Chapter 85
Chapter 85
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 85
Chapter Title: Continuous Assault
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Continuous assault.
The fragile stalemate finally shattered.
I was on standby duty at the perfect moment and got pulled into action the instant the alert sounded, heading straight for Clotho Planet.
“How’s the situation?”
I boarded a high-speed craft prepped for the short-range AD Drive jump.
Sia, who must have prepared in advance, was already seated across from me and greeted me with a nod.
“I just got the emergency deployment order myself.”
“So everything I heard is all there is?”
“Yes. I’ll update you as more details come in.”
“Continuous assault...”
Alien assaults strike without warning.
No precursors, and their scale is impossible to predict.
Among these, a few types stand out as particularly nasty, and continuous assaults were one of them.
The Human Alliance theorized that each assault was centered around a key entity.
It hadn’t been pinpointed yet, so they’d temporarily named it the “Hive Mind.”
In any case, aliens organized around a Hive Mind were considered one swarm.
A typical swarm numbered between 10 million and 1 billion individuals, with the number of rifts varying by scale.
But the rifts from a single swarm always clustered tightly.
They never scattered across multiple locations.
That’s why defense fleets had priority in response.
They’d position themselves ahead of time and hammer the rift spawn points in concentrated strikes.
This tactic allowed the Alliance to repel assaults with minimal losses despite the overwhelming numbers, leveraging tactical superiority.
But continuous assaults flipped everything upside down.
They involved at least two swarms hitting the same planet.
While the defense fleet was focused on sealing the first swarm’s rifts, new ones would rip open in completely different directions, leaving initial responses inadequate.
That’s what happened on Clotho Planet this time.
The original rift cluster and the new one had opened on exact opposite sides of the planet.
“...Casualties must be heavy. How many evacuees on Clotho?”
“Around 37 million, estimated.”
“Half of Lachesis Planet’s total.”
“Yes. That was about 40% of their original population.”
Evacuation efforts had clearly gone smoother on Lachesis.
“Still, fewer numbers could be an advantage. If they’re consolidated well, it shouldn’t be too tough.”
“No.”
“Huh?”
“Clotho’s population density is lower than Lachesis. They enforced residential distribution for ‘balanced development,’ so there are more defensive strongholds to protect.”
“Balanced development? Why bother?”
Lachesis had focused development on a single, prime continent.
That was the standard approach.
The more people concentrated, the more vibrant the economy, and cities expanded smoothly from there.
Pioneer planets, already short on population, mostly followed this model.
“It’s called balanced development, but it looks like they artificially controlled it for profitable resource mining.”
Had Clotho lacked funds to develop the planet?
Possible.
Or maybe profit was the goal from the start.
“The investigation files mentioned it...”
Plans like Clotho’s yielded steady mid-term gains with low investment.
They’d probably been wealthier and more influential than Lachesis at first.
But time revealed the long-term flaws.
Anyway, I didn’t need to worry about that now.
The issue was how this setup complicated planetary defense.
“We won’t get a break once we arrive. Better catch some shut-eye. You too, Sia.”
“Got it. ...Um, but.”
She hesitated, uncharacteristically.
Curious, I looked over, and she spoke up.
“Don’t you think it’s time to drop the formalities?”
“...Oh, right.”
Early on as my secretary, I’d addressed this.
Once we got comfortable, I said.
But we’d kept at it so long I’d grown used to it without noticing.
“...I don’t mind this.”
“It creates distance. I’d prefer if you treated me casually.”
A rare assertion from her.
I studied Sia.
She’d undergone two more treatments and was fully recovered.
I’d said we’d monitor her a bit longer, but no more intervention was needed.
‘I knew she wouldn’t leave...’
Nothing tied her to me anymore.
Yet she performed her secretary duties flawlessly.
As if it were her true calling.
Her initial clumsiness had vanished quickly, and now she was indispensable.
Colony ops and evac procedures had fewer hiccups thanks to her—if she left, I might be the one begging her to stay.
No reason to refuse such a request.
“...Fine, casual it... is?”
Sia flashed a faint smile.
“I’ll take that for now.”
“Hm. While we’re at it, anything lacking in your secretary gig?”
“It’s busy. Not enough sleep. I’ve seen other superhumans’ schedules—except yours, no one’s busier than Leonard.”
