“Arggh, you still can’t capture it yet!!?”
A scene was happening aaround the entrance of the town, inside the double layer wall surrounding the entire Citadel.
Borrowing an inn that relatively has the least damage from the rather large war, a temporary strategy headquarters was established in the first floor which also serves as a bar. The ‘current’ Supreme Commander of the Alwina invasion army roared to the surrounding people.
“Su, Supreme Commander. We are already at our limits. Since they have raised the drawbridge, we could no longer use the battering ram to attack the sealed castle gate, and we have already lost more than half of the soldiers we brought!”
“What about that! We must completely control this city by the end of today or our lives will be forfeited!? Can you b.a.s.t.a.r.ds do that!?”
The Supreme Commander glared at one of the staff officer giving advice with bloodshot eyes. The staff officer raised his voice unyieldingly, opposing his superior who was one step into madness from excessive self protection.
“We have already been in a state of destruction since a long time ago! I can no longer approve to waste the soldiers scattered like this!”
“Shouldn’t we be able to gather hoodlums and mercenaries with money like the soldiers?”
“With such devastation spreading out, there is no way we can gather them anymore next time!”
“Then you can go and tell the remaining soldiers that they will be given whatever they wish for if they manage to make an achievement!”
“Re, Reporting! Some mercenaries have started to retreat without orders, and other soldiers are gradually agreeing with them too. It’s making our battle situation disordered!!”
Hearing the report of the messenger, the face of the staff officer became stiff, pointing while saying, “See what you have done!”
It is all thanks to the brainwashing work and publication to the citizens of how their country has been oppressed by neighboring countries that worked together with the demi-humans, that they have barely managed avoiding a total collapse after suffering such a blow.
However, it is now reaching the limit.
“Supreme commander! Please make a decision! If you keep sacrificing like this, the result will go beyond just losing. It will taint the honour and pride of the Alwina Kingdom Soldiers too!”
“Shut up! Don’t say anything anymore! If you say any insolent words a second longer, I will kill you with my own hands!”
The Supreme Commander’s face distorted like a mad beast as he placed his hand on the sword hanging on his waist.
The staff officer also reached out to his sword too. The room soon filled with blood l.u.s.t.
――――― A sword was drawn in a flash.
It was neither the Supreme Commander nor the staff officer though both wielded a sword. Then.... the Supreme Commander changed into the “Former” Supreme Commander.
With *Flop*, the head of the Supreme Commander, still filled with a frozen look, fell down from his body. The part from the neck downwards also fell in suit the following second.
Somehow, blood didn"t spurt out from the place where it was severed. The place where it was cut looked like black burned from a laser, completely blocking the blood vessel that has been cut.
The one who swung the sword was a red hair female knight wearing a silver steel armor made from mithril. ―――― Hilda snorted slightly as she sheathed her beloved sword adorned with jewels back into the scabbard.
She gave a scornful sneer looking at the unsightly Supreme Commander.
“To think that ‘this guy’ is so incompetent to this degree.”
Her voice was as clear as bells made from delicate gla.s.ses, a voice that possessed both coldness and a clear tone.
“I will head out to lead the soldiers. Tell the surviving magicians on the front lines to release all their remaining magical power together in order to support us.”
“Un, understood!”
……...
“d.a.m.nit! There is really a lot of them!”
While he slipped curses like a genetically modified human with dark skin light haired MS pilot from elsewhere, Karito lowered himself into the protection of the shielding walls while changing magazines for the nth time.
As soon as he once again got up while equipped with the HK41, a stray arrow pa.s.sed right in front of his eyes. Even though the arrow just brushed through him, it was still bad for the heart. The sounds of his disarrayed breathing echoed behind the mask covering his mouth, hurting his own ears.
While defending the defense camp, Karito was protected by a special goggle, camouflaged clothes, and a tactical armor with a bulletproof plate just like the one commonly used by modern infantry on earth. So the appearance that he took after moving into the castle walls from the war field changed drastically.
The helmet design resembled the German army from the third imperial period. The goggles itself didn’t have any difference in its performance, but merely looks like an old-fashioned night vision goggles with a gas mask covering the bottom half of the face. From the neck below, even if it was not as thick as the , a full metallic armor covered his body. The shoulder pads that protected both shoulders protruded greatly like the protector for American Football.The armor which Karito was now wearing is usually called . Although there was another official name for it, among the players, this looks like an armor used by the security forces that appeared in a certain work among the clan called mercenary forces formed by the players that gather armor and weapon from the German world war 2 period. (especially MG42 is on the top of the list)Because the Armor function corresponds to its performance, it was also popular to those people aside from the maniac players.
