Chapter 106: The Carnela Port Recapture Operation (13)
I successfully and uneventfully sank the last remaining ship with the stolen gun. This means we have now sunk the entire fleet. However, all the bullets that were left in the gun were used up, so I threw it into the sea. Without bullets the gun was useless. Having accomplished our mission, we began to move toward the land.
While we were moving, I strained my compound eyes and looked toward Carnela Port. It seemed that the Imperial Army had reached the outermost wall and the wall beyond it, but they were suffering significant damage from attacks originating from beyond.
The extent of the damage to the Imperial Army was of no concern to me. I was only worried about the well-being of my comrades. As I searched for them, hoping they were safe, I spotted them coming down from the wall and retreating. Their numbers… remained unchanged from when we set out. There were some injured, but it seemed there were no casualties. I let out a sigh of relief.
“Well done on annihilating the enemy fleet. Since the retreat signal has sounded, let’s return to our main camp.”
Marcellus’ subordinate, who was waiting on the ground, escorted us back to the main camp. Within the confines of the camp, safely out of reach from the Republic Army’s attacks, the wounded were being attended to, and the units were undergoing reorganization. It seemed they intended to launch another assault later today.
At the same time, meals were being served, and at the main camp, soldiers were sitting down, consuming their food. While I was surveying the scene, we eventually joined Marcellus and his group.
“Seems like everyone made it through unscathed. What about the fleet?”
“We’ve confirmed all the sinkings. More than half were taken down by the bombs, and the rest were sunk by the infiltrators from within,”
“Understood. Let’s go make our report. Take some rest until the next attack,”
Marcellus, accompanied by his subordinate, departed to give a report on the battle at sea. Judging from the lingering smell of blood, he must have fought fiercely on the battlefield himself, yet he had to remain busy, constantly on the move. It was tough for him too.
Nevertheless, since we were given the order to rest, we should take it easy as well. We joined Tigar and the others, who were sitting on the ground, and settled down ourselves.
“You guys did well. Here, have some food.” Tigar said.
“It might not be as lavish as when we were in prison.”
“We’ve gotten used to luxury, haven’t we?” Gora remarked.
The demons laughed cheerfully among each other. I nodded and began eating the meager bread and tough jerky that I received from Tigar. I didn’t mind the simplicity of the bread and meat, but… Gora was right—I couldn’t help but feel dissatisfied with the absence of sweet treats. It must be because I had grown accustomed to indulgence, as he had mentioned.
I tore into the hard bread, chewing it with a crunching sound. In the meantime, I used my cheek’s small pincers to cut the jerky into small pieces before tossing them into my mouth. Both the bread and jerky were as hard as iron, likely prioritizing their longevity. While it posed no issue for demons, it was undeniably tough.
“Once we finish our meal, we’ll have to attack again… I’d love to take a little more rest, though. I’ve been riddled with holes,” Linardo remarked.
” Riddled with holes? You’re lucky to be alive, Linardo.”
“He protected me… It was my fault.” Tuhru said.
“Is Tuhru okay!?”
“Yeah. Tuhru is fine, big sis. But if he hadn’t become a demon, he would’ve died, you know? Don’t do anything reckless, okay?”
“Yeah, yeah, I get it.”
I understood Linardo’s desire for a break. Although we were currently in a stable situation, there was a time when we were pushed to the brink of death. Even now, compared to when we were at our best, our fighting spirit and spiritual power were feeble. We couldn’t push ourselves beyond our limits.
Afterward, the conversation shifted to discussing who had defeated the most Republic soldiers or destroyed the most defensive weapons in the previous battle. It turned out that Zald had slain the highest number of Republic soldiers, while Gora had been responsible for destroying the most defensive weapons. And when the two categories were combined in the count, it seemed that Tigar had the highest total.
“But you know, this guy is the most incredible. Right?”
“Yeah, that’s right. The boat… or was it a battleship? Anyway, he actually managed to sink it using only his spiritual arts. It was so mind-blowing, that I almost forgot how to fly.”
“What…? So he’s not only skilled in combat but also an excellent spiritualist?”
When I finished eating and looked up at the sky, I realized that the discussion was centered around me. They praised me as being exceptional, but I knew deep down that it wasn’t true. My martial skills were nowhere near Alexander’s level, and my spiritual arts were far inferior to that of the Eru race woman.
In order to fulfill my mission and acquire the strength necessary to avoid being unjustly killed by anyone, I knew I had to continue dedicating myself to improvement. I clenched my fists with renewed determination.
“Everyone, it’s time for the next attack. Get ready to go.”
While we were engaged in conversation, Marcellus and the others returned and issued such orders. There was no longer anyone left who had not finished their meal, so we equipped ourselves with the weapons we had laid down and stood up.
