Ch 337: Emergency measures.

"…Please." asked Mai with a sob and tearful eyes.

It had been almost two full days and one night in her soul space that had lasted almost a week, since the denial started, and Noah was secretly impressed.

"Do you surrender, Mai?" gently asked Noah as he stood and walked closer to her.

"…I can't… stand it anymore… so, please." muttered Mai, her voice full of regrets.

Noah nodded and crouched in front of her. With a simple touch, he transferred the locked padlocks in his inventory, then removed for the steel bra, then the belt, slowly getting the vibrators out of her holes.

Mai shuddered, knowing what was in store for her. If Noah really could do as he said, she was jumping from one hell to another. But she wanted to cum so bad. She knew she would have gone mad if she spent even one more day being edged and denied.

Noah created a wide black leather collar and fastened it around her neck. Mai was now naked, aside from the collar, the mittens, and the two pairs of leather cuffs. He took her in his arms and carried her to the bed.

"If you agree to behave yourself, I will untie you for your first time with me." smiled Noah, and she reluctantly nodded.

Noah removed her bonds, keeping only the collar. She was so exhausted by the unrelenting denial that she could barely move anyway. He removed his clothes, lined himself with her sopping wet entrance, and entered her.

Mai's mouth opened and closed like a fish on land, but she couldn't make a sound as the first orgasm crashed on her like a tsunami. She felt like she was going to faint, and as she barely began to come down from it, she already felt another wave build up.

…

"So?" grinned Noah. "What happened to your former defiance?"

"You ruined me." sighed Mai. "I can't even imagine having sex with someone else after you put me through this… this…"

Noah could only agree, as he really had been cruel to her. When he started giving her orgasms, he just didn't stop. Every two hours of so, he healed her so she wouldn't be. And he kept going. Whenever she fainted, he switched to her soul space, and started over. He often varied the way she was bound, made her wear a variety of sexy outfits, but he was relentless. He made sure that Mai got well over a hundred orgasms every day, be in the real world, or in her Soul Space.

And Mai had slowly learned to love it.

"Tell me, Mai. If you had to choose, would you remain with me even if you had to betray the people close to you, or would you choose to leave with no strings attached?"

"You already know the answer." replied Mai with a bitterness. "You broke me. You broke me so badly that I don't want to be fixed. I suppose you're now going to ask me about who sent me?"

"Yes." nodded Noah.

"I can tell you, but on one condition. Do not hurt my client."

"That would depend on their motives and what they do from today onward. But right now, I do not have a grudge against your client. They sent you to me, as you said, so I'm feeling forgiving right now."

"…I guess that will have to do." sighed Mai. "Her name is Su Enxi. She's a billionaire. And she's cute. Long blonde hair and lavender eyes. She could be a model. I already know that you will make her your sex pet as well."

"That's a strong possibility. What does she want with me?"

"She asked me to learn more about your powers, and if possible, to find a way to lure you away from the College. I entered your room back then to see if there was something valuable enough that you would come after me to recover it. Failing that, I would have left but returned a few days later with more gear and kidnapped one of the two maids."

"To lead me into an ambush?"

"Yes. She doesn't want to kill you… she's just doing a favor to one of her friends and associates. It's that other person who wants to capture you."

"So this Su Enxi is not the final client but the middleman. Middlewoman?" smiled Noah.

"I know you're going to ask, but while she didn't tell me, there's only one person that Enxi would accept doing this kind of favor for. Eve."

"Eve? That is… quite interesting." mused Noah. "What do you think Eve wants from me? Is she after my pets inside Mystic Moon?"

"I don't think so… I never met Eve, but from what Enxi told me about her, she isn't the kind of person to crave fame in a VR game. Whatever her motive is, it must have something to do with the real world."

"Enxi didn't peep a word about why she was doing this, only that she was confident those ambushing you would succeed. And…" started Mai before turning her gaze to the door of the basement. Seconds later, Noah heard steps coming down the stairs, then three knocks on the door.

"Noah-sama, can I enter? Do you need a minute?" asked Arianna.

"You can enter." replied Noah.

The door opened, and Arianna peeked in, taking care not to stare at the items she could see on the walls.

She froze, however, as she saw Mai, naked save from the collar and leather cuffs keeping her hands behind her back, a black butterfly tattoo under her navel, kneeling at Noah's feet.

And Noah, sitting on the edge of the bed, was also naked, his penis erect.

Arianna's face turned red as she hurriedly looked away.

"Noah-sama, Princess Shiori came to the dorm and is requesting to speak with you. She said this is extremely urgent."

"We'll take a quick shower and leave the Sanctuary. Please tell her we will be there in half a minute."

"Yes, Noah-sama." nodded Arianna before she left the Sanctuary.

"Half a minute?" asked Mai as Noah helped her stand. "How can we take a shower so fast?"

"How much time do you think has passed since I brought you here, Mai?" asked Noah.

"About three weeks, give or take one week, I think? Hard to say when it was an endless sex marathon." shrugged Mai.

"About eight hours." grinned Noah.

"What? Eight hours?" exclaimed Mai, completely dumbfounded.

"Eight hours on the outside, yes. Time flows much faster in this pocket dimension. Which is why we're taking the time to take a shower, but we'll be quick about it." said Noah, entering the bathroom and starting a shower. Mai unfroze and joined him.

"…You won't keep me there while you go deal with whatever the emergency is, right? I don't want to die from exposure."

"No. I can deactivate the time acceleration, so that wouldn't be much of an issue if Shiori's matter only takes a few hours to resolve. Assuming I wanted to keep you there. I don't. Your training has gone far enough that I don't mind letting you out."

"Alright."

"However." grinned Noah. "Your training hasn't yet reached the point where you can share my abilities. You now crave sex with me and bondage, but in a self-centered way. You still need to learn what Submission truly means."

"You need to keep training me, then." said Mai, not even bothering to hide her satisfaction.

"Exactly."

When Noah and Mai were both clean and dried up their bodies, Mai looked at him.

"You destroyed my underwear. How about you make me some new ones?"

Noah grinned and did as she instructed. The white satin bra was as she expected, but the panties were made of dull grey metal.

"No! Not another chastity belt!" vehemently protested Mai.

"Chastity panties, to be precise." said Noah, referring to the device's shape. "You are my sex pet, and you do not get to pleasure yourself without my permission. But this isn't meant to edge you. Lift your legs, we don't have much time."

Mai gulped and reluctantly lifted her legs, inserting them into the leg holes, and Noah lifted them. The panties adjusted themselves around her hips, securing her crotch.

"I will control the panties with my phone, and I can tease you with it, but it will be just enough to get you in the mood and nothing like what you experienced with the belt." smiled Noah.

"Not like I have a choice anyway." grumbled Mai as she put on the bra.

"You don't." nodded Noah, dressing himself. He took from his inventory Mai's suitcase, and she opened it, taking from it her school uniform.

Two minutes later, barely thirty seconds in the real world after Arianna warned them, they left the Sanctuary.

"I don't mind if you tell what happened to you to Su Enxi. If she's as cute as you suggest, she will join us eventually, and whether she tries to prevent it or not won't make a difference."

"I don't think I will. It's too embarrassing." winced Mai. "…Speaking of her, do you intend to keep me there, or maybe have me act as a double agent? She'll start worrying if she doesn't see me in person by tomorrow night."

"I'll probably keep you there, at least until your training is complete. I want to see what this emergency is about first. Oh, and treat your sister well, that's an order. The two of you will live together for a long, long time. You and Aki may not have much of a relationship right now, but that is something that can be changed, if you make the effort." said Noah as they walked out of his room.

