Chapter 301: A Draw
“Direct hit confirmed. Damage assessment in progress.”
“Just before impact, a phenomenon of the magical barrier’s glow was observed.”
The warhead, entering at an extreme supersonic speed of around Mach 6, unleashed its kinetic energy to devastating effect. Perhaps unable to fully absorb the shock, Froze was sent flying.
“Approximately 20 to 30 percent of the kinetic energy has reached the main body,” Iris reported.
Ichigo echoed the calculations from Iris. In the footage, Froze, slammed into the ground, rolled several times before regaining its stance and glaring at Jotun A.
“Iris, temporarily halt the attack. We are executing a show of force.”
Iris determined that a clear damage had been inflicted and changed the tactical objective to intimidation. The barrels of the surviving automated machines were aimed at Froze and held steady.
“Video analysis in progress. Blood has been detected at Froze’s mouth. Likely internal damage.”
“Well, the attack didn’t hit its mouth, did it?”
“Is it vomiting blood?”
Blood dripped from the corner of Froze’s mouth, a testament to the internal shockwave’s impact. Finally, they had managed to land a significant blow against Froze.
That said, it appeared that Froze had no other visible injuries. The damage was not severe enough to impair its movement.
“Now then… I think we’ve both demonstrated our strength…”
While the intelligence of the Fenrir species was uncertain, their previous actions indicated a level of rationality. If they could understand that victory was unlikely or that pursuing it would be exceedingly troublesome, there was a chance they might choose to retreat.
Froze began to slowly back away, its limbs shifting cautiously, prompting the automated machine’s barrels to adjust in response.
A tense standoff ensued.
Eventually, Froze began to retreat further.
“Iris seems to be observing.”
The standoff continued, with the distance gradually widening. Once they had created a sufficient gap of over 1 kilometer, Froze turned on its heel and bolted away. It must have reached a considerable speed, kicking up a cloud of dust as it vanished from sight.
“Iris has declared the battle concluded. Reconnaissance aircraft are being summoned.”
“Commencing damage report collection.”
Hearing this report, Eve nodded appreciatively and stood up.
“Alright, we won the first battle! We can’t let our guard down just yet, but let’s analyze the combat situation and prepare for the next encounter!”
“Yes, Ma’am!” came the unified response.
Thus, the first contact between the Fenrir species and The Tree came to an end.
While they had managed to inflict effective damage, they had not succeeded in subjugating the creature. Whether this outcome would prove beneficial or disastrous remained to be seen.
Additional land battleships landed at Yakari Port. Three ships in total. They were to be deployed near the Demon Forest in a developing village, serving as fixed artillery and power supply units. If the opportunity arose, they might also be used for land leveling.
The Jotun land battleship boasted formidable striking power, but its defensive capabilities were lacking.
In terms of sheer structural integrity, it was sufficiently robust. The problem lay in the overwhelming strength of the opposing enemy.
However, if this continued, it risked being labeled as an unwieldy weapon relative to its cost, particularly in Eve’s mind.
“Still, the flames that Froze spewed were absolutely terrifying…”
That said, it felt inappropriate to judge the Jotun’s utility solely based on its compatibility with the Fenrir species. There had been no ground targets capable of moving at supersonic speeds and withstanding direct hits from shells, even during the gaming era. They had apparently existed in space, though.
“We recovered the severely damaged Jotun B, but its internal structure was nearly melted. There were signs of surface melting on the tungsten carbide as well, indicating that temperatures exceeding 3,000°C may have been generated instantaneously.”
“Three thousand…?”
For an iron-based alloy, that kind of heat could not only melt but also boil and vaporize it. If they were struck by such a heated projectile, there would be no means to defend against it with the current weaponry held by The Tree. Perhaps pure tungsten armor coated with heat-resistant paint could withstand it, but it would have issues with resistance to other forms of damage, and it was a rare element that could not be mass-produced.
“Hmm… It might finally be necessary to implement energy fields or some form of non-material armor…”
“To counter monsters, such equipment might indeed be necessary!” Asahi chimed in, her enthusiasm evident.
For Asahi, merely contemplating equipment to counter fantasy creatures was a source of joy.
“Energy fields react with atmospheric molecules, so their use on a planet is significantly limited. Just moving while deploying the field consumes vast amounts of energy.”
Typically, energy fields, a form of non-material armor, were used in space to protect vessels from interstellar matter. Their common function was to generate repulsion against approaching matter. Due to this mechanism, using them on a planet with an atmosphere would constantly generate repulsion, placing a heavy burden on the field generation device.
“I believe the optimal solution at this moment is to utilize the magical barriers created from the magic stones of threat creatures…”
“You really don’t give up, do you, Asahi?”
Eve chuckled, but she was beginning to think it might be time to grant permission for experimental use. At the very least, in the development of the Demon Forest, they would need to employ magical barriers; otherwise, they risked incurring massive losses every time something went awry. Losing land battleships to threat creatures repeatedly would pose significant financial issues.
“Even if we can’t fully understand the principles, we can make predictions based on results. Science has developed in that manner. To refuse to utilize something simply because we cannot explain it is, from the perspective of us children of science, nonsense.”
“Well, yes…”
In the end, it was merely a refusal based on an instinctual discomfort. Eve had begun to realize this.
“For now, let’s reconsider that once we’ve dealt with this matter. Now, let’s move on to the next stage.”
“Yes, Ma’am!” “Yes, older sister!”
The A-class strategic AI, Iris, had achieved a temporary victory.
One Jotun was severely damaged, another moderately damaged. One hundred twenty-five quadrupedal tanks were destroyed, fifty-six were damaged. Thirty-eight multi-legged tanks were destroyed, and twenty-two were damaged.
That was the extent of the damage from this battle. A significant number of multi-legged machines deployed around Jotun B had been obliterated. Jotun D also sustained damage to its mobility systems and was slated for dismantling.
However, to inflict effective damage on the Fenrir species, large, high-output weapons like the Jotun were essential, rather than multi-legged machines. While it might be possible to deal damage by combining the laser cannons of the multi-legged machines, they would be unable to keep up with the supersonic targets that leaped around. They would be wiped out before they could even respond.
By preparing a clear enemy, or rather a target like the Jotun, they could finally land their attacks.
Iris contemplated.
In this case, there was no need to worry about the losses incurred. If that was the case, using a decoy to destroy the enemy would be the most efficient approach.
This time, they had managed to force Froze into retreat. However, Froze would likely be able to gauge their overall combat strength.
Based on its previous actions, Froze was presumed to possess a certain level of intelligence. If that were the case, there was a significant possibility it would come back with some form of countermeasure to launch another attack.
Come to think of it, this was the first time they had engaged in a battle where both sides ended up with a draw. It was a highly educational episode.