Rune Troopers

In the sky, the ice and snow knight unit’s elite 26 knights and the Black dragon unit’s 24 knights were gathered in a formation. The form of 50 knights and dragons dancing in the sky is simply magnificent. Usually , seeing such a dignified thing would result in the enemy raising their white flag of surrender, probably.

Yes, usually.

Elvira of the dragon knights from the snow and ice knights unit observed the ships of unknown nationality floating in the inlet of Seiroad anew.

It has the shape of a boat, but maybe that is not the best description. If there is no mask or a sail, perhaps it is not a boat. But, regardless, it continued faster than the wind.

“That ship, it’s huge…”

From her common sense, the first impression from it would be more like an island of rock over a boat. She had seen the empire’s military warships, but this is several times larger than those.

“Elvira, could it be that ship is made of iron?”

Her comrade in arms Arnold, who had a face like a bear, had an expression of being excited from telling jokes. He is a n.o.ble from the northern parts of the empire, but upon seeing him, he’d look like a drunken bandit. Since he’s always telling jokes, even on the battlefield, the upper commanders are always upset with him. With such a man, Elvira had to continue an undesirable but inseparable relation.

“This is the first time I’ve heard of iron floating on water.”

“I know. But why would it be that color? Even if you could make a boat of iron, how did they get it to float on water…?”

The boat had the color of dried ash. In the Inheritance Empire’s marine force, to instill fear into their enemies, they have painted their vessels black and red, but it was unheard of to paint them gray. The shape of the boat looked like kids made a toy with building blocks and structured it like a square.

——But, to them, the ideas of stealth or camouflage at sea in a missile battle should be new. A ship to them wasn’t something that fundamentally had to hide itself in a threatening battle.

“How stupid. It’s just paper mache. When we get to it and attack at full power, it won’t stand a chance.”

Elvira answered with a cool composure. That such a large ship would float and move without a sail is certainly surprising. But, if it really were an iron ship, moving that fast would be an impossibility. Probably, most of the ship is just paper mache and its appearance is just a bluff These warriors have self-confidence and pride.

They could be called the strongest dragon knights in the world. A black dragon getting injured isn’t that rare, and, it’s not like there haven’t been tough battles where a dragon or two were lost throughout history.

And, with just these numbers of knight troops gathered, there are no losses. Because of these things, you could see on their faces that they felt they had time to spare.

“Ah! That’s true, too. But, look, on the ground they have as allies the Mariisua people, and we’re being focused to one spot.”

Elvira turned around and verified this. To be sure, on land they are reaching a sort of stalemate. And everyone looked up to these dragon knight units as gallant figures. There were no bad feelings about what is happening.

Though it is disappointing, the enemy is just a single paper mache boat, but Shogun Rihyalda using the dragon knight units like this is brilliant. After the paper mache boat goes to its watery grave, the opposing general will feel fully dejected. Elvira combed her hair, which was the color

of snow as a characteristic of northern females, upwards.

“This much of a collection of dragon knights is rare for anyone. If I was on the ground, I’d be a sight-seer.”

We’re not pa.s.sing over very many onlookers. Oh, the unit leader has said it looks like we’re cutting off the vanguard.”

To have the commander raid was a tradition in the empire’s dragon knights and it was a grace on the battlefield. The unit leader of the ice and snow knight unit could boast as a military veteran of having destroyed over 10 nations.

When he was younger, he lost one eye in battle, and though he has an eye patch now, it gives him the appearance of being an experienced warrior. His subordinates trusted in him greatly; of all the battles he has ever been in, he has not lost once, or so they say.

“Follow after me! The empire’s elites!”

“To the Inheritance Emperor, banzai!”

The four knights of the commander cla.s.s in the snow and ice knight unit at once raised their speed to thrust at the enemy. The commanders of the black dragon knights also continued after them and nose dived. 