"What makes you think I want a relationship with her in the first place?"

"That's the impression you gave me when you spoke about being raised separately… Am I wrong?"

"…I don't know. But fine, I'll behave myself." sighed Mai.

Noah nodded and climbed down the stairs. He found Shiori and Hatsune in the living room, sitting at the table with Liliana, Rikka, Shuiruo, Origami and Erica. Arianna and Karen had served them coffee.

Shiori and Hatsune stood as he walked to them. Shiori smiled, but Noah could see tension around her eyes, and in her stiff shoulders.

"Good morning, Noah. I am sorry for coming without prior notice." nodded Shiori, her hands clasping each other in front of her.

Hatsune, by her side, made an elegant curtsy.

"Hello, Princess, Hatsune. This is Mai Sakatoku, Aki's older sister." nodded Noah.

"Mai?" didn't you leave this morning?" asked Rikka.

"Things happened, and she's now part of our faction." shrugged Noah before turning to Shiori. "Arianna said it was urgent, so please tell me."

Shiori nodded and turned to Rikka.

"Rikka-san, have you heard from your father yet?"

"No. And your words worry me. Did something happen to him?" asked Rikka.

Shiori shook her head with a sigh.

"It seems the information is still going through the official channels and hasn't reached you yet… The British Empire is moving against Japan. Their warships are already underway. And with Julius Caesar tied on his Empire's western border by the Chinese, Japan has no Legatus Legionis to defend its territory, only its Chevaliers and conventional army."

"Oh no…" gasped Shuiruo, immediately thinking about her parents in Tengu City.

"The conventional army won't be able to do anything once Legions take the field, and we don't have that many Chevaliers to begin with..." muttered Rikka, her face going pale.

"How did you learn about this, Princess, and how were the British able to catch Japan by surprise?" frowned Noah.

"I have cultivated sources within the Japanese government, that's how I learned about it." replied Shiori, frustrated. "And they do not know why our spies within the British Empire didn't report anything about the invasion. We only know it's happening because our surveillance satellites spotted their warships moving."

"I'll have to go immediately." said Rikka, standing.

"I will go as well." nodded Origami, pale but determined. "The AST will take part in defending our country, even if we can barely take maybe two Legions per squad. Noah, can I ask you to… if something happens to us?"

"If it comes down to that, I will cover every single member of the AST, so you don't need to worry."

"Thank you, Noah." smiled Origami, taking his hand and squeezing it.

Those who knew about Noah's ability to revive people understood what Origami had asked, while those who didn't, like Rikka and Shiori, assumed he was talking about taking care of Origami's relatives and those of her colleagues in the AST, should the worst happen.

"Do not leave, Rikka." said Noah, turning to her. "I'll teleport you and Origami to Tengu City, it will be much faster this way. And I think I'll be going with you."

"Thank you." nodded Rikka, her face showing relief. "With your help, we might make it in time."

The wars in this world might be less bloody than in others, with nations primarily relying of a small number of elites rather than large armies and the fight being centered about control of Tutelary Forts, but that didn't mean there would be no such things as stray shots hitting cities, and there was always the possibility that one belligerent might start ignoring the Knight Code. This world would soon be his to manage, and he would not tolerate unjustified attacks.

Besides, he had been searching for a good excuse to be away from Cassel College. With a bit of luck, his enemies would hear about his presence in Japan and try something.

Maybe, this event was something Lilith had arranged to push things along.

"…I assume wanting me to help defend Japan is the reason you visited us, Princess?" asked Noah.

"It is. I would greatly appreciate your help in this matter." nodded Shiori before visibly steeling herself. "…In fact, I would like for you not simply to render aid to Japan, but also to publicly declare that you are doing so after accepting my request to help."

Noah nodded thoughtfully. Shiori intended to use this opportunity to better her position before she would press her claim to Japan's Imperial throne, highlighting her access and influence over him.

"I can at least do that, as it doesn't irrevocably bind me to you. But I have yet to evaluate the current Empress, so don't count on my full support right now. Have you reached your decision, then?"

Shiori's face flushed a little as she looked at everyone present, her gaze lasting on Erica's collar for a few seconds before she stared back at him.

"I didn't expect you to mention this matter openly… Was there even the option to refuse? You didn't make a proposal to me. You declared your intent and gave us time to process it. But yes, if you help me with this matter, I will not reject your courtship."

"And what about you, Hatsune?" nodded Noah.

"I am Shiori-sama's attendant." smiled Hatsune. "She speaks for us both."

"When you return, we're going to have a few choice words, you and I." declared Erica, and Noah nodded, smiling at her.

"I look forward to it. Princess, how much time do we have before the British reach Japan?"

"By now… It should be less than two hours." winced Shiori as she consulted her smartphone.

Noah nodded, thought for a few seconds, and spoke.

"I will do what it takes to repel that invasion, but at the same time, I wish to downplay my real combat power as much as possible, as they are multiple parties planning to ambush me, and I want them to make their moves while they still underestimate me. Rikka, you can mobilize 157 Legions. Are you curious about how many more you would be able to summon if you received the same kind of boost I gave Ruo Ruo?"

"I…" hesitated Rikka. "It would be very helpful, and right now I am sorely regretting not asking for it sooner, but don't you need a lot of time to do it? Isn't that the purpose of that lewd game you play with Erica and Lilliana? I mean Bunny?"

"In normal circumstances, that would be true." sighed Noah. "But for emergencies like this, I can force it temporarily if I use an ability called Psyconnect."

"I generally avoid even thinking about this one because it is as non-consensual as it gets, but with it, you could sign a Soul Contract with me in under a minute, and would regain consciousness at most twenty minutes later with full control over your new abilities, and your magic power and physique greatly enhanced. And as soon as the British are gone, I would undo the change Psyconnect made."

"What does it do, exactly?" hesitated Rikka.

"Imagine that I can add an invisible switch somewhere on your body. I flip the switch, and within seconds, you fall deeply in love with me. I flip the switch again, and your feelings toward me would revert to how they were before, but you would still remember everything that happened while you were under my influence."

"Oh." shuddered Rikka. "That's… nasty, playing with people's feelings like this."

"I agree. It makes a mockery of relationships. The previous guy who had it used it on girls left, right and center, and sold them to slavery once he was done using them. Which is why I made him a head shorter. Since circumstances made me gain the same ability, I used it only once and only for a few minutes. I needed an enemy to reveal the location of their headquarters before they had time to evacuate."

"And after discussing its effect on her, she told me that there is one danger to it. She felt so good, so right while under the effect of Psyconnect, that she wanted me to use it on her again. Of course, I refused. Over the next few days, her craving gradually decreased, and she is fine now."

"I understand." nodded Rikka with a grim expression. "Assuming I let you use this Psyconnect on me, do I have your word that you won't make me do something I would regret later? And will that Soul Contract compel me to obey you forever?"

"You have my word, and I can phrase the Soul Contract to make its effects expire after the British invasion is stopped, as well as put in a clause stating that I can't compel you to do anything sexual or against Japan." nodded Noah.

"Alright. I think I can run with this." sighed Rikka. "If, after I come out of that Psyconnect thing, I ask for it again, make sure to say no, okay?"

"Of course." replied Noah.

Rikka was about to say more when her phone rang.

"It's my father." said Rikka as she walked away to get some privacy.

"Noah-sama, what you offered Rikka-sama, can you do it for me as well?" suddenly asked Hatsune, leaning forward and looking at him intently.

