Chapter 102: The Carnela Port Recapture Operation (9)
Just moments before the assault of the Hades Scorpion Demon on the battleships, Linardo and Tuhru had infiltrated the interior of one of the operational battleships. Knowing that it was impossible to use brute force like the Hades Scorpion Demon with his massive spiritual power to sink down the battleship, their plan was to create holes from within and flood the ship.
“Growl!”
“Shhh!”
After they assumed their demon forms, the two pressed forward, swiftly and lethally eliminating any enemy they encountered. Tuhru, the Frost Bear Demon, held a shield that covered her entire body, effortlessly deflecting the bullets fired at her. In the meantime, Linardo, the Flame Lizard Demon, expertly employed his versatile spear techniques to dispatch the ordinary armored soldiers.
The confined space within the ship played to their advantage. With the number of guns that could be fired simultaneously limited and all enemies killed, they anticipated the direction from which bullets would come hurtling. Tuhru simply positioned her shield, blocking each onslaught with ease.
For Tuhru, whose mastery of shield handling surpassed that of anyone in the demon squad, it was an effortless task, except for one particular case.
“Growl… Looks like we’ve cleared this area.”
“Shh… Yes, let’s proceed downstairs without letting our guard down.”
The two of them trampled over the corpses of the armored soldiers, their growls echoing, as they aimed to descend and create holes inside the ship. The two of them heightened their senses after they transformed into demons, and navigated the passageways, searching for stairs that led downward.
It seemed that the Republic’s forces had somehow pinpointed their location, as the sound of hurried footsteps drew closer, echoing through the corridors. Hearing those sounds, the two instinctively frowned, realizing that the footsteps were coming from both ahead and behind them.
The confined environment worked in their favor, except when they were caught in a crossfire. Since Tuhru was the only one equipped with a shield, she couldn’t protect herself from gunfire coming from behind.
“In times like these…”
“We dash forward.”
To avoid being caught in a crossfire, their plan was to take down one group before being surrounded. Without hesitation, they dashed forward, coming into contact with the approaching unit from the front.
The soldiers aimed their guns at them while shouting something in their own language. Tuhru held her ground, unfazed, while deflecting bullets with her shield and continuing her advance. Being in their demon forms heightened their physical strength as well, and the onslaught of bullets did little to slow down her sprinting speed.
“Goruro ~o!”
“■■■!?”
“Shaaa~!”
“??……!”
With a fierce roar, Tuhru struck one of the armored soldiers with her shield, sending him flying. Right behind her, Linardo leaped forward, piercing through the armored soldier with his spear like a shooting star. As long as they weren’t caught in a crossfire, the two of them could eliminate enemy squads with ease.
They turned back and swiftly defeated the approaching group of armored soldiers from behind. Then, they continued their advance, aiming once again for the lower deck until they finally reached the ship’s hull.
“A steel door? It’s locked tight!”
“Move aside!”
The lower deck served as a storage area for supplies used on the battleship, and it was protected by a sturdy lock to prevent unauthorized access. Linardo tried pushing and pulling to open it, but there was no sign of it budging with his strength alone.
In that moment, Tuhru spoke up with a serious tone from behind him. Startled, Linardo turned around to see Tuhru wielding her beloved iron hammer, adorned with icy spikes on its head. Linardo’s shivering wasn’t out of fear but because the temperature had noticeably dropped.
“Gorurururu!”
Before becoming a demon, Tuhru was almost unable to use spiritual power. However, after merging with the Frost Bear beast, she gained an instinctive control over ice. This instinctive use of spiritual art applied not only to Tuhru but also to other demons who had undergone similar synthesis.
The ice created by spiritual arts was heavier and harder than ordinary ice. With a cascade of white mist trailing behind her, Tuhru struck the door with her iron hammer. The hammer collided with the door, creating a resounding impact. While it didn’t break the door in a single blow, the door warped significantly, and the icy spikes pierced through, creating holes.
Tuhru forcefully pulled the iron hammer out and swung it down again. On the second strike, the door warped even further. On the third strike, the holes expanded, and on the fourth strike, it turned into a ragged mess… Finally, on the fifth strike, it shattered into pieces.
“Yay! We can go now.”
“A-Ah, that’s right.”
When Linardo watched Tuhru talk with a big smile on her face, his forehead couldn’t help but break into a cold sweat. Linardo was infatuated with Tuhru to the point of proposing to her before the battle, but he couldn’t help but wonder if he would survive being struck by her immense power if he were to anger her. He vowed in his heart to never do anything that would provoke her wrath.
The ship’s hold, where the two infiltrated, was filled with tightly arranged metal containers. While some of the containers were open, the contents remained a mystery to them.
“Ah, this one looks just right.”
Amidst the assortment, they found something recognizable. It was a weapon used by the armored soldiers, a gun of sorts. Although they were unsure how to operate firearms, they were familiar with the melee weapons lined up beside them. Linardo picked up a spear from among them.
The spear, entirely made of metal from its tip to its handle, was surprisingly lighter than it appeared. Linardo lifted it up and firmly grasped it before exerting his strength. Gradually, the spear heated up from the point where he held it.
Like Tuhru, when Linardo became a demon, he also gained the instinctual ability to wield spiritual arts. The power he possessed allowed him to manipulate flames and heat, and he heated the spear through that very power.
“This is great. Even when heated intensely, it doesn’t melt. I think I’ll take one with me.”
Tuhru didn’t reprimand Linardo for taking an enemy’s weapon without permission. On the contrary, she began searching for a suitable weapon for herself.
Even during their time as Atonement Soldiers, they were provided with the bare minimum of rations but not with weapons. However, even without provisions, weapons were consumables and would eventually break. That’s why they would bring back weapons they found on the battlefield and use them as their own.
