Chapter 336: Blazing Flames of the Battlefield[R-18] (54)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 336: Blazing Flames of the Battlefield[R-18] (54)
The Requiem soared into the air, slicing across the sea.
The machine flew as if gliding just a few meters above the water's surface. Gravity tugged at it, pulling the entire frame downward like an anchor. But it felt effortless.
I gently pulled the control stick.
The response was instantaneous, as if I’d touched a raw nerve. Before my mind could even fully form the thought, the Requiem had already reacted.
‘Incredible.’
For a moment, I thought of Lillian. Not only had she overhauled the entire machine, but her expertise spanned from its systems all the way to medicine.
‘Her personality is a little crazy, but she’s a talent I’d kill to have.’
I pulled the stick back further. The machine hugged the surface of the sea even closer.
“And she’s hot as hell, too.”
The Requiem’s legs skimmed the waves, kicking up a fine spray of water. I pressed the left vernier. The machine carved a curve through the water before banking sharply in the opposite direction.
The Requiem ascended. It tore through the sky as if gravity were nothing, rising straight up.
The entire cockpit shook lightly. My body was pressed back by the speed, a sensation of becoming one with the machine. This was the exact movement I had wanted.
Beep—
[How is it?]
Lillian’s voice. It was still steeped in exhaustion, yet filled with anticipation.
“It’s perfect.”
[No points of strain?]
“None. If anything, it’s scary how familiar this feels.”
The Requiem was flawless. There was no sense of disconnect between my body holding the controls and the machine itself.
Just as I was savoring the feeling, sirens began to blare across the entire city. A low, long emergency alarm echoed out. A state of alert was declared throughout Erutus.
A communication channel opened immediately. I could hear ragged breathing even through the static.
[We have a problem. Arsenos forces are approaching our position.]
I let go of the control stick. The Requiem automatically stabilized, smoothly absorbing the recoil. Its sensors scanned the surrounding airspace, and red flags began to pop up one by one on the HUD.
“Why all of a sudden?”
[They just sent a unilateral notice. They’ve designated this place a strategic key point and are requisitioning this region’s resources and personnel in accordance with their military duty.]
“Ha, what a convenient pretext.”
As I scoffed, Brol spat out a short reply.
[The bottom line is, it’s forced conscription.]
“So?”
[We’re going to fight. However—]
“You want my help, is that it?”
[That’s right. But I won’t force you. If you refuse, we’ve also prepared a plan to get you and your people out of here.]
I let out a small laugh at his words.
“Forget it. I’m not interested in escaping. I’ll help. I was itching for a fight anyway.”
I could hear Brol laugh on the other end of the channel.
[Thanks.]
“Enemy numbers?”
[Two high-speed cruisers, one assault landing ship. Currently on standby in Erutus’s orbit.]
“Not a standard combat formation.”
[Right. According to intel from some mercenaries who just came in from the outskirts, their main fleet is much farther away. They’re probably just planning to scoop up some resources on their way past.]
“I’m returning to your position now.”
I gripped the control stick again. The Requiem responded. The cockpit seemed to compress as the sensors aligned horizontally and calculated an automatic flight path.
*
The conference hall in the central district of Erutus.
An emergency strategy meeting was underway, with representatives from every faction gathered.
“This information just came in.”
A middle-aged man sitting in the center spoke, his expression grim.
“The Arsenos fleet has deployed additional forces in orbit. Among them is an orbital bombardment-type warship.”
The moment he finished, the air in the room grew heavy.
“...So they’ll blow us away if we resist.”
A woman spoke in a low voice. Her face was calm, but her eyes wavered sharply.
“This region was originally classified as ruins, so it was barely even monitored. But it seems they saw our level of development and judged our remaining strength to be greater than expected.”
“Is that why they haven’t even entered the atmosphere, just sitting in orbit for days?”
“To be precise, it’s both a threat and a grace period.”
I leaned back in my chair with my arms crossed. Slowly, I spoke.
“Is there any way to intercept an orbital fleet from the planet’s surface?”
On the opposite side of the room, a technician with dark circles under his eyes answered quietly.
“...We don’t have a stratospheric artillery system. That’s military-grade equipment, impossible for civilians to acquire.”
“In that case,” I said, rolling my shoulders.
“I guess there’s no choice but to go up to orbit and hit them directly.”
“...That’s next to impossible. Even if you made it to orbit, you’d be turned into a beehive instantly.”
I nodded.
“You don’t need to worry about that. What are our available forces?”
Brol answered with a sigh.
“...Twenty D-class mass-produced units. Eight C-class, and two B-class. Even all together, it’s nowhere near enough.”
“Hmm. That’s even more pathetic than I expected.”
Someone laughed bitterly.
“Well, this planet is just a collection of refugees and mercenaries. We have a few old warships, but most of their parts are obsolete... Even if we used them for defense, there’s no telling how long they’d last.”
A heavy silence fell over the room. The reality was harsh, and their military strength was pitiful.
I spoke again.
“Any thoughts of surrendering?”
The planetary representative shot up from his chair.
“That’s not an option. This is the home we built. If we back down now, all that’s left is to be plundered. For our children and the next generation... we will fight.”
I smirked at his words.
“Good. In that case, I’ll take care of the enemy fleet for you.”
Everyone stared at me as if I were a madman.
Someone grit their teeth and spat out.
“This is no time for jokes! Do you not understand the enemy’s strength? Two cruisers and an assault landing ship. It’s a combat squadron with fire support—!”
Panic, fear, and a shallow anger. But before he could finish, a quiet voice cut through the noise.
