Light Novel Volume 18

Rakudai Kishi no Eiyuutan Light Novel 18 is the eighteenth installment of the Rakudai Kishi no Cavalry light novel series, written by Riku Misora and illustrated by Won. It was released in June 2020.

Summary
"I won't let you kill anyone!!"

The "Great Flame" Tendou has been subjugated but the capital Tokyo is still in the midst of a defense battle against the US forces invasion.

Even the main force on Japan's side, "World Clock" Kurono Shinguuji, can't deal with the US forces' overwhelming resources. However, Kurono's determination and choice at the last minute create an opportunity to strike down a harsh fate, and the most elite student knights such as Ikki, Stella, Touka and others who rushed there as reinforcements swing their blades on the battlefield to reverse the situation.

Meanwhile, "The Hero" Abraham Carter, who Tsukikage and others encountered once at Rebellion headquarters, together with "Grand Professor" Islands has begun an eerie maneuver--!?

The 18th volume that tells the beginning of the final battle that determines the fate of the world!

Prologue: Justice and Evil
The scene is back to where Prime Minister Bakuga Tsukikage, Kouzou Kazamatsuri, Rinna Kazamatsuri and Sara Bloodlily are at the destroyed Rebellion HQ in the Alps. They are being taken towards inside the building by Abraham Carter and his PSYON unit. They can’t refuse since their bodies are moving against their will due to Abraham’s ability. Inside an elevator that goes down, Abraham talks with Tsukikage and the others about the truth of World War 2. What really happened was that “Tyrant” used his abilities to brainwash various ruling people around the world to drive the war. This was in order to fulfill the goal of making people with supernatural abilities as the dominant class, which was an idea that existed for hundreds of years even before Rebellion first appeared in history. “Tyrant” inherited the idea and dragged the world into an undesired war but his ambition was crushed due to “Lord Whitebeard” Arthur Bright. When Bright was part of the British forces and Italy was forced to surrender, he realized there was a mastermind behind the war. He gathered Blazers that he trusted and formed a special task force. Eventually, Rebellion HQ at the time was attacked by main forces of nations that eventually became key players of the League of Mage-Knight Nations with “Tyrant” repelled by Bright and Ryouma Kurogane. The war stopped when people were released from “Tyrant’s” brainwashing and the US which had suffered humiliation by Ryouma at the time agreed to peace. However, Abraham says it was a mistake because they were deceived by the current League of Mage-Knight Nations. When the elevator door opens, Abraham and the others arrived at an area where there is a throne in the middle. The throne is where the “Tyrant” sits and only the executives, the Numbers, are allowed to enter here. Abraham releases a flame from his hand and scatters it to illuminate the dark area. It is revealed that the one sitting on the throne is a frozen corpse crucified by a Japanese sword like an insect specimen. Bright and the others reported that they only managed to repel the “Tyrant” and that he was still alive. But the truth is they killed the “Tyrant” and they hid this fact. Abraham says the League lied about the “Tyrant” being alive and seized control of Rebellion. He then says the League is the enemy of the world while staring at Kouzou who is one of Rebellion’s Numbers.

Kouzou denies Abraham’s accusations because it is not the whole truth. The US and the rest of the Union also knew “Tyrant” was dead. The world was hurt at the time and the war had caused deep resentments in many people. The hatred left behind could start up the war again and so the world needed to stay calm. The existence of Rebellion was needed in the post-war situation and so certain people from both the League and the Union secretly meet and maintain the necessary evil. From a global perspective, the system has worked well until this day. Kouzou says Abraham can’t pretend not knowing this since his father, the “Grand Professor”, is also one of “Rebellion’s Numbers on the side of the Union. Abraham denies this and keeps insisting that all of it was the League’s doings which irritates Kouzou. However, Tsukikage realizes that the US is planning on making the League taking all the blame and using justice as an excuse to start another war. Then, an old man in a white robe who is obese like a barrel comes out from behind the throne and says that Tsukikage’s suspicion is correct. The man is the “Grand Professor” Carl Islands. He treated Sara’s illness in the past and asks if her condition is good now. But Sara does not respond to him favorably and Kouzou looks at him with strong hostility. Islands says that the world is inevitably moving into a new era so it’s natural for a nation to gain initiative of that era. He also says his nation needs Tsukikage and the others cooperation to make that happen and they should talk about it in a nearby US military base.