"Come again?" blinked Noah.

"Are you certain, Hatsune? I can't ask you to go this far." quietly asked Shiori.

"I am, Shiori-sama." nodded Hatsune, her eyes blazing with determination. Seeing Noah's frown, she grinned.

"I may be Shiori-sama's attendant, but I am also a Chevalier. I can summon 126 Legions! And I want to defend my country just as much as Shiori-sama or Rikka-sama."

"I see. If I correctly remember this world's standards when it comes to Chevaliers, that is quite impressive." nodded Noah. From what Erica once told him, a competent Chevalier would average at about 50 Legions.

It seemed that Shiori was better protected than appearances suggested.

"If you are prepared for it, we can do it right now." said Noah, and Hatsune nodded.

Noah activated Psyconnect, willing one of the fourteen invisible collars linked to him by invisible chains to wrap itself around her neck.

"It's done. Ho do you feel, Hatsune?" asked Noah.

"I… I feel like I want to do anything for you, be anything for you, Noah-sama. Please keep me by your side." said Hatsune with an eager voice, her eyes shining with devotion.

Shiori made a step back, her mouth dropping open. She had been warned, but it still took her by surprise.

Noah nodded, and created a soul contract, one themed around a military commander and his subordinates, with clauses expressly banning sexual orders, and its expiration date set for after Japan's invasion was repelled.

"Princess, Hatsune, do you wish to review the contract's terms first?" offered Noah, and Shiori nodded.

"…I don't understand you, Noah." frowned Shiori. "With this terrifying ability and those soul contracts, you could make anyone your slave as easily as lifting a finger. You could rule the world."

"I could." nodded Noah. "But, while I may be ruthless at times, this is too much even for me. Besides, where is the fun in that?"

"…fun?"

"Convincing a girl to become mine, be it via courtship or other means, is something that happens only once." shrugged Noah. "As far as I am concerned, it is to be savored slowly and forever remembered. If I just enslaved people using Psyconnect to make them sign binding contracts, it would be like… like defacing a work of art with graffiti."

"Noah-sama, this is somehow both romantic and perverted at the same time." replied Shiori with a deadpan expression.

"I don't see those as being mutually exclusive." nodded Noah.

"The terms of the contract seem fine." nodded Hatsune. "There's no fine print or invisible ink, right? Although I feel a desire to sign even if there was."

"There isn't. You need to sign with a drop of your blood, but I suggest you sit on the sofa first, as you will lose consciousness."

"…Okay." nodded Hatsune.

She sat and took from a fold of her clothes a Tanto, a blade even shorter than the Kodachi Mai had in her suitcase, its total length barely 30 centimeters long.

Without hesitation, she ran a finger along its edge then smeared the oozing blood on the contract who burst into blue flames, disappearing. Hatsune closed her eyes, her head falling back against the sofa, and Noah healed her.

"Will she be okay?" asked Shiori worriedly. She sat beside Hatsune and sheathed the Tanto after cleaning it with a tissue.

"Yes." nodded Noah. "The loss of consciousness is proof that she is gaining my powers. It should take about 20 minutes. When she wakes up, she will be able to use them as if she had them for years, her skin will be largely immune to bullets, and so on…"

Rikka came back, phone in hand, and looked at Hatsune.

"Is Hatsune okay?"

"Rikka, did you know that Hatsune is also a Chevalier?" asked Noah.

"Yes, she mentioned it a few days ago. Did she faint?"

"She asked me to use Psyconnect on her and just signed a contract. She'll wake up soon."

"Oh."

"Did you father tell you about the invasion?" asked Erica.

"Yes. I need to return as soon as possible. He will assign me to one of the most critical Tutelary Forts since I am, well, Japan's strongest Chevalier."

Noah nodded and created another Soul Contract with identical terms.

"Read this and tell me if you wish to modify it. Mai, I want you to tell your client about me accepting the Princess's request and going to Japan. I'll probably stay there at least a few days."

"…I assume you know what you're doing." frowned Mai. But deep inside, she wanted to stop him. She could live with him making Su Enxi his slave, possibly even Eve, but if he got himself killed or kidnapped, that would leave her stuck in those blasted chastity panties! Just when he made her addicted to sex with him!

"Karen, while I am away, you will be my proxy for helping Bunny with her tasks."

"Understood, Noah-sama." said Karen. Despite the seriousness of the situation, she couldn't completely hide her smile.

"I'm okay with those terms." nodded Rikka.

"Are you also okay with me using Psyconnect on you?"

"There's no other choice. Well, there is, but protecting Japan is more important than me. Do it."

Noah nodded and put another of the collars and chains around her neck. He created a small light blade and nicked her right index, pressed it against the contract, and healed her while she fell unconscious, putting her on the sofa.

"Princess, while we wait for them to recover, can you tell me more about the invasion? Where will they attack?"

"I will contact my sources again. I will be back in a few minutes with updates." said Shiori as she left the room.

With Hatsune and Rikka unconscious, and Shiori away, Erica glanced at Mai, then Noah.

"Okay. What happened with Mai?"

Noah told her how he had gotten his hands on Mai.

"Long story short, I subjected her to hardcore training, broke her resistance, and she's now on our side, although she still has a way to go before she can sign a Soul Contract."

"Do you trust her?" frowned Erica, feeling a mix of distrust and pity for Mai. She didn't want to know what kind of acts met Noah's definition of 'hardcore'.

"Remember, I can detect lies. And she won't risk being stuck in chastity forever, right?"

"You didn't have to mention that!" retorted Mai angrily. "Actually, how will bathroom breaks even work if I can't take this damn thing off?

"Ask Ruo Ruo, and she will remove them for you and put them back on when you're done."

"…You enjoy humiliating me, right?" glared Mai.

"Welcome to the club." added Erica with a glare of her own. "You put that damn collar on me and let me believe everyone in class could see it. And there's still that damn toy inside me that goes off whenever someone looks at my chest!"

Noah chuckled, and Erica, Liliana and Mai both sighed as they looked at each other, sharing their misery.

"…So, Mai, who do you work for?" asked Erica.

"Now, for this guy." shrugged Mai.

"I mean before."

"There's an intermediary, but the request came from Eve." shrugged Noah.

"Eve?" exclaimed Liliana, her eyes widening.

"Yes, the Eve. Hopefully, she'll try to kidnap me when I'm in Japan, and we'll see how it goes. Not how she imagines it, I believe."

"I'd almost want to witness it. Eve, Sun Tzu, Voban, Doni, and even possibly Luo Hao all gathering to get their hands on you." sighed Erica, impressed and exasperated in equal measures."

"You forgot John Pluto Smith. What can I say? It seems I'm hot stuff right now." chuckled Noah.

"RRightt…." flatly replied Erica.

"Wait, did I just hear, Luo Hao?" exclaimed Mai, alarmed.

There weren't many names that could cause Mai to be scared. But Luo Hao was on top of the list.

"Long story." shrugged Noah. "Arianna, Karen, I think we'll be getting at least three new residents in the very near future."

"Understood, Noah-sama." nodded Arianna. "We will make sure all the free rooms are ready.

"Great, thank you."

After a few minutes, Shiori returned.

"The British have divided their forces into on huge group and a half-dozen smaller ones. The large group seems to be headed for the Mie Prefecture, while the other ones are spreading out to hit the whole eastern coast. They probably are only here to prevent the Japanese Chevaliers from all reinforcing the Mie Prefecture."

"Do you have a map? I'm not familiar with Japan's geography and its Prefectures." asked Noah.

