Bab 131: Chapter 131: Tidings of War
A hooded astrologer with a telepathica stave slowly made his way through the dark corridor, silvery moonlight streaming in from massive windows.
While I was contemplating quietly in the admiral's quarters aboard the flagship, Poseidon, the doors to my chamber slid open. The astrologer looked upon my silhouette reverently, his free hand placed on his chest respectfully.
Without turning to face him, I coolly issued a question with my hands folded behind my back.
"What can possibly justify interrupting me, Gandalfus?"
"Lord General," Gandalfus wheezed as he leaned upon his stave. "The guiding light of Lyia shines once more. The hurricane storm…it is gone. Reinforcements are being dispatched from the continent of Morten."
As he declared, dozens of battleships, cruisers and destroyers slid past the Poseidon, gliding thunderously upon the churning waters and sending white sprays of foam and sea high into the air. The hurricane that had threatened to engulf us en route to our destination in Legnica had left traces of destruction in its wake, with debris floating scattered upon the sea. Fortunately, the fog and thick rain that had accompanied the voracious hurricane had dissipated, and the full might of my naval armada was sailing into clear visibility.
"Tremble before the majesty of the Demon Lord, for we all walk in his immortal shadow!"
I was tempted to tell him that this wasn't the Gothic Sector, and we weren't in space, but that would spoil the moment. Instead, I nodded sagely.
"To Legnica, full speed ahead. Let us bring an end to this."
Final Arc: The Demonic Alliance Resurgent
*
"Lord General! Enemy fleet approaching!"
"Destroy them."
In response to my order, which was transmitted throughout the vox-clarion system, my fleet fired in unison. Torpedoes, tactical missiles, plasma bolts, gauss rounds and railgun projectiles streaked from innumerable cannons and launchers and slammed into the pathetic flotilla of boats that Kobayashi Kenji dared to call a fleet. Fireballs blossomed upon the water, engulfing immense ships that stretched over a hundred meters, sizes that rivaled my titanic battleships. Made of wood, these ships were instantly incinerated and charred into blackened effigies, their crews and naval armsmen screaming before they were rendered into ash.
Clearly, this fleet lacked the advanced technology of the Marrina navy. No torpedoes, missiles or cannons answered in response to the fury of my armada. A smattering of arrows were let loose from several ships as the archers panicked, but none of them reached within a few hundred meters of my ships before they fell ineffectually into the water. Even if they were to reach the decks of my ships, I doubted any arrow would be able to pierce the meters-thick steel hulls. It was a laughable effort, really.
Such primitive ships and weapons would never be able to best my advanced armada.
"Again!"
Another volley of fire thundered, and the remaining ships were obliterated. The decimated fleet tried to turn tail and flee, but more torpedoes slammed into their still-turning bodies and burst them into explosions of splinters. Broken bodies and wooden debris were hurled high into the air, lighting the night sky with their immolating bodies.
The sun drifted lazily over the horizon, spreading its warm rays across the sea and illuminating the sheer scale of destruction that we had visited upon Kobayashi's attempts at trying to stall us. Unfortunately, despite sacrificing their lives, this fleet wasn't able to buy even a second for its master. We plunged onward, our speed and trajectory unchanged, and ploughed through the floating debris from both the hurricane and the pathetic fleet of ships that had recklessly sailed out to challenge us.
None could stop us.
Nobody could stop me. If anyone was to stand between me and my goal of revenge, I would destroy them without mercy.
You'll be next, Kobayashi.
Vowing silently, I stood upon the bridge of Poseidon and stared out into the ocean, trying to hide my excitement with a nonchalant expression.
It took another day or two before the coast was finally within sight of my fleet. Unable to contain my enthusiasm, I stood atop the deck and watched the white, sandy beach expand before the horizon. Trees from forests dotted the area just beyond the bay, followed by the distant towers of the fortress city of Havia.
"Sir, we're reaching the Legnican Coast as planned. Do we prepare for disembarking orders?"