“I’ll choose this one to take back. Alright then, let’s make some holes in this big guy!”
Linardo slung one spear over his back and lifted another spear from the ship’s hold. Once again, he applied force, heating it up to a red-hot state. But this time, not only did it become red-hot, but flames erupted fiercely from the surface of the spear.
Holding the spear in position, Linardo slowly pressed it against the wall of the battleship. As a result, the battleship’s walls also began to glow red, and the spear slowly pierced through. However, when the tip of the spear was embedded, the spear itself, held by Linardo, deformed and melted away.
Unbeknownst to Linardo, the spears in this place were mass-produced weapons for regular armored soldiers, not designed to withstand the intensity of his flames.
“Oh dear, it seems it couldn’t withstand my full power after all. Well, just leaving a scratch is enough, I suppose.”
Linardo inserted the hooked claw at the tip of his tail into punctured wall. As a part of his own body, the hooked claw was naturally able to withstand his full power. It deeply pierced into the wall, melting it with a sizzling sound, until finally, the tip of his tail pierced through the hull and touched the seawater.
After pulling his tail out, water rushed forcefully into the hole, filling it rapidly. After repeating the same process about ten times, cracks appeared on the hull with a creaking sound. Linardo was certain that the wall’s limit had been reached.
“It’s about to break! Let’s get out of here, Tuhru!”
“Ah, yes.”
Just as the two started evacuating from the stairs leading outside, a large hole opened on the hull, and seawater rushed in with great force. It was undoubtedly impossible to stop this. Having accomplished their mission of sinking the battleship, the two immediately proceeded towards the exit of the ship’s hold.
“Tch! It’s an ambush!”
However, on the staircase leading up from the ship’s hold, there were over thirty armored soldiers. They had anticipated that it would be impossible to defeat them in small numbers, so they laid in wait in the corridor leading to the ship’s hold, where the two had infiltrated.
The passageway leading from the ship’s hold to the deck had already been fortified with stationary large guns and barricades to prevent any approach. Furthermore, there were even individuals equipped with handheld cannons, making it difficult to break through.
“Leave it to me!”
“Tuhru!?”
However, Tuhru did not falter. She reinforced the surface of her shield with ice and continued to advance, just as she had done before. She intended to crush everything with the shield, which had become an icy wall, sealing off the passageway.
But as she charged forward, the enemies began a barrage of simultaneous gunfire. Bullets surged like a furious torrent from both regular firearms and stationary guns, while flaming balls launched from the handheld cannons exploded violently upon impact with the shield.
The intensity of the onslaught was unlike anything she had faced before, and it gradually slowed Tuhru’s advance. From a sprint to a jog, from a jog to a walk, and from a walk to a standstill, she was eventually pushed back, her strength giving way under the overwhelming force.
“Ukyuuuu… Ah!”
“Tuhru!”
Tuhru, despite being overwhelmed by the sheer quantity of enemies, had been holding her ground. However, the ice that enveloped her shield shattered under the relentless assault of the enemy. Tuhru was in danger. In that moment, Linardo leaped towards her, putting himself in harm’s way to protect her.
While Linardo’s scales were reasonably sturdy, they were not as resilient as those of a creature subjected to haphazard training like the scorpion demon. Several bullets pierced through his body, staining the passageway and Tuhru’s face with fresh crimson blood.
“Linardo! You bastards?!”
Tuhru quickly positioned her shield and hastily constructed a thick ice wall between the enemies and themselves. She was not yet proficient in the handling of spiritual arts, but for now, she just needed to pour her spiritual power into creating the wall.
The ice wall, built with every ounce of her strength, would not easily crumble, even under the enemy’s firepower. In the meantime, she hurriedly checked Linardo’s condition.
Linardo was still alive, but he was in a precarious state. Numerous gunshot wounds marred his back but they were slowly healing thanks to the healing powers of a demon. However, there were too many wounds for his healing to keep up. Tuhru desperately applied pressure to Linardo’s wounds as a first-aid measure.
“Gah…! Are you hurt?”
“Linardo! Linardo, don’t die!”
“Heh, like I’m gonna die… right?”
Linardo smiled fearlessly, but it was evident that he was pushing himself too hard. If they didn’t treat him immediately, Linardo’s life would be in danger. Even though she knew that, Tuhru didn’t know what to do. She didn’t even know how to break through this situation.
Meanwhile, the enemy’s attacks continued, causing countless cracks to form in the ice wall she had built. It was only a matter of time before it shattered.
However, despite his severe injuries, Linardo used his spear as a makeshift staff and stood up. He gently stroked the worried looking Tuhru on her head and spoke.
“When this wall breaks, I’ll charge in and create chaos. In the meantime, you escape.”
“No, that’s not okay! If you do that, Linardo…”
“I won’t die. I won’t die here. I haven’t even heard your answer yet.”
Linardo lashed out at his weakened body, urging it on, and readied his beloved spear. There was no trace of despair or resignation on his face, only an unwavering determination to break through the enemy lines. He was serious, with every intention of surviving.
Tears welled up in her eyes, but perhaps encouraged by Linardo’s resolve, Tuhru wiped them away and rose to her feet. She stood by his side.
“…What’s the matter?”
“You can’t do it alone. I’ll do my best, too! Let’s make it back together, okay?”
“Yeah, you bet!”
To survive together, they decided to go on the offensive. Just as the two of them made up their minds, the ice wall that was protecting them shattered. Simultaneously, as they sprinted forward to find an escape route, they were met with the sight of a massive onslaught of sand closing in from behind the enemy.
Updat𝒆d fr𝒐m freew𝒆bnov𝒆l.c(o)m