Tower of Karma Chapter 53

“What! Why is that guy here…? Besides, using horses is cheating!”

Having intuitively thrown away her advantageous position, Nikka pulled back. Considering the result, it had been the correct decision. And because of that, she was irritated.

“That´s bad s.h.i.+t. That guy… Is he at Volf´s and Ywain´s cla.s.s?”

Nikka glared at her whining subordinates. Her subordinates had their heads hanging down.

“Let´s run away for now, Nikka. We will get killed by Volf if you get taken down.”

“…Don´t treat me like I´m his woman.”

“We know well enough about your strength. We know you´ve been putting effort so that you can keep up with those two. We are your subordinates after all. But as to be expected, we can´t be loitering around here wasting time against someone like him, or we won´t be able to escape. If we run into him, we will all get killed.” (TL note: ->だけど、さすがにあんな相手にうろつかれたら自由に動けねえよ<- i="" don´t="" get="" it="" about="" that="" “move="" freely”=""  hah…="" some="" lines="" make="" me="" want="" to="" bang="" my="" head="" at="" the="" wall.="" maybe="" it="" is="" something="" about="" their="" mobility,="" but="" i="" just="" put="" “escape”="" instead="" because="" i´m="" lazy="">

Although Nikka was making a sullen face, she didn´t say anything against. She at least knew that they couldn´t win. But even so, it was really tormenting to receive such a special treatment. Even if she had given up in being a normal girl, the others around her wouldn´t do the favor to so as well. That was vexing to her.

“Let´s leave that guy to Volf and Ywain. Perhaps even Anatour-ossan might kill him for us. Right now, there isn´t anything we can do. Even that blockheaded boy. He isn´t someone we can do anything against with our few numbers now that he reorganized his troops.”

Although in dissatisfaction, Nikka nodded. So that she wouldn´t show her twisted expression on her face, she didn´t meet her eyes with her subordinates.

Nikka´s group momentarily retreated. Bit by bit, the battlefield that had been leaning to their side started to become balanced.

“That´s bad. Even though I predicted he wasn´t going to move.”

The centurion Anzerm had taken a defensive stance. The man confronting him was met with his thorough defenses. He had been slowly tearing down his defenses whose gaps were few until the sunset came. Although he was looking forward to it, now that it became like that, having this sort of leisure was fatal. (TL note:守備を見た<- wut?="" -.-=""  is="" that="" a="" typo?="" t.t="" i="" just="" put="" “met”="" since="" it="" went="" with="" the="" context="" so="" i="" dunno="" if="" it´s="">

“…As to be expected of Arcadia´s prided sword family. Worthy of having inherited the blood of the [Heavenly Sword], Siegfried von Osvalt. Does this mean the rumours that their unparalleled talents throughout the generations was true?”

The sound of hooves approaching from the back that weren´t supposed to be hearable in this battlefield. It is as to be expected from the one whose aura that stood out from others to be able to catch those sounds even from the place he was at. Having Anzerm at the front, it would be fatal if the man was flanked. There was only one option.  

“Good grief. This will become a joke for some time.”

The carelessness and arrogance he brought upon himself resulted in the failure of his given task. He didn´t have enough time to completely reorganize his army in a formation. It had been the clumsiness of the man for having extended the battle on purpose. It had been his blunder to try having fun.

“With that said, only fools are stubborn and don´t retreat. We shall be pulling back from here.”

The man immediately sent the sign to retreat to his subordinates. Without a single one of them having any objections, the black group started moving. None of them held doubts over the orders given by the man.

“If you intend to go after us, you will need to resolve yourself.”

Noticing the mood of retreat, Anzerm was showing signs of wanting to pursue them. Without even giving a glance to him, the man stopped Anzerm with just his words. Anzerm intended to take him by surprise, but it seemed that the man didn´t have any openings. Anzerm now realized the fact.

“Let me ask you one thing. What is your name?”

Despite the man having said before he wouldn´t say it, Aznerm asked for his name once again. The man pondered about it for a moment.