Two days after PSYON took Tsukikage and others from Rebellion HQ and recovered “Tyrant’s” corpse, Ouma Kurogane who now has short hair has arrived at the Alps. After the Seven Stars Sword Art Festival was over, he came straight here to face the “Tyrant” again. But when he arrived at the mountain, he also received a call for help from Charlotte Cordé. At the destroyed Rebellion HQ, Ouma meets with Charlotte who is unwell from the cold weather as shown in a pic. Charlotte was hidden by Sara’s Noble Art “Stone Gray of the Roadside” and the effect is gone once she calls out to Ouma. Charlotte tells Ouma that Rinna and the others were taken by US forces and begs him to save Rinna. Charlotte points to the direction where they left and Ouma then manifest his Device. He uses a technique called “Ryuugan (dragon’s eye) to read and listen to the wind. He follows the trail of traces of magic power scattered by the wind, and shortly after he has found the location of the magic power that he knows.

Chapter 1: “Sword Emperor of Wind” vs. “The Hero”
Czechoslovakia was heavily damaged by Nazi Germany during the war and after the war it was taking steps to join the League of Mage-Knight Nations which was centered on Britain. But the country began to keep its distance from the League after the former Axis countries (Japan, Italy and Germany) joined the League one after another. Eventually, it became a country heavily influenced by the US. Tsukikage, Kouzou, Rinna and Sara were taken to one of the US military bases in the country. Inside a room, Tsukikage and Kouzou are tied to chairs and Abraham is standing behind them. Abraham is holding his hands on the back of their heads and releasing magic power from his hands. He’s using his mind control ability to brainwash the two into testifying to the US, but it’s been more than three days since they arrived at the base and the progress hasn’t been good. Tsukikage and Kouzou possess strong mental strength to resist. Islands who is sitting across them is amazed that even Kouzou who is just a normal human can resist this far. The old man Kouzou who looks like on the verge of death claims that this is nothing for him who had survived through the war. Abraham stops what he’s doing for the moment and during this the exhausted Tsukikage asks Islands a question. The US is already the most powerful country in the Union and the League which consists of small countries can’t compete, so Tsukikage asks why it is trying to become even more powerful by starting a war that will threaten the peaceful lives of people. Islands realizes Tsukikage must have seen something that caused his bizarre behavior of seeking Rebellion’s strength through his connection with Kouzou.

Islands then explains that although the US is the best in the world in terms of total national power and economy, it is still not enough. The US wants to have overwhelming power that is bigger than all of the other countries in the world combined. No one will lay a finger on the US or blame it even if it openly attacks people in other countries. In order to make that happen, absolute “justice” is needed and the US will be recognized as the enforcer of that “justice”. After it crushes the League which will be portrayed as evil, the righteous and dread of the US will be engraved into the world. Eventually, a new era where the will of the US is the “world’s justice” will be created. Tsukikage is furious because there is no need for such violence since people have words and hearts, and the people of the US wouldn’t want war just for an overkill power. Islands replies that it doesn’t matter if the people want it or not because those in politics and business world will never be in the frontline during a war. However, these are the President’s thoughts and Islands actually doesn’t care about things such as “world’s justice” or “new era”. Islands is a researcher on supernatural powers and his activities in politics and business world are for funding his research. There are problems that he faces during research and one of them is collecting subjects for human experiments. Ethical rules make it difficult for him to analyze supernatural power users, researching on transforming an incompetent person into a supernatural power user and such. Even abducting people through his position in Rebellion was difficult due to some people there being too noisy about it. But if the plan of making the US as the “world’s justice” is successful, Islands will have authority over people from “war criminal countries”. The plan is very attractive since he will obtain many guinea pigs and he definitely wants it since he hasn’t obtained samples of natural-born Desperados. Hearing this causes Kouzou to call Islands a madman. Islands says that if Tsukikage cooperates his relatives will be protected before Japan is destroyed and life security will be provided for few generations ahead but Tsukikage instead spits on his face. Islands then manifests his Device which is a flesh-colored gun and fires a bullet of meat towards Tsukikage’s earlobe. The meat acts on the surrounding cells and mutates them. A human mouth with distorted teeth is born on where Tsukikage’s ear was and is laughing, which causes Tsukikage to panic. Abraham tells Island not to get emotional and then Islands removes his Device. He then decides to change strategy, and instructs Abraham to turn on a large monitor in the room.

