Sementara Vengitta terlibat pertarungan sengit melawan pasukan Benteng Nerodim dan Diadora, armada Quince dan Malahau di belakang tidak bisa hanya berdiam diri menonton pertempuran berlangsung.
Bagi Bern, mustahil membiarkan keberadaan Enam Jenderal Iblis yang merepotkan dan kapal perang darat yang belum dikerahkan di Kerajaan Arkrest bertindak bebas.
Dan sebagaimana dibahas Dran dan Christina sebelum perang, ada gunung persediaan yang sangat mereka inginkan.
Yang pertama menyadari hal itu adalah Quince. Iblis laba-laba ini, yang lahir di Era Dewa, merasakan munculnya massa kekuatan sihir yang sangat besar di dekat armada dan mengeluarkan peringatan kepada Malahau dengan suara yang tidak membiarkan bantahan.
"Malahau, perintahkan seluruh kapal mengaktifkan penghalang anti-sihir dengan kekuatan maksimal!"
Tanpa ragu, Malahau segera mematuhi peringatan Quince. Bukan sekadar mengikuti perintah dari salah satu Enam Jenderal Iblis, tapi seolah mereka dalam sinkronisasi sempurna. Sama seperti Malahau segera mengikuti Quince, kapten dan awak di setiap kapal dengan cepat menuruti perintahnya.
"Semua kapal, keluaran maksimal pada penghalang anti-sihir! Seluruh awak, bersiap untuk benturan! Posisi musuh!"
Menjawab pertanyaan Malahau, seorang awak yang memantau reaksi sihir di sekitar menjawab.
Alat deteksi di jembatan berbentuk setengah bola, dengan titik cahaya di tengahnya mewakili kapal. Alat itu mengukur jarak musuh berdasarkan respons terhadap gelombang deteksi yang dipancarkan ke segala arah.
Mengabaikan untuk saat ini pertanyaan mengapa tidak ada kehadiran mendekat sampai sekarang, awak deteksi yang kaget berteriak seolah meraung menanggapi reaksi tiba-tiba yang muncul di alat deteksi.
"Sisi kanan, ada yang mendekat!"
Yang diperingatkan Quince tidak berada di kejauhan. Sudah cukup dekat untuk menabrak. Sebelum Malahau sempat bertanya lagi, dia memperhatikan bayangan raksasa terbentuk di luar jembatan dan mengarahkan pandangan bermusuhan ke sana.
Itu seekor ular raksasa. Ukurannya begitu besar hingga bisa melingkari Megyn-Orr berulang kali, dengan sisik hijau tua dan ukuran yang konyol membuatnya seolah bisa menelan kapal dalam satu gulgutan. Begitu tebal dan panjang sehingga Vaje dan Liu Yuu terlihat lucu dibandingkannya.
"Apakah itu menembus mana kapal induk kita? Atau hanya kebetulan?"
Langsung setelah itu, gelombang kejut menghantam mereka dengan kekuatan luar biasa seolah kapal terangkat. Penghalang sihir yang dikerahkan di sekitar kapal dengan kekuatan maksimal, sesuai instruksi Quince, bertabrakan dengan kepala ular, memercikkan petir ungu ke segala arah.
Mesin kapal mengeluarkan suara mendesah dan menderu. Dari titik kontak antara ular dengan massa sihir yang luar biasa dan penghalang anti-sihir, energi sihir yang dahsyat mengamuk seperti badai ke sekitar.
Mulah ular yang ternganga melintasi seluruh sisi kanan jembatan, dan racun yang menetes dari taringnya memberi beban ekstra pada penghalang.
"Anzea, Daichi, Buzicka! Mundur! Menara meriam satu, dua, putar! Memuat granat sihir, target ular! Kalian tidak akan meleset di jarak ini, kan?!"
Meski terhantam benturan yang menerobos penghalang, Malahau dengan cepat memberi perintah sambil memegang sandaran kursi kaptennya. Kapal kelas Youn ini hanya dilengkapi meriam mesin untuk pertahanan diri, dan Megyn Lane telah dikirim untuk menyelamatkan sekutu mereka yang ditembak oleh dragonkin Pegunungan Mores.
Lagi pula, Vengitta yang tinggal di kapal hanyalah kapal pasokan yang dimaksudkan memberi cadangan bagian untuk Atelietta dan Smitta jika diperlukan, jadi tidak memiliki kemampuan tempur sama sekali. Dengan kata lain, kapal ini adalah versi Vengitta dari kapal kelas Youn.
"Itu Jaram, sihir khas ras Lamia. Tapi kekuatannya luar biasa dan lebih kuat dari investigasi sebelumnya kita tentang Lamia Bern."
