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The True Identity of the Enemy’s Elite Unit part 1

「That was an entertaining show. A bit too short, perhaps, but watching the space fleet get annihilated had its own charm.」

Hermes muttered, his gaze fixed on the screen.

With a glass of wine in hand, he was completely at ease, lounging as though the events unfolding before him were merely a form of amusement.

The war had begun before their eyes, and in the blink of an eye, it was over. The climax, it seemed, had played out within the first ten minutes.

Hermes had already determined the outcome.

「There may be some counterattacks, but this… Who would have thought the Mercenary Association’s Headquarters were staffed with such amateurs?」

Vasa felt a cold sweat trickle down her back. It was fortunate they had rushed to finalize the treaty and the peace talks. The weapon Trireme had deployed was so powerful that it had provoked a tsunami, but Okeanos showed no signs of punishing them or intervening in any capacity. This meant they had already secured Okeanos’ permission.

「It’s over. The Gorgias, where their headquarters was located, is beyond recovery. Even with the mightiest forces, there’s no chance of a comeback after losing their supreme commander.」

「Indeed.」

Albert also had the same opinion. The Mercenary Association Headquarters forces had shown themselves for what they were—a group of amateurs with flashy toys. Now that their flagship had been sunk, they were nothing more than a disorganized mob. He knew that chaos all too well from personal experience.

Even surrender would be complicated. Without a representative to negotiate terms, the only option in such a war was for individual ships or units to surrender independently.

「The treaty negotiations with Metal Iris—now Trireme—are not yet finalized, but the fact that you brokered an agreement to stop them from using a dangerous weapon like that on us, and the interim agreements are already being enforced is remarkable, Vasa.」

「I am honored by your praise. This battle has reaffirmed me in my opinion that they are the enemy we must treat with the utmost caution. Therefore, having proper rules in place will ultimately benefit us as well.」

Vasa deeply felt the necessity of revisiting the treaty to ensure there were no loopholes. Limiting the damage to localized crustal tsunamis had apparently allowed them to pass Okeanos’ scrutiny. Asia’s Knight definitely had the means to verify with Okeanos beforehand if their acts crossed any red lines, and Panjandrums weren’t nuclear in nature so they didn’t have to worry about fallout or radiation.

「In the Interplanetary war, there were a couple of incidents where one of those two-kilometer-long space battleships was close to colliding with a planet. Though in the end those incidents were stopped by Sophia or Okeanos before the impact.」

「Stopped? Does that mean they destroyed the ship before it could crash on the planet, or did they simply transport it elsewhere?」

「It depended on the situation, when it was intentional, the ship was either obliterated or sent to Tartarus. When it was accidental, it was usually ejected into the outer regions of the star system.」

「Space battleships exceeding a kilometer in length are akin to celestial bodies, after all.」

「Precisely. The repeated catastrophic celestial collisions during the pioneering era were so dangerous that forced Sophia to develop and implant the Fortress Areas and Protective Domes. The history of surface habitation colonies’ development is also tied to them. The administrators of the Nemesis Star System are particularly sensitive to events involving celestial impacts.」

Hermes elaborated, sounding like a history teacher teaching his students.

「The fact that Trireme was granted permission to launch such an attack indicates the depth of Okeanos’ irritation.」

「Indeed. The only faction in the Nemesis system capable of constructing those weapons is Trireme. The best way to defeat them is to draw them into our arena by prohibiting those weapons by treaty.」

Hermes, too, had sensed Okeanos’ irritation. He also felt that Okeanos was also angry at him, but he hadn’t received any contact from Okeanos yet. Meanwhile, Albert seemed fixated on leveraging the treaty to steer the conflict toward a battle of conventional weaponry instead of the use of WMDs.

「The winner of the gamble is Vasa To think the battle would essentially be decided within ten minutes of its start—it’s beyond imagination.」

「Thank you.」

Vasa replied with a polite bow.

「The battle itself should still continue for a while. It’s more of a formality now, but we might as well enjoy watching.」

「Indeed. There should still be some noteworthy moments to observe.」

Hermes chuckled bitterly.

