Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!? - Volume 26 - Chapter 2

Offense and Defense at the Asteroid Belt

Monday, December 27th

“Ten days have passed since I gave the military the order to stand down and submit their evidence. Despite all this time, however, they have done neither. As such, I can only interpret their actions one way: This is a coup d’etat.”

Ceilēshu had made up her mind, and she formally let the public know of her decision. She declared that everything the military had done up until this point was treason. Though there had been rumors, this was ground shaking for the whole country.

“With no evidence of the alleged crimes that Her Majesty Elfaria has committed, I have no choice but to believe that the military made false accusations in order to entrap Her Majesty. This means that Her Majesty has been unjustly pursued and detained for some time now, which is an insult to both this country and its people. It is unforgivable.”

Vandarion had had Elfaria on the defensive all this time, but now it was her turn. It was a complete reversal.

“That alone is a serious problem, but the military has yet to stand down. Worse still, they are now poised to put up a violent resistance. In their refusal to cooperate with us, they have made it clear what their true intentions are. This is nothing more than an armed uprising. In other words, they have forced Her Majesty from her rightful position as empress with lies and deceit, and now they are trying to use the military to claim Forthorthe for themselves. This is, beyond a shadow of a doubt, a coup d’etat.”

The military had been operating this whole time under the pretense of exposing Elfaria’s crimes. They even had the backing of parliament, adding to the illusion of their justness and validity. But now both those pillars of support were gone, leaving behind only a crumbling mountain of lies. Vandarion had fallen from a crusader of the truth to the mastermind behind a coup d’etat.

“The royal families have met, and they also recognize that the actions of the military constitute an unjust coup d’etat. As such, the royal family meeting has decided that all royal authority will be returned to Her Majesty as of today. Her Majesty Elfaria will be restored to the throne.”

With no evidence against Elfaria and with the military’s actions denounced as a coup d’etat, Elfaria’s royal authority would legally be returned to her. She would then rightfully be able to take her place as empress once more.

“And with that, my duties as regent empress are over. I, Princess Ceilēshu, am grateful to the Goddess of Dawn for safely being able to honor my position, and I would like to sincerely thank all of the citizens for your cooperation during this time.”

With Elfaria returning to the throne, Ceilēshu would be stepping down as regent empress. Truthfully speaking, Ceilēshu was relieved. After everything she’d experienced, she’d realized that she wasn’t cut out for the job. She was satisfied just that she would be able to put Elfaria back into power.

“And as my final act as regent empress, I would like to present to you the Empress of the Holy Forthorthe Galactic Empire, Her Majesty Elfaria Dana Forthorthe.”

With a smile on her face, Ceilēshu finished her speech and left the podium. Taking her place was none other than Elfaria. Elfaria, however, was not dressed as she ordinarily was when she presented herself to the people. She was wearing a ceremonial outfit reserved for the rare occasion that the empress intended to take the front line.

When Elfaria appeared on the stage, the hall of the imperial palace being used for the conference fell into silence. However, the moment she stepped up to the podium, the hall erupted into a roar of cheers. The empress that had been chased from the palace by the treacherous military had returned with the help of the Blue Knight. The citizens were unable to contain their excitement after such a symbolic series of events. They were all thinking the same thing. They were witnessing a new legend in the making. And because of their excitement, Elfaria had to wait over a minute before the hall calmed down enough for her to speak.

“I am the empress of the Holy Forthorthe Galactic Empire, Elfaria Dana Forthorthe. I am happy to be able to stand before you all again as empress.”

Shouts of joy erupted through the hall once more. But this time, the excitement died down with a single wave of Elfaria’s hand. The crowd was excited, but they were also quite eager to hear what she had to say.

“At the same time, I must apologize for not being able to serve as your empress for over half a year. I will do my best to ensure that nothing like this will ever happen again.”

Elfaria wasn’t the one behind the coup d’etat, but she took responsibility for not being able to quell it right away. Protecting the peace was part of the empress’s duties, and that was exactly why Elfaria knew what she had to do next.

