I'm the Evil Lord of an Intergalactic Empire! - Book 11: Chapter 10.2: Clash

A great fleet of the High Kingdom, numbering six hundred thousand, was approaching in front of us.

It was in a formation specializing in conical assaults, and seemed to intend to collide head-on with the fleet of the Banfield family.

The fleet of the Banfield family, on the other hand, also specialized in conical assaults.

The Banfield family’s assault has risen to the level of a family specialty, but the High Kingdoms’ assault has risen to the level of a traditional art.

The soldiers on the bridge were nervous in the face of an opponent more powerful than the space pirates or any fleet they had fought so far.

The operator shouted.

“We’re in range of their optical weapons!”

They are rapidly approaching each other as both sides are advancing.

I want to open fire on the oncoming enemy fleet, but I cross my arms and give the order.

“Don’t fire until they are at effective range.”

If we fire, there is a chance that we will hit them, but shelling at close range consumes a lot of energy.

Optical weapons, shields, and various other types of energy are consumed in close-range firefights.

There is no energy to be allocated for bombardment from outside the effective range.

The High Kingdoms understand this well, so they do not bombard us as well as we do.

Although they are rough and tumultuous, their fleet operations are less erratic.

It is a perfectly controlled and powerful fleet.

The enemy fleet is rapidly approaching.

The operator announces that the fleet has entered the effective range.

“We are in effective range!”

I smile, holding my right hand out in front of me.

“Commence attack!”

At my command, optical weapons are released from the allied fleet at once.

At the same time, the enemy fleet also fires optical weapons.

Light is instantly crossed, and friendly ships deploy barriers.

Thousands, tens or hundreds of thousands of such glows occur, brightly illuminating the battlefield.

The naval vessels surrounding the Argos, the flagship of the entire fleet, are mostly shielded vessels that specialize in defense.

Optical weapons could not reach the Argos and were prevented by friendly ships.

However, the laser and beams released from the Argos – were relentlessly penetrating the enemy battleships.

A single beam of light penetrated two or three enemy ships with shields deployed.

The flagship Argos is a state-of-the-art superdreadnought battleship.

Moreover, it is a battleship that was generously made of rare metals by that Nias–who is competent in proportion to her terrible character.

In other words, Argos is a battleship version of Avid.

It is my ship, in which I spent a huge budget and disregarded cost-effectiveness.

Even if I faced a hundred battleships with just one battleship, I don’t think I could lose.

I have no reason to lose from the very beginning.

This is the reason why I am not the least bit intimidated in the face of the onrushing light of optical weapons.

I will not lose.

But my fleet is different.

Like the High Kingdoms, ships that cannot deploy powerful shields – destroyers and cruisers – are pierced by optical weapons and explode.

A friendly ship is pierced through the shield.

The Banfield family fleet is not a generation of obsolete ships.

It is a naval vessel that demanded the best performance in the Empire.

The fact that it is destroyed so easily is proof of the high performance of the High Kingdom’s naval vessels.

There is no doubt that they are stronger than any fleet that has fought so far.

However, the Banfield family’s fleet, which is outnumbered at this point, is in danger.

“Redeploy the shield ships of Argos. Wall off any naval vessels that are insecure about their armor.”

As I gave the order without hesitation, Elysia, standing next to me, looked at me.

“You’re going to thin the defenses of the total flagship!”

”That will be more effective.”

The shield ship leaves Argos’ side and moves into position to protect the destroyers and cruisers.

An optical weapon hits Argos’ shields and emits a strong light.

The enemy’s attack does not reach Argos.

My mouth naturally relaxes into a smile.

“I’m going to use that thing.”

The surroundings are buzzing.

Elysia turns her head toward me.

“Is this the right time? It’s too soon, don’t you think?”

“Show them.”

The soldiers around me start to move in a flurry as I demand the use of Argos’ trump card, a weapon.

“Prepare to deploy the multiple magic circle!”

“Argos, deploy energy shield on armor.”

“Deployment of spatial magic circle complete!”

