Chapter 91

“Ugh….”

Nisia’s complexion turned pale.

​

The massacre scene transmitted despite the mosaic effect was disturbingly vivid.

Shaking with horror, the first emotion that came to my mind was bewilderment.

“…An hour ago, videos were sent from Ark No. 6. The messages included pleas for urgent aid against Invader infiltration.”

“Did we receive any communication after that?”

With anxiety in her voice, Nisia interjected.

Freya quietly stared at her for a moment before slowly shaking her head.

“Ahh…”

A small sigh.

But that sequence of events weighed heavily on me.

A situation far worse than I anticipated.

Simultaneously recognizing that, my mind clouded with various emerging thoughts.

Why has this event happened so soon?

Isn’t this something that only occurs under specific conditions?

“…”

A heavy silence lingered, then Ryuje spoke up.

“Edu, do you happen to know anything about this?”

“Yes.”

The Ark Raid Event.

When one of the Three Major Forces accidentally discovers an Ark’s location and launches a major attack taking advantage of the moment, it’s one of the worst events for humanity.

In this event, the Invaders use armored train regiments to successively attack the Arks.

Armored train.

A makeshift weapon created during the world war era to counter guerrilla attacks on trains.

However, the Invaders’ armored trains are more like massive tanks. Actually, they’re closer to land battleships.

Their insane barrier system leaves no openings for attack, their impenetrable armor unyielding.

Equipped with plasma cannons that incinerate everything in their paths with ultra-high heat, along with countless other armaments, these steel monsters are fearsome foes.

The only train-like feature might be that their large bodies are constructed in blocks.

Anyway, that’s not the critical point here.

The real issue is why an event with conditions that haven’t been met is happening now.

The invasion of the Academy by the Invaders had a reason tied to the Nightmare event trigger, but this assault seems completely unrelated.

“Why?”

The same questions kept repeating in my mind, along with growing confusion.

As I thought alone, Ryuje’s voice reached me.

“Calm down, Edu.”

A hand rested lightly on my head.

“President?”

“If your reaction is anything to go by, it seems something has gone seriously wrong. But you have us at your side, do you not?”

Patting. Patting.

Warmth from her fingertips soothed the turmoil within me.

“I thought there might be something, and as expected, it’s unexpected.”

Muttering to herself, Freya lightly bit her lips.

“…Edu, I think you already know this, but there’s nothing you can do about what’s already happened. Moreover, it’s not too late, right?”

Freya, in a soothing tone, calmed me down.

Her serious yet upright gaze dispersed the heaviness in my heart.

My head naturally bowed.

“…Yes.”

Freya was right.

Whatever has happened, now is the time for action, not contemplation.

As I steadied my mind, she recognized the change in me and spoke.

“Okay. Can you provide us with the information you know and any details about the enemies in the video?”

“Yes.”

Loosening my neck, I began explaining.

“First, the situation I know that’s similar to this only occurs under certain circumstances.”

“Under certain circumstances?”

“Yes. Like a sudden event that happens after reducing the power of the enemy force.”

“Hmm, a surprise attack catching them off guard.”

“Yes.”

The biggest issue with this event is that even though we know the conditions, predicting exactly when it occurs isn’t possible.

While rough estimates can be made, the enemy’s exact power levels remain uncertain, making swift responses difficult.

Such uncertainty can sometimes derail even well-played games in an instant.

“The problem is, I don’t understand why this is happening now. It was supposed to occur much later, and conditions had to be met, so why is it happening now…?”

Apologetic words flowed quickly as another wave of emotion surged deeply within me.

Why didn’t I discuss it with them first? Was I being too complacent?

Swirling negative feelings.

At that moment, I felt a warm sensation on my cheeks and the top of my head.

“Eh?”

“It’s alright, Edu. This isn’t your fault.”

Hugging me tightly and comforting me, Freya, I realized I had momentarily lost composure.

“…”

“Have you calmed down a little?”

“…Yes, I apologize.”

“No, Edu has nothing to apologize for.”

Her soft hand gently stroked my hair.

Did it happen because I continued to show anxiety? Freya pulled me into her embrace and sat with me on the chair.

The warm sweetness emanating close to me and the warmth from my back melted away the negative emotions. The pounding heart slowly calmed.

A slightly blushing face.

Hmm, why am I like this lately?

Why am I becoming emotionally vulnerable so easily, feeling like a child?

I’m not sure, but I should brace myself more.

“Then, I will continue.”

“Yes.”

“First, the enemy forces are armored trains.”

“Eh? You mean trains?”

My statement seemed unexpected, hence Freya’s counter-question.

“Yes, but the trains you’re imagining are quite different. It’s not actually a train, but it’s what the Invaders call such.”

“Hmm, can we compare it to anything else?”

“If I must compare, it’s closest to a super-heavy tank. Or, if exaggerated, a land battleship?”

“Battleship…”

Freya’s face hardened.

“How about firepower?”

“It’s overwhelming. The main cannon can destroy even an intact barrier in a single blow.”

The giant plasma cannon that burns and annihilates everything in its way.

In the AOE community, when discussing one-hit kills, this weapon was always mentioned as a prime example of excessive power.

“There are other armaments too: vertical launch devices, super-large flamethrowers, and densely arranged multi-purpose rapid-fire cannons. In short, a moving arsenal.”

“…It won’t be easy.”

Ryuje, seemingly deep in thought, pursed his lips.

“That’s right.”

“Then… Aren’t they extremely tough?”

Carefully questioning Freya, I nodded.

“Yes. Perhaps they’re tougher than the battleship we’ve seized.”

Conditionally appearing enemies with specs rivaling raid bosses, their strength increases depending on when they appear, making them extremely formidable foes.

