Chapter 40: CH 38

The combined forces of Metal Iris and Storm Hound began taking attacks from the enemy defense network once they entered their range.

They were now just 50 kilometers away from the target Fortress Area.

The invasion route was filled with shockwaves and dust that served to block their advance.

The terrain was being thoroughly leveled by the intense bombardment.

「This–?! That’s not from a tank’s main gun! That power rivals that of a battleship’s cannon back in the Interplanetary War era. All troops scatter!」

Rick gave his order with a tense voice.

The combined force that had been advancing together until now would separate according to the unit formations that were decided in advance.

Henceforth, command over each individual unit will be handled by their respective unit commanders.

Although they were ordered to scatter, they will still coordinate together to some extent.

It didn’t really mean that their forces would truly disperse. It simply meant that each individual unit would take optimized actions according to the operation’s action guidelines.

Since radar was practically useless, the search range of both parties was exceedingly short. In the Nemesis warfront where long-distance communication basically wasn’t possible, terribly primitive battles were commonplace. Individual judgment was highly important if one wanted to survive.

「This is the surface. Maybe they have a space battleship or space carrier?」

「If they had something as huge as a space carrier, we would have spotted it from our position already.」

The fierce bombardment continued.

But it seemed that the enemy wasn’t capable of a sustained barrage.

Rick and his troops advanced using the shortest route to their target.

After some time, the recon unit that headed out in advance finally caught sight of the mysterious gunner and sent back a report.

「Jenny, we finally know the identity of the enemy. It’s actually a super-heavy tank.」

「Eh?」

「Judging from its form, there’s no doubt about it. Just who the heck was the Bricoleur crazy enough to create such an over-the-top weapon!?」

After knowing the identity of the enemy, Rick spat out in annoyance.

「The main gun they haphazardly slapped on the thing is roughly the same as a medium-caliber railgun used by combat ships back in the Interplanetary War era. It’s a 155 mm railgun. That thing can down a tank in one hit.」

「We’re in a bad spot, aren’t we?」

「That thing has close to zero mobility. And the combat ship railgun isn’t capable of a sustained barrage. I’ll make sure to bury that ridiculous machine back into the depths of history.」

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It was a super-heavy tank that once cracked the earth as it ungainly rumbled along – or at least tried to.

It was a heavily armored demon that sank to the ground under its own excessive weight and, consequently, was rendered practically unusable since normal paved roads couldn’t handle it at all and were crushed beneath its treads.

The one they were up against appeared to have four tank treads. It must have been hard to support it with just two.

The technology present in the Nemesis system and the reinforcement of roads by Whis made the ridiculous concept of super-heavy tanks very much possible.

「The caliber of their gun didn’t exceed my expectation. The interval between bombardments is about two minutes. Its output is very much lacking. It’s practically a weapon that’s all flash and no substance. A paper mache.」

Rick proceeded to analyze the enemy machine calmly. It sported a 155 mm medium caliber gun used by carriers during the Interplanetary War era, but super-heavy tanks should be able to carry even larger guns.

The problems probably lay in the shells and the energy required to fire the railgun. With a gun larger than what was equipped, the required energy would be exceedingly high. Rick judged that they opted for a lower caliber in order to increase the number of shells the tank was capable of firing in succession.

Hence, the role of such a large and heavy tank was to serve as an armed wall. Its designer probably placed emphasis on its ability to fight for a prolonged period.

「If the contents within are tightly packed, then you can’t exactly call it a paper mache, can you?」

「Maybe they’re not as packed as you’re expecting. It might just be serving as a shield for their Silhouettes.」

「I get you. So the bombardment they launched earlier was just to check us huh.」

「Yes, that should be the case. Don’t you dare fly into the air Jenny. You’ll just end up as free real estate for that thing’s railgun.」

「I know. We have no choice but to gradually close in. It’s pretty tough since we lack experience regarding launching an assault compared to defending against one.」

「Storm Hound is on the same boat.」

Mercenaries were usually employed to protect Fortress Areas and Defense Domes. Underground Forces with experience in actively launching assaults against enemies were few and far between.

「First, let’s focus on closing the distance. Although they just intend to restrain us, it’s not interesting at all to be unilaterally on the receiving end of a bombardment. The enemy defense force is an armored unit composed of tanks centered on a super-heavy combat tank. They also have Silhouettes as their escorts. Murders will probably deploy later on to intercept us.」

「Focus on destroying those Murders. Leave the Silhouettes to us.」

「You guys of Metal Iris and our support vehicles will rout their escorts and break through their defense net.」

Even with the appearance of an unexpected enemy, the two quickly managed to modify their plans.

The Keres that would be stalling for time were already coming over.

「Multiple insect-type Murders sighted. A great number of Keres confirmed, as well as thirty ant-types, and one mantis-type! They’ve entered combat range.」

The tense voice of the operator riding in a comms vehicle was broadcast to the rest of the combined force.

「A swarm of ants and mantises has appeared. Tank corps, forward! Support vehicles, make way!」

At Rick’s command, their battle against the Keres began in earnest.

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