Chapter 133
Chapter 133
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 133
Chapter Title: A Moment in History (4)
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A smirk.
The kid whose eyes met his grinned.
“A punch like that doesn't even tick… Guh.”
A heavy pain belatedly surged through him.
His back bent on its own.
*Thwack.*
Then, something slammed into his jaw.
That was the beginning.
*Thwack, thwack, thwack.*
The Mad Dog was beaten senseless.
Just as his back bent from a blow to the stomach, a fist would invariably fly at his jaw and temple.
If he forced himself to straighten up, another fist would bury itself in his gut.
The heavy impacts, like being struck with a hammer, made it impossible for him to regain his senses.
It hurt.
But his anger was greater than the pain.
He simply couldn't accept this situation, being toyed with by a kid less than half his size.
“Graaaaaah!”
The Mad Dog roared and swung his fists wildly.
He was certain.
That a mere graze would be enough to send the kid flying.
He believed it without a doubt.
It didn't take long for him to realize how greatly mistaken he was.
A smirk.
The kid, who had been dodging his fists, suddenly curled his lips into a grin.
His frantic movements had also ceased.
Seizing the opportunity, the Mad Dog threw a punch.
The fist, as large as a pot lid, landed squarely on the kid.
“It's… over?”
The Mad Dog, who had been smiling triumphantly, widened his eyes.
It wasn't there.
He didn't feel any of the satisfying impact that should have followed.
Why?
The question filled his mind.
But before he could find an answer…
*Thwack.*
Another dull impact struck his stomach.
“Gak!”
Gritting his teeth, he threw another punch.
*Whoosh.*
This time, too, the kid didn't dodge the fist.
The result was the same.
It connected, but the sensation was unsatisfying.
It felt as if he were punching thin air; there was no feedback at all.
The same situation repeated itself several times.
*Whoosh.*
Taking blow after blow from the kid, he desperately threw his own punches.
Each time, only an unpleasant sensation returned.
It was a feeling of having hit something, yet not having hit it at all, as if he were possessed.
“Grr!”
The Mad Dog instinctively realized.
That the kid was using some strange method to disperse the impact of his punches.
“Whoa! They're trading blows!”
“He's taking those hits with that body?”
“Wow! Unbelievable! It's a real slugfest!”
To the onlookers, it seemed like they were trading blows, but in reality, he was the only one getting pummeled.
At this rate, he would just wear himself out swinging his fists and get beaten.
He had to find a way.
And he knew well how to deal with someone who dispersed impact like this.
If there's no room to retreat, you can't disperse the impact.
The Mad Dog reached out.
Unclenching his fist.
“There, got you.”
Having grabbed the kid's shoulder, he looked down with a triumphant expression.
The expression on the youthful face, which should have been filled with dismay, was…
“Mealtime's gonna be over at this rate.”
Indifference.
“You…”
The Mad Dog's eyes widened at the kid's face, which showed not a hint of alarm.
“Time for you to go to sleep.”
As soon as the words were out.
*Thudthudthudthudthudthudthud.*
A barrage of fists slammed into his stomach.
That was the last thing the Mad Dog remembered.
* * *
“Guuuuh.”
The Mad Dog's eyes rolled back into his head.
After staggering for a moment, he collapsed like a crumbling wall.
Bella's jaw dropped.
She couldn't believe what she was seeing.
The new Decurion, barely different in size from herself, had not only traded blows evenly with the Mad Dog but had actually knocked him down.
The scene felt surreal.
Bella wasn't the only one who felt that way.
“...”
Silence fell all around.
“I won, right?”
“Huh? Oh. The 23rd Century wins.”
Even after the Decurion from the Cohort, who had volunteered to be the referee, declared the victory, not a single cheer erupted.
*Step, step.*
The new Decurion picked up his clothes and walked toward Bella.
“Give it.”
“Huh?”
“The soup.”
Startled, Bella held out the soup bowl she had been clutching tightly.
