The Asakura army advanced, and that's where the skirmishes began.
Everyone thought it was nothing more than a skirmish between hot-headed troops.
However, the situation was becoming more serious than anticipated.
"Ho...ho
A gigantic monster suddenly appeared, and a monstrous voice echoed through the battlefield, which had fallen silent as if struck by lightning.
I knew that cry.
This monster once echoed throughout Sugawa Castle, terrifying the women and forcing them to light bonfires and maintain a state of high alert.
But it should only appear at night—
"W-Why... Why in broad daylight ...?!"梟owl
—All the soldiers around me were staring at the monster that had suddenly attacked with eyes full of astonishment.
"There's no way... there's no way we can defeat a monster like that...!"
The soldiers stationed at the main camp were chattering their teeth together, completely terrified.
Seeing that, I intuitively understood.
If things continue like this, the front lines could collapse.
In war, the most important thing is morale.
If that is not maintained, even battles that could be won will become unwinnable.
"—Let's go."
"M-Master..."
As I pulled out the Ishiwari Kanemitsu sword and said this, the soldiers stationed at the main camp looked at me with startled expressions.
"What are you all so afraid of?"
With the silvery-blue blade gleaming in the sunlight, I looked around and said in a low voice:
"Who do you think I am...? If the owl appears, just kill it. It's as simple as that."
"My lord..."
"Compared to a hawk, it's not that much of a threat...at least not to me."
"My lord!"
Even a small touch of flair can instantly brighten the faces of the soldiers.
They saw me as an exceptional warrior who had successfully completed a falconry expedition.
He probably thought, "With me there, everything will surely work out."
"That's right, we have our master...!"
"What's an owl? What's a monster?! Behind us are our beloved families! We can't retreat now and let Asakura into our country!"許嫁Fiancé
"Everyone, grab your nets! Those who can ride horses, mount them and follow our lord's orders!!"
The soldiers made the necessary preparations without me having to give them any specific instructions.
Of course, they know far more about how to deal with monsters than I do, having been transported to this world from modern society.
Rather than me interfering unnecessarily, it's best to let them prepare it themselves.
My role is simply to inspire them and ensure their resolve doesn't waver. Or rather, that's all I can do.
"Alright, then those on horseback, follow me—we're going to hurry. Those on foot, run ahead, just like with the hawks... your strength will be absolutely essential!"
"Yes!!"
But, to be honest, I was filled with anxiety and impatience.
The owl must have appeared near where Princess Osamu's troops were stationed.
She is now one of the most important and irreplaceable women in my life.
The thought that Princess Osamu was in danger made me incredibly anxious and restless.
"Each of you, rise to the occasion! The future of Omi rests in your hands!!!"
"Yess
Haruhime is a woman who embodies self-sacrifice and self-sacrifice.
That spirit is not only directed towards me, but also towards the members of the Takenaka faction who have been by her side ever since she was struggling in the depths of darkness.
Not only that, but as she demonstrated during the falconry hunt, she also had a habit of easily sacrificing her own life depending on the situation.
That's precisely my concern.
Although Haruhime has been smiling more often lately, she still has a strong tendency to disregard her own existence and life.蔑Naigashi
"After eliminating that monster, we will all bravely eliminate the Asakura army at once—keep going!!!"
Conch horns were blown to inspire the soldiers, and the sound of drums echoed throughout the area.銅鑼Dora
The war cries roared, shaking my eardrums and stirring my heart.
(But there shouldn't be any particular problem regarding Osamu...)
My thoughts became clear, and I figured out how to kill that owl precisely...
As I pondered that point in depth, I simultaneously began to process in my mind how we should deal with the Asakura army.
And then, a whirlwind of fighting spirit and murderous intent filled my mind.
Each time I travel back in time and go out onto the battlefield, my primal instinct for aggression grows stronger.
The more I fight, the more the reptilian brain seems to take over my mind—that's the feeling I get.
(If I eliminate that monster and kill all of Asakura's men—then Osamu won't get hurt...)
◆
A four-meter-long owl swings its massive arms, sending soldiers flying indiscriminately.
Then, he would suddenly grip anyone he touched with his fingertips, and as if to confirm the appearance of a captured soldier, he would bring their face close to his—and then crush it tightly.
The blood bursts like water balloons, soaking the heads and shoulders of the soldiers on the ground.
"Whoa... Aaaaaaaaaaaaah!?"
