Chapter 104: The Carnela Port Recapture Operation (11)

Chapter 104: The Carnela Port Recapture Operation (11)

After the battleship sank there were only two battleships left, and Farl and the others were attacking while surrounding them with bows, arrows, and spiritual arts. However, they didn’t have any means of attack powerful enough to directly destroy the battleships, so they could only take down the armored soldiers that showed up on the deck.

However, this doesn’t mean they lacked firepower. Even I had to channel all my concentration into my spiritual arts in order to bring down just one of them. It was no easy feat to sink a battleship, which was essentially a fortress floating on the sea, while flying through the sky... But wait, perhaps there was a way after all, even if it couldn’t be accomplished by an individual. And that method was right in my hands.

“Ga”

“...You want to go down? Understood.” Mika said.

I pulled on the rope connecting me to Mika firmly. It seemed like he comprehended my intentions as he began to lower our flying altitude, almost skimming the surface of the sea. In that state, we approached the battleships that Farl and the others were flying around.

All the cannons of that battleship were destroyed, and there were large holes in the deck. That’s probably why they were only vigilant of the sky and didn’t notice us approaching from a low position.

“Gaggigego.” (Block your ears with something.)

“Ears, you say? Understood.”

As we approached the side of the ship, I warned Mika. And although he had a perplexed expression, he obediently covered his ears with both hands. After confirming this, I aimed the special gun I had brought with me toward the lower side of the ship and pulled the trigger.

Following a tremendous noise, a shockwave erupted, accompanied by the enhanced bullet being fired from the muzzle. A large hole appeared on the ship’s side, and water rushed in forcefully. Around the hole, cracks spread widely, indicating that if further impact was applied, the hole would expand.

“M-my ears...! If I hadn’t covered them, I might have fainted from the sound.”

Mika groaned while holding his ears. It was indeed the right call to tell him to cover his ears. Next thing, I conjured a large axe made of sand and swung it toward the cracks running around the hole. As I had expected, the hole expanded significantly, and the battleship slowly but surely began to sink.

Now, only one battleship remained. Among the ones that hadn’t sunk, it was the most battered of them, with all its cannons and mounted guns destroyed. The mission would be all over if we boarded and subdued it together. However, there is a saying of “A cornered rat will bite the cat”. We should never let our guard down; we must ensure the last battleship’s definite sinking.

“Goga?”

“I heard that sound just now... It came from the ground.”

It seemed that fierce battles were unfolding on the surface as well. While hoping for the safety of Marcellus, Tigar, and the others, we flew towards the final battleship.

◆◇◆◇◆◇

The Imperial army’s main forces, numbering over a hundred thousand, advanced towards Carnela port without breaking their formation. When they had come within a certain distance, a fleet floating on the sea was engulfed in flames. The Imperial soldiers were convinced that the aerial bombardment had succeeded. UppTodated from nô/v/e/lb(i)n.c(o)/m

“Raise your shields!”

“Deploy the barriers!”

Immediately afterward, cannons installed on the four layers of the outer walls guarding the port simultaneously erupted in fire. The sound of the Republican Army’s cannons was akin to the signal of war, the sound of an arrow announcing the commencement of battle for both sides. The heavy infantry at the forefront of the Imperial army raised their large shields, while the unit of spiritualists positioned behind them deployed barriers in the air to protect against the artillery barrage.

The barriers created by the unit of spiritualists prioritized size over strength, so their durability wasn’t exceptionally high. However, they effectively mitigated the power of the artillery strikes, and there were hardly any casualties among the heavy infantry.

“Be cautious of attacks from above! Hang the ladders!”

“Now’s the time! Run! Run with all your might!”

The heavy infantry unit that reached the outer walls retrieved ladders they had held behind their large shields. These ladders had protrusions to connect them vertically, allowing several to be combined into a long ladder.

Assembling the ladders quickly and as trained, they were swiftly placed against the outer walls. The Republic Army soldiers attempted to shoot down from above or remove the ladders to hinder the heavy infantry’s progress, but the sheer difference in numbers allowed multiple ladders to be set up.

The Imperial Army’s light infantry unit charged toward their objective. They ascended the ladders, aiming for the top of the outer walls at a speed no different from running on the ground.

“Ugh!”

“Uwaaaah!”

That being said, ascending the ladders was the most vulnerable moment, effectively turning them into prime targets for the enemy’s gunfire. Brave soldiers attempted to climb up, but they were shot down one after another.

However, they were also the elite of the Imperial Army. Unless they were instantly killed by a critical shot, they would roll with the fall and quickly return to the front lines. Those with serious injuries, such as broken bones, sought shelter beneath the shields held by the heavy infantry, allowing for recovery. Soldiers who could harness their fighting spirit would rise again and again, displaying relentless perseverance until they were either killed or their spirits broken.

“Let’s go, you bastards! Follow my lead!”

“Do you understand the plan? We’ll sprint up all at once!”

Amidst such chaos, the demon squad, alongside the light infantry unit, also reached the outer walls. Among them, those who possessed sharp claws ascended the walls forcefully while holding their weapons in one hand.

The Republic forces, not mindful of the enemy’s approach from places other than the ladders, were delayed in responding to Tigar and his comrades climbing. As a result, without facing significant resistance, they reached the top of the outer walls successfully.

“Gorururururu!”

“Uo~o~o~on!”

The moment they reached the top of the walls, Tigar and the other demons roared triumphantly and started wreaking havoc. They swiftly dispatched the armored soldiers who targeted their comrades climbing the ladders and ensured the safe ascent of their clawless companions and Marcellus.

“We will cover our allies!”

“””Woooooo!!!”””

Their next task was to provide support to their allies ascending the ladders. They prioritized eliminating the armored soldiers who were targeting their comrades. With the hindrances reduced, the Imperial soldiers climbed the outer walls one after another.

With each passing moment, the number of Imperial soldiers scaling the outer walls increased exponentially. Due to the Imperial army’s superior forces, the outermost wall was gradually falling into their hands. Though there were white-armored soldiers on the outer walls, they couldn’t overturn the tide of disadvantage against the overwhelming numbers of the Imperial army.

“■■!■■■!”

The white-armored soldier in command shouted something while vigorously waving his hand. Immediately, the ordinary armored soldiers started descending from the outer walls. It seemed to be the signal for a retreat. In this way, within a short span of time since the start of the battle, the Imperial army had successfully seized one of the outer walls.