Unfortunately, I’m Not A Hero: 159: Interlude: Ur

Unfortunately, I’m Not A Hero: 159: Interlude: Ur

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Commissioned by Shaderic

Wordcount: 2500

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Once, I looked upon the castles and might of the Empire and felt fear.

When I was first taken from my homeland, filled with great and terrible beasts, I first believed myself mighty in a world filled with the weak. The men and women of the Empire were not as strong, not as brutal, and not as cunning. I believed that without their strange magics that me and my sisters could kill them, and that we could make them pay for their transgressions.

Then, they led me past their castles, their armies, and had me face the foes they faced.

And, I fell into despair as I became a slave whose only purpose was battling for malign creatures that saw me as nothing.

Yet, now I stood at the tip of a spear aimed towards one of the Empire’s castles, which broke my will to fight so long ago.

Instead of fear, I had to restrain myself from charging forward.

“Stay low and against the deck. We’ll be quick! Leap over the railings as fast as you can! A moment’s hesitation and you’ll be surrounded!” Lizbeth, the Dragon that Hachiman defeated long ago, was at the prow. Beside her were my new lieutenants. Wiese and Kione both returned from death as Vampires, and they put their new talents to the test fog surged around us, obscuring our vision of the castle ahead, but the castle’s as well. “All the power to you if you can fight your way out of that, but I’d rather live, hah!”

A ferocious smile graced her lips, reminding me of her life as a bandit and plunderer before Hachiman took her life by storm. Near the prow of the ship, heading forward with a wide smile into a fortified position, the former pirate captain didn’t have a hint of fear in her eyes. It was no wonder that she was so successful for so many years.

The speed of the ships picked up, and our attending ships began to fire.

Through the fog, their bolts of magic were muddled, but they streaked forward to where the castle was meant to be. The blue bolts vanished into the distance, before exploding, and casting a light from the depths of the fog. Soon enough, horns resounded from the castle grounds, and bolts of magic surged forth towards us instead.

“Ring the bells and peel away the reed ships! Let the leading lady take the hardest hits!” Lizbeth commanded, and her orders were followed. The fire from our own ships faded, as they pulled upward and returned to being concealed by the endless blue skies. The Empire’s magics surged and hit nothing in the fog. I could hear the smile in the Dragon’s voice. “Hah! Their ballistae crews are garbage!”

The sudden bout of providence made my heart race, but I kept still with one hand on the railing to my left, just like all my other sisters.

Time seemed to slow, as the ship lumbered forward, and bolts of magic flew to our sides where our escorts once fired.

I knew not how the Dragon knew where we were, she only explained that she knew how a ship moved after all her decades upon it, and so we listened and waited for her call.

Moments seemed to stretch into eternity, as we surged forward unseeing and unknowing, until the call finally came.

“Fire both broadsides now! Cease the fog!” Lizbeth called out and suddenly we emerged from the wall of fog. The sun shone above us, nothing was to our right and left, and I realized that we were at the very center of the castle and above its innermost sanctum. Then, the ballistae on the sides of the ship fired as one towards the ground. The screams of the Empire’s warriors resounded, along with the crack of wood, the breaking of armor, and splintering of cord. Line after line of fire issued forth… until all the ballistae were spent. Now was the moment. “Go!”

Lizbeth gave the order and my sisters and I moved as one over the sides of the ship.

To my left was the Kindred army, some gazing towards us in awe, then came the walls and gate that stopped them.

To my right, for a few moments, there were the opened ports and sizzling batteries of Hachiman’s flagship… until a structure of stone replaced it.

Below us, though, was lands ravaged by the barrage and the many ballistae that fired our ships way were shattered as well.

We fell into a force already shattered, a castle nearly taken, with all our might and power yet to be used.

Fear and terror filled the eyes of all who looked upon us, and for a brief moment at our landing, I felt my shame fall away.

So many years spent with backs bent and heads bowed.

But now… we could truly regain all the honor that we once lost.

Ashe landed beside me and her landing alone crushed and burnt alive a Knight struggling to stand.

Her gaze took me from my brief reverie, and so I gave the command.