A death cry echoed from within the owl's hand.
The monster's pure white body was stained red, as if paint had been splattered all over it.
The enormous fist slammed down, sending dust flying.
Far from being flattened , the ground was deeply indented, revealing the remains of soldiers who had been crushed to death.均Then
"Hoo... Hohohohohohoho"
Kicking up dust, the owl destroyed the Takenaka clan's main camp and advanced towards the fourth line of defense.
"No way... an owl at a time like this... why..."
As she glared at his retreating figure, Osamu growled.
But contrary to those voices, she had finished precisely maintaining the matchlock gun and was pressing lead bullets mixed with fine fragments of fluorite into the barrel.
"But no matter how you ask 'why,' there's only one answer... 'The owl is actually there.'"
As she lit the matchlock, raised her matchlock gun on horseback, and aimed it, Princess Osamu murmured.
"Then I will simply deal with it. For Lord Bizen-no-kami's sake, I will do everything I can. No matter what happens to me as a result—"
As Princess Oji focused on the owl crouching down to destroy the fourth line of barricades, she calmly and carefully aimed and pulled the trigger.
The matchlock gun fired with a loud bang.
A shimmering silvery-blue light within the dark, leaden bullet.
It is rapidly propelled by the explosion of gunpowder, traverses the air at high speed amidst screams, and then collides with the owl's body.
Owls are monsters. Human attacks are completely ineffective against them.
However, the lead bullet that struck the owl's body was crushed, and the fragments of the fluorite gemstone embedded in it protruded with the force of the impact.
While lead may be ineffective, the shimmering, silvery-blue stone is a powerful weapon against monsters.
Although the fragment of fluorite hadn't pierced him completely, the sudden pain from the shard embedded in his back made the owl straighten his spine and scratch at the spot.
"As expected, even a giant owl like that is effective... Everyone, aim at that owl! Let's draw its attention to us and minimize damage to the other camps!!"
"Have you heard me, everyone? It is our princess's order... All of you with guns, load yourselves—fire!!"玉蛍弾Gyokukeidan
At the old general's command, bullets were fired one after another from a dozen or so guns, and almost all of them hit the owl's massive body.
The owl was scratching its back, but the gunfire from the Takenaka group only scratched the surface of its skin and did not inflict a fatal wound.
"Ho ho, ho ho ho ho ho ho...!!"
"W-Why...!?"
The owl was furious. It was indeed furious, but after just a glance at Princess Chihime and the others, the monster focused solely on destroying the formation.
And beside the owl are two figures on horseback.
As if to shield them, the owl skillfully positioned itself in the line of fire of the Takenaka faction, continuing its destructive actions.
"It's almost as if... I'm protecting those people..."
"Princess, that can't be true..."
"But look at what that monster is doing."
As Haruhime kept her eyes fixed on the owl's back, she issued instructions to the Takenaka faction.
"Send messengers to each camp! Tell them not to approach that owl! And tell them to dismantle their camps and retreat quickly!"
As she reloaded her matchlock gun with new firefly bullets, Princess Osamu addressed the men standing beside her.
"That owl...it's far too accustomed to humans...! If it's a monster tamed by Asakura, then as soon as the two on horseback escape, it might launch a full-scale attack on us!!"
"Y-Yes, understood!"
Haruhime watched the men run away in a panic, biting her lip and gripping her matchlock gun tightly.
"If, just if, that owl is allied with the Asakura army... the Asakura army might launch an attack in conjunction with the owl's movements."
Just as she muttered that, a messenger came running towards Princess Osamu, shouting, "Messenger! Messenger!"
"What's wrong? ...Could it be that Asakura has made a move?"
"Yes, yes! About 2,000 Asakura troops are charging down the mountain and heading towards Nakanogo! Their banners are...the same as those of the Asai family!"
"...I see, I understand."
Haruhime smiled and nodded to the messenger, then glared sharply ahead.
An owl is hooting.
The monster raised its arms high and let out a cry that should have been heard at night, but was now in broad daylight.
And from the front, soldiers from the Kuchiki clan and others are retreating.
"...I'll move forward!"
"P-Princess...?!"
Ignoring her panicked retainers, Princess Osamu rode her horse against the flow of people, heading in the direction of the owl.
"If we can blind it...! Then it won't be a threat anymore!"
"But it's dangerous!"
"Even if it's dangerous, we have to do it!!"