One of the naval crewmen ran up to me to report. I shook my head, keeping my eyes on the coastal shore ahead.
"Don't forget the plan. We're to establish a beachhead first and wait for them to come to us."
After annihilating the pathetic fleets that Kobayashi sent to stop us, he would surely know that we were coming. I was surprised he wasn't already waiting for us with an army at his back. The beach was still empty, but I wasn't taking any chances.
This could be a trap.
"Take up bombardment positions and secure a beachhead, but don't disembark the troops yet. Send a reconnaissance team to scout the area and take note of enemy positions."
"There's nothing on radar or the visual auspexes, sir," the navigation officer spoke up from behind his control panel in the bridge.
"That means nothing. They could be hiding in the forest, waiting to ambush us," the tactical officer rebutted from behind his tactical overlays. He turned to me. "Lord General, I suggest that we level the forests and flush them out of hiding."
"Negative. I appreciate your advice, but look at how big the forest is. Not to mention we don't want to make an enemy out of the wildlife, forest, spirits and monsters living inside there. In any case, it's impractical – we don't have enough ammunition or energy to wipe out the entire forests in this area."
"That is true."
The tactical officer admitted grudgingly as he studied the pict-screen in front of him. Dense forests shrouded the area behind the beach, clusters of trees spreading out for miles on end. Despite having over a hundred ships in my armada, there was simply no way we could destroy the whole thing. Even if we cleared out the forest in the vicinity, Kobayashi's army could simply move further in and set up new positions for ambushing my forces. Not to mention, the remaining wildlife would be hostile toward the invading army and hamper our progress. I didn't want to fight a war on two fronts if I could help it. There was no sense dragging the neutral nature into our war.
The treefolks have maintained their neutrality so far in this war, but if we were to provoke them, they could prove to be a formidable enemy and a staunch ally of the humans.
Given Kobayashi's disposition, I doubted the latter would be true. But I wasn't about to drive them to the desperation of allying with each other. No, I was going to isolate Kobayashi and destroy him with his brainwashed minions.
Or free the latter if possible. Aoyama Aoi was making good progress on that, or so I had heard from the Iron Knights.
"Sir! A message!"
The vox officer called out to me after his machine bleeped, indicating a message received on the vox relay system.
"What is it? The Iron Knights?"
The Iron Knights were scheduled to launch a simultaneous attack on Havia City with my ground forces. They should be waiting nearby, but there was no reason to contact us when I still hadn't disembarked my troops yet.
"No. It's…from the self-proclaimed Emperor of Humanity."
Kobayashi's voice crackled as a holographic picture of him materialized in front of me. He looked down on me with a sneer.
"Tanaka. So you're still alive."
I grinned defiantly. "I would say the same for you, except that you'll be dead before the end of this week."
Kobayashi's sneer deepened into a scowl.
"Still as mouthy as ever, you spineless beta male. But do you really think you can fool me?"
I raised an eyebrow at that. "Fool you?"
"Hah!" Kobayashi snorted. "There's no need to pretend. I've seen through your bluff."
"What bluff?"
I was beginning to get a little impatient with Kobayashi's nonsensical ramblings. I was about to invade his favorite and most fortified domain, and here he was spouting rubbish that I didn't understand. Or perhaps he was here to threaten and intimidate me?
"I know you're a spineless, useless coward, Tanaka. You don't have the guts to invade my city. You're just here to show off how powerful you are, but again, I know you're not that strong. You can't possibly be this strong, not without Evelyn's blessings. I know the truth. You didn't kill Takeshi and the others. You somehow persuaded the powerful demon nobles to do it for you. You just don't possess the strength to pull off such feats!"
Was it me, or was this guy deluded? Unable to accept imminent defeat, he decided to escape reality by diving into his own delusions?
"And now you're just here to show off, but I know you don't have the guts to order your fleet to fire upon my city! You're the typical spineless beta male main character who is too cowardly to kill anybody! Coward! I know you won't do anything. You don't have the strength to do anything to me or the rest of us! If you want to prove me wrong, then come at me! I'll be waiting for you in my castle!"