“But for the time being, there is a rather pressing matter at hand. What I must do now is stop the rogue military.”

The Imperial Army under Vandarion’s control had now become a coup d’etat force. They were quickly losing public support and isolating themselves. That said, however, they still had ample resources. Leaving them to their own devices would spell disaster.

“From here, the Imperial Army of Forthorthe should subjugate the coup d’etat army under Vandarion’s control.”

Of course, Elfaria had no intention of letting that happen. She’d even chosen to wear her war dress for the conference today to prove her determination.

“However, as the core of the army is behind the coup d’etat, the current Imperial Army is incapable of organizing itself to respond to the threat quickly enough.”

But even with Elfaria’s determination, there were problems. Though only a portion of the army had revolted under Vandarion, most of them were central figures to the organization. It had left the current Imperial Army in disarray. It would take a great deal of investigating and restructuring to make sure the army was in working order before they could even broach the issue of handling Vandarion, and that would take time.

“That is why the Reborn Forthorthian Army will be leading the operation.”

In order to avoid squandering time and giving Vandarion the upper hand, Elfaria decided to proceed by using the Reborn Forthorthian Army as the backbone of the operation. They were independent of the Imperial Army, meaning nothing had been compromised by Vandarion defecting. They were still ready to take action, and Elfaria would have the available army soldiers follow their lead.

“That being the case... the commander in chief will of course be the Blue Knight, Lord Layous Fatra Veltlion.”

The moment that Elfaria said his name, the hall was abuzz with cheering yet again. In reality, the Blue Knight had never historically been part of the Forthorthian Imperial Army. Two thousand years ago, he’d disappeared after the coup d’etat forces were defeated, so he’d only ever held a place in the Reborn Forthorthian Army. But now he would formally be leading the Imperial Forthorthian Army proper, and his mission would once again be to save the country from the hands of those who would take it with unjust violence and force. The citizens were thrilled that the Blue Knight had come to do for them exactly what he’d done two thousand years ago.

After what Elfaria said, breaking news bulletins interrupted standard broadcasts all across the nation. “For the first time in history, the Blue Knight will belong to the Imperial Army, and he’s been tasked with subjugating the coup d’etat army.” Though there were various differences in the reports, all news stations and media outlets were covering the story. The people couldn’t get enough of it. But unlike the overjoyed Forthorthian citizens, there was one person watching the footage of Elfaria’s conference while rolling his eyes. It was the Blue Knight himself.

“Elle is being ridiculous, talking like this doesn’t concern her...”

Koutarou sighed as he watched Elfaria onscreen. She boldly spoke to the crowd in her glittering outfit. Her expression and behavior were demure, certainly befitting an empress, but Koutarou could see right through her. Elfaria was enjoying this situation more than anyone else.

“If only Koutarou could appreciate the significance of him understanding that...” Theia sighed.

“Elfaria-san sure has it rough too. Heh...” Clan giggled a little.

As the second and seventh princesses respectively, Clan and Theia would both take part in the subjugation of the coup d’etat army in their personal battleships. They would take the front in Elfaria’s stead and serve as generals. Unlike Koutarou, however, neither one of them was unhappy with that. They watched both Koutarou and the footage of the conference with smiles on their faces.

“By the way, will Ceilēshu-san be joining us in battle as well?” Clan asked.

“No. According to mother, Ceilēshu will stay at her side.”

“Why is that?”

“Because she won’t be able to complete the succession in time, she’ll remain as an advisor.”

All of the princesses apart from Ceilēshu would be joining the battle, meaning six royal class battleships would come together for a single purpose. While none of them other than Theia and Clan would take the front lines, it was an extremely meaningful show of force that the royalty was united against the coup d’etat. Having six royal class battleships in the Blue Knight’s fleet would also boost both troop morale and public support. While they couldn’t actually send out the empress herself, it was tradition in Forthorthe for the royal families to take risks.

“Looks like everyone is reveling... Jeez...” Koutarou murmured, shaking his head.

“The people of Forthorthe would be excited even just to catch a glimpse of you, Master. Knowing you’ll be fighting for them is like a dream come true.”