"Kalau itu sihir, cara tercepat mengatasinya adalah menghabisi penggunanya. Awak deteksi, temukan penggunanya. Ketemu, muat granat dari menara tiga dan hancurkan mereka!"
Keputusan Quince mengaktifkan penghalang khusus anti-sihir tampak tepat. Sambil mengucapkan terima kasih ke laba-laba kecil di bahunya, Malahau mengambil objek berbentuk persegi sebesar telapak tangannya di samping sandaran dan mendekatkannya ke mulut.
Itu interkom untuk penggunaan internal kapal. Ada interkom dengan panjang gelombang khusus di lokasi kritis di seluruh kapal, termasuk ruang mesin dan infirmeri.
"Pasukan darat, kalian punya tiga puluh detik untuk bersiap! Saya mengizinkan penggunaan semua peralatan. Ada sihir Lamia tipe anti-militer yang menjengkelkan. Kalau mereka menyusup ke kapal, kalian akan mendapat kesempatan untuk berprestasi!"
"Kapten, meriam utama satu dan dua, siap menembak kapan saja!"
"Bagus, jangan menahan diri. Biarkan kita makan ular itu sampai perutnya meledak. Dan jangan lupa menonaktifkan sebagian penghalang di area itu!"
Meski sebagian, masih ada risiko saat menonaktifkan penghalang. Namun, tidak ada ketakutan atau kecemasan di antara iblis di jembatan, didukung kepercayaan kuat mereka pada Malahau.
Perintahnya segera dieksekusi, dan hanya penghalang hijau muda dari sihir Lamia dekat kepala ular yang dinonaktifkan. Empat mata Malahau menyipit setelah penghalang ditarik.
"Nomor satu, nomor dua, api!!!"
Tepat setelah perintah Malahau, dua meriam utama yang sudah selesai berputar mengarahkan mulutnya ke badan dan kepala ular yang bergerak-gerak. Granat sihir yang dirancang untuk entitas sihir masif atau makhluk roh, ditembakkan dengan ledakan hijau dan langsung mengenai tubuh raksasa ular di dua tempat, berhasil memantulkannya jauh ke belakang.
Meski begitu, kepalanya tidak terbang, dan meski sisik di badannya retak, tidak tergores dalam. Malahau mendecakkan lidah ke ketebalan sihir yang luar biasa.
"Terus menembak sampai target hancur, segera meriam dimuat ulang. Nah, kalau ini sihir yang memantulkan rasa sakit ke penggunanya, seharusnya kita melihat reaksi di sekitar sini."
Didorong campuran ketegangan dan kegembiraan, Malahau menjilat lidah merah darahnya ke bibir ungunya dengan mesra. Tidak ada sebutir keraguan dalam gerak memikat itu.
Ular yang terlempar granat sihir tiba-tiba berhenti bergerak. Meski ular itu mencoba menggigit Megyn-Orr lagi, sesuatu yang tak terlihat melilit dan menahan gerakannya. Malahau dan yang lain memahami dengan baik apa itu.
"Tuan Quince, berapa lama kau bisa mengikatnya?"
Yang mengikat ular bukan lain benang Quince, yang meninggalkan tubuh utamanya di bahu Malahau.
Benang Quince yang sangat tipis dan kuat, begitu halus hingga tak terlihat oleh siapa pun tanpa penglihatan sihir atau mata khusus, dan setara kekuatannya dengan Orichalcum murni tinggi, mengikat seluruh tubuh ular.
"Kalau cuma menghentikan gerakannya, aku bisa bertahan berhari-hari. Tapi penggunanya tampak sangat kuat. Mereka tidak akan biarkan ular terikat begitu saja."
"Pengguna sihir yang cukup bagus bahkan menurut standar Enam Jenderal Iblis?"
"Bahkan menurut standar kami, dia pengguna sihir yang patut diperhitungkan. Orang-orang Baroni Bern benar-benar bermutu tinggi. Setelah penyatuan iblis, ini akan tetap sama."
"Ya ampun, tidak heran Yang Mulia terlihat sangat puas."
Malahau bergumam singkat, rasa iri dan gembira tercampur atas munculnya lawan kuat sebagai bawahan yang layak bagi Dewa Perang.
Dengan sikap iri dan pahit, Malahau bergumam singkat sambil bersamaan bergembira atas munculnya lawan tangguh sebagai bawahan Dewa Perang.
Pemicu tindakan berikutnya adalah ketika Quince menemukan pengguna sihir yang dicarinya dengan benang yang disebarkannya untuk mengikat ular.
