AN: Hey there, it's SFN, what's up, guys?
I was kind of busy with this one and I just hope that you will like it.
I should thank ltn. Bird for helping me with some parts of story, so thank you, Carl.
Anyway, have a good time reading prologue of my new story.
ILY~~


Prologue.

Thousands of banners with dual lions were streaming whenever the wind started to pick up. King Richard were on the top of his horse, equipped with full armor that shined, when sun touched it with its sunlight. Richard the Great stroked a painted red lion in the center of his chest plate and pushed up his visor, taking a look on his army. His horse let out some annoiyng sound, when Richard heard something behind him. King quickly turned his horse towards the voices, looking on his faithful brother-in-arms.

"Milord! Milord! Our army is ready, scouts reports that horde is in thirty minutes from our positions!" One of them said, he wore a light hauberk and blue ribbon on his right arm, which meant that he was a councilor of king; his name was William the Wise. Another man in full shining armor had claymor in the sheath on his back. He had a scary long scar across his face. 'The Butcher' he was called, because he often sliced his enemy in the pieces. He was a typical duelist, his real name was Roderik and Richard knew him since the childhood. He also had a red rag with lion picture on it on his shoulder that showed him as a personal bodyguard and second-in-command of the army. Roderik was like brother to Richard, they even did the same tattoos on their chests, showing their brotherhood. He moved his horse closer to the king, pushing the visor of his helmet up and reaching out his hand that was immediately shook by the king with accurate beard.

"Brother. Are we ready?" King asked him, looking into his eyes. Richard tightened his grip on his hand, twitching his eyebrow and smiling.

"Of course, Richard. We will save your kingdom. Our kingdom." Roderik answered him in his manner: cold and sharp. But king was prepared for it, he knew Roderik too damn well to expect anything else from him.

"They will come here soon, so we better think out everything before it starts. What do we have in the vanguard?"

"Your majesty. We have around a four thousands of soldiers; two thousands are foot knights and militia, one thousand is cavalry and others are archers. Our knight order A-RISE are leading lanzknechts in vanguard. They will start a fight." William pointed out some lines in the air, explaining the plan of the battle. "Then, in the middle of the fight, second line will form the crescent and let vanguard moves to the center of our army. A-RISE will regroup with cavalry and then strikes nomads in their flanks, while they will be busy with our knights and militia. Archers will help us to stop some of their forces in the start, but still... They're wild nomads, we must expect everything."

"Just another battle, just another day. Why everyone is so concerned?" Butcher asked, huffing and walking to the side of the cliff they were on. "Take a look at them, these men is ready to kill every single fucker, who want to burn our lands. You just need to inspire them, Richard. And you can do it, brother."

King moved closer to him, tapping his shoulder a couple of times. "I know. But it's the main battle of our lives. Now or never." Richard's gaze fell on the one of his banner with big dual lions. "Sometimes we're making a mistakes... But I hope that we won't make any of them today."

William also moved closer to them, coughing a couple of times. "This day will be praised in the songs."

"Don't forget about ballads." Roderik smirked and turned around his horse, walking away from the hill.

"We will win this fight.. I believe in this, brothers, so you need to be strong today." King sighed, pulling on his gauntlets. Richard also turned his horse and followed Roderik on his way to the army.

It was noon, sun was just on their heads, sending its sunlight. Strong wind turned into the breeze, slightly stroking the banners of Richard's house. King knew that today many of his people would die in the fight for his lands. And he was feared of something... No, he wasn't afraid of death. He feared losing today, because if his army lost today then every single man would be murdered, every single woman and child would be slaved and every single town or village would be burned.

Richard couldn't lose today. Because his family believed that householder will defeat nomads. Defeat them one more time. Because his army had an experience with fighting with them.

But all that Richard could remember from this fight is their faces... Faces of wild nomads, who killed every single person in their sight. Nomads horde ambushed king with small squad of his faithful knights, Roderik and A-RISE order. Richard, Roderik, A-RISE and couple of dozens of his knights had survived this fight. But Richard understood that they must get rid of them as soon as possible.

Brave, valiant and ardent.. Richard always was like that, the real king. He couldn't let nomads kill any civilians, so he decided to fight with them. His army and brother-in-arms were ready for this. They knew that they would receive everything that nomads had, so many of people just went in army, searching for gold. Richard knew it too, but gold was on the bottom of the list of what he wanted. King just wanted to return the peace into his lands, where people wouldn't afraid of nomads, who could kill them, if their army wouldn't protect them.

Peaceful kingdom. Forever.

Sounds funny.


King walks across his vanguard, looking into stone faces of his men... And three women of the secret knight order called A-RISE. They wear a full armor without the helmets, leaving their heads unprotected. Richard twitches his eyebrow, moving closer to them.

"Tsubasa... Why do you standing right here, in the vanguard, without your helmets?" King asks them, nearly clenching his fists. "If you..."

"Your majesty.. We will defeat them without our helmets, you know us, right?" Three of them chuckles, placing their hands on the swords grips. Each girl have the knight shield with big blue 'A' letter on it, as symbol of their order. King shakes his head, moving from them. Tribe of nomads were close, Richard could feel their stink in the air. After a couple of coughs behind him, he turns his horse, eyeing the bluenet in front of him. His eyes lit up with excitement, when king saw her. He quickly unmounts, stepping on the ground. Blue haired girl in eastern segmented plate armor was holding her katana's grip, turning her head away from the king.