For this attack, we were to join the battle alongside the light infantry. The same applied to Mika and the others. I briefly thought that it would be nice if we could drop a bunch of bombs from the sky, but apparently, they ran out of stock.
They had put everything they had to ensure the destruction of the battleships—those things that couldn’t be touched from the ground. To think that we were entrusted with such a task… perhaps we were being valued to some extent as a fighting force.
“The strategy remains the same as before. Join the light infantry and charge in once the heavy infantry breaks through.”
In other words, until a path was cleared, we had nothing to do. Until we were ordered to charge, we could enjoy the sight of the brave heavy infantry from the rear.
After the resounding sound of the majestic war drums, the heavy infantry began their advance. Walking with their thick shields held high, they entered the range of the enemy’s defensive weapons, and at the same time, the bombardment from the Carnela Port began.
The heavy infantry continued to advance, bolstered by their inherent resilience and the support of the spiritualists. We, too, advanced forward until we were on the very edge of the defensive weapons’ range, ready to charge at any moment.
It seemed that the flow of events up to this point mirrored the first attack. Tigar, standing beside me, informed me of this with a yawn. He seemed to anticipate that we would break through following the same pattern.
However, I wasn’t as optimistic as he was. Carnela Port was undoubtedly a crucial stronghold for the Republic Army. It held significance beyond just a frontline fortification.
Yet, within half a day, half of the defending outer walls had inexplicably fallen. This piece of information felt unsettling to me. If it was that easy, I couldn’t imagine the nations of the Enzo Continent being cornered by the Republic forces.
“Oh? This sound… I recognize it.”
“Is it the unmanned drones we fought when we crossed the river?”
As the heavy infantry surmounted the debris of the collapsed third and fourth outer walls, a distinct sound could be heard coming from deep within the distant second outer wall. It resembled the sound of the unmanned drones we fought when we crossed the river, just as Zald had described. The prediction proved correct, as something resembling those unmanned drones filled the sky beyond the outer wall.
Having destroyed so many of them, I couldn’t help but remember the shape of the drones. However, what emerged from the outer wall was different from my recollection. While the ones we encountered had a saucer shape with a gun attached underneath, the ones now filling the sky had short spikes protruding both upwards and downwards. I wonder what their purpose could be.
“Do they self-destruct or something?”
“Could be. But if that’s the case, I think the heavy infantry armor should be able to withstand the explosion.”
“Then it would be a pointless attack. Thank you for your efforts.”
Tigar and the others seemed optimistic despite my wariness. However, Marcellus, Mika, and I shared the same sense of caution. Marcellus, in particular, appeared focused, determined not to miss anything that was about to unfold.
The new unmanned drones that had been hovering in the air finally began to move. They spread out widely, encircling the heavy infantry unit, and the spikes extending from the top and bottom of the drones started to emit a gleaming light…. right then, a barrage of lightning bolts was unleashed from all of them, trapping us within what seemed to be a cage of electric currents.
The heavy infantry were nothing more than prey to the onslaught. The spiritualists desperately unleashed their spiritual arts in an attempt to destroy the drones, but their efforts were in vain against their overwhelming numbers. The lightning bolts continued to rain down until every drone seemed to lose its strength and fell to the ground.
After the cage of lightning disappeared, what met my compound eyes was a ground filled with fallen and incapacitated heavy infantry soldiers. There were a few who managed to stay on their feet, but their numbers were incredibly scarce. In an instant, the Empire’s prized heavy infantry unit suffered a devastating blow.
It was uncertain whether to consider it fortunate or not, but despite the gruesome appearance, the number of casualties was surprisingly low. They were merely immobilized by the lightning strikes. Given enough rest, they could fight again… if that were even possible.
The defensive weapons showed no mercy as they ruthlessly attacked the defenseless and fallen heavy infantry unit. The spiritualist unit desperately employed their spiritual arts to protect them, but it was impossible to shield them from every onslaught. A one-sided massacre was about to unfold.
“Uh-oh, this doesn’t look good…”
“Clearly, this is not good at all! Wh-what are we going to do!?”
The light infantry unit stood there in stunned silence but gradually regained their composure as time passed. However, despite regaining their senses, they still appeared bewildered.
“Silence!”
All of a sudden, a commanding voice rang out, directed towards the disoriented soldiers. It was the important figure who had praised Marcellus during the river crossing. With a commanding voice that resonated deep within, all eyes turned towards him.
“From this moment on, we are heading to rescue our allied forces! Follow my lead!”
With those words, the important figure spurred his horse forward, and his cavalry guards followed suit. I looked at Marcellus, silently questioning what should we do. Perhaps sensing my gaze, Marcellus hastily spoke, instructing us to follow the commander.
Obeying Marcellus’s command, we sprinted towards Carnela Port. It seemed that things wouldn’t be so easy after all. Regardless, I ran as fast as I could.
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