What’s shown in the monitor are Rinna and Sara who are tied to chairs with duct tape while naked as shown in a pic, which causes Kouzou to scream at Islands and asks what he has done to them. Islands replies that he hasn’t done anything and that their clothes need to be removed because they might catch fire. A Device’s illusionary form does not hurt the human body and acts only on the soul. This characteristic that gives only pain without injuring the body similar to strong hypnosis is called “habiki (dull blade)”. Illusionary form has been often used by Blazers in the League for training sessions, but Islands plans on using it for torture. Two PSYON members wearing full body protective clothing with flames on their arms are then approaching Rinna and Sara. If Kouzou and Tsukikage don’t comply with Islands’ demands, Rinna and Sara will be tortured with flames of pyrokinesis. Rinna tells Kouzou not to give in and that she won’t lose as well since people of the Kazamatsuri family are those who had maintained peace from behind the scenes. Sara also will hold on since she is grateful to the family for taking her in. Islands then orders the two PSYON members and they hold Rinna and Sara’s heads in between their flame-wielded arms, which causes the girls to scream in pain. The flames in illusionary form don’t burn their bodies including their pain sensory nerves so the pain from their brains being boiled can continue forever. After the girls lose consciousness, Kouzou finally gives in. But Islands wants the scenario of the League being the mastermind behind Rebellion so he needs Tsukikage who is the leader of Japan, a mainstay nation of the League, to give in as well. However, even though Tsukikage has known Rinna since she was a baby and Sara since she was adopted, he refuses to give in for them. As a politician Tsukikage has the responsibility of doing whatever it takes to save the people of his country from a future nightmare and so he can’t betray his country. The PSYON members then force Rinna and Sara to wake up by putting small fire in their mouths. But before they can continue the torture, a large shock shakes the earth and sound of something destroyed is heard. A huge alarm is issued and Abraham determines from his ability that there is an intruder.

Ouma has located the military base where Rinna and the others are being held by following the traces of their magic powers. He creates a hole on the outer wall with compressed air shell and enters the base through the hole. He had carried Charlotte to this base and tells her which building Rinna and the others are in. He also uses “Tenryuu Gusoku” to wrap Charlotte in his wind. The airflow of the wind distorts the atmosphere and changes the refractive index of light which causes her to be optically invisible. Ouma tells Charlotte to go save Rinna and the others while he takes care of anyone who is in the way. After she is away, armed soldiers are gathered around Ouma. Since Ouma is attacking a military base, the soldiers don’t hesitate firing their weapons. The weapons they use can kill even Blazers especially if many bullets hit their targets. However, Ouma uses his wind ability to bend and scatter all the bullets fired towards him. He then uses “Mukuu Kekkai · San (airless barrier · tragedy)” to deprive the soldiers of oxygen, but this version of “Mukuu Kekkai” also creates a vacuum state where the boiling point of water is lowered to the limit. As a result, the soldiers’ body temperatures are boiling and vaporizing their body fluids. The soldiers inside the wind barrier collapse like decaying tree with red vapors blowing up from their ears, mouth, nose and sweat glands. Other soldiers that come later then deploy a tank and fire a shell towards Ouma. However, even though the impact sends his body backwards by 10 meters, Ouma is able to catch the shell easily and throws the shell back at the tank’s tread which causes it unable to move. He then uses “Jinsenpuu (blade whirlwind)”, which is a slashing tornado fired in a straight line that tears the soldiers and tank in the direction into pieces like a drill. A voice broadcast by Islands is then heard, telling the soldiers to fall back and let PSYON take care of Ouma. Immediately after, a man in black wearing a visor and silver gauntlets appears from above Ouma and delivers a fist which Ouma receives with his sword. The man in black then grabs the sword and uses electrokinesis to deliver high-voltage electricity that flows through the sword and then Ouma’s body. Ouma is not agitated by the intense electric shock and delivers a fist towards the man in black. However, the man in front of him is gone suddenly and Ouma can tell that it’s not high-speed movement. The man simply just disappears suddenly and has appeared behind Ouma immediately. Ouma asks who he is and the man introduces himself as Abraham Carter, someone who wipes out enemies of the US.