"Sonoda, why are you here? You must be behind us with your archers, not in the first lines."

"Your majesty, please. Let me fight near you. I can shout them from here, just... I want to be in the first lines of our defense."

"It's not a defense, Sonoda. We will attack them with A-RISE in van."

Umi widens her eyes, taking a look on these knights, called A-RISE. Three of them were standing behind the king with smiles on their faces, nearly causing Umi to shiver a couple of times. "Still, I want to be near you, when this fight starts."

"Then you better stay close to us, because their cavalry can slid into our lines very quickly." Richard accept her suggestion, placing a hand on her shoulder. "This tribe have a foot soldiers too, so you need to be ready for a lot of blood."

Umi nods in agreement, slightly blushing from physical contact with king. "T-thank you, your majesty, I won't fail you."

"Good, now take your place in second line, I won't let you come in the vanguard. Everyone there have full armor plates on their bodies... And as you can see, your armor is far far from ours." Richard chuckles and shamed Umi quickens her pace, walking to the second lines of mixed Richard's army.

His army was really mixed; It has an western knights, militia and sellswords in it. And someone like Umi: eastern soldiers, samurais and ashigaru, who was defeated by Richard. His life was full of pain and battles. But Richard never lose his battles. So, this day is going to be another one good fight in his life, and after battle king will sit with his brother-in-arms on the feast of their victory, praising the God that they make it this far. But Richard feel something nervous each time, when someone from the vanguard darts a glance on him with smirks on their faces.

Something was really wrong with this vanguard; A-RISE was controlling it, actually. King gave an order to A-RISE to hire a mercenaries, who could survive nomads attack. They called lanzknechts, mercenaries have long lances in their hands. Some of them have a big shields to prevent a spearmans from killing by some arrow. In fact, they were really adroit. Each spearman have a cuirass that protects his chest and steel kettle hat. Minimum of armor, but maximum of agility. Quiet stupid idea, if you standing in the first lines and going to attack the cavalry and foot soldiers.

Someone touched king, causing Richard to turns around to find out, who it was. King turns around and take a look on one of his soldier... It was a blue eyed girl with hair locks that were visible from her knight's helmet. She widens her eyes, realizing who was in front of her. Girl quickly kneels down, when king drop his eyes on her. Ginger's hearth starts to bump faster, when she hears clang of metal.

"What's your name, soldier?" Richard asks her with cold voice.

"H-H-... Honoka Kousaka, your majesty!" Girl was terrified and Richard felt it, so she decided to tease her a little.

"You kno' what I'm doing with somebody, who don't show their respect? Huh?! Answer me, soldier!" Richard shouts, clenching his fists.

"A-... N-no.. Y-your m-majesty, p-please..." Ginger begs him, looking down.

Richard laughs loudly, reaching his hand out to help her to stand up. "Come on, soldier, it was a joke. Where are your line?"

"I'm in the second lines, milord!" She says with excitement, standing up with king's help. Richard glances at her face and the armor she have, twitching his eyebrow.

"It seems that you from the East, am I right?" King asks her, stroking his beard.

Ginger take a look into his eyes, winking a couple of times. "Argh... My parents were from the East, but then they moved in Lontern. That's why I have this eastern look, yes?" Honoka smiles shyly and nervously giggles, blushing.

Weird silence came upon them, so king decided to find Roderik, leaving the girl alone. "You better go to your positions, horde will be here soon." Richard turns away from ginger girl making his way to the middle of his army, when he suddenly stops and turn his head around. "Kousaka, right? Find a girl in segmented armor. Stay close to her and protect her with your shield."

Honoka widens her eyes, but nods in agreement. "I will, your majesty, thank you!" Ginger turns to second lines, trying to find bluenet, king talking about. Richard smiles and continues his way to his brother Roderik.

Richard passes through the lines of eastern and western soldiers, who kneels down, when king comes closer. Actually, Richard always hate to be a king. Battles, fights, duels was his best friends since the childhood. This pompous superior feeling in the eyes of the maniest lords... He hate it from the bottom of his heart. He think that people, who have this feeling don't deserve to live in this world.

Richard made his way to the Roderik and William, who were arguing about something. She coughs a couple of times, letting them know that he's here. Both of him stops arguing and turns their head towards king, who were standing with a poker face.

"Are you ready, brothers?" King asks them, moving closer and shaking their arms. "This day will be a day, when our kingdom will defeat tribe of these nomads."

Roderik take a deep breath and hits his heart with a fist, looking into Richard's eyes. "I'm with you, brother. Let's teach them a lesson."

"Your majesty, I will be there with you. Even if I'm not strong as you or Roderik, I won't sit somewhere, when you fight with these scums."

Richard take a look at both of them, nodding in agreement. "Thank you. For everything." King sighs, and gestures his comrades to come with him. "We better get going, our time has come."


Richard steps out from the first lines of soldiers with his brothers-in-arms, taking a look on his army. He glances over Roderik and William, nodding them; then trio kneels down, pulling out their swords and thrusting their blades into the ground in front of them, so they can lean their foreheads on swordhilts. Richard's soldiers did the same thing: everyone kneels down. Four thousand people just kneels down like their king. Because these people respects Richard.

King closes his eyes and prepares for the praying.

"Our Father,
Who art in Heaven,
Halloweed be thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us the power to stand against our enemies,
And in case we perish, take care of our children,
That they may live a virtuous life,
Far from our own, safe and sound."

