Chapter 190

The battlefield visible beyond the holographic screen.

The city, covered in flames and billowing thick black smoke, serves as the backdrop while I issue commands, gazing at the enemy cruiser that continues to resist.

“Alright, C! Target the engine and give it another round!”

[Confirmed. Commencing bombardment.]

The rough response echoes through from the other side of the holographic screen.

Cannon fire roars along with bursts of flames, and a rain of artillery shells passes over the city occupied by the Ustansha Empire Army, pelting the cruiser.

The barriers protecting the ship shatter from the fierce bombardment, and continuous explosions erupt from the engine section.

A shrill warning tone sounds, and the cruiser, having lost its thrust, crashes into the city while spewing out black smoke.

– KWA-A-ANG!

Sprays of dust rise, and the cruiser grinds against the tightly packed buildings, sliding across the ground until it finally comes to a stop.

With that, the resistance of the Ustansha Empire Army comes to an end.

“Alright, F! Deploy the smoke grenades! Let’s move on to the next area!”

[Confirmed. All vehicles will deploy smoke grenades.]

The sound of smoke grenades being fired one after another.

Explosions send billows of white smoke cascading to the ground, and as the smoke grenades fire again, a white wall forms across the battlefield.

“Activate Collection!”

The Invader legion disappears in a flash of light.

The Marionettes that I summoned detach from the vehicles, leaving them stranded on the battlefield, and by releasing their summoning, I recover all my forces.

In an instant, the large army vanishes.

Just as I summon the driver’s seat, Ms. Mew’s image appears on the screen.

[Edu, did you call?]

“Yeah, let’s head to the next area now.”

[Understood.]

Mew bows her head in agreement.

As the holographic screen disappears, Nisia’s voice chimes in from the side, as if she had been waiting.

“Edu, are there still enemies left? Are you pulling back again?”

She tilts her head in a questioning manner.

“Yeah, it’s more efficient this way. Think of it as a sniper tactic.”

“Sniper tactic?”

“Yeah, in war, snipers aren’t just about killing the enemy. They sometimes shoot to disable, intentionally targeting areas that won’t outright kill the enemy soldier.”

“Really?”

Apparently, she doesn’t know much about this side of warfare and tilts her head in confusion.

“Yeah, think about it. In reality, ammunition is limited, right? And what happens when there are wounded soldiers?”

“They help them?”

“Exactly. So, one bullet can lead to multiple enemies evacuating the battlefield. Carrying one injured person is tough, right?”

Shooting to kill disables one enemy, but creating a wounded soldier requires one or two more troops to drop out of the battle to assist.

Though somewhat inhumane, it’s the most effective tactic when a smaller number faces a larger force.

Besides, the Ustansha were evil creatures that killed people for amusement and treated them like livestock.

Do we need to use just and righteous means to take them down?

“Ah, I see.”

“Yeah, and if there are wounded soldiers and remaining troops, it’ll take time for those soldiers to regroup and assess the situation, which benefits us.”

On top of that, the soldiers hit by this attack will spread fear of the Invaders in all directions.

It’s a win-win-win.

“Then let’s move on to the next area!”

“Yeah.”

Trucks advance fearlessly across the wasteland.

For smaller targets, I lift Collection nearby for surprise attacks, while for larger forces, we keep our distance and deploy artillery assaults in unison.

“Enemy attack!”

“This can’t be! Where did they come from?!”

“AAAAAAH!?”

Forward bases turn into massive craters.

“Protect the supplies! Hold them off!!”

“The enemy is overwhelming!”

“Damn it! Where is the allied— AAAAAHH!!”

Supply depots are set alight, and the stockpiled provisions and resources reduce to ashes.

“The enemy’s bombardment is too intense! Barrier power decreasing!”

“Direct hit to the engine! Unable to maintain altitude!!”

“We’re crashing! Brace for impact!! AAAAAHH!!”

Colonial cities serving as major bases crumble without resistance as we proceed forward relentlessly.

Turning this way and that, shifting unpredictably from east to west, west to south, our attacks keep the enemy guessing.

“Enemy sighted!”

“What? Didn’t you say they came from the east?!”

“I don’t know! They’re right in front of the base!”

“You’ve gotta be kidding me…!!”

The Ustansha Empire Army takes severe beatings without being able to retaliate properly.

‘Sure enough, without ships, they’re useless.’

Thanks to the last opportunity I seized, the 4th Interstellar Navigation Fleet’s ships were captured again, leaving the occupied territories of the Empire without substantial defenses.

Of course, there was the variable of the 8th Main Fleet, but with Admiral Yotun known for his cautious nature, the response would inevitably be delayed.

