Chapter 252: The Battlefield of the Lake
The excavation arm extending from the Construction Ship shattered the seabed with high-pressure water. Another arm sucked up the resulting sediment, sorting it by grain size before feeding it into the Resource Recovery Machine, known as the Reuser.
At Yakari Port, now under the control of The Tree, a multitude of construction machines operated at a speed that seemed almost surreal. They were dredging the bay to ensure sufficient water depth while simultaneously conducting shore protection works. A docking pier was also under construction.
With no particular tasks assigned to the residents, access to the construction site and the makeshift base was prohibited, but they were informed they could roam freely. However, with most jobs having vanished, some form of compensation was necessary. The logistics had come to a halt, leaving only rations being distributed.
In the short term, managing the port town, and in the medium term, labor on the farms seemed prudent. After that, it would be wise to allocate tasks based on the evolving situation.
(The progress chart shows no discrepancies. The error margin is within ±3%. Acceptable range.)
The O-Class Strategic AI, Lotus, temporarily installed on the fourth land battleship, Jotun, was conducting field command with support from The Tree. Once the ground facilities were completed, it would be transferred there, but for now, it remained protected within the land battleship.
(The emotional metrics of the local residents are also within acceptable limits. The supply of luxury goods has led to a downward trend in hostility.)
As anticipated from prior reconnaissance, the citizens of the Prava Divine Nation were fundamentally oppressed and lacked resilience to entertainment. It was assumed that providing leisure activities would easily win them over.
(While imposing labor obligations, we will provide moderate entertainment. For the time being, we have been instructed to continue our provisions, but the finer details must be judged appropriately on-site. It’s a challenge.)
Lotus, deep in thought, sent instructions to its subordinates, the Communicator Androids.
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Days passed without any merchant caravans arriving from the surrounding areas. It seemed the higher-ups had finally noticed the anomaly, as the relay city of Geni began dispatching investigation teams. However, by that time, the encirclement by The Tree’s forces was already complete.
What the investigation team discovered was a massive fortress-like structure occupying the roads to the east, south, and west. Furthermore, enormous spider monsters roamed the vicinity. From the information gathered, Geni concluded that they were surrounded by something colossal, likely a monster. Yet, knowing this was of little consequence now.
There was no escape. To the north lay one of the nation’s largest lakes, and the roads were blocked. Although there were many monk soldiers stationed in the large city, the number of spider monsters reported by the investigation team was several times greater. Additionally, three massive fortresses loomed nearby.
A decision was made to defend while evacuating the residents to the lake behind them, and transport ships were gathered.
Meanwhile, The Tree, monitoring the situation, initiated its operation.
The heavily armored flying boat SG-1, Gannet, took off from Yakari Port, landing on the lake one after another. The residents attempting to board the ships erupted into chaos. Gannet was equipped with multiple ground attack cannons on its sides. While it could freely swap out its armaments, this time it had been fitted with an 18mm multi-barrel cannon and a 28mm machine gun.
As the crew moved to unfurl the sails, the 28mm machine gun roared to life.
The shells struck the water’s surface, sending up towering columns of spray. Cries of terror erupted as several crew members, caught off guard, tumbled overboard.
Thus, The Tree sealed off the port of Geni, completely encircling the city.
With their escape routes blocked, the High Priest dispatched by Geni made a decisive choice. They would concentrate all their forces on one corner of the encirclement, break through, and allow the residents to escape. The plan was communicated, and the residents began to move under the guidance of the monk soldiers.
There weren’t enough carriages to accommodate everyone. In fact, there weren’t enough horses. The shortfall would be compensated by some of the monk soldiers pulling the carriages themselves. Those who couldn’t fit were forced to walk. The women and children, along with as much of their belongings as they could carry, gathered in the plaza at the East Gate.
Confirming the flow of events, Erika relayed the final decision from within The Tree.
The invasion by the land battleship and numerous multi-legged tanks was about to commence.
