Welcome to Hell!

Chapter 171: Offshore battleship Assault – Collapse

I recounted the details of the situation at that time to Marcellus, and he was so astonished that he seemed on the verge of passing out. When I finished, he regained his composure but remained surprised for a different reason.

“I can’t believe you had an audience with His Majesty, the Emperor…”

“Don’t get it wrong. The audience was given to the man who created me. I was merely put on display.”

There was no joy in being brought before the powerful Emperor. I couldn’t harbor any positive feelings towards someone who had only examined me as if I were an object.

Marcellus, while claiming to understand, cast a knowing glance towards Remus. There was a hint of pity in his eyes.

“Well, now I understand why Prince Remus despises demons. It’s also clear why those in the know kept silent.”

“The strong, martial prince ended up being publicly humiliated and nearly killed in front of the Emperor, even if it was a bare-handed fight. It affects his standing, and it’s only natural that those involved would try to keep it under wraps.”

It appears that Remus despises demons because he was defeated by me. I did indeed beat him enough to change the shape of his face, but that only happened because the Emperor and Orvo didn’t intervene. While it’s true that I was angered by being called a freak, it seemed unjust to be resented so one-sidedly.

Furthermore, it might cause trouble for my comrades because of this. That fact weighed heavily on my conscience.

Leaving aside my inner turmoil, Remus was leading his “Imperial Sword Knights” into a relentless attack. Surprisingly, their armor seemed to have transformed into Republic armored suits, with certain parts like arms and shoulders unfolding to unleash spiritual attacks.

Judging from the design and the differences in their equipment, it was likely that these armored suits were made by the Empire. Perhaps, at the final stages of the war, the Empire had succeeded in developing its own armored suits.

The Republic soldiers had been able to hold their own against the Imperial soldiers due to their armor and weapons, but now they had lost that advantage. Moreover, the “Imperial Sword Knights” seemed to be an elite force even among the Imperial soldiers; they were cutting down the Republic soldiers as if they were mere grass.

“Wow, they’ve got quite the momentum, don’t they? Maybe we can just leave it to them?”

“They’ve breached the inside of the battleship. There’s no doubt they’re walking right into an ambush… Is it courage or recklessness?”

“Prince Remus must be desperate too. The Emperor is getting on in years, and as a relatively young prince, he probably feels the need to achieve significant accomplishments. It takes remarkable achievements to be chosen as a successor.”

Tigar seemed impressed as he gazed at the “Imperial Sword Knights”, while Zald was taken aback. Marcellus explained that Remus was seeking military merit for his own reasons. How did the soldiers feel about being caught up in such self-serving motives?

“Well, there’s no need to pity the soldiers. Those who belong to the ‘Imperial Sword Knights’ are indeed the Empire’s finest, but within them, it’s composed mostly of members from His Highness Remus’ faction. They’re just after the promise of advancement after Remus becomes the heir apparent.”

…I see. The soldiers have their own reasons for fighting as well. If Remus becomes Emperor, they’ll likely become his direct subordinates, much like those soldiers who stood guard when I was brought before the Emperor.

The position they held within the ranks of the soldiers must have been quite prestigious, right? People tend to find joy in higher positions, and it’s a significant reason to risk one’s life, it seems. As someone unfamiliar with the concept of rank and privilege, it was a rather perplexing story for me.

“It’s surprising that they have the luxury to worry about what comes after winning… It seems my homeland’s defeat is a foregone conclusion.” Asumi said.

“…. Are you still concerned?”

“To say I’m not concerned would be a lie. However, I don’t feel any obligation to do anything for the homeland that discarded me.”

Observing Asumi gazing at the sky with a look of resigned acceptance, Marcellus hesitantly posed the question. However, she replied with a smile, asserting that there was no lingering attachment in her heart. There was no hint of uncertainty in her voice, and Marcellus’s sense of relief upon hearing her response was not entirely unfounded.

After witnessing all the members of the “Imperial Sword Knights” entering the ship, we decided to cut short our rest and return to the battle. The primary target of our attack remained the gun emplacements, as they always had. I thought we might be joining the assault as well, so I asked Marcellus. He responded with a wry smile, saying “I don’t want to be hated.”

“Didn’t I tell you just now? His Highness Remus’ aim is a huge military achievement. He’s going to board this battleship and have it subdued by the ‘Imperial Sword Knights’. It’s a tremendous feat, isn’t it? Stepping in there could lead to unknown consequences later.”

“Indeed. Well, it’s probably easier that way, and it’ll help Farl and the others as well.”

With these considerations, we continued to destroy the gun emplacements once more. However, most of the gun emplacements were no longer operational. Even though we had been systematically destroying them, the Imperial battleships were now in close proximity, and so they were out of angle.

Nevertheless, the anti-aircraft guns, meant to target distant battleships and aerial combat units, were still functioning. However, their numbers had significantly dwindled. Marcellus and the others had apparently prioritized destroying the anti-aircraft guns before my arrival. So, we continued to locate and eliminate the remaining active gun emplacements.

“Whoa!”

“The ship just shook violently. And that noise… it seems like something exploded.”

“Please wait a moment… this is bad! We need to evacuate immediately! It appears the enemy is trying to sink this battleship!”

As we continued to destroy the gun emplacements, a deep, resounding impact rippled through the battleship, causing it to shake considerably. Mika, who had exceptional hearing, was asked to investigate the source of this disturbance.

Incidentally, Mika, like Farl and the other flying demons, was capable of taking to the skies; it would have been entirely reasonable for him to be among the aerial combat units. However, he remained here on Marcellus’s orders.

