38 – Darghishkal (2)

The entire army advanced.

Having only been on the defensive until now, the demons seemed disoriented by the sudden human offensive. The stagnant demonic forces began to retaliate.

“Charge!”

The commanders, relaying Porto’s orders, shouted until their throats were raw.

The rank-and-file soldiers raised their shields and weapons, attempting to hold back the demons’ advance.

While the demons struggled against the thick phalanx, the mages’ prowess began to shine. Fire school magic slammed into the demons. The war machines, manipulated by the mages, unleashed a relentless barrage.

It was like watching autumn leaves being swept away.

Knights, interwoven with the shield wall, aided the soldiers, or felled monstrous mid-tier demons wielding fatal power.

Overall, the forces of Tristy held the advantage.

Not without losses, of course, but they were bravely holding their own against an overwhelming tide of demons.

This was possible thanks to the Hell Tank and Esther Tristy.

Aside from racking up an impressive kill count with its Hellfire Cannon and coaxial machine guns, Esther displayed a grasp of the battlefield that was almost preternatural.

“The demon offensive on the left flank is growing fierce! Before the shield wall collapses, we must send reinforcements…!”

*KRA-KOOM-*!

Always, precisely when needed, with precisely the right barrage, she supported the entire army.

More than simply obliterating demons with the Hell Tank, she fought tooth and nail to secure the most efficient victory possible in the battle itself.

And the Hell Tank carried high-ranking combatants like Dalpi and Ian, as well as Haniel, who could wield high-level magic, allowing them to react to situations with greater flexibility.

“The insight of Prince Esther is, the more I see, the more astonishing it becomes. Just how many soldiers does he save with a single artillery strike…!”

Commanders and soldiers alike marveled, and Porto, the supreme commander, found it difficult to tear his gaze from Esther.

He was a magician of the battlefield.

“How in the world is he controlling all of this at once?”

“The structure isn’t designed for one person to drive and fire simultaneously… is he using some kind of magic…?”

Dalpi and Haniel could scarcely believe what they were witnessing.

Putting aside his ability to read and assess the overall war situation, Esther’s skill in operating a Hell Tank, which required a minimum crew of four, was astounding.

And, moreover, Esther did not make a single mistake.

The academic consensus was that knowledge as a designer and skill as a pilot were by no means proportional, but Esther was an exception.

“…Unbelievable.”

Haniel was in awe of Esther’s versatility.

There are many talented people in this world.

That is why the word ‘genius’ was coined for them.

However, even those so-called geniuses tended to only show their strengths in their own fields.

In other fields, they were often weak or ordinary – that was the way of the world.

But this did not apply to Esther, who was putting on such a display before their very eyes.

He wasn’t confined to just one field.

Endowed with a wealth of knowledge and skills, Esther was using and combining his abilities to achieve the best possible results.

It felt as though he moved on a different plane from other geniuses.

“Continue to advance!!”

Initially, the soldiers’ morale had been fractured by Dargishkal’s Egg and the swarming hordes of demons on the plain.

But, with Esther’s valor shifting the tides, fear swiftly evaporated.

“Fight to protect our home! The fate of Tristy rests in our hands!”

“Fight!! Advance!!”

“Victory is within our grasp!!”

The entire army surged forward without hesitation.

Nothing could stand in the way of their fervor.

*

The destination began to materialize.

The demons situated along the path were eradicated completely, and even those further back, potential threats to the rear, were silenced.

“Is that Dargishkal’s Egg?”

“I saw it before, but it truly is formidable.”

At the spawning point, Dargishkal’s Egg still churned with dark energy.

Its appearance inspired dread in all who beheld it.

“Eliminate the remaining stragglers.”

Porto ordered his soldiers to dispatch the demons lingering near the spawning point.

Even though, with the Zenith upon them, they would soon proliferate again, he sought to eliminate any possible variable.

The soldiers began constructing a defensive line, bracing for attack, and I deployed the Hell Tank atop the hill, intent on destroying Dargishkal’s Egg.

The linchpin of this operation was the Hellfire Cannon.

“Dargishkal’s Egg possesses regenerative capabilities. Furthermore, the more external stimuli it receives, the exponentially faster it resurrects. Once an assault begins, it must be concluded swiftly. Otherwise, the Tristy territory will face a colossal dragon.”

