Chapter 26

In response to the criticism I received for my recent post, I reviewed it and thought it was inappropriate, so I removed the last part of the previous story and posted a revised and corrected version.

On the day I posted it, I think I was tired from various things happening in my real life.

I apologize for the inconvenience.

The enemy interception force attacked their allies, which triggered the allies' left wing to begin their assault on the enemy main force. In addition to the allied main force that had been in contact with the enemy from the start, the right wing force led by Rosweyze, who had annihilated the enemy left wing and the rebel forces, joined the battle. In this situation, it was almost impossible to lose. However, even if they were just pirates and mercenaries, there were still skilled fighters among them, and the enemy left wing that had fled from Rosweyze had also joined them. We couldn't afford to be complacent.

I switched the enemy interception force to allies in the friend-or-foe identification system. As expected, a group of them, driven by desperation, charged at us with an unusual barrage of fire. They were probably thinking of escaping from the battlefield.

"Stop the ones charging at us now! Don't let them escape!"

Following the order from the main force, my left wing force, including myself, moved towards that group. However, they were not ordinary fighters. They had the emblem of a hornet, so they were probably a group of pirates or mercenaries, but their skills were exceptional. They weren't just charging in out of desperation; they intended to break through our left wing and attack our main force! In that case, it would be safer to attack from the side or rear.

"Have you ever seen a pirate group with such an emblem? I haven't."

While cracking a joke, I increased my speed and attacked their flank. Fortunately, several unmanned drones and a small craft were sunk. However, as expected, a counterattack was coming. The manned small craft moved exceptionally well, just like or even better than the interception force. However, their breakthrough power was lower, and the lead ship seemed to have slowed down a bit. Others were also attacking from the side and rear. Despite this, the advance of the 'Hornet Force' did not significantly slow down.

If this 'Hornet Force' and the interception force had attacked us head-on from the start and coordinated with the rebel forces, we would have lost. In any case, we had to stop the 'Hornet Force' or it would be disastrous. I targeted a large combat boat and maneuvered through the unmanned drones and small craft to get close. At this point, the firing would stop due to the fear of friendly fire. Just as I was about to attach to the large combat boat, a small craft with a blue color scheme blocked my path. It had the same hornet emblem in white. It looked like a customized version of the latest model from TryAir Corporation, the 'Storm Zero,' which Nosweil had been using.

I thought I would be surrounded after passing by head-on, but for some reason, the rest of the group kept their distance, leaving a few to follow the lead charge. Of course, the lead charge was more important, so it made sense. The remaining few positioned themselves to block the path to the main force.

"So, you want me to fight one-on-one, huh?"

No way! This is the job of the protagonist or someone with a protagonist's advantage! Well, in this case, the 'Blue Hornet' is the protagonist. Since their ship was definitely faster than mine, it would be difficult to escape. So, I had to somehow stop them and escape! With that in mind, I decided to use a 'fake shot down' tactic!

I diverted all energy except for maneuvering, armament, and radar to propulsion and desperately tried to get behind them. This was to avoid raising their guard when they got behind me. However, the protagonist would dodge this. I needed a backup plan. While thinking about this, I performed a series of maneuvers—turns, somersaults, and twists—to get behind them. The enemy did the same, occasionally using beams to keep me at bay while trying to get a good position.

No one from either side approached or attacked us. This was the perfect opportunity to execute my plan. I opened the throttle and flew as straight as possible. The enemy followed. When a beam grazed my ship, I felt a chill. Then, at the right moment, I raised the nose, fired the attitude control thrusters on the bottom of the ship at full power for a split second, and stopped the main booster, all at the same time. This made my ship rotate and fly over the enemy ship. If I fired a beam at that moment, the enemy would definitely be hit. However, the protagonist sensed this and narrowly avoided it by tilting the ship and moving to the left.

Of course, that's what I expected! I released two special proton torpedoes in the direction where the enemy would likely turn. Then, I reopened the main booster, moved outside the turning radius of the 'Blue Hornet,' and performed a vertical turn to get behind it. The enemy tried to use their speed to escape, so I fired a beam to keep their attention on me. This made it harder for them to notice the proton torpedoes I had left behind. If they noticed and tried to avoid them, it would create an opening. The torpedoes were painted matte black to avoid detection. Even if they tried to destroy the torpedoes, the explosion would make it difficult to control their ship.

It was a gamble, but the enemy panicked and tried to avoid the torpedoes. I aimed for that moment!

"Jackpot!"

The beam hit the booster and part of the engine, rendering the ship unable to maneuver properly. I could have shot it down, but the main force of the 'Hornet Force' was more important. A ship that had been blocking the path to the main force came to rescue the 'Blue Hornet,' so I fired a proton torpedo as a distraction and used the explosion to create an opening to leave the combat zone.

When I chased the main force of the 'Hornet Force,' they were already leaving the combat zone, receiving fierce counterattacks from our main force and pursuit from the left wing force.

Just 15 minutes after the enemy interception force attacked their allies, both wings of our forces were annihilated. The elite interception force, which had betrayed us, had launched an assault on the enemy main force, and the 'Hornet Force' had retreated, ensuring our defeat. Moreover, most of the remaining enemy main force were mercenaries, pirates, and thugs, so the Baroness's side surrendered without much resistance.

Lord Rosero, accepting the surrender, declared:

"I have accepted the surrender of the Grient Baron's army. Cease combat and begin rescue and recovery operations for the survivors and the injured."

He also made a new resolution:

"Soldiers and mercenaries, thanks to you, our territory has been protected, and the paintings have been returned. Some have lost their lives in this battle. We will pray for their souls and continue to govern in a way that honors them."

With these words, the conflict came to an end.

Thank you for your comments, feedback, and any corrections.