Numerous magic circles appear around Argos.

At the same time, the same magic circle appears in the enemy’s territory.

The trump card of Argos.

It is…

“I would prefer a more spectacular attack, but I guess I’ll have to put up with this for now.”

–It is a long-range attack using spatial magic.

When Argos releases an optical weapon into the magic circle, it is released from the magic circle at a distance.

The advantage of this method of attack using spatial magic is that it places the turret in the middle of the enemy camp and attacks the surrounding area.

Attacks from places the enemy does not anticipate are effective and cause great disturbance in the enemy lines.

But it is not flashy.

“Sir, we have a disturbance in the enemy fleet.”

“Break it up there! Concentrate fire!”

In the flurry of activity on the bridge, soldiers try to exploit the disorder in the enemy line.

It is a very effective attack, but the problem is that such a complex attack is not easy to carry out.

Both the attacker and the opponent are moving, and it is very difficult to specify where to deploy the magic circle.

Normally, it would be impossible to come up with such an idea, but that’s where the genius Nias comes in.

Nias is a genius, and she has done it.

This is Argos’ trump card, but it’s very simple.

I think it’s great and I think it’s effective.

But it’s so plain!

“I still want a flashy means of attack.”

I let out a sigh, and Elysia, next to me, twitched her cheek.

“Is that your impression after seeing such an advanced attack?”

“It’s to the taste of the experts, but I want fancy means of attack to the taste of the amateurs.”

Looking at the enemy fleet, they still didn’t seem to understand what had happened.

Some of the vessels, mistakenly believing they were attacked by their allies, had even started fighting amongst themselves.

If an attack comes from an unexpected place when the enemy is expected to come directly in front of the ship, the ship may panic.

Shield energy would also be concentrated on the bow, and the same is true for attacking the thinning area.

But it’s only a trump card and can’t be used many times.

That’s something we’ll have to work on in the future.

The soldiers are looking bitter.

“Has the enemy fleet been rebuilt yet?”

“Is this the High Kingdom?”

If you look at the fleet of the High Kingdom, it was slowly regaining its composure.

If this was a space pirate, it would have collapsed, and a normal fleet would have had more time to recover.

If it had been a space pirate, it would have triggered the collapse, but the High Kingdoms were different.

Argos’ trump card was not as effective as I had hoped.

The operator shouted.

“We are in contact with the enemy fleet!”

I raise the corner of my mouth.

“Get Argos to the front of the line.”

◇ ◇

Both fleet formations–tip to tip contact.

When the battle begins at very close range, the stronger side normally breaks through the weaker side.

However, both armies are so strong that the formation does not collapse.

Aluna, watching the scene from the flagship of the High Kingdoms, squinted.

“It’s really wonderful. It is unfortunate that some of them dropped out, but their subsequent recovery and vigor are commendable. –It’s a shame, but I commend them for their determination to get back on their feet.”

It is only natural that if the forces are close in ability and meet head-on, the one with the greater number will win.

The 100,000 ships that dropped out of the enemy fleet had decided the winner.

If the enemy had been a little more numerous, it would have been a better match.

“I had hoped to defeat you on equal terms, but that is the way of the battlefield. I will tell the tale of your strength.”

When Aluna was feeling inadequate after being dragged into a battle with the strong, a report arrived from the operator.”

“We have confirmed a superdreadnought battleship in the vanguard of the enemy fleet!”

Aluna contemplated on the report.

When it comes to a superdreadnought , it is probably the commander’s class that is aboard.

It is evident that they are straining to get out of this situation.

“Has a renowned general stepped forward? But it’s impossible to overturn this gap in numbers.”

But the Banfield family was different.

“The results of the collation are in. The name of the ship is the Argos–on board of the enemy commander-in-chief, Liam Sera Banfield!?”

Aluna sat up and her eyes widened when she heard the name of the ship.

“He stepped forward himself!?”

Argos’s figure appears on the monitor, destroying a friendly ship and cutting into the High Kingdom’s fleet.

Around him were two distinctive white mobile knights, destroying the surrounding allied ships one after another.

