Episode 38: Murderous Pitching
(Now then, what to do for the opening strike?)
Long-range bombardment magic has been a tactic used by nobles in siege warfare since ancient times, and as such, countermeasures have been developed. They use building materials with magical attenuation effects on the outer walls, or they can change the direction of the magic to avoid a direct hit by firing a barrage of Satella-Class Magic Bullets.
So, just because there aren’t any Stella-Class individuals here this time doesn’t mean I can just casually unleash magic and cause unnecessary damage to the surroundings. On the other hand, Meteor Ray and the like have too much firepower and could potentially pierce through the fort. Therefore, it would be best to focus solely on the outer walls and destroy them reliably with a single blow.
I take a Gold Coin out of my pocket and flick it with my finger. I catch it, grip it tightly, and pour a large amount of Magical Power into it.
“Alright, let’s go with a full-power pitch for the first time in a while.”
The most primitive means of long-range attack: throwing. Aquila was the same, but the throwing power unleashed from a Stella-Class body is a threat. Being able to launch an object at many times the speed of an active Major League Baseball player, it’s so simple that it’s destructive enough to be mistaken for an incoming artillery shell.
(Though what I’m throwing this time is a Gold Coin.)
If you throw a Gold Coin with its face horizontally, you can eliminate air resistance as much as possible, so it’ll be much faster than a baseball. More than anything, it’s good that it won’t be affected by magical interference.
(Come to think of it, I’ve always liked throwing things far since I was a kid.)
In my childhood, I put all my effort into paper cup rockets and spitting watermelon seeds. I still remember being captivated by the footage of an overseas “pumpkin chucking contest” I saw on TV back then. They were launching pumpkins over a thousand meters with massive devices that could only be described as weapons, so their dedication was off the charts.
(I never thought I’d be facing something like that so seriously in this other world.)
The baseball pitching form I dabbled in a little in the past. Now, with the addition of the element of Magical Power, it has acquired literally murderous destructive power. From the setup, I swing my right arm down with a smooth motion.
“Raaaaaaah!”
From the release point, I launch the Gold Coin at supersonic speed. The Gold Coin reaches the west outer wall in an instant, creating a sonic boom and embedding itself deeply into the wall. The Gold Coin triggers a massive explosion from inside the outer wall, and the outer wall is blown to smithereens.
“Alright.”
The outer wall has been peeled away, and chaos is erupting inside the fort. Next, I gave the soldiers a quick “Maten (Doping).”
“Here it comes, this is it…”
“Ooooh? Power?…”
“Ah, this is bad…”
“What’s this? Amazing, amaaazing…”
Red Magical Power begins to rise from the soldiers. This time, there are also citizen soldiers mixed in, so I’m keeping it a bit more restrained than last time.
“Listen up, everyone! We will now seize the fort! Now is the time to take Bangwall and reclaim all of the western Elhoro River region for Ortenos! And let Naia know that as long as I, Sharka, am here, they will never set foot on this land again!”
I give the soldiers a pep talk and raise my pipe high into the sky. That’s it, saying something a little grand at times like this gets everyone excited.
“Ooooooooooh!”
The soldiers’ morale was also quite high. Everyone had red veins running across their faces, but they seemed to be able to control their power somehow. The effects of getting used to it several times must be showing.
“Now then, everyone, sortie!”
By the way, I won’t be participating in the attack this time. You might think I’m being cold, but it would be unrefined as a superior officer to take credit for my subordinates’ achievements. Silently seeing off the soldiers is also the duty of a superior officer.
“Hyaaaaaaah!”
“…”
The subordinates rushed into the fort, making strange noises. Screams of agony could be heard from inside the fort.
“Gahahaha, I can finally go wild!”
“Fufu, I can finally unleash this power to my heart’s content… Nuoooo! Death to Naia!”
“Die, you Naia trash! I won’t stop until your blood turns the river red!”
…Somehow, I felt that the remaining rationality was increasing the cruelty. It seems that controlling and using magic is quite difficult for me.
“Minashiro-sama, the capture of Bangwall Fort has been completed.”
The expressionless female Military Official reported blandly. It ended up being an anticlimactic conclusion, but we succeeded in capturing Bangwall Fort.
“Ah…”
“Is something the matter?”
“No, I just lost a little steam.”
“It’s only natural, considering you’ve been moving since morning.”
Indeed, I was accumulating mental fatigue. That being said, when I cool down, I see things more clearly.
“This is bad.”
“Bad, you say?”
“Yeah.”
“W-What on earth is it?”
The female Military Official gulped and looked at me with a tense expression. I’ve been trying not to think about it until now, but when I think about it carefully, I realize something is wrong.
“I might have been too active.”
“…Yes.”
Today’s achievements:
Defeated Barbat von Naia
Defeated the Hero Aquila
Captured Bangwall Fort