51

Arc 8, Chapter 51 – "Tennozan"

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――Through the strategy devised by Natsuki Subaru, the Rescue the Vollachian Empire from Destruction Squad had dispersed to various places in the Imperial Capital.

It was a strategy that aimed to have them all coordinated and so that they would not interfere with each other as they each accomplished their respective roles, but the most important part of it was not actually any of the faces fighting in the Imperial Capital.

The key to this strategy was, decisively, all the strength of the Empire that had been left behind in the Fortified City of Garkla.

With military forces deployed throughout at a massive scale, large city carried personnel equivalent to the brains and heart of Vollachia.

For how long would they have to hold back the hosts of undead marching on the city in order to seize it? That was undoubtedly the time limit imposed on the ultimate decisive battle on which the survival of the Vollachian Empire was staked; not only that, but in addition to the Empire, the destiny of the entire world would be divined by this important point.

By gathering as many of the undead to the Fortified City as they could, it would become easier for the Rescue from Destruction Squad to take action in the Imperial Capital. But at the same time, if the Fortified City were to fall, even supposing the Imperial Capital side were to succeed, it would likely be impossible for the Empire to rebuild in the aftermath.

That was to say――,

???: [――Undoubtedly, this shall be as decisive as "Tennozan".] [1]

Wielding a Knight's sword, while speaking words that were not very familiar to his ears, Julius Juukulius ran across a rampart of the Fortified City with his tall stature, gallantly fluttering through the air.

The elegant Knight directed the tip of his sword towards a horde of undead clinging to the rampart, trying to invade the city. Thrusting their weapons into the wall, the enemies climbed upwards while making improvised footholds; spinning as he swooped down upon them, Julius's sword flashed unrelentingly.

Julius: [I will not allow it!]

The arms and backs of the undead clinging to the wall were showered in slashes as they were felled to the ground.

And, as Julius jumped upon one of the blades they had been using as a foothold, he turned his eyes to the countless weapons that had been thrust into the wall, and,

Julius: [Aro! I wish to borrow your wind!]

After calling that out, a green wind burst forth, and as if coiling around them, it pulled all the weapons out from the wall they had been lodged into, and the toils of the undead that had been building up those footholds, were reduced to naught in a single stroke.

Finally, breaking the sword he stood upon with a jump, Julius returned to the top of the rampart.

While tickling the green light of his contracted Spirit, Julius took a slight breather.

He had succeeded in hindering the enemies that had been clinging to this wall, but he could not afford to be careless.

Even if they broke past the city's utmost outer wall, there was still a second-most, and third-most outer bulwark, and even more sturdy fortresses, but nevertheless――,

???: [It is faster than we had expected for them to have already gotten this close.]

Julius: [――Miss Taritta.]

Standing atop the rampart, calling out to Julius as he caught his breath, was a dark-skinned woman with part of her black hair dyed blue―― the female warrior who commanded the People of Shudraq, Taritta.

Since every member of the tribe wielded bows, the Shudraqian warriors could attack the undead from afar, and they were one of the primary forces in holding the Fortified City against the siege. Taritta, whose skill with the bow stood out in particular, even among the excellent archery of the Shudraq, was one of the cornerstones of the current defensive battle.

In fact, just like Julius, who had just removed the weapons that had been thrust into the rampart, she was obstructing the undead from surmounting the wall by firing arrows from atop the rampart.

He admired how truly reliable her skills were, but her words were a cruel reality that could not be ignored.

Julius: [――In such a short period of time, the front line has been pushed back to this extent.]

As he said that, Julius turned his gaze to the outside of the ramparts and stroked the scar underneath his left eye.

Ahead of Julius's intrepid gaze, the heads of the advancing hosts of undead could be seen swaying all the way to the horizon, so it was visually apparent that an extraordinarily large army was approaching.

The line of defense that had originally been deployed outside the ramparts had been broken through, and the Imperial Soldiers fighting on the outside had been forced to draw the warfront back and downsize. Though of course, when considering the enormous number of enemies, there was no doubt that they had foreseen that this would happen eventually.

Taritta: [The occasional formidable undead among them are quite difficult to deal with, aren't they?]

Julius: [I concur. As soon as they are found, there is no choice but to have a capable individual in close vicinity deal with them, but…]

Indeed, it happened right as Julius uttered those words.

???: [――Hk!!]