The fleet of the Banfield family follows behind Argos.

Aluna hugged herself, trembling.

“You’re the best, Liam! Only you could be the father of my child!”

Aluna orders.

“Prepare the Arachne for launch.”

◇ ◇ ◇

The bridge of the superdreadnought Var.

Tia stood up from the commander’s seat, her legs trembling.

“Put Liam-sama back! Bring the Var forward instead! Use it as a shield for Argos!”

The second-in-command, who was by Tia’s side, pale and trembling, managed to calm her down.

“Please calm down, Tia-sama.”

“I can’t calm down! Who allowed you to do that?”

“-I would say it was none other than Liam-sama.”

There is no way they would allow the Commander-in-Chief to make a pioneering move.

If he were to do it, it would be by the actions of the Commander-in-Chief himself.

Normally, the people around him would have stopped him, but Liam is a one-man lord, for better or worse.

If Tia had been by his side, she would have risked her life to stop him, but even so, it was unlikely that Liam would reverse his decision.

“Bring Var to the front!”

Tia tries to move toward Liam’s side, but her second-in-command intervenes.

“If we force our way forward with this ship, we will lose our formation!”

If the superdreadnought forcibly advances, it will affect its allies who are crowded together.

To avoid the Var, the formation will be disorganized, and the worst that can happen is a major accident.

The second-in-command nudged Tia to avoid such a situation.

Tia, who had been delirious with worry about Liam, finally realizes this possibility and turns her head and makes a hard decision.

“Send the fossil woman over!–Her ship has a small turn.”

Tia regretted relying on Marie intensely, but with Liam’s life at stake, she could not choose her means.

The first officer and the bridge crew were surprised.

“Tia-sama? Sh-but…”

Taking the help of rival factions who may even kill each other.

For Tia, it was also a decision to let go of her pride.

“I’m a little afraid of the consequences of this. If this is enough to save Liam-sama’s life.”

Tia’s pride would not allow her to owe Marie a debt.

The most important thing to remember is that the best way to get the best out of your life is to be a professional.

◇ ◇

Around that time.

Marie was also in a hurry.

“Can’t you hurry up!”

When Marie learned that Liam had cut into the enemy line, she was shaking so badly that she could not look around her without breaking out in a cold sweat.

Their superior officer, who was usually so graceful and rough, was frightened.

The second-in-command soothed Marie.

‘We can’t go any further. Besides, Argos is advancing.”

Marie’s fleet was advancing, weaving through the gaps between friendly vessels to pursue the Argos, which was cutting in at a good pace.

◇ ◇

Tia was correcting the line of friendly ships and making a way to get through.

In Liam’s pinch, the two men, who are dog and monkey, were cooperating with each other, a rare occurrence.

“Liam-sama, please get back here!”

Marie, dismayed, reaches out her hand toward Argos on the monitor and shouts, even though she knows she cannot reach him.

◇ ◇

Tia and Marie are not the only ones panicking.

Klaus exclaims in his mind while enduring the pain that feels like a hole in his stomach.

(Liam-sama, don’t go forward!)

However, what was different from Tia and Marie was that Klaus anticipated Liam’s actions.

His previous experience of assaulting the High Kingdoms in small numbers made him think that Liam would do something in this situation.

That’s why – in advance – he had his boarding ship close to a position where he could protect Liam.

“What is the position of the shield ship you sent to Argos?”

One of his men replies.

“I think they will catch up with us soon.”

The shield ship protecting the passenger ship had been pointed at Liam in advance.

This was another result of the advance preparations.

To those around him, this appeared to be Klaus’s anticipation, which further enhanced his reputation.

“This is a move that flows with the situation. As expected of Klaus-sama!”

Klaus glared at his subordinate’s words.

“I don’t care about that. Protect Liam-sama at all costs.”

(I don’t care about that right now!)

The subordinate apologizes to Klaus for his harsh words.

Klaus can’t afford to be concerned about his surroundings inwardly.

(I can’t take this anymore–)