Chương 171: Chapter 51: "Elntia Independence War 1"

When I teleported to the villa in Luonhumite, a sight far beyond my expectations greeted me.

"Ah, Yu-chan!"

"Finally made it, huh!"

"Everyone!" Asty and Lorenz called out from the very front of the formation. I could feel my own voice bouncing with excitement as I responded. Beside the two of them, soldiers in military uniforms stood in long, orderly rows. Behind them, line after line continued into the distance. Most were sturdy men, but there were also sharp-eyed female soldiers mixed among them. Just at a glance, it was an army of at least several hundred. Looking over the entire force, I caught my breath.

"Company, fall in!" At Lasla Eighthawk's command from the head of the formation, the lines snapped into a perfect, undistorted rectangle.

"Salute!" Simultaneously, everyone snapped a salute toward me. I found myself stiffening up in response, hurriedly straightening my back and returning the salute. Seeing me like that, Asty and Lorenz were doing their best to suppress their laughter. After we broke the salute, Lasla glanced my way and gave me a subtle wink. I immediately caught her intent. Standing beside her was Theo, dressed in formal attire. As I approached, he spoke to me in a slightly lowered voice.

"My apologies. Since it was so sudden, I was only able to gather about fifteen hundred men."

"No... I never expected you to gather this many in such a short time."

"Well, I've started to realize that whenever you make a decision on a whim, something major is about to happen." He gave a wry, exasperated smile. This speed of action would have been impossible if he hadn't placed an incredible amount of faith in me from the start. I felt truly grateful that he trusted me to that extent.

"What has happened until now?" Lasla stepped forward, a stern expression on her face. I intended to tell them everything immediately, but since I didn't want to leave out Asty and Lorenz—who had shared so many trials with me—I beckoned them over with my hand. The two of them approached with their usual nonchalant expressions. Since time was short, I summarized the situation for the four of them. As expected, none of the four could hide their massive shock at the truth of the world that had finally been revealed.

Knowing that they were originally created beings was a natural reason for such a reaction. However, the four of them never lost their composure in front of the crowd. They knew all too well how much their own morale would influence the entire force. After hearing the story, Theo spoke with a dark expression.

"So that was it... Actually, we've just received word that numerous Prelions are preparing to assault Luonhumite simultaneously." So they sent assassins here at the same time after all. It seems the enemy intends to wipe us all out in one fell swoop. At a time like this, I wished I could play two roles at once. I wanted to stay here and swing my sword too, but it couldn't be helped.

"Therefore, I must keep the majority of our forces here. I intend to take command of this side myself." His eyes pleaded with me intensely. Without him even saying it, it was obvious what I had to do. The one called Baragion —that thing had to be dealt with by 'weapon-level' individuals like myself or Lilna, or by literal heavy weaponry. We might be able to handle the Prelions with others, but the Baragion, which would likely be far more powerful, wasn't necessarily something everyone could fight together.

Nor did I think they should. If we tried to push through against an overwhelmingly strong individual using simple numbers, only catastrophic damage would await us. Every force has its proper place. One must not misjudge that. It was one of the things I had learned along with the pain during the war in my previous world, Iskira. For example, on an open plain, no matter how many infantry you gather, you can never defeat a Magic Tank—but in an urban area, their usefulness is reversed. That sort of logic.

I had to leave this to Theo. I would prepare for the Baragion's arrival in Geesnatura. That was the best move we could make.

"... Understood. I'm counting on you."

"Yeah." Then, Lasla spoke.

"Though the numbers are few, everyone here is a hand-picked elite. It might be tough for them one-on-one like it is for you, but if they cooperate and fight in groups, they won't fall behind even against the Prelion."

"Of course, I'll be perfectly helpful too! Mostly from the back, going bang!" Asty proudly mimed holding a rifle and firing. Since she was a professional, it almost looked as if a real gun was visible there. Seeing her, Lorenz shrugged his shoulders with a fearless grin.

"Hey now, don't go forgetting about me. After all, I've got the Goddess of Luck on my side."