"Malahau, aku temukan Lamia yang kemungkinan besar pengguna sihirnya. Mereka sudah sadar benangku."
"Mereka sadar?"
"Um, tapi aku sudah menyelesaikan pekerjaan minimalku."
Pekerjaan minimal yang dimaksud adalah mengganggu konsentrasi pengguna sihir dan memaksa mereka melepaskan aktivasi ular. Seperti yang dikatakannya, ular yang terikat benang Quince berubah jadi partikel cahaya tak terhitung dan menghilang.
"Malahau, arahkan meriam utama ke koordinat yang kuberi."
"Baik, Nona."
＊
"Kyaa, kyaa, kyaa!"
Bergerak meluncur, makhluk terlalu besar untuk disebut ular, berlari kencang melintasi Tanah Kegelapan, mencoba melarikan diri dari ledakan dan benturan granat yang hujan deras.
Seperti Diadora, Selina ditugaskan menyerang sendirian Tentara Raja Iblis. Dia bersembunyi di sudut Tanah Kegelapan, dan saat Vengitta memulai pertempuran artileri dengan pasukan Bern, dia melancarkan serangan untuk melukai armada mereka.
Sayangnya, dia ditemukan Quince sebelum berhasil dan dipaksa menghadapi serangan balik. Namun, keputusasaan belum muncul di matanya.
"Haaa! Jar… Arghh!?"
Seandainya hanya hujan artileri, Selina bisa mengaktifkan penghalang pertahanan dan mengulang Jararm untuk melawan, tapi yang mencegahnya adalah benang tak terlihat Quince.
Dia bisa merasakan dengan tajam kekuatan sihir dan energi ilahi yang dimiliki benang Quince, dan bisa melihatnya dengan mengaktifkan mata ular Lamianya, memungkinkan dia menghindari atau mempertahankan dengan penghalang. Namun, kekuatan setiap tebasan tidak biasa, bahkan menurut standar Selina saat ini, dan dia tidak bisa mengatasinya dengan ceroboh.
"Arghhh… baiklah, kalau begitu… Ahhhhh!"
Tidak melewatkan celah singkat antara hujan artileri dan saat benang laba-laba menyerang, Selina memaksimalkan sihir kelumpuhan mata ularnya, memfokuskannya untuk menangkap Megyn-Orr di bidang pandangnya.
Mata ularnya melampaui norma Lamia. Mampu mengganggu kekuatan sihir yang dipakai sistem kendali kapal perang darat, memungkinkan dia menghentikan semua gerakan. Dan yet, benang laba-laba yang tidak terpengaruh gangguan Selina menyerangnya tanpa ampun.
Beberapa cincin terukir di tubuh bawah bersisik hijau Selina. Saat cincin itu mengencang, tubuh bawahnya dipotong melingkar jadi beberapa bagian.
"Ini yang kutunggu! Agak menakutkan sih!"
Mengungkapkan perasaan aslinya yang agak menyedihkan, Selina dengan tajam merasakan kehadiran benang laba-laba menyentuh tubuhnya. Dia harus mengedarkan sihir ke seluruh tubuh dan membuatnya begitu tajam hingga mendeteksi perubahan molekuler, atau dia akan kehilangan jejak benang laba-laba.
Mata ular kelumpuhan Selina dipakai melawan kapal perang darat, dan racun ularnya sebagai Lamia sekarang dilancarkan ke benang laba-laba! Racun ular yang disimpan dan dikompres sejak sihir Jaram raksasa dibatasi sutra laba-laba, langsung melonjak melewati benang menyerang Quince, pemiliknya.
Ini racun ular ultah Selina. Terkenal keampuhannya mematikan, bisa mengirim bahkan Hydra atau roh dendam besar berusia seribu tahun ke neraka penderitaan tak berujung. Mengetahui kekuatannya, Selina menilai ini babak akhir.
"Bagaimana rasanya?!"
"Bagus. Tapi penyelesaianmu agak terlalu naif."
Jawaban itu datang dari tepat di samping Selina dan dari belakang punggungnya. Dia tidak sengaja teriak.
"Apa?"
While the Vengittas were engaged in fierce combat against Fort Nerodim’s soldiers and Diadora, the fleet of Quince and Malahau in the rear could not simply stand by and watch the battle unfold.
For Berne, leaving the troublesome existence of the Six Demon Generals and a land battleship that had not yet been deployed in the Arkrest Kingdom to act freely was unthinkable.
And as Dran and Christina had discussed before the war, there were mountains of supplies they desperately wanted to get their hands on.
The first to notice this was Quince. This demonic spider, who had been born in the Age of Gods, sensed the emergence of a huge mass of magic power in the immediate vicinity of the fleet and issued a warning to Malahau in a voice that brooked no argument.