Islands is watching through a monitor the battle between Ouma who is wielding his sword “Ryuuzume” and Abraham who is wearing his silver gauntlets “Gospel”. Tsukikage tells Islands that Ouma is an A-rank knight with immeasurable potential but Islands replies he has nothing to fear since Abraham is a Desperado. Abraham’s ability is ESPer (psychic ability), which he can use different kinds of abilities such as pyrokinesis, electrokinesis, teleportation, mind control, etc and also possess unmatched power in offense and defense. Ouma is strong but he’s still no match for Abraham and that’s already been proven before. Kouzou explains to Tsukikage that the death of “Tyrant” is a highly kept secret that even among the Numbers, the League and the Union, only very few people knew. People like Wallenstein who believed in Rebellion’s ideals and Or-Gaule who enjoyed committing evil were relatively obedient to Rebellion’s actions, but there are some people who would try to challenge “Tyrant” or question the Numbers who forbid contact with “Tyrant”. The League and the Union set up assassins to bury those that would risk exposing the truth. The assassin on the Union’s side was Abraham and he was the one that fought Ouma when Ouma was seeking to challenge “Tyrant” few years ago. In the current battle, Ouma has the advantage in medium distance and his “Tenryuu Gusoku” would repel Abraham’s fists but Abraham can easily avoid Ouma’s attack with precognition and teleportation. Abraham then uses one of his ESPer abilities psychokinesis, which is a type of power different from magic that only he can use and it causes kinetic interference on an object. As a result, Ouma suddenly can’t move his body and Abraham then uses “Psycho Rush” which is an attack that delivers a series of invisible blows on Ouma’s body. The attack is not magic nor caused by air pressure so Ouma can’t perceive it even with his senses or with “Ryuugan”. Since the attack is not subject to any external interference but only the kinetic interference that Abraham desires, Ouma’s “Tenryuu Gusoku” can’t protect him. Ouma has experienced this power and asks why Abraham can use it. Islands through a voice broadcast then tells Ouma that the one who fought him years ago was actually Abraham, not “Tyrant”. During that time at the entrance to “Tyrant’s” throne room, Ouma’s whole body was being completely beaten up while unable to see Abraham. Islands who was there saw Ouma completely broken in body and heart, and Ouma would have died if Edelweiss didn’t break in and saved him. Islands believes Ouma must be scared to fight again the opponent that gave him a trauma and that he will die here. However, Ouma who rarely shows emotions is laughing loudly and says that he is happy that the opponent he wishes to challenge is actually right in front him.