Richard stands up, pulling out his sword. "Amen."

"Amen." Echoed through the lines of soldiers. Every single soldier from his army prayed for something, even if they was from the East. Eastern kingdoms following the other religion, and in fact, they praised their own gods, just telling 'Amen' in the end.

Roderik places his hand on Richard's shoulder. "They're waiting for you. Say something crazy. They like it, brother."

Richard steps closer to the first lines, clearing his troath.

"Soldiers! Brothers and sisters! We're standing here, because we are the defense of the West. Our kingdom will stand this tribe of dirty fallow men. You must be strong for your loved ones. Think about your family and for your comrades." Richard slashes the air and points at the other side of the field with his sword. "There they are, but I'm need you to be stronger than ever today. And we will defeat them!"

King turns around, facing his army: a lot of strong and merciless people, who learn how to kill during the wars between the Western and Eastern kingdoms. "My name is Richard Ayase, I'm the king of Westfalen! And we will shed the blood of these bastards together!"

Shouts came from the lines, when Richard ended his speech. Soldiers raised their weapons up, so king could see a blades of katanas, naginatas, spears, halberds and swords in the air. He really love his men, it was the most faithful army ever.

The loud noises stopped, when a horn rang through the forests, letting soldiers know that nomads were close. King's squire quickly ran to Richard, holding his metal shield. King take his shield, sliding his arm into it. "Roderik, stay close with me. William, you should go to the second lines, give our soldiers the orders."

"U-... Yes, your majesty!" He make his move to the second lines of soldiers, taking a shield from some other squire.

King and his bodyguard moves to the first lines behind the vanguard, catching the cold gazes of lanzknechts and A-RISE knights. "Vanguard, prepare to attack at my order!"

"Yes, milord!" Shouts echoed through the vanguard, nearly defeaning king and his bodyguard.

After a couple of moments of silence, first tribe's horsemen appears in the sight of Richard's army. They shout something and then more of them comes out from the forest. They wears a leather armor and fur coats with hats or steppe helmets with horse ponytail at its back. Nomads had create a big horde of cavalry in a minutes, so western and eastern soldiers started to worry a bit. Richard heard another horn; it was nomads. Horsemen starts to gallop right to the Richard's army side, letting out a some hooting and moving their horse accurately to dodge the hills and rocks on their way. Lanzknechts moves their pikes and halberds forward, when A-RISE knight Tsubasa orders it.

"They're close, milord!" Lanzknechts shouts, trying to remind king about nomads. But Richard waits for the right moment. He rises his arm up and then quickly drops it down.

"ARCHERS! SHOOT!" Female voice breaks the silence inside the soldiers lines and then sound of arrows, calms soldiers down.

The rain of arrows fell on nomads with sabres and bows in their hands. Some of them fell from their saddles, the others continued to gallop to Richard's army, when arrows had hit their vital zones, leaving them dead. Most part of horsemen were dead after a minute of this slaughterhouse. They didn't even know that western army had an eastern archers in their lines with their long bows. Richard smirks, pushing his sword forward. "ATTACK!"

Vanguard rushes along the field, reaching the survivors from the attack. Horsemen, who survived it, reached for their bows and started to shoot at them. Couple of unprotected lanzknechts dies instantly, when nomads arrows hit them. Then nomads realised that they would die, if lanzknechts came closer, so they turned their horses and ran to the forest they came from.

Soldiers in the lines shouts for joy of victory, when another horn rings along the field; nomads again. Richard took a look at vanguard, which soldiers was busy pursuing their enemy. Then something caught king's attention. It were a foot troopers of nomad tribe. A lot of them stepped out from the forest, preparing their spears and sabres. But lanzknechts weren't about to stop; They were rushing to their lines, dropping their shields and taking a weapons of dead nomads from the ground.

Richard didn't understand what they were doing, until it was too late. Dreaminess was changed to the amazement in a seconds on his face.

A-RISE betrayed him.

"Richard..." Roderik tightens the grip on his claymore, clanging his teeth.

"I know, brother.." Richard winks a couple of times and rubs his eyes, refusing to believe that knight order betrayed him. "We're fucked."

Soldiers and knights in the first lines don't understand what are A-RISE doing, some of them pushes their visors up, but it can't help them to realise the harsh true. Richard shakes his head a couple of times, pushing the visor down. "First line, form the crescent! Second line, support them by standing behind their backs! Come on, they will come here soon!" King take a look around trying to find bluenet commander of eastern archers. "Sonoda! I need you here!"

"I'm here, your majesty." She says, standing still behind him. She changed a bit since Richard saw her last time; now she was wearing a samurai helmet with a face mask. Her katana was shining in the sunlights.

"Command our archers, let them use a fire arrows." He takes Umi by her shoulder, looking in her amber eyes in the eyeholes of her mask. "I know you will do it, go!"

She nods, running behind the second lines to her archers. Roderik watch her and then walks closer to the king, reaching out for his arm and taking it.

"Richard. Don't forget about our cavalry." Roderik reminds him about them. "A-RISE knows fucking nothing about them."

"You're right... Find William, say that we need to call for our cavalry. Otherwise we'll be dead in a half an hour."

Roderik stops and widens his eyes. "I won't leave you here, no way."

"It's an order from the king, you must listen to it and complete it." Richard take a look in his eyes, when someone coughs a couple of time behind them.

