Chapter 144: Invaders (4)
“I now understand why an unsafe warp is extremely toxic to both the parties involved and those around them.”
In the void of space, countless tragic debris began to scatter with the explosion that erupted here.
Leina, leaning against the Sacred Tree of the fortress, muttered blankly as she looked around.
The purpose of the warp, which collided with the ground, was to perfectly withdraw troops while preserving forces, but it only succeeded halfway. An unexpected emergency warp had turned the ground into a chaotic mess.
As a result, more than half of the troops that had warped with them died. The barrier of the Sacred Tree could not withstand the shock and shattered, crushing everything that was outside.
“It’s not something you should attempt recklessly. The fortress needs repairs. But this is just the beginning.”
Eve calculated the losses, but did not dwell on them. This was merely a trivial sacrifice. Besides, the enemies had suffered greater losses than they had.
“We bought a momentary time, but it’s just that—a moment. We need more time. And power. Before they can regain their wits.”
“It will be entirely possible. They will be trampled before us. We will become the embodiment of terror for them and truly become the predators of the universe!”
Leina suddenly jumped up, eyes wide open, and shouted.
One, two, three. And then more.
One after another, a multitude of invading fortresses and fleets warped into the surrounding space.
Forcing the lifespan of the planet, troops continuously streamed from Redrium, arriving persistently.
The Legion’s Nest never rests. Considering the energy consumed to maintain that massive size, any moment spent idling was the epitome of inefficiency.
“There are 32 fortresses prepared right now, 2,600 fighter ships, and the number of Legionnaires aboard the fortresses and ships reaches hundreds of millions.”
“But the humans we can kill will exceed twice or thrice that number.”
“Leina, deploy. While attacking in all directions, we may consume at least half of one of those outer planets.”
Having already fully revealed herself to the enemy, Eve created disturbances, buying time and aiming to catch two rabbits at once rather than simply establishing roots on a far-off uninhabited planet.
Leina, along with the newly created fortresses and troops, began to warp once again in all directions.
Most headed toward planets within the rebel alliance’s sphere of influence, while the others proceeded to uninhabited planets marked on the map.
Now, Eve would conduct an all-out war against humans while also creating nests in completely unfamiliar territories to expand her forces.
“Now I must also tidy up the administration completely.”
Eve’s gaze shifted toward the planet beneath her feet, one that she must fully consume. The place where she was born, a place she could call her hometown.
This place, which held special significance for Eve, was named ‘Eden’ on her own accord.
*
“It’s the first time we actually meet.”
“I understand your intent. It’s the last stand, isn’t it.”
“…I don’t think we can send support from the home planet.”
Commander Liam said with a strained smile as he looked at Austin, whom he had invited onto the flagship.
“They are monsters beyond imagination.”
“…I was aware of that long ago.”
Austin nodded at Liam’s painfully murmured words.
Just before, a video had arrived from the home planet. As previously announced, Planet Remun had been unexpectedly attacked, and the video explained what kind of monsters had appeared there and the extent of the damage incurred.
“While they warped unilaterally and then warped again to escape, dozens of ships were destroyed in a short battle lasting less than two hours, and casualties will reach at least hundreds of millions, including the aftermath. Social chaos and the resulting economic damage are just additional burdens.”
Liam read the damage report one by one in a trembling voice.
Eve grumbled about the number of troops she had retrieved that were now dead, but nonetheless, the damage inflicted upon the humans was incomparably greater than that on her Legionnaires who had been damaged during the warp.
“We must now decide.”
Liam said while looking at Austin, the representative of the locals, and his subordinates.
“We can either fight to the end here, or some of us can escape. It is possible to evacuate several people to Riman by repeatedly warping the flagship Zenas, but it is impossible to evacuate everyone.”
His words solidified everyone’s expressions.
No matter how large the flagship was, there was a limit to how many it could carry, and time was running out. Even if they did manage to evacuate, few of the millions of people, including his own subordinates, would remain behind to die on-site.
“In that case, I have just one request.”
Austin stepped forward.
“Please allow me to preserve at least the future of this land.”
“…Willingly.”
Thus, Liam accepted Austin’s proposal.
Immediately, the locals began to board the flagship as much as possible, focusing on the young and children, regardless of status.
It was to leave even a glimmer of hope by any means necessary.
“Captain, you should remain here too.”
“I will stay with this ship. As a human, without a ship, I can’t do anything. What significance is there in preserving my life for a moment by leaving my subordinates on that alien planet?”