On the battlefield below them, the group that had been fighting together as one single mass were blown away all in one go.

Looking down, what had flown through the air whilst raising thick screams, were members of the Pleiades Battalion, whom Subaru had hastened to the Imperial Capital with as reinforcements.

Through some perplexing strategy, it was a battalion composed of individuals who each boasted bizarre strength; having blown away its members, scattering them, was someone holding large swords in both of their arms―― no, with both of her arms entirely transformed into large swords, was a female undead of a dreadful, heinous appearance.

???: [Fuck… now you've really gone and done it…!]

???: [Waitwaitwaitwait! Don't go rushin' in without a plan! Bro'll need to shoulder the burden!]

???: [Fall back! We'll have everyone surround her and then take her down!]

Before the heinous undead, the group that should have been done for stoutly stood back up.

Without incurring any casualties, their undeterred fighting spirit was worthy of praise, but even from Julius's perspective, the strength of that female warrior was unmistakably first-class.

Thinking that he must rush there at once, Julius was about to leave the rampart to Taritta, and jump down below――,

???: [――Nah, Lion Knight-kun is already there.]

Striking upon Julius's eardrums, was a voice disproportionately cheerful for the battlefield. The information brought about by that voice, did in fact give rise to change on the battlefield beneath them.

Having rushed over to the warrior who dual-wielded large swords, golden mace in hand, was Goz.

Goz: [I have never had the opportunity to face you, but neither is there a chance that I could mistake you! So you have been resurrected, Gladiator Empress!!]

As Goz roared, his mace and the female warrior's large swords collided, and a shockwave blew violently across the battlefield.

Between the two of them, extremely heavyweight weaponry which an ordinary person would never be able to lift traded blows, and the ensuing violence scattered the surrounding Imperial Soldiers and undead, tossing them around like a storm.

It was a skirmish where one must stand their ground, but he had ceased advancing towards it. It was best to entrust that place to Goz.

Julius: [I thank you for stopping me, Flop-dono.]

Flop: [Ha-ha-ha, no problem! It's just because I had to let Finest-kun and Taritta-san focus on the battle right in front of them! This is about all that my powerless self can do to be useful!]

Smiling without getting worked up was Flop, whose bright attitude remained unchanged even on the battlefield.

As a non-combatant, and brother to a candidate for Empress Consort, he should have been ordered to be on stand-by within the fortress. He had shown up on a rampart which could have even been called the front line, so Taritta was shocked.

Taritta: [Flop!? Why are you here…?]

Flop: [Huh, it's because the situation appears to be one of all-out war. Providing aid to the wounded, repairing equipment, there's tons of stuff like that for people who can't fight to do. Naturally, I'm also one of those people.]

Patting his slim chest, Flop held out a quiver to Taritta.

Taritta accepted it without a second thought; she already carried a quiver on her back, but the remaining number of arrows was not an amount she could depend on, so Flop's resupply was just what she needed.

So then, he had probably also walked along the rampart distributing quivers to the other Shudraqians.

Including the non-combatants, everybody was taking part in this battle. His attitude embodied those words.

Flop: [How's the situation?]

Taritta: [――. Everybody is fighting hard. If we keep up the defensive battle, we will be able to defend the wall for some time. But also…]

Julius: [It would be a different story if a flying dragon rider were to appear among our opponents.]

Taritta responded to Flop's question, and as she hesitated to continue, Julius provided the conclusion in her stead. At that reply, Flop's expression earnestly stiffened.

Given that he was a young man who was always cheerfully smiling, that slight action was strangely impactful. But, it was only natural for his expression to become severe.

The people of the Vollachian Empire were more than aware of how incredible flying dragon riders were.

Flop: [――――]

Right after the battle had begun, through a simultaneous attack by Julius and the People of Shudraq, the deceased flying dragons that had closed in as the first wave―― the undead flying dragons had been deterred. Thereafter, all the threats from the sky that sporadically came flying in were reliably dealt with by the Shudraqians, who had been granted the duty of undead flying dragon hunting.

However, that was only possible because there were no undead serving as flying dragon riders among their opponents.

The ability of untamed flying dragons was incomparable to that of flying dragons that were united with a flying dragon rider.

Just a single pair of flying dragon and rider would likely be able to overpower even a flock of one hundred flying dragons in a clash. That was how exceptional flying dragon riders, who tactically utilized the sky, were.