"Yeah. I'm counting on you. Asty, you seem pretty fired up." She usually eased the tension with her relaxed pace, but this time, even though it was a desperate battle unlike any before, she looked unusually happy. She smiled at me, as if it were obvious.

"Because, you know... I'm happy. I can finally have a truly positive meaning for pulling the trigger." If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Everyone surely felt the same way. We all nodded to each other and ended the talk. Time was limited. Theo stepped forward and began his rally speech. He spoke with a firm, resolute attitude, looking like a different person compared to his usual gentle demeanor. He was fully fulfilling his role as a King.

He wove the truth of the world into his speech skillfully, trying to minimize the shock as much as possible. Since the information that most Natura were merely being manipulated was already public knowledge, the further truth caused a stir, but no backlash. Toward the end, he raised his voice, his tone filled with smoldering passion.

"I repeat. What begins now is not a massacre of Humites by Natura, nor a retaliation against Natura by Humites. It is a decisive battle for the survival of both Humites and Natura—a community that was always meant to share the same fate!" His passionate speech, which seemed to push out his true feelings, resonated straight in my heart.

"Unless we achieve victory in this battle, there can be no future for us. Indeed, the situation is quite dire. But for the first time in history, the two sides that have been crushing each other are joining hands. There is hope!" He raised his voice even further for the conclusion.

"Show the true enemy! This fight is not a futile struggle toward ruin! It is the first step toward a brilliant future! You must win. Win and survive! That is all!" A thunderous roar erupted from the crowd. Their morale was soaring. The thought that this charisma was originally meant to be used to make them slaughter each other until the end made me feel sick. I'm so glad it didn't turn out that way.

"I'm teleporting us to Geesnatura! Form five groups of three hundred people each, holding hands! Once we move, do not move recklessly or make any noise!" I raised my voice so everyone could hear me. Since there were so many people, there was a high possibility that the teleportation wouldn't go well if I tried to carry them all at once. So, I decided to divide them into five equal groups and transport them in round trips.

Furthermore, to make them harder for the enemy to find, I cast the light magic of cognitive interference, Arlmerin, on all of them at once. That would significantly increase my mana consumption, but it was a necessary measure. The head of the first group was Asty. Lorenz was right behind her.

"Ehehe. Counting on you, Yu-chan."

"Yeah. We're flying." Along with a floating sensation as if the ground had vanished, we completed the teleportation to the main street of Geesnatura. It was right near where I had been with Lilna just a moment ago.

"Wow." Asty whispered in admiration, her eyes blinking. Beside her, Lorenz grumbled lightly.

"If you can pull off a stunt like this, shouldn't you have done it from the start?"

"Sorry. Until very recently, I wasn't in a state where I could use it at all."

"Well, that makes sense. My bad." Fortunately, thanks to the cognitive interference, it seemed the enemy hadn't noticed us. On the other hand, Lilna, who had been hiding in the nearby shadows, noticed us and beckoned us over. I walked over to her, cast Arlmerin on her as well, and gave a brief explanation.

"There are quite a lot of them. I'm surprised."

"If you're surprised by this many, just wait. There are more coming." After saying that, I used the teleportation magic for the second time. Once I had finally finished teleporting everyone, I cast magic on the entire surrounding area without a moment's rest. Voice. Ride the wind, and reach only those I desire.

"Falcaun" I had improved this magic from the original by Sacris, based on my war experience in Iskira. It didn't just carry voices far away; it also ensured they wouldn't reach places I didn't want them to. This would reduce the risk of being noticed by the enemy through sound. Though, with this many people, it wouldn't be possible to fool them for very long. I told Lilna, who had once again come to my side.

"I've used magic to temporarily prevent voices from spreading recklessly. If you're going to tell everyone the plan, now is the only time."

"That's a help." At that moment, I noticed that the person who should have been right next to her was missing.

"By the way, where's Plato?"

"He left this place. Apparently, there's something he absolutely must do."

"Something to do, huh." Given how he was acting, it didn't seem like he'd be an enemy anymore. I didn't know what he intended to do, but I could probably trust him. Well, just in case, I had put a bit of insurance on him so I wouldn't lose track of him. Actually, when we held hands while escaping from the underground, I had secretly infused him with some of my 'Qi.' Since Natura are physically mechanical, it's easy to infuse objects with Qi.