Each reinforced part of the protector has an overall reduction in damages caused by rifle bullets and explosives, and it also disables damage caused by handgun bullets. The gask mask, helmet, and etc, also nullifies damages from poison ga.s.ses, flame damage, and flash echoes. To finish, each part has an a.s.sist function to strengthen the physical strength of the user.
If is an equipment that turns the wearer to an invincible human fortress, then the is an equipment that raises the ability of the wearer.From a glance, what Karito wished was a combined armor that can easily repel arrows and improve movement speed. However, finding that balance seemed to be difficult. Nevertheless, Karito’s current circ.u.mstance was also pressing, and he needs to travel frequently along the top of the walls. A place where arrows and magic flew around.
Right in front of Karito, another new Ladder (refers to long ladder, not the one that is used as a plaything at the park) was being raised. The Alwina soldiers climbed excitedly as they looked up through their helmets. Karito ran over to them in no time and hit them with the telescopic stock of the rifle. The Alwina soldier screamed and fell while scattering his broken teeth and fresh blood. Such scenes were happening in several places at the same time.
One after another, he kicked off the ladders forward. The ladders collapsed on the other side of the wall and disappeared from sight. From the spot where the ladder was propped on, Karito stepped out and fired the HK416.
At a different place, Ordy too was kicking Ladders along with the Alwina soldiers that were climbing it. The Dwarves from the volunteer army used hammers to crush the enemies together with the ladders. The Centaur commander, using arrows in place for short spears, pierced the Alwina soldiers that were about to reach the top of the walls before beating them up.
The remaining small number of magicians fired their magic canons towards the nearby buildings where the enemy’s archer troops were, blowing them away together with the building. One worthy detail to be specially noted was the reinforcements given by Marian who took a position on the top of the headquarters. She had been releasing numerous light bullets rivalling the power of an air explosive cl.u.s.ter bomb, raining those above the heads of the Alwina army which exploded in a chain reaction, tearing their bodies into flesh.
Although bringing the battle onto the castle walls brought a lot of damage to the Alwina army, it had also sc.r.a.ped the remaining Defense Forces. It brought especially much damages to those refugees that temporarily joined.
They did not have complete armor and their movements were bad since they were amateurs. When they failed to cope with the shooting sequence, many were shot by arrows, and got tangled in the magic’s aftermath. The fired magic which occasionally jumped over the castle walls and landed on the building or barracks in the back turned scattered debris as weapons and attacked them from behind, it was dreadful.
Still, they continued throwing big and small heavy stones and poured boiled oil towards the Alwina soldiers that gathered in the moat around the wall.
“Geez, there is no end to this!!”
He roared wildly as he fired the remaining bullets of the HK416 over the heads of the Alwina army. Karito was overwhelmed by the illusion that the number of enemy soldiers were not decreasing no matter how much he shot at them. They need to run left and right repelling the enemy soldiers that kept on climbing the ladders trying to breakthrough the walls.
Karito was about to hit the limit of his patience. Firing lead bullets from the top had become a dull thing.
He switched his equipment. The a.s.sault rifle made in Germany disappeared into a thin air and the weapon he selected appeared on his arms. The added weight sat on Karito’s back heavily.
The hose extended from the cylinder on the back, attached to it it is a pipe grip trigger.
With the sound of clickings, fires seed flickered at the tip of the thick pipe.
What is the ident.i.ty of this weapon? If there is any calm spectator who understood the context of that place, his face would be in a grimace just by imagining the scenes that will occur the next moment.
Putting up one feet on something like a handrail to prevent falling from the top of walls, Karito pointed his weapon ―――― a Flamethrower towards the Alwina Soldiers. He pulled the trigger and released the valve. The high pressured released fuels and fire seeds went through the process of ignition and produced a flame that showered the Alwina army from above their heads.
The range of the flamethrower is about 30 to 40 m. Even though the range is far from comparison with an a.s.sault rifle, it is possible to burn off anything within its range beyond what a single bullet with a diameter less than 1 cm can do.
It is particularly effective in enclosed areas. Even the actual battles in the boasted of its unrivaled strength against indoor warfares. Not to mention that it can burn the enemies to death using fire, causing death from poisonous gas and oxygen deficiency is also possible. As the effect of this function can affect all players. Even within the , it was deadly to the point that the users themselves have to be equipped with counter flames and poisonous gas functions.The effect was dramatic. The fire whip licked over the Alwina army, and in a flash, battle cries were utterly transformed into screams of death.