I narrowed my eyes at that statement. Either Kobayashi was being delusional or he was being incredibly intelligent. I might have underestimated him a little. By publicly broadcasting this, he was trying to wage a psychological warfare to lower the morale of my men and convince them not to follow me. Furthermore, he was trying to conceal his own cowardice by shifting the attention toward me. He probably knew it was sucidical to march his troops out from beyond his base and decided to just sit back behind fortified walls and wait for us to attempt to siege his city. He was provoking me into marching my troops across hostile terrain as quickly as possible and exhausting us before we begin to siege his city while his own army remained fresh and at full strength.
"Why should I?" I shrugged. "I can destroy your city from here. Havia City is within range of my ships."
"Because I know you don't have the guts to kill innocent people," Kobayashi sneered. "Typical spineless, cowardly, beta male."
"Why the hell do you sound like a specific group of edgy, self-proclaimed 'masculine, alpha' male readers all of a sudden? Those readers are dumb. They think there's only one way to be 'masculine' and want all protagonists to be cold, unfeeling murderous bastards, or they'll label rational and kind guys as spineless and cowardly. Those are the worst kind of commenters."
"What the fuck are you talking about?!" Kobayashi demanded, but then caught himself. "Hmph, I won't waste time arguing with you. I know you will never be able to order your fleet to fire upon my city and kill the innocent civilians in here."
"…so you're basically holding your own human civilians hostage?"
I gaped at him. The guy was admitting his own atrocities and causing the crew aboard the bridge to exchange uneasy glances with each other. Their expressions were literally saying that this guy was insane. And I agreed with them, especially since I had been a victim of his madness even before I arrived in Restia.
On the other hand, his own human citizens had been brainwashed into mindless zealots who were so utterly devoted to Kobayashi that they would willingly offer their lives up for him, even if it was meaningless sacrifice. So it wasn't surprising that none of them reacted or rebelled against Kobayashi despite his open declaration.
Not until Aoyama cleansed them of the brainwashing, at least.
"Call it whatever you want," Kobayashi sneered. "I'll do anything to win. No, I will win. You're just wasting your efforts, weakling. Do us all a favor and kill yourself. Stop bothering with this farce and causing us unnecessary trouble."
"Unnecessary trouble?" I repeated incredulously.
"Your little fleet…I can crush it as easily as lifting a little finger." Kobayashi glared at me. "I have given you many chances to live. Either accept my mercy and run away with your tail between your legs like the spineless, weak coward that you are, or die."
"I'll choose to kill you," I replied neutrally. The guy was bluffing. Kobayashi never showed any mercy to me. He was trying his best to appear magnanimous in bestowing mercy, but I knew him too well for that. If he had the ability to kill me, he would do so without hesitation or a second thought. That he didn't simply meant that he didn't possess the means to do so. "And if it's that easy, why haven't you done it already?"
"Because I'm the benevolent Emperor of Humanity," Kobayashi answered sagely, spreading his hands dramatically for emphasis. "I…"
"Oh, save it. Kill me if you can. If not, I'll destroy you and your army, so be prepared."
With a gesture, I cut off the reception and the hologram fizzled out. Once my vox officer nodded to show that the line was secured, I turned to the weapons officer.
"Weapons Officer, calculate a firing solution for the entire fleet. The target is the fortified walls of Havia City."
"Sir?"
The weapons officer stared at me. I smiled.
"We're making slight alterations to the plan. If Kobayashi refuses to come out and meet us, then we'll just have to make him."
"…I see. So the target is the fortifications protecting Havia City?"
"That's right. Take great care to minimize collateral damage as much as possible. Do not aim at civilian quarters or areas. Just the walls. We're bringing down the revered fortified walls of Havia City and reducing them to rubble today."
"Understood, Lord General! Calculating targeting solutions now…"
With the help of the sophisticated artificial intelligence and belligerent machine-spirits dwelling within the ships, it took a few minutes before the weapons officer managed to hammer out an optimal firing solution.