“Hm.”
The new Decurion took the soup bowl and flinched.
“Hoo. Hoo.”
But he quickly brought the bowl to his lips as if nothing had happened and began blowing on it repeatedly.
As if cooling hot soup.
“Ooh, it's hot. Hoo. Hoo.”
It was an obviously exaggerated and awkward tone.
To Bella, it seemed even more so.
Because she knew the soup had long since gone cold.
“That cooled down ages a…”
Bella actually pointed this out.
But it was pointless.
“Waaah! The kid Over-ten won!”
“The 23rd Century won!”
“The Mad Dog lost to the kid Over-ten!”
Because the belated roars of the soldiers, who had finally come to their senses, drowned everything out.
“The kid Over-ten really did knock down the Mad Dog before his soup got cold!”
“Kid Over-ten! Kid Over-ten!”
“Hail the 23rd Century!”
The kid Over-ten, who had defeated a giant twice his size before his soup could cool, became a new legend in the Empire's 13th Legion.
*Slurp.*
The new legend downed the soup in one go.
With that, the evidence that could disprove the legend vanished completely from the world.
In truth, the evidence never mattered in the first place.
Because the young trainee, the only one who knew the truth, didn't have the courage to pour cold water on this fervent atmosphere.
* * *
It wasn't just the lower-ranking commanders and soldiers who witnessed the birth of a legend.
“That stupid bastard! Getting knocked flat on his back by a kid half his size!”
Centurion Quantana of the 21st Century erupted in fury.
“A kid? You shouldn't speak so ill of a proper Over-ten from another unit. The commander of said unit finds it quite unpleasant.”
“Don't get so cocky over one win!”
“That's the victor's right. The loser should shut up and humbly accept the result.”
“Grr.”
“Then I'll assume the 21st Century will be preparing our century's meals for the duration of our stay at the garrison.”
Centurion Quantana's face flushed red.
The atmosphere was so tense it seemed a second round between the centurions could break out at any moment.
“Enough. We are at war, are we not? Keep it civil. Cooperation between units is paramount right now.”
The Tribune who had been watching intervened to mediate between the two.
Reluctantly calming his anger, Centurion Quantana huffed and left with a half-hearted salute.
“That… that… temper of his.”
Centurion Bravos clicked his tongue at the insolent attitude.
What a disgraceful display in front of a superior officer.
Of course, that superior was an administrative specialist without military command authority, but a superior was a superior nonetheless.
“I don't mind. A field commander should have that much of a temper. It's not incomprehensible.”
The Tribune placated Centurion Bravos with a good-natured smile.
“More importantly, where did you find such a talent?”
“Actually…”
The Decurion of the 23rd Century who defeated the Decurion of the 21st was, in fact, a cadet from the Cradle who had arrived late to the front lines, and due to a timely skirmish, was now moving with them.
After hearing Centurion Bravos's explanation, the Tribune was lost in thought for a moment.
“Will that not cause problems?”
The Centurion replied nonchalantly.
“If we say we kept him with us to protect the cadet, they'll have to accept it. We didn't force him to stay; he remained of his own free will. They have no grounds to persecute us.”
“True, those so-called knights are weak when it comes to justifications.”
“Still, I'll prepare a few more justifications, just in case.”
“Such as?”
“I'm thinking of giving him independent operational command.”
It saves face and disperses responsibility.
After thinking for a moment about the Centurion's explanation, the Tribune nodded.
“I will fill the gap in your century's strength. Take ten of the Cohort's Evocatii and forty mid-rank soldiers.”
The Evocatii were veteran soldiers who had honorably completed their military service and reenlisted for various reasons. While not as formidable as the Triarii, they were a force reliable enough to guard one's back.
With the addition of forty mid-rank soldiers, the 23rd Century could become a proper combat unit, not a half-strength one.
“Don't get too excited. As mentioned in the meeting earlier, other centuries will also be reinforced. Mostly with lower-rank and mid-rank soldiers, of course.”
