CH 110

Fortress Kerviel traveled 250 light-years from the MacLir Star System to the Hercules Star System in just half a month.

It did not take a straight path, but rather made a large turn from the Zenith direction of the Galactic Reference Plane, continuously bypassing the Tenka side’s search network.

The ones who acted as guides in the high-dimensional space were the white spirit Lulu, who was described by Mira as “made from meat”, and the black spirit Maya, who was described as “made from vegetables”.

Both were born by inheriting the power of the Spirit Emperor Mira, and on Mars, they obtained 20% of the power from the energy crystal of the Spirit God, leading to the Anomalous Spirit Emperors.

It was Hart, their contractor, who urged them to pay attention as they walked lightly through the high-dimensional space, as if taking dancing steps.

『There is an effective time for an attack.』

Hart explained to the black and white spirits, who were in human form and tilting their heads in puzzlement.

『It is difficult to defeat a prepared enemy, because they react immediately to an attack. They will defend, evade, counterattack, flee, or call for reinforcements. But, if they don’t recognize us and are unprepared, we can surprise them.』

If a person is approaching you head-on with a knife in hand, you will feel threatened and will brace yourself. However, if an opponent with a concealed knife suddenly stabs you from behind, there is no way to prevent it.

The side that is caught off guard cannot defend against the first blow and the response is delayed by one tempo. Then, even if the attacker fails on the first move, they can make a second attack or escape.

In other words, the most effective timing for an attack is the moment when you can make a surprise attack.

It’s probably known that Hart used Mars to create a new Spirit King, but from a common sense perspective, it’s unthinkable that a single Spirit King would invade the Hercules System, where the Daemon Emperor resides.

The humans, who did not anticipate the invasion, will be slow to respond.

However, an unexpected blow alone does not guarantee that the enemy will be defeated.

The side that defeats the enemy needs the means to defeat the enemy and someone who can make use of said means.

If applied to this instance, the means are a force that is superior to the enemy and a Spirit Emperor that can suppress the Daemon Emperor. As an executor, Hart, who could lead all of his allies, is needed.

In order to further increase the success rate of the operation, the large fighter craft Surtr and strategic satellites are mass-produced, equipped with Linnell as an auxiliary AI, and the citizens of the Republic are incorporated into the Volunteer Forces.

Tenka, which is practically comprised of only Ten-to, and Hercules, which until recently lacked interstellar navigation technology, cannot resist the head-on crushing of the Monarchy’s eight star systems.

And Hart went one step further.

『The surprise attack will be twofold. The enemy doesn’t know that there are two Spirit Emperors. First, Lulu will attack alone, and then Maya will participate in the battle at the optimal time. The plan is to stab the Daemon Emperor from behind while it faces Lulu.』

『Papa’s strategy, Lulu thinks it will work.』

『Then Maya will stay hidden.』

In this way, Fortress Kerviel reached a sector one light day from the Hercules System, with only Lulu as a guide in the higher dimensional space from the middle of the journey.

The realm created by the Spirit Emperor or Spirit King extends within one light-day range of the star.

The reason why the realm is one light day, regardless of the power of the spirits, is that the range of the star’s magic element is roughly one light day.

The spirits have expanded a realm to purify the magic and miasma in the realm and convert it into energy that they can use for their own sustenance. In other words, even if the realm is extended beyond one light day, no energy can be obtained and energy is consumed to maintain the realm.

Therefore, the realm of spirits falls within the range of one light day.

Soon after Fortress Kerviel reached the sector about one light-day from the Hercules star, Lulu used the spirit crystal of the Spirit God to create a White Transition Gate.

『By making a Transition Gate outside the realm, even the Daemon Emperor won’t be able to interfere with Lulu.』

In the sector about 20 million kilometers ahead of Fortress Kerviel, a single white radiance connecting to the Apollo Star System spreads with explosive force.

The size of the Transition Gate, which was not subject to the interference of the Daemon Emperor, stabilized at a diameter of about 3,000 kilometers.

It is larger than the 2,000-kilometer Transition Gate in the Diete Star System, and because civilian ships did not traverse it, so it is basically a one-way passage from the Monarchy side, and it can draw in a large army all at once.

From the center of the swirling space, a green photosphere, Mira’s attribute, spilled out, assuring Hart that the Transition Gate was connected to the Apollo Star System.

『As planned, I only connected with Mama’s spirit world. It’s a little more cost-effective.』

Lulu did not create a realm, she maintained the Transition Gate only with the spirit crystal of the Spirit God.