Strangely enough, even though he himself was the cause for all the fuss, Koutarou couldn’t even imagine how the Forthorthians felt. Sensing his puzzlement, Ruth smiled at him. She was part of the Pardomshiha family that also appeared in the legends of Alaia and the Blue Knight, so she could understand how both Koutarou and the citizens felt. And her conclusion was that all Koutarou could do was give in to it.

“Yeah, but if Elle hadn’t poured oil on the fire like that, it would have at least been a little calmer.”

“But Her Majesty meant well. She has to give the citizens the impression that this battle will end the war.”

For Elfaria, winning the battle was of course important, but she also intended to ease the hearts of the people. The Blue Knight and six princesses would stand shoulder to shoulder and fight the coup d’etat army. There was no doubt they would be victorious. That kind of conviction would give the citizens hope and even boost the economy. And while it was too subtle for most citizens to notice, it was an excellent demonstration of the quality of Elfaria’s leadership.

“No way! That expression tells me that this definitely isn’t the only thing she’s up to!”

Koutarou could understand what Ruth was saying, but after seeing Elfaria’s face on the broadcast, he was quite sure there was more to it. He had every confidence that she was enjoying toying with him.

“Looks like you do understand, Satomi Koutarou. That is Her Majesty Elfaria’s revenge for leaving her behind twenty years ago. Can you really blame her for it?”

“Ugh...”

Just as Kiriha had pointed out, Koutarou and Elfaria had gotten along well twenty years in the past, yet he had left her behind. Knowing that, he had no choice but to grin and bear the unease welling up inside him.

Koutarou and the others would depart the next day on Theia’s ship. Since Koutarou would be aboard, Blue Knight would serve as the flagship of the Imperial Army fleet. Knowing that the rest of the force would be following her ship made Theia a little nervous.

“To think the time for something like this has really come...”

Blue Knight, moored to the space station by a metallic arm, looked enormous from the spaceship dock. While its actual size was about a kilometer tall, it looked much bigger from below. The fact that Theia was unable to see the head—or more accurately, the bridge—only served to strengthen that impression.

“I wish I could go back to when things were simpler and I could just go wild...”

Theia was determined to fight for her mother’s sake, but she never imagined that the fight would be on such a grand scale. While Theia enjoyed combat, it was mostly in a competitive sense. She had no love for war and scorned the thought of people dying, especially on her watch. But she also knew that no matter what she did in the upcoming battle, there would be casualties. Her choices and actions would simply determine the scale of that loss. That pressure naturally made her apprehensive.

“Harumi, what did you do two thousand years ago when this happened?”

Unable to overcome the worry in her heart, Theia turned to Harumi, who was looking up at Blue Knight with her. Neither one of them had been able to sleep, so they’d come out to look at the stars together.

“I was the same as you are now, Theiamillis-san. Unable to put aside my nervousness and hesitation.”

With a faint smile, Harumi answered as Alaia would. Perhaps because of the stimulation of the decisive battle drawing ever nearer, her hair was glowing silver.

“So even the legendary Princess Alaia felt this way...”

“I’m still a normal person, you know.”

“Fair enough.”

“So... having Koutarou-sama dote on you may be a good idea.”

Scale aside, when it came to war, Alaia had more experience than Theia. She had a much better idea of what it would take to overcome her nerves in this kind of situation.

“Is that what you did?”

“You should already know that, Theiamillis-san.”

“Something like that did happen in the manuscript... I see, so that actually happened.”

“Heehee... Indeed it did.”

In the script Theia had written, Alaia had revealed her weakness to Koutarou before a major battle. It wasn’t anything that had been recorded in the annals of history, but Theia had accurately been able to guess what a princess might feel under such circumstances.

“But you sound so composed now... Did you already get him to dote on you?”

“No. There’s nothing I can do in this battle after all.”

Space battles were far out of Alaia’s area of expertise. In such a large battle, it was even unrealistic to try and use support magic, not that Koutarou would have allowed Harumi to use magic in the first place considering her condition. Moreover, Harumi wouldn’t be leading anyone in this battle. Her decisions had practically no effect on the outcome, and in a way, that took all of the stress off of her. It was a notable difference between what Alaia had gone through in the past and what Harumi was going through now.

