Chapter 141: Invaders (1)
“Have we been completely outmaneuvered?”
“For now… there are no enemies in sight.”
“Is there still no answer?!”
Liam muttered in a voice drained of energy as he slumped into a chair. For the time being, he had survived an unexpected ambush.
However, it wasn’t just him; everyone else was exhausted from a day of intense pursuit.
“Well, that’s…”
“What’s going on? We’ve continuously warned about the dangers of those alien bugs and provided evidence. They’re a disaster. Monsters engaged in a fleet battle with us in space! Something must have come from the home world!”
Liam, too tired to take a break, lost his temper at the hesitant attitude of his aide.
Yet, despite his rare display of anger, the aides around him could only close their eyes or hang their heads in silence, unable to say anything.
“Why…?”
“Captain.”
At this point, even Liam, who was more baffled by his subordinates’ demeanor, was thrown into confusion when someone finally spoke up with a determined voice. His gaze flickered to Amy, the brown-haired woman who stepped forward with a serious expression.
“Amy, do you know what’s going on?”
“I’m sorry.”
Ultimately, Amy laid everything bare for him. She confessed that she, someone who typically earned his trust, had collaborated with the commanders to withhold information and submit false reports.
Liam could only despair upon hearing her words. If what Amy said was true, it was understandable why the home world was showing a lukewarm response.
Having reported no issues up until now, and then suddenly requesting support because crazed monsters had appeared, the president, who was effectively curbing him politically, would not send troops right away.
“It’s my mistake. Amy, I trusted you too much because you’re young and capable.”
“I’m sorry. I will take full responsibility for this misstep…”
Seeing Liam let out a deep sigh, Amy finally broke down in tears and drew a pistol from her waist, aiming it at her own head.
“No, don’t do anything foolish. What you’re doing is just trying to run away, leaving us all behind.”
However, lightning-fast, Liam surged forward, pushing her aside and snatching the pistol from her grip, while the startled aides restrained her.
“Return to your posts, Captain Amanda Lynn. For now, we need to hold out until support arrives from the home world.”
“Captain…”
“There’s still a chance.”
Liam tried to smile at her, attempting to change the atmosphere. While the command ship could warp, the balance of the escorting ships was disrupted, preventing a retreat with all vessels.
The aides understandably suggested that at least the command ship should retreat or take the risk of a round-trip warp, but Liam refused.
“We can’t leave here. We need to evacuate the ground troops who are still here, and most importantly, we can’t leave those monsters behind. If they reach our territory… We’ll send proper reports with the latest data to the home world. They can’t ignore this.”
“…Understood!”
“Now that it’s come to this, we must see this through here.”
He gazed out the window with a resolute expression, looking at the planet quietly rotating outside. He was unaware that a floating invasion fortress of city size had already warped from the other side of the planet to one of their own.
“First, we’ll connect with the ground. They’ll be moving without any reservations now. We need to keep as many alive as possible until support arrives from the home world.”
The exhausted crew of the command ship began to move again. Their first action was to inform the local inhabitants and occupying forces of the truth and retreat them to a safe location.
“They’ve produced troops matching the size of that massive ship.”
“That’s right. Our fleet was shattered in that ambush, and we can no longer protect the ground. Please, evacuate quickly.”
“…I understand.”
Looking at Austin’s tired face on the screen, Liam clicked his tongue. The enemies were relentlessly tormenting the people without respite and were ultimately trying to snuff out their lives without a shred of mercy.
“Certainly. If they’ve eluded your eyes, they’ve come from another world, gaining power.”
“That REDRIUM…”
“I can’t fathom how they’ve thrived there.”
Even after finishing his urgent duties, Austin didn’t end the communication. Liam’s eyebrows twitched.
Although it was a world classified beneath their own, the various magics displayed by the mage Austin felt almost miraculous for Liam, the commander of the rebel alliance, and thus he regarded Austin as important.
“Do you have something to say?”
“…This is something I must say.”
Liam understood Austin’s intent, and Austin nodded. He focused intently on the mage’s words, tension rising.
“It must be one of their secrets… The ones who waged war against us before you arrived didn’t just steal magic.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“There was an ordinary research mage named Reina.”
Austin murmured, detailing the story of Reina. Naturally, Liam was at a loss with most of the academic and council matters, but he listened carefully.
“The betrayal she felt from her kin is beyond imagination. But what they’ve done is turn her into one of their own. With immense power. Ultimately, she unleashed all her resentment and anger towards us.”
“To make someone… into their own.”
And as Liam absorbed the upcoming shocking tale, his eyes widened. Though there was no concrete evidence, Austin was convinced Reina had become the commander of the Legion and was at the forefront of the war against them.
And that meant the Legion was using humans. It was obvious, but it indicated that they were not simply a monstrous horde acting on instinct.
“They surely possess the power to corrupt humans. They could be aptly described as devils from hell.”
“Devils from hell, the destroyers.”
Liam spoke the name mentioned in the testimonies of the locals. The ancient monster that led everything to ruin.
Even Liam, who was unaware of the local history, found the name fitting.
“Commander, please be cautious as well. You never know when and how the devil’s influence might unfold.”
After leaving one last word, Austin ended the call. Left alone in the office, Liam took off his hat and rubbed his head roughly.
*
“The enemy troops are charging towards the city!”
“The ship can’t move. Launch as many fighters as possible!”
Until the promised support from the home world arrived, Liam decided to fight as proactively as possible.
“Launch the fighters!”
The fighter squadron, originally meant for ship escort, was deployed with drones to split the atmosphere and head for the battlefield.
This was the only way to assist the ground while keeping their presence hidden as much as possible in space.
“Ah… This is bad! The ‘Black Wings’ have appeared ahead!”
“Damn it. Breaking formation!”
But before long, they were detected.
The pursuing enemies were ships of similar size. The worst enemy, deemed capable of defeating this kilometer-class command ship in a one-on-one, was leading these vessels.
Liam ordered them to flee without looking back.
“Our goal is not to engage in combat.”
He gritted his teeth watching the pursuing Black Wings. The enemy’s intention to completely annihilate their fleet was clear.
Thus, their objective was to evade for as long as possible until support arrived.
“They’re catching up!”
The problem was that there would be no result without some cost.
The Black Wings, having caught up to the fleet’s rear, leaped onto the escort ship using their own propulsion.
“Ah! The enemy has breached! They’ve invaded the ship! Requesting support! Support…”
“Don’t slow down.”
Unable to respond to the urgent plea for help, Liam gritted his teeth and gave the command.
Less than a minute after the intrusion report, communications were cut off, and the escort ship exploded in a massive fireball.
“Unreasonable. A small aircraft the size of a human could possess the firepower to destroy a ship? But if it’s Austin, wouldn’t local mages be able to do that too?”
Seeing the wings that had single-handedly dealt with a ship and emerged unscathed from the explosion, Liam had a hunch.
The organic naval tactics presented by the enemies utilizing both ships and small aircraft struck Liam as utterly unreasonable.
Thus, a new countermeasure was necessary, and he believed it wasn’t impossible.
If local mages like Austin could display powers that transcended humans, couldn’t they be used?
“Do you mean to have them board the ship?”
“We have to do whatever it takes to survive.”
His gaze remained fixed on the Black Wings pursuing their fleet.