There are eight star systems in the Monarchy, but one Transition Gate consumes less energy than eight Transition Gates. Hart, who had previously assembled the Royal army in the Apollo Star System, immediately issued an order when he confirmed the occurrence of the Transition Gate.

“Lieutenant General Coesfeld, send a liaison ship to the Apollo System and call in the Invasion Force. Major General Khan, deploy Israfel from the nearby bunker to defend the fortress until our allies arrive. In about two hours at most, we’ll have a large enemy presence.”

If Hart was in the Tenka Hercules camp, he would have the Transition Gate created in the closest space sector from Fortress Kerviel in the realm of the Hercules Star System.

From that Transition Gate, he would send fighter crafts from the Ten-to Star System to intercept them.

If fighter crafts in the Hercules System can be moved to the Ten-to Star System via the Transition Gate and then moved back from the Ten-to Star System to the Hercules Star System, you can also use the existing method as a shortcut.

The opponent is a Daemon Emperor, and Hart thinks that the Spirit Emperor Janet, who has only recently been promoted, can feasibly do all of this.

Claudia, the Fleet Commander, and Alois, the Director of the Fighter Craft Department, immediately ordered a sortie after receiving orders from Hart.

“1st Reconnaissance Squadron, emergency launch. Rush towards the Forward Transfer Gate.”

“Israfel all crafts, launch. Deploy to the sector within a 100 million kilometer radius of the fortress and commence anti-space battle defense.”

Immediately after Claudia’s command, 30 reconnaissance ships flew out of the fortress in an accelerated state and rushed into the white transition gate in the forward space with a glow of magic conversion light.

At the same time, 1,125,000 Israfel crafts burst out one after another from the fortress’ launch port, forming 56 clusters and spreading widely in the surrounding sector.

From now on, it’s a race against time… Hart doesn’t think so.

The Monarchy succeeded in opening the Transition Gate ahead of the enemy. Since the preparations for entering the Apollo System have already been completed, the Monarchy side can deploy into the system faster.

Tenka’s fighter crafts, which cannot warp directly, cannot leap over the large force of the Royal Army and launch a direct attack on Fortress Kerviel.

Thus, Fortress Kerviel can continue to maintain the Transition Gate, protected by the deploying Monarchy forces, and can align hundreds of millions of troops in the space of one light day from the Hercules Star System.

The orderly deployment of a large army that surpassed the enemy was the first move of the Monarchy’s army, and the Tenka Hercules Alliance, which was caught off guard, was helplessly dealt a direct blow.

“The problem is, there’s no telling what the Daemon Emperor will do.”

While Hart was feeling a bit of anxiety, a flood of Monarchy Warships shining with magic conversion light overflowed from the Transition Gate projected on the main screen of the Fortress Command Center.

The ships that appeared are divided into seven corps, consisting of six star systems excluding MacLir and Fukashiro, and Surtr large fighter crafts, run by former Frodi Republic citizens, each with a fleet commander of the rank of General as its commander.

In front of the Transition Gate, there are 164.13 million large fighter crafts Surtr.

Then, at the 6 vertices of the hexagon centered on the Transition Gate, the Royal Army, which is mainly 30 million Israfel crafts sent from the 6 star system, will be deployed, and the Royal Army Fleet and the Aristocratic Fleet will be deployed behind them.

The Second Battle of Hercules will be the largest military operation in human history, with more than 400 million large fighter crafts deployed by the Royal Army.

Already, the war has shifted from a race for resources to compete for star systems, to a race for survival, one with mutual extinction at stake.

Only 20 minutes have passed since the deployment of the fleet began.

In the sector 200 million kilometers in front of the Royal Army, six Transition Gates that were not created by the Spirit Emperor Lulu suddenly appeared, like large and small hexagrams overlapping each other.

“Occurrence of a Transition Gate in enemy territory confirmed, about 100 million kilometers from the deployed ships. It’s very close.”

Without receiving a report from the communications officer, Hart was also witnessing the occurrence of the Transition Gate through the screen.

And he was very much alarmed by the enemy, who had risen much faster than expected, having created the same white transition gate as the Anomalous Lulu.

On the other hand, Lulu, who witnessed the enemy’s white Transition Gate, expressed her impressions with her eyes shining like a cat and a slight smile on her lips.