“This time it’s my turn. You just sit back and relax.”

“Before that, you’d better have Koutarou-sama dote on you some.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of that later.”

“Teehee, then there’s nothing to worry about.”

Princesses of the past and present, Theia and Harumi would have never met under ordinary circumstances. But even so, they now stood side by side smiling at each other. It was a miracle born from complexly intertwining fates. That’s why Theia believed that fate was on her side, and she was sure victory would be too. There was no way to know if that was really true or not, but she chose to believe, and that gave her hope and confidence—exactly what the people under her command would be waiting to see in their general.

Quite frankly, Koutarou was bad at speeches. But he knew he had to do his best when he was at the ceremony meant for sending off the troops to subjugate the coup d’etat army and end the war. Knights and soldiers from all around the country watched via hologram as Koutarou climbed up to the podium to address them.

“I am the commander in chief who has been appointed to put an end to the coup d’etat, Satomi Koutarou, though you may know me better as Layous Fatra Veltlion.”

“Ooooooooooohh!”

The moment Koutarou gave his name, cheers loud enough to drown out his voice amplified by speakers filled the spaceship dock where the ceremony was taking place. The knights and soldiers in attendance were well aware of Koutarou’s exploits, both past and present. Word had even spread about the events of Rushstock Cemetery, though they were only unconfirmed rumors. Everyone who gathered before him now was deeply moved by the thought that they might be part of his legend.

“Well, in this case, my name doesn’t matter. What’s important is what we do from here on out.”

After waiting for the venue to quiet down, Koutarou continued with his speech. A life and death battle would soon be upon them. He wasn’t just here to ask the knights and soldiers to fight. There was something more he had to tell them.

“Our enemy is the rogue military that started this coup d’etat, and Vandarion who orchestrated it all. However, it must be said that those serving under him may not have had a choice in the matter. There are inevitably those who are just following orders, against their will or otherwise.”

As Koutarou spoke, the rest of the venue was dead quiet. Like exemplary soldiers, the men and women present all strained their ears so as to not miss anything their commander in chief was saying.

“One of the goals in this battle is to help those people. Just defeating the enemy is not enough.”

There were plenty of people in Vandarion’s faction that questioned its actions, but only a small portion of them had been able to escape their predicaments. Most of them were still forcibly under Vandarion’s command with no way out. As such, the Imperial Army’s opponent now was a mixed group of enemies and allies. It would be a far more delicate battle than one where the objective was simply to wipe out the enemy.

“But Vandarion surely knows we feel that way, and he will do his utmost to try and exploit it.”

According to Kiriha’s prediction, there was a high chance that Vandarion would use squads of sympathizers as human shields for himself and his loyal troops. He would fill ships he could control remotely with anyone he believed might turn against him, and put those ships in the most dangerous positions during battle. His goal would be to exploit the kind hearts of the Imperial Army and make it more difficult for them to attack.

“Unfortunately, we have no means of discerning friend from foe. And of course I can’t ask you to throw your lives away in order to save everyone he’ll use as cannon fodder. That’s why our best option is to take down the enemy headquarters with one swift strike. By doing that, we will be able to keep casualties on both sides to a minimum and still eliminate the enemy.”

Of course, it was impossible to discern whether or not a ship was moving on automatic control just by looking at it. There could be ruthless enemies pretending to defect or surrender only to get close enough to attack. And if the Imperial Army was too hesitant to attack because they were concerned for the welfare of their friends and would-be allies, they themselves would suffer undue loss. They would never win against Vandarion like that. Instead, by steeling themselves and attacking without holding back, they would be able to keep casualties at a minimum. That was the cruel reality of war against your own country.

“And since a swift, decisive victory is what we need, the role each of you play in this will be great. Always keep in mind that only the utmost efforts of each individual will bring about the best possible result for us all. I expect a good fight from each one of you.”

