Chapter 165: Offshore battleship Assault – Sea Demons

Chapter 165: Offshore battleship Assault – Sea Demons

Three days have passed since we received the mission briefing, and finally, the day has arrived for us to launch an offensive against the Republic battleship at sea. During this period, Imperial battleships had been steadily advancing northward from the south, heading for the port of Niuglo. It seemed like the Empire was concentrating its naval forces, preparing for a major assault.

To be honest, those battleships of the Empire left much to be desired compared to the Republic’s counterparts. While they had lavish decorations, their hulls were mostly made of wood. Only a small portion seemed reinforced with metal plates inscribed with spiritual circuits, but it fell far short in terms of size and defensive capabilities.

However, when it came to defense, it appeared that the Imperial spiritualist units were tasked with most of the responsibility. The reinforcement part seemed to serve as a precaution in case their defenses were breached.

“Is the Majin Regiment all ready?”

“””Yes!”””

Right now, not only was that man standing before us, but also the commanders of the other Demon units, including Decius and Marcellus. They too were armed and seemed intent on taking command on the front lines, just as Marcellus had mentioned.

Commanders accustomed to being on the front lines, like Marcellus, seemed composed as usual. However, some other commanders, including that man, appeared restless. It was a stark contrast to how he had issued orders to us before.

Perhaps he himself didn’t know until just before that he would be on the front lines too. After tossing us to the front lines with little regard and lounging in the rear, it seemed like he was now facing the consequences, huh? Quite fitting, I think.

Here, not only the commanders but also all the members of the Demon Regiment had gathered. While there were old demons, such as the crocodile demon and leech demon, with whom we had been involved in a brawl before, there were far more unfamiliar faces. This starkly illustrated the high casualty rate among demons.

“From here, the Demon Regiment will approach the enemy battleship from underwater and launch a surprise attack. The objective of the operation is to disrupt the enemy battleship’s attacks and, if possible, neutralize it.”

It appeared that, like us, the other demons had heard the details of the operation beforehand, as their reactions were subdued. Those who did react strongly seemed like rookies marching through their first battle; they exhibited not just surprise but also fear and apprehension.

Those who didn’t react could be broadly divided into two categories. First, there were those who were accustomed to battle and remained composed. The other group stared into the void with eyes that seemed to have given up on everything.

The former mostly consisted of older demons, including us, and it was clear that casualties often resulted from those who had given up. In that regard, I knew that I would never reach a point of giving up; after all, I bore the mission of surviving for a hundred years. This mission definitely increased my chances of survival.

“It’s not realistic for us alone to neutralize the battleship. Concentrate solely on destroying the enemy’s weapons, like cannons. Now, let’s move out. Anyone other than the aerial squad, follow me.”

Here, we temporarily separated from Farl and the others who could fly among us. She was the most skilled among those who could fly and would lead the special operations aerial squad. Before parting, she and her husband Gora briefly but firmly clasped each other’s hands.

Led by Marcellus, the Demon Regiment arrived at a corner of the Niuglo Port. There was something long and black that was floating. At first, I thought it might be a whale or something like that, but upon closer inspection of the faintly visible wood grain, it became clear that it was a wooden construct.

I strained my compound eyes and observed the black structure. Its overall shape resembled that of a toad, and its size was about one-third that of an imperial battleship. There were four door-like openings on top of it. It seemed like one could enter from there. Apart from that, there was nothing else attached to it, giving off a not-so-simple as meager impression.

“This submarine will be the key to our operation this time. One has been provided for each unit. Board this and...”

“Hahaha! Look who’s here, the clumsy bunch who can’t swim!”

Thanks to the preferential treatment and the person responsible for turning them into sea demons spreading the word, the sea demons seemed to be getting carried away. Even though they didn’t have abilities as exaggerated as what was being promoted... I think being overconfident is more dangerous than giving up on life, right?

“Oh? We’ve got a rather seductive lady for a demon.”

“We’ve got normal women too! And they’re all top-notch!”

At this time, the sea demons set their sights on us. They were eyeing Asumi and Sharl and the other female demons in our unit with a lustful gaze as if they were licking them. Their gaze was so intense that even I could discern the flames of desire flickering in their eyes.

The Special Operations unit instinctively shifted into combat formation, and the men, including myself, stepped forward to shield the women. Leading the charge were Zald and me, with Tigar and Linardo ready to intervene should the need arise.

“Tryna’ act all noble by protectin’ the ladies, huh? That’s rich... I wonder what they’d say if we took them right in front of you!?”

“Endure. Listen, bear with it.”

“Grrrr...!”

“Shhh...!”

Facing the sea demons, who were making vulgar remarks and laughing loudly, Tigar and Linardo seemed on the verge of launching an attack at any moment. I might have to resort to using the stinger on my tail to make them sleep if push comes to shove.

While the sea demons had been laughing for a while, they suddenly froze in their tracks. The reason for this was Marcellus. He had his palm outstretched toward the sea demons, his forehead showing a visible vein. Ah, so he was the type to go into a rage as well.

“I’ve told you before, enough is enough. I just mentioned that going overboard won’t be forgiven.”

“Grrooooh...!”

“Don’t get too cocky, you pirate-looking bunch. You were originally condemned criminals, and now you think you’re something just because you’ve achieved a little in battle.”

“You...!”

“Until the operation is over, I forbid any remarks from you lot. Also, any actions outside of my orders are prohibited. I won’t force compliance, but... rejoice; I’ll give you special treatment. Now, hurry up and get into position.”

It seemed Marcellus was genuinely angry, as he used his authority as the regiment commander to both silence their voices and restrict their movements. Turning my attention to Decius, I could hear him quietly lamenting about the trouble this might cause.

The reason for his concern was quite clear. There was a high likelihood of protests from Kalervo regarding how the sea demons were being treated. However, worrying about such matters could wait until we returned alive. With these thoughts in mind, we entered the submarine.

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TN: To the sea demons, Sharl and the other female demons of the spec ops unit appeared as normal women because they can transform back and forth so they had their normal form that made them look like humans. If you forgot, all the other demons made by Karelvo can’t transform; so they look like demons permanently.