"Sorry, sir, but this is the best I can do."
"No problem."
I glanced over the strategic overlays in my holographic display and nodded in approval. Even though there was a 16.8% chance of several shots missing and straying into the civilian areas, this was the best firing plan. It was that or we would be stuck in a stalemate.
"While I can't say this is ideal, I treasure the lives of my soldiers over that of civilians. We will minimize civilian casualties if we can, but I will not risk the lives of my men just so the enemy can hold an overwhelming advantage. Besides, if this so-called Emperor of Humanity really cares about his people, he would have evacuated them long ago and escorted them to safety, or to take shelter in his castle. Shall we find out whether he's a fool or a hypocrite?"
"Probably both," Sergeant Michael Marko muttered. The sergeant major of my vampire regiment was waiting at the corner of the bridge, probably so that he would among the first to receive my orders. "From what we heard earlier, he's completely nuts."
"That he is." I nodded and then grinned. "Then let's show him the depth of his folly. Weapons Officer, fire."
"Right away, sir!"
The ships all began sailing into position along the coast, aligning so that their broadside cannons all pointed toward Havia City with maximum efficiency. The moment they got into position, their weapons barked in unison. Plasma bolts, gauss slugs, railgun projectiles, cruise missiles and laser lances leaped out from their arsenals and streaked across the forest to arc beautifully down upon Havia City. The fortified wall, built to withstand sieges from primitive weapons such as arrows, blade and mini-cannons, were totally unable to endure the punishing onslaught from hi-tech weaponry. Within seconds, the entire length of the city's fortified walls were brought down, disappearing in clouds of dust and obliterated into falling rubble.
Several shots strayed from the walls and detonated outside the city walls, while a single cruise missile misfired and crashed into a nearby house. Thanks to Kobayashi refusing to issue an evacuation edict, more civilian casualties resulted than necessary.
That said, I wasn't going to absolve myself of responsibility. The weight of civilian deaths rested upon my shoulders, for it was I who gave the order to fire. I would have to bear the burden of that sin for as long as I was alive. I did not seek forgiveness, nor did I care that the surviving humans would swear vengeance upon me or whatever. What was done was done, and it was necessary so that my men would survive.
Surely I couldn't prioritize enemy civilians' lives over my soldiers?
Swallowing, I forced my mind away from that issue and focused on the situation at hand. Now that the ramparts and fortifications had fallen, Havia City's defenses had been decimated. The soldiers garrisoning the walls had been annihilated along with them during the fierce bombardment. Additionally, without the walls, the city was now open to ground invasion. They could no longer hold back a siege.
"Sir, movement in the city!"
At the tactical officer's shout, I turned my attention back toward the display.
There was a great amount of soldiers milling into the city and toward the rubble, their movements panicked and desperate. I could imagine them screaming and shouting to each other.
"This wasn't what we told!"
"The Emperor told us the archenemy wouldn't fire upon us!"
"Isn't he supposed to be a coward who wouldn't dare pull the trigger?!"
But with the brainwashing of Kobayashi's Kingly Disposition, none would dare question his orders and would remained enslaved to his will, so I wasn't going to count on them rebelling.
"Calculate new firing solutions," I told my weapons officer. The moment the human armies leave the city, obliterate them."
"Yes, sir!"
I sat back and watched in satisfaction as my ships circled around and adopted new positions to point their broadside cannons at the massing armies of humanity near the edge of Havia City. It wouldn't be long before they departed.
Kobayashi must be desperate by now. Realizing that I wasn't such a spineless coward after all, he must be desperately gathering his armies and launching an all-out attack to destroy the fleet that could obliterate his favorite capital.
But it was too late.
The moment the soldiers filtered out of the remains of the wall, they were met by high explosives, missiles and plasma, which hurled their charred bodies high into the air. The corpses rained back down on their screaming comrades with force, crushing them under the sheer weight.
The rest tried to retreat, but the cannons of my ships roared again and the inner edge of the city was suddenly saturated with plasma fire.
The slaughter had finally begun in earnest.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone