Chapter 48

【October 19】For those who are hesitant to pick up the first volume of *Fairy Bullet - The Ingenious Girl and the False Beast Soldier - * because they don't know what it's about!

The prototype version of *Fairy Bullet* is currently available on Shosetsuka ni Narou.

Please feel free to try it out.

When Atalante attached itself to the fortress, things moved quickly from there.

Once a hole was opened in the fortress's defense system, the guerrilla fleet approached and launched mobile knights one after another.

The damage was less than expected, and yet the guerrilla fleet alone had managed to create a foothold for the fortress assault.

Watching this from the bridge of the *Mermaid*, Allison could only gape in astonishment.

From behind, Tim, seated in the command chair, spoke up.

"Once you're attached, it's just a matter of breaking it down from there... The problem is the enemy knights. The number of them is the issue."

While attaching was good, it would be troublesome if the enemy's mobile knights, piloted by knights, appeared.

If the enemy's numbers were large, the fleet, unable to move while attached to the fortress, would be an easy target.

If knights were waiting inside, the internal assault would be delayed.

During that time, enemy reinforcements could arrive, putting them in a precarious position.

Allison turned around and glared at Tim.

"...You took back command and made the operation a success. Your skills were impressive. I bet you feel great, don't you?"

Tim, who was mixing personal feelings, made a troubled face.

"Yes, but let's celebrate after we survive. If we don't survive, we won't be able to laugh or regret anything."

"..."

Allison, clenching her fists in frustration, lowered her head. Tim said nothing more to her.

◇

Ein, leading the Varona team, was watching Atalante's battle on the monitor from his cockpit as they attached to the fortress.

Atalante's unique combat style, using two pistols, was impressive as it effortlessly destroyed the mobile knights that had launched from the fortress, exuding the air of a strong warrior.

"A knight with a nickname is indeed something else."

The Varona team was also destroying the fortress's surface turrets one after another, but they weren't as active as the Raccoon squadron, which was loaded with weapons.

"Captain, we're running low on ammunition."

"Same here."

Reports came in from the second and third units that they couldn't continue the battle.

Ein's rifle energy pack was also almost depleted.

"...I'll switch to close combat weapons and provide support to the squadron."

When Ein ordered his subordinates to protect the Raccoon, they were surprised.

"Is that okay?"

"Cooperation with allies is essential to get through this situation. Besides, if we leave the fortress and return to the mother ship, we risk being shot down."

"Understood."

The subordinates switched to close combat weapons.

Ein smiled as he watched Atalante's performance.

"Lightning... No lies there."

◇

Armored Nevan, who had been destroying turrets, had hidden in a corner when the ammunition became scarce.

Having done a decent job, he was now focusing on survival.

The enhanced camera eyes of Armored Nevan were observing the entire battlefield.

Rick whistled.

"Senior, you really opened up the fortress."

The path broken by Atalante had destroyed the defense systems, making the enemy's attacks weaker in that area.

Mobile knights were dispatched to fill the gap, but Emma's mobile knight squadron was interfering.

The guerrilla fleet was approaching the fortress, taking advantage of the gap created by Emma, and if they attached, the Empire would gain the upper hand.

"Haha! If we keep hiding, we might survive."

Just as Rick was feeling relieved, the ground where Armored Nevan was hiding started to move.

"---Huh?"

A hole opened in the floor, and a passage appeared, from which mobile knights emerged.

"Hidden passage? That's cheating!"

Armored Nevan ascended quickly, and three mobile knights followed.

Trying to shake them off with boosters, but the enemy mobile knights seemed to be high-performance models.

"Ah, if I run, I might cause other casualties. Hmm... I guess I have to deal with them."

Turning to face the approaching knights of the United Kingdom, the armor of Armored Nevan opened, revealing several laser lenses.

Aiming at the enemy, lasers were fired.

The thin, unreliable light hit the enemy but didn't have enough power to penetrate the armor.

Seeing this, the enemy judged it wasn't a threat and attacked Armored Nevan.

Rick, seeing Dag raise his rifle, whistled.

"That move is dangerous."

The lasers concentrated on the enemy's rifle magazine.

The magazine exploded, blowing off the right arm of the mobile knight, which then switched to close combat.

"Quick switch! ...But, no good."

Armored Nevan accelerated, creating distance from the three, and fired all the missiles from the missile pack on its legs.

The three mobile knights, caught in the missile attack, were destroyed.

Rick, having detached the missile pack, sighed.

"Last resort, the missile pack, is gone. Now, I guess I just have to run..."

Glancing at the monitor, he saw Atalante in battle.

"...Well, with Senior around, we'll be fine. Still, she fights brutally for her appearance. I feel sorry for the enemy."

◇

Dag, who was spraying bullets with a gatling gun, shouted when he saw the newly appeared mobile knights.

"These are knights!"

The mobile knights, avoiding the Raccoon's attacks and approaching, were likely piloted by the United Kingdom's knights.

