“Sorry about this, Harumi,” Kiriha apologized. “Normally you shouldn’t have to come out.”
Harumi’s appearance had actually been on Kiriha’s orders. She’d realized that it was dangerous to leave the situation as it was. That said, if the Gray Knight did show up and attack, they would be in trouble. Therefore, the soldiers protecting Harumi had been ordered to retreat with Harumi if the Gray Knight appeared.
“It is certainly dangerous, but now is the time to fight,” Harumi said. “Not to mention, if the Gray Knight has even more strength remaining, we won’t have a chance of winning anyway.”
“So you’ve noticed, Harumi,” Kiriha commented.
“Yes. I know a little more about Signaltin than everyone else.”
In terms of forces, the Liberation Army was at around the most they could field, considering the forces that would have been on board the enemy battleships. Even if the Gray Knight ambushed them with additional forces, those numbers wouldn’t be enough to change the outcome of the battle. It was the Gray Knight himself who was the problem. If he could use even more power of chaos, Koutarou’s side was likely to lose. Harumi’s forces would be attacked from behind and fall, and the Nefilforan unit’s battlelines would collapse.
However, Harumi and Kiriha surmised that was unlikely. The Gray Knight had already used a large amount of chaos power when he’d launched his surprise attack in space. On top of that, he had summoned the gray monsters. Harumi’s senses told her that he had overused that power. Moreover, if he had more power and fought normally, he would lose. He no longer had enough strength to fight back against Signaltin, so the outcome would be the same whether or not Harumi fought.
“You’re not wrong there,” Kiriha said.
“So I will be going too,” Harumi stated.
“Please do.”
“I will be waiting,” Theia fearlessly said.
“Yes!” Harumi agreed with a nod.
With that, the call ended, and Theia looked surprisingly energetic.
“Haha, I can’t let you be the only one looking good!”
Her hands instinctively gripped her gun tighter. If Harumi was coming forward, there was no time for Theia to be feeling down. She had to show that she was the Golden Princess, the Blue Knight’s lord, to herself and those around her.
When that unit appeared, the first thing the Liberation Army saw was a battle flag they had never seen. The crest was a silvery flower with snowflakes on its petals. It was somehow similar to Empress Alaia’s crest. The next thing that caught their eyes was the person carrying the flag. She had beautiful long silver hair, fluttering in the wind. After being reminded of Alaia by the battle flag, confusion spread among the Liberation Army’s soldiers.
“Brave soldiers of the Imperial Army, hear me! We will now head for His Excellency, the Blue Knight! Do not allow anyone to hinder us! Defeat all who stand in our way, and open a path to the Blue Knight!”
The figure gave an encouraging speech in a dignified and beautiful voice. Hearing that, the morale of the Imperial Army skyrocketed, while that of the Liberation Army dropped. The girl’s dignified figure convinced the Liberation Army that another legendary figure had appeared.
A soldier screamed.
“Calm down! Get back to your positions! There is no way she is the real one!” another said.
“But...”
“It’s just a plan to make it look like that! Keep firing!”
The pincer attack was already devastating, especially when performed by veteran soldiers. Demanding that the scraped-together forces not to panic was too much to ask. The presence of the figure leading the Imperial Army further accelerated that panic.
“Wind that blows through the heavens, water that moistens the earth, with these two pillars of power, appear, spirits of lightning! Rise up from the black clouds and become the harbinger to vanquish my enemies! Shatter! Hammer of the Lightning God!”
Finally, the powerful lightning attack from the vanguard of the battle flag pulled the trigger. With a bright flash, lightning ran across the battlefield and directly hit the antiair weapons from behind. The strike caused a large explosion, and the antiair weapons blew one another up.
“It’s Empress Alaia! She’s here!” a soldier screamed.
“We have made a huge mistake! Oh, please forgive us, Empress Alaia! This wasn’t what we wanted!” another shouted.
“There is no way that is her! Empress Alaia lived two thousand years ago!” another soldier said, attempting to calm the others.
“Are you blind?! Who is it if not Empress Alaia?! Signaltin is glowing in the Blue Knight’s hands even as we speak!”
The Liberation Army started to stampede and flee. Those who saw the girl directly could tell that she looked just like Empress Alaia, whose portrait they had seen since childhood. The legend had also been told to them time and time again.
The appearance of the girl with the battle flag who looked like Empress Alaia caused panic to spread throughout the Liberation Army. However, even the girl in question, Harumi, was a little confused.
“I feel like I did something unthinkable...”
Everything had been a bluff. The soldiers escorting her had suggested that she acted like Alaia to put pressure on the enemy, and she’d done it in spite of being unconvinced. She didn’t have any confidence, but she wanted to do something to contribute to their victory. And since the soldiers around her were risking their lives to fight, she couldn’t afford to be picky.
“It worked even better than expected. Thank you very much, Harumi-sama.”
The captain of the guard unit—technically the vice captain under Harumi—saluted her with a serious expression. A portion of the enemy was confused, and their allies’ morale had increased. There was nothing more welcome than that on the battlefield.
“So, that was what the flag was for,” Harumi said, looking at the battle flag in her hands. She had been quite perplexed when they had suggested that she create her own flag, but now she understood. Harumi looked like Alaia and held a battle flag that looked like Alaia’s. It encouraged allies and shaved away at the enemy’s will to fight.
“Yes. Skill, equipment, and morale are the three factors that determine a soldier’s strength. And you have the overwhelming power to change one of those. Your cooperation is a great help,” the captain said.
“It’s just a shame that it’s all a bluff...” Harumi replied with a wry smile.
The outcome wasn’t due to her own strength. Alaia’s earnest efforts in the past were influencing even the present. Everything was borrowed, so Harumi didn’t see it as something she had accomplished herself.