Chapter 278: We’ve Won (Flag)
“This means we’ve won, doesn’t it?”
“Ma’am, why are you raising a flag like that?!”
“Ma’am, we still haven’t seen the enemy’s high-ranking monks, so we mustn’t let our guard down.”
Although both sides’ combat power evaluation values were decreasing, it was evident that the decline on the side of the Prava Divine Nation was much steeper. Given the trajectory of the expected decline, victory seemed almost assured. That was Eve’s understanding, but she recalled that there were still the archbishops—whose existence remained unclear and whose combat power had yet to be evaluated.
“I think the situation is quite catastrophic, yet they still haven’t shown themselves. Isn’t it a poor strategy to hold back their forces like this?”
Even so, Eve found it hard to believe that the Prava Divine Nation still had reserves left at this stage of the battle. Were the monk soldiers outside merely sacrificial pawns, aiming to whittle down the enemy’s strength even a little?
“Ma’am, expecting perfection from humanity is just setting yourself up for disappointment!”
“Asahi, you’re quite harsh. In that sense, I think the AIs on the front lines are far from perfect as well.”
“The amount of information we can process is fundamentally different, Ma’am. Comparing humanity, which can only share information through spoken and written language, to us AIs, who can transmit various types of information directly, is not constructive.”
Perhaps feeling something in response to Eve’s grumbling, RINGO quickly countered. Eve’s expression turned alarmed, and she hurriedly stood up.
“Okay, okay, I think you all are amazing, so just calm down…”
For Eve, who relied entirely on RINGO, having RINGO sulk could literally be a matter of life and death. Well, considering the raison d’être of the AIs belonging to The Tree, such a situation shouldn’t arise, but it was a matter of mood.
Eve pulled RINGO’s Communicator Android closer, who was fuming silently. It was probably RINGO’s way of seeking affection or a form of communication. Asahi shot a slightly annoyed glance, but fortunately, Eve remained oblivious.
“Ma’am, Iris has detected a special unit.”
Even amidst their heartwarming exchange, the situation on the front lines was rapidly changing. Iris’s surveillance network had captured a unit presumed to be the archbishop, adorned in particularly extravagant attire.
Could this be considered a grand entrance? Already, nearly half of the monk soldiers deployed outside the castle walls had been deemed combat ineffective. The bishops, regarded as the strongest forces, had taken down two out of six.
It was no wonder that The Tree’s side deemed the gradual deployment of forces as a sound strategy.
“Archbishop… Alhiepisukop, huh? The estimated combat power evaluation value is five to ten times that of a bishop… Hmm? Bishops are the ones who cut through the Jotun’s main cannon, right?”
“Yes, Ma’am. At this point, if this unit enters the battlefield, the complete annihilation of The Tree’s units can be anticipated.”
“…To think it could take down a land battleship single-handedly is hard to believe… or rather, I don’t want to accept it…”
Due to the loss of combat capability of the Jotun, the combat power evaluation values for bishop-class units had been updated upwards. Consequently, the estimated value for the archbishop had skyrocketed. Initially, it was assumed that the forces they were deploying would be sufficient to conquer the Holy Capital.
“Ma’am, against magic, conventional forces are practically meaningless—just a distraction! Isn’t it a wonderfully romantic scenario where an individual overwhelms a horde?!”
“Since we’re the ones being trampled, I can’t say I’m happy about it. The fact that the combat power evaluation seems somewhat accurate is the only consolation.”
“Don’t worry about that, Ma’am! It’s all accounted for! Now, come on, Iris, say it!”
“Even if all our forces are lost this time, with our current production capabilities, we can recover our strength in as little as five days. We can launch another invasion in a week. Based on the estimated combat power evaluation values, the enemy’s strength will be depleted in at most three invasions.”
Eve immediately gave a thumbs up in response to Iris’s words.
“Thanks, Iris. But there’s also a chance we could take them down in this invasion alone, right?”
“Yes, Ma’am. With the addition of Mune-Moshine, our evaluation value has significantly increased.”
The aerial escort ship, Titan, they had deployed was flying at an altitude of 6,000 meters. At that distance, they should be able to manage just fine. The actual bombardment was taking place from over 10 kilometers above. It was unlikely that the enemy would retaliate from such a distance.
To instill fear, the first strike was made while flying at an altitude of 1,000 meters directly above.
Moreover, the multi-stage coilgun equipped on Mune-Moshine could launch warheads weighing up to 2 tons at speeds exceeding 6,000 m/s. Compared to this, the main cannon of a quadrupedal tank could be considered a mere pea shooter. The main cannon’s warhead weighed around 5 kg, making its destructive power 400 times less. With energy supply and cooling systems fully prepared, the firing intervals were also short.
If this warhead could hit directly, even a bishop could be eliminated, Eve thought hopefully. In reality, they wouldn’t know until they tried.
“Visual confirmation of a unit presumed to be the archbishop at the North Gate, East Gate, and West Gate.”
Akane reported, and the enlarged images were displayed on the aerial screen.
Two figures vanished, while one shone brilliantly white.
“What now?!”
“Warning, significant damage has occurred to Jotun Battleship No. 4!”
“The quadrupedal tanks are under attack!”
“Attack, attack!”
In an instant, the scene descended into chaos. Warning symbols erupted across the display, and the combat power evaluation values plummeted at an alarming rate.
“Full power, full power!”
“I’m integrating the control systems with Eurytus. Ugh, I might be a bit late…”
The quadrupedal tanks assigned to the East Gate were being destroyed one after another. Amidst the barrage of shells and lasers, a single archbishop began to rampage.
All cannons, except for the Jotun’s main cannon, began firing shells with all their might. The quadrupedal tanks attempted to use themselves as decoys to land effective hits, but they couldn’t keep up with the overwhelming speed.
In any case, the distance was simply too close.
The Jotun at the West Gate had a massive hole blown through its midsection due to a mysterious attack. The nearby nuclear fusion reactor was, of course, severely damaged, causing significant harm to the energy systems. While it had not yet ceased operation, its combat power evaluation value had drastically decreased.
Meanwhile, at the North Gate, numerous translucent shields had appeared on the battlefield. These shields scattered lasers and completely blocked shells, allowing the monk soldiers and bishops to move actively.
In particular, the four bishops used the shields as footholds, executing incomprehensible maneuvers to destroy the quadrupedal tanks one after another.
“Oh no! This is a disaster!”
“Teia, Leia, and Themis have locked onto the target. Engage the Maser Cannons!”
Amidst the chaos of the battlefield, the formidable forces finally arrived. Gigantia Battleship No. 3, Eurytus, had entered the battlefield’s range. The aerial escort ships, Teia, Leia, and Themis, also began their attacks simultaneously.
First, they targeted the most threatening archbishop at the West Gate. The high-output masers, five in total, concentrated their energy on a single point.
It was literally at the speed of light. The attack reached maximum power the moment it was perceived.
The surrounding atmosphere became plasma due to the extreme heat. However, it seemed the castle walls remained unchanged, protected by the barrier’s defensive effects.
Even so, the archbishop, who appeared to be preparing for the next attack, was engulfed in plasma. Yet, Iris, who had been observing the enemy from all angles, confirmed that the archbishop had escaped, his clothing singed.
That information was instantly shared across the network, and the future position was predicted based on the speed and direction of his movement. The angle of the Maser Cannons was fine-tuned, continuing to target the fleeing archbishop.
The inflation of fantasy knows no bounds…
But I suppose it’s the same for the enemy, isn’t it…?