Chapter 172: Chapter 170: Offshore battleship Assault – Reinforcements

“Aight! That’s it; we’re done!”

“…Finally, it’s over. Report the extent of the damage.”

As the last drone, which had been struck with a massive axe by Gora just before its self-destruction, exploded in the sky, Marcellus instructed his men to report on the damage. According to the report, around 30 people were seriously injured, and eight people died. It seemed impossible to avoid any casualties when facing a self-destruct attack.

Furthermore, due to self-destruction, the bodies of our comrades were in a gruesome state. I carefully wrapped each of their bodies in sand, forming makeshift coffins before sinking them into the sea. It was the least I could do to pay my respects. In that brief moment, we mourned the loss of our comrades.

“Let’s get back to destroying the weapons. We should stay close to our allies if possible… Wait, enemy reinforcements!”

“Armored soldiers, huh? What’s the plan?”

“While our mission is to destroy the weapons, we can’t expose our backs to the enemy for that. We intercept them!”

From then on, we continued to defeat the appearing enemies and destroy the weapons on the deck. The battle dragged on, and the number of wounded gradually increased. There were no new casualties yet, but fatigue was undeniably taking its toll. I, too, had grown quite tired, and many of our comrades were audibly panting for breath.

One person who exhibited especially visible signs of exhaustion was Marcellus. He wasn’t a demon. As a result, his ordinary physical strength and healing abilities couldn’t match those of a demon.

Of course, he had been one of the soldiers fighting on the front lines in this invasion war from the start. He possessed the strength to be considered elite, and even now, as the regimental commander, he continues to train. When compared to ordinary people, his endurance was unmatched.

However, demons, even if they were amateurs, were considered disposable assets on this battlefield. Those of us who were originally combatants, like me, a former battle beast, and Tigar and the others who had been Atonement Soldiers, had our abilities enhanced when we became demons. Given the limits of enhancement and recovery through fighting spirit, it was challenging to compete with demons who had been purposefully created to specialize in combat.

“Reinforcements again! This time, it’s those drones!”

“Huff… huff… Look at that! Everyone, rejoice! The Imperial Battleships are approaching! There’s an opening in the bombardment!”

As the drones appeared to compound our troubles, Marcellus, who had reached the limits of exhaustion and was on one knee, gazed toward the sea with a glimmer in his eyes. Without moving my head, I shifted my attention in that direction with my compound eyes at the back of my head, and indeed, Imperial battleships were unmistakably beginning to move in our direction.

Up to this point, we had destroyed numerous gun emplacements; other demons had likely accomplished this as well. Our relentless destruction efforts seemed to have borne fruit as the barrage had finally thinned enough to allow the battleships to approach.

However, not all the emplacements had been taken out, so the Imperial battleships were still subjected to intense, heavy fire. It seemed that the imperial battleships’ defenses had been reinforced by spiritualists, but some of the battleships were hit and sunk before their defenses could hold.

With that, most of the individuals aboard those battleships might have perished. Their remains would go unburied, becoming food for the fish… Ah, I wish for a more peaceful end. Is it really possible for me to live for over 100 years and die peacefully?

Regardless, the Imperial battleships were getting closer to us, even though some parts were damaged. Our mission was nearly accomplished. From this point forward, our objective should be to survive. Perhaps Marcellus shared the same sentiment, as he ordered us to gather closely.

“Form a defensive circle! Strengthen our defenses!”

“Leave it to me.”

“Sand sure comes in handy, huh…” Leo muttered.

“I’ve never seen anyone besides the Boss handle it so proficiently. Instead, I think you should hone your spiritual arts of fire and light.” Sharl said.

“Y-yeah, I know that, Mom.”

With everyone gathered tightly, I constructed a wall of sand around us. Leo looked at me with envy, but Sharl gently reassured her son…. subtly reminding him to focus more on honing his spiritual arts.

Observing that family interaction, a faint smile briefly crossed our faces, but this had no relevance to the drones, our enemies. Relentlessly, they fired bullets and beams of light at the sand wall I had constructed, and the wall steadfastly absorbed their onslaught.

Stopping the bullets was no issue; they were easily absorbed by the wall. However, the beams of light posed a challenge as they exploded, causing the sand wall to scatter and thin with each detonation. I found myself constantly repairing the wall whenever the light beams burst.

“Counterattack! Concentrate your attacks and take down one drone at a time!” Marcellus said.

“Come on! Don’t rely too much on the boss, guys!” Tigar shouted.

“The injured should concentrate on healing their wounds now. Just because the main force is coming doesn’t mean we can afford to stand down.”

While I fortified our defenses, Tigar and the others followed Marcellus’s command to initiate a counterattack using spiritual arts from inside the wall. Lightning strikes, fireballs, and rocks were unleashed upon the drones simultaneously, causing the lead drone to crumble within moments.

When I wasn’t there to focus on defense, the special operations unit members had to allocate their attention to defense as well. However, at this moment, they could channel their entire effort into the offensive. With around sixty individuals focusing their attacks, excluding the wounded, the increase in firepower was expected. I was fortunate to be skilled in spiritual arts that complemented our tactics.

During that time, Zaldo had begun treating the wounded. Though it couldn’t be called healing, with the healing powers of a demon, applying bandages to the deep wounds to stop the bleeding made a big difference. Emergency treatment couldn’t be underestimated.

“Get on board! Take control of this battleship!”

“””Ooooooh!”””

