Welcome to Hell!

Chapter 93: Prison Life (3)

It has been well over a month since we began our life within the confines of the prison. Time has passed, and outside its walls, the seasons have transitioned from the harsh, cold grip of winter to the anticipated arrival of a warm spring… or so it was supposed to be. As demons, we were resistant to temperature fluctuations, and it was even more difficult to perceive climate variations within the prison. Therefore, the only thing we knew was that it had officially become spring according to the calendar.

During our time in the prison, it seemed that the Imperial Army was mobilizing for the recapture of the Carnela Port. According to Marcellus’ account, the Imperial Army had gathered a massive force of a hundred thousand soldiers at the new fortress….or rather, stronghold. It was the first time since the simultaneous assault on the fortresses that such a large-scale army had been set in motion.

Furthermore, the fire breathing war chariot we brought back… According to Asumi, it seemed that the Republic Army referred to it as a self-propelled artillery. The imperial army was planning to dismantle it, conduct research, and develop a new type of weapon to deploy on the attack. Let’s just hope they don’t end up accidentally involving their allies in the process.

Also, it seems that several small-scale battles occurred along the river while we were in the prison. The demons of Karelvo were apparently deployed in actual combat there. They attacked and repelled the Republic forces attempting to cross the river, but unfortunately, one of the demons was killed by a bullet piercing through his head.

They were not our allies, and given our first encounter, it was unlikely that anyone among us had a good impression of them. However, being fellow demons, they reminded us that despite our heightened healing abilities, we were not invincible.

“Nurya!”

“Shah!”

“……!”

While various events were unfolding outside, we remained vibrant within the confines of the prison, engaged in sparring sessions. Presently, I was facing off against Gora and Linardo. This duo proved to be quite formidable.

Gora’s strong arms surpassed my own in raw strength, while Linardo’s fists and kicks were swift and precise, like a dancer’s movements. Their coordinated techniques, honed since their time serving as atonement soldiers, had me on the defensive throughout the spar.

“Oh!? Bubee!?”

“S-sorry!”

However, I couldn’t afford to lose just yet. I narrowly dodged Gora’s fist, swiftly hooking my hand around his wrist and immobilizing it with a counter-rotating elbow lock. I took advantage of Gora’s momentum from his forward punch and guided him toward where Linardo was positioned.

When Gora’s face dipped down, Linardo’s knee strike found its mark, slamming directly into Gora’s face. Gora let out a cry of pain, and Linardo instinctively apologized. However, that was nothing but an opening for me.

“Ugh?!”

“Haah?!”

Releasing both of his hands, I pressed down on Gora’s back, using it as a platform to propel myself upward, before driving a punch straight into Linardo’s jaw. Gora struggled to rise, flailing his limbs helplessly, while Linardo, with his head rattled, lay on the floor, groaning.

After lifting my leg off Gora’s back, I grabbed Linardo’s hand and helped him back up. The latter shook his head vigorously and promptly got to his feet.

“As expected, you’re really strong. Can you teach me that move you just used?” Linardo sid.

“Ouch… Is the one you just did on me not good enough for you? You’re quite something.” Gora added.

Linardo’s eyes sparkled as he urged me to teach him the recent technique I used, while Gora, rubbing his nose where Linardo’s kick landed, smiled wryly. I moved slowly, demonstrating the movements of the combat technique I had just employed. Linardo immediately started practicing it with Gora’s assistance.

It’s probably enough to observe them for now. So, let’s move on to watching the training of other individuals. Who should it be… Hmm, it’s a tough choice.

“Hmph!”

“Hah!”

Tigar and Zald, evenly matched in skill, were engaged in a sparring match. Tigar relied primarily on kicks, while Zald balanced his movements by utilizing all four limbs. Since Tigar wielded a broad, heavy sword, he rarely used punches in actual combat. Therefore, he focused on honing his kicking techniques.

Zald, on the other hand, wielded a versatile longsword that he could use with either one hand or both. In actual combat, he had ample opportunities to employ his fists, and so he was training to use his entire body.

Since the two of them were evenly matched in skill, it seemed fruitful for them to engage in sparring together. However, it would be problematic if they developed any peculiar habits from training exclusively with each other. I should have Mika tell them that it would be wise to have them spar with other individuals from time to time.

“Ehhh! Touuuu!”

“Uuu… Your brute strength remains as stupidly formidable as ever…”

“Don’t you dare call your little sister… stupid!”

In another part of the training area, Tuhru, Sophie, and Farl were engaged in a sparring match. Despite being a woman, Tuhru possessed a tall stature and strength comparable to Gora himself, while her graceful limbs delivered whip-like strikes that could incapacitate an opponent with a single blow, contrasting with her sweet-sounding shouts.

Sophie and Farl narrowly avoided her attacks, launching counterattacks of their own. However, their strikes were unable to inflict any damage on Tuhru. Conversely, Tuhru had yet to land a direct hit on the two of them. It remained to be seen whether Tuhru would land the first strike or if Sophie and Farl would become capable of landing effective blows first. This, in itself, was turning out to be a valuable training experience for them.

The others were also diligently training with opponents of similar skill levels. Until someone specifically requested to spar with me, I decided to continue observing and moving around.

“Everyone, have you memorized the Dito language’s linear and circular characters? We will have a test, so please write them down carefully,” Mika instructed.

“No problem at all!”

“Um, was it like this?”

“Ugh… It’s difficult… big brother…”

As I circled around, watching the sparring of the adults, I glanced at the children’s activities with my rear compound eyes. It was currently study time led by Mika, and the children were happily writing characters while making a lot of noise. The Dito language consisted of linear characters written with straight lines and circular characters written with curves, and it seemed like Mika was checking if they had memorized them all.

