Skawag Fortress is one of the two major border crossings between the Empire's northern frontier and the Native territories. Each of these two major crossings is garrisoned by a full legion. The front-line legions have a maximum wartime strength of one hundred thousand, but generally, even with constant conscription and new recruits directly supplementing the front lines each year, this maximum is never fully met. This is because the attacks from the Native are not just large-scale winter offensives; even during peacetime, they often infiltrate Imperial territory through small mountain passes to plunder, making defense difficult. Therefore, the legions stationed at the border are almost constantly losing troops.
At this moment, facing the imminent winter offensive of the Northern Nomads, the soldiers of the Fourteenth Legion secretly breathed a sigh of relief. They had been stationed there for four years, and the units coming to relieve them were about to arrive. As long as they guarded their last shift, they could return home alive.
"I never want to come to this freezing, desolate place again..." As the soldiers who were about to go home muttered this in their hearts, suddenly, a huge shadow flashed across the overcast sky. Seasoned veterans, having survived four years of war, had top-notch vigilance. Their battlefield experience told them not to relax for even the slightest abnormal rustle. They had long experienced the Native's ability to control Danger Beasts.
"Air alert!"
The short, urgent alarm bell rang. The veterans who had survived the four-year battlefield reacted swiftly. Countless strong bows and sharp arrows were drawn to full tension. Judging from the shadow just now, the Fourteenth Legion even brought out specialized heavy weapons designed to deal with Super Danger Beasts. They vividly remembered the Destraguru that the Native had brought last time.
They lost over a thousand men, and a huge gap was blasted in the city wall by the Danger Beast's energy cannon. In the end, that Destraguru, severely wounded, regained consciousness from control and finally left.
"Roar—!"
Amidst a dragon's roar that stirred the clouds, a cyan giant dragon, with dragon wings larger than its body, broke through the clouds. Unlike the giant dragons depicted in ordinary drawings, the cyan giant dragon did not have a huge, bulging abdomen; its dragon body was perfectly streamlined and agile. Its wings spread to cover the sky, with a span greater than the length from its head to its tail.
The awe-inspiring cyan giant dragon dived rapidly from high altitude, its roaring dragon's might, accompanied by an atmospheric pressure like a descending flood, pressed down on Skawag Fortress. The soldiers of the Fourteenth Legion directly below were frozen stiff and pale by the cold, high-altitude air pressure. Arrows were meaningless against the strong airflow.
"I'm so close to going home, am I going to die now...?" Seeing the giant dragon's sky-obscuring figure diving down from high altitude to attack, the city wall formations were meaningless against an aerial assault. This Super Danger Beast attacking them was completely not on the same level as the previous Destraguru!
"Boom—!!!"
The landing Wind God Winged Dragon instantly swept away all the defending soldiers, weapons, and miscellaneous items within a hundred meters of its landing spot, sending them flying into the sky. The scattered crowd was like a brilliant fireworks display exploding. This was the open space in front of the fortress's core command center, the most crucial part of a military fortress. Once it fell, the entire legion would collapse. Deeply understanding the importance of this place, the soldiers, with a determination to die, brandished their weapons at the giant dragon they knew they couldn't defeat—
"For the glory of the Empire and the Fourteenth Legion! Charge...!"
"Stop, stop, stop! It's our own people!"
Rin, dressed in a standard military uniform, appeared on top of the Wind God Winged Dragon's head as it coiled down. She raised her hands above her head to signal her surrender, hastily explaining, fearing a major misunderstanding.
Although no one thought that this girl, standing on a giant dragon, raising her hands would reduce her threat much, it was at least a signal not to start a fight, and no one wanted to be a dragon-slaying hero foolishly running off to duel a giant dragon.
Beside Rin's feet was a small Najenda, still a silver-haired loli. Wearing a custom-made Seventh Expeditionary Force uniform, little Najenda looked at her mother with some confusion.
"Mom, didn't you say that soldiers should have a soldier's dignity and never surrender even unto death?"
"How can that be the same?! You child, right now we're being misunderstood by our own people. To avoid completely unnecessary internal strife and casualties, nothing is too much. We are all soldiers of the Empire to begin with, so what's this talk about surrendering or not surrendering?"
Rin was both exasperated and amused by her child's innocent words. She squatted down and picked her up, completely unfazed by the tense, sword-drawn situation of being surrounded on all sides.
After Rin held Najenda and scanned her surroundings, she calmly and confidently declared:
"I am Legion Commander Tohsaka Rin of the Seventh Expeditionary Force. Where is General Riva?"