Emma immediately reacted, directing Atalante towards them.

"I'll take care of it!"

"Thanks, Captain!"

As Dag and the others retreated, Atalante moved forward, aiming two pistols at the mobile knights and starting the attack.

Though pistol-shaped, they could fire in full auto.

Closing the distance, they exchanged fire, and at the moment they passed each other, Emma kicked the head of an enemy mobile knight, destroying it.

The destroyed mobile knight rolled on the fortress's surface, and the other enemies made a wide turn to attack Atalante again.

Atalante and the enemy flew in a figure-eight pattern, and the moment they passed each other again arrived.

"Got it this time!"

Emma accelerated Atalante, using the blades attached to the pistols to cut through two mobile knights and kicking the remaining one.

Atalante's kick pierced the lower half of the enemy mobile knight.

The kicked mobile knight, unable to keep up with Atalante's speed, was slammed into the ground.

When it stopped moving, Atalante pulled its foot out, creating a gap between them.

"An ace of the Empire in such a meaningless battlefield..."

The pilot, apparently injured, lost consciousness in the cockpit.

Emma confirmed the destruction of the mobile knight piloted by a knight, but received a communication from a comrade.

It was from Mermaid.

"Good work. As usual, you fight recklessly."

"Mermaid!"

Looking up, Atalante saw Mermaid approaching.

"The guerrilla fleet has attached. The landing force is boarding one after another. Great job, Captain."

As the operator said, small boats were entering the fortress from the guerrilla fleet, starting the suppression.

"What about the special forces?"

"Treasure? They quickly defused the self-destruct device. It's just a mop-up operation now."

"Still as efficient as ever."

"Agreed. Also, other squadrons are taking over their positions. The squadron should return to Mermaid."

"Understood."

After the communication ended, Emma immediately gave orders to the squadron.

"Did you hear that? All units, return to base."

The squadron, though damaged, had completed the mission without losing anyone.

◇

When the fortress's internal assault was more than eighty percent complete, cheers erupted on the bridge of Mermaid.

The remaining twenty percent was not yet conquered, but the command center was included in the eighty percent.

The fortress's commander was also captured and was calling for the enemy to surrender.

"That knight did it!"

"Really pulled it off."

"How many times have we been surprised?"

For Mermaid alone, the fortress was captured without losing anyone, a great victory.

Allison stood on the bridge, watching the returning mobile knights on the monitor.

"Unbelievable. To succeed with such minimal casualties..."

She knew Emma was excellent, but it exceeded her expectations.

Behind the astonished Allison, Tim was grumbling about Emma's performance.

"If she can perform like that, she should move to another unit. ...Supervisor, why don't you pull that knight out of here?"

Hearing Tim's words, Allison clenched her teeth in anger.

The bridge had fallen silent.

Tim, who had made a discouraging comment, didn't seem to care.

Emma probably thought she shouldn't stay in this place.

But for Allison, Tim's comment was unacceptable.

"---Excellent knights are fought over within the military. There are plenty of units that would want Lieutenant Rodman so badly they'd give their right arm."

"Yeah, so why not transfer her quickly?"

"The existence of an excellent soldier can determine the fate of a ship. Especially for a knight. A captain should be careful about making such casual remarks about letting go of an excellent subordinate."

Turning around, Allison said this, and Tim scratched his head.

Allison couldn't tolerate such an attitude.

"You've got the loser's mentality ingrained in your bones."

Even when Allison provoked him, Tim didn't respond.

He put on a resigned face, pulled his hat down, and fell silent.

◇

When the fortress assault was completed, the Empire's brigadier general was trembling with a red face.

"Only the Banfield family managed to capture the fortress..."

The secretary, trying to correct the general, added.

"Sir, we also participated in the assault. It's not accurate to say it was solely the Banfield family's achievement."

The Empire joined the assault after the guerrilla fleet had attached to the fortress.

They had been observing, but the Banfield family's performance exceeded expectations, so they rushed in.

As a result, they suffered unnecessary damage, and the general was furious.

"Mostly the Banfield family's achievement! I could have accepted it if they had taken heavy losses. But they didn't suffer much at all!"

The secretary tried to calm him, but the general was upset because his planned strategy had failed.

At that moment, the operator reported.

"Secretary, the mercenary group is contacting us."

The operator seemed to be reporting through the secretary rather than directly to the general.

The secretary, aware of the operator's intention, responded indifferently.

"Mercenary group? They're contacting us late. Who are they—"

Upon confirming the identity, the secretary's eyes widened.

"---Daria Mercenary Group. Quite a famous mercenary group."

Why would such a large mercenary group contact them? The secretary, confused, reported to the general.

The fourth volume of *That Otome Game is a Harsh World for Us* is now available, and the first volume of the manga adaptation of my original work *Seventh* is also well-received.

The latest chapter is also posted on Kadokomi, so I hope you check both.

Tsura Kuni An (｀・ω・´) "I'm proud of Emma, and this Bryan is happy too."