Leo, the son of Tigar and Sharl, had a good memory and effortlessly wrote the correct characters. Kelf struggled a little but managed to get everything right in the end. However, Lappy hadn’t fully memorized them yet and made a few mistakes. Considering Lapi’s young age, it couldn’t be helped.

Lappy looked at me with teary eyes, but it was study time now, so I couldn’t go and help. I silently encouraged Lappy to do her best to memorize. It would surely be useful if she could remember the characters.

While I walked around, I heard footsteps coming up from downstairs. Even with the sounds of my comrades fighting around, my exoskeleton-wrapped feet remained in contact with the floor. Hence, I could sense the vibrations and anticipate individuals’ approaches in advance.

“Oh, you’re full of energy!”

“Well, isn’t this a bit too intense? Although it might not be a problem if you have the regenerative abilities of a demon…”

Of course, it was Marcellus and Decius who came up to the second floor. Marcellus watched our sparring with keen interest, while Decius seemed taken aback by the intensity. From my perspective, it was still mild, but if I were to say that, he would probably be even more shocked. I decided to keep quiet.

Marcellus observed our sparring for a short while before clapping his hands to gather everyone’s attention. The adults paused their sparring, and Mika also interrupted his class and stood up. At that moment, I didn’t miss Lappy’s relieved expression as she heaved a sigh of relief.

“Listen, everyone. This concerns the operation to retake Carnela Port,” Marcellus announced.

Finally, the time had come for the major battle. We all turned serious, awaiting Marcellus’s next words. After scanning each of our faces, he began speaking in a deliberate manner.

“Mika, Rinne, and Mr. Scorpion were with me during the infiltration. So, I believe all of you are already aware of the current situation at Carnela Port. Is that correct?”

“Yes. We have shared the information about what we witnessed,” Mika replied.

Though we were imprisoned, we still had time for meals and breaks. It was during those moments that Mika and Rinne had discussed the infiltration mission’s happenings with the others.

Both Mika and Rinne were not the type to exaggerate, so they conveyed the facts as they were. As a result, the adults present here had a general understanding of the current state of Carnela Port.

“Very well. In that case, I’ll get straight to the point. Let me brief you on your mission. This time, we’ll divide the team into two units. One unit will join me under my command for the siege, while the other unit… will be tasked with sinking or disabling the Republic’s battleships before the full-scale battle begins.”

Sinking battleships, you say? How do you propose we attack those battleships floating on the sea? It’s not realistic to attack from the ground, and none of us here were synthesized with aquatic creatures or sea demons. So… there’s only one answer. We attack from the sky.

Launching an aerial attack doesn’t sound like a bad plan. If we use spiritual arts to fly, there’s a chance we might be detected. However, if the flying demons can blend in naturally like birds, the possibility of being spotted should be low. But this plan has a fatal flaw.

“…As many of you may have already guessed, I’ll say it anyway. We’re being instructed to launch an airborne assault with the demons who are capable of flying.”

“Wait a moment. Including myself, there are only six of us who can fly. None of the new demons possess wings. Are you suggesting that just the six of us here take on a whole battleship?” Mika asked.

Indeed, there were only a few demons capable of flight among the squad. Among them were Mika, the four-winged bat demon, and Farl, the storm hawk demon. There were only six of them in total. It seemed impossible to accomplish the task with such a small number.

“Furthermore, according to the testimony of the prisoner of war, they have sufficient defenses against aerial attacks, thanks to their installed large-caliber guns. We would meet a certain death if we tried conventional methods,” Mika explained.

“The headquarters isn’t foolish. They have prepared a secret plan,” Marcellus said.

“What is this secret plan?”

“We have developed powerful bombs using technology from the Republic Army. We will drop them from above. Decius?”

“Yes,”

Decius retrieved a small sphere that fit in the palm of his hand from his pocket. The sphere had a glossy black surface, but it didn’t appear particularly powerful. Even when told that it was a powerful bomb, no one seemed to fully comprehend.

As expected, Marcellus smiled wryly at our reaction. Meanwhile, Decius calmly returned the sphere to his pocket without changing his expression.

“We have witnessed the power of these bombs with our own eyes. Just one of them can blow up a small village. Trust me,”

“…Understood,” Mika replied.

“Thank you. However, while the bombs are indeed powerful, their quantity is limited. If, by any chance, the battleship doesn’t sink despite using all of them, you’ll have to board it and fight directly. With just the six of you, it would be like going to your deaths. That’s why I want to ask you something. How much weight can each of you carry while flying?” Marcellus inquired.

Mika and the others responded to Marcellus’s question, and it turned out that all six of them had a similar carrying capacity.

“I see… In that case, select three individuals from your unit. Three out of the six flying demons will carry the bombs while flying. The remaining three flying demons will carry the chosen three, and in the worst-case scenario, all nine of you will have to board and sink the battleship from within. That’s the overview of the mission assigned to you by the headquarters. We will decide on the three selected individuals now… Mr. Scorpion, you are indispensable for the success of this operation. I’m sorry, but your participation is mandatory,” Marcellus announced.

“…”

Carrying an unknown weapon with unknown power and with only nine of us, we were expected to neutralize the enemy’s naval forces. My next mission was beginning to make me question the sanity of whoever devised this plan.

*************

TN: So as you can see here, the terms of cylindrical weapon and such is no longer used. It’s not me that is making such decision but I’m just translating the words as they are.

Also look forward to the upcoming war, it has fantastic moments.