.

As Sir Demirov pointed out, not a single knight in the Izun Cavalry carried a shield. The Order of Knights from the Land of Dawn was equipped with a variety of weapons, including shields, longswords, spears, bows, and maces, while the Izun Cavalry had a single uniform equipment: a jet-black full-body armor and a slim sword (similar in shape to a Japanese sword) sheathed at the waist, used for both offense and defense.

Two armies faced each other, with tension filling the air, when the silence was broken by the laughter of Gorda. Chuckling, Gorda laughed while shaking his shoulders.

“You dare to talk big… You said Demirov? You insult our Izun cavalry…”

“…Words won’t make you understand. After all, you are just a demon race,” Demirov replied, his tone becoming more aggressive.

There was a moment of silence.

In the far distance of the great plain, a bird chirped loudly. As a signal, the tension that had been building up reached its limit and burst.

“Charge, all troops!” Demirov shouted.

“All cavalry, draw your swords! Let’s meet them!” Gorda unsheathed his sword and signaled.