Shiori took a few seconds to find a map on her smartphone.

"This is the Mie Prefecture, and Tengu City is there, about 100 kilometers east in the Shizuoka Prefecture. Since Rikka's father is the Governor General of the Shizuoka, Aichi and Yamanashi Prefectures, I think that he will assign Rikka to protect the Tutelary Fort of Shizuoka, the most important of the three."

"I see. What do you think of their strategy?"

"It's smart. No, brilliant, because for all its simplicity, we will have a hard time countering it. It's a variant of the classic Divide and Conquer strategy, but they have chosen a location that makes it difficult for Japanese Chevaliers to counter even if they see it coming." sighed Shiori. "By taking Mie and using it as a springboard, they can move against the Osaka and Kyoto prefectures."

"By seizing only three forts, they can cut roughly one third of Japan from the network of noetic conduits that supply the Tutelary Forts with ectoplasmic energy. This would be catastrophic, forcing our Chevaliers to retake those forces no matter the cost. If there is any Legatus Legionis among the British, we will take crippling losses."

"Noetic conduits?" frowned Noah. "I'm unfamiliar with that term."

"That's the name of the unique type of energy Chevaliers and Legatus Legionis possess. You could also call it spiritual energy. It's not the same energy that Yanling spells require, which is why Chevaliers can't learn them."

"Even a Chevalier that would be a descendant of the Sacred Beasts?" wondered Noah.

"There are some exceptions, but as a general rule, descendants can't be Chevaliers." shrugged Shiori.

"how does someone become a Chevalier in the first place?"

"Youngsters from martial families and clans visit the shrines inside the Tutelary Forts when they reach the age of fifteen and plunge a hand into a pool of ectoplasmic fluid. If the Fort's genie detects some of the fluid being absorbed into the youngster's body, it will inform the Fort's staff, and the youngster, assuming they are wiling to enlist, will get tested for capacity before starting their training."

"Another unfamiliar term. What is a genie?"

"A genie is a self-sustaining familiar that is bound to a shrine or to the noetic reactors of large warships." shrugged Shiori. She lifted her right hand, and a miniature white fox materialized on her palm. The fox yawned and looked at Shiori with large eyes, and she displayed a fond smile as she rubbed its little head with a finger.

"This is a fox messenger, a very simple noetic familiar. The Japanese army use a lot of fox familiars to convey messages when other means of communication are blocked. The Forts' genies are much smarter, about comparable to humans."

"That's a cute little fellow. But wait, I remember you using a Yanling spell the first time we met. Are you one of those rare exceptions you mentioned?"

"I am." nodded Shiori. "However, while I have a significant amount of noetic power, I cannot summon even a single Legion."

"I understand. And I think we should return to the matter of that network. How will severing it into two will affect the defenders?"

"Tutelary Forts offer several advantages to the Chevalier who is bound to it." sighed Shiori. "First is an energy shield that can withstand the attacks of hundreds of Legions for a while. Second is a small but significant increase in the performance of the Legions summoned by the Chevalier. Lastly, the Chevalier controlling the Fort can manifest various effects, from conjuring illusions or mist, to targeting enemies with lightning strikes."

"But all those require noetic energy. Each Tutelary Fort generate its own, but what they produce, by itself, is far from enough to withstand a real attack."

"I think I understand." nodded Noah. "The Tutelary Forts are linked via those conduits so those that aren't attacked can funnel their surplus of noetic energy to those who need it."

"That is correct." replied Shiori with a grim expression. "And by cutting off a third of the network, the cut third will be gravely weakened, easily seized. The British will likely focus their efforts on taking them first. Once done, they will be free to turn their attention to the rest, and the Japanese Tutelary Forts, while in better shape, will still be diminished by the network having lost about twenty Forts."

"I see. But that also means that if we retake any of the three Forts that they need to hold to cut the country in two, all the Japanese Forts will regain their nominal strength. Assuming a single conduit can take the load."

"They can." nodded Shiori. "And so the British will station powerful forces to hold them. If there are any Legatus in the invasion force, they will likely stay behind to defend those Forts rather than participate in attacks against weakened ones."

She glanced at Hatsune, and tilted her head, confused.

"Is it me, or is Hatsune somehow… more beautiful?"

"A secondary effect of the enhancement." shrugged Noah. "Although I have no idea if she will keep her refined looks after the Soul Contract expires. It should take maybe another five minutes before she wakes up."

"I see…" nodded Shiori. "Have you considered how you intend to help, since you want to hide your abilities as much as possible?"

Noah idly scratched his chin for a minute as he pondered before nodding.

"This is all tentative and subject to change, but if it can be avoided, I do not want to take on the British's main force head on. Instead, since taking and holding Forts is so important, I want to use that against them."

"I would prefer them to take a few forts, spread them out across multiple locations they have to defend, then hit their detached forces, fritter away their strength before facing any potential Legatus. And I would prefer to remain in the background while Rikka and Hatsune fight."

"But I need for Long Tian Yun to learn where I will be as soon as possible."

"Long Tian Yun? He wants to capture or kill you?"

"Yes. It's a story for another time. The big issue with my plan is that letting the British seize several forts will means Japanese Chevaliers dying, and that's… not great. Do you think you could let me talk to whoever is in overall command and convince the Chevaliers to perform a fighting retreat rather than a fight to the death?"

"I don't think they would accept such a dishonor, even if it serves the overall strategy." frowned Shiori. "They have little reason to trust you in the first place. For all they know, you could be colluding with the enemy to convince them to abandon their post."

"…That is true." admitted Noah. "My Plan B is to demonstrate to the Japanese commander my ability to increase the number of Legions Chevaliers can summon, and have more Chevaliers sign temporary contracts using Psyconnect. I would paint a big target on my back with the British, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, while hiding my actual combat capabilities. Plan C is me simply hanging around Rikka and Hatsune and only taking action if they look like they are going to lose, but… Wait, no, I need to protect the AST members as well."

Noah fell silent as he considered other options.

Could he make himself invisible and infiltrate the British troops, assassinating their Chevaliers and plunging them into chaos? It would be moderately risky, and Long Tian Yun would be sure to get cold feet, wasting the confrontation Noah suspected Lilith wanted to see.

Still, he didn't think Lilith would like him simply watching as brave Japanese Chevaliers died in the defense of their country, even if he didn't owe them anything. He wouldn't like that, either, and would revive them later just to alleviate his conscience, even if Chevaliers would cost him a lot of Yin points. After a few more seconds of thinking, he reached what he thought was an acceptable compromise. It wasn't perfect and some Chevaliers would probably still die, but…

Noah was explaining his plan to Shiori and the others when Hatsune stirred and opened her eyes.

"Whoa, Noah-sama, you look even more handsome!"

"Welcome back, Hatsune. How do you feel?"

"I feel full of energy! Hatsune version 2.0 is making her grand entrance! Let the British tremble before my might! Eheheh!" exclaimed Hatsune as she jumped to her feet.

"She doesn't seem okay. Did something go wrong?" grumbled Erica.

Noah shared a glance with Shiori, and she shrugged.

"Hatsune is like this in private."

"Yes." grinned Hatsune, but her smile faded as she looked at Noah, and suddenly looked like she was afraid of how he would react. "Noah-sama, if you prefer, I can act demure at all times."

"No, I prefer for you to be yourself, Hatsune." smiled Noah. "I am happy that you are willing to drop your guard around us."

Hatsune's smile returned instantly, and she blushed slightly.