“…Anzerm von Krulgar. In consideration of your strenuous effort, I will tell you my name. My name is Ywain. The vice-leader of the [Noir Guard], Ywain. Now then, let´s meet another time somewhere in this battlefield. I beg your pardon for I won´t take easy on you when the time comes.”

Ywaint of the [Noir Guard] gallantly left. Although he was the number three in the company, in terms of strength, he stood shoulders to shoulder with Volf.

“Ywain? C-could it be!?”

The man of platinum that didn´t suit the color black. His existence took part on the rapid progress of the [Noir Guard]. It was how strong that man was.

“That´s bad. Even Ywain gave up!”

With his face pale, Volf was desperately going down the mountains. Although he captured the headquarters, it was impossible to keep it with his few numbers. Although it was a shame to give up on it, he did so anyway, deciding it was enough that he took the regiment commander´s head.

“Now then, I gotta go through a route I can escape all the way so that I won´t run into the young master Gilberto.”

Having had to come here, the fact that Gregour´s soldiers regrouping, and how he was letting them get back on their feet were all a hard blow. Gilberto´s efforts that could as well be called a “spirited offensive” returned the calmness to the Arcadian army. Though Arcadia was pushed back to some extent, the battlefield became smaller on the other hand, decreasing the amount of openings for them.

“…That said, hasn´t it become kinda cold?”(TL note:The heat of the battle?)

Obviously, he had no uses for incompetent subordinates that wouldn´t retreat at such situation. Including Ywain and Nikka, all his subordinates understood their situation. It was because of that that Volf could focus onto himself. He could focus on how to escape, and nothing else. But even so, his male instincts told him it was a bit too lonely around.

“Young master Gilberto is with ten cavalry and left the rest to protect the point. I see, having such good subordinates almost makes me envious.”

Gilberto divided himself and his ten soldiers that were able to ride a horse at the mountains from the rest of his troops. Although it couldn´t be said that he wasn´t gambling on this strategy, it still didn´t feel like so. Volf felt like Gilberto wasn´t capable of taking gambles. In result of the strategy, his winning position became simply one of advantage. It had been a good move. Gilberto only attacked the troops that were at the parts of the slowing down battle line of Nehdarks´ side that were sticking out forward, elegantly a.s.saulting them. If one isn´t capable of having a wide overview of the battlefield, such feat would be impossible. Being able to do this feat proved his ingenuity.

“Well, he obviously isn´t as good as me though!”

Volf didn´t doubt he was the most brilliant to the end. He was running down the mountain. That wasn´t the retreat of the defeated, but a strategic retreat. It was a tactic necessary for him to win tomorrow. Of course, it hadn´t been his defeat. Rather than that, he took the head of the commander of the army. Arcadia might not have a tomorrow due to that.

“Hey, Volf. Aren´t you going too fast.”

Volf had chosen only the elites just in case, so they were properly following after him. But even so, his speed was faster than usual. It made doubt root among his subordinates.

“Nah. It´s just that I am having a bad feeling, or that something might have slipped my eyes. My senses are telling me to hurry up. Have I ever been wrong in this sort of thing?”

His subordinates shook their heads. Volf´s intuition had never been wrong. But if so, what was the…

Fyun*

Something pa.s.sed by Volf´s side and pierced the back of one of his subordinates.

“Hey, hey, seriously that?”

Without giving a glance to the subordinate that fell down, Volf turned his eyes to the direction the arrow came from. His eyes became glued at the one that was there. The name of the man that was standing on one of the trees holding a bow was…

“White Mask, Willian Rivius!”

Willian Rivius. Although he was bleeding and was full of wounds, he quickly moved to that position in order to catch Volf. Volf was desperately suppressing the himself that wanted to fall in thought over what happened to Anatour. It didn´t matter how he ran away from him. The real issue was…

“You´ve really sullied my face, haven´t you! You dare, the likes of you, mercenaries lower than animals!”

…was how to kill that blood-covered monster wielding a sword. It was only that.

“Ha! As I thought, you´re really interesting. War gotta be like that!”

Volf drew both his swords. The one running up the mountains and the one running down the mountains; black and white. The two were about to clash. (TL note: ->二振り<- =="" two="" swords?="" i="" couldn´t="" find="" anything="" in="" google="">