“Take this castle! Destroy them all!” My voice echoed through the marvel that once cowed me into submission. Now all I saw were walls that kept my foes near, and those foes were afraid of me and mine. I was the hunted no longer, but once again the hunter that I always was. “In our chieftain’s name!”

My roar was followed by the rest of my warriors, and before they finished my new sisters landed beside me with their own tribe.

Undead or not, they were still Amazons.

I gave them a mere nod before trusting them with my back and charging into the fray.

Today, much like myself, they were to regain their honor.

...

We had simple instructions regarding the keep.

Its halls were likely to be narrow, each meant to be defensible, and it most likely had a form of tunnel to escape in for the troops within. Even if our weapons could swing easily through the stone, we could still be funneled, blindsided, and ambushed within the hellish halls.

So, Hachiman told us to set the structure alight with Ashe’s power.

And, so we did, and stone burned like charcoal before our very eyes, while our allies entered through the broken gates.

I saw, for a moment, anger in their eyes at the loss of men they could’ve used… but that anger waned as their eyes reached us.

Shoulders stiffened.

Haunches raised.

Eyes opened wide.

Like cornered beasts, our allies filtered in and held their ground, while we watched them without care. We were resting victoriously and mostly unharmed, while surrounded by the armor and weapons we stripped from our foes.

The Kindred who came to meet us couldn’t take the castle.

How could they hope to defeat us?

That question lingered in my mind, and possibly the officers who led the vanguard who entered first, until their leader came forth.

Many Kindred never showed their years. Even the oldest amongst them barely gained a wrinkle. It was because of their magic and nature. My Amazons, even those who weren’t brought back from the dead, were to enjoy far longer lives too. However, that was beside the point. What mattered was when we met with a Kindred who truly looked mature, with wrinkles on her face and a stern countenance.

The Kindred that led this force was truly strong.

Therefore, they did not lay waste to this castle on purpose.

They had wished to take it and its soldiers as their own.

“You overstep your bounds Amazon. This castle and its warriors were for my soldiers after a long-fought campaign.” Clad in black plate, the Vampire’s pale skin seemed to glow in contrast with her armor. Sheathed swords hung around her person, spreading like a protective cape on her back. Two staffs for magic were suspended over her shoulders. This general was indeed someone of great power and renown. “Surrender those arms and armor, and perhaps I can convince my troops that you were in error with some coin from your master.”

Ashe stirred at my side, shifting ever so slightly and narrowing her gaze at our allies.

That mere movement alone made the Vampire pause, and many of her soldiers took a step back.

Unlike Hachiman, most of this world knew how terrifying Ashe was.

“Calm yourself, Ashe.” I addressed her without pretense, and for a moment she almost glared at me. The only true authority she respected was Hachiman’s, because he treated her well and kept every oath he swore to her. All others had to do so with force. I met her glare and readied myself to fight… and she reeled back her instincts. Good. “Good girl.”

Ashe gave only a nod at my words, no sign of her usual cheer when Hachiman said those words to her, and I turned my attention back to the Vampire.

“The Demon Lord bid us to fight here, because the advance has been slowed. The advance slowing threatens to weaken the whole front. To weaken the whole front is to sacrifice Kindred warriors… and you demand recompense for us not allowing that?” I stood my ground and spoke evenly to the Vampire. Her name mattered little to me, but I tried to recall it all the same. As her teeth grit at my words, I realized that I forgot to address her by her title. Kurama is truly better suited for tasks such as these. “Do you still desire recompense? Not only through the spoils of this battle, but also from the coffers of the Demon Lord’s Hand?”

Such words would normally be enough, but the Vampire commander merely smiled.

“Why, of course! My lands will soon be lacking in loot and pillage. This campaign has been fruitful, but I am looking towards the far future. Fortune now, carefully invested, can feed my people in a hundred years… but I need that fortune first.” The Vampire smiled and gave a small bow, while keeping her hands open. All signs of a swindler who wished to make herself lesser. “I will be more than happy to bend my head and beg for the Demon Lord to be merciful… though I know not if the Demon Lord’s Hand will be merciful himself!”

