Chapter 56. Fortress Assault Operation (1)
The midnight fortress was vast and silent.
A rocky canyon winding like the back of a crouching giant.
A natural fortress situated high at its dead end.
A defensive facility once called impregnable.
Enoch briefly surveyed the surroundings to assess.
‘I can see why the Beast-kin warriors who came to subjugate earlier struggled.’
A large defensive facility impossible to breach if they decided to hold out. Enoch recalled the memory from just moments before.
[I will tell you all the information we know about the enemy.]
Moments ago.
When the fortress assault was decided.
Coyotl, the leader of the Beast-kin warriors, had briefed them about the enemies.
[The enemies identified inside the fortress number around forty. Composed of exiles who were outstanding warriors.]
Coyotl presented a photograph and said.
[The one to be wary of is their leader. ‘Leontos’.]
Coyotl continued.
[Two years ago, until his exile, he was the village's foremost warrior. But one day, he suddenly started committing indiscriminate attacks on nearby villages.]
In short, a ‘terrorist group’ formed by the exiles.
Their leader was the previously heard 「Leontos」.
[And most of the other exiles gathered in the fortress are his accomplices. Mostly his subordinates.]
Coyotl let out a short sigh and said.
[The whereabouts of the missing Elsyde-affiliated mages are likely known by him too. Because the exiles, and some Vendetta forces, move according to his instructions.]
Immediately after he finished his brief briefing.
Teano opposite spoke up in a low voice.
[Our objective is the capture of the Beast-kin exiles, especially the aforementioned ‘Leontos’.]
Teano spoke as if reminding the Elsyde mages gathered in the room of the objective again.
[The purpose of this Allied Mission is to investigate signs of rebellion and search for the missing mage. We must assault the fortress and capture the exiles alive.]
A few expressions darkened, as expected.
Naturally, capturing alive was several times harder than killing.
The Allied Mission participants were all veterans recognized by Elsyde. There was no way they didn't know that fact.
But Teano’s words didn't end there.
[Furthermore, to prevent the risk of them escaping, we must move stealthily with only a small number of personnel.]
Moreover, an operation requiring only a few to move.
The terrain was already difficult to breach.
All in all, it was by no means an easy mission.
To the extent that they had to be prepared for casualties on their side.
However, no one opposed the operation.
Because it was obvious to anyone that such an assault operation had the highest chance of succeeding in the mission.
[First, we need a way to breach the fortress walls.]
One Elsyde-affiliated mage spoke calmly.
[The fortress outer walls are high. Breaching them with average magic is impossible, and trying to climb over will result in being attacked midway. To breach the entrance, a frontal assault is….]
Just then, Enoch, before them, quietly opened his mouth.
[A frontal assault seems possible?]
[……?]
The bewildered gazes of the surrounding mages listening to the briefing gathered on Enoch.
And Enoch immediately asked the wolf-eared girl who had been quietly listening to the briefing beside him.
“Right?”
Again, the midnight fortress just before the assault.
Sirocco, nonchalantly yawning while leaning against the rock cliff shadow right beside where Enoch hid his body.
Glancing down at her briefly, Enoch asked the same question as back during the briefing.
“That level, you can easily breach it, right.”
Twitch.
At Enoch’s question, she flicked her wolf ears atop her head, just like before.
And Sirocco looked up at Enoch, grinned like back then, and answered matter-of-factly.
“Of course!”
***
Before the massive rampart of the fortress.
Enoch slowly walked out from the shadow of the rock cliff where he hid his body, revealing himself.
Moonlight clearly illuminated his silhouette.
Enoch, without hiding his presence, headed straight towards the wide-open fortress gate in a direct line.
Even though it was night, there was no way they wouldn't notice him approaching so obviously from atop the fortress.
“Halt!”
Naturally, a rough voice immediately pierced Enoch’s ears from atop the fortress.
“Not a Beast-kin.”
Enoch stopped walking instead of answering.
Then he slowly looked up.
Atop the high, massive rampart of the fortress. Mages gripping crude magic gears were revealing themselves.
Enoch’s eyes narrowed at the pointed beast ears and horns visible on their heads in the moonlight.
Needless to say.
They were the Beast-kin exiled from the tribe.
“…Then must be Elsyde? Did just one of you bastards come looking for lost comrades?”
They chattered amongst themselves, mocking Enoch.
But Enoch returned their words right back.