It seemed that our efforts to buy time had paid off. While we were engaged in battle, the imperial battleships came alongside the massive battleship with such force that it seemed like they were going to crash into it. Some of them collided so forcefully that their bows and sides cracked, and their masts broke.

Unlucky Imperial soldiers were thrown into the sea due to the impact, and it seemed like they had only thought about getting on the battleship. There wasn’t a single intact battleship, and in some cases, there were battleships already sinking.

“Finally, the main force has arrived. They seem eager, and once they destroy the drones we’re fighting now… Wait, the drones all moved over there.”

“It’s because of the difference in numbers. It’s natural to be more cautious of an aggressive majority than a small number holed up.”

Just moments ago, there was a swarm of drones attacking us, but now their focus had shifted away from us and towards the Imperial soldiers who had recently boarded nearby. It was only natural to be more wary of the spirited reinforcements Asumi had mentioned than those of us who had been merely enduring. Even if we were in their shoes, we would likely think the same.

However, if it were us, not everyone would head in that direction. Some of us would stay behind as a diversion. But all the drones that had been attacking us seemed to have disappeared somewhere. Wasn’t there any thought of leaving some for surveillance purposes?

No, perhaps they didn’t even have the time to assign some of them to surveillance. With a large number of Imperial soldiers on board, it wouldn’t be surprising if they were overwhelmed, leaving no room for such considerations.

“For now, there don’t seem to be any drones targeting us. We’ve got the advantage of a wall made of sand that’s hard even for our allies to see through. Let’s take a break for a while.”

“Got it. Then, let’s keep the sand wall up for a little longer.”

“That’s a relief. It’s a short break, but we can use it to check our weapons.”

And so, we took a brief respite. Being right in the heart of the battlefield meant that shouts, screams, gunshots, and explosions were constantly echoing, and we couldn’t let our guard down. However, by harnessing our fighting spirit, we managed to alleviate some of the physical fatigue.

During that time, something large emerged from the thick black smoke that billowed up. For a brief moment, we thought it might be an enemy, but it turned out to be a battleship bearing the Imperial flag.

While we were curious about why it had arrived slightly later, what truly astonished us was its sheer size. It was more than twice as large as a typical Republic battleship.

Aside from its clearly distinctive size, there were virtually no signs of damage or repairs. It was likely a newly constructed vessel for the Imperial fleet. Compared to the Republic’s steel battleships, it may have looked less robust, but it certainly appeared stronger than the other Imperial battleships.

“Oh? Could that be…”

The newly built ship sailed at an unexpected speed, suddenly changing course to dock with the massive battleship. From the new vessel, soldiers clad in armor with a design slightly distinct from the rest of the Imperial forces leaped on board.

While I don’t know much about weapons, I could sense a level of fighting spirit and spiritual power emanating from these soldiers that far exceeded the average Imperial soldier on the frontlines. It would be no exaggeration to say that they were the strongest unit within the Imperial ranks.

Normally, that would have been the end of it, but I happened to spot a familiar face among them. His name was Remus… the man whom I had left battered and half-dead when I was brought before the Emperor.

We hadn’t crossed paths since that encounter, but it seemed he had grown considerably stronger since then. The wild fighting spirit and spiritual power, which he made no effort to conceal, were just as potent as before, if not more so. With his current power, I doubted I could simply overpower him as I had back then, even if I were to catch him off guard.

“Do you know his highness? Well, he’s quite the famous figure…”

“His Highness? Is Remus in a position of such prominence?”

It seemed Marcellus noticed that I was looking at Remus, and he nodded several times with a complicated expression on his face. Judging from his reaction, it appeared that even though he was famous, that wasn’t in a positive sense. He was a man who had referred to me as a “freak” the first time we met, and personally, I wasn’t surprised that he was infamous.

I knew his name, but I didn’t know who he was as a person. Marcellus gazed at me with curiosity, considering my lack of knowledge. Then he proceeded to enlighten me about Remus.

“Just recently, he became the commander of the ‘Imperial Sword Knights’; it is a newly established elite unit directly under His Majesty the Emperor. He’s also the twelfth prince, a legitimate member of the Imperial family. You knew him personally, yet you didn’t know his title… What kind of situation were you in?” Marcellus said.

“An Imperial prince, and a direct one at that…”

I couldn’t help but be surprised. I had never imagined that Remus, with his rough demeanor, would be a member of the Imperial family. Actually, upon closer reflection, I recalled how he spoke to the Emperor rather casually. Perhaps it wasn’t the Emperor being lenient, but the fact that Remus was an Imperial prince that allowed such familiarity.

In that case, it meant the Emperor hadn’t so much as flinched when his son was being beaten in front of him. If it were my comrades from the special operations unit, they would have immediately retaliated if their child was attacked. But the Emperor seemed far from lenient; in fact, one might even describe him as cold-blooded.

Or was that just how rulers of mighty nations behaved? Perhaps he valued the usefulness of the demon that was doing the beating more than the fact that his son was being assaulted. It was beyond my comprehension.

“So, where did you see him? Did you meet on some battlefield? I didn’t think the Special Operations unit had ever been dispatched to the same battlefield as His Highness…” Marcellus said.

“A few years ago, I left him half-dead in front of the Emperor.”

“Addressing His Majesty so casually… Wait, what!? Half-dead!?”

This time it was Marcellus who asked, and I answered honestly and concisely. In response, Marcellus seemed to forget that we were on a battlefield as he let out a horrified exclamation.