Chapter 151: Defeat
“Hey, what’s happening here?”
She asked Ringo, glancing at the real-time updated power map displayed beside her.
“Yes, Ma’am. This is what you would call an internal conflict. The Afrasia United Kingdom was formed by the merger of three kingdoms, and the royal families of these three kingdoms have each become dukes, managing the parliament through a council of the three great dukes.”
“I feel like I’ve heard something about this before… Just from what you’ve said, it sounds like a recipe for disaster.”
The displayed power map was color-coded into five distinct sections.
One was, of course, Paraiso.
Another represented the general populace and refugees.
The remaining three corresponded to the territories of each duke.
It appeared that a commotion was erupting among the dukes’ forces.
“The Royal Guard Knights under Duke Yubaden are deployed to defend the castle gates. Duke Mercatia’s Royal Capital Defense Force is centered around the duke’s residence. Meanwhile, Duke Kalburk’s private army is attacking the Royal Guard Knights’ garrison.”
“…Why?”
“It seems they are aiming to eliminate the most significant threat, Duke Yubaden. They believe the Royal Guard Knights can hold off the invasion from Paraiso and have instructed to assassinate Duke Yubaden himself, who is now vulnerable.”
“Are they not seeing that swarm of multi-legged tanks? Do they really think they can handle this?”
“Uncertain. However, we have received information that the Vice Captain of the Royal Guard Knights possesses exceptional abilities. It is believed he has some form of magical skill, but the details remain unclear. Currently, this Vice Captain seems to be leading the forces confronting the multi-legged tanks.”
As the explanation continued, the power map updated again. Duke Kalburk’s forces breached the Royal Guard Knights’ garrison, advancing straight toward the King Mark, Duke Aklai Yubaden.
“Should the assassination succeed, it will impact future governance, so we will intervene.”
At Ringo’s command, the units of Paraiso that had been on standby in the air sprang into action.
“Commencing bombardment from the drones. Success. Deploying multi-legged assault machines through the breach. Initiating target neutralization. Success.”
Additionally, they decided to suppress each duke. From the transport drones deployed above, multi-legged assault machines were launched, coordinating multiple units to simultaneously engage the remaining two dukes.
“The Royal Guard Knights and the multi-legged tanks have made contact. Initiating neutralization.”
The Afrasia Royal Capital was a relatively new city. It had not even been a century since its establishment, and thus, the capital itself had a shallow history.
Due to the nature of being governed by the three great dukes, the fortress equivalent of the royal castle was divided into three. However, the country itself was not particularly developed. A low wall formed a rough circle, dividing the interior into three sections. At the center, three mansions were constructed.
The southern estate belonged to Duke Yubaden, who had the largest castle gate, guarded by the Royal Guard Knights, said to be the strongest in the United Kingdom.
The northeastern estate belonged to Duke Mercatia, who organized the Royal Capital Defense Force, ostensibly maintaining order throughout the capital while monopolizing various interests through violence. They also provided security within the territories of other dukes for a certain fee. However, they could not act too brazenly, so they reportedly conducted patrols relatively decently.
The northwestern estate belonged to Duke Kalburk, who managed the largest market in the capital and oversaw trade with the western nations. However, trade with other countries had been dwindling in recent years. He had no forces beyond those guarding his mansion and relied solely on Duke Mercatia for maintaining order. In other words, it was as if Duke Mercatia had effectively occupied the town. Nevertheless, economically, Duke Mercatia was dependent on Duke Kalburk, leading to a tense standoff where both held each other’s vital interests.
Amidst this situation, the multi-legged tanks under Paraiso launched an assault on the grand castle gate managed by Duke Yubaden, who was thought to be the most formidable. In response, the Royal Guard Knights, who had been deployed, entered combat, led by the Vice Captain, known for his exceptional prowess.
Simultaneously, Duke Yubaden was attacked by Duke Kalburk, prompting Paraiso to initiate a series of simultaneous assaults on all forces present in the royal capital.
The multi-legged tanks deployed at the main gate wielded hard rubber batons in their manipulative arms while firing non-lethal bullets from their railguns. The rubber projectiles could be lethal if they struck in the wrong place, but against ordinary humans, the tactical AI from The Tree would never miss. They accurately targeted weapons and equipment, neutralizing them one after another.