The Imperial Army had the upper hand in terms of head count. Even with the sacrifices of battle, their superior numbers would eventually lead them to victory. But they couldn’t afford to wait for that, nor did they want to. If they didn’t keep casualties to a minimum, they would be no different from Vandarion. That belief had been passed down from Alaia’s reign.

After his introduction, Koutarou went through the basics of his plan with the knights and soldiers, then ended his speech. He stepped down from the podium, followed by fervent applause and cheers. He hadn’t even been on stage for ten minutes, but Koutarou looked exhausted. Like Theia, he wasn’t good in front of a crowd.

“...Are you sure that was really okay?” Koutarou asked as soon as he stepped off the stage. He was talking to Kiriha, the one who’d decided on the contents of his speech.

“Yes. There were no problems with that. It must have strengthened Vandarion’s impression that we’ll be launching a swift attack.”

Overall, Koutarou had been honest in his speech. He also genuinely did his best to make sure the Imperial Army’s knights and soldiers were prepared to fight people who were effectively hostages. However, the part about settling things immediately with a swift attack wasn’t exactly true. Koutarou hadn’t shared Kiriha’s actual plan with them as a countermeasure against the coup d’etat spies that had inevitably infiltrated their ranks. Vandarion likely already assumed that the Imperial Army would want to settle things as fast as possible to keep casualties low, and Kiriha had arranged Koutarou’s speech in order to give him evidence to keep believing that.

“But if we make him think we’re hurrying, won’t that be bad?” Yurika asked.

And she seemed to have a good point. Once the coup d’etat army understood that the Imperial Army would aim to end things quickly, they would probably deploy all of their forces in an attempt to overpower them. If that happened, it would be a bloody battle on both sides. Really, it was an unusually astute observation from Yurika.

“It’s not like they fully trust what Koutarou says. They can’t take it at face value, and that hesitation will be just enough to give us an opening to exploit since they’ll still feel forced to deploy their troops.”

Kiriha’s plan had already taken what Yurika was worried about into consideration. In fact, that was the true essence of her plan.

“Yurika, if you realize something’s not right, that means Kiriha’s already caught it too,” Sanae added.

“Well, that’s true. Now I feel like I was worried for nothing.”

Sanae and Yurika didn’t put too much more thought into what Kiriha was really planning. Trying to figure it out was a headache, so they were both content as long as things were being handled.

“The rest is all up to how hard we work,” Theia said.

“I’m not very fond of working hard...” Clan groaned.

“What are you talking about? You worked like a maniac when you first came to kill Theia.”

“I’ve realized how reckless that was now!”

“But right now, we need the Clan from back then.”

“...You really are a monstrously unfair man.”

Making preparations for the plan was Kiriha and Ruth’s job, but putting it into action would be up to Koutarou, Theia, and Clan. The decisive battle was close. Tension was mounting both among the soldiers, and aboard Blue Knight.

The coup d’etat army was focusing their forces in the asteroid belt between the fourth and fifth planets of the Forthorthian solar system. Optical observation and radar had natural limitations, so it was impossible to differentiate between asteroids and spaceships from afar. It made the asteroid belt the perfect place to hide a fleet. While the asteroid belt in the Forthorthian solar system was smaller than the one between Mars and Jupiter, it was still plenty large enough to conceal ships and space stations.

“D-Director General Granado, several of the advanced warning satellites on the rim of the asteroid belt have detected a space distortion. There’s a 98 percent probability that it’s the Imperial Army fleet.”

Vandarion’s forces had made their base in the asteroid belt by modifying one of the asteroids. There was a mining facility there originally meant to extract minerals from the asteroid in the early stages of the space age, but it had fallen out of use as development in the vicinity advanced, and had later fallen into the hands of the military. One of its strong points was that it had communication capabilities that stretched across the entire asteroid belt, meaning they could constantly monitor information incoming from various observation devices. It played to their advantage even now as they were promptly alerted to the details of the Imperial Army’s arrival. And since they had tabs on their enemy but not vice versa, it was a highly advantageous position for them. Even so, the operator that first reported this information to Granado was hesitant. He knew that making enemies of the Imperial Army and the royal families was not a matter to be taken lightly.

