Chapter 66
Chapter 66
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 66
Chapter Title: The Crimson's Fury
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At that moment, Sahim let out a spirited shout and ramped up his speed.
"Hah!!"
Crimson flapped its wings backward to widen the distance, leaping away.
But Sahim didn't pursue. Instead, he raised both swords straight up overhead.
A distance the blades couldn't reach.
It wasn't a mistake.
Invisible sword strikes were unleashed along the paths the swords had traced.
Crimson, caught off guard by the unexpected attack, dodged hastily, but one wing was sliced clean in half.
"Here I go!"
And just before Roze joined in, adding insult to injury.
The Miracle Generation quartet was performing far better than expected.
'It shouldn't be possible. And yet they're pushing that far...'
Their growth was truly dazzling.
I never imagined they'd hold their own against Crimson like this.
I found myself half-mesmerized, spectating the battle, before snapping back to reality.
"...No good."
All we needed to do was keep the interference at bay.
If we could manage that, we might just take down Crimson.
Rumble!
But the aliens weren't about to sit idly by and let Crimson get overwhelmed.
The alien main force, forcing its way through the fleet's blockade, began raining down shells and aliens on our position.
Every one of those launched aliens looked like a high-threat specimen.
I hustled forward, hands flying across my panel.
"Focus fire support here! Don't let them get close, no matter what! What? Overload? Blow up if you have to—just do it!!"
Frustrated, I yelled into the comms, but that wasn't going to solve anything.
'Better to let it go.'
We were too late anyway.
Before we could deal with Crimson, these high-threat bastards piling in would endanger the four of them too.
Better to pull back now and hold out as best we could against these.
'If only the rift was smaller!'
Then the two fleets alone could've handled the main force.
I reached the glacier.
I cleared out the small fry crawling up its side and approached Barton.
"Barton!"
"Why'd you come? It's dangerous here."
"I know. We all need to pull back from here first."
"...Let that thing go? Are you sane?"
Exhausted, Merdi snapped at me in a weak voice.
'Figured as much.'
I hadn't expected them to listen over simple comms.
That's why I came in person to convince them.
I pointed at the sky.
"Look up there. Delay any longer, and we'll be cut off."
"...Even so."
Merdi glanced back and forth between sky and ground.
Danger closing in by the second.
Crimson in the pit was definitely on the defensive.
But we didn't look dominant enough to finish it off quickly.
"Besides, you two are both wiped out. In your state, you're no help."
"I'm not tired right—no!"
Pushing it too far, after all.
Trying to prove a point by forming a ball of lightning in her palm, Merdi clutched her chest and screamed.
Bent double, shuddering—must be intense pain.
The price of overexerting against Crimson earlier.
'It got us a hit, at least...'
Like an engine overload, she was in temporary shock.
It'd heal on its own with time, but right now, she needed rest.
Barton would end up the same if he kept squeezing out power like this.
Impressive as they were, they'd already done more than enough.
"Regrettable, but no choice. We've bloodied it that much—Crimson won't be at full strength."
"Yeah. I'll take Merdi and go. Barton, convince the other two."
"Got it."
Barton leaped down into the glacier pit.
Those two below were so locked in, they weren't even hearing comms.
I approached Merdi to help her up.
"Back off! I can move on my own."
"...No need to push yourself."
Merdi glared daggers.
Even if she did, all she could muster was a mild static zap—nothing scary.
"Then hurry...oh shit."
Something dropped from the sky toward us.
I hurled my emergency barrier generator into the air and bolted without looking back.
Didn't even scoop up Merdi.
Boom!!
The glacier crumbled.
An attack from the alien main force.
The fleet's interception must've fallen short—stray shots kept raining down on our area.
Some landed ahead, blocking paths.
'Of all things...'
Not just shells.
After hitting the ground, they started moving slowly—aliens.
Pillbugs, as we called them.
Just like the name, they looked exactly like pillbugs. Tough enough to serve as living shells, and with vitality so tenacious they wouldn't die even if torn to pieces.
Tough enough to be used as ammo.
And that wasn't the only problem.
"...Urk, blegh!!"
"Big trouble."
Following the sound, I saw Merdi vomiting blood.
Her condition must've worsened in that tumble.
'Dangerous. No treatment fluid left...'
First things first—emergency care.
In a pinch, I yanked off the mask goggles from her armor suit.
If you're puking blood this bad, relying on the suit's cleaning function risks suffocation.
"...Urgh, my gut—mmph!"
"I know. Feels clogged?"
"...What are you—mmph! Mmph!!"
I flooded her mouth with generated treatment fluid and pressed my lips to hers.
Startled by the sudden kiss, she flailed wildly.
No idea what Merdi thought of it, but I felt nothing romantic.
