CH 78

Assault on the Ruined City 2

There is countless wreckage of multi-legged tanks lying on the shoreline. All of them were completely disabled and some still can be seen spouting out black smoke. The scene looks almost like a large number of dead oversized crabs washed up on the shore.

“Hurry up with the landing!”

“Don’t get scared now! A striker’s attack power won’t be enough to pierce the frontal armor of our tanks!”

Meanwhile, countless multi-legged tanks are being deployed from the berthed Calencian amphibious assault ships. The multi-legged tanks possess sturdy armor and high firepower. Along with the mobility provided by their 4 pairs of legs and anti-gravity lifter which allow them to traverse any terrain, they are indispensable in ground warfare.

“With this, the first stage of the operation is complete. We will move on to invading the inland area now.”

Schleer said while overseeing the situation.

Almost at the same time, multiple large explosions occurred near the landing point. Although there was no direct hit, the blast from the explosion sent the multi-legged tanks flying. The landing point was quite far away from Kisei’s group’s location but they can even feel the shockwave from inside their cockpits.

“Uwah, are they going to be okay over there!?”

“T, That shouldn’t be enough to kill them. I think……”

Kisei, who started to have cold sweat, answered Saki’s panicked question. After all, the cockpit of a multi-legged tank is designed to be even more shock-resistant than a striker cockpit.

“That must be their mobile artillery. Their fire rate is too slow for a fortress gun.”

The turret on the amphibious assault ships silently moves toward the enemy’s direction and starts counterattacking with ferocious muzzle flashes. However, even though they roughly know the enemy’s location from their counter-battery radar, the Noredian bombardment still did not stop.

(TLN: Counter Battery Radar is the radar you use to see where projectiles originated from)

“We can’t proceed with the landing like this! We need to take those artilleries out!”

“Alrighty.”

After glancing at his fuel gauge, Kisei replied. Thanks to the Jet Armor, he still has plenty of propellants left.

The three Zeniths fly toward the enemy’s proximate location with a unit of [Claymores] following behind them.

“Her Highness is leading the charge herself?”

“As expected of our princess.”

Hearing such words from the miscellaneous voices on the radio, Schleer’s cheeks loosen. It seems that she has been doing her job well so far.

“Incoming interceptors, Prepare for combat!”

Kisei’s shout came in when she relaxed her guard for a moment. Focusing her mind, Schleer hurriedly re-grasps her control sticks and checks the radar. However, the radar’s reading does not show any sign of the enemy.

“Do you think an ambush will work on me!?”

Saying so, Kisei fired his blaster rifle at the enemy [Jetta] that jumped out from its cover behind the building and tried to shoot at them.

“Why did they choose to attack us now!? Their camouflage was perfect!”

“Don’t think about it! Just crush them!”

While they were confused by the enemy’s ambush, the Noredian strikers appeared from all over the place and began to attack them. The ambushing unit mainly consisted of [Jettas] but heavyweight strikers that are sporting large mega-blaster-rifles can also be seen among them.

“It’s the [Vil]! They have thick armor, be careful!”

The heavily armored striker. [Vil], aims its mega blaster rifle toward the [Claymore] who shouted so and fired a crimson beam which is much thicker than your average shot from a regular blaster rifle.

“Oh no…..!”

The [Claymore]’s pilot was prepared for her death but a shot from Kisei’s blaster rifle hit the extra-sized beam away before it made its impact. And earlier than the admiration of such godlike action of shooting down a beam can set into the [Claymore] pilot’s mind, another shot from Kisei’s rifle already pierced the [Vil]’s engine.

“I, I believe in god now.”

The pilot looked at the [Caliburn-Revive] like a subject of worship but the fact that he just saved someone has already been wiped away from Kisei’s mind.

“Even though it has heavy armor, An 8.5Mw shot is enough to pierce it huh. It’s not as troublesome as the guy from last time I guess.”

Recalling the sturdiness of the [Zarava] that he fought against the other day, Kisei muttered in a small voice. He then kicked the ground and avoided the barrage from the enemy machine guns. The area was already surrounded completely by the enemy. In other words, they are in the middle of a crossfire. In that situation, multiple [Jettas] focus their medium machine guns at the [Caliburn-Revive].

“This sound, they have large-caliber machine guns huh. They are using planetary army’s equipment.”

Unlike the sound of the submachine guns, the sound made by the medium machine guns is a heavy one that can rumble your stomach.

“So these guys are specialized in ground combat huh. I will have to wipe them out quickly before the damage increases then!”

On the contrary, the Calencian side is used to space battles. It’s easy to imagine that the enemy is more skilled in ground warfare from the equipment they deployed and their tactics so far. Deciding to go ahead and wipe them out, Kisei stepped on the pedal and unsheathed his photon saber.

“The enemy Zenith is coming! Support me!”

“How!”

The Noredian Soldiers screamed in panic as the [Caliburn-Revive] dash toward them while swatting down bullets with its photon saber.

“How do we deal with something like that!”

“NO! Don’t come any closer!”

The [Jetta] which tried to escape was pierced from behind at its abdomen by the pile bunker. At the same time, a shot from Kisei’s blaster rifle took down another one.

“That guy, that’s the [Wicked Star]!”

“A, Are you kidding me…….Uwahh!”

The [Jettas] that were firing their machine guns at Kisei from a distance were bombarded by the [Mistilteinn].

“I would be troubled if you forget that I’m here too!”

Schleer said with a grin inside her cockpit.