"Hahaha! Keep pushing!!"

""Uoooooooh!!""

At Rigel’s command, the soldiers charged forward with fierce war cries.

The "Female Slave Barrier" strategy he had devised was proving incredibly effective, and the Gousser Marquis army had already breached the fortress.

"Hmph. You actually came up with a pretty good plan."

Mesterica, walking beside Rigel, spoke with a hint of admiration.

Although she had lost the position of supreme commander to Rigel, as the eldest daughter of the Gousser Marquis family and an outstanding swordswoman, her status remained high.

She was effectively the number two in the Gousser Marquis army for this war.

Currently, she was observing the battle from the rear alongside Rigel.

"Hey, Mesterica."

"What? And call me ’Sister’."

"Doesn’t matter, right? You’re weaker than me anyway."

"...You really know how to talk."

Mesterica frowned at Rigel’s provocative tone.

There had once been a clear difference in strength between these siblings.

Mesterica had been the one expected to have a bright future, while Rigel had been labeled incompetent.

But about a month and a half ago — around the time Rigel turned 12 — he had begun growing stronger at an explosive rate.

And now, the situation had completely reversed.

"It’s a fact, isn’t it? I was the one who took down the earth dragon, and I was the one who smashed the fortress wall with my earth magic."

"That’s true, but... whatever. Get to the point. You were about to say something, right?"

"Yeah. What do you think of my ’Female Slave Barrier’ strategy, Mesterica?"

"What do I think...? About what?"

Mesterica tilted her head.

Rigel continued:

"You know — using the captured women as hostages to crush the enemy soldiers."

"Well... I think it’s extremely effective. As you can see, the enemy soldiers can’t even touch us right now."

Mesterica answered honestly.

Rigel asked further:

"As a woman yourself, can you accept something like this?"

"Haa? What do you mean ’as a woman’?"

"Just what I said..."

Mesterica looked at him with a puzzled expression, but answered anyway.

"I am the proud daughter of the Gousser Marquis family of the Kingdom of Wistaria. Don’t lump me in with some border village girls from a tiny country!"

"Hm? Ah, yeah. Sorry."

"Of course, if it were noble or royal women being treated that way, even if they’re enemies, I might feel a little sorry... But I don’t care what happens to lowly commoners."

"I see..."

"Exactly!"

Mesterica declared firmly.

Hearing that, Rigel smirked.

And in his heart, he thought:

(Kukuku. From my point of view, you’re not that different from them. One day I’ll make sure you understand that.)

While they were having this conversation, the battle inside the fortress continued.

The Gousser Marquis army was steadily overwhelming the defending soldiers.

Seeing this, the enemy commander raised his voice.

"Damn it! What are you all doing!? If this fortress falls, the city will be next!!"

Just as the commander said.

If they couldn’t buy time here, the enemy would eventually reach the city.

That would cause massive casualties.

They had to stop the enemy’s advance at all costs.

However—

"It’s no use! Even without the hostages, the difference in numbers is too great!"

"We’ll be wiped out at this rate! Please give the order to retreat...!"

The soldiers cried out in despair.

The commander shouted back:

"You fools!! What do you think we’re fighting for!? To protect innocent civilians!!"

The soldiers froze at those words.

That’s right.

They were fighting right now for the sake of the people they were supposed to protect.

Could they really abandon them and run away...?

No, they couldn’t.

But what else could they do—

"If it has come to this, as commander, I will challenge their supreme commander to a duel! If I can take him down, we might still find a way!!"

"Th-that’s reckless!?"

"There’s no way he’ll accept! You’ll just get surrounded and killed!"

"Are you trying to die!?"

"I don’t care! At this rate we have no chance of winning anyway! Then I’ll bet on the slim possibility!!"

With those words, the commander drew his sword and headed toward the front line.

Seeing his determination, the others could say nothing to stop him.

At this point, it was impossible to dissuade him.

Besides, it was true that winning a one-on-one duel might create an opening.

"...Understood. We wish you good fortune in battle."

With those parting words, they sent him off.

The commander spotted Rigel, raised his sword, and shouted:

"Rigel von Gousser, heir of the Gousser Marquis family! Face me in honorable combat!!"

"Huh? Who the hell is this guy suddenly showing up and acting all high and mighty?"

Rigel responded in a bored voice.

The outcome of the fortress battle now rested on this one-on-one duel.

The result of the war would depend on—

---

The fortress commander had challenged Rigel to a one-on-one duel.

Rigel responded in a bored voice.

Glaring at him, the commander shouted again.