"No flirting while she is under the effect of Psyconnect, Noah." frowned Shiori.

"Alright, I'll be all business with them for the duration." said Noah, taking his Sanctuary from his inventory.

"Princess, Hatsune, I'm taking you to a private place where there will be room for Hatsune to summon her Legions."

Shiori and Hatsune both nodded, and Noah entered the Sanctuary with them.

"What is this place?" asked Shiori, examining the large stone house in the middle of a clearing, surrounded by a bamboo forest.

"A pocket dimension. You could say it is my portable home. We do not have any time to waste if we go with my plan, so please summon your Legions, Hatsune."

"Tell me about that plan later, okay?" asked Hatsune as she drew her tanto and pointed it toward the sky.

"Answer to my call, my Legions!"

Hundreds of tightly packed large shapes materialized behind her.

Unlike Rikka's blue samurai-like Kamuys, Hatsune's Legions were dark red, with a white tabard, and a conical helmet reminding Noah of the hats worn by Japanese court nobles in past eras.

"Regiment formation!" declared Hatsune, and the Legions reacted instantly, forming rows and lines.

"A total of 273! That's how many Legions I can now summon!" grinned Hatsune after doing the headcount.

"Congratulations. That is quite impressive." smiled Shiori.

"That's great. Please unsummon them, Hatsune, I'm bringing us back to the dorm."

"Yes, Commander!" smiled Hatsune with a salute as she obeyed.

Noah smiled and took them back into the dorm's living room.

"So?" asked Erica.

"Even though this is very temporary, my attendant is now the world's strongest Chevalier." nodded Shiori.

"273!" grinned Hatsune.

"That's a lot of firepower." nodded Liliana.

"It is." nodded Noah. "As soon as Rikka wakes up, I am teleporting us near Tengu City, in front of the AST's base. I need to get in contact with Japanese High Command as soon as possible."

"Then we can go." said Rikka as she opened her eyes and stood.

Noah nodded and looked at Shiori. She spoke before he had time to ask.

"I am going, of course. How can I expect others to follow me if I do not lead them?"

Noah nodded and transferred Shiori, Origami, Hatsune and Rikka in his Sanctuary.

"I'll be going. Don't worry about us, I'm much harder to kill than you'd think. If things go bad, I'll just teleport away."

"Yes, take care, My Lord." smiled Liliana.

"Come visit us a few minutes every day, okay?"

"I'll try." nodded Noah. "See you later."

…

Shouzan Akigaze, Governor General of the Shizuoka, Aichi and Yamanashi Prefectures, frowned when he felt his smartphone vibrate and checked the name appearing on the screen. His secretary.

He was sitting alone in his office, in the middle of an emergency briefing. On his screen were the pictures of Chief of Staff, General Hidoshi Kumamura, as well as the other eleven Governor Generals, and they all wore grim expressions.

His secretary was supposed to screen his calls. If she was calling him now, it had to be for something extremely important, and with the invaders less than an hour away from the coast, he fully expected it to be more bad news.

Shouzan muted himself and

"What is it?"

"Sir, your daughter is back in the Shizuoka prefecture and ready to be assigned to a Fort."

"Already?" asked Shouzan, his eyebrows raised. She was in the Land of Dragons less than an hour before. Even taking their high-speed train, he didn't expect her to be able to return for a few hours.

"That is not all, Sir. The Spirit, Noah Enfield, is offering his assistance. But he says that he needs to speak with the Chief of Staff before the British force reaches us."

"What does he want in return for his help?" frowned the Governor General.

He knew a little about Noah from official channels, as well as from what his daughter Rikka had told him. He was clearly a very powerful Spirit, and well experienced in combat from his achievements inside Mystic Moon. It was unknown how he would measure up against a seasoned Chevalier or even a Legatus, and he clearly took great care of keeping his actual combat capabilities a secret. Something the Governor General both understood and approved of.

As things stood, he simply didn't know if Noah's assistance would significantly help them, but he couldn't simply dismiss the possibility.

On the screen, he could see the Chief of staff still speaking, but looking slightly irritated, and several of his peers glaring.

"He didn't say, Sir"

"Be ready to patch him through on my command."

"Yes Sir."

Shouzan put away his phone and unmuted himself, then cleared his throat with a slightly apologetic expression.

"This better be important, Akigaze." frowned the Chief of Staff.

"Sir, I just received news that the Spirit Noah Enfield is offering his help and wish to speak to you, likely to negotiate his terms. My secretary will add him to the meeting if you allow it."

"This Spirit, huh? …I'll give him two minutes." nodded the Chief of Staff.

Shouzan signaled his secretary, and a new picture appeared on his screen. He recognized Noah from one of the briefings he had read previously, but was surprised by the people standing behind him. His daughter Rikka, standing at attention, the exiled Princess Shiori Fujinomiya of the Imperial Family, her attendant, and two members of the AST, its commander Ryouko Kusakabe and a silver-haired girl he didn't know.

"Greeting, everyone. I am Noah Enfield. Thank you for accepting my request to meet during this emergency." nodded Noah.

"Greetings, mister Enfield." replied the Chief of Staff, choosing to ignore the exiled Princess. "As you mentioned, time is in short supply, so please say your piece."

"Very well. I am acting at the request of Princess Shiori, and she asked me to help fend off the British. For that purpose, I have temporarily enhanced Rikka Akigase and Hatsune Tachibana, the Princess's attendant. They can now summon 304 and 273 Legions, respectively."

Shouzan's eyes widened as he stared at his daughter behind Noah, and she nodded in confirmation. The other Governor Generals were too experienced to break military discipline and start commenting, but he could see the sudden hope threaten their professional masks.

"That is not the only thing I intend to do to contribute, of course." continued Noah. "I will personally involve myself in the fight. I do not ask for you to integrate me into your plans and share confidential details about your defenses. You have little reasons to trust me with something so sensitive. What I do need, however, is a list of the Chevaliers' names and their locations, as well as information on the enemy's movements, updated as close to real time as you can manage."

"Why do you need those?" asked General Kumamura.

"Just like you likely wouldn't trust me with details of your defensive plans, I do not trust you enough to reveal details of my own plan. I will only tell you that the information you give me, assuming it is accurate, will mean less of your Chevaliers dying, and that my plan should result in the British's complete rout in about a week. And if they have one or several Legatus Legionis in this invasion force, I will deal with them."

"Do you have the ability to fight a Legatus Legionis?" carefully asked the Chief of Staff.

"My abilities and fighting style are very suited to killing enemy commanders, even those with superhuman abilities." nodded Noah.

"Assuming we accept your help, will you enhance more of our Chevaliers? And what do you want as compensation?"

"Possibly, but I cannot enhance everyone, a few more at most, and said enhancement would only last until the British are defeated. As for the compensation, this matter already has been settled by the Princess. You gentlemen aren't the only ones prepared to make sacrifices to protect your country."

Shouzan looked at Princess Shiori's serene expression, wondering about the agreement she made with Noah. The Spirit was now silent, giving them time to consider his offer.

"General, I object to this." declared Tenzen Izumi, the Governor General of the Mie, Shiga, Nara and Wakayama Prefectures. "We can't give an outsider any sensitive information. He may be in cahoots with them. The exiled Princess might be, for all we know. With the knowledge of the identity of our Chevaliers and their assignments, the British will know in advance how many legions they can expect to defend each Fort. They can search for each Chevalier's relatives to use as hostages!"

"General Izumi, are you suggesting my daughter might be colluding with our enemies?" asked Shouzan with a soft but dangerous voice.

