118 Chapter 118: Marrina Isles

The Marrina Isles were beautiful.

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I would have said that they resembled Haiwaii, except that I hadn't been to Haiwaii before. Nonetheless, from afar, I could see an almost crescent-shaped island surrounded by islets, foamy waves and verdant vegetation.

Along the inner curve of the island was the revered Marrina naval harbor. Dozens of battleships, cruisers and destroyers were docked within the protective embrace of the curved shore, their gauss cannon batteries and railguns pointed outward. Any invading fleet would be utterly devastated by the sheer bombardment the Marrina navy could bring to bear.

"That's quite the terrifying firepower," I remarked as I zoomed in onto the naval harbor with my glasses. Kracauer and the other officers stared at me, surprised. Unlike me, they had to rely on binoculars and visual equipment.

"You can see from here?"

"My glasses are enchanted with magic and modified," I explained, then returned to studying the naval fortress. "This is going to be tough. They don't have submarines, right?"

"What are submarines?" Lieutenant Charlie Bass asked, puzzled.

"Vehicles that can travel underwater, fully submerged."

"You mean like our Cerberus APCs?" Captain Elia Kratz asked. I rubbed my chin as I pondered over that.

"…sort of, yeah."

"I don't believe Marrina has that sort of technology yet," Bass replied after a few seconds of contemplation. "In fact, this is the first time we've heard of these APCs. The closest we have are primitive versions of your tanks, but they rely on ballistic weaponry rather than magic or exotic energies."

"Plasma," I corrected. Bass shrugged.

"Yeah, that."

"Well, that's good. It means we don't have to worry about getting sunk by hunter-killer submarines and torpedoes." I pushed my glasses up my nose as I considered our next option. "So here's the plan. We're going to move out in the evening, then board the respective ships, hijack them and seize control. Another team will be capturing the naval base itself, to make sure their artillery and cannons won't be used against the captured ships."

"Roger that."

"So you're proposing that we move out under the cover of night?" Bass asked. I nodded.

"I'm following your suggestion, Lieutenant."

"Where do we move out?" Kracauer asked as he glanced around. We were located at the edge of the forest, taking cover behind thick foliage and dense clusters of trees, but obviously a convoy of Cerberus APCs rolling out into the track would be far too visible. "I mean, you said something about a swamp."

"I've sent scouts ahead to secure the area. They should be coming back anytime now."

As always, Bass was on top of things. As expected of the Marines.

We retreated back to the temporary base camp we had set up, next to the tanks whose engines were idling. Most of the soldiers were catching some sleep and getting as much rest as possible. I didn't blame them. It would be a tough mission tonight, and I needed them at their best.

"Do you really think this will work, Colonel?" Elia asked. I shrugged.

"We'll make it work."

Everyone stared at me, but the demons in particular believed in me. Apparently I had shown them miracles again and again, so they had unjustifiable faith in me. Funnily enough, I had no memory whatsoever of performing a miracle in front of them.

Well, whatever.

As for the humans, this was the first step to reclaiming their home, and therefore they were determined to go through with this regardless of whether they believed in me or not. It was do or die for them, and they were prepared to sell their lives to liberate their homeland. Particularly the Marrina Marine Corps.

"Anyway, get some rest, people. We have a tough night ahead."

"Sir, yes, sir!"

Everyone saluted and then returned to their respective vehicles or tents. I returned to my Hellblade and climbed atop the cupola. It was a pity, but I would not be commanding this mighty super-heavy tank into battle tonight. I had left it to Jurgen, and command had fallen to Daniel. The Savior of Moria was a powerful symbol, one that would raise the spirits of soldiers when they see it lumbering into the battlefield to reinforce them. It wasn't just a super-heavy tank that could turn the tide of battle. It was the very spirit and embodiment of Morten resolve itself.