The “Ibuki” CIC detected the state of the enemy not with the naked eye, but with phased array radar. 
“Target groups, bravo, closest to the ship! Its bearing is 320 degrees! Reporting on the counterattack priority!”

The operations specialist observing the radar screen raised his voice. It’s finally come. 
Kaburagi took a big breath. And, he resolved himself and ordered. After coming this far, he cannot hold back any further.

“Roger…I give permission to counterattack!”

Those short words have been the foundation of the SDF for over half a century, yet he was at once giving taboo orders. These orders to attack…if they weren’t given, it wouldn’t be carried out. But, at once, the ship obeyed. The Aegis destroyer, the “Ibuki”, was made for nothing else but battle, after all.

“Left-aircraft battle, CIC instructions targets, begin firing the main armament!”

“Beginning to shoot!”

The firing squad members holding onto the pistol-like firing equipment prepared the console near there, and pulled the trigger. And, the already-stocked 127 mm rapid-fire cannon on the bow’s gun turret was rapidly fired, and the cannonb.a.l.l.s were automatically stocked. It pointed to the targets and fired——
The flash from the fired weapon was seen by Elvira.

“They have quite the artillery…”

There was no sound. From where she was looking, there was only one cannon. Before, there was this time that over 10 pirate ships fired their cannons at the same time at them. However, the shots didn’t hit. Cannons were not something to aim up at the sky. Further, this time, the distance is too great to be hit by the cannonball. It’s much too far away. It at least wouldn’t reach the unit leader of the snow and ice unit, which was charging at them.

“The enemy is also desperate.”

They didn’t fear the enemy here, and it appeared the cannon was too far to hit them after all. That was what Elvira decided. However, that was a mistake.

The cannonball reached the tip of the nose of the dragon the snow and ice knight unit’s unit leader was riding. And, before it touched it, the cannonball exploded. The terrifying shock wave blew off the dragon’s neck, and the flames caught the unit leader of the knights’ whole body on fire.

“A….e…?!”

Elvira could not believe what just occurred in front her very eyes. The dragon, completely covered in flames, fell down. And, as the blast smoke rose up, the dragon fell to the water, and a giant shot of water spray rose up.

“Unit leader!”

Elvira and company were in terror as they saw the superior officer they loved as a father lose his life. However, immediately, the next commissioned officer to take the forces’ flag took hold of it and came out so as to raise morale. The speed of this change in position showed that they truly were elites.

“You sc.u.m! You will pay for injuring us, the dragon knight unit, with your worthless lives——“

As though to interrupt these words, the commissioned officer’s dragon became engulfed in flames. Upon looking, it is clear the ship is again bombarding them with their cannon fire. 
(No way!? How can their cannon fire their next cannonball so fast!?)

To fire a cannon, multiple people have to insert gunpowder into the mouth of the cannon and insert eh cannonball. To fire their next cannonball in just those few seconds, some method outside of this ordinary one must have been used. Further, after a few seconds, the enemy cannon once again emitted fire. Finding no answer in the surprise, this time, her direct upper commander was the one caught and fire and forced to fall into the sea.

“That was just a lucky shot!”

Arnold’s expression changed. Clearly, they were being “targeted.”

While they were being surprised, the ship’s cannon once again moved to again bombard them. To that, the comrades shook off their shock.

“Shoot! That’s not a human technique!”

Up until now, the dragon knights always fought their enemies. However, this was the first time they fought an enemy that was beyond their understanding.

“There’s only one cannon! From where they are, they shouldn’t be able to reach us with their attacks!”

In this situation, Elvira did not lose her ability to make a calm decision. The dragon knights had not been to so many battlefields for show. Arnold also nodded.

“It’s like that, eh; let’s deploy!”

The enemy’s movements showed a high level of cooperation. However, the Aegis destroyer’s equipment like the 3 dimensional radar allowed one to see the individual movements of many dozens of dragons by detecting and acquiring each target. The computer that controls the firearms marked and targets the approaching targets for attack. And, in the shortest time, like it was already done, the priority targets were attacked.