――In the past, Julius had once crossed blades with a flying dragon rider.

Back then, he had miraculously seized victory thanks to the assistance of Ferris, who had been traveling with him, but had Julius been by himself, the positions of winner and loser would have surely been flipped.

There would likely never be another flying dragon rider to that caliber within the Empire, but, if rather than just undead flying dragons appearing on this warfront against the undead, there were to appear an undead flying dragon rider mounted upon one, the situation would completely change.

Flop: [Of course, a deceased flying dragon rider and their beloved dragon being revived together… because the precedent of that is extremely rare, it's conceivable that the city's skies have still yet to be taken.]

That opinion of Flop's was likely correct when inspecting the current siege situation.

Flying dragon riders were a threat, but it took a long time for riders and their flying dragons to build trust, and without man and dragon undoubtedly becoming one, their true value could not be displayed.

That rule was something that could not be ignored, even supposing they were dead people being resurrected via principles beyond the realm of reason.

Without an undead rider and undead flying dragon that had been together since they were alive, the phenomenon of "undead flying dragon riding" could not be actualized.

At present, that was likely the reason why there were no undead flying dragon riders seen in the skies of the Fortified City.

Julius: […But, it is ironic that the one rare instance of it occurring happened to be the most formidable flying dragon rider.]

Denying that faint relief, was the existence of the undead flying dragon rider which Julius had ascertained with his own eyes.

The undead who had appeared in the midst of the battle on the coupled dragon carriages―― Balleroy Temeglyph, sitting astride the deceased beloved dragon with whom he had been together while alive, had plunged into the midst of the enemy with his overwhelming mobility.

If he were to participate in this battlefield, it was quite likely that he would destroy the Fortified City's warfront as a single rider.

Even if he had not yet shown up at this moment, that possibility could not be excluded.

Flop: [――I don't think you need to worry about that.]

Julius: [Flop-dono?]

Flop: [It'd be different if there were other flying dragon riders who were being resurrected, but I don't think you need to worry about Balleroy showing up.]

With a tone and expression of extreme conviction, Flop denied Julius's vigilance.

Julius knit his brows at that statement, and while firing arrows at the undead clinging to the wall, ascertaining that she had hit the opponent's knee, Taritta spoke,

Taritta: [How can you say that definitively?]

Flop: [Because Balleroy knows that Medium and I were on the coupled dragon carriages. Naturally, he'd also be thinking that we're in this Fortified City. It'd be hard for him to come and lay waste to this place, right?]

Taritta: [That's…]

Flop replied with a single eye closed, to which Taritta was at a loss for words.

Julius was in agreement with Taritta's reaction. It was impossible to say that Flop's point had any persuasive power to it. If he had hopes for the undead Balleroy's emotions and compassion, then――,

Julius: [Unfortunately, there is likely no hope for the humanity that they possessed during their lifetimes. The thoughts of the zombies… of the undead are being twisted. If not for that, it would be impossible for so many of the dead to participate in the ruin of their own country.]

In fact, there was such an enormous number of undead mobilizing that they had blanketed the plains all the way to the horizon.

It was difficult to imagine that all of these undead had truly resented the Vollachian Empire during their lifetimes, and were all trying to carry out their long-cherished desire as soon as they were revived.

It was natural to think that the caster who had resurrected them, was manipulating the undead for their own benefit.

As Julius pointed that out, Flop scratched his cheek with a "Yeah" as he nodded.

Flop: [I have the same opinion as Finest-kun. In the first place, the thoughts of all the dead people are being changed. But still, I've seen that there are parts that haven't changed.]

Julius: [So, are you saying that only Balleroy-dono still retains his emotions and compassion?]

Flop: [That would be a great shock to my feelings! But, that's not it, Finest-kun. Though, I think that you and Taritta-san would have an easier time noticing it than I did.]

Taritta: [We would?]

Without having any idea, Julius and Taritta exchanged glances.

Something that not Flop, who had shared a relationship with Balleroy during his lifetime, but rather Julius, whose blade had clashed with his spear, and Taritta, who had never even seen his face, could notice, that was――,

Flop: [――It's their fighting style.]

Julius: [――――]

Flop: [Even if their thoughts have changed from when they were alive, to dispossess them of their fighting style would make it meaningless to resurrect the person in question. That's why, all of the dead people have the same fighting style as they did during their lives. Am I mistaken?]

