Ch.279Die, You Monster (2)

# Chapter 279: Die, You Monster (2)

-CRASH!

“Die, you damn bastard!”

“How dare you target Arto…!”

The body slam from two massive Ether Dragons was so powerful that even the Ancient Emperor, who had appeared larger than our Levia, couldn’t withstand it and was pushed back violently.

“Yaaaaah!”

“Long live the Holy Maiden!”

The personnel at the Orbital Defense Command, saved by the body slam of these dragons, suddenly looked as if they had converted to become fanatical followers of Eternia.

But with the transmission that followed, the minds of the command staff returned to normal.

Or rather, they returned to their fanatic mindset toward “His Imperial Majesty.”

-“Announcing to all fleets and forces, our great Emperor is currently… engaged in battle with that evil monster in the form of an Ether Dragon after dragon-transformation!”

-“The Holy Maiden of Eternia is also with him, so friendly fire is absolutely forbidden!”

-“Remember this! His Majesty’s dragon form is a platinum Ether Dragon with massive red horns!”

“…Huh?”

“His Majesty… an Ether Dragon?”

“And what was that about… red horns?”

The urgent voice in the transmission.

Along with information that seemed desperately compressed.

The sight of the Ether Dragon with massive red horns actively fighting in the magnificent battle unfolding before their eyes.

For the Orbital Defense Command personnel who had nearly gone astray in their panic, this had an effect almost like a drug.

“Your Majestyyyyy!!!”

“His Majesty is protecting us!”

“Mom, I want to be His Majesty’s scale when I grow up!”

Moreover, amid all this confusion.

The defense facilities and radar connected to the supercomputer in the Orbital Defense Command analyzed the size and form data of the three beings rampaging before them according to mechanical processes.

The investigation report was quickly displayed on the main monitor in the command center.

“Ooooh, look at that.”

“His Majesty is even larger than the Holy Maiden of Eternia!”

“Long live Emperor Artlaia! Long live!”

According to the information that popped up on the screen, the size of “the platinum Ether Dragon with red horns” known as Artlaia.

Was at least 1.5 times larger than the Ether Dragon that the Holy Maiden of Eternia had transformed into when she nearly collided with the capital city about a year ago.

In terms of size, it was comparable to the Ancient Emperor, truly a massive build.

Of course, normally there would be no reason to react so strongly just because of size, but…

[Pause]

[Event: Group Panic State Due to Shock!]

[The personnel of the Orbital Defense Command are in a collective state of panic due to the sight before them instantly exceeding their cognitive abilities.]

[The ‘Panic’ trait (reduced cognitive ability, confusion) has been applied to all personnel except you, the player, and Riel.]

[Pause Released]

‘Oh crap.’

As could be seen from the event message that arbitrarily paused and then disappeared after releasing it.

The temporary loss of cognitive ability due to panic made the impossible possible.

-Ding dong♬

[Pause]

[Event: Birth of Fanatical Worshippers]

[The personnel of the Orbital Defense Command join Emperor Artlaia’s faction.]

[Liberation Faction support +200, Loyalty to Emperor Artlaia Belliard Penashu Khan Seveli +100]

[Pause Released]

Although this event wasn’t particularly helpful to me or the current situation, so I immediately released the pause.

But seeing support and loyalty scores jump into the triple digits was a rare sight even among typical events.

And while I was standing there dumbfounded at such a sight.

Something else rushed toward the Ancient Emperor…

Seeing the massive liquid monster resembling an amorphous, shimmering silver mercury, I couldn’t help but exclaim.

“Ah, Ash!”

And in response to my exclamation, the personnel in the command center each showed their wit by blurting out one-liners like extras in a martial arts novel.

“The Gray Nightmare!”

“Count Ash!”

“The Count has arrived, we’re saved now!”

“…”

Although the atmosphere was slightly disrupted by the last small fanboy.

Soon Ash stretched his body out, instantly wrapping around the Ancient Emperor’s body.

“Nnngh?!”

What appeared to be the Ancient Emperor’s quite solid outer skin.

Ash covered every part he could reach and began to aggressively decompose the surface.

And the fact that Ash had arrived meant…

“Approaching fleet from the rear… identification code confirmed, friendly forces!”

“Leviathan-class Super Dreadnought arrival confirmed, escort fleet deployment complete!”

-Grooooowl…!!!

It meant that Levia, who had become Ash’s best friend, was also making an appearance.

[Pause]

[Pause Released]

“Fleet bombardment initiated!”