“Not Leontos though.”
Enoch retorted in a calm voice.
“Send him out.”
“……What?”
As if doubting their own ears, the animal ears atop the exiled Beast-kins’ heads trembled all at once.
Enoch nonchalantly added another word.
“Not the small fry. Show me the head.”
Though midnight, their contorted expressions were clearly visible in the moonlight.
Enoch smiled inwardly.
This much aggro should be certain.
For her, just buying a few seconds was enough.
To the guys hesitating in confusion and anger, Enoch spoke crookedly, as if taking the provocation to its peak.
“Not coming out? Then I guess I’ll have to come find you.”
“This, crazy…”
But that Beast-kin couldn't finish his words.
Because he suddenly noticed a red afterimage cutting through the midnight darkness like wind from far away.
In the darkness, beside the fortress wall, on the slanted rocky cliff.
There was one red shadow sprinting at full speed along the sheer cliff face.
Taaaang!
The next moment, that small figure completed its run-up along the cliff face and leaped high.
The red silhouette soared up above the fortress wall, quickly crossing over, kicking upwards.
Pooow!
Simultaneously. The jaw of the Beast-kin who had bristled at Enoch’s provocation on the rampart immediately snapped upwards.
“Keoheoook!”
The exile, struck squarely in the face by the invisibly fast kick, rolled off the high rampart.
Seeing that, the faces of the remaining exiles on the fortress instantly hardened.
Tok.
The girl’s slender bare foot touched the fortress rampart.
The red mana wrapped around her ankle glowed faintly in the darkness like a thin accessory.
“Surely…!”
The Beast-kins’ eyes widened. Those who lived in the village couldn't possibly not know.
The rightful heir of the vast rocky desert.
Descendant of the great Chieftain Lycaon of the past.
The genius who manifested the pinnacle of magic, ‘Unique Magic’.
“…S-Sirocco Lycaon…!”
But before his words finished.
Whooong!
The girl’s red eyes approached instantly. The exile raised his magic gear, but it was already too late.
Sirocco, sprinting straight ahead, kicked off the ground with her left foot. Crack, the ground caved in significantly.
Jumping high, she tucked her knees and glided powerfully, striking the guy squarely in the chest.
An intense knee kick landed.
Instantly, along with a fierce explosion, the air above the fortress rampart burst outwards, wind swirling violently.
“Keoheooook!”
The enemy’s body, unable to withstand the shock seemingly penetrating his entire being, was flung far back, crashing loudly into the thick stone wall of the fortress.
Seeing their comrade knocked out, the remaining exiles shouted, gripping their magic gears in panic.
“The Chieftain’s young heir. Y-You bitch, why are you here…!”
Sirocco, landing lightly after spinning half a circle in the air naturally, retorted, looking at them.
“I kept wanting to ask you guys.”
Sirocco’s red hair, speaking coolly, flowed in the night wind.
Her ruby-like eyes, receiving the moonlight, shone clearly like a wolf’s.
“Why exactly are you guys, who were the proud warriors of our tribe, doing such things.”
“Kugh!”
Instead of answering, the remaining exiles gritted their teeth, raised their magic gears, and deployed magic.
Their physical enhancement type magic circles arrayed in the air.
Simultaneously, Sirocco, confirming the enemy’s movement, immediately lowered her body and dashed forward swiftly like a gale.
Whirik!
Sirocco pushed off the ground and leaped.
Then, spinning her body rapidly sideways three times in mid-air, she swung her leg. Instantly, a powerful high kick exploded against the guy’s side.
“Keok!”
The guy, thrown back hard by the tremendous impact, crashed, breaking the rampart floor.
Sirocco landed, smoothly turning her body.
In that gap, another enemy swung his magic gear. The stone axe-shaped magic gear aimed for her body.
But Sirocco, with light movements, leaped high into the sky like an acrobat, evading the enemy’s attack.
The enemy, momentarily wide-eyed at such agile movement.
Sirocco gave him a smirk, then quickly spun her opposite leg while airborne and kicked.
A roundhouse kick exploded against the guy’s side.
With that single strike, Kuung, the air across the entire top of the fortress wall vibrated greatly.
The guy, losing balance in both legs from the instantly overwhelming shock, fell off the fortress wall.
“Kraaaaaaaaak─!”
A scream fading down the rampart.
Watching his comrades instantly neutralized, the last exile remaining atop the rampart aimed his magic gear, deployed a magic circle, and yelled.