『The core of the energy that gave birth to Lulu is the Daemon King absorbed by Mama. The Daemon Emperor of the same line as Lulu, who created the Daemon King, may be another Grandma.』

Lulu’s statement that the other party was her grandmother of the same lineage took Hart’s breath away.

Then, while revising the threat level of the other, he told Lulu, who claimed to be his daughter.

『Creatures that leave offspring evolve with each generation. In addition to the power of the Daemon Emperor, Lulu has inherited magical power and experience from the Spirit Emperor Mira, unique magical power from me, and even the energy of the Spirit God on Mars. Lulu, who is overwhelmingly superior, wins against just one of her grandmothers.』

Lulu, who had been keeping her eyes fixed on the other party’s Transition Gate, slowly turned to Hart and sent him a discerning look.

Expecting that there may be some suspicion of the claims of low-dimensional life forms, Hart repeats his words.

『If the Spirit God is perfect on its own, there would be no need to add new spirits. But because we need to make up for what we can’t do, Mira was created, and Mira created Lulu to achieve her goal. Lulu, who can make up for what her ancestors lacked, has the same talent as Maya, just in a different direction. Of course, you are far superior to the Daemon Emperor.』

Intuitively sensing the strong tinge of interest in Lulu’s eyes, Hart pushed through.

『Lulu also has the energy crystals of the Spirit God. Don’t worry about the Ten-to System after this, you can use it all up. Let the older generation know it’s time for a generational change.』

At Hart’s absurd persuasion, Lulu gave a childish innocent smile.

『Papa, it’s a shame that you’re going to disappear as a low-dimensional life form. So if you don’t mind, please let me retrieve your magic power before your fate runs out. Lulu is an Anomalous Spirit Emperor, and me and Papa have a very good magical compatibility, so I can maintain your sense of self.』

Hart knew what Lulu’s invitation meant from his knowledge of the Maiden Game ‘the Galactic Prince’. The retrieval of magic power by a spirit is an invitation to become a spirit. It was done as part of some routes to save the tragic bad endings in the story.

Hart, who weighed the possibility of simply dying against becoming a spirit after death, thought that being a spirit was not bad and put it on hold.

『To become a spirit. If it’s my daughter’s invitation, it won’t be bad, so I’ll think about it.』

『Of course this is a special case. Unless you decline, I’ll reserve the retrieval of magical power. By the way, now that I’m feeling better, let’s make Grandma understand that it’s time for a generational change.』

Turning her gaze back to the space ahead, Lulu opened her purple eyes and muttered something while opening and closing her mouth slightly.

Immediately afterward, six new transition gates occurred around the transition gates on the Monarchy side.

They faced the six transition gates generated by the Daemon Emperor, and immediately after Fortress Kerviel observed them, they began to spit out the Monarchy warships that were transferring from the Apollo Star System at the same speed as the transition gates that each connected to first.

Regarding the opening and closing of Lulu’s mouth just now, Hart imagined that she had sent a message to Mira, who was connected by the transition gate. Probably, on the Apollo Star System, the number of transition gates sent out has increased to seven, or it should have become gigantic.

“We have confirmed the occurrence of a new transition gate in the forward sector. Our ships are warping out!”

The communications officer of the Fortress Command Center makes his fastest report.

After listening to the wild report, Hart operated the device in the commander’s seat and started sending communications to all the troops that were deployed to face the emerging enemy.

[This is the Commander-in-Chief, Fleet Admiral Amakawa, to all forces.]

Not all troops have deployed yet, but the enemy fighters were already approaching.

The distance of 200 million kilometers where the transition gates of the two armies face each other can reach the enemy in just one hour if it proceeds at battle speed of 200 million kilometers per hour.

In a certain sector of space from the Transition Gate, allied spaceports and missile launch facilities must be deployed, which cannot be done in turbulent space.

[During the Second Battle of Diete, His Majesty the former Sovereign had declared to have fired a Deadly Arrow at Yúnlán of Ōizumi. ‘HissatsuDeadly‘ means to kill without fail. And as long as we say we will kill, we will surely kill.]

Hart’s right hand rose silently and swung down with great force toward the enemy on the front screen.

[Don’t allow the enemies of the Monarchy to live in this universe. Kill every single one of them. All forces, charge.]

Hart, without missing the finishing touch, took every possible move he could take, and fired his deadly arrows at the enemy.

Then, hundreds of millions of arrows, infused with killing intent and shining with the maximum amount of light from the magical elemental engine, were propelled toward the enemies of the Monarchy.