Chapter 327: An Encounter with Fenrir
“Ma’am. Emergency alert confirmed. It’s Fenrir.”
“Ugh! Here we go again!”
In the training room, Eve was in the midst of her daily running when Ringo delivered the report.
She halted her run and exhaled deeply. Ringo swiftly approached her, handing over a hydration towel.
“Well, it’s a bit short, but just right. I’ll head to the command room while listening.”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
Eve quickly wiped her face with the towel and draped it around her neck. Timing it perfectly, she accepted the electrolyte drink that Ringo had prepared and began walking while sipping from it.
“Is it the same as usual?”
“Yes, Ma’am. No unusual behavior detected. It appears to be a territorial patrol.”
A projection display appeared diagonally in front of Eve, showcasing various data captured by motion detection sensors.
“The footsteps, estimated speed, and appearance location are all within predicted ranges. Should we respond as usual?”
“Yes, Ma’am. Iris has already begun preparations.”
As Ringo spoke, she deftly helped Eve put on her jacket. With practiced hands, she untied Eve’s hair, which had been gathered for exercise, and unraveled the turban. Following Eve’s movements without interruption, she combed through her hair and tidied her appearance.
It was a skilled performance. Both master and servant likely enjoyed this playful interaction.
“Right now, we have the Burning Stone Warheads deployed… Yes, they’re scheduled for use. I wonder how it will turn out.”
“If we don’t clearly demonstrate our capability to respond, there’s a high chance that territorial expansion will occur again. Material warfare is easy, but it has a significant impact on the surrounding environment.”
Since the previous battle, Fenrir had been appearing sporadically near the borders like this. Initially, they had braced for a re-invasion, but it seemed more like a power reconnaissance, and now it was considered a standard territorial patrol.
Each time, they had been intercepting with a barrage of warheads and missiles.
“The soil contamination from radioactive materials and heavy metals is concerning. While it has contributed to the maturation of our removal technology, this frequency is problematic…”
The shells were primarily composed of depleted uranium, which has a higher density than iron or lead, to enhance their destructive power. This was also a means of disposing of surplus materials generated during nuclear fuel refinement.
Additionally, various heavy metals and harmful chemicals were used in the missiles, leading to extreme soil contamination in the vicinity after large-scale attacks.
“Removal is possible, but it would severely disrupt the surrounding ecosystem, so we prefer not to do it too often.”
The contamination removal process involved stripping away several meters of surface soil from the affected area and feeding it into a Recycler to separate out the toxic substances.
Naturally, the local wildlife would be driven away, and the vegetation would be completely destroyed.
Even within a limited area, excessive environmental destruction could lead to various problems, making it a troublesome task that unnecessarily raised stress levels for the intelligent beings affiliated with The Tree.
“The first real combat deployment of the Burning Stone Warhead, huh? I hope it proves effective…”
“Let’s trust Asahi’s verification results. The Jotun-class battleship No. 12 equipped with the Burning Stone Warhead has begun its movement. It will arrive on-site in approximately 15 minutes.”
With their appearances somewhat tidied up, Eve and Ringo entered the command room. Inside, Akane and Ichigo were waiting, providing backup for the Local Strategy AI, Iris.
“Akane, Ichigo, thank you for your hard work. What’s the situation?”
“Yes, Sister. The scramble for the attack aircraft has been completed. The previously launched Ultra Hypersonic Missiles will arrive shortly.”
The display indicated that impact was expected in 23 seconds.
The conventional warhead missiles, used for deterrence, were rapidly approaching the Fenrir that had appeared on-site.
“Identification complete. Individual identification name: Froze. Estimated to be conducting standard territorial patrol.”
In the footage from the surveillance devices, multiple flashes occurred as missiles traveling at Mach 6 struck around Froze.
Only six missiles were launched, and since they were not precision-guided, they served merely as a deterrent. However, it seemed that Froze was testing their response capabilities, making it crucial to minimize the time taken to react.
They had already noticed Froze’s approach, showcasing their readiness to respond.
“The attack aircraft will arrive in 5 minutes. The active radar is already online. They should be aware of our presence.”
“Froze has changed its direction. It’s exiting the forest and entering the buffer zone.”
Froze dove into the buffer zone set outside the boundary established by The Tree.
However, this was typical behavior.
It was merely checking where the territorial boundaries were set.
Given that they accurately remembered and assessed these areas, the threat level posed by the Fenrir species was considered very high.
“The attack aircraft has launched missiles. Impact expected in 80 seconds.”
“Froze has reacted to the attack aircraft or the missiles. Estimated to be a response to the radar waves.”
The advanced information-gathering devices buried on-site were continuously sending analysis results.
It seemed that Froze was assessing The Tree’s response capabilities, but The Tree was doing the same in return.
During these repeated territorial patrols, The Tree had been responding with slightly different tactics each time. By observing Froze’s reactions, they aimed to analyze the capabilities of the Fenrir species.
“It feels like we’re getting a decent understanding of Froze’s response capabilities during standard patrols.”
“Yes, Sister. We’ve gathered information on the response range to radar waves, the intensity of reactions to sound and vibrations, and the speeds at which they can respond. However, we cannot be certain that this information isn’t misleading, so the accuracy of our estimates isn’t very high.”
At the very least, The Tree was incorporating random elements into their response strategies to avoid giving away information to the enemy. Similarly, Froze could also be engaging in deceptive behaviors.
The Fenrir species had been assessed to possess a considerably high level of intelligence based on previous behavioral observations. If that were the case, they might be employing tactics to provide false information to their adversaries.
“If we could communicate, there might still be a chance for mutual understanding…”
However, given the current situation, it was hard to believe that the other side had any intention of dialogue. Perhaps if they continued to engage patiently, such an outcome might eventually arise.
It was unlikely that a species living in the conflict-ridden Demon Forest would actively seek dialogue.
“Missiles entering terminal trajectory.”
“Froze appears to have entered an interception stance.”
In the footage, Froze firmly planted its limbs into the ground, glaring at the sky. Although no sound was audible, there was an aura of ferocity that suggested a growl was escaping its clenched jaws.
What was being released between its interlocking fangs were likely atmospheric molecules that had been superheated and turned into plasma.
“Missiles impact.”
“Froze has unleashed its breath attack.”
A blinding flash of light erupted, overwhelming the observation equipment. The instruments quickly adjusted their light levels after the whiteout.
The crimson blossoms blooming in the sky filled the display.
“All 18 missiles were intercepted in mid-air.”
“The number of simultaneous targets Froze can engage, as well as its speed and accuracy, all exceed previous encounters.”
“Wow, it’s strong…”
Froze, which appeared every time, was undoubtedly growing stronger. It was likely learning from their responses. Simply relying on speed alone would no longer suffice to land a hit.
Even if they attempted a saturation attack, if Froze focused on evasion, they wouldn’t be able to bring it within the attack range, making it a troublesome adversary.
“At this rate, it feels like it might break through soon…”
“Yes, Ma’am. Iris shares that concern.”
“Iris is eagerly anticipating the practical deployment of the Burning Stone Warhead. Our response capabilities have improved, but we can still hit the warhead. Timing is crucial.”
“It seems we are at the very edge of being able to demonstrate that we possess a lethal means of attack. Iris has reported that if we have a few more encounters of this scale, Froze may fully adapt to our responses.”
Thus, while stalling for time with aerial attacks, the land battleship fleet was finally nearing the site.
This is a slice-of-life moment with a neighbor who might actually be the closest friend. A daily life chapter. Well, they’re about to get hit, though.