“What are you saying? I will repay the Tribune's consideration by achieving great merit with the generous support you've provided.”
Waving his hand dismissively, the Tribune disappeared into his tent.
Left alone, Centurion Bravos grinned from ear to ear.
He had humbled the detestable 21st Century and received ample support from the Tribune.
“Hehehe. A real lucky charm has rolled in.”
It was all thanks to the new Decurion.
He felt like he was on top of the world.
But that feeling was short-lived.
The reactions from the centuries engaging the enemy were far from ordinary.
The combat units, normally kept at full strength and always prepared, were scrambling to request reinforcements before the battle had even truly begun.
The reason was the unprecedented scale of the enemy.
“Demi-human units of fifty… that's definitely a disaster.”
The demi-humans, who usually caused trouble in groups of ten or twenty at most, had now swarmed in large numbers for some unknown reason.
The enemy forces identified so far already exceeded five units of fifty.
Even a full-strength century was nothing more than a single meal before an enemy of that size.
It was no wonder the Tribune was bringing the half-strength centuries up to full complement.
“Ugh. I hope this doesn't blow up into something big.”
Centurion Bravos shook his head once, trying to dispel the ominous premonition.
But ominous premonitions have a way of coming true more often than not.
This was one of those times.
“Report from the cavalry patrol! The 28th Century's garrison has been annihilated! No survivors!”
“Contact lost with the 29th Century! The cavalry patrol is also out of contact!”
“A message from the 30th Century! They are currently under attack by a fifty-strong demi-human unit and have already suffered casualties to the point of collapse!”
The cavalrymen who had gone out on patrol returned one after another, bringing news from the front.
But every piece of news was a tragedy.
In effect, all the centuries deployed on the plains had been neutralized in just two days.
The bad news kept pouring in.
“The 22nd Century, while returning to base, was attacked by demi-humans and annihilated! Survivors number less than a decuria!”
“The 24th Century is currently being pursued by demi-humans! They need immediate rescue!”
Not only the combat units but also the centuries retreating to the rear to regroup had suffered devastating blows from the demi-human raids.
“What in the…!”
“Five centuries taken out in a single day?”
“Weren't those demi-human bastards supposed to be on bad terms with each other?”
The commanders of the centuries remaining in the garrison screamed.
But that wasn't the end of the bad news.
“Elias Fortress! Currently under attack by an enemy of legion strength!”
On the fourth day, news arrived like a bolt from the blue.
“An enemy of legion strength!”
Even the commanders who had remained calm until now shot up from their seats and pressed the messenger.
But even as they questioned the messenger, the commanders firmly believed.
Two elite cohorts were stationed there, plus the professors and cadets from the Cradle.
The professors from the Cradle, in particular, were superhumans composed of high-ranking knights.
They were not a force that mere demi-humans could challenge.
Or so they believed.
“The professors from the Cradle immediately responded to the enemy's fierce assault, but they couldn't completely break their charge!”
But it wasn't so.
“Who in the world could display such divine might against them!”
At those words, the pale-faced messenger cried out as if screaming.
“I-It's the elder-class demi-humans!”
* * *
Riders bearing red flags signifying an emergency constantly entered and exited the garrison.
Thanks to them, the atmosphere in the garrison was dire.
Of course, most of the soldiers had yet to grasp the severity of the situation.
They seemed to believe that while the situation at the front was serious, the enemy could somehow be pushed back.
“It's begun.”
Of course, I thought differently.
I already knew from the memories of my past life.
This war, just now beginning, would result in the annihilation of the Empire's 13th Legion, leaving few survivors, and the Empire would completely lose its influence in this region.
In the land vacated by the human armies, a kingdom of non-humans would rise.
My skin tingled.
The scent of blood drifted on the wind.
The air shimmered strangely.
The clouds of war had gathered.
The air, ripe with tension, told me.
Where I was standing right now.
I was standing at the turning point of the Empire's fall.