However, I planned to personally capture the flagship – the Poseidon, which was the Summit-class battleship in the middle of the fleet. The biggest and most powerful battleship, it was bristling with gauss cannons and railguns, armed with tactical missile launchers and an array of rockets. As this was still early modern Restia, battleships continued to dominate the seas. The advent of aircraft carriers as capital ships still hadn't arrived yet, nor had the submarines been invented to challenge these mighty leviathans of the ocean.

"Sir!"

A young man dressed in the camouflage uniform of the Marrinna Corps hurried over to me. I turned around to face him. At the same time, Bass appeared out of nowhere.

"What is it, son?"

"We found and secured the mangrove bay, sir!"

He was one of the scouts, evidently. I nodded and following Bass's lead, followed the scout to the swamp. As we suspected, there was nobody there. The scouts had taken up positions to guard the place and kept a lookout for wanderers from the isles, but so far there was nothing.

"Good job, men."

Bass was beaming. He turned to me proudly and saluted.

"Area is secured, sir. Once it turns dark, we can get ready to move out."

"Roger that." I nodded at him. "Excellent work, Lieutenant. Let's inform the rest of the regiment and get ready for tonight."

*

"Are you sure you'll be coming along?"

"Why not?"

While the rest of the soldiers were resting, I ended up approaching Lilith. She was by herself, sitting on a boulder that overlooked a clear stream that gently flowed toward the sea. The trees provided a good screen so that the sailors or Marines in the Marrina naval harbor wouldn't spot a red-haired vampire relaxing by the river (not that they could see her from this distance). She didn't mingle much with the soldiers, or perhaps they kept a respectful distance from her.

Consequently, she was left alone, cutting a solitary figure by the riverbank.

"Well…you haven't fought along my regiment much, have you? Do you know how things work around here?"

"I'll learn," Lilith replied simply. I had nothing to say to that. It was true.

"All right then. I'll be counting on you. And good luck."

"I hope we succeed." Lilith was smiling into the distance. She reached out and squeezed my hand. "If you really pull this off, we'll be making history, you know?"

"We'll have to accomplish the mission first."

To be honest, I hadn't thought that far or what came after the mission. My focus was totally on capturing the ships, how to deal with the resistance we would face from navy ratings and the crews, and how to prevent the ships from firing on each other, wasting our efforts. Nothing more.

"Yes, we do." Lilith glanced at me. "I have faith in you."

"Uh, thanks."

We both continued to stare at the river for a few more moments, watching the fish swim underneath the crystal-clear surface. It reminded me of the beaches in Okinawa. The waters there were so clean, and the scenery was so beautiful.

How I missed my home…

Splash!

That sound caught my ear. Straightening up, I saw a huge splash right at the edge of the river, where it connected with the sea.

That's a little too big to be a fish…could it be a monster?

I jumped to my feet and hurried after the source of the splash.

"Tomoyuki-kun? What's the matter?"

"Just going to check that out."

I gestured toward the source of the splash. Lilith looked at me curiously, but she knew better than to dismiss it. She picked up her spear and nodded.

To be honest, I doubted it was anything big, but I appreciated the caution all the same. That said, I didn't bother to draw my Blood Dragon Sword. Whatever it was, it didn't have the confidence to approach me or Lilith. It could be a civilian from the main Marrina Isles, swimming to the shore or forest for fishing or exploration.

We will find out.

There was another splash and I caught sight of a young girl my age breaking out of the water. She elegantly swam toward shore and pulled herself out of the water. Dressed in what looked like a two-piece swimsuit, she picked up a towel that was hanging by the beach and dried herself in the beach before sitting on what looked like a wooden boat.

I felt like banging my head over my stupidity.

Well, of course she couldn't have swam all the way from the Marrina Isles. She would have to get here by boat.

I scanned her figure and noted that she had a small combat knife strapped to her left thigh. Beside her was a basket of clams and lobsters. Picking it up, she brought it over to the boat where several more baskets awaited.