Since Humites are extremely rare near Geesnatura, even if the Qi isn't strong, it's easy to sense. I probably won't lose track of his position. At that moment, the communication device in my pocket rang. I took it out immediately and answered.

"Hello. This is Yu."

"Hello, hello! Now then, who am I?" A cheerful boy's voice. There was only one person I knew in this world who called themselves 'Oira.'

"Ryuto! You're alive!"

"Correct! It's been a while, Yu. How've you been?"

"Yeah. I'm okay."

"My side, you know, it's been really tough. First of all—ah!" Then, I heard a girl's voice from the back of the receiver, scolding him,"Why are you talking so casually?" After a brief scuffle, the girl took over the communication.

"I've taken over. This is Remi."

"Ahaha. It's Yu."

"I was surprised when your reaction suddenly appeared on the surface. I assume you've gone and done something again, haven't you?" Her voice was quite sharp, so I was unintentionally intimidated.

"Ah... yeah. I did something." Like uncovering the truth of the world. By the way, do I look like the type of person who 'does something' that much? I'm not like my mother. It's a bit of an insult.

"I thought so. Expecting as much, we moved immediately on our end."

"As expected, you're well-prepared."

"It's thanks to Kudin. Then, suddenly some of the Natura stopped, and Prelions started attacking in droves. It's a complete uproar."

"Only some of them stopped? Not all of them?"

"I heard that almost all of them on the surface did, but only some in the underground. It probably depends on whether the CPD is functioning properly. Since Chiruon don't have them, we were all safe."

"That's good to hear."

"A blessing in disguise. Well, I'll hand you over to Kudin now." Soon, a calm boy's voice could be heard.

"It's me. Kudin."

"This is Yu. I'm glad you're safe."

"Same to you. I've already heard the general situation from Theo. I've sent some reinforcements to the surface. You should be able to join up with them soon."

"Thank you. That's a help."

"Heh heh. I worked pretty hard too!" From across the communication line, I could faintly hear Ryuto's proud voice. At almost the same time, I also heard a faint sound of Remi hitting him. Kudin's sigh was heard even more clearly.

"... Anyway, we of the underground forces will also cooperate fully in this fight."

"I'm counting on you."

"Hm.... It's finally begun, then. The battle that will decide our fate." There was a heartfelt weight to his voice. The situation remained dire and nothing had improved, but I got the impression that he was truly happy that the day had finally come when Humites and Natura could fight together.

"What about the communication?"

"Keep it connected like this."

"Then I'll pass you to Lilna. She'll be commanding the upcoming operation."

"Yeah. I'll leave it to her." I pulled the communication device away from my ear and handed it to Lilna.

"Here, Lilna. I'm connected to the key figure in the underground, so keep this on and give everyone their orders."

"Understood. But before that—" Lilna called out to the person who was keeping the Humite army on standby, looking like a guardian statue.

"Lasla Eighthawk!" Called by name, she seemed to immediately catch Lilna's intent as she looked at the hand Lilna had softly reached out. The two of them moved to a position where they were clearly visible to everyone, and then— They exchanged a firm handshake. This time, it was different from the one they had exchanged in private, squeezing with all their might. It was a handshake of reconciliation, carrying immense official significance.

Lilna made a loud declaration, so there would be no misunderstanding for anyone.

"Here and now, the Natura and the Humites declare a ceasefire and vow to fight together!" And the two of them stood side by side, raising their joined hands high above their heads. Lilna and Lasla. The fact that the symbolic figures of both the Natura and Humite armies had openly shaken hands strongly impressed the reconciliation upon everyone. It surely would be engraved in everyone's hearts as something that foreshadowed the arrival of a new era.

Whether or not that new era could truly begin depended on the battle to come. The time was just past 2: 00 PM. Under the sluggish, cloudy sky where the star was shrouded in thick clouds. The greatest struggle since the Estotia Interstellar War was about to begin.