Nob AI cautioned me quietly.

Good.

“We will commence the bombardment in one hour.”

I conducted a final inspection of the Hell Tank.

Fuel was paramount, as we needed to sustain a relentless barrage at maximum power.

Haniel had produced a considerable amount of fuel from the corpses of the demons.

Probably enough to destroy it and last until the Zenith is over.

“Is this the spot?”

“Yes.”

Zephyr safely transported the cart, brimming with fuel, up the hill.

“Good.”

The main cannon was sound, no damage to speak of.

Helltanks, forged from mithril alloy, were sturdy things.

Their weakness was a certain slowness, a ponderous gait, but they shrugged off most attacks without so much as a scratch, lending them an edge in protracted battles.

“Elder sister, continue replenishing fuel with Ian and Dalpi.”

“Aye, understood.”

With all checks complete, roughly ten minutes remained.

I quietly inhaled, drawing in a steadying breath.

Removing the egg, we should be able to weather this node safely.

According to Erpf’s missive, helltanks were proving their worth in other territories, and the Crimson Magetower was able to assist many regions thanks to them.

“Dalpi.”

“Yes, young master?”

“I find myself craving a steak.”

“Once the node has passed without incident, I will prepare enough to fill you to bursting.”

Five minutes.

I boarded the helltank.

Haniel connected the fuel line to the tank’s intake.

Three minutes.

Dalpi offered me water.

I drank slowly, my gaze shifting between the instruments and the periscope.

One minute.

*No issues detected.*

Final confirmation from Nob AI.

“Hoo…”

Let’s see this through.

“Beginning operation.”

I activated the communicator, informing Porto to commence the bombardment.

The battlefield fell silent.

All eyes were on the helltank as the Hellfire Cannon began to charge.

Mana, stored within the alloy, flowed into the cannon, and the formula imprinted within the cannon transmuted that mana into Hellfire.

“The opponent: Dargiskal, species: Dragon, classification: ultra-large demon.”

“Fuel reserves are sufficient. Therefore, all artillery strikes from this point forward will be at maximum power.”

“Hellfire Stage 3, generation complete.”

“Initiative process terminated.”

The black flames coalescing in the cannon’s mouth throbbed with a sinister, murderous aura.

“Commencing main action.”

“Everyone, avert your eyes from the firing point.”

All eyes turned away.

Hellfire, at maximum power, ejected.

*Kwaaang-*!

With the blast, a gust of wind carrying immense heat slammed into them.

Everything surrounding the egg began to melt, and the hellfire burned relentlessly.

Instantly, the battlefield blazed under the hellfire’s embrace.

“Current mana reserves: 70%.”

“Repeating, initiating initiative process.”

“……..”

Dalpi stared straight ahead, dumbfounded.

My own astonishment mirrored hers.

Such destructive power, capable of reshaping the terrain in an instant.

And to be able to unleash it at one-minute intervals…one could only marvel.

The reload time of the main gun was ridiculously short compared to its destructive force.

*This is the true power of the Helltank…*

It was overwhelming.

Cracks began to spiderweb across the surface of the egg.

An ominous tremor reverberated, but the size of the swirling dark thorns diminished with each passing moment.

“Egg destruction level: 15%, hatching level: 30%.”

One shot.

“Egg destruction level: 35%, hatching level: 35%.”

One shot.

“Egg destruction level: 45%, hatching level: 40%.”

Another step forward.

With each artillery strike finding its mark, the egg began to visibly deteriorate.

The plan, I’d thought, was unfolding smoothly.

“…?”

It was after the eighth shell landed.

I had nearly destroyed the egg completely, and was reloading Hellfire for the final blow.

Suddenly, a commotion arose from around me.

“Esther!”

Just as I was about to secure my view through the periscope, Haniel frantically threw open the hatch.

“Sister?”

The moment I climbed out onto the hatch, I couldn’t help but frown.

Keneth was running.

Like a madman escaped from a mental asylum, on the verge of causing some kind of trouble.

He entered the inferno, a place he shouldn’t even dare approach.

Even with black flames licking at his entire body, he remained unconcerned, stopping just before the egg.