It seemed that she was done for the day. She wrapped the towel around her waist and put on her sandals before dragging the boat across the sand. It scraped loudly across the beach, but the simple wooden vessel wasn't that heavy.

Clearly the girl didn't notice my presence or the presence of my soldiers. Glancing back, I saw that the tanks and APCs were invisible from this distance, hidden from view by the trees. However, the voices of my soldiers floated here and there occasionally.

Despite the voices being audible, the girl didn't break a sweat and continued with her task of pulling her boat to shore.

What should I do?

Before I could decide, there was movement from the trees, and a group of Marines burst out, aiming their rifles at her.

"Hands up!"

The girl stared at them coolly, but didn't panic. Her eyes narrowed, but she neither did anything reckless nor drop to her knees to beg for her life. Instead, she slowly raised her hands.

"I've a license," she announced calmly. "If you don't believe me, you can search my boat. My ID and license are all there."

"Guys, guys!" I shouted as I barreled into the beach. "Guns down! Leave her be!"

The girl turned to watch me, a flicker of surprise in her eyes, but she said nothing. The Marines lowered their rifles and glanced at each other uncertainly.

"But sir," the sergeant of the squad spoke up. "She knows we're here. I'm not sure if we can just let her go like this."

"What do you plan to do?" I asked, rolling my eyes. "Silence her? Surely you're not going to kill a civilian?"

"No, of course not, sir. But the risk incurred by letting her go is too great. If she returns to the Marrina Isles and tell the people there, it'll jeopardize our entire mission."

I paused. The sergeant had a point. As much as I believed the girl wouldn't do us no harm, I couldn't risk the entire mission based on my personal feelings. Admittedly, I didn't know the girl at all and couldn't vouch for her.

"I don't know what mission you're talking about, and honestly it's none of my business. But if I say I won't tell anyone, you wouldn't believe me, right?"

"It's not that we don't believe you, ma'am," one of the Marines spoke up nervously. "But our lives depend on this operation staying a secret…"

"…fine. Then do whatever you want to me." resigned, the girl bared her throat. "Make it quick and painless. That's all I ask."

"Now, now. We've no intention of killing anyone." The sergeant raised both hands to placate her. He glanced at me for approval. "We're just going to ask you to stay with us until the mission is over."

That sounded like a plan.

"Sure." The girl paused for a moment and stared at her catch. "But you'll have to compensate me. I need to sell those, but if I'm held here for a day, they'll lose their freshness and I won't be able to sell them at the best price."

"The military will buy those from you at the market rate," I spoke up. The Marines looked delighted. All we brought along were rations, so it would be a rare treat for my men to have fresh seafood for their meals before the mission. "I hope you don't mind?"

The girl actually smiled brilliantly at that. "We have a deal."

Apparently the girl, Atlantea, was a fisherwoman who made a living by fishing lobsters, clams and fish from the sea. She would venture this far to the shore sometimes in search of mudcrabs, which were delicious when cooked with spices and egg. Those were the same crustaceans she was now selling to us.

When we brought her back, we caused quite the furor, with the soldiers gaping at her. Bass quickly took charge and assigned a small detail to watch her. Before long, she integrated herself into the regiment by helping us cook the seafood. The soldiers took to her warmly, and she didn't seem to resent being held here against her will.

"That's quite the catch you got," Lilith remarked as she rejoined the group. I shrugged.

"Sergeant Hawke found her. He didn't think it was worth the risk to let her go, so she stays with us until the mission is over. To prevent snitching and all that."

Lilith nodded as she folded her arms. "Makes sense."

I was about to rejoin the group and have a bite of seafood when I suddenly noticed a plume of smoke fuming from above. Atlantea noticed it too, and for the first time, she panicked.

"That's…!"

"What's going on?"

"Sergeant Mkoll! Take your squad and check it out!" Bass barked, the first to react as always. I nodded and joined Sergeant Mkoll, a tall, lean man with a great aptitude of scouting.

