CH 220

Breaking Through the Enemy Line 5

“Still, they are pretty persistent aren’t they.”

Diaroze said with a fed-up look. Her gaze is on the tactical map displayed on the console screen.

“We should already have got through the area where the enemy vanguard fleet was guarding too…….”

“It would be a major victory for them if they can shoot down even one Zenith-type after all. The lower-rank aristocrats must be pretty desperate for achievements. Well, they will only trouble the commoners they dragged along in their army though.”

Saki said as she avoided the beam coming from behind her. However, being attacked continuously like this would apply pressure on even the strongest ace. In other words, she wants to let loose a little.

“ Then how about we counterattack? The pursuers will be here soon. We stand a pretty good chance of winning after all.”

No matter how big the Noredian army is, they do not have the numbers to cover the entire battlefield. They have broken through the enemy line and the place they are at is relatively safe with the only thing they have to worry about being the enemy pursuit from behind.

“Hmm, that’s not a bad idea.”

Diaroze made a calculation in her head while looking at the tactical map. It was to see how much time the enemy reinforcements would take to get here if they launched an attack on their pursuers.

“Umu, Master, can I count on your ability here.”

“Roger that!”

Although her tone was nothing like a slave as usual, Kisei didn’t pay it any mind and stepped on the pedal. The [Ex-Caliburn] jumped off its ride booster and flew backward.

“Leave the control of the ride booster to me. You can go wild to your heart’s content.”

The ride booster can be remotely controlled using laser communication so Diaroze directed it somewhere far away so that it won’t get damaged in battle.

“A big game is coming our way! Shoot it down!”

The low-rank aristocrat who is the commander of their pursuers shouted. Despite being an aristocrat, the machine she’s piloting is just a modified mass-produced striker. She knows that she stands no chance in single combat so she intends to overwhelm Kisei with a superior number.

Kisei nods to himself then casually holds up his blaster rifle. The moment he pulled the trigger, the green particles were condensed and shot out toward his enemy. It flew far beyond its supposed effective range and pierced the engine of the commander’s striker which was cautiously positioned in the rear.

“The Lady is down!”

“How did she get sniped from that range! We are not even fighting [Heavenly Eye]-sama right!”

Her subordinates were plunged into confusion. Using that chance, Tersis and Eleanor who also abandoned their ride boosters, rushed toward them.

“Know your place and retreat already!”

“Uwahh!”

Although they could not show their true power due to the dummy exterior, the two are still former top aces of Nored. They don’t even break a sweat handling a platoon of poorly trained common soldiers or two.

In no time at all, several enemies fell prey to their beams and longsword.

“Kukukuku, they are pretty wild. Master, you can just sit back you know?”

“No way. I need that best score after all!”

As the [Wicked Star], he can not sit back and let his comrades have all the fun. Thinking so, Kisei immediately blew his thrusters and joined the two.

“DAMN PATCHWORK MACHINE!”

A [Jetta] pilot shot her blaster rifle toward [Ex-Caliburn] while ridiculing its mixed appearance. Most of her shots flew off to who knows where but one happened to rush straight toward the [Ex-Caliburn]’s head.

However, Kisei wouldn’t just let that hit. With a flowing motion, he pulled out the photon saber with its left hand and parried it back, disabling the [Jetta] that shot it by destroying its engine.

“THE HELL WAS THAT!?”

Unlike the soldiers of the Calencia Expeditionary fleet who have fought against the [Wicked Star] before, only a few know that he’s siding with Calencia this time. That’s why when such an outrageous thing was shown, chaos immediately spread among the Noredian pilots.

“THAT THING CAN’T POSSIBLY HANDLE A BARRAGE! SURROUND IT AND FOCUS FIRE!”

No matter how ridiculous parrying a beam with a photon saber is as a feat, the number of beams he can parry should still be limited. Following the direction of one smart pilot, the Noredian strikers began to form a formation around [Ex-caliburn] to surround it.

“You think I will sit still and let you do that…….!?”

However, Kisei doesn’t allow that. Using the acceleration from his thruster, he immediately plunged himself into the middle of their formation. Naturally, the enemies fired at him but he avoided everything with slight movement while hitting back those that he couldn’t avoid with his saber.

“Uwah! IT’S COMING!”

“I will intercept it! Keep firing!”

One [Jetta] pulled out a two-handed sword and rushed in to intercept [Ex-Caliburn]. The surrounding [Jettas] all concentrate their fire on his path to slow him down. It seems that they at least want to lessen his momentum even if it is by a little.

“I like your guts!”

However, Kisei did not slow down at all and simply avoided the shots with precise control. Seeing that, the pilot who plunged in to intercept him ferociously smiled.

“I will stop you here!”

“Do it if you can!”

Kisei avoided the downward swing of the two-handed sword with a paper-thin distance. At the same time, he fired the head-mounted machinegun at the [Jetta]’s head. The 12.7mm rounds raced toward their target but the pilot reacted quickly and blocked them with the shoulder guard. Small caliber bullets can’t pierce through a striker’s armor plate so it simply chips the shoulder guard a little.

“This one must be a knight. A commoner pilot wouldn’t be able to move this well.”

While listening to Diaroze’s comment, Kisei pointed the muzzle of his rifle at the [Jetta].

The [Jetta] that lost its posture due to the earlier defensive maneuver hurriedly covered its abdomen with the two-handed sword.

“Kuh!”

However, that was only a feint. Kisei put away the rifle and unleashed a powerful kick at the [Jetta]. The [Jetta] managed to block the blow with its sword but with the power output of a Zenith, it was blown away.

“You’re wide open!”

Using that chance, Kisei performed a somersault using the kicking momentum and fired the anti-ship grenade launcher mounted on the back. Firing it like this is unconventional as it usually requires a fire control system but the missile simply finds its way toward the [Jetta]’s abdomen and blows it apart.

“AHH! EL-SAMA!”

The surrounding [Jettas] screamed but this is not the time they should be worrying about others. Kisei fired his rifle and they were shot down one by one. From his perspective, they were like sitting ducks.

“T, There’s no way we can win against that…….”

“Retreat, RETREAT! SAVE YOURSELVES!”

The pursuit unit whose number was cut down in a blink of an eye immediately lost its morale. They hurriedly retreated and naturally, Kisei and the others did not give chase. After all, their goal is only to repel them.

“That did it huh. Now we can join up with the Melemheim fleet without worry.”

Diaroze exhaled in relief and said so but Kisei grinned and hold up his rifle again.

“No, we have newcomers.”

“What!?”

Diaroze looks at the radar in a hurry. However, the screen was covered in noises due to the enemy jamming. She can’t possibly search for any enemy in such a situation.

However, Diaroze knows about Kisei’s 6th sense. Giving up on the radar, she turned in the direction Kisei was looking. There, among the glowing stars, she can see the bright exhaust flame of thrusters racing toward them from a distance.

“That direction, it doesn’t seem they belong to the vanguard fleet we broke through earlier huh…….”

Tersis muttered to herself in a small voice.