“You brat who knows nothing! You ask why we do this?”
He shouted loudly, panting.
“We made a deal with Vendetta! To guarantee the future of the tribe destined for ruin otherwise!”
The guy, having swiftly constructed a physical enhancement magic circle on his body, shouted at Sirocco in fury.
“We act for the future of the Beast-kin!”
A roar close to a bellow.
Thus, the last exile charged towards the red-haired girl, gripping the stone axe-like magic gear.
But Sirocco herself just stood still, staring at the guy, and muttered quietly.
“…Don’t make me laugh.”
Sirocco, merely a girl of fifteen or sixteen.
In contrast, the Beast-kin charging at her wielding a crude magic gear was a massive warrior.
Even at a glance, the difference in physique was clearly Sirocco’s disadvantage.
The massive exile, closing the distance instantly, pulled his shoulder back greatly.
With a Booong sound of tearing air, the stone axe-shaped magic gear rushed towards her small head.
And it was then that Sirocco moved.
Whoosh!
Sirocco leaned her upper body greatly, evading the attack.
And just like that, spinning her body around, she delivered a powerful backward kick.
Pooooow!
The spinning back kick, imbued with rotational force, drew a large arc and struck the guy squarely in the abdomen.
The guy flew back hard in the opposite direction he charged, broke the rampart railing, and began to fall.
Whoosh!
Sirocco immediately leaped down after him, pursuing.
She struck the falling exile’s back with a kick, slamming him vertically straight into the ground.
Kuuuuuuung!
An immense roar echoed, dust clouds rising.
When the dust settled, Sirocco had already landed on the ground, stepping on the back of the half-unconscious exile.
“What, you uncles talk big, but.”
Sirocco brought a hand to her mouth and burst out laughing at the exiles she stepped on.
“You’re re~ally weak, aren’t you?”
Then Sirocco suddenly noticed a lever on the fortress wall beside the guy she was stepping on.
Just like that, she kicked the fortress gate locking lever with her other foot.
Thump!
Along with complex metallic noises, the massive fortress gate opened with a heavy sound.
Meanwhile, Enoch, confirming the gate opening from outside the fortress, started walking.
Seeing Enoch walking through the open gate, Sirocco, still pressing down the prone Beast-kin exile firmly with one foot, turned her head and said.
“Just like you said, I opened the fortress gate.”
“Good work.”
“Yup!”
Sirocco smiled brightly and wagged her tail once.
The exile she subdued squirmed beneath Sirocco, who stepped on his back with one foot.
Surprisingly, the Beast-kin exile was quite alright, considering he was hit by Sirocco and fell from such a high rampart.
‘Well, Beast-kin bodies are said to be sturdy.’
Just then, the fallen guy groaned, spitting out ragged breaths, and laboriously lifted his head.
He looked at the figures of the two people who came into his view, his expression slowly contorting.
“…It was just as that person said.”
Looking at the black-haired boy and the red-haired wolf-eared girl standing before him, the Beast-kin exile slowly muttered.
“Elsyde has joined hands with our tribe.”
Enoch replied nonchalantly.
“Exiles have quite the sense of belonging? ‘Our’ tribe?”
The guy shouted back in malice.
“…Ha! Even if you breached the fortress main gate, do you think just the two of you can face all of us?”
Wheeeeing!
Already inside the massive fortress, perhaps due to modifications by Vendetta, loud alarm sirens were blaring.
The exile smirked distortedly.
The terrain inside the fortress was no different from a complex maze.
And naturally, using the terrain for ambushes or setting traps for counterattacks was a strong advantage for the defending side.
No matter how much that Elsyde guy was accompanied by Sirocco, they couldn't ignore that.
But Enoch replied with a composed expression.
“Just the two of us? Surely not.”
I have prepared cards too.
And overtaking Enoch, several figures flashed past into the darkness inside the fortress.
The exile’s eyes, confirming their identities, filled with horror. The exile muttered quietly, his mouth suddenly dry with tension.
“El-Elsyde’s……!”
Mages in modernized metal magic gear and black robes.
The white family crest engraved on the arms and backs of their black robes flickered in the night as they passed him.
─Elsyde family combat mages.
One of them spoke lowly.
“Entering operation area.”
They melted into the darkness of the fortress like organized ghosts and began carrying out their mission.
“Commencing.”