Julius: […I cannot say anything for certain, but that possibility seems high.]

It was not as if he was deeply aware of the forms that the undead he fought took during their lifetimes, but Flop's conjecture should have been right on the mark.

At Julius and Taritta's affirmative reaction, Flop smiled.

With some traces of nostalgia and sorrow, it was a terribly melancholic smile.

Flop: [Supposing Balleroy were to come here, he would've come here at the outset before anybody else, shooting out the vital points of this city. The Magical Sharpshooter, Balleroy Temeglyph, didn't serve as the vanguard. That's my basis for thinking that Balleroy isn't coming to this battlefield.]

△▼△▼△▼△

――Balleroy Temeglyph was a man of principle who hated letting his subordinates recklessly die in vain.

However, that did not mean he hated the "law of iron and blood" employed by Vollachia, nor did that mean he was a philanthropist who stood in opposition to imperialism.

The Imperial Way of thinking, which esteemed the strong and oppressed the weak, was something rather convenient for Balleroy, who had been born into a humble commoner household. It would not make sense for one to use that construction of society to rise in the world, and then flip-flop upon gaining status.

But then again, Balleroy himself had not thought so deeply about it, and he was not particularly committed to imperialism. He had just been lucky that what was already there was compatible with his nature and talents.

Ergo, Balleroy's hatred for his soldiers dying in vain was ultimately unrelated to imperialism.

This was a way of thinking that Balleroy had acquired from teachings given to him by others.

――In the formation of Balleroy's character, there had been two primary individuals who had imparted a great influence.

The first had found promise in his talents and picked him out, granting him opportunities such as receiving education and meeting his beloved dragon; his benefactor, Serena Dracroy.

The other had used an undiscerning Balleroy, still a young boy, to successfully deal with the pursuers who were after him for stealing; having met the embodiment of mischief itself, he was someone like a big brother to him, Miles.

Through his encounters and days spent with those two people, who possessed a mix of qualities that were both befitting and unbefitting of the Empire, the character of the individual known as Balleroy Temeglyph was constructed.

And, having been constructed, Balleroy's humanity very much hated for his subordinates to die in vain.

Subordinates were individuals who were within his reach, they were his people. ――He hated for his people to be sacrificed.

That was why, with the odds of victory having been decided beforehand, when taking part in the rebellion devised for the Emperor's convenience, Balleroy had not taken any of his subordinates with him, and instead joined by his lonesome.

In the end, he had lost his life because of that, so Balleroy's decision had been mistakenly correct.

――If one were to fight, the deaths of enemies and allies alike would be unavoidable.

He would also take the lives of others. He could not say that he wanted for that rule to only not apply for his people. But if he was to try to have things go that way, he could not rely on outside help, for it could only be fulfilled by his own strength.

Therefore, the conclusion Balleroy Temeglyph had arrived at, was that of the fastest sniper.

As the wings of his beloved dragon raced through the sky, he would create an ideal opening, and would shoot out the beings that were the vitals and heart of the opposing side―― that was the best method for his desires to be granted.

Balleroy was a man of the Empire. No matter how many of his enemies died, his chest would not ache in the slightest.

But, he did not want his own people to die. That was why, Balleroy's sniping desired the fastest conclusion. Without regard to enemies or allies, he was confident that this was the best method of preventing casualties among his people.

Hence――,

Balleroy: [――I gotcha, Carillon.]

Responding to the call of his deceased beloved dragon, Balleroy stood up from the side of the bed.

In the bed before them, an unconscious Madelyn was silently asleep. ――Currently, her consciousness was back inside the dragonhusk, Mezoreia.

Needless to say, the violent force of a Dragon was far too dangerous an excessive force to wield in the Imperial Capital.

But, it was frightening that when considering the enemies that could potentially face off against it, "excessive" was not a term that could be employed with certainty.

Balleroy: [I know I'm someone who once served, but you guys are absolutely nuts, you Empire folk.]

A Dragon was supposedly the toughest lifeform in this world, so it was a strange notion to have an idea of monsters that could not only compete with, but surpass one.

With his title, he had also been ranked among those individuals, but Balleroy himself did not think that his skills were on par with those who towered above all else like that.

Only, it was just that there was absolutely no correlation between being strong and seizing victory.