"Y-your majesty? I can be your guard for a little..." Girl in full armor says, pulling up her visor and showing her face.

"Kousaka? Yes, just what I'm looking for!" He take her by the shoulders, slightly shaking. "Do you listening, knight?"

"Y-yes, milord!"

"Good, if you want to be my guard you better stay out from me." Richard points his finger at him. "Roderik, go, no more waste of time!"

"Why, milord?" Honoka asks him, twitching her eyebrow.

"Because they will try to kill me. And if you see A-RISE knight you better stay away from them. They're really strong, Kousaka."

Loud horn echoed through the field, filling western soldiers and their hearts with fear. Richard moves Honoka away and walks to the first line of soldiers, squezing through them. He steps out from line with soldiers, taking a look on the nomads with their foot soldiers.

"God will damn you, Tsubasa." Richard whispers, tightening his grip on his sword. He turns around, hearing the footsteps.

"Milord, our archers are ready. They're waiting for your order." Umi tries to recover her breath, leaning down to the ground.

"Sonoda." King steps closer to her, taking her chin and lifting her head up a little that she can see his eyes. "You disobeyed my order. I can execute you right here."

Umi's amber eyes widened, when she heard it from the king. She didn't find the words, but then Richard smirks, shaking his head. "But I won't do something like this with my faithful guards." He moved away from her, pushing his visor down. "If you want, you can stand near me, but try to survive this battle, Sonoda."

"As you wish, your majesty." She stood up, pulling out her katana and taking it with two hands.

"I'm here too, milord!" Ginger says, unsheathing her sword.

Richard watches how nomads come closer and closer with each step. King lifts his arm up, clenching a fist. "ARCHERS, BE READY!" He shouts, keeping his armored arm in the air.

First line of his soldiers can see, how nomads and lanzknechts smirks, breaking into a run; then Richard drops his arm and three of them shouts. "FIRE!"

Innumerables arrows went through the air, closing the sun for a moment, and fell on Richard's enemies and their heads, digging into the shields and helmets, armor and coats, killing them and burning their bodies up. Richard's enemies uses their bows too, starting to shoot the first lines with it. Luckily for them, King's squires quickly pushed a long shields to cover Honoka, Umi and Richard. Western soldiers with shields, swords and spires were standing in front of lines. Behind them were their comrades with halberds and eastern soldiers with naginatas and katanas. Richard take a look on them: excited warriors, who were waiting for the fight with their scary enemy.

Nomads came closer and stopped shooting the bows, as their enemies did. Someone shouted in foreign language and nomads started to rushing for their enemies in first lines. Knights and soldiers prepared their spears, when king suddenly came out from his cover, having a tight grip on the handle of his sword.

"ATTACK!" He ordered and eastern samurai were first, who charged into attack with 'Banzai' shouts. Western knights got some inspiration from their bravery and rushed behind them, tightly holding their weapon. Then nomads bumped into their lines, trying to kill as much as they could, and when nomads foot trooper had a mission to hold the lines of Richard's army, lanzknechts tried to squeeze into it, sliding to the second lines and starting a fight with guards from it. A-RISE was there too and they obvious wanted to kill Richard, but why?

"DIE!" Shout from lanzknecht in front of him wakes Richard up and he dodges his halberd. King moves a bit away and halberd hits the ground, stucking into it. Lanzknecht tries to pull it out, when someone thrusts his chest with long blade of western sword. Ginger quickly pushes his body away, pulling out a sword.

"Watch out, milord!" Blue eyed girls cries out, defending herself with shield from another enemie with claymore.

Richard quickly turns away, blocking a strike with his shield. Toudou Erena stands in front of him with sadistic smile on her face. "Your grace." She firmly shakes her long hair, driving Richard mad. They moves around the circle a little, when king strike her a couple of times, hitting her shield.

"Why did you betray me? What's the point, Toudou?" Richard blocks one hit, counterattacking her, slashing some hair locks and causing Erena to keep her distance.

"It's simple, Richard.. Someone promissed a sweet life to us, if he took a crown, but we need to took away your life now, so it's sad." She smirks. "I know that you're honourable warrior, so it will be a duel."

"I will kill all of you, idiots."

"We will see." Erena giggles, striking him a couple of times. She blocks Richard's thrust, moving behind him back and slashing his leg with her sword, causing king to fall. She steps on his wounded leg, so Richard can't move because of pain. Erena lifts her arm with sword, preparing for the fatal blow, when her blade falls down and she feel some weakness in her right arm. "W-what the?" She take a look on it and finds out her hand severed from her arm. Erena fall down on her back in pain shock, eyeing the person, who have his curved sword with blood on it. A-RISE knight focus her eyes on face of the samurai, realizing that she have a mask on her helmet.

"Prepare to die." She accurately swings her katana, pointing blade of her sword at Erena's chest. Samurai pushes blade down, when other knight hits her with the shield, throwing her off. Yuuki Anju is her name. Girl helps her comrade to stand up and moves away with her. King watches this scene, standing up from the ground. He tightens his sword, attacking another lanzknecht, who comes for him. He thrusts his neck and moves his blade in side of it, nearly ripping it off and kicking the body of this poor sellsword. Meanwhile, samurai fights with two enemies from nomad tribe, dodging and blocking their attacks, when one of them kicks the weapon out of her hands. Richard quickly dashes to his saviour, thrusting the body of nomad and kicking the other one with shield. Second nomad tries to stand up, but bluenet kicks at his head with her leg, knocking poor tribeman off.

