Welcome to Hell!

Chapter 104: The Carnela Port Recapture Operation (11)

After the battleship sank there were only two battleships left, and Farl and the others were attacking while surrounding them with bows, arrows, and spiritual arts. However, they didn’t have any means of attack powerful enough to directly destroy the battleships, so they could only take down the armored soldiers that showed up on the deck.

However, this doesn’t mean they lacked firepower. Even I had to channel all my concentration into my spiritual arts in order to bring down just one of them. It was no easy feat to sink a battleship, which was essentially a fortress floating on the sea, while flying through the sky… But wait, perhaps there was a way after all, even if it couldn’t be accomplished by an individual. And that method was right in my hands.

“Ga”

“…You want to go down? Understood.” Mika said.

I pulled on the rope connecting me to Mika firmly. It seemed like he comprehended my intentions as he began to lower our flying altitude, almost skimming the surface of the sea. In that state, we approached the battleships that Farl and the others were flying around.

All the cannons of that battleship were destroyed, and there were large holes in the deck. That’s probably why they were only vigilant of the sky and didn’t notice us approaching from a low position.

“Gaggigego.” (Block your ears with something.)

“Ears, you say? Understood.”

As we approached the side of the ship, I warned Mika. And although he had a perplexed expression, he obediently covered his ears with both hands. After confirming this, I aimed the special gun I had brought with me toward the lower side of the ship and pulled the trigger.

Following a tremendous noise, a shockwave erupted, accompanied by the enhanced bullet being fired from the muzzle. A large hole appeared on the ship’s side, and water rushed in forcefully. Around the hole, cracks spread widely, indicating that if further impact was applied, the hole would expand.

“M-my ears…! If I hadn’t covered them, I might have fainted from the sound.”

Mika groaned while holding his ears. It was indeed the right call to tell him to cover his ears. Next thing, I conjured a large axe made of sand and swung it toward the cracks running around the hole. As I had expected, the hole expanded significantly, and the battleship slowly but surely began to sink.

Now, only one battleship remained. Among the ones that hadn’t sunk, it was the most battered of them, with all its cannons and mounted guns destroyed. The mission would be all over if we boarded and subdued it together. However, there is a saying of “A cornered rat will bite the cat”. We should never let our guard down; we must ensure the last battleship’s definite sinking.

“Goga?”

“I heard that sound just now… It came from the ground.”

It seemed that fierce battles were unfolding on the surface as well. While hoping for the safety of Marcellus, Tigar, and the others, we flew towards the final battleship.

◆◇◆◇◆◇

The Imperial army’s main forces, numbering over a hundred thousand, advanced towards Carnela port without breaking their formation. When they had come within a certain distance, a fleet floating on the sea was engulfed in flames. The Imperial soldiers were convinced that the aerial bombardment had succeeded.

“Raise your shields!”

“Deploy the barriers!”

Immediately afterward, cannons installed on the four layers of the outer walls guarding the port simultaneously erupted in fire. The sound of the Republican Army’s cannons was akin to the signal of war, the sound of an arrow announcing the commencement of battle for both sides. The heavy infantry at the forefront of the Imperial army raised their large shields, while the unit of spiritualists positioned behind them deployed barriers in the air to protect against the artillery barrage.

The barriers created by the unit of spiritualists prioritized size over strength, so their durability wasn’t exceptionally high. However, they effectively mitigated the power of the artillery strikes, and there were hardly any casualties among the heavy infantry.

“Advance! Prepare for the siege! Show the tenacity of our heavy infantry!”

“I sense some kind of powerful spiritual power! Intercept!”

As the heavy infantry unit pressed forward with their shields raised in defense, a sudden surge of spiritual power emanated from atop the outer walls. The skilled members of the spiritualist unit, sensing the signs of potent spiritual power, unleashed their most powerful attacks to counteract the threat.

Flashes of light erupted from the top of the walls, colliding in mid-air with the vibrant hues of the spiritualist’s attacks, resulting in a small sun-like explosion. The shockwave and heat assailed the heavy infantry unit, yet they gritted their teeth and endured the onslaught.

However, many of those caught directly beneath the blast could not withstand its force and turned into silent corpses. Those who survived found themselves immobilized, unable to move from their spots.

Nevertheless, the advance of the Imperial army persisted. This was war, and victory could not be achieved without incurring any losses. Especially in battles against the Republican Army which were armed with powerful weapons such as firearms, only the finest soldiers of the Empire were gathered here. The slight casualties did not dampen their morale in the slightest.

“Guaah!?”

“There’s something buried in the ground! Watch your step!”

In an effort to halt the advance of the Imperial army, the Republican forces launched repeated attacks, paying the price of sacrifice. However, a significant shift in the battle unfolded when the vanguard of the Imperial army reached the halfway point to the outer walls. Suddenly, the ground beneath their feet erupted in explosions.

The Republican army had prepared a minefield around the perimeter of the walls in anticipation of the Empire’s recapture operation. Even the relentless progress of the resilient heavy infantry unit was impeded. Few things were as terrifying as willingly stepping into a known trap.