"…I do not suggest anything regarding her at this point. Maybe she is being duped." said Tenzen defensively.

"This is a risk." declared the Chief of Staff. "But not an unreasonable one, considering how much this Spirit's help might be worth. And I do not really believe the British would resort to methods so convoluted. They have the advantage in number and toughness, and wield their Legions like clubs… I will accept your help, Sir Enfield."

"Thank you. You will not regret it. Please send the information to Rikka Akigase, and she will relay it to me."

Noah's window disappeared, and the Chief of Staff seemed to stare into Shouzan's soul through the camera.

"I decided to trust in your daughter's judgement, General Akigase. She had a flawless career so far. I hope that tonight will not be the night when she first misses a step."

Shouzan could only agree.

…

Noah, clad in a bodysuit making him invisible, stood near the top of a hill, about one kilometer from the Mie Tutelary Fort.

His plan was rather simple. He was going to watch the battle, then evacuate the Japanese Chevaliers just before their death. It would satisfy their pride and honor if they were forced to leave rather than perform a fighting retreat on their own, and their lost Legions would slowly recover after two weeks in his Sanctuary. When the time came for the counter-attack, they would be ready.

And thinking back about the list, Noah sighed in relief over his decision to not simply let them die. Because there were a handful of names he recognized. Names coming from fictions he could identify.

Kisara Tendo. Sen Tokugawa. Jubei Yagyu.

Rikka's voice came from the earplug in his right ear.

"Noah-sama, the first wave of Crusades should reach the fort any minute now. Estimated number, five hundred, controlled by six Chevaliers."

"Understood." nodded Noah.

Rikka, Hatsune, Shiori, as well as the members of the AST, were all inside the Tutelary Fort of the Shizuoka Prefecture. Shiori was making calls after calls to various members of the government, occasionally mentioning that Noah was there, although making certain the mention of his name came following the casual flow of her conversations.

Noah fully expected Long Tian Yun to have learned that he was in Shizuoka by now.

He actually wasn't, but for at least a few hours, it didn't matter. Long Tian Yun would need some time to mobilize the Campiones, Sun Tzu, and possibly Luo Hao.

By the time they gathered near Shizuoka, he would be there, chilling, and waiting for them to make their move.

But that was for later. he needed to focus on the present.

There were four Japanese Chevaliers defending the Tutelary Fort. The Governor General, Tenzen Izumi himself, as well as three other men.

"I may not like the Governor General of Mia, since he accused me to wanting to scam them, but I have to hand it to the man, he is brave." idly said Noah.

"Of course." replied Rikka. "Our Governor Generals did not reach their elevated position through something like nepotism. They all are exemplary warriors, inheriting the values of the Samurai of old."

"Yes… I see the Legions, about ten kilometers away." nodded Noah, mentally preparing himself.

The six hundred white British Legion swiftly headed straight for the Tutelary Fort, and Noah could see a bunch of wyverns following them.

The distance was gradually reduced. Eight kilometers. Seven Kilometers. Six Kilometers…

When they were only three kilometers away from the fort, Noah frowned.

"Hey, Rikka. I'm not an expert on battles between Legions, but the Crusades are now less than three kilometers from the Fort, and I have yet to see our Chevaliers summon their Legions. There's only the two Legions guarding the Fort's main gate."

"WHAT!?" exclaimed Rikka, clearly shocked.

"Two kilometers now. Is the Fort's defensive shield visible when activated? Because I don't see it either."

"It should be faintly visible! What is going on in Mie?"

Noah took his smartphone from his pocket and drew a Light Rune on it, making it invisible aside from its screen that he kept pointed away from anyone on the Fort. He started recording as the Crusades, barely 500 meters from the Fort, gradually slowed down and landed, their bayonet rifles held in half-ready position.

He recorded as six Chevaliers clad in white clothes made their wyverns land, dismounted, and walked a short distance to the four Japanese Chevaliers wearing black uniforms. They started talking.

"Remember what I said about Izumi being brave? Forget it, he's a traitor, and the other three with him as well." said Noah with some anger in his voice.

"Noah-sama, are you… certain?"

"I'm sending you a short video. Give it to your father." said Noah, sending her the recording of the British officers landing and facing their Japanese counterparts.

"Noah-sama, please do not reveal yourself now." said Shiori after a minute, borrowing Rikka's phone. "Even if killing them is tempting, the Chief of Staff might imagine the video is doctored to cover for you killing loyal Japanese Chevaliers. If we just wait a little, he will have confirmation of their treason by separate sources."

"Yes. I will stick to the rest of the plan. What is the status on the British's detached forces?"

"Those warships are hovering some distance away from the coast and keep sending scout familiars. They stay close enough to seize any Tutelary Fort that would be abandoned, but far enough that any Chevalier trying to engage them would not benefit from the Forts' defensive advantages."

"Alright. Please inform me of any change."

Noah watched the British Chevaliers enter the Fort after unsummoning their Legions, likely to absorb some of its shrine's ectoplasmic fluid to restore their energy, and maybe for one of them to bind himself to it and officially take over the Fort.

…

"…Lord Caesar calls himself the protector of our nation's Empress but exerts wanton control over our imperial government to interfere unjustly in our internal affairs. Expelling Lord Caesar and the Roman Army from Her Majesty's presence is the first step to rebuilding our proud nation. We pledge our lives to accomplish this monumental endeavor. The friend of our nation, the British Empire, agrees with us wholeheartedly."

"I hereby declare the formation of the Restoration Alliance between the Mie, Shiga, Nara and Wakayama Prefectures, and the British Empire. All Governor Generals wishing to pursue the same dream are welcome to join the alliance to save our great nation…"

Annie Carlton, known by most as John Pluto Smith, turned the radio off. She was driving a rental car to the airport. Natsumi sat beside her, looking through the heavily tinted windows. Long Tian Yun had contacted them, a private plane he maintained already going through pre-flight checks. Once refueled, it would take them to Tokyo airport, barely 60 kilometers from the Shizuoka Tutelary Fort where Noah and Rikka Akigaze were.

"My eyes were trying to stare at my brain." snorted Natsumi. "The British Empire, friends of Japan? Don't make me laugh. They must have paid a lot to bribe this traitor."

"…I don't think they paid anything." muttered Annie. "For something so high stakes, would they dare rely on classic bribes or blackmail? There would be too big a chance of Izumi being a double agent and leading them into an ambush."

"So? They must have decided it was worth betting over, or… or, you're thinking those theories about that Princess are true?" frowned Natsumi.

"Maybe." shrugged Annie. "I think I was right to keep her at arm's length."

Annie's main residence was in San Francisco, California, in the Seven Sisters nation that held the Western half of what once had been the United States of America. While the Seven Sisters were not the mightiest military power, they had fiendishly competent intelligence organizations, and over the last year, the Seven Sisters Intelligence Service, or SSIS, had stumbled over a pattern regarding a certain Princess of the British Empire.

It seemed that whenever a member of the British nobility talked too much against the government, or an industrialist pursed a policy that went against the interests of the crown, they eventually found themselves privately meeting with Princess Eleanor, third in the line of succession.

Afterward, those nobles still spoke against the government, but in significantly milder terms, and they didn't actually do anything against it. The Industrialists, more often than not, quietly shifted their policies to align a little more closely with the Royal Family's wishes, citing market changes or other reasons.

That pattern had not been obvious and it has taken a while for anyone to connect their quiet changes to those visits, but this happened with such consistency that the SSIS, after repeatedly trying and failing to find any trace of blackmail or bribery explaining this trend, has started to suspect that there was something supernatural about it.