The Kindred’s words roused her subjects. They banded together and gathered in formation around their leader. Some of my sisters raised their heads from their moment of rest after the battle, looking up from rations or ceasing to glorify themselves. They looked not at our potential foe, but to me, and I just shook my head and they resumed to rest. My lieutenants, Undead or not, came to my side though.

We were but a handful arrayed nearly against a hundred, and in the back of my mind, I wondered if we could be buried beneath bodies.

But, as always, Hachiman arrived.

A shadow cast itself upon the castle and his great ship descended.

Its side bristling with ballistae very thoroughly pointed at his fellow noble under Roseanne’s banner.

I couldn’t help but laugh lightly as the Vampire scowled at her soldiers… who all began to shake and quiver after already once seeing the power of the weapons at Hachiman’s disposal.

“Hm. It seems that my master is here. He will, of course, make the final decision on what we have gathered in our assault.” I looked up and watched as one of the reed boats of the desert acted as a platform to bring him down. Many of the smaller ships descended as well, casting their shadow upon the ruin and our allies, towards my sisters and fellow warriors. “Why don’t you start begging now?”

The Vampire scowled at me, while my fellows lightly laughed, and Hachiman arrived.

“I heard something about begging. Sorry, but I’m not interested in old hags.” Hachiman, without wasting a moment, insulted the Vampire as easily as he breathing. He cast his gaze upon me and mine, as well as Ashe, and sighed in relief at our lack of injury. Our leader looked upon the rest of the troops too, while giving Ashe a firm patting on the head. The Hellhound had instantly sat on her haunches upon his arrival, so that he could easily do so. “You’re welcome for saving you the troops and the trouble, but that’s just me doing my job. Not me doing anything special for you in particular.”

Hachiman barely gave his fellow noble a moment to speak, before addressing us all.

“Alright, everyone. Start packing up and bringing all the loot on the ship. I want to ruin Roseanne’s day by getting back before dinner.” Hachiman clapped his hands together and gestured for us to get onto the boat. Naturally, my officers complied and started taking the treasures we took into their hands, while the Vampire sputtered. That brought her the misfortune of Hachiman’s attention. “What? Do you want me to fuck your daughter or something instead? Sorry, but I’m not interested. If I want to be with a Vampire, there’s prettier ones right here.”

Once again, the Vampire lost her ability to speak.

Wiese and Kione also lost their ability to speak.

They were unused to being complimented by a man with such ease, let alone their chieftain who would be responsible with giving them children. It was admirable that they managed to restrain themselves with both tradition and newfound instincts demanding that they take Hachiman to the side at this very moment.

I’ll commend the two later.

But, for now, I listened to Hachiman tear down the commander who eschewed commands from Roseanne in favor of wealth.

“You know what? Go ahead and send a letter to Ylstu. I’ll set your daughter up with one of my proteges, if she’s willing.” Everyone in the continent knew that Hachiman was training several young men to be like him. Most Kindred outside of Ylstu anticipated them… and held some trepidation at their existence. They wondered if they were some form of leash that Hachiman meant to unleash on the Kindred. Now, he all but challenged the Vampire’s progeny to surmount his protégé. He probably had no idea that he was throwing down the gauntlet. “I take care of my students, so if they get along, I’ll set up some trade routes between your territory and mind.”

The Vampire managed to find her tongue after being insulted and challenged multiple times after just meeting Hachiman.

Just as Hachiman, myself, and everyone else was boarding the boats and already rising up to return to our ship.

“You… you will find yourself beaten in this regard, Hikigaya Hachiman! My daughters will shame your students and prosperity will come for my people!”

It was barely a threat, and Hachiman barely took note.

“See you around, granny! Maybe, you should send your granddaughters instead! Just a thought!”

The Vampire screamed Hachiman’s way, while he ignored her and took a seat between myself and Ashe.

He looked at both of us warmly, obviously kinder than he did the noble that confronted us pompously, and began to fuss over what little scratches we took.

Somehow… this fool has managed to avoid being taken by anyone in Ylstu.

When the time comes he will be utterly ruined.