Chapter 113 - The Enemy Appears
Although there was no real need to rest, I decided to take it easy until nightfall.
Now, it was time for the fun part—the assault.
According to Rosmerta, the meeting was taking place in a certain building that served as a buffer zone between the Novara and Giuliano Gangs. Despite the Royal Capital’s decay, it was a well-reconstructed, impressive hotel-like structure.
Thanks to our preparations, the security would be lax, and the Crimson Knights would storm the place head-on.
The Knights would be tasked with taking down or capturing the senior members, while the Kikyo Society would handle a different task.
We were heading to the same building but would enter from the back door and wait there.
According to our intel, another group of enemies would attack from behind. They would be our targets.
It was still early evening, which was welcome since it meant we didn’t have to stay up all night.
"Onee-sama, it’s time," Josephine said.
"Yes, let’s go," I replied.
I picked up my Silver Super-Hard Bat from beside the bed and left the room with Valeria.
Most of the Crimson Knights were mobilized for the assault, leaving only a few to guard Rosmerta and the base.
In exchange, the Kikyo Society would provide additional defense. As the boss, Rosmerta had to be protected at all costs, so many of our senior members, including me, had to stay behind.
The Crimson Knights would be the main force to deal with the external threat, so their key members, including the leader, would lead the assault. The Kikyo Society’s contribution to the defense was a necessary trade-off.
The remaining senior members were Ophelia, Albert, Mia, Josephine, and Colette. Most of the younger members would also stay at the base. The Kikyo Society’s role in the assault was limited, so there was no need to send a large group.
I, Valeria, Gradena, and a selected group from the third combat unit and combat support unit would be going. Gradena, who had been staying behind frequently, insisted on joining this time. Ideally, the Acting Vice-Commander should have stayed at the base, but I couldn’t argue when the president herself ordered me to stay behind.
"Albert, I’m counting on you here. It’s supposed to be quiet, but if anything happens to Rosmerta, it’s all over," I said.
"Don’t worry. Ophelia and Mia are on lookout outside, and any attackers won’t get past them," Albert replied.
There weren’t many who could deceive Ophelia and Mia. They would immediately eliminate any threats, and it was unlikely that Albert would have to step in. Still, the possibility of an attack seemed low.
"Let’s get it over with quickly."
"I’ll take care of it. Just be careful, Rosmerta. I’ll protect you, even if the Crimson Knights have Flannel," I said.
"The Knights have Flannel, so you don’t need to worry about them. I’ve tasked them with handling the other group. Be cautious," Rosmerta replied.
We didn’t need to worry too much.
"Flannel, lead the way. Let’s get it done quickly," I said.
"No need to remind me. Knights, let’s go!"
It was still light out, so we wouldn’t stand out. We split into several Jeeps and headed for our destination.
We arrived at the building without any interference, which was unusual.
This was the site of the meeting of the senior members of major organizations. Normally, there would be many security personnel, but their absence was a sign that Rosmerta’s plans were working.
"Flannel, just in case, call for backup if anything happens," I said.
"Rosmerta-sama said it was unnecessary. We can handle it. Evacuation will be handled as planned. There’s no need to worry about us," Flannel replied.
"Alright, I’ll stop worrying. Let’s go."
I was confident they could handle it. I had become overly cautious for some reason.
The Crimson Knights would storm the front, and while the enemy might have some presence inside, they wouldn’t be as strong. There would likely be some battles along the way.
From the back, the Kikyo Society would enter to intercept any additional enemies. If there were any obstacles, we’d deal with them first.
We approached the back door, which was large, possibly a service entrance. We broke the door and entered.
Our magic perception indicated that there was no one around for the moment.
"Well, let’s wait for the enemies to arrive," I said.
"I hope they show up. If it’s a false alarm, I might just tear the building apart out of disappointment," Gradena said.
She seemed more restless than usual after being on standby for so long.
"You… You know Rosmerta is confident. If she says so, it’ll happen. If you manage to defeat the others, I might consider fighting you," I said.
"Really? Even if you’re Yukari, I’ll hold you to it. Hehe, I’m looking forward to it," Gradena replied.
She suddenly looked excited, which was a bit unsettling. She was a fierce warrior, and there was a certain charm in her smile. Still, it was concerning how easily she got into a good mood over such matters.
"I’ll take a few as well," Ophelia said.
"President, Onee-sama, please leave some for us too," the others chimed in.
It seemed everyone was stressed. I decided to let them have their way this time.
A distant noise caught my attention.
The assault by the Crimson Knights had begun, and it seemed our turn had come.
The back door, despite being a service entrance, was quite large. When we broke it down, a group of about twenty heavily armed men appeared. They were all ready for a fight, and there were more of them than we had expected, but that was fine.
They were surprised to see us waiting, but they didn’t seem to have any intention of fleeing. All the better.
"Well, well, if it isn’t the Kikyo Society. This isn’t exactly a coincidence, is it?"
"Of course not. We’ve been waiting for you. It’s unbecoming of men to keep women waiting, isn’t it?"
"No, it’s only natural for women to wait for men. Besides, we have no intention of fighting you. Our target is the Crimson Knights. Are you willing to stand aside?" the man asked.
"You’re an idiot. If you had any intention of avoiding conflict, you wouldn’t have come here. I’ll make you regret your past words. Oh, and what was your nickname again?"
"Ghost! Got it? That woman is mine. The rest, kill as you see fit," Ghost replied.
Ah, right, Ghost. He’s from the Gerdodus Dukedom, a noble family that once controlled the royal secret service. He leads the execution team within the family.
He’s a formidable opponent, and one of the few who claimed he could defeat a senior member of our Kikyo Society. I wanted to see how strong he really was. He was making some interesting statements, as usual.
"You’re not fighting me. If you manage to defeat our Acting Vice-Commander, I might consider it."
"Ha, you? Not in a hundred years. I’ll have my fun with you."
"...You’re not bad. Since you’ve been so insistent, I’ll take you on," Gradena said.
Ghost carefully assessed Gradena, realizing she wasn’t an easy opponent. Her Physical Enhancement Magic was at about half strength, but that was enough.
"Heh, you’re pretty observant. I might go easy on you a bit," Gradena said.
I’ll let her handle it. It’s her prey.
However, there was something else I needed to be wary of.
"Valeria, did you notice it too?"
"Yes, Onee-sama. I’ll take care of a few," Valeria said.
She led five others to deal with the threat.
There was a faint presence, but we couldn’t be deceived. They were likely sneaking in through another entrance. They might be a special unit from the Gerdodus Dukedom. I left them to Valeria.
I focused on the possibility of a third wave of attacks, using my magic perception to remain vigilant. It was unlikely, but we couldn’t afford to be caught off guard. The Kikyo Society was the outsider here, and we couldn’t underestimate the local forces.
"Everyone, go ahead and have some fun. But if it gets too dangerous, I’ll step in. Try your best, okay?"
"President, if you step in, it’ll ruin the opportunity. It’d be a shame!"
"Let’s do our best! We’ll take care of the rest!"
The younger members were eager, so I decided to let them handle it. I focused on maintaining vigilance and being ready to back them up if needed.
Still, it would be a waste if I didn’t get to use my Silver Super-Hard Bat.
I’ll leave the rest for the next chapter, 'Brawl at the Back Door'.