◈ 456. [Side Story] Battle of the Ecliptic
“I will explain the strategy of the Battle of the Ecliptic.”
After finishing the story about those who fled at night.
I then began to explain to the kings the strategy of this Imperial Battle.
“First of all, I have something to tell you… In all-out war, we have no chance.”
It was obvious, but when I, the commander, calmly admitted it, the kings were somewhat surprised.
I laid out the map of New Terra on the table and touched it with my hand.
“The walls of New Terra, the ecliptic, are solid. It’s covered in all sorts of magical water-based devices, and it even has the Empire’s proud airship.”
I know because I was the commander of the southern front.
Fighting along the wall is a really ridiculous advantage.
Even if you lead a weak army made up of old and new soldiers in a base made of ordinary stone walls, you can offset the difference in troops several times.
Even more so, if you fight with the most elite troops and state-of-the-art equipment on the walls of the imperial ecliptic enchanted with all sorts of magic.
The Mercury side is overwhelmingly favorable. As the siege side, our odds are infinitely close to zero.
“We are poor in every aspect, from the quality of our troops to our equipment. It is virtually impossible to win by siege.”
The opponent is the elite of the elite who even defeated Lark.
On the other hand, we are a gathering of fallen kings driven to the frontier. They are idiots who have never undergone combat training together.
What could be more appropriate than hitting a rock with an egg?
If you fight properly, if you fight a hundred, this side of the hundred will be annihilated.
“Nevertheless, Ash has come this far. You mean you have an idea?”
Dusk Bringer asked. I nodded.
“I have infiltrated the key into the enemy camp.”
The situation where the ‘Gamble Club’ was put into the ecliptic along with Jun Metallic, who played the role of a double agent.
They will do various tricks.
“Using them, the ‘back door’ of the ecliptic is opened and additional elite troops enter.”
I skipped the castle walls on the map and pointed at the heart of the ecliptic with my fingertips.
“Infiltrate the imperial palace and neutralize Fernandez.”
“… It looks like a very difficult operation, but you speak quite easily.”
“Because it’s not that important other than it’s difficult.”
Can you do it or not?
That’s the only problem.
“In the first place, as long as His Majesty is on our side, Fernandez’s cause and cause are like a lamp in the wind.”
In an ordinary wartime situation, we would have waited for the demoralization and internal strife on the other side, taking our time leisurely.
The Emperor is on our side, and Fernandez, who tried to kill my father and beheaded my brother, is a traitor and will lose the people’s trust.
If it was possible to go to Jiyeonjeon, the ecliptic would have collapsed on its own.
“The problem is Fernandez’s plan… … There is not much time left before the shutdown protocol is triggered.”
Fernandez This crazy bastard’s insane plan.
Invoking the human sacrifice magic circle shutdown protocol throughout New Terra, the ecliptic, melting all the citizens of New Terra – putting their spirit bodies on the ‘ark’ and leaving for refuge in the New World.
Aside from being a geeky idea, the problem is that there is not much free time left until the activation.
Perhaps the next few days at most.
When time drags on, we are at a disadvantage.
‘We have to subdue Fernandez with a quick battle.’
In order to do that, you have to do it inevitably.
“The imperial palace infiltration team is as follows.”
I announced the number of people who would infiltrate the imperial palace through the back door with me.
Me, Damian Jr. Quylan, the Punishment Unit, Verdandi, and the Holy Grail Exploration Team.
Dusk Bringer, who had heard the personnel, asked anxiously.
“… Isn’t that too little?”
“You have to do it in secret. You don’t need more than this.”
All of them are superhuman heroes.
This is enough for the operation. The longer you stay, the more your enemies will notice.
“All the rest of you, please draw the attention of the enemy main force from the south gate. Please command the Archduke of Bringer.”
“hmm.”
Dusk Bringer nodded. I added
“The core of this operation is to subdue Fernandez. In other words… All you have to do is draw the attention of the enemy main force. Don’t lose your life fighting too hard.”
They all have to fight alongside me in the war against the monsters.
It is difficult to lose one’s life in vain in a civil war between such people.
“It looks like the brief explanation of the operation is over. Details will be communicated to the north.”
Looking around at the kings, I nodded.
“From now on, it is a race against time. let’s go!”
***
All forces of the World Defense Front moved northward, and in the evening, the ecliptic, New Terra, began to be visible from afar.
The world’s largest city and the center of global logistics and trade.
Naturally, even outside the city walls surrounded by walls, citizens made their living quarters.
Along the fertile plain, rice fields and private houses are connected without end.
But the popularity was nowhere to be found.
Weeds were overgrown in the rice fields, which appeared to have not been maintained for several months.
Looking at the somehow eerie scenery, we swallowed dry saliva without speaking.
“Where have all the citizens gone?”
“It would be either one. During the battle for the throne, this place changed to the battlefield, so they evacuated, or they struggled to get on the ‘last ark’ and entered the ecliptic… … .”
Listening to the conversations of the kings, I silently inspected the spider webs on the houses.
As evening was near, we stopped marching.
It will reach the wall tomorrow. There might be a battle, but in the dark of the night without light, they couldn’t approach the ecliptic anymore.
We packed camp and prepared for another night. In the meantime, I sneaked a peek at the sleeping emperor.
“… .”
I was trying to make some useful use of cheat keys.
You’re really sleeping You have to sleep for a few days before you wake up.
At the encampment, the soldiers sat comfortably, ate supper, and began to rest. But there was a vague sense of tension here.
It’s what everyone is intuition. The time for a showdown is not far away.
“Eat, Prince.”
“ah. thank you.”
At that time, Damian came close to me and handed me dinner. It’s like a stew with unidentified ingredients overcooked.