This flow of action was completely automated. The 127 mm rapid fire gun and from the alignment came the firing, with the loading of the next cannon all done automatically. Because of this, the firing timing is much faster than a human’s, with no time wasted on mistakes or taking anything apart or on hesitation. In addition, the small transmission device for the VT fuse that was used for the anti-air cannonb.a.l.l.s was being prepared.

The electric signals sent out from the transmissions, in the moment they hit the target in detection and returned back, holds the possibility of being explosive. In other words, it is not necessary for the anti-air cannonb.a.l.l.s to hit.

“…They are a fairly calm enemy unit.”

When Kaburagi put himself in the position to fight these unknown enemies, he himself was unsure if they could fight calmly. As a military man, even looking up at the radar screen showing his enemies, he remembered to respect them. At the same time, he honestly felt that if he were to let his guard down, they would take his head. That’s why he gave orders for the survival of his comrades.

“Aim the ESSM through the main armament to the enemies at the correspondence range!”

The order to use the Aegis warship’s main anti-air missile weapon is accepted, screamed the weapons officer.

“Send out the VLS!” (TL note: the VLS is a type of missile)

The firing squad members answered immediately.  

“The illuminator links!”

The quad which had accepted these words wondered which enemy and in what order to shoot them down. The ESSM the Aegis warship is using was able to detect and follow the targets with the semi-active radar homing.

This is weaponry that allows for the detection of enemies for the warhead missile after receiving them from bouncing off the enemies after the initial release of the radar waves. 
If it could be acquired via radar, for instance, if it were a “dragon,” attacking it would then be possible. 
After the data of the targets was finished being input, the firing squad control members yelled.

“Sea sparrow ready to fire!”

“Recommend fire!”

The weapons officer raised his voice.

“Salvo!”

According to the plan to launch the missile, the hatches of the VLS cells on the decks of the bow and stern were opened. And, inside the cell, was the hangar where the anti-air missile on the warship, the ESSM’s rocket booster was put to work. (*ESSM: Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile) (*VLS:vertical launching system)

“What is that!?It exploded by itself?!”

Elvira opened her eyes wide. Not a single attack has landed from this side. Not a single dragon rider has reached the boat yet.

——The sight of the VLS missiles shot out all at once looked like the warship was surrounded by flame. But, this was because the flames rising from the the missiles’ boosters was all around the vessel.

Elvira saw something fly from the middle the this sight.

“Shining, a lance?!”

There were many of the things in the sky, with white tails of smoke, coming straight at her and her comrades.

Her instincts pulled her. To run, that is.

“Ha~!?”

In an instant, Elvira pulled on the reigns, but the dragon didn’t move. Something crossed the way before her eyes.

“Wh-what is that…waagh!?”

A moment before Arnold screamed, an explosion occurred right by the woman. Along with the blast, a sharp flake sc.r.a.ped her cheek. Arnold became a sacrifice. Elvira understood only that. She regained her balance, and like a small bug in the heat of the summer by a torch’s flames, she could see her crew mate’s dragon fall in pieces.

There was the scream of the dragon in death’s agony. Elvira couldn’t believe that what occurred before her eyes was reality. Had such damage until now ever been afflicted to the dragon knight unit?

“It can’t be…this can’t be…”

Elvira was in fear.

The dragon knights are supposed to be absolutely peerless in strength in this world. The empire had flourished to this point largely because of the dragon knights. Yet these dragon knights were thrown away in death like the leaves of a tree against this might.

The cannon fire continued coming with remorse, and the same number of crew members as there were fires fell to the sea. The lances of light followed the dragons running away as if it had a mind of its own; it followed on the same path and then exploded. Yes, this is a nightmare. There’s no mistake. This is a bad dream given by some demon.

“Ah…ahh…”

But, she came back to her senses. Would she be just a spectator to this bad dream, or would she act? She turned around. She wouldn’t act like this bad dream affected only her.