「Malahau, command all ships to deploy anti-magic barriers at maximum strength!」
Without any hesitation, Malahau instantly complied with Quince’s warning. Rather than him just simply following the command from one of the Six Demon Generals, it felt more like they were in perfect sync with each other. Just as Malahau immediately followed Quince, captains and crews on each ship quickly obeyed his commands.
「All ships, maximum output on anti-magic barriers! All hands, brace for impact! Enemy position!」
Responding to Malahau’s query, a crew member who was monitoring the surrounding magical reactions replied.
The detection device in the ship’s bridge was shaped like a hemisphere, with a light dot in the center of it representing the ship. The device measured enemy distance based on responses to detection waves emitted in all directions.
Putting aside for now the questions about why there had been no approaching presence until now, the shocked detection crew member yelled out as if roaring in response to the sudden reaction that appeared on the detection device.
「Starboard side, incoming!」
Quince’s had warned of was not at a distance. It had already closed the gap enough to collide. Before Malahau could even ask another question, he noticed a huge shadow forming beyond the bridge and turned his hostile gaze in that direction.
It was a giant serpent. It was so huge that it could wrap around Megyn Orr multiple times, with deep green scales and a ridiculous size that made it look like it could swallow the ship in one gulp. It was so thick and long that Vaje and Liu Yuu would look cute in comparison.
「Did it see through which was our flagship!? Or is it just a coincidence!?」
Right after, a shockwave hit them with such a powerful force that it almost felt like the ship was lifting off. The magic barrier that had been deployed around the ship at maximum strength, in accordance with Quince’s instructions, collided with the head of the serpent’s head, sending purple lightning scattering in all directions.
The ship’s engines let out a screeching, roaring noise. From the point of contact between the serpent with an incredibly vast mass of magic power and the anti-magic barriers, violent magical energy raged like a storm to the surroundings.
The serpent’s gaping mouth stretched across the entire starboard side of the bridge, and the venom dripping from its fangs put even more strain on the barrier.
「Anzea, Daichi, Buzicka! Fall back! Cannon turret one, two, rotate! Magical shell loading, the target is the serpent! You’re not going to miss at this range, are you!?」
Despite the impact that had struck the ship even through the barrier, Malahau quickly gave orders while gripping the armrests of his captain’s chair. This Youn-class ship were only armed with self-defense machine cannons, and the Megyn Lane had been sent to rescue their allies who had been shot down by the dragonkin of the Mores Mountains.
Besides, the Vengittas remaining on the ship were just supply vessels meant to provide Atelietta and Smitta with spare parts if needed, so they had no combat capabilities whatsoever. In other words, this ship was the Vengitta version of the Youn-class ships.
「That’s Jaram, the unique magic of the Lamia race. But it’s incredibly powerful and stronger than our previous investigations on Bern’s Lamias.」
「If that’s magic, then the quickest way to deal with it is to take out the casters. Detection crew, find the casters. Once you do, load the shells from turret three and give them a good pounding!」
Quince’s decision to deploy a barrier specialized against magic seemed to have been the right call. While expressing his gratitude to the small spider on his shoulder, Malahau picked up a square object the size of his palm next to the armrest and brought it to his mouth.
It was an intercom for use within the ship. There were different intercoms tuned to specific wavelengths in critical locations throughout the ship, including the engine room and the infirmary.
「Land troops, you have thirty seconds to get ready! I authorize the use of all equipment. There are some nasty Lamia magics of anti-military types. If they infiltrate the ship, you’ll have your chance to shine!」
「Captain, main cannons one and two, ready to fire anytime!」
「Good, don’t hold back. Let’s feed that snake so much that its belly bursts. And don’t forget to partially deactivate the barrier in that area!」
Although partially, there were still risks when activating the barrier. However, there was no fear or anxiety among the demons on the bridge, backed by their strong trust in Malahau.
His orders were promptly executed, and only the light green barrier formed by Lamia’s magic near the serpent’s head was deactivated. Malahau’s four eyes narrowed after the barrier was pulled down.
「Number one, number two, fire!!!」
Immediately following Malahau’s command, the two main cannons, having completed their rotation, aimed their muzzles at the writhing body and head of the serpent. The magic shells, designed for massive magical entities or spiritual beings, were fired with green explosions and directly hit the serpent’s huge body in two places, successfully blasting it far backward.
Even so, the head was not blown off, and although the scales on the body were cracked, they were not gouged out. Malahau clicked his tongue at its immense magical density.
