Chapter 304: Commencement of the Full Assault
“Last time, we withdrew with this, but what do you think will happen now?”
“It seems they’ve halted their movements…”
In the battlefield where clumps of earth and rocks were raining down, the units of The Tree and the two Fenrir were locked in a tense standoff.
It appeared that they were on high alert again after sustaining injuries. The Local Strategy AI had sensed the atmosphere and opted for a cautious approach.
“It might be a tactic to buy time! Look, there’s blood, but the amount is minimal! Hmm, according to the analysis, it seems the blood loss has clearly decreased!”
“Yes… but injuries like that don’t heal so easily…”
Thanks to real-time video analysis, various statuses were being quantified. Among them, the damage ratio of Froze was gradually decreasing. It indicated that the injury on its left foreleg was rapidly regenerating. The halt in its movements might be a strategy to enhance the healing effect. Iris speculated that they were feigning caution to buy time.
“That said, the longer we take, the more advantageous the situation becomes for us. It seems Iris has decided to deploy our aerial forces.”
With a means to inflict damage on the Fenrir established, it was now just a matter of repeating the process. Thus, they launched attack aircraft capable of airborne firing of Barrier Penetration Missiles.
While missile launches from the base didn’t require concern for inventory, the distance from the battlefield imposed restrictions on the timing of the attack.
By equipping the attack aircraft with missiles and launching them from the air, they could freely choose both the launch position and timing. However, the mobility performance of the attack aircraft would significantly decrease due to the massive missiles they carried, meaning air superiority had to be secured first.
“Flight units are departing from Geni Fortress. The Gigantia-class aerial aircraft carrier Eurytus is heading towards the combat zone.”
“The Titan-class aerial escort ships Theia, Leia, and Themis have begun their course adjustments.”
“The escort aircraft have started launching from Eurytus!”
“The Naglfar-class aircraft carrier Myrkvid has also commenced launching!”
“The Fringhorni-class battleship Blazabrik… beginning main cannon targeting… Selecting smart warheads and cluster shells… It seems they are preparing for a suppressive fire…”
The reinforcements that had been on standby for the battle against the Fenrir began to deploy one after another. With Froze and Yalun initiating their own forms of suppression, it was judged that they recognized the threat posed by the units of The Tree.
Furthermore, Blazabrik was preparing to launch autonomous (smart) warheads from approximately 900 kilometers away over the sea. While it couldn’t inflict a fatal injury, it would serve as a distraction and a means of suppression.
The smart warheads possessed trajectory alteration capabilities and could extend their range and increase speed during the final approach thanks to their rear rocket motors. Since they were using cluster shells this time, final acceleration was unnecessary, allowing for an extension of range, albeit only by a few kilometers.
Blazabrik’s main cannon was a triple-barreled multi-stage electromagnetic railgun (coil cannon), with a maximum range exceeding 1,000 kilometers.
Once Blazabrik completed its targeting, it began firing. The four massive barrels unleashed smart warheads with a thunderous sonic boom, each shot echoing through the air. The firing interval for each barrel was approximately five seconds, allowing Blazabrik to send out a staggering 144 rounds per minute.
The initial velocity of the shells was around 8,000 m/s, but air resistance would gradually reduce their speed. However, they would follow a ballistic trajectory that would take them above the stratosphere, meaning air resistance would only affect them near the ground. Additionally, it would take several minutes for the shells to reach their targets. This was why they fired ahead of all other attacks.
“The Eurytus-based air units are approaching the battlefield.”
“It seems Froze and Yalun have noticed the air units. They’ve detected movements looking up.”
The two Fenrir, having launched from the closest Eurytus, seemed to have sensed the attack aircraft for some reason, likely due to the radar waves emitted.
“Well, it looks like Froze will heal in just a few minutes… How will they respond?”
“Given their demeanor, do you think they are aware of the reinforcements?”
If combat were to resume as it was, it would likely result in a repeat of the previous encounter. While the frontline Jotun M series might be destroyed again, they could always rotate the rear Jotun. In the meantime, they could deploy Barrier Penetration Missiles once more. Even if the Fenrir’s response capability increased somewhat, they could likely engage in three more battles of similar scale. Moreover, The Tree’s side could utilize the additional aerial forces they had brought in. By coordinating their attacks with the destruction of the barriers, they could expect additional damage.
“Froze’s stance has shifted slightly. There’s a high possibility of retreat.”
Akane reported this while displaying the analysis footage of Froze. The shift in Froze’s center of gravity indicated that it was preparing to take some action. However, Eve couldn’t discern whether it was gathering strength to attack or attempting to flee. Iris seemed to have concluded that Froze might be losing its will to fight.
In the footage, Yalun was growling lowly. Perhaps it was voicing some complaint towards Froze.
“It seems we might be in for a prolonged standoff.”
“The attack and transport aircraft… Hmm, it looks like it will still take about 50 minutes.”
The distance from Geni Fortress to the battlefield was approximately 1,200 kilometers. Since the attack aircraft couldn’t fly at supersonic speeds, they would need about an hour to arrive. However, they could launch missiles from closer positions, allowing them to enter the attack range in about 20 minutes.
Then there were the transport aircraft that had been sent earlier. They had just begun aerial refueling, which would take about 20 minutes to complete. After that, they would need another 20 minutes to reach the battlefield.
Well, if this standoff continued, it would likely last for several more minutes. Froze and Yalun would return to full strength, but The Tree’s forces would also complete their reinforcements. This would mean the battle would return to square one.
“Oh, it looks like the two are having a conversation?”
“Ah, indeed. I wonder if they will retreat…”
Froze glanced at the growling Yalun. While remaining cautious, it seemed they were attempting some form of communication.
Yalun’s growls gradually diminished.
As time passed, both Froze and Yalun had retreated about 10 meters since the standoff began. Considering their body lengths, it was merely a step back, but it was clear that both were beginning to focus on retreating. If they could withdraw without incident, it would be the simplest outcome.
“Older Sister, the aerial forces will reach attack range in just a few minutes.”
“Will we pursue them?”
It seemed Iris had opted for a full assault at the moment when maximum attack capability was achieved.
First, Barrier Penetration Missiles would be launched from the rear base. These would accelerate to supersonic speeds and reach the battlefield within minutes. Almost simultaneously, the smart shells that had entered their drop trajectory began their automated control for landing positions. The control fins deployed, allowing each shell to make its trajectory corrections.
“We’ll scatter cluster shells from above at supersonic speeds for distraction and send in the Barrier Penetration Missiles. It seems they plan to fire the Jotun’s main cannon as a follow-up.”
“It would be ideal if we could synchronize the laser targeting, but energy weapons and live ammunition don’t mix well.”
This was the issue of not being able to concentrate the use of energy weapons and live ammunition. Normally, this wouldn’t be a concern, but when dealing with Threat Creatures, it became a persistent problem.
Now, it’s time for the aerial weaponry to take their turn. But first, we’ll start with naval gunfire.