"Milord, are you okay?!" Umi quickly reaches the king, who stands still, supporting himself with the sword.

"I'm good, Sonoda.. Just need to catch my breath..." He answers, pausing his speech, when something flashes in the sky, falling to the king and penetrating his chestplate just a couple of inches above his heart, at shoulder zone. Richard falls on his knee, breaking the arrow and throwing a wooden part away. "Damn archers..."

Umi took a look around, eyeing that their lines were pushed back a little, many of their soldiers laying in their blood, someone was wounded, someone was killed, it was a war anyway, so it doesn't even bother bluenet. But when lanzknechts broke the left flank of their lines, Umi pointed at it, attracting Richard's attention. "Your majesty, left flank!"

King stood up, taking his sword from the ground. "Knights, move out on the left flank!" He shouted with deep anger in his voice. His army were losing this fight for now. But Richard had his victory in the worser situations, so he still had some hope for winning this battle. King tapped a couple of times at his red lion on the chest, which was covered in the blood of his enemies.

Some soldiers from the second line followed king's order, running to the left flank and fighting with lanzknechts and nomads. Tribemen was skillful in the battles, but their sabres need a big strength to penetrate Western types of armor. Because of that, Richard's army still was fighting with them. Richard made his move to the left flank, supported by Sonoda Umi, and killed a couple of his enemies, adding their lives to his list. King were helping his knights and soldiers to keep their position, when Umi and eastern samurai were busy with killing enemies, who broke through their lines.

King saw that his men were exhausted from keeping the enemies off the lines, so he turned around, gesturing to bluenet. "Sonoda, be ready to change our men with yours!"

Umi just nodded, shouting something in eastern language. King had to wait for the right moment, realizing when his men were pushed off by the strength of nomads and lanzknechts. "CHANGING!" He shouted and fell back with his guards, which were quickly changed with eastern samurai. Nomads and lanzknechts weren't expect this kind of strategy, so they stucked, when eastern men started to chop them off with foreign for the West weapons, like a peasants, who chop the wheathers with their sickles. King just watched it, stepping back a little and bumping into someone's back, turning around immediately. Blue eyes lit up, when girl found Richard.

"Milord, it's really you, thank God.." She sighed, exhausted because of battle. The last time Richard saw her, Honoka were fighting with some lanzknecht and then Erena showed up.

"Yes, Kousaka, it's me.. Better if you follow me, we need to eliminate everyone, who gets through the lines."

"Yes, your majesty- W-wait! You're wounded!" Honoka's concerned eyes fell on Richard's shoulder that was hit by some arrow of nomads.

"I'm okay, knight. You have some wounds too, it's a battle, anyway." Richard took a look on her body armor with some cuts on it. "Let's get going, battle isn't ov-"

"IT'S A-RISE!" Someone from center lines cries out, when two knights with squad of lanzknechts broke through their lines, invading the area behind them. Brunette with green eyes took a look around, finding a king. Girl near her with orange hair had a furious look on her face. King and Honoka watched how some poor guy with spear tried to attack Tsubasa and Yuuki, moving spear forward. Kira moved away from spear quickly, cutting its spearhead off, taking it with her free hand and thrusting soldier's neck with it. In this time, Anju were fighting with two samurai, blocking their strikes with her shield. Ginger knocked off katana of first samurai, piercing through his segmented armor with a blade. Other samurai tried to kill her with his naginata, swinging it, but Anju stops it, taking it by the blade with two hands. Orange haired girl moved naginata's blade away and reached out for her dagger, stabbing it to samurai's stomach a couple of times. After a few seconds, when samurai was bleeding a lot, Anju took a look into his eyes, winking and slicing his throat with her dagger. Honoka gulped, when she saw how merciless she could be and tightened the grip on her sword. Then Tsubasa finally found Richard, smiling and making her way to king of the West.

"Kousaka... Take care of Yuuki." Richard said, striking his sword at his shield a couple of times, moving towards the brunette. Honoka nodded silently and with uncomfortable feeling ran for her enemy, starting a fight. King Richard stopped, staring into Tsubasa's green eyes and trying to understand why she and her knights betrayed him.

"Tell me, Tsubasa.. Why did you betray me? Gold? Power? Maybe something more than I can offer-"

"Enough." She broke his speech, taking her sword with two hands. "I'm here not for a quiet conversation, Richard. And you know it."

"Well, then we shall fight and decide who is stronger." Richard smirks, swinging sword in his hand and slashing the air.

Kira Tsubasa was a warrior with two-handed sword, so she was a perfect duelist. But king Richard had a shield that was protecting him from the strikes of nomads and lanzknechts. Tsubasa pointed the end of her sword at Richard, rushing for him. King blocked the hit with his shield, jumping back from her and kicking some piece of dirt as he landed on the ground. A-RISE leader smirked; she was all excited about fighting with the first sword in the Western army. Brunette made a couple of strikes, trying to hit the weakest zones in Richard's protection: his shoulder and leg. King was pushed back a little, but Tsubasa didn't break his defense. He just smirked, thinking about how poor Kira was in his eyes. When Tsubasa was about to hit again, king moved forward, hitting knight with his metal shield and causing her to lose her breath. Brunette's sword fell on the ground and Richard struck his shield at her head, causing knight to fall. He walked to finish her off, when well-known female cry echoed in the air, causing Richard to turns around. Honoka was losing her fight to Anju, she barely blocked her blows, pushing and pushing back. Finally, Anju knocked Honoka over by undercutting ginger's leg with her sword.

