◇
"Hmm... Three-Star Knight Sora, is it? You know, you can count the number of Three-Star Knights on one hand."
"I—I couldn't help it... It was a spur-of-the-moment thing. I can't believe I used that name again."
Flare sat behind Leo on the Emblem Horse, her arms wrapped around his waist. She peered at him with a flat, unimpressed stare before letting out a soft chuckle.
"So, Leo... what’s the plan?"
"We defeat the enemy. We’ll gather as many infantry as we can—the ones who’ve lost their commanders—and rebuild our strength. We’ll bring the other Knight Orders into the fold, too."
"Greedy... but understood."
Flare scanned the chaotic field, searching for Knight Orders whose Knight Commanders had fallen, leaving the soldiers without the protection of their emblems. The moment they spotted a target, Leo and Flare charged.
They cut down the enemy. They rallied the infantry. They gathered the knights. Their numbers swelled with every passing minute.
The surviving Knight Commanders of Arcadia watched the scene, unable to fathom what they were witnessing. Who was that child? A Knight Commander? It was unheard of—obviously a lie.
Yet, there was no denying that Leo was the one dominating the field. He was the only source of light in the darkness. They had no choice but to throw themselves into the current he had created. If they stayed their course, the Third Army was doomed to annihilation.
One Knight Commander spurred his Emblem Horse forward, pulling up alongside Leo.
"What’s the move?! You must have a plan!"
"We unite every soldier we have and execute a single-point breakthrough!"
"……Not bad. Let’s do it! To the entire Arcadia Army! Follow this Three-Star Knight!"
The commander grinned and gave Leo a sharp wink. He knew perfectly well that Leo wasn't a Three-Star Knight. However, in this desperate hour, he had to set that aside and rely on him. The title of "Three-Star" carried immense weight with the common infantry; it was a name that could spark courage where there was only despair.
One by one, the other Arcadian Knight Commanders fell into line.
In the heat of the melee, Leo and his companions cut a path through the enemy, picking up every soldier they could find. To those standing dazed and broken over their fallen leaders, Leo provided the strength to stand again. He refused to leave a single soul behind.
Every one of them had a family waiting for them to come home.
In the middle of this slaughter, perhaps that was merely Leo’s own selfishness talking. But that sentiment spread like wildfire. The heat of his conviction transformed into charisma, drawing the soldiers to him.
Before long, the massive surge of people began to funnel the chaotic brawl into a focused spearhead. Scattered thoughts were unified. The collective will of the Third Army had finally found its center. Over a thousand infantry and dozens of Knight Orders had become a single, breathing entity.
And riding at the very front...
"We're breaking through! All of you, follow me!"
""Oooooooh!""
He was a boy who had only just turned twelve. Yet, in that moment, he looked like something more than a knight, something greater than a general.
He was a king—albeit a small one.
Iricobert sensed the shift while exchanging blows with the Dragonia forces. From the heart of the melee ahead, he felt a massive swell—an intangible presence he couldn't put into words. It was a sensation, like a scent, that only a veteran of countless battlefields could pick up on.
Something's happened... I can't see the details from here, but... something is definitely changing.
From his vantage point, Iricobert had identified the only way to break the deadlock, yet he’d dismissed it as impossible. The charging infantry units were completely surrounded. In such a position, they were at a crushing disadvantage; total annihilation was the most likely outcome.
He had to go to their aid, but the path to the infantry was blocked by a wall of Dragonia Regulars that grew thicker by the second. There was no way to punch through from the outside alone.
They had to join forces from both sides. If they could coordinate their strikes, they could turn the tables and pincer the enemy. Dragonia had spread its numbers thin to maintain the encirclement; if Arcadia could actually manage a pincer maneuver with their entire force, they would actually hold the numerical advantage.
But who could possibly realize that in the middle of such a slaughter? Trapped on all sides, watching their comrades die one by one—Iricobert didn't think anyone inside that meat grinder could keep their head well enough to see the opening. From the outside, the trap was obvious, but to those within, it was just a chaotic fight for survival.
He could only pray that someone would notice.
It was then that a shout reached him.
"Iricobert-san! The infantry are rallying... they're pushing this way! Someone is attempting a single-point breakthrough from the inside!"
"—?! What!"
Iricobert cut down his opponent and squinted toward the melee. A flow had indeed been established. He could only see the general movement from this distance, but they were definitely carving a path toward his position.
A ray of hope appeared. He didn't know who it was, but someone had seen it. Someone had kept their cool in that hellscape and, miraculously, unified the entire force.
"I don't know who the hell you are, but you actually noticed? To unify everyone in that mess... If it were a commander from the rear, maybe, but who in the thick of it could pull that off?"
Iricobert barked orders to his men.
The Third Army’s remaining forces would charge the exact same spot where the infantry were attempting to pierce the enemy wall. Iricobert took the lead, using his Strong Arm to pry the path open.
He crushed the enemies in his path, but the sheer density of the enemy wall began to sap their momentum. If they were acting alone, they would have stalled halfway through, isolated and surrounded until they were eventually picked off.
But if someone was charging with equal ferocity from the other side... if someone was leading the charge to meet them...
With that person, surely...
"As expected of Iricobert-san! I knew you'd be here!"
"You're damn magnificent, Leo!"
They could change even the tide of this war.