“I’m me. ...If it’s too much, use your discretion to hire two more.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Report personnel files to me for approval, of course.”
“Perfect. I had a couple candidates in mind—time to bring them on.”
“...Who?”
“One admin assistant and one elite pilot. Both from Lachesis Planet...”
Their origin nagged at me.
Lachesis natives would be easy for Sia to handle.
They’d follow my orders, sure, but prioritize hers—increasing her influence.
‘Is that okay...?’
Sia picked up on my vibe like a ghost.
Mid-description, she clammed up and eyed me cautiously.
“...What?”
“...You don’t like them?”
“No, I didn’t say anything.”
“Your face looked uncomfortable... If Lachesis origin’s the issue, I’ll look elsewhere.”
What about my face made her so wary?
“It’s really nothing. Send their files when you have time. I’ll approve if no red flags.”
Truth be told, I’d harbored some wariness about her Lachesis ties.
Didn’t realize it showed, but she’d been so diligent—maybe I was overreacting.
“Okay...”
Her voice dipped slightly, even after my reassurance.
Deflated.
‘What rich girl heiress frets over people’s reactions like this?’
Was even that an act?
Suspicion crept in.
I closed my eyes against the unease.
This was an emergency, after all.
Grueling days without sleep awaited on Clotho.
*
Utah City.
A subterranean mining city of 700,000.
Harsh climate swings from unstable magnetic fields and dust-choked skies made it dim and unforgiving to humans—and today was no different.
“Damn weather.”
“What’s special about today? Just degrees of suck.”
“Aliens are coming.”
“Why hit here?”
Utah City’s mood was still decent.
As an underground city, it was easy to seal against external threats, and it had escaped unscathed in past assaults.
Most wanted to hunker down until evac slots opened.
The filthy weather helped.
Aliens were biological too.
They adapted better than humans, but they didn’t love human-friendly spots any more than we did.
This crap weather repelled them too.
Sealed off, Utah stayed off their radar.
“Huh? What’s that?”
But a rift tore open right overhead, shredding that luck.
Soon after, fierce space battles raged above Utah.
The defense fleet, already tied up with one swarm, diverted some forces—but plenty of aliens made it through.
Dropped across the surface, they hunted lifeforms, thrusting Utah into defense.
As the closest city to the rift, it drew concentrated fire.
“Reinforcements!”
“That a superhuman down there? Damn, she’s good.”
Ground forces mobilized fast.
10,000 troops and combat mechs from standby rushed in.
Superhumans were among them.
With side passages sealed, blocking three main ones was key—and superhumans tipped the scales decisively.
Utah held for over five hours without major issues, basking in premature relief.
“...How long do we hold?”
One of Roze’s senior superhumans grumbled.
Utah’s situation wasn’t rosy.
Low stockpiles meant scant long-range options against ranged aliens.
A psyker superhuman was handling it, but burnout loomed—sustainability was nil.
“The ground’s shaky too. Keep this up, the city collapses.”
“This little shaking?”
“It’s not little! Feel that vibration? Roze feels it too, right?”
“...Yeah. I do.”
“See!”
Did I need to answer?
Roze turned from the glare of the other superhuman.
‘Uncomfortable.’
Out of place.
A new feeling since the academy.
But the seniors didn’t bully her.
Her short service showed prodigious power.
Considering her age and potential, they treated her with vague detachment.
Even tossed compliments sometimes.
Yet even rote praise grated on Roze.
“Eh, whatever? Roze’ll handle it if push comes.”
“Yeah, with her, we’re good.”
“Speaking of, wanna clear those incoming?”
“On it.”
Roze bolted out the passage.
‘This is better.’
Fighting let her focus solely on the fight.
Other thoughts vanished.
Roze unleashed her fists on the aliens.
Recalling ranged ones were trouble, she hunted down and smashed the artillery units kilometers out.
After an hour of rampage, the area quieted.
“...Man, I’m hungry.”
The words slipped out habitually.
After a frenzy, something to tantalize the tongue should fill her mouth—but not lately.
Roze blankly pictured a face, then shook her head to dispel it.
“Why no contact!”
A Grade 3 hazard burst from below.
Roze vented her frustration into the strike.
Ripples spread from the impact, then its back exploded like a balloon.
“I’ll do that to you when we meet... Wait, too much?”
Grrrr!
As she pondered amid mangled aliens, a swarm encircled her.