“Alright, let’s keep pushing forward!”

…

The 8th Main Fleet hastily pivots north.

After a full day of constant vigilance, the place they arrive at presents a grim sight.

“Ugh….”

“Keu-eu-eu…”

Allied forces, lying around entangled, barely clinging to life.

The cruisers stationed for defense are stuck amidst the city, emitting thick smoke and flames.

“Secure the area while rescuing our allies! Move it!”

“Yes, Admiral!”

The 8th Main Fleet swiftly springs into action.

Even as they do so, worst-case reports keep streaming into the flagship.

“Supply depot No. 26 has been attacked by the enemy, and all supplies have been destroyed!”

“Outpost D4 lost its function to an enemy attack, and the garrison sustained heavy casualties…”

“Cruiser No. 28 has sunk, and the remaining troops are requesting support!”

The bad news keeps pouring in.

“What is this…? Master.”

“Hmm…”

As Gelang trembles and looks at him, Yotun ponders, fidgeting with his antenna.

The enemy’s intent or objective remains unclear, but the damage continues to stack up rapidly.

Still, there were some bits of information gleaned from multiple attacks.

First, the enemies’ mobility.

Without ships, the enemy’s ability to leap incredible distances is astonishing, but upon closer inspection, there are gaps between each attack.

This suggests that the enemy’s mobility isn’t entirely unrestricted.

Additionally, the enemy does not always aim to annihilate all forces, often retreating once they’ve dealt significant damage.

From this information, one could infer the presence of a seasoned commander who purposefully leaves issues unresolved to tie down our forces.

However, the enemy overlooked one fact.

Their actions clearly indicate an intention to avoid a decisive battle with our fleet.

Which means, even though the enemy’s full strength isn’t clear, it is almost certain they lack the firepower to defeat us.

Further, their forces are almost entirely composed of outdated land vehicles like tanks and armored cars, as revealed through multiple attacks.

‘Hmm, I want to gather more information, but…’

Yotun’s gaze lands on Gelang.

‘No, this isn’t a time to hesitate. Despite the early hour, it’s time to make a decision.’

Gelang, his only disciple, has seen their territory shrink drastically due to repeated failures.

He, as a mentor, couldn’t stay idle any longer, especially for the sake of his student.

“All ships, terminate the rescue operation, evacuate the ground troops onto the ships, and prepare for battle.”

“Admiral? But…”

“If we keep chasing the enemy’s tail, our losses will only continue to grow. Navigate at full speed to the most recent attack site and engage the enemy.”

“Understood, Admiral! Evacuate ground troops! Once all troops are aboard, proceed at full speed!”

…

KWAA-A-A-ANG!!

A large explosion is seen through the holographic screen.

“POOF POOF!”

Sole, who had been peeking beside me, giggles while mimicking the sound.

As I pat her head, I focus on the situation.

Using little drones to gather intelligence, and with the Invader army using Marionettes as commanders, we continue to harass the enemy.

As I issue commands from a distance by synthesizing various situations, it feels like playing a strategy game for a moment when something strange appears in the view of the distant drone I had dispatched.

“Hmm?”

“Edu, what’s wrong?”

“The enemy fleet is approaching.”

“Eh? The enemy fleet?”

“Yeah.”

Though quite distant and a bit blurred, there’s no mistaking that bulky shape.

“Their response is faster than I expected.”

“Edu, what do we do?”

“Hmm, we should retreat first… Wait.”

I carefully observe the approaching enemies and use the equipment on the little drones to estimate their speed.

“Hmm?”

An incredibly fast speed for the enemy fleet.

It’s a speed impossible to achieve if they were just cautiously advancing. A smirk slowly forms on my lips.

‘Hmm, could they be underestimating us?’

We avoided the 8th Main Fleet not just because of the power gap but also to terrorize as many enemies as possible with the fear of the Invaders.

Plus, if our movements were fully exposed, other fleets could come to support, so we were cautious, but it seems Yotun assumed we were fleeing out of fear.

Could he be trying to look good in front of his disciple?

“Hmm…”

“Edu?”

“A good idea just came to mind. Let’s retreat first and prepare to face the enemy fleet.”

Even if we have a power disadvantage, if the enemy is underestimating us, there are countless ways to exploit that gap.

Furthermore, it’s already confirmed that using Marionettes allows organic command of summons and troops from a great distance.

Though this slightly deviates from the plan, wouldn’t it be better to deliver a major shock if we can further entrench the Invaders’ fear?

“Let’s humble these arrogant aliens’ pride!”