Chapter 1458: A Defense Line Held Single-handedly
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
The 20mm autocannons were the most eye-catching weapons that formed “long whips” with the tracer rounds.
Due to the higher pressure, the tracer rounds formed of Match Men stones grew in light intensity. Adding that the tracer rounds were more compact than ordinary bullets, there were almost no gaps in along the tracer rounds’ flight trajectory.
Devilbeasts struck by the autocannons had no leeway to struggle; being penetrated by a blob of light meant taking multiple bullets. Even if the bullets strayed away from the main body and struck their wings, the power of the bullets tore large holes through them.
Of course, compared to shooting the wings, it was more common for the bullets to land on the swooping Devilbeasts’ torsos. Following bursts of blood, a few rolled and plummeted, while the Mad Demons seated on them were only able to scream in anguish as they awaited their inevitable fates of colliding into the ground.
The demons were not frightened away by the circ.u.mstances. Instead, they adopted abrupt drops to increase their speed, dispersing in two directions with the intent of breaking away from the shooting.
This method would have undoubtedly been most effective if it was in normal times. Faced against flying targets, the First Army soldiers would habitually aim the guns to “chase” after the targets. Even the most proficient teams would require a few seconds to adjust their aim.
But this time, they were up against Eleanor.
Almost instantly, the Devilbeasts’ paths and coordinates were calibrated to form new trajectories. This was through countless polynomial equations and calculations that promptly determined the fate of the enemies.
The curtain of light suddenly twisted!
This was the first time the higher-ups who were observing the battle felt a sense of grandeur.
The tracers no longer shot straight and instead drew arcs from the rapid turning of the barrels. The intertwining lines interweaved together and resembled ropes.
Despite looking disordered and messy, every line met their targets accurately. Every single line were exact and positioned right in front of the Devilbeasts’ movements.
Those not in the know wouldn’t think that the bullets were chasing after the Devilbeasts but that the Devilbeasts were rus.h.i.+ng straight into the bullets!
“I think that Lady Eleanor must be extremely happy,” Phyllis suddenly commented.
“Why?” Roland asked, perplexed.
“In the battle when Taquila fell, the first to tear apart our defenses was the enemy’s Devilbeast force. At that time, they appeared in the air where we had difficulty reaching, allowing them to a.s.sault our weak points in our defense. Even though the Holy City’s Army rushed about busily, they were unable to ensure that every part of the city walls was safe. Usable crossbow machines and catapults became fewer, and the Siege Beasts eventually broke through,” she recalled emotionally. “At that time, Lady Eleanor stood at the wall with blood all over her with no demons around that dared to approach her, but the Holy City behind her was already in flames.”
So that’s why…
It’s the reason for her talking about four centuries of revenge.
No matter how strong an individual was, they would never be able to save the Holy City alone from the hordes of enemies. Upon connecting the dots, the words behind her languid speech had suddenly become more solemn.
This time, Eleanor was once again standing at the forefront of the Battle of Divine Will.
And this time, what stood behind her was the force of the entire human race.
“They are starting to split up!” Morning Light Ferlin suddenly called out.
Through the magic power screen, the Devilbeasts that had sustained injuries suddenly separated at different heights, one charged straight towards the surface of the floating island while another flew at a lower alt.i.tude, apparently in attempts to avoid the autocannons. Most probably, the demons had figured out that conventional movements to avoid the bullets were no longer effective and they no longer pinned their hopes on harrying their enemies through the sky, but instead sought to land and seek cover.
But Eleanor’s defense was not limited to a single layer.
Next up to join the battle were Mark I heavy machine guns that formed an interior defense line.
Their turrets were smaller, almost half a meter tall. Due to the consideration of having no movements, the barrels were exchanged for longer and water-cooled barrels. All of the rotatable firing platforms were distributed onto the runways, bridges, and control towers meant to deal with enemies that attempted to ‘jump’ through the first line of defense.
The Mad Demons that landed finally proceeded with their counterattacks.
They abandoned the Devilbeasts that had fended off against a hail of bullets and threw short spears towards the gun turrets or shot some form of electric light. These triggered explosions at the surface of the floating island!
To Roland’s surprise, he discovered that the short spears were no longer simple beast bones, but a compound spear mixed with unknown substances. The spear tip was black and triggered explosions upon contact from the apparent blaze and smoke emitting out.
The Mad Demons that were capable of producing electricity and the Mad Demons encountered by the Witch Cooperation a.s.sociation were completely different. Not only were they capable of employing their abilities faster, the distance had increased greatly.
Obviously, this batch of Mad Demons was an elite unit.
If they had been up against the First Army soldiers, they might have actually caused actual chaos.
But it was a pity that the turrets were only ice-cold machines.
They showed no fear or hesitation. So long as power was provided, they would never cease firing. Even if one or two sets misfired, they would not affect the other turrets.
Of course, these were not Eleanor’s last line of defense as well—two sets of 75mm cannons situated diagonally on the floating island were activated as well, gradually turning towards the enemy locations. The two smaller cannons were more than enough to cover the runway that spanned over a kilometer in diameter.
This is a firearm battle which Pasha and the others mentioned… Eleanor thought to herself.
Although she was unfamiliar with this form of battle, she instantly became hooked onto the feeling upon firing.
Up to this moment, she was the only person fighting against the demons.
But despite her being the only one, the demons were unable to escape from her attention to attack the weaker points of the defense. Even at the bottom of the floating island, she had prepared four sets of 20mm cannons and two Longsong Cannons to fight the enemy.
This was a stronghold that had no blind spots.
Your tricks end here… Eleanor adjusted the aim of the cannons, turning them straight to the center of the field where a demon was suppressed and locked down by waves of bullets. From its striking armor and dressing, it was most probably a higher ascendant.
She controlled the magic power core and pulled onto the firing rope—
…
“Boom!”
“Ssheessshhh…”
Following the loud boom and rumbles, the ceilings in the caves dropped sand and stone.
“Is that the First Army engaging the enemy? Are they alright?” Finkin swept away the dust on his head and looked upwards apprehensively.
“The bombardments can at most destroy the runway, they will not cause any harm to the hangars. Besides, Miss Lotus is around as well, so it’ll be easy to restore the potholes.”
The voice sounded unfamiliar, as though they weren’t pilots from the first cla.s.s. Good, Finkin, and Hinds turned to look, only to discover that the speaker was the trump card of the newcomers, Manfeld.
“Hi, seniors.” He initiated a salute.
“Hey, your challenger is here,” Finkin nudged Good with his elbow and whispered.
Good rolled his eyes at his comrade and nodded at Manfeld. “I think so too, but we have no idea when we can move out.”
“It’ll be soon.” Manfeld closed his eyes and listened for a moment. “The intervals between the firing of the machine guns are lengthening, which means that the demons are powerless before our offensive. I believe that the higher-ups will be sending out the command for us to counterattack soon.”
“You can hear the machine guns through the rock strata?” Good was shocked.
“If I focus wholeheartedly, yes.” Manfeld nodded.
Finkin mouthed to Hinds “he’s acting cool.”
Right at this moment, the loudspeakers inside the hangar blasted with Princess Tilly’s voice. “All Aerial Knights, board your planes and prepare for battle!”