LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 228.1
Chapter 228.1. Fortress Attack Begins
Under the autumn sky, the vast plain was filled with iron behemoths, roaring as they sped forward. They were heavily armored to withstand attacks from monsters, equipped with large-caliber tank guns that sacrificed range for firepower. These were massive tanks, boasting engines with enough horsepower to bear their weight and fitted with tracks for their wheels. Advancing side by side across the plain, they destroyed any monsters that appeared with their high-powered guns.
Sakimori watched their imposing form from a transport helicopter, pressing his face against the window.
[It feels like a ground forces parade. Is the solar system, designed to counter the demon line fortress, ready? Can we attack it like burning the float on the sea with sunlight? Fortress, I have returned!]
Shizuku, in her ghost mode, twirled around in the air, her cute face glowing. She was clearly very excited, as even her breathing was heavy.
[I get it, Shizuku-san is really excited about this.]
As I enjoyed the sight of her dancing, appreciating how adorable she was, I suddenly noticed her frowning. Before I could even ask if something was wrong, she continued talking.
[It seems I mixed up some references. Was it hard to understand? Sorry, I’ll reflect on that a bit.]
With a hand on the wall, Shizuku adopted a reflective pose like a monkey. Yeah, sorry, but it wasn’t just hard to understand—I didn’t get it at all. She muttered something about mixing up Solomon and zombies, but it didn’t seem important, so I decided to ignore it.
“But Master? I’m surprised that so many tanks could be rented.”
Next to me, Yukihana, the beautiful girl in her modified kimono, peered out the window and spoke in a tone of surprise as she observed the scene below.
“Yukihana’s right. I thought we’d be lucky to get ten, but we ended up with 150.”
“And they’re all Type 26 modified tanks designed to fight monsters, Sakimori. These are the latest models, brand new and fresh off the production line.”
Selica, who was sitting on the opposite side of me, also peered out the window. Our shoulders were close together as we both looked out from the small window, making it clear that she was doing it on purpose. But with her face turning bright red, she just looked like a cute little girl. She needs to be a bit more composed if she wants to pull off any seductive tricks.
“Brand new tanks, huh? It seems there are some generous people in the inner city.”
Yukihana was impressed. The sight of the tank battalion moving in formation across the plain was indeed overwhelming. Behind them, anti-infantry armored vehicles fired their machine guns, exterminating the small monsters that approached.
A massive number of tanks, armored vehicles, and infantry units were mobilized to attack the demon line fortress. Looking at this, I might feel grateful and say thanks for protecting my special district, but the inner city isn’t that kind.
No matter how much they want mass-produced skill crystals, there’s no way the Three Families would mobilize this many troops just for that.
In reality, it’s a show of force towards the special district. It’s their way of saying, “We have an army this large to protect you, so why not abandon the special district and join Japan’s framework?” It’s a cunning tactic.
[War isn’t just about fighting, you know. While clashing with the enemy, leaders think about what comes after victory, how to serve the war to the public, and use it as a chance to give value to government bonds.]
[You’re right, Shizuku. Once the fortress line is conquered, the newspapers will report the victory, and citizens will parade through the streets with lanterns to celebrate.]
I smiled wryly at Shizuku’s words, now back to her usual self. War is tricky, not just because of the enemy, but also because of your allies. Especially when relying on the help of others, like this time. You have to be careful not to let them take over your own house.
“Well, this time, let’s watch the Japanese military show their strength.”
“Indeed.”
“Since my idea is being used, they’ll be strong.”
[Hehe, let’s see what the Japanese military is capable of!]
Watching the three of them nod, I decided to observe the Japanese army’s battle from the window. It felt like a military observer from another country during World War I.
For some reason, Shizuku looked at me with a lonely expression. I wondered if something was wrong, but Yukihana whispered that it was just her usual behavior.
As autumn deepened, the tank battalion moved across the now-yellowed grasslands and halted at the base of a mountain. Armored vehicles moved between the tanks and gunned down wolves, kobolds, and orcs that spotted us and charged over.
“Colonel Marume. All vehicles have reached their designated positions.”
In the large command vehicle, which was a combination of about three camper vans lined up, Colonel Marume, sitting at the command seat, nodded at his subordinate’s report, resting his elbow on the armrest.
“This war cannot fail. We must showcase the strength of the Japanese military.”
“That’s right. We’ve gathered this many forces, so losing is out of the question. To win, we need to minimize casualties and achieve a decisive victory, or we’ll lose face.”