Chapter 248: The Frost Giant
“Commence the invasion at dawn.”
“The fog is rolling in. How convenient.”
As the cold air from the land flows over the warm surface of the sea during the night, water vapor condenses into mist. The port town designated as the invasion point is now shrouded in fog, severely limiting visibility.
“Alright, Big Sister, let’s do this~”
“Open fire!”
The Fringhorni-class battleship Blazabrik and four Hedgehog-class destroyers advance to just 1 kilometer offshore. The Fringhorni-class is heavily armed, equipped with four triple-barreled main cannons and eight single-barreled secondary cannons. The Hedgehog-class destroyers, true to their name, boast numerous turrets, featuring three triple-barreled main cannons and eight octuple-barreled secondary cannons.
They all fire simultaneously.
Every shell fired lands precisely on target, well within the expected margin of error.
The watchtower is shattered from its base, and the central church is reduced to rubble. The dormitory, having its foundation destroyed, collapses, while two warships are split in half as their keels are blown away.
The cobblestones of the transport dock are sent soaring into the sky, creating a massive crater. The continuous explosions and clouds of dust send both residents and monk soldiers into a panic, leaving them huddled in fear.
In just 90 seconds.
In that brief span, the forces at Yakari Port, the largest outer harbor of the Prava Divine Nation, have been utterly decimated. All the ballistae mounted on towers have collapsed, and every battleship moored there has sunk. The church, filled with monk soldiers, and the dormitory have been blown apart, along with those who were sleeping inside.
However, some monks remain, having been absent for some reason.
“The multi-legged tanks are commencing landings.”
“Deploy the drones~”
“The multi-legged ground mother units are advancing~”
The multi-legged tanks, which had been waiting submerged in the sea, swiftly begin their operations to eliminate remaining troops and seal off information. Additionally, from the Naglfar-class aircraft carrier Myrkvid, helicopters carrying multi-legged ground mother units begin to take off in succession. The enemy’s anti-air capabilities are limited, and all threats are being systematically neutralized by naval gunfire, allowing even the cumbersome transport aircraft to operate safely.
From a Nigra-class cruiser approaching the port, multiple drones are launched. These are ground attack drones for assessing the battle’s outcome.
“All target structures confirmed silent.”
“Tactical AI Rochester II, severing direct link with the multi-legged tanks. The tanks will now operate autonomously.”
“Heath II has taken control of all multi-legged assault machines~. Commencing the neutralization of any survivors~.”
“The multi-legged tanks are beginning to block the roads~. So far, there are no detected life signs escaping~.”
Yakari Port primarily dealt with grain exports. Since the onset of the invasion, the surplus of exportable grain has vanished, resulting in a significantly reduced population. Originally, the town was home only to those involved in port activities, and its size is a mere 2 kilometers at most, making it easy for the large forces of The Tree to occupy and encircle.
By the time the Prava Divine Nation becomes aware of this invasion, all necessary cities will likely have been seized.
As the combat machines of The Tree continue to neutralize the brave monk soldiers charging forward, they steadily invade the port town.
One hour after the operation commenced.
As the sun rises and the fog dissipates, The Tree has taken complete control of Yakari Port.
“Operation complete.”
“…Initiating the base fortification phase.”
Command of the invasion shifts from Ichigo to Olive. Ichigo will continue the advance inland, while Olive will swiftly fortify Yakari Port. Utsugi and Erika will issue commands to the combat machines as needed, feeding back their combat experience. Akane oversees the overall management.
“Alright, alright. The first phase went smoothly. Great job, everyone.”
“There were no significant issues. I will leave the command to all of you from here on.”
The survivors of Yakari Port are all gathered in the central square. Driven there by the multi-legged tanks and multi-legged assault machines, they huddle together in their tattered clothes.
“I’m sorry, but this is war.”
Watching the scene unfold, Commander Eve mutters to herself. Naturally, there are many injured. Lightly wounded individuals are left as they are, while some severely injured are being placed into life-support systems equipped on the multi-legged mother units. As long as they are not dead, there is hope.
“Big Sister… I’m starting the unloading from Myrkvid now…”
“Oh. Sounds good. It’s finally time.”
With the surrounding hostile forces eliminated, the deployed patrol and fighter aircraft secure air superiority. The semi-submersible transport ship Myrkvid finally reveals itself.
Displacing a massive amount of seawater, Myrkvid surfaces. Its full deck breaks the water’s surface, with seawater cascading down both sides like a waterfall.
“Upper deck opening… Initiating the deployment of land transport rails…”
The long deck of Myrkvid splits in the middle and slowly rises. The bow simultaneously parts to the left and right, revealing a monorail for transporting supplies. Multi-armed, multi-legged work machines attach to the monorail and begin extending it, assembling the parts being unloaded to establish buoyant structures.
“Deploying seabed work machines…”
To transport heavy cargo, load-bearing structures are being installed on the seabed. Piles are driven in, and fixed blocks are connected. Reinforced truss rails are laid out towards the port.
“Land transport rail deployment complete… Initiating the transport of work machines…”
Using the previously installed floating monorail, the multi-legged heavy machines are unloaded one after another. These machines immediately begin dismantling operations at the landing site, destroying the warehouses lined up and leveling the ground. They will construct a base and manage the vast supplies carried by Myrkvid.
In the meantime, structural reinforcement rails are connected at the edge of the port.
“Commencing the landing of the Jotun…”
The land battleship Jotun emerges slowly from the bow opening of Myrkvid.
Pushed out by the reinforced monorail, Jotun touches down on the water’s surface. Its transport floats negate its immense weight, allowing it to begin moving while breaking the surface.
“Wow. It’s huge…”
With a length of 176 meters and a width of 62 meters, standing 32 meters tall, its antenna reaches a maximum height of 69 meters. It is equipped with numerous massive wheels, each about 5 meters in diameter, all of which are powered and capable of independent operation. This is a true mobile fortress, capable of crushing any obstacles in its path.
Jotun climbs onto the stone pier. The transport floats cease to function here; it must now move under its own power.
The wheels of Jotun begin to turn, propelling its massive body forward. Naturally, mere stone walls cannot support such a colossal structure. As the wheels turn, the pier crumbles under the strain, yet the lengthy body remains unyielding. Kicking up a cloud of dust, the land battleship Jotun pulls itself onto solid ground.
“Jotun has successfully landed… Next, commencing the landings of the second and third ships…”
The first ship of Jotun has landed safely. A total of three land battleships are being transported this time. Each will serve as a core to simultaneously subjugate the Prava Divine Nation from three directions.
“Well, I understand the theory, but seeing such a heavy object move without sinking is visually hard to believe…”
By distributing the ground pressure through numerous wheels, Jotun can move. Of course, this requires a significant amount of energy. To meet this demand, Jotun is equipped with three nuclear fusion reactors.
The first Jotun, which landed earlier, advances, crushing warehouses, residences, and outer walls with its massive body. The buildings of this port town are no taller than two stories, reaching a height of about 5 meters. A land battleship with a main structure height of 32 meters would be visible from anywhere in this town.
What is happening to them? What force is attacking their town?
Before the colossal figure that wreaks havoc simply by moving, Eve feels a twinge of sympathy for the residents.
Afterword
“The Seventh Chapter: The Divine Nation” is reaching its climax. As The Tree forces begin to earnestly engage with the fantasy world, things are heating up. The book version is also set to begin, so I’m quite busy… Your support is the driving force behind this work! Thank you for your continued encouragement!