“That was faster than expected... but I suppose it’s still within our estimations. What is the exact size and location of their fleet?”

In charge of the base was Granado Valkyris. As both director-general of military affairs and the science and technology agency, he was Vandarion’s right-hand man. He was an experienced and intelligent man. He’d expected something like this would happen, so he remained composed even upon hearing that the Imperial Army fleet had appeared. His calm demeanor even helped reassure the hesitant operator reporting to him.

“They are almost directly to our east, and their elevation is almost zero degrees.”

In space, things like cardinal directions were virtually meaningless, but they were still used in practice because they were easier for people to understand. By using the stars and nebulas that remained in the same place regardless of one’s position in the Forthorthian solar system, orientation and direction could be determined. The operator reported the Imperial Army’s location according to those standards.

“Because of their numbers, we can’t identify individual ships, but it’s a grand fleet of over a hundred vessels.”

“So they’re planning on using their full force to try and break through our weakest point, huh? It seems the Blue Knight’s goal is a swift attack just as our intelligence indicated.”

The total amount of military grade spaceships in the Forthorthian solar system hovered at around a thousand. The Imperial Army had arrived with a hundred ships or so, meaning they were attacking with 10 percent of their entire force. In order to do that, they’d likely mobilized every available vessel. They’d also appeared on the opposite side of the asteroid belt when looking at the sun. They were strategically approaching vertically from the outside of the asteroid belt where it thinned out. Putting those two things together, it appeared that they were indeed moving in for a swift attack. Following his plans, Granado issued orders to his troops.

“All ships, prepare for battle. Take action following plan 12E.”

Without knowing where the Imperial Army would attack from, Granado had spread his forces out over a wide area. But now that he knew they were inbound from the east, he put his men into action accordingly.

Use of gravitational waves was the standard means of long range communication, especially out in space. Even so, however, gravitational wave communication was not without its flaws. If a space distortion navigation, or warp, took place nearby, it could cause a major disturbance in communications. That was because warping space had an impact on gravity. Clan’s plan had been to make use of exactly that.

“I’ve managed to infiltrate them. I’m currently analyzing their communications log.”

“...When she does things like this, it’s almost like a work of art. She’s on your level, Kiriha-san.”

“Honestly, in this area, I hardly measure up to Clan-dono. These creative ideas and technologies are unique to her.”

“The only problem is that she tends to lose her nerve when complimented...”

The coup d’etat army’s communication network spanned the entire asteroid belt, and it all relied on gravitational wave communications. It was far too large for cable to be a realistic option, and electromagnetic waves would be too difficult to use since the asteroids would block the signals. That meant they depended on gravitational wave communications, which could be infiltrated from the outside. However, that was easily detectable because gravitational waves different from the usual patterns would be present. Something like that would easily be caught and dealt with.

So what Clan set her eyes on was a disturbance in the network caused by space distortion navigation. If a grand fleet aiming to end the war with a swift attack all warped into the area at once, the interference in communications would be considerable. When the communications systems began detecting errors from it, they would restart as a safeguard. And in the middle of their boot-up cycle, they were easy to hack into, and from there it was a simple matter to cover up any evidence they’d been hijacked. A small unmanned craft Clan had sent out ahead of time was responsible for automatically breaking into the system following a program she’d written. That way, they could hack into the coup d’etat army and they’d never even know it.

Of course, it wasn’t something that Clan could have done on her own. A lot of support was required before the plan could be put into action, such as getting information on their security from moles within the coup d’etat army, and having unmanned crafts from nearby bases spread out within the asteroid belt to help disguise Clan’s. Koutarou’s speech pressing for a swift attack had been to make sure their actions looked natural. What they’d accomplished this way was only possible through the powerful combination of Clan’s talent and the Imperial Army’s resources.

“Analysis of the log is complete, and all traces of the infiltration have been erased. I applied a security patch so there’s no worry about us being detected anymore.”

“Sorry for making you do things you don’t want to do.”