「The Mercenary Association Headquarters—what were they even thinking? They didn’t secure supply lines, nor did they arrange reinforcements. Did they genuinely believe themselves to be some sort of invincible fleet?」

「Their mindset is on par with medieval naval forces. They must have had great confidence in their strength.」

「Perhaps it’s the difference between the transferees who came from a time when wars were commonplace and the Asians, who have been coddled and overprotected.」

Albert nodded, seemingly in agreement. The situation did indeed resemble something out of a medieval naval conflict. Even Vasa, coming from a nation renowned for its military strength, found the Headquartes’ ineptitude staggering.

「The upper ranks of the Mercenary Association’s headquarters are made up entirely of Asians. These people have been pampered and waited on by Familias since birth. They probably never even considered they would fight a war.」

「They hoarded military strength, but it seems they never learned how to use it.」

「Back a thousand years ago, there were plenty of Familias tasked with training and guiding humans. I suspect those Familias were largely wiped out in battles against the Murders. That would explain their complete lack of practical experience now.」

「Rick of Metal Iris is one of those teaching-type Familia.」

As a Development Engineer focused on tanks, Albert was familiar with Rick. Rick, who was the leader of the Storm Hounds and the Familia under him, had worked as a kind of military instructor to other Underground Forces.

「Even with powerful weapons, you won’t win unless they’re employed with the right tactics. The real question is, are those weapons truly as strong as they seem? Now that will be worth watching.」

「Indeed.」

Metal Iris had been an opponent they had fought with everything they had. Their capabilities were not to be underestimated. At the very least, they were far more formidable than the floundering Mercenary Association Headquarters’ Forces.

「And so, the time for answers approaches. It’s been an hour since the battle began. They’ll start crawling out of the sea soon—whether they’re barely alive or lifeless remains to be seen.」

Hermes smirked mockingly as he fixed his eyes on the screen.

◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆

「Enemy fleet detected. They are beginning to reorganize their formation. We have detected five ships.」

Aimer, seated nearby, delivered her report.

「All facility munitions have switched. ECM systems engaged. Transitioning to generating domain fields to counter enemy radar and optical weapons.」

The ballistic missiles began reconfiguring.

「Back in the days of the Interplanetary War they were too stingy with ammunition, relying heavily on particle cannons and lasers. That makes countermeasures in the atmosphere much easier.」

Kou glanced toward Aki and Nyanta, who were smiling in satisfaction. Their talents had once been deemed unnecessary due to that reliance on energy-based weapons.

Recalling their frustration, Kou had researched various countermeasures against optical weapons. He had come across numerous strategies from the Interplanetary War era. While he never expected to use them against the Mercenary Association Headquarters, it turned out that the countermeasures he had developed were proving invaluable.

「While missiles and railguns might not be as effective against the armor of battleships and antique Silhouettes, they are perfect for the job. All we need to do is methodically dismantle their defensive systems until they’re completely exposed.」

The enemy’s tactics were straightforward—overwhelm with superweapons crafted using technologies from an entirely different era.

However, they had failed to account for one critical factor: their superweapons were designed primarily for space combat. Even though they were still formidable within the atmosphere, the limitations of their original purpose were becoming apparent.

「Prepare to ascend once the obstruction domains are formed in the airspace!  The enemy Silhouettes are redeploying in the rear.」

Since nuclear applications in the stratosphere were prohibited by Okeanos, widespread electromagnetic pulse effects were generated through alternative principles. The enemy aerial fleet advanced in formation, only to face an onslaught of countless ballistic missiles. The missiles detonated, creating electromagnetic domains that disrupted the operation of optical weapons. Within these domains, the range and power of lasers and charged particle cannons were significantly diminished.

「Prepare for anti-air combat! All electronic warfare units, ready up! Rear squadrons will engage primarily in visual-range combat. Though the effective range for the fighters’ visual targeting is about twenty kilometers, I know you won’t miss the opportunity. I’m counting on you.」

Kou chuckled inwardly at the language he was using, thinking that such grand-sounding words didn’t suit him. Still, he needed to carry himself like a commander. The rest, he thought, could be left to Astraea’s adjustments. In truth, Astraea wasn’t making any adjustments—she didn’t need to. The current Kou was more than fulfilling the role of admiral, and the role of her captain.

「Understood!」

The Familias, within the MCS, responded and launched. At Outis’ command, electronic warfare aircraft took off from each ship.

「Even though their power has been reduced, both charged particle cannons and laser cannons remain a significant threat. Proceed with caution. And watch for the deployment of their aerial forces as well.」