“The power ratio is 1:93. However, since our current force distribution is skewed, it might become 1:5 in localized areas.”
“There’s plenty of margin, but is it risky?”
Upon hearing this from Erika, Eve furrowed her brow. While a fivefold advantage in strength seemed manageable, the overall disparity of 93 times felt somewhat precarious.
“We’ll also shift our forces, so after three minutes of contact, it will be 1:58. But the first minute will be crucial.”
“Whether intentional or not, they’re moving with the residents, making it difficult to bombard them…”
They could fire indiscriminately, but annihilating a large number of non-combatants would leave a bad taste in their mouths. The AIs understood Eve’s sentiments and would not eliminate them without hesitation.
“The decision is to forcefully break through and allow the residents to escape.”
“If we seal off the lake side, the likelihood of that decision being made is over 60%,” it was estimated.
The strategy was to crush their forces in one fell swoop, thereby eliminating their capacity to continue fighting and extinguishing their spirit of resistance—a merciful (or perhaps merciless) choice of tactics. Since Eve ultimately approved it, there was no room for complaints, though she felt a pang of sympathy. She thought about it, but would still proceed with the plan.
“Let the baiting begin!”
The multi-legged tanks began to move. They refrained from firing their main cannons due to the potential collateral damage behind them and instead used their close-combat arms to strike at the leading group of monk soldiers.
“Whoa! I got blasted away!!”
In the footage, a monk soldier moved at a speed akin to slow motion, seemingly kicking the body of a multi-legged tank. Despite the immense weight difference compared to a human, he sent the tank flying with a single kick. The multi-legged tank, propelled by incredible acceleration, suffered damage to its actuators. While the central processing unit remained intact, most of its movable parts reported some form of malfunction and came to a halt.
“Ugh, they really have some incredible forces stationed here…”
Yet, this was expected. Large cities typically housed powerful monk soldiers. Although some had been reassigned for the invasion, many remained stationed in Geni. They excelled in close combat. Simply ramming multi-legged tanks into them would likely result in their destruction one by one.
“Alright, alright, let’s do this.”
Utsugi sent commands to each unit. The pre-planned actions had been transmitted, but adjustments were being made according to the situation. The multi-legged tanks coordinated with each other, gradually peeling away Geni’s forces. Thirteen multi-legged tanks had already become incapacitated, while another twenty-seven were experiencing mobility issues due to damaged legs. The attrition rate was spiking.
“Just a little more—”
The monk soldiers, likely the Saldado, a high-ranking class just below the priests, formed the leading group, slicing through the gathering multi-legged tanks. The High Priest and two priests took the lead, protecting the fleeing residents. Surrounding them were lower-ranking monk soldiers, and they ran.
However, the residents, being ordinary citizens, were slower than the fighting Saldado. The coordinated multi-legged tanks gradually controlled the battlefield to separate them.
“Now—”
The Local Strategy AI assessed the situation. The probability of damage to non-combatants from bombardment was zero.
The multi-legged tanks, having anchored their six legs to the ground and taken precise firing positions, unleashed their main cannons in unison.
Armor-piercing shells, traveling at Mach 20 from outside the field of vision, literally obliterated the group of Saldado. In a single strike, 80% of Geni’s combat forces were annihilated.
In the footage from various angles, the High Priest shouted something as he charged forward. If he could distance himself voluntarily from the group of non-combatants, it would be advantageous.
The multi-legged tank’s main cannon, now aimed at the sprinting High Priest, fired another armor-piercing shell.
In a flash.
The camera of the firing multi-legged tank aligned with the gaze of the High Priest. The shell, which should have traveled straight, was deflected by a machete that the High Priest had drawn without anyone noticing, altering its trajectory. In the zoomed footage, the High Priest moved with such speed that the camera’s frame rate struggled to keep up, appearing suddenly at the feet of the immobilized multi-legged tank.
And in the next moment, the multi-legged tank was cleaved in two.
This is the true display of the Prava Divine Nation’s might. The laws of physics seem a bit unclear here.