“—Oraaa!!”
However, not everything went according to plan. Some knights managed to deflect the rubber projectiles and closed in on the multi-legged tanks. The tactical AI immediately switched to its prescribed countermeasures.
Skillfully wielding the batons in both arms, it deflected the sword of the charging knight, delivering a blow to the head that knocked him unconscious. The Royal Guard Knights continued their charge against multiple multi-legged tanks, while the tanks advanced, taking down the knights in their path.
“Nuuun!!”
A rubber baton swung down was sliced away by one knight.
“Keep going!!”
“Yes!!”
The multi-legged tank immediately released its baton and leaped back. The knight’s sword, having swung down, cut through the air, sending debris flying.
In that moment, several knights who had been following the man rushed in. They appeared to be an elite unit. They blocked an incoming strike from another multi-legged tank with their shields and even counterattacked.
“—Kaa!!”
With a fierce shout, the Vice Captain of the Royal Guard Knights, a man whose abilities were later deemed incomprehensible by Ringo, closed in on the multi-legged tanks.
The ground exploded beneath him with the force of his advance. However, the man firmly gripped the earth, accelerating his body beyond normal limits.
He was fast.
The manipulative arms of the multi-legged tanks swung, but they could not keep up with his movements. The response speed of the actuators controlling the manipulative arms was outmatched by his acceleration. The man slipped past the arms, deflected a rubber projectile shot from the side with his left-hand shield, and closed in on the multi-legged tank. With a speed that created shockwaves, he swung his knight’s sword upward from below.
The blade sliced through the front armor of the multi-legged tank as easily as cutting through butter. Furthermore, an invisible slash extended from the blade, vertically cleaving through about a third of the multi-legged tank.
Even a machine manufactured with advanced technology could not function properly after such destruction. Fortunately, the physical destruction did not reach the Brain Unit at the core, but some circuits sustained critical damage, causing the entire control board of the multi-legged tank to shut down.
The tank, slightly reeling, came to a halt.
“One!!”
The Royal Guard Knights, suffering significant losses, managed to destroy one multi-legged tank. The Vice Captain, along with his elite group surrounding him, drove a wedge into the center of the multi-legged tank formation.
At this point, the massive size of the multi-legged tanks became a liability. As the surrounding tanks attempted to create distance, they were limited by physical constraints. Consequently, they could not move far enough to exceed the Vice Captain’s speed.
“Two—!!”
The sword swung sideways unleashed another invisible slash, slicing through yet another multi-legged tank. The tank, having lost all its manipulative arms and one side leg, sustained severe damage deep into its body, losing control of its momentum and flipping over, ceasing all function.
And thus, the exploits of the elite unit, Team One of the Royal Guard Knights, came to an end.
The surrounding multi-legged tanks, having sacrificed two of their own to regain formation, began a continuous barrage of precisely timed non-lethal bullets from their railguns, increasing the firing voltage.
With trajectories calculated to account for sword parries, shields, and armor defenses, rubber projectiles were launched at near-supersonic speeds toward the knights.
If they used their swords, they would be caught in a position where they could not retract in time. If they blocked with their shields, they would leave other areas unprotected. If they kicked with their greaves, they would expose their pivot foot.
The knights, pelted by the rubber projectiles, collapsed to the ground like broken mannequins.
“—Aaaahhh!!”
Yet, the Vice Captain endured. With extraordinary resilience, he absorbed the impacts of the rubber projectiles striking his body and stood back up.
Three multi-legged tanks charged at him, skillfully maneuvering their six manipulative arms to nullify all resistance, dodging, and then lifting him off the ground.
Having lost contact with the earth that served as his foundation, the man dug his fingers into the manipulative arms that held him.
“—!!”
With a high-voltage, low-current electric shock released from the manipulative arms, the man convulsed uncontrollably.
Confirming that he had become incapacitated, the multi-legged assault machines swiftly bound the fallen knights with metallic wires.
Thus, the defense force at the main gate of the Afrasia Royal Capital was annihilated, and all members were taken captive.