Liam rejected the insistence of his subordinates to stay in Riman while dropping off the rescued locals. In the current situation, surviving alone would be utterly meaningless. He had already resolved himself to death.
“If you are worried about the Chancellor, then you would be better off…”
“Absolutely not, Amy. No matter how sensitive the Chancellor is, there will be no power struggles in this situation. Right now, all of us—no, we might need to team up with even the Alliance. They are enemies of all humanity.”
“If that’s the case, I will stick with you until the very end.”
“…I’m sorry for you too.”
Ultimately, Liam failed to persuade Amy to stay behind and had to leave the homeland where they had briefly set foot once more.
And when the flagship Zenas he boarded warped again to return, communications began to deliver other news just then.
Numerous planets of the faction were being attacked by the same monsters, turning into a state of chaos, and were requesting assistance from all directions.
“Then. No matter where we escape to, it means we still have to face the fight. At least I feel a bit relieved.”
Seated in the commander’s chair, he chuckled bitterly upon hearing that news.
Anyone watching would think he had lost his mind over the hopeless news, but in truth, his mind was clearer than ever.
“Let’s begin. Our last resistance. I hope we can deal a meaningful blow to them.”
He instead launched the ship at maximum output. All the ships that had been silently avoiding the damage began to move together.
The same went for the ground. As the Legionnaires expanded their nests by brazenly consuming the flora and fauna, those who had merely been beaten down until now finally lowered their defenses and launched their offensive.
Naturally, Eve mobilized all the forces she could to completely erase the humans, who were desperately trying to make one last stand in her homeland.
The clash between the two forces did not take long. They were both waiting for one another.
“Ugh…”
In that moment, both Liam and everyone else beside him fell silent.
At the same time, Legion ships collided head-on with the fleet, engaging in combat with escort vessels. Someone landed abruptly near the bow amidst the chaotic battlefield.
From beneath a mask, glowing red eyes shone, and feathers unfurled behind her. Anyone, whether local or from the rebel alliance, who had caught a glimpse of her once was marked by the unforgettable sight of her overwhelming black wings.
“Indeed, it was a mountain we had to overcome. What is there to feel unfair about? In the end, it’s a fight where we must kill and be killed.”
“Fighters, launch!”
As he glared at her from the command room, with clenched teeth, Liam gave the order.
The waiting aircraft launched, risking damage to the ship’s armor as they bombed her wings. However, as expected, Kang Do-yeon effortlessly blocked all attacks, causing the attacking aircraft to explode with a slash of her wing.
“We will take the lead. We must do everything we can to bring down those wings.”
“I will assist as much as I can.”
As predicted, the equipment from the rebel alliance struggled to perform, prompting locals, including Austin, to step in.
The most elite combination of local mages and knights rushed toward the bow to engage Kang Do-yeon.
Austin, with his beard flowing, caught a glimpse of the scene on the ground.
The beautiful land, once again covered by the Legion’s nest.
“They are stubbornly surviving. In the end, it must have been our mistake not to crush them from the start.”
As he struck his staff against Kang Do-yeon, casting spells in her direction, a hint of regret flashed through his mind. But anger was far greater.
The knights, clad in exoskeleton suits, bought time as they split and burst apart against her wings.
“Bind her!”
In the meantime, the mages cast chains of magical energy that wrapped around her body.
With a single twist, she broke the chains, and the Formancy unleashed in the form of rays exploded the bodies of the mages.
And as her chest was revealed, Austin finished the chanting and aimed at the amplified magic circle he had cast twice.
The ammunition to be enhanced by this magic circle wasn’t the rocky bullets he was accustomed to using.
It was the large-caliber railgun attached to the ship in the form of artillery.
A projectile fired from its end passed through the magic circle, absorbing the magical energy and shining brightly. The attack they had mobilized all means to hit yielded results as expected.
“You were careless, monster.”
Austin faintly smiled, watching her, the barrier shattering, and her crossed wings breaking and tearing, as she was finally pierced through her abdomen and stumbled down.
‘…A rat cornered has managed to bite a cat. Go and recover. If the power source in the head or chest was struck, I would have to reconstruct, but since it hit the abdomen, which lacks even internal organs, she was lucky.’
And Eve saw that faint smile through Kang Do-yeon’s eyes, and felt slightly uneasy, as it seemed to have given them confidence.
Wounded by the unexpected strike combining magic and cannon fire, Kang Do-yeon was retrieved and moved to safety. After all, as long as it wasn’t a vital organ, the universal cell’s hyper-speed division could enable rapid regeneration. However, the existence of a significant blow against the enemies was undoubtedly a burden.