Once swallowed by the flame, any armour did not stand a chance, everyone burned equally and wilted away. The fuel penetrated through the gaps between their armors, burning furiously. Even with full face helmet, the result would just be the same thing. Even though the flame will not burn into the trachea, they cannot avoid the poisonous gas unless they had a gas mask like the one Karito was equipped.
The worst misfortune that had befallen onto the Alwina soldiers was that the attempt to capture the Defense Force, which had shut themselves into the headquarters, the area around the castle walls and gate became overcrowded. The fire burned the surrounding people and the damages even spread further.
When the first fire ended, Karito immediately moved to another point of the castle walls and fired another shower of flames again. Screams ensued further. The smell of fuel and the black smoke coming from the burning of human flesh shrouded the vicinity of the wall. Although they were enemies, but seeing a human being roasted alive strained the refugees and a few soldiers to throw up. The surviving veteran soldiers did not blame them for it this time.
From Karito’s perspective, he only had a little consciousness over the shocking act. Perhaps when he would remember this moment some time later after the war has ended, he may finally understand the meaning of his own conduct....
…
There is no doubt that that moment will come, but at least not now.
Not only the side of the Defense Force, but even the Alwina army was stunned witnessing the sight of their allies burning and dying. Before long, the soldiers tried to escape from the flames and black smoke, they clashed into each other and panic spread. Some soldiers who tried to secretly escape from the crowded main street, went towards the alleys and fell victim to the landmines instead.
Having suffered a great deal of damage so far with the push of this havoc. the Alwina invasion troops began to utterly collapse this time.
At that very moment when everyone on the castle walls were frozen while witnessing the terrible sight.
On the other side of the thickening black smoke which have started to block the field of vision, a flicker of light suddenly flashed. When it entered into his sight, Ordy instantly grasped the meaning of this phenomenon and simultaneously issued a brace warning.
“Magic attack incoming!!”
Not many could react immediately. Magic attack flew through the black smoke and landed on each part of the castle walls. Although the thick wall would never collapse, damages were caused from the scattering fragment while few were blown off by direct hits from fireb.a.l.l.s.
Some soldiers had lost their footing and fell down the walls from the shock impact. Several shots had also landed on the headquarters and barracks, opening large holes on it.
―――― When they had noticed, a new silhouette appeared on top of the castle walls.
Several shadows pa.s.sed through the sky and a *neighing* sound reached the ears. When they had realize it, the Sky Cavalry had already crossed over via the sky and jumped down from it.
The newcomers who came in such a bold way were knights equipped with shining silver whole armor plates.
“You bas――――!”
The head of the Defense Force soldier was cut by a long sword before he can finish his sentence. With that as a start, a melee fight broke out on top of the castle walls.
The newcomers were about 10 people in total. Nevertheless, the damage kept increasing in a blink of eye. Not only were their skills uncomparable against the normal soldiers, above all, they have absurd physical abilities. It is because they were using strengthening magic from the thin film of light which covered their body. The figures that wore silver armors moved with a speed that only left an afterimage reminding people of white shining sh.e.l.ls.
When the black smoke from the flamethrower cleared up, the surviving Alwina army that had gathered outside of castle walls cheered when they saw that fight.
“That’s the silver corps! They are the Alwina Royal Guards!”
Ordy growled in annoyance when their ident.i.ties were revealed. It can be seen from their trademark mithril steel armors they wore.
Mithril steel is the strongest metal in this world. Armors made from mithril steel will not be dented even by a blow from an Orc’s big axe. Regarding its magic defense, it can repel magic shots easily. Because of its rareness, war equipments made from mithril steel could almost not be seen in the market.
The Silver corps is a group of knights that has both the ability and devotion to the country to be given such items. One needs to have acc.u.mulated a lot of military exploitation in numerous battlefields to achieve this. Their captain is a beautiful female knight that has gathered them with her reputation alone. However, she is nothing more than a dreadful existence for Belkania and the surrounding countries.
The doubled-edge swords that they wield were famous for their sharpness or were either due to the body strengthening magic so they were able to slice off the body of the Defense force soldier in a single blow regardless be they human or beastmen. The top of the castle walls were quickly dyed in fresh blood.
“What the h.e.l.l are they!!”
