Escape From a Deserted Island With Enemy Female Soldiers - Chapter 88



87 – Adora (2)

Someone’s collapsed on the white sands.

They’re in a black military uniform, overall. Similar to what I’m wearing, but also a little different. My clothes are an air force officer’s uniform, while they look closer to army.

In any case, they’re definitely an officer from the Magic Kingdom.

“Someone’s collapsed, isn’t she?”

A female soldier washed up on the shore. Finding a female soldier like this. Feels like déjà vu. Haven’t I faced this situation before?

I glanced at the Saintess. She was about to step forward to heal her, but stopped at my look. She blinked and shrugged.

“Why?”

“This woman’s from the Magic Kingdom. I’ll check her out, so please hold back for a bit, Mr. Casten.”

“But she’s collapsed? Her life could be in danger.”

“Even so, no.”

“I’m not who I used to be. I don’t hate people just because they’re from the Magic Kingdom.”

“That’s not it. Look at her shoulder.”

“Shoulder?”

“She’s a general.”

There are two stars on the female soldier’s epaulette.

“Come over here and look at her face. She’s young. Probably around our age. No matter how long the war drags on, it’s not easy for a young person to get a star. For someone like this to be a general means she’s outstanding in combat and magic.”

Regardless of army, navy, or air force, combat positions get promoted first. The stars on that female soldier’s shoulder must have been earned with someone’s blood.

I kept my guard up as I examined the woman.

“The tears in her clothes are uniform, barely any dampness. Her hair is neat too. No seaweed tangled in it, either.”

A far cry from the Saintess. It feels off, claiming she’s shipwrecked.

“Above all, her mana is stable.”

Any competent mage could read another’s mana signature. That signature even shifts during sleep. If she were in a deep sleep or unconscious, her mana would be unstable, the amplitude weak.

But from this woman, the waves were clear and distinct.

Certainty settled.

I waved everyone back.

“I know you’re awake. Drop the act.”

“……”

The woman slowly sat up and opened her eyes.

Black bobbed hair, black irises. Including her officer’s uniform, she exudes a colorless, odorless aura. Exactly the image that springs to mind when you think of a magic nation officer from the Holy Spirit Kingdom.

The General sighed.

“Sharp of you to notice.”

The General’s hand went to her hip. She was wearing a sword.

In this age of bullets and shells, a bladed weapon? The officer corps permitted to carry such a sword is limited.

The President’s personal guard, the Seven Blades.

The Seven Blades’ Executioner’s Swords can cut through anything, so long as they’re imbued with mana. Tanks, warships, aircraft. No exceptions. They’re the highest-grade artifacts, granted only to the chosen few.

The General frowned, saying,

“The rank insignia is frayed, hard to see. State your rank and name.”

“Major Erich Ronstein, Commander of the 269th Mana Stone Supply Battalion, Southern Command Air Force.”

“Adora Giphold, Commander of the Seven Spears.”

“Victory is assured.”

“Loyalty.”

We saluted out of courtesy. But the heavy atmosphere was beginning. The Seven Spears are a unit with dangerous ideologies. Because they’re hostile to Beastmen and the Holy Light Church.

If the Holy Light Nation has the Valkyrie Unit, then the Demonic Kingdom has the Seven Spears.

Though their numbers are much fewer, their hatred and fanaticism are greater. That’s because the Seven Spears are united by the Generalissimo’s beliefs. They say they’ll obey any order from the Generalissimo.

Allies who are more like enemies than the enemy.

While I swallowed a dry gulp, the Commander gave us a once-over.

“If you’re with the Air Force, you must know General Tetmann Giphold.”

“Yes, perhaps.”

“I’m his daughter.”

I lowered my head. The daughter of my direct superior.

“I’ve heard stories. As I’ve heard, your spirit is remarkable.”

“Spare me the flattery. And those behind you?”

“They’re soldiers of the Holy Light Nation who were shipwrecked on this island. We’re cooperating for survival. This island is far from normal.”

I summarized the past events for the Commander. The most important thing was the existence of the monsters. As I spoke, I kept watching the Commander’s eyes.

The Commander showed no sign of surprise whatsoever. Rather, she was frowning. Her gaze seemed to be sweeping back and forth between the Saintess and the fox sisters.

“Tch.”

The Commander clicked her tongue and said,

“Even if survival comes first, living mixed in with such filthy clergy and dirty Beastmen. You’ve suffered quite a bit.”

“No, sir.”

“What do you mean, no? The Order is a bunch of damn trash who’ve been oppressing our mages. And beastfolk are just mongrels who never should’ve existed in this world in the first place.”

“…….”

“Erich Ronstein, wasn’t it? I’ve heard your stories a few times. Famous hidden hero of the anti-air forces.”

“Sir.”

“Your combat record is impressive enough that I’ll overlook the treason of cooperating with enemy female soldiers. Now that I’m here, don’t worry. We’ll properly dispose of those things, and then I’ll take you to headquarters.”

This is why friendlies can be worse than enemies.

*Shlkk*.

The Major General drew his sword from its scabbard. The magic-forged blade sang smoothly. The three female soldiers tensed at his unsheathing. I stepped forward.

“Please, wait a moment.”

“Get out of the way.”

“Can’t we avoid fighting?”

“Disgusting priests of the Order and fur-shedding beasts are subject to immediate execution. Get out of the way. Or, better yet, just come stand over here. That’s an order.”

“I can’t do that.”

“You’re refusing to obey an order?”

“No, sir.”

“What do you mean, no? In wartime, disobeying a superior officer is something that can’t be ignored under military law. You know that much.”

“That’s why I’m obeying it. General Tetman Gifford forbade meaningless killings and torture outside of combat.”

“The Führer ordered that followers of the Order and beastfolk be killed as painfully as possible, on sight.”

Damn it, words work, but communication doesn’t. Even more difficult to reason with than the Valkyrie from a few months ago.

“You would have noticed, if you were paying attention. Why I was lying here, doing nothing.”

“I don’t know.”

“I was going to blend in with your group, pretend to be a new survivor. But two variables got mixed in. One is that dirty fox, and the other is… you. Erich Ronstein.”

The Major General glared at me with sharp eyes.

“What happened to make you so friendly with those b*tches?”

“We’ve faced death together several times. Now we can’t do without each other. There won’t be any infighting among us.”

“Acting like you’re married or something. So, you’re taking their side?”

Sensing the mood, Valkyrie lowered her stance, gripping her stone spear. Liyo drew her twin axes. The Saintess grabbed my shoulder, whispering for me to step back. The three female soldiers were trying to protect me.

The General’s face darkened. There’s no way to lie in this situation. We’ve been a shared destiny since the day we were shipwrecked.

I spoke heavily.

“I have no excuses. Yes, that’s right. If you try to harm these women, Major General, I will gladly fight you.”

“Then die.”

The next moment, a surge of black mana rushed forth.

*

Only Tiria understood the conversation between Erich and Adora. Tiria recalled the directive she had received from headquarters in the past.

If you see a Magocracy officer in neat attire, execute him on the spot, depending on the situation.

The fight had already begun. Adora’s blade was about to pierce Erich’s neck. What blocked that sword path was the tip of Rachel’s spear.

Screech!

Adora’s eyes narrowed. To receive this sword, which can cut even steel, with just a manipulated stone spear…

It was thanks to the power granted by the Goddess of Battle. Specially treated Sephiron was neutralizing the mana. Adora angled the blade and scraped the spear shaft. Her target was Rachel’s wrist.

Rachel ripped the window away in a flash. She reacted fast, but Adora’s movements were no joke either. Adora stretched out a long leg.

“Guh!”

Rachel staggered back, kicked hard.

An opening.

It was the moment Adora’s blade aimed for Rachel’s chest.

“Not on my watch!”

Clang!

This time, metal met metal. Riyo, wielding a double-headed axe, put power into her arms. She pushed back Adora’s attack with brute force.

Metal clashed again and again before separating. Sparks scattered as the metallic sounds erupted. Riyo watched Adora’s movements with the eyes and ears of a beastkin.

Hard to predict what direction she’d attack from. Adora was nimble and good at feints.

Adora was having just as much trouble.

“Filthy beastkin, daring to be so insolent…”

A beast playing at being human, blocking her. A humiliation for one of the Seven Swords of the Order. Tie her up and send her to the gas chamber immediately, the voice in her head whispered.

“I’ll make sure you die next year.”

“Blah blah blah, you’re annoying!”

Riyo unleashed her divine power. Adora, simultaneously bringing down her sword, murmured briefly.

[“Falling Blossom.”]

A chilling pressure weighed down on Riyo’s shoulders. Magic power surged, overwhelming her divine power. The quality of the mana itself wasn’t much, but the quantity was immense. The opposite of Erich, whose quantity was small but pure.

Purely crushed and pinned down.

Sephiron peeled away, mana penetrated. Finally, Riyo’s axe snapped, breaking like a twig.

“Eek!”

Liyo’s stance crumbled, and Rachel lunged again. Rachel fought Adora evenly, but the problem was equipment. A spear woven from branches and stones was no match for a blade.

“Kuh!”

Rachel’s spear shattered as well.

Liyo had one axe left, but she couldn’t afford to lose that. If that broke, they couldn’t cut wood. But, at this rate, she might die at the hands of a Magic Kingdom general. The decision was becoming difficult.

Adora drew her sword long and raised her arm. The woman with black hair and golden eyes had the highest combat power. If she could subdue this woman, the others could be dealt with easily.

In truth, she didn’t intend to kill. Capturing these women and handing them over to the destination. That was the role Adora had been given.

[“Flash.”]

Just as she was about to infuse her sword with electricity, intending only to stun,

[“Fall.”]

Erich, pulling out a magic stone, launched magic at Adora. The same lightning magic. Its power wasn’t even that strong. Adora smirked and twisted her sword path.

[“Energy Release.”]

Magic that deflects magic. A technique that any skilled combat mage learns. Adora’s blade cut through Erich’s electricity, causing a rebound.

Tingle.

Her hand holding the sword felt numb.

Adora’s lips were parched. Her hair stood on end as if charged. The sword felt strangely heavy.

Even though she clearly deflected it with Energy Release, it was this strong.

Adora suddenly recalled her father, Tetman’s, words. Erich Ronstein wasn’t ordinary. The quality of her mana was different from hers, refined. Pure mana, in itself, neutralized even Energy Release.

Her inherent magic power was small, but that was all. If she could overcome that one weakness, she was guaranteed to become a special-class mage. Even reaching the level of a surgical master.

Correction.

The most dangerous one is Erich Rohnstein.

Not only has he turned enemy female soldiers into allies, but each and every one of his magic spells is heavy and delicate. A level you can’t reach just by having a stupidly large amount of mana.

Adora clicked her tongue in annoyance.

“Daring to shoot magic at a superior officer? This won’t end with just military discipline or imprisonment!”

“You were trying to kill me from the start!”

“I’ll kill you twice then!”

The moment Adora tried to charge in again…

Tiria pulled a handgun from the holster on her thigh and pulled the trigger.

BANG!