Haruhime said, her emotions clearly visible.
"If it serves that person... Lord Bizen-no-kami, then I don't care about my own body at all!!"
"P-Princess...!"
"If we don't stop the Owl's movements here, the Asakura army may break through! There are civilians behind us...and my wife is there too!! We must blind the Owl, restrict its movements, and then confront the Asakura army—that would be the best course of action!!!"
"But that so-called best move would be to—"
As if to say that this was the end of the discussion, Haruhime whipped her horse, leaving her pursuing retainers behind.
"—Princess!"
Gritting her teeth at the voices of her retainers behind her, but without looking back, Princess Osamu rode her horse forward.
(I probably won't be able to have children...)
In the line of sight of Princess Haruhime, two figures rode away on a single horse, and an owl stood there, seemingly watching them go.
"But, but... the lady will bear Lord Bizen's child...! Lord Bizen's will will be passed on to the next generation through his child...!"
Then, the owl slowly turned its body and faced the direction of the Asai army.
"I cannot leave anything behind, but I will serve as the foundation for my wife who will...! Even if I cannot leave behind any blood... But! At the very least, I will leave behind this will...!!"
As she brought her horse to a sudden halt, Princess Osamu raised her matchlock gun and began to aim.
The owl's face has enormous eyeballs that take up more than half of its surface.
Owls are creatures that act based on visual information, just like humans.
Therefore, if she could just injure its eyeball, she could immobilize it—that's what Haruhime thought.
"The target is big, I absolutely cannot miss it...!"
And the moment Haruhime's gun barrel was pointed at the owl's face—
"--picture...?"
Haruhime's eyes widened in surprise, and she briefly turned the muzzle of her gun away.
But that was a bad idea.
"Ho, ho...ho, ho
The owl charges forward, kicking up dust, its face covered by its enormous hands.
Along the way, the trees that had been growing were broken, and the owl grabbed one of them and threw it towards Princess Osamu.
"a--"
In an instant, Princess Haruhime raised the horse's upper body in an attempt to avoid the impact, but she could not eliminate the shock that was being transmitted from the horse's belly.
I felt a heavy thud in my lower abdomen, and then, along with the horse, I was thrown into the air, crashing into the ground on my right shoulder and rolling over.
"Ahhh... ahh..."
Haruhime writhed like a caterpillar in agony as intense pain shot through her body.
Fortunately, his shoulder didn't seem to be broken, but he had received such a strong impact throughout his body that he could barely breathe.
Even when I tried to breathe, I couldn't inhale; instead, air just kept leaking out of my mouth.
The stallion, who had suddenly risen to his feet, stared intently at Princess Osamu.
Then, after a few seconds, his eyes, which had been fixed on her in agony, suddenly turned away—and he disappeared into the mountains.
Horses that are left unattended return to the wild.
That's the case in this world .理rule
Since there was no sound of Taishakutsukige's voice, it was only natural that the stallion would follow reason and leave Princess Chihime behind.
"Osamu, Osamu, Osamu... Osamu!!"
I felt as if I could hear the voice of the man who taught me about happiness, from afar.
"Hoo...hoo..."
In the blurry vision of Princess Osamu, she could see the enormous eyes of an owl.
The owl stood there, shielding Princess Osamu from the sun.
Then, both hands are clasped together and raised high.
"When that weapon is brought down, I will die," Haruhime thought.
"Ah...ah..."
But why is that...?
As she watched the descending fist in slow motion through her swaying vision, she thought:
Since I'm going to die anyway, I'd like to know.
Why are you doing that, even to the point of suffering and crying?
"Piiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!"
"Ho, hohohohohohohoho!?"
But what struck Princess Osamu was not the owl's fist, but the brilliantly shining sunlight.
Along with the thud of flesh colliding, the sound of the owl's massive body falling echoed.
She instinctively closed her eyes to block out the strong sunlight, and then she heard the sound of a horse's hooves kicking the dirt, followed by the footsteps of a man dismounting and running towards her.
"Ah... Osamu, Osamu, Osamu Osamu Osamu Osamu Osamu!!!"
"Ah...ah...you..."
"You don't have to talk! Ah...ah...are you okay, are you okay, Osamu...!!"
As she was lifted up and shaken by the voice of the man she loved, what she saw before her eyes was—
"Piiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!"
—It was the same wounded, gigantic creature I'd seen in the forest some time ago.