As the fight had fallen into confusion discerning allies or enemies, in this situation, he can no longer use the flamethrower anymore ――――
Canceling the flamethrower, he clenched his side weapon the Desert Eagle. At the same time, the knights of the Silver corps set Karito as their new prey after they had slashed the beastman soldiers along with their steel breastplates.
He didn’t even have the time to aim with both hands. With a gap less than 5 meters, Karito only had the chance to shoot twice from his waist like those scenes from the western gunman play before a knight had already closed in a single breadth.
Even so, it should have been more than enough. Despite using 7.62 mm x 39 (the former is the diameter of the bullet itself, while the later indicates the length of cartridge that is loaded with gunpowder) AK47 bullets for handguns, it has the power comparable with .50 AE rifle bullets. It has also been modified to increase its charge with heavy explosion like armor-piercing bullets. However, only a small dent the size of a big thumb remained on the silver breastplate.
As the shock pa.s.ses through, the knight with the full body armor was pushed back and had to stop his movements. He placed his hand in pain on the part of the chest that was shot, and even so he advanced again to attack Karito.
“UOOOOO!!”
*Bang* *Bang* *Bang*
The Desert Eagle roared. This time he aimed it at the head that was covered by a full helmet. Fire sparks scattered on the surface as the head of the knight shook as if beaten by an invisible bat.
With his long sword still raised over his head, the knight fell down frontwards and stayed silent. The impact from the shock transmitted through the helmet pa.s.sed through and reached his semicular ca.n.a.l and brain, making him lost his consciousness.
“That scared ―――――”
An impact came from the back. This time, it was Karito who felt the pain of being hit by a bat violently. It felt like something struck diagonally down on his left shoulder. While feeling numb on his left arms, he turned the other way and saw what was happening before he collapsed from the impact. Another figure of the Silver corps member poised with his sword raised high, swung it down.
Had Karito not been equipped with the armor, he would have been killed by that sword swing just now. While the fear of death filled his mind, his body moved as if manipulated by another person. He counterattacked by firing bullets while his back hit the stone floor.He aimed towards a small target which was the head, but the bullets merely scratched the helmet’s surface. The knight ignored his attempt to stop the attack. Karito raised his foot protector and kicked the knight’s breastplate with his soles, pushing him back as much as possible. The knight stumbled backwards. After regaining his balance, he proceeds to attack Karito again with his sword.
*Boom*
―――― The body of the knight was abruptly knocked to the side. Like a doll thrown by children, the knight fell outside the castle walls.
It was done by a full swing from a Dwarf’s hammer. Humans do fall to the ground vertically was an inappropriate impression that pa.s.sed by Karito’s mind.
“Are you okay? When dealing with such opponents, you need to knock them out first to defeat them!”
“Th, thank you....”
The Dwarf gave a hand to Karito while shouldering a huge hammer that was taller than his body. His loud voice reverberated into Karito’s ears despite having equipped a protective helmet.
As Karito was lifted easily by that stout hand ―――― he could see something behind the Dwarf. A shadow was approaching quietly from the sky
The real nature of the shadow was .... a griffon rider that stuck his hands out to gather light towards the two of them.
“Watch out!”
As soon as he said that, grasping at the hands that was extended, he thrusted the Dwarf’s short body that was like a child with a full beard, scooped him up, and jumped down inside the castle walls.
After a momentary fleeting feeling, a shock wave hit the back of the two as they fell down pulled by gravity. They had nearly lost their balance in the air, but they were able to endure it somehow and landed on the ground with their feet. After landing, they rolled forwards to reduce the impact. The height of the wall was the same as a three story building, however, since both of them possessed high physical abilities, they did not suffer any major injuries.
“You have saved my life there. I appreciate it.”
“Please don’t mind it, it is mutual.”
Suddenly, an explosion came from the top. The origin of the explosion was the roof of the headquarters. Following after was a scream from the same area. As Karito turned away from the Dwarf, a corpse of a soldier a.s.signed to guard Marian fell down from the rooftop.
Looking at the dead body that fell right in front them as it made an unpleasant crushing noise, a scar, as if burned by a laser, was carved on the body together with the armor. They can hear sounds of battle beginning inside the headquarters.
“It seems like the headquarters has been invaded from the sky. Sorry but please go back and support the headquarters, leave the other side of the wall to us!”
“I understand, Thank you!”
The two of them parted. Reloading the magazine of the desert eagle, Karito headed towards the headquarters.
His aim is the battle on the rooftop and the top most floor.