Ch.110Gray Nightmare (2)

# Chapter 110: Gray Nightmare (2)

Perhaps I should say it was thanks to our mindless nano machines displaying such slaughter machine-like behavior.

After the Warlord’s death, the alliance fleet that had naturally disbanded was revived once again.

And of course, the leadership role fell to our Holy Sebelli Empire.

The process wasn’t exactly smooth, however.

“Why should the Sebelli Empire take the leadership position?”

“That’s right, isn’t it a bit much for the Sebelli Empire to always be on top?”

During the previous Warlord incident, our Holy Sebelli Empire somehow(?) ended up leading the Southern Alliance…

And now taking that position again drew complaints and dissatisfaction from Kar-Du, Miss-Pel, and other small nations.

“Is there really any need to worry about such things? What matters is saving lives.”

Ztrakfor, who is often said to be as evil as the most virtuous of other species, told them to stop with the idiotic politics.

“It just happens that the area where the nano machine fleet is multiplying is close to our nation.”

“We must prevent those insane killing weapons from entering our territory.”

With the implicit consent of Roirakan, who was likely to be the next target after the dying Riksi…

“If you don’t like the composition of the alliance fleet, you’re free to leave, but then forget about receiving supply support from us.”

When we took a blatantly indifferent attitude, those stubborn ones finally understood their position and fell in line with the situation.

Anyway, after such chaotic circumstances…

“ARGHH!! Roirakan!! Ztrakfor!! Sebelli!!”

It took longer than expected for the alliance fleet to cross the border of Riksi, which was being crushed and wailing under the nano machine fleet.

———————————-

But even with the alliance fleet gathered, we couldn’t simply push back the nano machine fleet.

-Ziiiiing…KWAAANG!!!

“AAAAHH!!! Our flagship!!!!!!”

This was because the super-high-output charged particle cannons possessed by the nano machine fleet’s flagships boasted enough power to sink a battleship with a single shot.

“Our, our nation’s battleship…”

“H-hey, pull yourself together!”

The commanders of small nations who had joined hoping to blend in with the fleets of larger nations fainted on the spot as they watched their nations’ rare battleships turn to cosmic dust.

But the alliance fleet’s advantage over the nano machine fleet was the overwhelming ‘quantity’ that came from having all the surrounding nations join the fight.

No matter how powerful the super-high-output charged particle cannons were, they could only sink one ship at a time…

And each nano machine fleet had at most one battleship equipped with such a main gun.

Meanwhile, the alliance fleet had mobilized literally hundreds of battleships…

“We’re not dead yet, you miserable wretches!!!”

Including Riksi, which had preserved its main fleet despite suffering numerous casualties, assets, and troop losses due to the separatists’ petty fanaticism…

“To all ships of the Grand Fleet, today is the moment of holy war for all species and life!”

Ztrakfor’s Grand Fleet, which had failed to perform well during the previous Warlord War due to taking the wrong route.

“If we leave them be, won’t we be next?”

“Although they’re friendly with Fuchsviet, they’ll surely exploit any weakness in our forces.”

Roirakan, who had joined after making their own shrewd calculations.

“If we distinguish ourselves in this opportunity, the Galactic Alliance said they would forgive part of our war reparations.”

The suspiciously well-equipped volunteer fleet of Uko’Praknar, trying to save their debt-ridden homeland.

“The development of countermeasures against the nano machines is progressing smoothly.”

“Let’s push all the way to their point of origin and look for Ash there.”

Our Holy Sebelli Empire, which had been promoted(?) to leadership.

And our loyal subordinate states like the Seban Administration and Nurbal Republic who willingly joined for our sake…

“We’re not really comfortable participating in war…”

“Come.”

Along with all sorts of small and medium-sized nations including the stubbornly resistant Miss-Pel.

As all available nations rushed in, the gray nightmare’s fleet began to gradually retreat, unable to withstand the pressure as expected.

Perhaps because their fleet started to be defeated one by one.

The nano machines stopped their massacre that had been spreading throughout Riksi.

Eventually, the scattered fleets gathered to form a new grand fleet, showing signs of engaging in a head-on battle with the alliance fleet.

It was truly reminiscent of the scale of the Waterloo campaign in the latter part of the Warlord War, when the Warlord himself participated in the battle…

But unlike then, we now had additional fleets including Ztrakfor, Kar-Du, and Nurbal.

After fighting for exactly 7 days and nights, the alliance fleet succeeded in crushing the nano machine fleet with fewer casualties than expected…

—————————————

How nice it would be if it ended there.

“We have finally achieved victory!”

“Viva!”

“Woohooo!!!”

I shook my head at the sight of them already starting to celebrate prematurely.

“Riel, connect me to the fleet headquarters.”

“Yes, but are you going to speak in that state?”

“Ah. Just a moment.”

I nodded at Riel’s point, then rose from the throne… no, the ‘control device’ I had been sitting on.

Through the communication line Riel had set up to headquarters, I contacted them and insisted that they should avoid optimistic assumptions about the current situation.

Of course, most of the personnel at the alliance fleet headquarters didn’t seem particularly interested in listening to what I had to say.

-“It seems Minister Arto is quite concerned.”

-“Aren’t you being too cautious when you’re aboard an ancient vessel that can’t even be destroyed with current technology?”

Rather, as if this was their opportunity to launch an offensive against me.

Seeing them quietly joining hands to criticize or mock me, I nodded and decided to end the communication immediately.

-Beep!

And right after the communication ended.

Riel, who was beside me, approached me with an unusually timid demeanor, along with the core administrator—known as ‘Levia’—who had been helping me operate the ship.

“Are… are you okay, Minister?”

“Minister, you don’t need to pay too much attention to what they said.”

Then, while I was just sitting on the throne without reconnecting to it, sighing, they kept offering words of comfort.

“Levia is right! They’re all idiots, so you don’t need to worry about it, Minister!”

While I felt inner joy at their righteous concern, I raised my hand to indicate that no further consolation was necessary.

Of course, the reason wasn’t simply that I was a pushover or fool who would let it slide…

“Thank you all, but I doubt that at this point, a few words from me would make those already gripped by madness even pretend to understand.”

As I just said, given the situation and the positive atmosphere flowing through the alliance fleet, there was no point in me stepping forward to speak first.

“Then what are you going to do?”

“Let’s wait a little. In cases like this, they’ll only come to their senses after seeing a nano machine fleet reinforced with as many ships as they just defeated.”

Hearing my words, Riel expressed her belief that the alliance fleet wouldn’t be so foolish…

But about a week later.

[Event: Nano Machine Fleet Reinforcement]

[With the annihilation of the accumulated nano machine fleets, the central processing unit in the rear has detected the need for additional nano machine fleet deployment.]

[Additional nano machine fleets are spawning in the star system where the gate opened.]

[Additional fleets are being generated from planets infected by nano machines.]

-Ziiiiing…KWAAANG!!!

“No, no! That was our nation’s last remaining battleship!!!”

Starting from the initial gate.

As additional nano machine fleets emerged from planets throughout Riksi that had been infected…

“Grmmzktzhrnztz.”

The happy thoughts that had been circling in everyone’s minds disappeared, replaced by pessimism and seriousness…