'Most direct way.'
I forced the fluid in.
She resisted but ran out of strength, eventually swallowing passively and calming down.
After a moment.
Good enough—I pulled back.
......You."
Merdi shoved me away and staggered back a couple steps.
The air turned icy.
One hand over her mouth, glaring murderously.
No time to explain, so I'd improvised—but yeah, backlash incoming.
Not now, though.
I spun around without mercy, warding off approaching Pillbugs as I said,
"Check your condition."
"My condition?"
Finally clued in, huh.
Silence fell briefly.
The internal bleeding had stopped completely, and shock-induced injuries were mending.
'Not sure if it helps the shock itself.'
Normally, shock just needed natural recovery.
Tough to ask in this mood, but easing the complications was blessing enough.
......This isn't over."
"Fine. Once we're out safe, do what you want."
Good—she wasn't about to make a scene here.
I sighed inwardly in relief.
But then, the glacier wall we'd used as cover exploded, familiar faces bursting out.
"Merdi? Lemon?"
"Run!"
Barton, Roze, Sahim—in that order, yelling as they emerged.
For an instant, my hair stood on end.
Skreeee!!
The hole they burst from flushed red, then cannon fire erupted.
Barton hastily sealed it, blocking the barrage, but the glacier's collapse sent shockwaves that had us tumbling.
"Still messing around here?!"
"We've been busy too!"
I barely dodged a charging Pillbug and shouted back.
Sahim and Roze up front, shredding Pillbugs.
They'd seemed so tanky alone, but watching them drop easy now felt oddly hollow.
Grimacing, I relayed fire orders to both fleets via panel.
"Fire now!"
Battleships' main guns, prepped and waiting, roared.
Target: the glacier pile.
Just as Crimson emerged, pissed at missing us, the shells hit, blooming brilliantly.
"...Guh!"
Seven rounds.
Even from mid-to-small Murdoch-class ships, main gun power—core firepower—wasn't to be underestimated.
The glacier vaporized instantly.
Excess energy collided, heat melting even the ground.
"Persistent bastard!"
But Crimson survived on insane luck and survival instinct.
Pillbugs had shielded it at the last second, buying time.
Enraged to the heavens, Crimson unleashed a long howl.
'Barton's spent too.'
Not just Merdi.
Barton, Sahim, Roze—all off their game.
Defense line was close, but if Crimson attacked before we reached it, unclear if we could hold.
Surrounded by aliens on ground, Crimson dominating the air.
Then.
Crimson, slicing through the dust-choked sky, descended right over our heads, halted abruptly, and bellowed louder than ever.
Karrarararararararuk!!!
"Urk!"
"...Aaaagh!"
All four of us staggered.
Merdi and Barton, physically weaker, nearly toppled.
'Danger!'
No time to wonder why I was fine aside from the noise.
Spotting Crimson diving on our opening, I shoved Merdi and Barton's backs hard forward.
'Aim for me!'
What courage was this?
No matter—I was bait anyway, Crimson wanted the four ahead.
But as if hearing my inner shout, Crimson targeted me precisely.
"......!"
Our eyes met for a split second.
Time seemed to slow; I saw its talon swinging for my throat.
Purely thanks to reflexes honed sparring Roze.
Left hand drew the anti-personnel sword BB107 'Executioner' stocked in my reinforced armor suit, swinging to meet it.
Top-tier among medical-grade weapons in hardness.
But Crimson's glowing red talon sheared through it effortlessly, shorting my energy barrier with a mere sputter.
My left arm severed clean from grip to shoulder.
'Not yet...!'
No time for pain.
Crimson thrust its right hand for my head next.
Momentum carried me into a limbo-slide, back arching till my head nearly grazed ground—but its follow-up slash tore deep gashes into my right calf and thigh, shredding them ragged.
Even then, I didn't quit.
For some reason, it wasn't blasting me.
Something to ask? Wanted me intact?
It spared no effort, lunging repeatedly.
But that was my last stand, apparently.
Wings flared, accelerating in a blink till its breath washed over me—I sensed death.
"Hah...!"
As its talon speared for my chest, my remaining right arm threw a punch.
If I'm dying, land one hit at least.
My form was textbook perfect.
Beep!
That instant.
A familiar machine tone buzzed in my ear.
Something whizzed past my head from behind, hammering Crimson repeatedly.
Its arm recoiled, halting it.
My punch slammed clean into Crimson's solar plexus.
"Lemon!"
As Crimson reeled, Roze and Sahim burst from behind.
Greedy beyond its veteran savvy, Crimson had opened a bigger gap than before.
It swung talons frantically, wings spreading—but before gaining speed, Roze's fist cracked its collarbone, sending it plowing a furrow into the ground.