Ria looked at the Holy Light Clerics assembled below, ready to march, her heart surging with emotion. "Are you confident we can win this battle?"
"Yes!"
"Can we put the people of this city at ease?"
"Yes!"
Hearing their powerful, resounding answers, Ria continued at the top of her voice, "Then let us deliver a perfect victory and show the people who believe in us that the Holy Church can protect the lives they lead today! Victory to the Holy Church!"
"Victory!"
"Victory!"
"All classes, move out! Hold your assigned posts!"
"Yes!"
The legions formed orderly ranks and marched briskly from the square onto the city walls, ready to face the coming war.
"Lord Hanzō, are we still in the Land of Rain?" Hakai, a jōnin, asked, staring at their surroundings in astonishment.
They had pushed hard along the way, and the scenery had remained much the same for the first half of their journey. But once they left the central region, their surroundings began to change.
The skies were clear, and the refugees and ruined buildings that had been everywhere were nowhere to be seen along the road.
Instead, broad, level stone roads stretched ahead of them. The surrounding villages had been renovated, and the fields were planted entirely with wheat. Green spread as far as the eye could see, and the wheat's distinctive, fresh fragrance drifted on the breeze.
Hanzō, too, remained silent for a long time. He found everything before him unbelievable. After years of war, most of the Land of Rain was overrun with displaced people and strewn with corpses. Though he had never paid much attention to ordinary civilians, the sight had always weighed on him.
Today, however, he had expected only to wipe out a cult. As far as he was concerned, what sort of decent life could people have under a cult's rule? Those who could barely survive before must surely have been plunged into even greater misery.
Yet, to his surprise, while most urban areas in the central region still lay in ruins after the war, this place near the border had already restored peace and resumed production ahead of them.
"Let's go! Once we reach Corona City, we'll have all our answers." Hanzō swept an impassive gaze over the still-astonished ninja.
"Yes, Lord Hanzō!"
They shook off their astonishment and eagerly continued on their way.
The closer they drew to Corona City, the more prosperous the area seemed. Though they did not understand why no civilians were in sight, the towns they passed all had towering walls, while the fields held an increasingly diverse range of crops and the roads grew ever broader.
All of this heightened the ninja's curiosity about their destination, but at the same time, their hearts grew increasingly heavy.
This enemy did not look easy to deal with. Hanzō had originally wanted to question some villagers, but every village they passed was empty.
They tried to seek information in the towns, but as soon as they came within five hundred meters of the walls, mysterious devices inside began attacking them, costing them quite a few men.
As the situation grew stranger, Hanzō knitted his brows. He did not want to waste his forces on these small towns and slow their advance. Rather than divide their strength, it would be better to strike straight at the enemy's headquarters. After all, most ninja had never experienced this sort of conventional siege warfare.
"Lord Hanzō, are we still attacking this town?" Hakai asked in confusion.
"No. We'll continue our advance on Corona City. It seems the enemy was prepared for us. Rather than wear ourselves down along the way, we'll give them what they want and settle this in one decisive battle," Hanzō said gravely.
"Yes!"
"Have the enemy left?" Yi Yong asked Silver Flower, who was still observing their movements.
"Yes, they've gone," Silver Flower replied calmly, putting away her Observation Armament.
"It seems they don't want to waste too much of their fighting strength on our little town, either!"
"Damn it! I finally had a chance to fight, and they just slipped away!" Yi Yong said resentfully.
"Oh, stop it, you brute. Fighting is all you ever think about," Silver Flower said in exasperation.
"What do you know? Axel and Rich are already legion commanders! I want to keep up with them!" Yi Yong immediately protested loudly.
"Yes, yes! I know you want to catch up with our older brothers and sisters. Just work harder every day! There may be plenty more wars ahead," Silver Flower said with a laugh. Since the two of them were a little younger and had only just reached the threshold of becoming High-Rank Holy Light Clerics, Ria had assigned them to oversee this small town.
Hearing Silver Flower say that, Yi Yong immediately deflated a little. After all, when it came to hard work, who could compare with big brother Axel?
Still, as he watched the ninja recede into the distance, Yi Yong decided to double his training when he returned today. Next time, he would set an example for their younger brothers and sisters. The ten siblings had only one another to depend on, and he had to keep pace with Ria.
"Lord Hanzō, is... is this really Corona City?" Hakai asked in shock, his jaw hanging open as he stared at the city, which had doubled in size. Towering gray-white walls rose before them, lined with soldiers standing ramrod straight.
"Hakai, what's wrong with you today? You're a jōnin, yet you keep making a fuss over every little thing!" Hanzō said impatiently, his brow furrowed.
"I'm sorry, Lord Hanzō. It's just changed so much!" Hakai immediately lowered his head and admitted his mistake.
"Have the others prepare the siege equipment. I'll go see just who these cultists are!"
"Yes, Lord Hanzō!"
Hanzō paid no further attention to his constantly astonished subordinate. Pressing his hand down, he summoned his summon beast, Ibuse, and rode him toward the city walls.
Standing atop the wall, Ria watched a man wearing a strange mask approach rapidly on a giant lizard. She raised her hand slightly, stopping the Holy Light Clerics who were about to attack.
"Are you the leader of this cult?" Hanzō asked curiously, stopping fifty meters from the city wall.
"Heh, you must be Hanzō, the Kage of Amegakure! Allow me to introduce myself. I am Artoria, Bishop of the Holy Church!" Ria said with a smile.
"I simply never expected the leader of this cult to be a little girl!" Hanzō said provocatively, narrowing his eyes.
"Hmph. Don't you ninja send underage children onto the battlefield early to die? Why can't an underage girl like me be Bishop of the Holy Church? Meanwhile, old men like you live more comfortably than the rest," Ria said disdainfully.
"Hmph! What do you know?"
"I don't understand the filth of you ninja, but I do know this: after our generation, this country will never again send children who haven't come of age onto the battlefield!"
"You cultists think you can dictate the future of the Land of Rain? Ridiculous!"
"Neither you nor I alone can decide what is righteous and what is evil. At least under the Holy Church's rule, you ninja are the evil ones! There's no point in saying more. Let our strength do the talking, and we'll see just how helpless you are against the warriors of the Holy Light!"
"Arrogant fool!" With that, Hanzō turned and hurried back to his ninja forces!
Watching Hanzō leave, Ria curled her lips disdainfully. If she had not wanted to win this battle fair and square, she would never have bothered talking so much to that old man. The battle was being broadcast live throughout the city, and after another upgrade, the Magic Tower could now display images across the city.
Before you continue