"I'll join you."

"Please take me with you!"

Atlantea hurried forward, flanked by Sergeant Bros and his men, who were the security detail assigned to her.

I exchanged glances with Bass, and he shrugged.

"You seem to know something about this," I remarked. Atlantea swallowed and nodded somewhat apprehensively.

"That's the Seafort Village. The flames are coming from the Seafort Village!"

I clicked my tongue. So the source of the smoke was a settlement near here after all. Thanks to Bass, we had avoided it by taking the long way, but I couldn't in my conscience ignore the fire. Not when the nearest place that could assist them was the naval base that was so far away, separated by a body of water.

"Captain Kratz, you're in charge here. Lieutenant Bass, you're with me. Grab a squad of Marines. We'll need them. Hopefully the locals will think we're from the naval base. Atlantea-san, you seem to be familiar with the land, so lead the way."

"Gladly!"

Bass barked a few instructions and selected a squad of Marines and we immediately ploughed after the sprinting Atlantea. Sergeant Bros's squad followed along, because they were tasked to watch over her, and they would do that to their death.

It took about thirty minutes to reach the village on foot, and to my surprise it wasn't a normal inferno. Rather, the village was being plundered and raided by…

"…Marrina soldiers?"

Bass narrowed his eyes when he saw the uniform of the raiders. They were shooting the villagers and laughing hysterically. Several of the soldiers chased down screaming women and knocked them down before proceeding to **** them. Others indulged in slaughter, looting the wooden houses and setting them aflame. Those villagers who knelt to beg for mercy were shot immediately, and pools of their blood ran across the wooden piers that stretched across the beach.

"…no…"

Atlantea's voice quivered.

"Colonel, your orders?" Bass demanded, his voice stretched.

"Kill them all," I replied without hesitation.

The Marines took up position inside the forest and sniped the soldiers in the open. As their comrades fell about, jerked by bullets, the surviving soldiers quickly fled into the burning houses, only to run out again when they realized they had stupidly burned down their cover and risked being incinerated if they took shelter inside those houses. Forced to rely on makeshift barricades of logs, more of them were being mowed down by the precise volley of fire from the Marrina Marines.

However, more were racing away and diving toward the beach, trying to make for the forest.

I didn't let them.

The pools of blood that had spread underneath the victims began to stir. Closing my eyes, I coaxed them to life with my spells, raising the undead.

"I'll grant you vengeance," I whispered.

The dead villagers rose, animated by necromantic magic, and they lunged at the soldiers. Within seconds, the murderers found themselves attacked by their former victims, eviscerated, torn apart or chewed by the relentless zombies.

It wasn't just the zombies.

The pools of blood sprouted upward like geysers and transformed into blood ghouls. Moving at incredible speeds, they streaked across the village in a flash of crimson and pierced the screaming, fleeing Marrina soldiers. Many hardened killers were ripped apart in an instant, torn to pieces by the terrifying, near shapeless figures of the ghouls.

"I don't understand though," Bass murmured as he took another potshot. Another Marrina soldier screamed as he toppled over, a hole in his head. "Why are they killing the villagers and looting them? Since when did the Marrina military turn into a bunch of bandits?"

"Ever since Seafort Village seceded from the Marrina Isles kingdom and refused to pay the tithe and taxes to the Emperor of Humanity." Atlantea's voice was dripping with bitterness. "Since then, the heroes have been harassing us, threatening to destroy us if we refuse to pledge our loyalty to them and the Emperor."

She glanced at the smoke rising from the burning wooden houses on the seaside village and shook her head sadly.

"I didn't think they would actually do it…until now."

While in the midst of massacring the rest of the Marrina soldiers before they could escape and inform the main naval base of what had transpired in Seafort Village, I turned to Atlantea with a grin.

"Good thing I'm an anti-hero, eh?"