Even though there might be discrepancies with AOE, it’s certain that they aren’t easy enemies to handle.

“…It’s frustrating. If we could lure them out, we could use the captured ships for artillery support.”

“That’s the problem…”

Something different about this fight.

The fact is that these enemies have infiltrated the Ark.

Even though the Ark has been invaded by enemies, it is still one of the few lands where people can dwell in this world and a place for refuge.

Hence, indiscriminately attacking such an area is akin to abandoning survivors.

It’s basically the same as bombing a city that has been occupied by enemies.

Naturally, it’s not an easy choice.

The best method would be to lure them outside and defeat them, similar to how we dealt with the Third Fleet. But since the enemies have already infiltrated the Ark, there’s a slim chance they’ll play our game.

There’s more.

“Actually, the bigger problem is… They are a pair of twins.”

“Twins?”

“Yes, there’s an identical one.”

Only users familiar with AOE would know that in the video, while only one appears, there are actually two vehicles.

Assault Train Arondight.

Fortress Train Dainslef.

Two monstrous entities, each individually possessing tremendous combat power, moving in tandem.

Given their apt names and sheer power, they are often joked about in internet memes involving dual swords. It is even said that if splitting the sword and losing indicates the sword was too weak, these two might suggest the same.

“Two of them…?”

Freya, lost in thought, inquired.

“Is there, maybe… any weak point?”

“Yes.”

“Really?!”

Freya’s face lit up for the first time upon hearing my response.

“When the enemy prepares their plasma cannon attack, that’s the opportunity.”

In game terms, this is a pattern.

The plasma cannon used by the enemy requires enormous energy but possesses unmatched power.

However, during the preparation phase for the attack, if they’re interrupted, there’s an issue where the stored energy backfires, leading to a fatal flaw.

Surely, new players hearing this would argue, “How can we counter and survive if we’re killed instantly?” But since AOE is inherently a high-difficulty game, these things are accepted.

In any case, the period when the enemy’s most dangerous attack is being prepared is also its most critical weakness.

In short, a double-edged sword.

By the time I finished explaining, there was a knock on the door, followed by a young man’s voice.

– Commander-in-Chief, the troops are ready.

“Yes, I’ll be there shortly.”

– Yes.

The retreating footsteps.

Freya lightly tapped my head.

“During their cannon preparation… Got it. That should suffice. President?”

“Yes.”

Ryuje stood up.

Freya also followed her to stand up and helped me sit back down in the chair.

“Then, we’re heading to Ark No. 6 right away. You two, rest in the dormitory.”

As Freya was about to leave the room,

I grasped her collar.

“No, I-”

My vision swayed.

Since the force with which I grabbed the collar was weak, Freya might not have noticed and moved.

As a result, my body swayed, and I fell toward the ground.

“Ahhh.”

THUD.

“Eh?”

An astonished Freya hurriedly turned around to raise me up, and only then did our clumsy face meeting with the ground stop.

“Edu, are you alright?”

“Can I…?”

I answered as I slightly rubbed my tingling nose.

“Anyway, what were you saying?”

“I will… go too.”

Freya’s eyes widened greatly at my words.

“Edu? Are you sure? You might see something very tough.”

I understood the implication behind her words, but retreating wasn’t an option.

“I’m fine. There might not be anyone who knows more about that thing than me, right?”

“Hmm…”

Freya paused to think.

After what felt like a short yet long moment of contemplation, her head slowly bowed in acceptance.

“Looking at your face, you’d probably sneak in if I said no, wouldn’t you?”

“Uh…”

How did she know?

As those thoughts went through my mind, Freya grinned wryly and patted my head.

“Alright, understood. What about Nisia?”

“I, I’ll go too.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, yes!”

After discussing our views, Freya turned to Ryuje for his opinion.

“President?”

“No, it’s not something the children should see.”

A firm response.

“But, if I don’t go, there might be unnecessary sacrifices. Neither of you have battled one of those, right?”

“…”

Ryuje, struck speechless by my valid argument.

After standing still for a while considering, she sighed deeply and approached me.

Placing a hand on the top of my head, she said,

“I’m sorry, it’s all because of our inadequacies…”

“It’s not President’s fault.”

I replied firmly.

Ryuze isn’t a divine being. Just protecting humanity against calamities akin to these enemies is an already significant feat.

“…Yes, thank you.”

Ryuze, flashing a thin smile.

Taking a step back, Freya scooped me up in her arms and said,

“Then let’s move.”

We quickly headed towards Ark No. 6 on the ready ship.

Near the entrance of the Ark were bustling soldiers and numerous equipment.

Upon entering the makeshift command tent made of tents, all eyes turned towards us.

“Commander-in-Chief, you’ve arrived!”

A man who appeared to be the field commander stopped his conversation with subordinates, saluted, and everyone inside followed suit.

After reciprocating the salute, Freya approached the man.

“Situation?”

“Not good. Whether intentionally or not, the large elevators are all destroyed, making it difficult to deploy armored units.”

“Was there any communication from the Ark?”

Shaking his head, the man looked grave at Freya’s question.

Anxiety crossed Freya’s face.

“What about reconnaissance?”

“We sent a small infiltration team with drones to check the condition of the Ark.”

“Can we see it now?”

“Of course.”

The commander instructed his subordinates and projected a hologram onto the table.

The view displayed the Ark, heavily burning and destroyed, not much different from the video we saw earlier.

Freya carefully examined the Ark with cold eyes and nodded.

“Edu, can I ask you to handle the equipment transfer?”

“Certainly. However, it’s better to go with fewer elite forces rather than too many. The plasma cannon is more for area cleansing rather than precision attacks.”

“Right, let’s do that then. President, once you’ve thinned down the troops, we’ll enter immediately.”

“Understood.”