Stroking the sky-blue hair on Madelyn's forehead, Balleroy began to head towards the balcony where his beloved dragon awaited. Midway through, he grabbed the spear that was leaning against the wall, and Carillon directed its back toward him, wings folded as it stood on the white balcony.

As he stroked the base of one of its wings, his beloved dragon nuzzled against Balleroy's shoulder with its long neck.

That was exactly the relationship they had shared ever since Carillon had hatched from its egg. Carillon's habits had not changed from the time it was still small and weak, a baby flying dragon.

Balleroy: [Habits and preferences won't change even if you die… Though, I guess I can't speak for others.]

Saying that in a self-deriding tone, he flicked up the hand that had been stroking and gave a firm pat to the back. As Carillon lowered its posture at that signal, Balleroy gallantly jumped upon its back, and faced to the fore.

Taking in a sweeping view of the vast Imperial Capital just outside of the Crystal Palace's balcony, the beautifully organized cityscape was devastated, destroyed, and engulfed in the air of a battlefield all throughout.

This atmosphere was not just present in the Imperial Capital, but throughout the entire Empire―― it was especially potent around the Fortified City of Garkla, where great hosts of undead were being sent.

The Fortified City had received the refugees and Imperial Soldiers who had evacuated from the Imperial Capital, and a vehement battle was now unfolding there. Originally, Balleroy also should have been an attacker in the siege of that city.

However――,

???: [――The sensation of losing your nerve, I am also in the process of understanding it. Since there is fear that you may be unable to perform to your usual ability, it cannot be said to be appropriate. Command: Required.]

The caster who had revived Balleroy―― the Witch who called herself Sphinx, spoke thus as she decided to keep Balleroy in the Imperial Capital. Rather than concern for Balleroy, it felt more like she wanted to ascertain the unknown flavor of the sensation that was budding within herself for the first time.

Of course, there was also no doubt that there were expectations for Balleroy to control Madelyn, who had defected to this side, in order to secure the Cloud Dragon, Mezoreia, as an ally.

He had several reservations about the duty that was expected from him, but even without that, it was convenient for Balleroy to remain in the Imperial Capital.

Because, then things would end without him needing to encounter his siblings who had likely entered the Fortified City―― was not the reason.

This was something Sphinx had judged, and it was also something Balleroy himself had intuited, but,

Balleroy: [If it were His Excellency, he'd come for sure, wouldn't he?]

The Vincent Vollachia that Balleroy knew was a cool-headed, stern Emperor.

Even if the castle lord would never move during times of peace, they would always try to stand with their own legs in the location of the ultimate conclusion. That was not just limited to Vincent, as it was customary for all Vollachian Emperors.

This could also be said to be the influence of the "law of iron and blood" which was considered to be the Imperial Way.

Thus, while he hated the Vollachian Empire more than anybody else, Vincent would try to faithfully fulfill the duty of Vollachian Emperor, so he would be coming to the Imperial Capital no matter what.

In order to destroy the ringleader of the Great Disaster, Sphinx, he would come with Yang Sword in hand.

Balleroy: [――I sure got completely fooled by Chisha.]

At the genesis of the Great Disaster, in a situation where he had not yet grasped the existence of the undead or of himself, despite there being no opportunity more ideal than that, Balleroy's surprise attack had not reached Vincent.

Chisha's meddling had saved Vincent, and the Great Disaster's fastest victory had been deterred.

However――,

Balleroy: [Next time, nobody's gonna serve as His Excellency's shield.]

He would absolutely not miss his next opportunity.

If Vincent himself was coming to the Imperial Capital, Balleroy would shoot him through the heart with certainty. Once he accomplished that, the hope of the Vollachian Empire would be severed.

And then, the threat of the Great Disaster would head north, and then even the Kingdom of Lugunica would――.

Carillon: [――Kiryararahhh.]

That instant, the neighing of his beloved dragon drew Balleroy's attention towards "that".

Balleroy: [――――]

Looking up as he felt a tingle on his neck, Balleroy doubted his own eyes.

Riding on Carillon's back, Balleroy had been seeking his target, the figure of Vincent, with a bird's-eye view over the battlefield-turned Imperial Capital, so he had been straining his eyes to see every detail and to not miss any changes on the battlefield.

From somewhere outside of Balleroy's vigilance, something had boldly taken aim for the Crystal Palace.

