Dragon Raid (2)
Dragon Raid (2)
"I can't even use an Aura Blade... and if I can't command... I have to at least fire the cannon here...."
Hildea, trembling, stood up pale and stood in front of the howitzer, then collapsed.
But she gritted her teeth and finally stood up.
Her willpower is amazing, but....
'Direct fire seems impossible.'
Hildea barely loaded a steel shell.
But for direct fire, she needs to deploy Aura Armor and lift the spade at an angle.
"Ugh... I have to fire the cannon at least...."
I made up my mind.
To give her the Fentanyl medical kit.
But before that....
【Piel Marshall】
【Rank: General (temporary acting, reverts after battle)】
If Hildea recovers, I might not be able to receive the high-grade weapons that were finally unlocked from the request ban.
So before giving the medical kit, I should first receive a weapon to catch the Dragon.
First, I checked the bunker buster.
'Damn, request unavailable?'
It turned out to be an Air Force weapon, so an Army General couldn't request supplies for it.
Come to think of it, we'd need a bomber, pilot, and runway anyway, so a bunker buster was impossible from the start.
'Then among Army weapons, something that can catch a Dragon....'
It needs to blow away the mana shield with high penetration or overwhelming explosive power.
'The Patriot air defense battery... as expected, cut from the budget.'
The launcher alone costs 10 million budget, and each missile is over 4 million.
But the ground radar vehicle is 100 million??
Not buying. No, can't buy.
My budget is about 11.99 million.
'Iron Dome, which is as expensive as Patriot, pass. Apache helicopter starting at 35 million, pass.'
Pass, pass, pass....
Most had absurdly insufficient budgets.
And if the budget fit, the firepower seemed no better than a 155mm howitzer or anti-tank missile.
"Kuaaak! Priest! Priest!"
"Pour the grace of the Marshall kit!"
In the midst of this, there were serious injuries, but the priests saved them with a combination of medical kits and Healing Grace.
'Is it only the tank after all?'
The problem is that operation is impossible.
The latest M1E3 model seems capable of firing with its unmanned turret module, but I don't know how to drive a tank.
I'm diligently studying various weapon operation manuals on the tactical PDA every day, but pulling out a tank I don't know how to handle in a real combat situation is foolish....
【The General rank can request the 'Top Gun Cruise Module' as an option.】
【Would you like to request a tank with the Top Gun Cruise Module option?】
Information I had no idea about as a Colonel appeared.
Surprised, I checked....
【The United States Department of Defense has adopted zero casualties as a next-generation ideology, and this has been applied to the Defense Core.】
【The US military has developed the Integrated Unmanned Control System and the Top Gun Cruise Module to build a battlefield without soldiers, a fully unmanned system.】
Oh my god.
They kept shouting unmanned, unmanned every day, and the US Department of Defense finally did it!
'Alright, requesting supply of the Top Gun Abrams tank M1T1! Armament with M829 armor-piercing shells!'
In an instant, over 10 million budget was drained.
'Receive tank!'
A flash of light, and a large, beautiful Abrams tank appeared before my eyes.
Even while staggering holding the howitzer, Hildea was startled.
"P-Piel Colonel? What on earth is that magical device...?"
Even to medieval people, the tank's appearance would give off an unusual sense of strength.
Endless tracks, sleek and angular hull, large and powerful main gun.
The V-Bat UAV ground control station monitor displayed that it was automatically linking with the tank's Top Gun Cruise Module.
Two V-Bat UAVs automatically become the tank's eyes and ears.
Through the receiver, the Top Gun Cruise Module's request was heard.
[Designate a target.]
(Designate a target.)
"That large dragon is the enemy! Everyone else is friendly!"
(That fucking huge reptile! The rest are allies!)
Battlefield information analysis began.
I looked back and forth between the tank and the Dragon with anticipation.
'Everyone is doing great!'
Unicorn was not firing the twenty 120mm mortars in bursts, but alternately dispersing a few shots at the Dragon's mana shield.
Luna used Wind Spell to scatter the flying fragments, blocking the view.
Outside the field of view, Rebecca maneuvered quickly, harassing with the anti-materiel sniper rifle.
The 60mm mortar knights scattered in a circle also disturbed the Dragon's nerves with staggered attacks.
That's when.
-Kuoooo!
The Dragon let out a rough roar, spread its wings wide, and flew straight up.
Even while trembling, Hildea's face lit up.
"N...now...!"
Hildea desperately adjusted the firing angle of the howitzer deployed on the ground, then fired.
Bang!
The steel shell hit the Dragon's mana shield and exploded.
Hildea, sweating like rain all over her body, endured the pain and continued firing the howitzer at the Dragon with curved fire.
'Fuck, it's ruined.'
The tank's elevation and depression angles are −10°/+20°.
If it goes up that high, the tank is useless.
"P-Piel Colonel! The Marshall kit...!"
"Yes? But Hildea-nim, when the medicine wears off, greater pain comes!"
"I-I don't care! Quickly, the Marshall kit! I'll fire all the remaining shells, fi-fire them all!"
Last time, I used the Fentanyl medical kit for menstrual cramps once, and the effect wore off quickly.
And the period of cramps got longer.
After that, I decided not to use the kit for cramps.
"Hurry!"
With tears in my eyes, I put the medical kit in Hildea's mouth.
A moment later, Hildea's eyes fully returned, and the cold sweat stopped.