"You vile cur of the Wistaria Kingdom! If even a shred of pride remains in you, accept my challenge!"

"Hmph. Fine. I’ll play along."

As he answered, Rigel casually picked up a sword from the corpse of a fallen soldier lying on the ground.

Seeing this, the commander’s anger grew even stronger.

"You...! Are you even a man?!"

"Huh? Why?"

"With such a rotten soul, you will surely receive divine retribution one day!"

"...What the hell is this guy talking about?"

Rigel muttered, genuinely puzzled.

The commander charged at him.

"Dieeeeeee!!!"

He attacked with a roar.

Rigel easily dodged the strike.

The commander followed up with another attack, but it too was effortlessly evaded.

"Damn it! Stop dodging like a coward!"

"You’re just too slow."

"Shut up!!"

Provoked by Rigel, the commander continued his assaults.

But no matter how many times he attacked, not a single blow landed.

"Khh...! All you can do is dodge? You coward!"

"......"

"What’s wrong!? Say something!! Or are you too scared to even speak!?"

"The corpse is talking."

The moment Rigel muttered those words—

**DOGH!!**

A dull sound rang out as the commander’s head snapped backward violently.

His body collapsed to the ground.

Looking down at the fallen man, Rigel said:

"Hmph. So this was the commander of the fortress. What a piece of trash."

"U-uaaaaaah!!"

"As expected of Supreme Commander Rigel!"

"We’ve won!!"

The Gousser Marquis army erupted in cheers at Rigel’s victory.

In stark contrast, the enemy soldiers inside the fortress were thrown into panic.

"H-hey... This can’t be real...?"

"The commander... lost...?"

"W-what do we do now...?"

The enemy forces fell into chaos.

Mesterica spoke coldly:

"You lot are all going to die. Don’t even think about surrendering."

At her icy declaration, the enemy soldiers lost what little fighting spirit they had left.

From that point on, it was a complete one-sided massacre.

"Gyaaaaah!!"

"Hiiiii! Save meeee!!"

"Nooooo!! I don’t want to die!!"

One after another, enemy soldiers and officers fell under the fierce assault of the Gousser Marquis army.

The female captives, still tied spread-eagle to the large shields, watched the horrific scene unfold before their eyes.

Some screamed and cried, others began dissociating from reality, and some simply stared into the void in utter despair.

For these women, what was happening was nothing short of hell.

"Ah... Aaaah... Aaaaaah..."

"Uuu... *hic*... Higu..."

The captives trembled in terror, tears streaming down their faces.

One of the soldiers approached them.

In his hand was a knife—

**Slice!**

He cut the ropes binding the women’s limbs.

The captives were startled by the sudden action.

"Y-you’re... saving us...?"

"Huh? What are you talking about? We’re doing this so we can have fun, obviously."

The soldier laughed.

Looking around, the soldiers who had been defending the fortress were completely wiped out.

That meant Rigel’s "Female Slave Barrier" strategy had served its purpose for now.

And since the battle was over... it was time for the real entertainment to begin.

"Hii...!? No... Nooooo!!"

"Nooooo!!"

The captives screamed.

The soldiers showed no mercy as they descended upon them.

"Hey now... The battlefield cleanup isn’t even done yet, and you’re already starting?"

Rigel spoke in an exasperated tone, but he made no move to stop them.

"These guys really can’t be helped... They’re like monkeys in heat."

Mesterica also spoke with a fed-up expression, but she too did nothing to intervene.

The majority of the people present were commoners.

Their status was vastly different from that of nobles like Rigel and Mesterica.

From her perspective, commoners having sex was no different from wild monkeys mating in the jungle.

"Nooooo! N-noble sir!! Please save meeee!!"

"Nooooo!! Stop it alreadyyyy!!"

The captives cried out for help, but no one came to their aid.

Instead, the men approached with leering grins.

(No...! I don’t want to be raped by these people in a place like this...!!)

The female captives trembled in despair, tears flowing.

Rigel walked over to them.

"..."

"Y-you, sir...! Are you here to save us!?"

One woman’s eyes sparkled with a sliver of hope.

Rigel looked at her with cold eyes.

The soldiers spoke to him respectfully.

"Supreme Commander Rigel! Would you like to have the first taste!?"

"Yes! They may be country girls, but they’re still women!"

"Come on, let’s get to it!"

The soldiers urged him.

Rigel replied:

"I don’t need them. You lot can have them. But don’t break them completely. The ’Female Slave Barrier’ still has more uses."

With those words, Rigel turned and walked away.

Behind him, the soldiers’ joyous cheers and the captives’ miserable screams echoed through the fortress.