――Directly above the most beautiful palace in the world, blazing balls of flame rained down one after the other.

Balleroy: [Carillon!]

At his sharp call, his beloved dragon instantly spread its wings, and with the lift generated from their flapping, its large body soared up into the skies of the Imperial Capital. With each powerful flap of its wings, its speed and altitude swiftly climbed, and taking Balleroy up along with it, the undead flying dragon ascended to the sky.

As if to obstruct the ascending Balleroy's flight path, the flaming spheres, around the size of a human, relentlessly fell towards them. ――And towards them, he aimed his spear.

Balleroy: [Ain't gonna letcha!]

The tip of the spear within Balleroy's hand contained a faint light as he pointed it towards the sky, and in that instant, the fired bullet of light collided with the descending blaze, and as an explosion occurred midair, the sky was dyed red.

It was not a single shot. Two shots, three shots, firing successively until thirteenth total light orbs shot down the flaming spheres; with a thunderous sound enveloping the skies of the Imperial Capital, Balleroy and Carillon pushed through the swelling flames of the explosion.

Balleroy: [What kinda stuff d'ya think you're doing, passing above the clouds like that?]

He had swept away the fiery rain, yet Balleroy was amazed by the skill of his opponent.

If the balls of flame had come straight for the Palace, or if they had flown in a parabola like an arrow or a stone, they would have easily been detected from the Crystal Palace. The reason why Balleroy's eyes had been unable to do so was obvious: the flaming spheres had come from far away, flying above the thick clouds in the sky of the Imperial Capital, and then went straight downwards when they were directly above the Crystal Palace.

When putting it into words, what had been done was plain and simple. But, when compared to actually performing it, there was a difference between heaven and earth―― the divine feat of throwing a stone above the clouds and hitting a target from a place several kilometers away, this was a deed more dreadfully difficult than accomplishing that without even using one's hands.

But, Balleroy was in a position that, while seldom seen within the Empire, was capable of using magic, even if it was only specialized to one trick.

Balleroy: [I'm gonna have to return the favor!]

Having finished dealing with the flaming spheres that had pierced the clouds and fallen from the sky, Carillon soared to the heavens. Firmly holding onto its back, Balleroy's attention shifted to the far south of the Imperial Capital.

Due south of the Crystal Palace, the area around the gate of the Imperial Capital was being safeguarded by Mezoreia. From the distance and angle of the unleashed balls of flame, he judged that the enemy in question was a little to the west from there―― Balleroy's undead left eye, dyed black with a golden iris looming within, the vicinity around it subtly wavered.

That was not due to any change yielded in Balleroy's face, but due to a change yielded in the atmosphere surrounding his left eye.

Using magic to bend light, Balleroy created a scope in order to see far into the distance. Looking through it with his left eye, he imposingly aimed his spearhead in that direction.

Securing the sniping angle and distance from his flying dragon's speed, he specialized in the one trick of firing bullets of light to achieve ultra-long-range sniping, and in combination with a scope of light that prevented him from losing sight of his target, Balleroy would fight.

Supposing it was an open plain with no obstacles, Balleroy's light orbs could hit a moving target from several kilometers away.

Balleroy: [――――]

This time, too, Balleroy closed his right eye with the intention of doing so, and focused his attention to his left eye.

The non-existent scope created from the bending of light leapt across the cityscape of the Imperial Capital, and going even further beyond, grasped the figure of the enemy who had thrown those flaming spheres towards the Crystal Palace――,

Balleroy: [――Medi.]

Muttering out in a husky breath, Balleroy Temeglyph's scope clearly projected that figure.

Golden hair glistening in a manner akin to the rays of the sun fluttered, and having risen to the sky while being held in the arms of a man in a long cloak, the girl's blue eyes were trained on Balleroy, whom she should not have been able to see.

And then, clearly perceiving the inaudible words spoken by those lips, a chord was struck within Balleroy's heart.

Medium: [Jeez, I won't let you go off wherever you please anymore. Come and talk to me properly, Ballebro.]

-x-X-x-

Translation Note:

[1] – Tennozan (天王山) is the name of a mountain in Japan. Throughout history, it was a place of great strategic importance due to its location. Because of that, a Japanese saying that goes "decisive as Tennozan" was born, and essentially indicates that a moment or location is very important in determining an outcome. In the context of this chapter, Julius is repeating the phrase as something he likely learned from Subaru.