As Princess Eleanor was a descendant of one of the Sacred Beasts, the White Lion, and it wasn't all that rare for them to be born with some minor supernatural ability or another. This possibility couldn't be discarded out of hand, and when 'John Pluto Smith', meeting the Princess during a gala, had been invited to visit her estate next week, he politely declined while pretexting a prior commitment.

"Annie, how do you think Caesar will react to this betrayal?"

"I think he is enough of a strategist to have seen the British invasion coming, and not too angry with them. Those traitors among the Japanese army, however, are dead men. He won't forgive backstabbing, especially after the way he first died."

"He was betrayed?" asked Natsumi. She had little interest in this world's history, and Annie had not forced her to learn about it.

"He was literally backstabbed by his adopted son Brutus, for politics and power."

"Oh…"

Natsumi fell silent for a few minutes, brooding about something, and Annie focused on her driving. A few kilometers away from the airport, she stopped the car and put on the helmet, becoming John Pluto Smith, before starting the car again. The transformation spell she had used on both herself and Natsumi before leaving her home was still in effect.

'John' and his Spirit reached the airport, and security let them through without asking any question.

When they left the car, the men who greeted them only saw the tall man with a mask, John Pluto Smith, and his Spirit, a beautiful young woman with glamorous proportions.

The men carried their luggage, and in less than ten minutes, the private jet was accelerating on the runway.

…

"You are thinking, about that Spirit?" asked Morrigan, the genie of the Tintagel, a 183m long Type-27 destroyer. She looked like a petite girl in her teen, with green eyes and neck length blonde hair, wearing a sailor marine uniform with a beret.

William The Conqueror, a tall man with blue eyes and blonde hair, nodded without looking at her, staring at the last report.

"'Tis his handiwork." he said at last, his voice low and steady. "I can brook that now and then a Chevalier's body be not found when the reek of battle hangs thick and the weapons of the Legions rend all manner of flesh. Yet four times in six? Nay—he took them off by some craft, so that our men spied him not. Those Chevaliers shall be seen again, mark me, and I am sore angered to be robbed of a sure victory."

"If we can't detect him… and he comes… the ship's defenses… will be compromised."

"Aye, that is true," William replied, inclining his head. "…Me thinks I glimpsed the Spirit's design. On the one hand he suffers us to win forts that we might be scattered in our pride. on the other he keeps the Japanese Chevaliers—he gives them time to heal their strength and, mayhap, to be made stronger. In a few weeks' time they shall strike us one after another with thousands of Legions. A cunning stratagem. Had not Izumi warned us, we would be caught wholly unawares."

"Dangerous… Countermeasures?"

"We shall hold to our present course for now," he said. "Word hath reached me from our Chinese allies: they shall be ready to move upon Shizuoka Fort in some fifteen hours. I will set forth to draw them, and will send our five staunchest Chevaliers with me, hiding myself among them. If our friends can deal with this Spirit, the rest of Japan will fall with little effort."

"If they fail, Sun Tzu and myself will ride forth to seize Princess Shiori. I heed not if he cloaks himself in invisibility, nor if his saved comrades can raise, mayhaps, less than eight hundred Legions. He shall not withstand an aggregate force of about three thousand. Once the Japanese Princess is held in our hands, he will like enough come to parley. Oh, what a useful ally he would prove!"

Morrigan nodded, not really caring about the war itself. All that interested her was ensuring that the Tintagel and its crew, what she considered her home, would not end up crashing into the waters of the Pacific ocean.

Whether the British Empire took Japan or not, captured that Spirit or not, were all trivial to her.

…

Kisara Tendo's fury went from hot to cold as she saw over a hundred Kamuys intermingled with the group of Crusades coming to take her Fort. Seeing a total force of over three hundred Legions, compared to the 137 she could summon, she accepted that she was going to die, but she would be damned if she didn't take at least one of those traitors with her!

With her fists clenched so hard she could feel blood trickle from her injured palms, she saw the Legions fly over her and continue on their way to the Tutelary Fort.

At least, her gamble had paid off.

For all the good it would do her.

Kisara had the advantage of knowing the enemy's most probable approach vector, and she had decided to move eight kilometers away from the fort, then hide inside the barn of a farm.

That was a violation of the Knight Code, Something she usually was very scrupulous about, but tonight, Kisara couldn't care less.

Thanks to it, and the enemy's arrogance that prevented them from attacking from an unpredictable direction, she would be able to summon her Legions behind them. That was her only way to reach the enemy Chevaliers.

Had she tried to face them from the front, the British and Japanese traitors would have engaged in a firefight very favorable to them. Had she tried to charge to melee range, they would have retreated to keep the distance open while raining withering fire on her Legions.

Not that she would have fared well in melee, either, as she would have been badly outnumbered anyway, and Crusades weren't weaker than Kamuys at any range.

The traitor's Kamuys and British Legions stopped four kilometers from the fort and started raining fire on its shimmering shield, and the four Wyverns mounted by two Japanese and two British Chevaliers stopped behind them, with an escort of fifty more Legions.

Kisara took a deep breath, summoned a fox familiar, and whispered into its ears. The fox familiar nodded once before jumping from her hand to the ground, where is instantly sank without leaving a hole behind. Twenty seconds later, the Fort's genie received her order, and her farewell. With a sad expression, the genie drew further on her quickly depleting noetic reserves and summoned a white mist, several kilometers wide, engulfing both the attacking Legions and their Chevaliers.

Kisara wasted no time and lifted her katana toward the sky.

"Come, My Legions. Accompany me for one last dance."

137 Legions materialized behind her, and she hoped on one's right shoulder. She gave a mental command, and the Legions all flew into the mist.

For a second, she thought about her friend Rikka, who had gone to Cassell College. Rikka was the only Japanese Chevalier among her generation who could summon more Legions than her, and they had been rivals in the military school. Kisara herself was just six months too young to attend the College, and she had been looking forward to continuing that rivalry over there. However, fate had other ideas, and she hoped that Rikka wouldn't beat herself too hard for not being there.

Shaking her head, she focused on her senses as the Kamuys entered the mist. She spread them out, expecting the enemy Chevaliers to change their position while trying to exit the fog.

And in seconds, Her Legions started to find their counterparts. Fierce fighting erupted all around, but Kisara instructed her Legions not to let themselves bogged down into duels against crusades or traitorous Kamuys. Rather, they would disengage and keep trying to find the Chevaliers in the fog.

Heat beams were fired everywhere and seemingly in every direction amidst a cacophony of clanging sounds as Legions exchanged blows in melee. She could feel her Legions dying one after another, but could afford to worry about them.

When she heard the sounds of wings frantically beating, Kisara instructed her Legion to fly in that direction, and she found the enemy Chevaliers. Her Legion aimed at the closest one, a British one, and fired, The heat beam barely managed to hit its target before the closest Crusade could intercept with its massive shield, and the entire upper body of the Chevalier exploded. Many Crusades and Kamuys were aiming their rifles at her Kamuy as well as the handful who had followed her, and Kisara knew her life would end within the next three seconds. She sent a mental command to the Legion carrying her, and it changed heading slightly, grabbed her as gently as circumstances allowed, and threw her like a human projectile toward one of the traitors.

As her own Kamuys were being destroyed, hit by multiple heat beams each, Kisara, for the fraction of a second, met the eyes of the Japanese Chevalier, frozen in disbelief at Kisara's suicidal move. He didn't have time to unfreeze or give any command to his Legions as Kisara thrust forward with her katana, sinking it into his heart to the hilt before momentum carried her past him, and as she began to fall, she smiled.