"Here."
General Riva, who had heard the commotion long ago, walked out of the command center, waved for the alert Fourteenth Legion soldiers to lower their guard, and looked at Rin with a hint of helplessness, saying:
"General Rin Tohsaka is still as energetic as ever. Everywhere she goes, she makes such a earth-shattering entrance."
"Heh heh, I'm used to it. Hiding my capabilities doesn't suit me."
Rin, holding Najenda, dismounted from the lowered dragon head, drew out yatsufusa, and with a wave in the air, recalled the Wind God Winged Dragon. The surrounding soldiers immediately breathed a sigh of relief; even though they knew it was an ally, that thing was still too terrifying. Rin placed little Najenda on the ground, a habitually calm and composed smile on her lips, as she watched General Riva, accompanied by high-ranking legion officers, walk out of the command post to greet her.
"General Rin Tohsaka, why have you arrived ahead of your army by air? Where is your army?"
Riva, dressed in Imperial General's armor, came out to greet her and led Rin into the Skawag Fortress command center. Before they could even sit down, he immediately brought up his most pressing concern. What he cared about most at the moment was completing the defense handover smoothly, allowing his soldiers, who fought and bled daily between life and death, to withdraw to Imperial garrisons and enjoy a peaceful New Year as the year-end approached.
However, facing this most inconceivable General in the entire Empire, General Riva couldn't help but ask more questions. After all, according to the usual dates for troop rotation, Rin had arrived too early. Had she left her troops and flown here alone?
"They'll be here soon. I just came ahead to meet an old friend, and it saves us the trouble of formalities and explanations at the fortress gate. Just open the city gates and let my troops enter."
As Rin spoke, a Fourteenth Legion messenger ran swiftly to Riva to report:
"Reporting, Legion Commander! An army of black-armored cavalry has been spotted thirty kilometers from the Imperial interior, estimated to be around 100,000 strong. They are heading towards our fortress's south gate. The main banner at the front of the army displays a black inverted cross. It should be the Imperial Seventh Expeditionary Force."
Riva was momentarily stunned, slightly surprised, and said:
"100,000 cavalry? Your entire army is cavalry?"
Rin nodded in affirmation:
"After all, my legion is for offense, not defense. The Northern Region Snow Plains are vast and sparsely populated; high mobility from cavalry is necessary to pursue the Native who roam everywhere."
Hearing Rin's explanation, Riva couldn't help but frown slightly.
"Are you really planning to lead troops to attack the Northern Region?"
"General Riva, that's a joke. I've pledged my life to His Majesty the Emperor; how can I not deliver?"
It was indeed true. Riva nodded slightly. However, Riva's gaze then shifted to the somewhat timid little Najenda. Five-year-old Najenda clung tightly to a corner of Rin's military cloak, hiding beneath the black cloak, yet curiously peeking out her small head to survey everything around her. This was her first time seeing the scene of a front-line army.
Compared to the soldiers of the Seventh Expeditionary Force, who, even in the blizzards of winter, would still passionately go into the forest to hunt Danger Beasts, the first impression this place gave little Najenda was one of desolation. Every person, whether an officer or a patrolling soldier, seemed weathered and had a lifeless, somber air about them.
"Why did you bring your daughter along? The battlefield is no place for a child."
Riva knew Najenda. Every year when the Imperial Military Department conference was held, Rin would bring Najenda back to the Imperial Capital to play. Since Rin's troops were to relieve Riva, Riva had also visited Rin's separate residence a few times privately, thus getting to know Najenda.
Rin smiled indulgently, looking at her daughter beside her, and said:
"Because I'm worried, you see. Everyone I trust is by my side, and that girl Arona can't keep an eye on her all the time. There are quite a few people in the Imperial court who have issues with me. Najenda must stay by my side to ensure her absolute safety."
Seeing this, Riva said no more, as it was a personal matter. He then returned to the main topic.
"So, General Rin Tohsaka, how do you plan to arrange the garrison rights for Skawag Fortress? Since you are going on an expedition to the Northern Region, you naturally can't spare troops to stay here, right? Do you need our army to continue garrisoning until your return?"
"Don't worry, there's no need to guard this place."
Rin uttered a confident remark that astonished Riva.
"I will instruct the Sixth Legion on the other side to assign some people to look after this fortress. As for the large-scale invasion of the Northern Nomads, heh heh, I will make them too preoccupied to bother..."
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