He had been recognized for his exceptional hearing information-gathering skills within the special operations unit, which is why he was deployed to the battle on the battleship instead of in the skies. However, the situation this time was exceptionally unexpected. Before Mika could complete his assessment, an even bigger tremor rocked the battleship.

“What’s happening!?”

“It seems like something exploded during the battle inside the ship! And as a result, the ship has suffered critical damage…!?”

“Hey! Is it tilting or is it just my imagination!?”

“It’s not your imagination! It’s actually starting to tilt!”

The second shake was even more pronounced than the first, and it visibly affected the battleship. It marked the gradual yet definite beginning of the battleship’s tilt.

That’s not all. We were at the bow of the ship, and as I turned my compound eyes, I could see the ship’s rear end pointing upwards behind us. In other words, this massive battleship had snapped in half, roughly at its midpoint.

As Mika pieced together the information he had gathered about the current situation, it seemed that an explosion in the ship’s interior had caused the hull to split in two. However, at this moment, the cause was the least of our concerns. What mattered now was the impending danger that we would sink into the sea along with this battleship.

“Everyone, grab onto something. If that’s not possible, dig your claws in. If you don’t, you’ll fall to your death.”

“””O, Oooh!”””

I tried my best to calmly give orders to my comrades who were panicking. Perhaps that helped restore some composure because they quickly clung to handrails and the remnants of gun emplacements. If there was nothing nearby, they extended their claws and stuck them into the deck, bracing for the ordeal.

Marcellus, who wasn’t a demon, lacked claws or similar appendages, but he cleverly found a suitable protrusion to perch on. His resourcefulness was something to be admired.

“Uwaaaaa….”

“Help meeeee…”

Those like us who had someone to issue immediate instructions were fortunate, but for those who couldn’t, the situation was dire. In front of us, armored soldiers, imperial soldiers, and even other demons tumbled toward the sea headfirst.

Had we reached out to them, some lives might have been saved. Yet neither Marcellus nor I gave the order to assist them. We didn’t want to put ourselves in harm’s way to save those falling.

However, the desperate screams of those plummeting into the abyss of despair were impossible to ignore. Even I found their voices disheartening, and I averted my gaze as much as possible. Those who could afford to do so plugged their ears to block out the haunting sounds.

However, that was a grave oversight. Among the objects falling from above weren’t just soldiers but also debris from the gun emplacements. Most of it consisted of shattered wreckage, but within the mix were damaged drones, and among them…. some had eyes that were still glowing.

I was the only one who noticed that some of the falling drones were still operational. Therefore, I was the only one who also noticed that the claw on the right hand of one of the operational drones was open.

Had the claw targeted an unknown Imperial soldier, I might have ignored it. Even if it had been a demon from another unit, I might have felt some sympathy but wouldn’t have rushed to help. However, at the tip of that attacking claw…. was Marcellus.

To make matters worse, it was extremely clear that Asumi, who was almost certainly by Marcellus’s side, would also be caught up in this attack. There was no way a hastily made shield of sand from my spiritual arts would withstand the force of the extended claw. What should I do…?

“Guoh…!”

“Wha—?”

“Big brother!?”

Before I could even think, my body was already in motion. I slid myself between the extended claw and Marcellus and shielded them both. The force of the claw’s grip was far more powerful than I had imagined, and there was no way to break free. It seemed inevitable that I would plummet straight down into the sea with it.

Though my survival instincts rang loudly in my head, there was little I could do at this moment. While witnessing the surprised faces of my comrades, I descended into the sea.

Yet, the desire not to die still burned within me, so I took a deep breath just before hitting the water. However, in the midst of the giant battleship sinking, the sea was churned into chaos. I struggled against the irregular and violent currents that tossed me around.

Desperately, I attempted to free myself from the restraining claw while moving my legs in an effort to escape the turbulent water. But no matter how hard I struggled, it seemed futile. I couldn’t swim to begin with, and the weight of the steel claw only made matters worse. As I was carried by the currents, I could feel myself sinking further and further down.

After a while, I managed to break free from the currents’ grasp. However, it wasn’t due to my own efforts; it was simply because of the weight that had dragged me considerably deeper. Now, what should I do from here on…can I use sand spiritual arts under the sea?

“Gobo…?”

While I was pondering this, I felt a strong presence approaching from directly below me. Filled with a sense of impending danger, I cast my gaze downward, and there I was met by a gigantic whale, rivaling even the newly constructed Imperial battleships in size.

Based on the mysterious knowledge I had possessed since birth, I recognized the creature’s shape as that of a whale, but it bore distinct features different from any whale I knew. The most prominent of these was its entire body, encased in a heavy shell.

Countless strands of seaweed adorned the shell’ surface, forming what could only be described as a forest of seaweed. Within this forest, various small fish seemed to reside, and despite the considerable depth of the surrounding waters, it sparkled brilliantly. I was so mesmerized by the almost divine sight that I momentarily forgot my current predicament.

However, my time for admiration was short-lived. The whale, with its massive mouth wide open, began to swim gracefully and started to devour everything sinking in the sea. It seemed to have no discrimination; anything that caught its eye became its target, whether it was a lifeless body sinking like me or the remnants of gun emplacements.

“Gobbobo!”

It appeared that I was also one of its targets. There was no escaping from the enormous gaping maw approaching me. It seemed inevitable that I would be eaten.

Yet, I had a mission. A mission I had to fulfill, one that required me to survive for a hundred years. I couldn’t give up. While gazing at the whale’s throat, which seemed to lead to the abyss, I was captured by its mouth

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TN: Alright…the arc is almost finished; there’s only one more chap for the volume of “demon war” to finish. The next volume will be the volume that all has been looking forward to; “Liberation”.