“You can say that again. Please just leave it at this.”

“Yeah. Let’s proceed with the plan.”

“Understood.”

The projected hologram of Clan disappeared. She had a great deal of work she needed to do, so she had more on her plate than just Koutarou.

“Satomi-kun, heehee...”

“What’s with that face, Landlord-san?”

“You’re starting to get better at handling girls, aren’t you?”

“I’m not dumb enough to anger her during an emergency.”

“Maybe your homework should be learning how to do that outside of an emergency situation then.”

“Please give me a break, Landlord-san...”

Of course, Koutarou and the others were equally busy. The warped fleet was approaching the asteroid belt even as they spoke. The looming battle was finally upon them. After exchanging knowing glances with each other, Koutarou and the others got into their respective positions.

As things stood now, the coup d’etat army forces were comparable to the Imperial Army’s. The problem for them was that the current situation was unlikely to remain that way. Because the coup d’etat army had split from the Imperial Army, what was left of the Imperial Army had been left in disarray. As time passed and the organization restructured, however, they would slowly pull themselves back together. That would free up troops and increase the manpower available. On the other hand, the coup d’etat army had no such hope. It was extremely unlikely they’d be able to recruit any more troops, and their chances of resupplying in the future weren’t much better. As such, they needed to seize victory as quickly as possible while keeping their loss to a minimum. They were anxious to bring things to a swift end for their own benefit.

“We have confirmed flags and IFF signals. It seems that six royals—the second through seventh princesses—are attacking.”

“Ooohh...”

Whispers immediately ran through the bridge of the Veldargors, the coup d’etat flagship named after a mountain range in the Melcemhein territory. The stir was over the Imperial Army fleet, which was just confirmed to contain six royal ships. The one that stood out the most was the humanoid-shaped spaceship with a magnificent golden flag raised over it that identified it as the Imperial Army’s flagship, Blue Knight—the personal battleship of the seventh princess, Theiamillis.

“The Blue Knight and the princesses... They’re coming...” someone on the bridge mumbled after everyone else had fallen silent.

Though it was quiet otherwise, those words expressed what everyone was feeling. Only Vandarion’s most loyal men were aboard the Veldargors, but even they were a little shaken by the sight of the Blue Knight and Forthorthe’s princess teaming up to come after them. They were still Forthorthian citizens, after all.

Bang!

A single gunshot echoed through the bridge. The reeling crew then focused their attention on its source. The man holding the gun was the fleet commander on board, Granado.

“Have you come to your senses, men?”

The muzzle of the gun was still exhaling smoke, but it wasn’t because a bullet had been fired. Granado had simply used a blank to snap the shaken crew back to reality.

“We have no choice but to fight, regardless of who our enemy is. You all followed Vandarion-sama knowing that, didn’t you? Calm down and do your jobs like normal.”

The combination of the loud gunshot and Granado’s calm voice was rather effective. The rattled crew seemed to pull themselves together and swiftly returned to going about their work like usual. Their standard battle procedures had been beaten into them through practice, and going through the familiar motions helped them regain their composure.

“Forgive me, Commander Granado.”

Watching his subordinates springing back into action, the captain apologized to Granado. He was initially quite shaken himself, and if Granado hadn’t done something, they would have ended up wasting precious time.

“There’s no need to worry. It’s not easy to conquer that kind of gut reaction. In fact, your men were quick to recover. However, the very same thing is happening throughout the fleet right now. That needs to be dealt with immediately.”

“I understand! I’ll have all forces pull back right away!”

While this was their first encounter in person, Granado had fought against Koutarou and the others several times already. That’s why he wasn’t shaken himself, but also how he could understand his subordinates’ disquiet. Thanks to that, he knew exactly how to handle it. However, it wasn’t like the problem had actually been resolved. Granado was only one man, and the same panic was likely spreading like wildfire on all the other ships in the coup d’etat fleet. Moreover, this was only the beginning. The fighting hadn’t even started yet.

“In addition, shift all ships with a trust rank of C or lower to automatic operation.”

