CH 188

Chapter 188 – The Demon King and the Bonfire

“Which way do you want to crush first?”

I asked Myrril as we were shifting and falling toward the inner bay.

“First, the gunboats offshore. We’ll show them what we can do to those scum who are too proud of their heights.”

“That’s good.”

I don’t know what the naval flags on this side of the ship indicate, but judging from the rows of decorative flags, the one in the back must be the flagship. Let’s go out there and say hello to the commander.

I move to the bow deck and use my AKM to mow down the surrounding soldiers. The enemy spots us, but before they can move to deal with us, Myrril’s M79 buzzes.

After a short pause, the cannon on the port side blows up. Perhaps not properly secured, the entire pedestal rolls away, crushing the artillery around it. Blood sprays from the cannon, and sparks of fire spread across the deck.

“Now is the time for me to taste the hell you have made… Hmm!?”

Mir-neesan’s anger and quick reloading had all come up empty. This is because the explosion was triggered around the gun turret before the follow-up attack could be sent.

“Hey, Myrril, you’re overdoing it! Rather than looking for the commander, we should run away, or we’ll get caught in the middle of it!?”

“No, it’s not my fault!”

The firestorm continued to grow as the artillery that had rolled over the ship caused more and more damage, and one after another, explosions were directed toward the aft side of the ship. The firestorm continued to grow, with one explosion after another toward the stern of the ship. By the time the ship runs out of power and plunges into the sea, the entire ship is consumed by fire, and the mast becomes like a giant torch, untouchable.

“…This is the next move, I suppose.”

“O-oh.”

Perhaps it’s because they don’t know the technical system they took from Rinko, or perhaps it’s because they don’t know any other enemies with gunpowder firearms besides themselves, but these guys are too careless with gunpowder. I don’t think it’s a good thing that they use open powder for ignition, but even before that, I can’t believe that they are carrying bare charges next to the gun turrets.

To be precise, it’s not as if the Imperial Army hasn’t had experience playing against firearms owners, either. The enemies who attacked the Casemaian were either destroyed and didn’t bring information back home, or they didn’t have the brains to learn from their mistakes.

“The gunpowder is on fire; let’s go, Mir!”

The target was a consort ship that was bombarding next to us. Holding Myrril, I jumped over by teleportation. Behind me, I hear the flagship roaring down, but I don’t know. Some scattered debris hits the gunship that has landed as well. It didn’t affect the one we were on, so I decided to just crack on with the work.

“Mir, don’t use the M79. I had just the right one.”

I had long forgotten about the shells, which, to my horror, were still in storage in an ignited state.

I tossed it nimbly to the gunnery seat lined up on the port side and flew directly to shore with teleportation. Immediately afterward, I looked back and saw the gunboat explode and begin to sink.

“What the hell was that? Is that a homemade bomb?”

“No, it’s a shell of the Imperial Army. Look, the one launched by the mounted golem in Casemaian.”

“…It’s surprisingly handy, isn’t it?”

That’s right. I was strictly disciplined by my grandma in Koriyama, so I am the type of person who takes good care of things. I didn’t think it was still in a state of ignition, though.

If there had been any lapse of time inside the storage, it might have been dangerous. I can’t laugh at the sloppiness of the Imperial Artillery.

“Mir, just hold on!”

While holding her in a princess’s hug, I also throw the shells on the deck of the gunboat that has landed on the shore. From the looks of it, the mortars are not in attack condition, and there is no gunnery or armament around them.

I jumped to the other ship and saw an explosion behind it. Throw another shell. Return to the first ship and drop a shell through a large hole in the deck toward the inside of the ship. After jumping around impatiently and finishing off the last gunboat, I was done with the bad inventory.

“I figured if it wasn’t on deck, it was in the hold…”

As we turned around, the two ships that had landed exploded into flames with a slight time lag.

“A big bonfire.”

“Good grief. It’s attracting the bugs.”

In front of the pier, dozens of Imperial troops, who had lost their ships, stared in dismay at the burning gunboats. With the flames on their backs, we held up our guns to them.

“What’s the matter, you bastards!”

Myrril’s angry shouts made the soldiers tremble. Then they finally noticed our presence. Who might have set the ship on fire?

There was a suspicious murmur, but they did not accept the fact in their minds.

“Do you think you’re the only ones who won’t be killed!? Or do you intend to lay waste to the innocents as if you were squashing insects?”

The Imperial Army soldiers, who had begun to point their spears and bows loosely, were reaped by a flash of gunfire and crumpled to the ground.

“It’s a pity. You are the ones who will be overrun and trampled!”

I sweep the AKM and switch to the RPK without replacing the magazine. With Myrril at my side, we slaughtered one another while maintaining a clear line of fire.

“Shield soldiers, forward!”

The soldiers who had stepped out in disarray seemed to have chosen to charge forward with their shield-bearers in front of the ever-increasing number of corpses of their comrades, one after the other.

There are no more than ten shield bearers who have been sent to the vanguard. They were all inferior in terms of equipment and physique as if they were in the lower ranks. Dozens of soldiers gathered behind the shield bearers, who were literally nothing more than bullet repellents, and a 40mm grenade flew into the midst of them and exploded.

The men rolled around in the fragments of the shrapnel grenade, and the light infantrymen in leather armor were killed instantly. Those who were wearing armor or were behind the shielding of their comrades died after screaming and calling out to their comrades for help.

“Do you think those who draw their bows against the Demon King can escape?”

“””Hiyaaaaaa…!”””

Every time Myrril advanced, the Imperial Army soldiers were frightened and fell back. They had no place to escape. Having lost the legs to return home, there was nowhere to go now.

Anyone who tried to shoot with a bow would have their eyeballs shot out, and anyone who tried to rely on their numbers would be crushed by grenades.

With plenty of fear in the air, Myrril and I drove the imperial soldiers away. The invading army is not the one running up the hill leading to the gates of Cassmeer. They are just defeated soldiers now.

“Don’t give up! If you pass through the fortress of Cassmeer, the northern territory will…!”

The commander, who was trying to regain control of his troops by encouraging them with a loud voice, collapsed without a sound.

“Eh?”

“Who said that you could pass?”

A man standing tall on a nearby roof looked down at the Imperial Army soldiers. When I turned around, I saw men standing on the opposite roof, on the surrounding roofs, and on the gate at the end of the hill. The defeated soldiers finally realize that these are the guards of the Central Territory of the Republic and that they are completely surrounded.

Dozens of arrows were sticking out of the commander’s entire body, no matter how much anger he had put into it.

“Don’t you dare underestimate me, you black rag.”

The dense killing intent that swelled up around them covered the Imperial Army soldiers.