“If you don’t know who he is, you should watch your mouth.”
The speaker was Carla. Leaning against the wall, she slowly walked toward the center of the room.
“The forces you’re talking about. He’s faced far worse than that.”
Instantly, all eyes turned to Carla. Elena also spoke up quietly.
“He is an elite pilot from the Federation’s 3rd Fleet. And he is the man who neutralized fifty Arsenos units with a single machine in the Nemesis theater.”
A stir went through the conference room. At first, there was doubt and confusion, but it was soon followed by gasps of admiration and awe.
“All of you can trust that man.”
It was Lillian. She had been at a monitor terminal on one side of the room and slowly lifted her head.
“...If you’re that certain, Lillian, he must be truly incredible.”
Lillian didn’t smile, speaking with a firm voice.
“He is. So from now on, you’ll all move with him at the center of your operations.”
The room fell silent again at her words. But it was different from the previous silence. The atmosphere had changed. Distrust had subsided, and a weighty sense of trust was beginning to emerge.
Brol, who had been nodding quietly in a corner of the room, spoke.
“Alright then, let’s start drawing up a proper plan.”
*
After the brief strategy meeting, we began preparations to head for Erutus’s orbit aboard Brol’s warship.
A pre-battle silence hung in the hangar. Dozens of maintenance crew members moved about busily, and cables sparked as they were connected between the machines.
Lillian stood in the middle of it all. Sweat trickled down from beneath her work clothes, her eyes wet with concentration. She was performing a final check on the plating of the Requiem’s abdomen.
I looked at the machine I was about to board and put the communicator in my ear.
[Honey, everything’s ready on the ground.]
“Got it. Carla, try not to risk your life if you can help it.”
[Hehe... I know. Don’t worry.]
The short communication ended, and another channel immediately opened.
It was Elena, communicating directly from the bridge this time.
[One Arsenos assault landing ship. It just entered a descent trajectory for orbit.]
I looked up at the Requiem.
“Lillian.”
She stood up. Setting down her tools, she wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand.
“All maintenance is complete.”
I nodded and headed for the cockpit. The moment I stepped onto the machine and climbed in, the cockpit hatch closed, and the internal monitors lit up in sequence.
“Requiem, ready.”
At that moment, Elena’s voice echoed to all allied forces.
[This is Major Elena Eisenhardt of the Earth Federation Forces. As of this moment, I am assuming command of all units.]
[All units, stand by for launch at your designated positions.]
Training and real combat. She was a woman who had survived countless battles since her days in the Federation military. When it came to fleet operations and tactical judgment, she was faster and more accurate than anyone.
Her history as the vice-captain of the 7th Mobile Fleet’s Armeo of the 3rd Fleet was not just a title on paper.
Her becoming the supreme commander of this operation wasn’t because someone appointed her. Everyone knew who was needed on the battlefield, and no one raised any objections.
And so, the Delphaios-class cruiser, the Crimson Pike, began its orbital ascent.
[Seo-yun, come back safe.]
Elena’s voice came through once more. This time, not as a commander, but as a lover. A quiet, simple, yet heartfelt sentiment.
I took a deep breath and pressed my body into the cockpit. The pressure of the machine transmitted through my spine. The familiar sensation returned as the pilot seat and my body became one.
“Requiem, preparing for launch.”
KRAAANG—!!
The hangar hatch blasted open. A pressure that defied gravity rushed in like an explosion, and the impact against the machine’s outer hull returned as a vibration inside the cockpit.
All readings were normal. Air pressure, orbital departure angle, thrust.
The HUD displayed a clean ascent curve to the target orbit.
I placed my hands on the control stick.
All preparations were complete.
“Let’s go.”
The thrusters ignited, and the jet-black frame of the Requiem shot out of the hangar and soared into the sky. In the vacuum where even sound was meaningless, the machine left a black trail as it entered orbit.
The boundary between space and atmosphere blurred. The depressurization warning light on the right side of the cockpit blinked as a long red line, and the change in external pressure gently shook the machine.
Starlight filled my vision. And within it, silhouettes slowly began to emerge.
Six Arsenos mobile weapons.
At an altitude of 120 kilometers. They were currently preparing for atmospheric descent.
The verniers angled sharply, and the Requiem’s central axis rotated smoothly.
It quickly highlighted three heat sources ahead.
I let out a short, sharp laugh.
“First... let’s warm up a little.”
BOOM—!
The Requiem took light aim at the machines, and a beam of light shot out in a straight line. Fired without a targeting reticle, the beam accurately pierced the cockpits of the three forward units.
—KRA-KRA-KRA-BOOOOM!!
The three machines exploded in sequence, scattering debris.
I turned my head slightly.
“Three.”
Immediately, the remaining Arsenos units launched a simultaneous counterattack. Artillery fire, beam shots, a barrage of bullets.
The Requiem only changed its direction, its movements imperceptible to the eye.
It pierced through the enemy formation like a bullet.
A blade sliced across an enemy’s abdomen, and the machine folded in half.
The Requiem spun from behind, slashing with both arms crossed, and the enemy unit’s sensor unit split apart.
Before they could even react, more than half of them were destroyed. The Arsenos warship floating ahead attempted to fire on the Requiem, but I was already slipping into its blind spot.
The Requiem flew along the top of the cannon barrel. Then, it plunged its blade straight into the propulsion unit.
—KWAAAAANG!!
The blade slid across the armor, and the entire rear of the warship was torn apart.
Flames erupted, and explosions consumed the internal compartments one by one.
“Next.”