"Little knight fell down, sad." Anju rose her arm with sword, preparing to hit her enemy one last time, when some nomad just cut her back, causing her to fall down on her knees; then nomad took Anju's hair, lifting her head up and placed a sabre to her throat with sadistic smile. Richard decided to help her, even if she was her enemy, because someone practically stabbed her back. King quickly made his way to the nomad, who was holding a sabre at her throat, whispering something in foreign language. Richard jumps forward, thrusting his neck with the end of his sword. Nomad dropped his sabre, trying to take sword's blade and push it off, but Richard pushed his sword further, passing its blade through nomad's neck. King then moved his sword to left, releasing his sword and suddenly hit nomad's neck again, cutting his head off. Body of a tribe man without a head fell on the ground near wounded Anju, who tried to look at Richard, her saviour. Honoka stood up from the ground, picking her sword up and nodding to the king.

"Cavalry! They had broken our lines!" One of western knight shouted and in this moment some cavalryman swung his sabre, hitting the knight. Richard widened his eyes, when he heard it. Trying to clear his mind, he winked a couple of times, looking at his fallen lines: nomads were killing his men and lanzknechts, supported by cavalrymen.

"This is the end..." He whispered, pushing his visor up. Richard understood that this battle would be lost in a minutes and he would die there, so he thought about everything that concerned him in some way. Richard took a look on Honoka, who was standing with a desperated look on her face, when she pushed up visor like king did. In this moment, bluenet girl without a helmet limped over them, supporting herself with a katana. Richard's gaze fell at her wounds all over her exhausted body and he shaked his head afraid of losing the battle. Death never scared Richard, but defeat... First defeat in his life. He would be defeated by nomads... How low I've sunk.. He thought, turning around to knight and samurai.

"Listen me very carefully, Sonoda and Kousaka.. You will have a special task." Richard lowered his head, pulling left gaunlet off. Girls were watching it with raised eyebrows, trying to understand what king doing. Richard pulled off his square ring with a diual lions seal on it. "Listen to me... I give you this ring.. You... You need to find my daughter.."

"W-wait, what?!" Umi cried out, not accepting the task from Richard. "I won't leave you here, milord."

"That's an order, Sonoda!" He shouted back, staring into her amber eyes. "Find my daughter... I sent her off in Arabian Sultanate. Her name is-" In this moment some mounted nomad dealed a blow with his scimitar at king's back, causing him to fall. Sonoda quickly reached for him, catching the king and pulling his up. "H-her name is Elizabeth. She have blond hair and blue eyes, y-you won't mistake..."

King then realized that his back armor is okay and scimitar didn't hit him that badly to penetrate it. "Damn it, help me to stand up." Richard was quickly pulled up by Honoka and Umi, who cooperated in helping their king. "Try to find her in their capital, Amiz. She must be somewhere there, you need to find her..."

"Milord, we need to get going, stop this senseless shit!" Honoka cried, dodging some arrow. "You will get killed!"

"I know, but..." Richad took a deep breath, pushing his visor down. "If we won't hold them for a time, then you will get killed too." He smiled through his helmet, eyeing that Umi was clenching her fists.

"I won't leave my lord... No way.. Not another fucking time.." She whispered, but king still was able to heard it. King shook his head and walked over bluenet, placing a hand on her shoulder. Umi look into his eyes, trying to wipe off her tears.

"Listen to me, Sonoda. You left your lord back there because I won him in the duel.. This is it. Leaving your lord is nothing, especially if he orders to you to do that." Richard spoke with calm voice, trying to change Umi's mind, who was really concerned about leaving him.

"I shall commit seppuku right there... But I was scared to do it..." Umi turned her head away from him, but met with Honoka's furious gaze.

"Don't be so stupid, two of you, if we leave battle now, we will survive!"

"THEN LEAVE IT, YOU COWARD!" Umi shouted back, tightening a grip on her katana.

"Enough!" Richard sticked his sword into the dirt, causing girls to look at him. "Look, do you understand what you need to do?"

Both of girls silently nodded, lowering their heads. "Good." Richard pulled his sword out of dirt and shook it a bit, clearing its blade from dirt. "Just run... Run away, don't you dare to even look back.. You should go to Yoshiwara... It's really near and there you can take a ship to Amiz..."

"B-but..."

"GO!"

Umi and Honoka gave him a last sad look, moving around and jogging out from the battle. Even if king told them not to look back, they did it; Richard could see tears on Umi's face, when she turned around. Someone walked over king, standing in side of him. Richard shot a dare at him, realizing that it was his brother-in-arms.

"Roderik... It's our last battle."

"I know, brother... This filthy bastard William betrayed us... I guess he bought this A-RISE order... Stupid.." He spat on the ground, taking claymore with two hands.

"Let's have fun, at least. Kill that many as you can." Richard smirked, nodding to Roderik. "FOR THE WEST! FOR THE KINGDOM OF WESTFALEN." King shouted, rushing to the lines full of nomads and his men.

King eyed lonely nomad, who was dueling with some eastern soldier with katana. Richard quickly moved over him, piercing his stomach with sword. Richard took a look into his eyes full of anger and kicked his body off, trying to find new enemy and hearing a thanksgiving from eastern soldier.