「Keep firing until the target is destroyed, as soon as the cannons are reloaded. Now then, if it’s the kind of magic that reflects pain on the caster, we should be seeing a reaction around here.」
Driven by a mix of tension and excitement, Malahau licked her blood-red tongue over her purple lips lasciviously. There was not a shred of timidity in that seductive gesture.
The serpent, blown away by the magic shells, suddenly stopped moving. Though the serpent itself was trying to bite the Megyn Orr again, something invisible was entangling and restraining its movement. Malahau and the others understood very well what it was.
「Master Quince, how long can you keep it bound?」
Binding the serpent was none other than the thread of Quince, who had left her main body on Malahau’s shoulder.
The extremely thin and tough thread of Quince, so fine that they are invisible to anyone without magically enhanced eyesight or special eyes, and as tough as high-purity Orichalcum, were binding the serpent’s entire body.
「If it’s just stopping its movements, I could manage it for days. But the casters seems to be very powerful. They probably won’t just let the serpent bound so simply」
「A pretty good caster even by the standards of the Six Demon Generals’ standard?」
「Even by our standards, he’s a noteworthy caster. The people of the Bern Barony are of a very high caliber. After the unification of the demons, this will remain the same」
「I see, no wonder His Majesty looks so pleased.」
Mararau muttered briefly, both resentful and joyful at the appearance of a strong opponent as a fitting vassal of the War God.
With a resentful and bitter attitude, Marahau muttered briefly while simultaneously rejoicing at the appearance of a strong opponent as an underling of the God of War.
The next trigger for action was when Quince found the caster she had been searching for with the threads she had spread around in order to restraining the binding of the serpent.
「Malahau, I have found a Lamia who appears to be the caster. They have noticed my threads.」
「They have?」
「Um, but I have completed my minimal work.」
The minimal work she meant was to disrupt the caster’s concentration and force them to release the activation of the serpent. As she said, the serpent bound by Quince’s thread transformed into countless particles of light and disappeared.
「Malahau, adjust the main cannon’s aim to the coordinates I provide.」
「Yes, ma’am.」
＊
「Kyaa, kyaa, kyaa!」
Moving slitheringly, an overly large creature, hardly fitting to be a snake, frantically ran across the Wilderness, trying to escape the explosions and impact of the shells raining down on it.
Like Diadora, Selina was tasked with a solo attack on the Demon King’s army. She had been hiding in the corner of the Wilderness, and when the Vengittas started their artillery battle with the Berne army, she had launched an attack to inflict damage on their fleet.
Unfortunately, she was discovered by Quince before she could achieve any success and was forced to face a counterattack. However, the look of resignation had yet to surface in her eyes.
「Haaa! Jar… Arghh!?」
Had it been merely an artillery barrage, Selina could have deployed a defensive barrier and cast Jararm again to counterattack, but what was preventing her from doing so was Quince’s invisible threads.
She could keenly sense the powerful magic power and divine energy that the Quince’s threads possessed, and she could also see them by activating her Lamia’s snake eyes, allowing her to avoid them or defend against them by deploying a barrier. However, the power of each and every slash was not ordinary, even by Selina’s current standards, and she could not afford to deal with them carelessly.
「Arghhh… fine, then… Ahhhhh!」
Not missing the brief gap between the artillery barrages and the moment the spider threads attacked, Selina maximized the paralyzing magic of her snake eyes, focusing it to capture the Megyn Orr in her field of vision.
Her snake eyes transcended the norms of the Lamias. It were able to interfere with the magic power used in the control system of the land battleship, allowing her to perform the feat of stopping all movement. And yet, the spider threads, which were not affected by Selina’s interference, attacked her mercilessly.
Multiple rings etched into Selina’s green-scaled lower body. In the moment the rings tightened, her lower body was round-sliced into sections.
「That’s what I was waiting for! It’s a little scary though!」
Revealing her slightly pitiful true feelings, Selina acutely felt the presence of the spider threads touching her body. She had to circulate magic power throughout her body and make it so sharp that it could detect even molecular changes, or she would lose sight of the spider threads.
Selina’s paralyzing snake eyes were used against the land battleships, and her snake venom as a Lamia was now deployed against the spider threads! The snake venom, stored and compressed since the moment the immense Jaram spell was restrained by the spider silk, immediately surged through the threads to attack Quince, its wielder.
It was Selina’s ultimate snake venom. Renowned for its deadly potency, it could send even a Hydra or a millennial great vengeful spirit into an unending hell of agony. Knowing its power, Selina judged this to be the endgame.
「How do you like that!?」
「Excellent. But your finishing is a little too naive.」
The answer both came from right beside Selina and behind her back. She blurted out unintentionally.
「What?」
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