She could see more Crusades aim at her, and suddenly, she was staring at a blue sky as her body impacted the ground, much sooner and much more softly than expected.

For an instant, she couldn't comprehend what her senses were telling her. It had been 5 AM when the battle started. How could there be a blue sky?

The last thing she remembered was seeing a Crusade aim its rifle straight at her. She came to the logical conclusion. She was dead. She didn't remember the exact moment, or even feeling any pain, and that was probably a good thing.

"So, is this what the afterlife is like?" muttered Kisara with a self-deprecating smile as she got to her feet and straightened her black uniform. "In those books, it generally was a white room. Am I going to be sent to some other world by a god?"

With a sigh, Kisara walked toward the house. As she came closer, she could hear several voices from inside. She knocked twice, then tried the handle. It wasn't locked, and the door easily opened. The voice had fallen silent as she stepped inside, and immediately to her right, saw several people sitting around a table. She recognized instantly some of them as fellow Chevaliers.

"Ah, Tendo!" exclaimed Hiroshi Subaru, waving happily. "Come join us!"

"Are we all dead?" hesitated Kisara.

"Probably? I feel alive, thought. Come have a drink. I don't know whose house this one belongs to, but the fridge is full of various drinks and snacks. We'll apologize to the owner later. I figure we deserve it, after we all died honorably in battle."

"I guess." sighed Kisara, walking closer and getting a seat.

"So, Tendo, how many Legions did you nail before you died?" asked Tetsuya Uematsu.

"Not many. I did, however, kill one British Chevalier, as well as Hayakawa!"

"Ohhhh!" exclaimed the other Chevaliers in sync. The closest of them clapped her back.

"How did you manage?" eagerly asked Tetsuya.

Kisara shrugged and told them how she had hidden inside a barn, then had the fort's genie conjure a mist, and the ensuing fight.

"I got lucky." sighed Kisara. "Lucky to locate them before all my Legions were shot, and lucky that I saw them before they saw me."

"Luck is part of any battle. You did good, Tendo." smiled Hiroshi. "I wish we could say the same. Only Jin here managed to kill a British Chevalier."

He was about to add more when the door opened again, and this time, it wasn't a Japanese Chevalier who entered, but the most handsome young man Kisara had ever seen.

"Got a seat for me? After all, this is my food and drinks you guys are consuming." asked the man with a pleased smile.

"Huh, yes? Sorry for the intrusion. We just…" started Hiroshi.

"I don't mind." cut in the young man as he took a seat, facing Kisara. "I filled the fridge for you guys to use in the first place. My name is Noah Enfield… I see you have heard of me."

"Yes, you're the Spirit that appeared in Tengu City three weeks ago. And the second place in Mystic Moon. So we aren't dead?" asked Kisara.

"No, we aren't dead. Of the eight Japanese Chevaliers who were defeated tonight, I managed to save six of you. Unfortunately, I failed to rescue Motoichi Yanai due to a mistake in my timing, and could not do anything for Rikimaru Iesada, since his battle happened at the same time one of yours did, and I can't be in two places at once."

"How did you manage to save us in the first place?" asked Tetsuya.

"I followed you around while being invisible. It was quite dangerous, as I'm sure you can imagine. I almost got hit by a few stray shots, invisible or not." said Noah as motes of blue light oozed from his hands, turning into a glass filled with what looked like beer. He drank half of it before smiling.

Kisara gulped as she realized that the water she had just drank might have been… created from nothing? Was it really safe to drink? From the strange expressions on her peers, they were wondering the same thing.

"When you were about to die, I whisked you away into this pocket dimension. Your next question is likely, why did I save you? I do not want Japan to be conquered by another nation, and Imperial Princess Shiori asked me to help. Also, I have friends who are either Chevaliers or part of the AST, and I do not want them to die, or see their friends die."

Kisara nodded. She didn't need to ask who his Chevalier friend was, or if he was aware of her relationship with Rikka. The way he looked straight at her with a soft gaze as he spoke was answer enough.

"We are very grateful for your help, Noah-sama." nodded Hiroshi. "Can we ask for your assistance in getting in contact with our Commanders? Are they aware that we are alive after all?"

"I will bring you to the Tutelary Fort of the Shizuoka Prefecture. Once there, you can contact them, and either stay or leave. You can also tell them about this pocket dimension or my actions. I do not mind. As for the Chief of Staff and Governor Generals, they are aware that I am helping, but I didn't tell them how. They likely believe you to be dead at the moment."

"But the British won't believe so." frowned Kisara. "They won't find our corpses."

"Yes, they surely realized by now." nodded Noah before grinning. "I really wish I could see their faces! Thanks to that traitor Izumi, they must know that I am the one responsible. They're probably cursing my name three ways from Sunday right now."

Noah finished his drink, and the cup in his hand disappeared.

"I'm getting out. Within a minute, you will be in Shizuka, and you can talk to the Princess or contact your superiors. As for me, I will go catch some sleep."

Kisara and the others nodded, and Noah disappeared.

"A spirit who can make himself invisible, fly, and teleport. He's going to be unstoppable." mused Tetsuya.

"I'm glad he's on our side, even if temporarily." sighed Hiroshi.

Is he on our side? Or on Princess Shiori's side? Wondered Kisara, already imagining a few scenarios. The current Empress was, if put in less than charitable terms, a puppet. If Princess Shiori didn't accept her exile anymore and pressed a claim, the court nobles would not relinquish their power without a fight. And if Noah sided with Princess Shiori…

She didn't have time to think about it any further as she somehow found herself standing inside a large, dim room with a high ceiling, at least ten meters tall. She could see a small shrine and a few people were standing close.

"Kisara!" exclaimed Rikka, and she found herself fiercely hugged.

"You're squeezing too hard!" wheezed Kisara before Rikka loosened her grip.

"I was worried. When I saw them head toward your Fort… I'm glad you're safe."

"I'm glad to see you, Rikka." smiled Kisara, returning the hug for a few seconds.

On the side, a young woman who had to be Princess Shiori and her attendant were smiling at her.

When Rikka finally released her, Kisara made a polite bow toward Shiori.

"Your highness, I am grateful that you convinced Noah-sama to assist us. I wouldn't be there without you."

"We are all doing our part to protect our homeland." graciously said Shiori, nodding to them. "I will lead you upstairs to the communication room. Rooms have also been prepared for you to rest, should you prefer."

"Thank you very much, your Highness." nodded Kisara. She caught a sight of Noah crouching beside the Shrine's pool and plunging his left hand into the ectoplasmic fluid.

The Fort's Genie, Sakura, having the shape of a petite, almost doll-like shrine maiden with long black hair dotted with cherry blossom flowers and black eyes, floated near him, staring.

Shiori followed her gaze and stared at Noah for a few seconds as well, and he stood, examining his hand before closing his eyes.

And behind him, a Legion appeared. One unlike any Kisara had ever seen. It looked like a European knight, entirely black, but the armor covering it had a modern and slightly angular appearance, a long black cape hanging from its shoulders, and blue light escaped from its visor. It held a huge sword in its hands. A double-edged longsword whose blade seemed to be about five meters long.

Its general appearance reminded Kisara a little of a famous movie character, a night vigilante that used a flying animal as a symbol.

"Hey! It turns out I can be a Chevalier as well!" chuckled Noah, noticing the agape expressions of Shiori and Rikka.