Besides that, Damian, who was eagerly serving bread and pickled vegetables in front of me, suddenly shook his shoulders.
As I poured the stew into my mouth, I widened my eyes.
“Why is that, Damian?”
“… Something.”
Damian turned his head to the north.
“Something is coming.”
“what?”
I also urgently looked to the north… … However, what I see in Damian’s eyes can’t come right into my eyes.
“What is coming?”
“It’s empty.”
Damian muttered with a pale face.
“… These are the three non-airships that came to Crossroads as reinforcements in the past.”
This is what the giants do.
I calmly put down the spoon I used to cook the stew with. and grinded it
“They say that AC doesn’t even touch dogs when they eat!”
***
Tuhak-!
From the New Terra side, a group of lights seemed to flash in the sky, and then three airships flew in with a terrifying mechanical sound.
It was a familiar emptiness. That would be the case, too, because, as Damian said, these were the non-airships that had sent support to the Crossroads in the past.
Royal Navy Special Ship Alcatraz. And the frigate Anchor 1 and Anchor 2.
The three black non-empty ships floating in the red evening sky looked like death gods. What you actually do is not much different.
Giiing… … !
Slowing down, the hatch of Alcatraz, which stopped in the sky, slowly opened, and a familiar old wizard walked out of it with a cane.
“I will be delivered from Alcatraz by Reina Windwell, commander of the Imperial Magic Corps, an independent unit directly under the imperial family.”
Reina said curtly as her black-no, white-rooted hair fluttered in a gust of wind.
“According to the imperial order, I have come to dispose of the weightlifters. It’s an ultimatum. If you surrender now, I will spare your life.」
Of course, there is no surrender. The soldiers on this side are also ready to respond.
I stepped forward and shouted Barak.
“The real emperor is here. Hwangmyeong? weight lifting? What nonsense, Reina! Only His Majesty the Real Emperor can issue an imperial decree, and you are the one who lifts weights!”
“The emperor I serve is only His Majesty Fernandez.”
Reina shook her head slightly,
“I don’t think the situation can be resolved with words.” She
stretched out both hands forward and began to gather mana.
「Execute.」
Gooooooo… !
Before she knew it, four other wizards appeared behind Reina and started assisting her.
I know this magic.
The combined magic of the five wind attribute mages who massacred the Wyvern Corps when Reina and her magic corps first came to the Crossroads… … !
Quaaaaaa!
In an instant, several huge tornadoes were formed in the air, and they plunged straight into the ground.
Tornado bombardments of terrifying power, which tore hundreds of wyverns at once, rained down on our heads.
The soldiers fell to the ground screaming and—
“… [Dissolving elements].”
Zeng-!
At the same time, a huge halo appeared in the sky, and with the sound of cracks in space- the tornado dissipated all at once.
The sky was clear like a lie. At this sudden phenomenon, not only our soldiers but also the magician of the airship hesitated in bewilderment.
“… Indeed.」
However, Reina was not surprised.
As if it was natural for this to happen, as if he expected it, he smiled… … exclaimed cheerfully.
“Magic nullification through inversion of the formula… That’s still an incredible ability, Junior!」
“… .”
Next to me, Junior, who used the ultimate skill [Dissolve Elements], was bleeding from his nose.
As soon as I noticed the airship approaching, I prepared Junior to use his ultimate skill, and I was able to block Reina’s magic bombardment just in time.
“… I have all the magic elemental authority in the area. They won’t be able to use magic for a while.”
“Excellent, Junior. Get some rest.”
“yes… Cool! Cool!”
In response to the use of his ultimate, Junior coughed out bloody coughs. Still, he was staring up at the sky.
Raina and Junior’s eyes collided.
“… .”
“… .」
What do these two wizards think of each other?
I don’t know, but now I have work to do as commander.
「Anchor number 1, anchor number 2! Preparing for the bombardment!”
As magic became impossible, Reina quickly defeated Alcatraz and ordered the two frigates to attack.
Clap! Clap!
The two frigates pulled out the muzzles built into the hull and aimed at us.
The tip of the muzzle began to glow red. It would be ready to fire at us in the next few seconds.
I smiled when I saw it.
“Imperial secret ships are coated with defensive magic.”
The magic engraved on each glove provides terrifying defense. It was so strong that the attacks of hundreds of wyverns could not even scratch it.
“But there is a moment when that defensive magic is nullified.”
when it is muzzled and fired.
For just this instant, the magic power supply to the gloves is cut off and the defensive magic disappears.
of course. Because you can’t shoot while wearing a barrier. The moment you attack, you have to lower the barrier.
In other words,
“If this side attacks right before you try to attack, no matter how good and up-to-date the airship is – it’s just a piece of paper!”
I shouted and raised my hands up.
At the same time
, Chow-Ah-!
The air above Anchor 1 and Anchor 2 rippled like a wave, and the magic camouflage peeled off – something hiding there was revealed.
Doo doo doo doo-!
What was hiding there… … It was an empty ship like a dull piece of scrap metal with huge propellers on its head and tail.
It was our non-airship flagship Geronimo.
“What… ?!」
Looking up at her head, Reina let out a puzzled moan.
「Flagship Geronimo?! It’s nonsense, how could you hide so close… … !」
“Sorry, but I’m not kind enough to explain magic tricks.”
I waved my hands in circles.
“Think about it as you get shot down.”
Anchor No. 1 and Anchor No. 2 hurriedly put their guns in and tried to switch to defensive posture, but it was too late.
Dozens of batteries deployed from the bottom of Geronimo opened fire all at once.
Tutututututu!
Boom!
Hundreds of bullets poured down like a shower in an instant—
the two frigates that the imperial family was proud of were torn to shreds in just a few seconds.