To reclaim Carnela port, it was imperative to ensure that the heavy infantry unit reached the outer walls. The presence of traps was expected, and countermeasures had been devised.

“Deploy the Atonement Soldiers! Spread out and have them charge forward!”

From the rear of the heavy infantry unit, the Atonement soldiers, like Tigar and the others, merged onto the frontline. However, they were not seasoned veterans like the Lugall Squad of Tigar or the Kadaha Squad of Zald. Instead, they were individuals with limited combat experience who had been designated as Atonement Soldiers in the past few years.

The Atonement Soldiers were a disposable force within the Empire. However, there was a significant difference in fighting power between units that had spent a considerable amount of time as Atonement Soldiers and those who had recently become part of the force. Nevertheless, what was needed at the current moment was not combat strength but rather the ability to disarm traps. Therefore, these individuals who did not contribute to the fighting force were to be consumed and expended.

The Atonement Soldiers, forcibly brought to the front lines, were clearly unfit for battle. Each one of them wore dirty clothes and had emaciated bodies, making it evident that they were incapable of fighting. And it made sense, as they were originally peasants from a certain region.

That region had been struck by famine a few years ago, yet the lord who ruled over it continued to collect taxes as usual. Unable to survive under such circumstances, the peasants rebelled, resulting in a large-scale peasant uprising. The rebellion was suppressed, and the surviving masses of peasants were all turned into Atonement Soldiers.

“Go, you wretches! Die for the glory of the Empire!”

“No, no! Help me!”

“I don’t want to die! I don’t want to die!”

The enslaved Atonement Soldiers had no choice but to obey orders. They ran through the minefield, screaming and crying. Some were blown apart by stepping on a mine, while others were shot dead by the guns of the outer walls.

There were supposed to be about a thousand Atonement Soldiers, but only a handful managed to traverse the minefield and reach the outer walls. Those who made it were swiftly shot and killed by the enemy. By sacrificing their lives, the Atonement Soldiers rendered the minefield almost ineffective, completing their “atonement” for the Empire before being wiped out.

Having successfully overcome the minefield through sheer force, the Imperial army resumed their advance. Though some remaining mines exploded due to the failed disposal attempts by the Atonement Soldiers, the heavy infantry unit of the Imperial Army faced no significant obstacles and reached the outer walls.

“Be cautious of attacks from above! Hang the ladders!”

“Now’s the time! Run! Run with all your might!”

The heavy infantry unit that reached the outer walls retrieved ladders they had held behind their large shields. These ladders had protrusions to connect them vertically, allowing several to be combined into a long ladder.

Assembling the ladders quickly and as trained, they were swiftly placed against the outer walls. The Republic Army soldiers attempted to shoot down from above or remove the ladders to hinder the heavy infantry’s progress, but the sheer difference in numbers allowed multiple ladders to be set up.

The Imperial Army’s light infantry unit charged toward their objective. They ascended the ladders, aiming for the top of the outer walls at a speed no different from running on the ground.

“Ugh!”

“Uwaaaah!”

That being said, ascending the ladders was the most vulnerable moment, effectively turning them into prime targets for the enemy’s gunfire. Brave soldiers attempted to climb up, but they were shot down one after another.

However, they were also the elite of the Imperial Army. Unless they were instantly killed by a critical shot, they would roll with the fall and quickly return to the front lines. Those with serious injuries, such as broken bones, sought shelter beneath the shields held by the heavy infantry, allowing for recovery. Soldiers who could harness their fighting spirit would rise again and again, displaying relentless perseverance until they were either killed or their spirits broken.

“Let’s go, you bastards! Follow my lead!”

“Do you understand the plan? We’ll sprint up all at once!”

Amidst such chaos, the demon squad, alongside the light infantry unit, also reached the outer walls. Among them, those who possessed sharp claws ascended the walls forcefully while holding their weapons in one hand.

The Republic forces, not mindful of the enemy’s approach from places other than the ladders, were delayed in responding to Tigar and his comrades climbing. As a result, without facing significant resistance, they reached the top of the outer walls successfully.

“Gorururururu!”

“Uo~o~o~on!”

The moment they reached the top of the walls, Tigar and the other demons roared triumphantly and started wreaking havoc. They swiftly dispatched the armored soldiers who targeted their comrades climbing the ladders and ensured the safe ascent of their clawless companions and Marcellus.

“We will cover our allies!”

“””Woooooo!!!”””

Their next task was to provide support to their allies ascending the ladders. They prioritized eliminating the armored soldiers who were targeting their comrades. With the hindrances reduced, the Imperial soldiers climbed the outer walls one after another.

With each passing moment, the number of Imperial soldiers scaling the outer walls increased exponentially. Due to the Imperial army’s superior forces, the outermost wall was gradually falling into their hands. Though there were white-armored soldiers on the outer walls, they couldn’t overturn the tide of disadvantage against the overwhelming numbers of the Imperial army.

“■■!■■■!”

The white-armored soldier in command shouted something while vigorously waving his hand. Immediately, the ordinary armored soldiers started descending from the outer walls. It seemed to be the signal for a retreat. In this way, within a short span of time since the start of the battle, the Imperial army had successfully seized one of the outer walls.