"I won't miss this opportunity the Marshall kit has given me!"
Hildea vigorously raised the firing angle and fired shells wildly.
Thrilling explosions erupted around the mana shield, obscuring the view.
Then Luna's urgent radio call came.
-The Dragon is opening its mouth and condensing mana! It looks like it's going to fire its Breath!
"What?"
Everyone is unable to grasp the situation because of the airburst fragments.
Because not everyone has a radio.
Luna hurriedly cleared the fragments with a Wind Spell, unblocking the view.
It meant for everyone to figure out what the Dragon was about to do.
"Hildea-nim! The Dragon seems to be preparing its Breath!"
"Damn! It's Breath! Everyone evade!"
Hildea shouted at the top of her lungs, abandoned the howitzer, and ran off, hugging me and Yuzel.
Right then.
[IFF complete. Commencing operation.]
(IFF complete. Commencing operation.)
Damn it.
What can you do against a Dragon in the sky when you can only lift your head 20 degrees?
'Huh? That thing, what's it doing now?'
The tank suddenly found a deeply sunken terrain and maneuvered.
As it reversed down the slope, the hull instantly tilted more than 45 degrees.
In that state, it raised the gun barrel as much as possible and aimed at the Dragon in the sky.
Wow.
Top Gun Cruise AI, smart....
***
The knights who heard Hildea's shout quickly grabbed their weapons and scattered away.
To minimize the damage from the Breath.
Meanwhile, Luna had been aware since the moment the tank appeared.
She could tell at a glance that it was an offensive magical device Piel had brought out.
'What kind of wheels are those?'
She wondered if it could move, but it quickly maneuvered down the sloped terrain.
While she was dumbfounded thinking it was trying to run away despite being a magical device.
The upper turret rotated, aiming the gun barrel at the Dragon.
Bang!
A tremendous explosion rang out, and the heavy-looking tank body shook greatly.
A sense of realism as if it squeezed its whole body and burst.
That moment.
-Kieeeeeeeek!
A huge wail shook the sky.
Startled, Luna could see the Dragon stop preparing its Breath and thrash about wildly.
'What happened? The mana shield is still intact?'
***
The moment the scream from the sky was heard.
Rebecca stopped fleeing and examined the Dragon.
It had stopped preparing its Breath and was thrashing around like a crazy fly.
'I heard an explosion earlier. Could it be that Piel brought something out?'
While glaring and scanning the sky.
Bang!
Another explosion rang out.
This time, Rebecca could see clearly.
One shell flew toward the Dragon.
As it flew, the body separated into several pieces and fell away, leaving only a long, slender metal arrow shooting forward.
-Kieeeeeek!
Again, the Dragon's pitiful scream rang out.
It was completely opposite to the majestic roar that had overwhelmed the battlefield, even giving the feeling of a child crying after being hit with a switch.
'Did it penetrate? The mana shield?'
Rebecca saw clearly.
A short, slender metal object.
That insignificant arrow piercing through the thick, solid mana shield and burrowing deep into the Dragon's scales.
The Dragon, which had been thrashing around to avoid the unidentified attack, finally fled far to the north.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
-Kieeeeeek!
The explosions continued to ring out.
Now, no one was fleeing.
Everyone stood frozen in place, desperately trying to see the metal arrows that chased the Dragon's tail and pierced through the mana shield, embedding themselves.
Only then did Luna descend toward Rebecca.
Rebecca asked with a blank face.
"What did Piel do again?"
"...I don't know how to describe it either. Really, it's a bizarre magical device."
The commotion on the battlefield subsided.
Everyone returned to their pre-battle positions.
Piel also returned, carrying the unconscious Hildea on his back.
"The Commander-in-Chief?"
"...She has fainted."
"Ah, right. It's already that time."
Rebecca hastily set up a tent and laid the unconscious Hildea inside.
Hildea's weakness was the Ainshuvan Army's greatest military secret.
"Yuzel, take good care of the Commander-in-Chief."
"Yes, Rebecca Commander-nim!"
Rebecca, who came out of the tent, stood side by side with Luna in front of Piel.
She had a lot of questions, but couldn't figure out where to start.
That's when.
Kugugugung! Kugugung!
With a loud noise like huge chunks of metal colliding, the ground shook greatly.
Rebecca blankly turned her gaze that way.
The knights and soldiers, all equally entranced, watched the majestic return of the steel hero that had single-handedly driven away the Dragon.
A giant carriage, no, could that even be called a carriage?
Its appearance, completely beyond Rebecca's common sense, stimulated primal fear and curiosity.
"Piel... what on earth is that? That's what drove away the Dragon, right?"
"It's a weapon called the M1T1 Abrams Top Gun Cruise."
Rebecca didn't ask unnecessary questions.
Like why he hadn't brought it out until now, why he didn't bring it out as soon as he saw the Dragon.
The knights and soldiers gathered around the tank, full of curiosity, but couldn't approach beyond a certain point.
They traced the large, powerful-looking gun barrel with their eyes, expressing admiration, awe, and gratitude among themselves.
Luna calmly opened her mouth.
"Could that be the real direct fire cannon you've been talking about, Colonel-nim?"
"Yeah, that's right."
"Aha."
Luna chuckled and looked at the tent where the unconscious Hildea lay.
And she muttered quietly to herself.
"Now you're the same as me."