"THEIR KHAN IS HERE, RUN FOR YOUR LIVE!" Some soldiers shouted in fear, running from the lines.

It always interested Richard: how he looked like, this Khan of nomads. Was he a real tough warrior, or he was a strategist?

Something crushed against Richard's body, breaking with squeaky sound. King was thrown off on his back, and Richard felt the pain in his body; someone tried to pierce him with the spear, but his armor was too good to let it hit his vital zones this easily. Still, arrow could break his armor. But nomads arrows and bows was made to pierce western types of armor, anyway. King tried to stood from the ground, but someone kicked him right at his visor with leg, pushing king to the ground. It was a nomad in lamellar armor with steel cup-like helmet with ponytail on its back. Nomad swung his sabre to strike Richard, but suddenly long blade thrusted him right at his chest, forcing him to fall down on his knees. Richard took a look at his another saviour: it was Roderik, a couple of fresh cuts on his face and body tell that he was busy with nomads too.

"Look at you, you're king and laying in the dirt... Get up, your majesty." He smirked, helping Richard with getting up.

"I'm not what I used to be..." Richard muttered, but stood up, staring into Roderik's eyes.

Meanwhile, in the first lines of battle, cavalry of nomads were finishing off Richard's 'shield'; they were killing the most skillful warriors and knights in heavy armor. Nomads broke their first line, invading into the zone that was controlled by Richard's army. Eastern soldiers ran to support first lines, but it was too late...

Elite horsemen in metal armor went through the barrier of Richard's men, killing everyone, who was on their way. Richard sheathed his sword and drop his shield on the ground, walking over some dead western soldier.

"What are you doing, Richard?"

"You'll see.." He pushed corpse of his soldier, closing the eyes of deadman and reached out for a spear that was under the soldier. Richard took a look at his weapon, understanding that it will be great weapon against elite horsemen.

And finding a first mounted opponent didn't take too long. With terrefied sound some cavalryman of nomad tribe galloped to Richard with a sabre upon his head. Luckily for Richard, he had a spear, so king just jumped away a bit and moved his spear forward, hitting nomad's neck and throwing him off the horse. Spearhead had broken because of this strike, so king just dropped his weapon and unsheathed his sword. He moved in epicenter of battle; his knights and eastern samurai were fighting together against their enemy. Richard walked around there, where a couple of nomads came out of nowhere with sabres in their hands. Nomads attacked king, but Richard blocked their hits, slightly cutting an arm of second tribeman. He said something in foreign language of his tribe, running away from Richard, leaving his friend behind. First nomad tried to outflank Richard, but he gained no profit from it, because king realized what he tried to do. Richard dodge attack of first nomad, moving in side and cutting stomach of this poor tribeman in some leather armor. Nomad fell on his back because of pain and king finished him off, stabbing his neck with his sword.

Some shouts in foreign language caused Richard to turn around. He eyed a bunch of unmounted nomads, who were moving towards him. Couple of archers were standing on their horses behind them, taking an aim. Richard realized what they were doing too late, couple of arrows had hit his torso. King slightly moaned because of pain, he broke an arrows that he had in his chest, throwing them off. Meanwhile, nomads came closer, preparing to have a fight with king.

"Come on, you dishonest pieces of..." King attacked one of them, cutting his hand off. Richard was about to give him a fatal blow, when he felt something sharp on side of his body; another nomad stabbed him with the dagger. King quickly turned around slashing the air with his sword and cutting off some face part of nomad with the dagger. King moved a bit away, pulling out dagger and trying to close his wound. Meanwhile, another nomad with spear came closer to him, jabbing his leg with it. Richard shouted because of pain, but his bodyguard Roderik was right there, when these nomads came closer: Roderik struck spearman with sword-hilt, throwing him a bit off and thrusting his neck with the claymore. Richard pulled a spear out of his leg, and stood still. He was wounded and exhausted. But he was born to fight, so it was nothing for a warrior like him. But normal soldier would be dead because of these wounds for sure.

King saw how the three nomads came over his bodyguard and charged into attack. He thrusted some of them with his sword, falling with him on the ground. Roderik had a fight with two of them, meanwhile. He kicked off first nomad with his leg and left a deep cut on the neck of second tribeman, leaving him dead.

Even if they were a real warriors, betrayal left a mark on them. A-RISE were a best swords in their army and their lanzknechts were pretty good too. But Richard didn't understand one thing: why nomads had killed a half of lanzknechts, stabbing them in the backs. It goes to A-RISE too, because king saved one of them, Yuuki Anju, from death.

King stood up, taking a sabre of fallen nomad. He swung it to the air, frightening some of tribemen, who tried to came closer to them. Roderik sticks his claymore into stomach of fallen nomad and pulled it, walking over Richard and standing beside him. They watched how frightened nomads tries to outflank them, Richard smirked and nudged Roderik.

"Hey, they afraid of us.." Richard clenched his fist, holding his dagger wound. Some nomad moved closer to them, swinging his sabre, but he was stopped with two blades in his chest. Roderik pushed his claymore forward, slicing skin of tribeman like a butter; then he pulled his sword out, cutting off some part of his shoulder. Every nomad, who watched this dropped their sabres and ran away. Everyone, except tribemen in lamellar armor and metal helmets. Two of them spat on the ground in a gesture of disgusting and moved closer to western nobles. One of them had a two-handed sabre and second one had some scimitar with shield. They stopped in a meter from Roderik and Richard, smirking.