“What are we doing just standing here? Attack now!”

“Yes, yes! Understood!”

Seeing the fleet return and launch attacks, I berated the frozen guys.

The humans at the Orbital Defense Command all began to use the defense turrets to pour out a barrage of fire.

-BOOM BOOM BOOM!

-BANG! BOOM!

But no matter how much Levia had performance equivalent to an entire fleet.

Its firepower, excluding the main cannon, was just proportional to its size.

Even with the remaining ships of the Capital Defense Fleet, which had scattered to block the Scourge fleet spread throughout the capital planetary system, gathering to launch an attack.

It seemed insufficient against the Ancient Emperor, the superstar who drove our power levels crazy.

Moreover, whether the Ancient Emperor intended it or it was just coincidence.

“Minister, there’s a risk of hitting His Majesty, the Holy Maiden, and Count Ash!”

“That’s why I’m telling you to avoid hitting them!”

“Even so, with that much chaos, it’s impossible unless you have a quantum computer from the Dark Ages.”

That damned thing kept grappling with Lady Maria, Artlaia, and Ash, making it impossible to continue the fleet’s supporting fire.

‘Damn it, there must be some way.’

And while I, of course, and the fleet continued to ponder this dilemma.

“Minister! His Majesty and the monsters are falling toward Belkadur!”

“What?!”

The giant space monster movie featuring 2 women, 1 garbage, and 1 nanomachine was crashing straight into the paradise ‘satellite’ created with all of Gaia’s might…

Or so I thought, but it turned out the Ancient Emperor was grabbing the heads of the two Ether Dragons and throwing them down.

“Whoa!”

Thus, Artlaia and Lady Maria collided with the paradise satellite, forming a massive crater.

As an enormous dust cloud rose from the impact.

“Mere nanomachine swarms dare to challenge me?”

While the Ancient Emperor had slammed the two dragons into the satellite, it showed remarkable control over its body by counter-infiltrating Ash, who had been corroding its skin, but.

At that moment.

-BOOOOOM!

“Hmm!”

When Levia completed charging its ‘main cannon’—the same one used to destroy the annihilation device’s core—and fired.

“Useless effort…!”

The Ancient Emperor, who had been momentarily distracted trying to counter-infiltrate, barely managed to dodge.

“You bastard!”

Simultaneously, despite being corroded by Ash, it used its powerful body.

And began charging toward Levia, which had fallen into a groggy state due to the main cannon’s recoil.

“Fire! We must cover Levia!”

“All hyperrail cannons of the orbital defense facilities, fire!”

Of course, to protect Levia, a barrage of fire, rockets, and missiles flew toward the Ancient Emperor from the Orbital Defense Command where I was stationed, as well as from the Capital Defense Fleet.

Despite being tattered from the fight with the two Ether Dragons and Ash’s infiltration taking advantage of those gaps.

Using its powerful shield and sturdy body, it charged recklessly, disregarding the defensive fire from the fleet and command center.

‘Damn, we can’t lose Levia like this.’

As I couldn’t afford to lose our important military asset, I was about to contact the Capital Defense Fleet to implement a meat shield tactic, but.

At that very moment.

-BOOOOOM!

“Hmph!”

Targeting the Ancient Emperor’s ‘head,’ a powerful breath attack shot through the dust cloud rising from Belkadur.

-BOOOOOOOOM!!!!

“Tsk.”

And not just once, but twice in a time-delayed attack, anticipating the Ancient Emperor’s evasion.

Of course, the Ancient Emperor, proving its insane abilities weren’t just for show.

Successfully avoided both attacks with movements that seemed to casually ignore the laws of physics even in space.

-WHOOSH!

-BOOM!

But while it paused to evade.

With a phenomenon reminiscent of a sonic boom, or rather air compression.

-CRASH! CRASH!!!

The two dragons that had been slammed into the satellite by the Ancient Emperor returned with tough body slams.

And simultaneously…

-“Holy Maideeeeen!!!! We have returned!!!”

Admiral Lüchou’s Annihilation Fleet, having received news of the capital’s situation, returned via jump drive with more courage and intensity than anyone else, despite being reduced to only 70% of its full strength due to losses from the battle with the Scourge.

-“Hurrrgh!!! L-look! Before all the supernovae in space become black holes, the two of them have already achieved unity!”

-“Until the permanent permafrost of the Ice Empire melts away…!”

With battle cries that contrasted uglily, they began to pour attacks toward the Ancient Emperor.