Ouma then swings his sword and shoots “Jinsenpuu” at Abraham. Even though Abraham is able to avoid it with teleportation, Islands is surprised that Ouma was able to move after being bound by psychokinesis. Ouma with grin says he’s not the same as he was before and has lived since that day only thinking about burying his claws on Abraham. Islands orders Abraham to teach Ouma a lesson, and Abraham then takes off his visor which reveals his shining golden eyes. Ouma is excited and is in his best condition. After he fought Stella, his fear of “Tyrant” that would freeze his body just by remembering has completely disappeared from his body. Ouma rushes towards Abraham and aims for the neck. Abraham avoids it with teleportation, but Ouma immediately shoots “Jinsenpuu” towards the position where Abraham shows up. Ouma can instantly grasp the position where Abraham would end up by reading the flow of the air with “Ryuugan”. Since teleportation is a delicate ability that can’t be used without a moment of delay, it can’t be used continuously so Abraham has no choice but to guard against the slashing tornado with his gauntlet-shaped device. While Abraham is guarding is himself, Ouma rushes towards him fast. Abraham can use psychokinesis while guarding since it only requires just thinking about it. Abraham tries to stop Ouma’s movement with psychokinesis but Ouma who has overcome his fear and trained his body since his previous defeat does not stop. Abraham knows with his precognition ability that Ouma’s slash will cut off his right arm so he tries to prevent it by blocking it with his gauntlets and using electrokinesis to slow down Ouma. But Ouma uses “Kyokujitsu Isshin-ryū · Gou no Kiwami – Hono Ikazuchi” to power up his slash and Abraham’s arm is cut off.

Tsukikage who is watching through a monitor is shocked to see that Ouma has done nothing but just standing in front of Abraham for some time. Islands explains that this is hypnotism, which Ouma had fallen into a deep sleep since Abraham took off his visor and everything that happened since then was just a dream. Islands says it is a mistake for someone like Ouma to compete against Abraham because Abraham is a clone of “Tyrant” revived in this era through Islands’ “cell magic” that is the best in the world and “Tyrant’s” DNA. Islands is a genius scientist that created the Hadron Cannon weapons and EDY mechanical soldiers which pushed the US to become a military nation that is a century ahead of the rest of the world, but even so Kouzou and Tsukikage are shocked to hear that Islands revived “Tyrant” through just one strand of hair and created the strongest warrior loyal to him. Abraham then delivers an attack on Ouma called “Crazy Storm” which his fist contains flame of pyrokinesis and lightning of electrokinesis and the strength is amplified by his “pseudo-muscles” created with psychokinesis. The attack is too powerful even for Ouma’s steel body and the unprotected Ouma is blown away towards a building where he passes through several concrete walls. Ouma suddenly finds himself buried under rubble with burning pain all over his body, bones and organs heavily damaged, and his consciousness hazy from electric shock. At first he is confused because he was certain he was winning the battle just now, but realizes immediately he was under hypnosis. He tries to stand up and then sees that he is in a room where Rinna and Sara are being held. The two girls are tied to chairs and had fainted with white eyes, foams on the edge of their mouths and urine stains under their chairs. Seeing this causes Ouma to realize what kind of man Abraham is.