"Hey, you're king of Westfalen, don't you? This red lion... And you mus' be his bodyguard." Nomad with two-handed sabre spoke. "Ah.. Wonder how much our khan pay for your heads."

"Then come here, take our heads and find this out, dirty savage."

"Good idea, it will be a pleasure."

Richard rushed for a nomad with shield, attacking him a couple of times, hitting his shield. King cursed himself and tried to look what this nomad would do to kill him to understand his strategy. Nomad tried to punch him with a shield, but Richard quickly got away, cutting nomad's leg a little and causing him to fall down on his knee. Then Richard understood that legs were their weakness. "HIT HIS LEGS!" He shouted to his brother-in-arms, who was busy fighting a guy with two-handed sabre. Roderik listened to him, undercutting legs of his opponent. Nomad with two-handed sabre fell on the ground, Roderik walked over him, placing a leg on his neck and breaking it.

Richard was looking for his brother, when nomad with cutted leg attacked him with sabre, cutting his chest and penetrating his armor. Richard stepped back a little, holding his fresh wound, and tightened grip on his sabre. When nomad came closer, Richard went mad, starting to attack him with a demonic speed and force, pushing him back. King somehow had thrown his shield off and kicked nomad with his leg. Nomad lost his balance and fell on someone's blade. Coughing with blood, he tried to pulled it off, but Roderik took his head and reached out for a sabre that was laying on the ground. He sliced throat of poor nomad, dropping him on the ground. Richard took a look on his wound and hand that was all in blood from it. He fell on his knees, feeling some weakness. Roderik quickly ran for him, trying to pull him up.

"Roderik.. Brother.." Richard coughed a couple of time. Wounds were getting worse, he could feel it. "I need you to do my last wish. Can you do it?"

"W-what are you fucking talking about, Richard, come on!"

"Listen, I'm dying can't you see? Look, if William returns to Lontern, then my family is in danger... You must stop him, brother..." Richard took Roderik's hand, pulling him closer to himself. "Can you do it for your dying king and friend?"

Roderik shook his head. "Why you have to be so high and mighty..." He sighed, nodding in the response. "I... I will do it, my brother."

"Good, just... Try to... Try to protect Arisa and my wife..."

"I will do everything to save them, Richard. I promise."

"Then go! You need to go." Richad cried out, standing up from the ground. He clenched his fist, going to the first lines of battle. He stopped in a meter from it, looking back at Roderik. "I will be okay, brother."

"See you in hell, Richard." He smirked, and ran away from his previous spot, taking a claymore from the killed nomad.

Richard didn't look back one more time, but he felt guilty for sending his faithful brother-in-arms. King could feel blood all over his face. His wounds hurt a little and ached legs just couldn't stand his weight, but somehow, this man found a strength to fight against his enemy. Because if he wouldn't be able to fight them, then his soldiers wouldn't be able to fight them too. King of the West tightened a grip on the sabre and broke into run, letting out a suffering cry and heading into the first lines of battle, where he was met by nomads.

"FOR THE WESTFALEN!" Richard shouted and rushed in the lines, starting a last fight in his life.


Umi and Honoka were running away from the battle, trying to find out which direction they had chosen. As distance between girls and battle increased, Umi could feel her heart raced like a mad. Samurai stopped and took a look back once more, expecting a king to walk behind them.

But there was no one, so Umi sighed, passing through the some bushes of forest they were in.

Bluenet really couldn't understand why king did it, why king sent them to find his daughter, who was sent off in some Arabian country. Samurai forgot to ask him about it. But now her heart was ripped because of it. She shall not left him. Samurai already left her daimyo at the battle of Asikawa. Little castle and town were surrounded by Richard and his army, so her daimyo just were to challenge him to a duel. Umi's fat daimyo left the gates of his castle in shining armor, he was a bastard, who cared only for money and power... But he was her lord, anyway.

Bluenet was watching for their duel, staying on the castle's walls and silently begging the God to save her daimyo in this battle, because if he lost, she would have to commit seppuku.

Unluckily for her, Richard blocked daimyo's katana and kicked it out of his hand, thrusting his stomach. Umi widened her eyes, watching a scene of killing her daimyo. Bluenet then took a look at her comrades, who were commiting seppuku with death of their lord. Then samurai ran to gate mechanism and pushed it to open the gates of their castle.

Bluenet shook her head to clear her mind, but bad thoughts still were upon her, waiting for a moment, when they could break her mental defense and run into her brain.

Anyway, right now, she and this ginger girl, Honoka Kousaka, were in the same boat, floating in nowhere.

And for what? For some girl, who was sent off long time ago, because she was stupid. Umi and Honoka could help their lord, but instead of it, they were sent for Richard's daughter Elizabeth in Arabian Sultanate.

Girls were going away from the battlefield that were in mess as horde yelled out in the victory. King has fallen, Umi understood that and she understood that she couldn't help him in last minutes of his life.

Future of Westfallen kingdom was in hands of two girls and one man, and Umi was about not to let it fall like its king did.

She would do everything to protect this kingdom, even if it wasn't her homelands.

It was her duty.

All in all, Umi Sonoda and Honoka Kousaka were a type of people, who always kept their promises.

Their travel has begun.