As Islands believes Ouma is dead and orders Abraham to return, the atmosphere around the area is converging towards where Ouma was blown away. Ouma walks back towards Abraham while his body is radiating strong light due to his mana increasing drastically. Abraham realizes that Ouma has consumed all the wind in the area. The amount of mana is determined since birth so in order for a Blazer to increase their mana they have no choice but to step into the realm of non-humans and break the limit of their destiny. But an exception is a natural-interference type Blazer can transform the power of their corresponding attribute into their own "pseudo-mana", which is also what Touka Toudou will do in Kyushu later in the timeline. Ouma never tried to use this power before because unlike his younger brother Ikki who aims to win a battle in anyway possible, he is someone who seeks to challenge himself and obtain victory with his own power. But after realizing what’s been done to Rinna and Sara, he feels no admiration for someone like Abraham. Ouma no longer considers this a challenge due to admiration, but a war to destroy unpleasant existences. He then activates “Kusanagi” but the huge raging tornado is being compressed many times with the huge magic power he possesses now until it becomes a radiance that is just slightly larger than his sword. It is the completed form called “Kusanagi – Shin’uchi (true hit)”, which couldn’t be realized with Ouma’s own power. Abraham can tell that the power of that thin wind blade can even twist the space of the world and so he becomes afraid. Abraham tries to use hypnotism but it doesn’t work since it requires the opponent to focus their consciousness towards the user so that the user can access the depths of the opponent’s mind. Ouma is no longer interested in Abraham and so doesn’t see him. Abraham tries to escape by teleporting 5 km away to the mountainside of a mountain, but Ouma determines his location with “Ryuugan” and launches “Ikki no Kaze (wind of single strike)” towards Abraham’s location. “Ikki no Kaze” is a Noble Art that can only be used if “Kusanagi – Shin’uchi” is activated and it slashes everything within 500 km in a straight line. Ouma swings his sword towards Abraham’s location and the slash cuts everything located between the ground and the space debris in the outer atmosphere. The mountain peaks and Abraham are cut by the slash, with Abraham’s head cut off from its body.

Ouma is not satisfied with the victory due to the battle having lost its value. Islands suddenly shows up in front of Ouma and praises him for defeating Abraham. Ouma knew Islands was behind this and tells him not to expect to return to the US safely after showing up. Islands replies that’s his line and then suddenly Ouma’s body is struck to the ground by psychokinesis used by PSYON members that show up in full body gear and helmets. Once they take of their helmets, all of them are revealed to have the exact same face as Abraham Carter. Islands explains that all members of PSYON are mass-produced Abraham Carter clones. The quantity of artificially mass-produced Desperados that have the power of “Tyrant” is what makes “The Hero” Abraham Carter’s true power and why he’s the strongest. Ouma can’t move due to being held by the psychokinesis power of over 30 Abraham clones. The clones together then create a huge powerful fireball above Ouma using pyrokinesis, and this will kill Ouma if it hits. However, the fireball descending towards Ouma is suddenly split into two. As the fireball disappears, Torajirou Nangou suddenly appears next to Ouma. Nangou is here because he was ordered by Itsuki Kurogane to search for the missing Tsukikage. He then looks at all of the Abraham clones and tells them to release Ouma. During that moment, Ouma is no longer bound by psychokinesis and the Abraham clones can’t move at all due to Nangou using his “sound” type Noble Art “Kotodama (spirit of words)”. Nangou says that Tsukikage, Kouzou, Rinna, Sara and Charlotte are now safe and asks Ouma to go with them to Japan which he complies. Nangou will handle the situation here, and also claims it’s because he doesn’t want the blade of his sword cane-shaped device “Mateki (magic flute)” to rust so much. “Kotodama” cancels the opponent’s brain waves by hitting them with sound waves in order to block commands from the brain to the body. The Abraham clones counter “Kotodama” by using psychokinesis to control their own bodies and 10 of them try to chase after Ouma. Immediately after Nangou unsheathes his sword cane fast and a bell-like sound is heard from “Mateki”, the 10 clones are suddenly killed. Nangou had used “Otogiri”, a Noble Art that can slash his opponents just by making them hear the sound of “Mateki’s” blade. Nangou says in an angry voice that the immature ones who have lived for only about 20 years will be killed if they underestimate him.

The Abraham clones were unable to catch up with Ouma and the others. The group camouflage themselves using Noble Arts such as “Stone Gray of the Roadside” and “Tenryuu Gusoku”, and crosses the continent at high speed using Ouma’s wind magic. Tsukikage is struck with high fever along the way and so the group is currently resting at an inn in China where Tsukikage looks like is having a bad dream. Kouzou wonders if Tsukikage is once again having that dream that caused him to go into politics, and if it’s about to become a reality. Kouzou has a bad feeling and tells the group that they should start moving again towards Japan the next day. His premonition was correct because on this day, Japan is facing the trial caused by the “Great Flame” and the US Pacific Fleet is heading towards the country.