Granado had already personally verified the trustworthiness of the men under him even before Vandarion had started the coup. Those with a trust rank of A were loyal and obeyed all orders. They’d likely do Vandarion’s dirty work without objection. Ships with a trust rank of B were also considered loyal. They may object to certain orders on moral grounds, but they functioned normally otherwise. And then there were vessels with a trust rank of C or worse—those considered disloyal and likely to revolt. Under current circumstances, there was also a high risk of them defecting to the Imperial Army. With that in mind, Granado decided to forcibly put those ships under AI operation or remote control.

“...What about their crews?”

The captain knew a question like that might earn Granado’s ire, but he couldn’t help asking. It was a serious issue and lives were at stake.

“There’s no time to let them evacuate. We’ll prepare for battle as they are.”

“I-I understand.”

Granado had given the order to commence the battle without unloading the crews of the automated ships. Normally if a ship was to be sent into battle under automatic control, the crew would disembark. Or if it was decided ahead of time that the ship would be remotely operated, it wouldn’t be outfitted with a crew in the first place. In other words, Granado had planned for things to turn out this way. The crews of trust rank C vessels would essentially be used as hostages—human shields for the loyal ships. By having them aggressively attack on the front lines, he was aiming to demoralize the Imperial Army.

If I show even the slightest resistance, we’ll be used as sacrificial pawns next...

The captain shivered when he realized Granado’s true intentions. Fighting against Forthorthian royalty was already hard enough to swallow. But if he refused to fight, he and his crew would be the next in line to be sacrificed. And so the captain chose to conceal how truly shaken he was and pass Granado’s orders along to his subordinates.

As the orders moved down the line, the entire fleet would realize the same thing. It would no longer be a matter of whether they wanted to or not. They would have no choice but to fight. If nothing else, fear would motivate them to take up arms against royalty and their fellow countrymen. That too was just as Granado had planned.

The most heinous part of Granado’s plan—or more accurately, Vandarion’s—was that while the untrusted vessels would be operated against their will, their communications would be left open. That way, the Imperial Army would quickly realize they were fighting against crews that were helpless.

“This is the destroyer Roshabinow, formerly part of the 22nd shock fleet of the Imperial Space Fleet. This ship is not operating manually, but under remote control of the fleet’s AI. As such, we wish to surrender to the Imperial Army, but are unable to do so.”

A message came in from a destroyer in the middle of a laser bombardment indicating their desire to surrender. It would have been an insane proposal on Earth, but it wasn’t so unusual in the extremely advanced country of Forthorthe.

“Roshabinow, this is Theiamillis on board the Imperial Army flagship, Blue Knight!”

“Her Highness herself?! We are not worthy of―”

“Leave the formalities for later! Roshabinow, can’t you regain control of your ship?”

“The science officer is trying over and over, but his work is being overwritten by the system before he can finish every time. We are unable to intervene from the bridge. It seems like it might be possible if we had more time, but we don’t have that luxury right now. Please, pay us no mind and attack!”

The coup d’etat army was keeping their main force hidden within the shadow of the asteroid belt while attacking with their sacrificial pawns, the automatically controlled ships. The Imperial Army’s response was sporadic attacks. It was understandable that the Imperial Army hesitated to attack the ships that showed signs of surrender, and their crews were grateful for it, but if things continued as they were, they were potentially putting their countrymen and even their highly esteemed princesses in danger. The crews on board the automatically controlled ships wanted to avoid that no matter what. While they were unwillingly fighting for the enemy side, their loyalty remained with the Imperial Army.

“We simply ask that you tell our families we had no desire to be a part of the coup d’etat. Please, Your Highness!”

“Calm down, Roshabinow! We’ll save you right now!”

“But at this rate―”

“Don’t worry! We didn’t come without a plan! Have you forgotten that the Blue Knight leads this fleet?!”

The Imperial Army had predicted that the coup d’etat army would make a move like this. It wasn’t the first time such a situation had arisen in Forthorthe since the development of automated weaponry. That’s how the Imperial Army had the foresight to take precautions against it, and the person holding the key to the solution now was a reclusive, bespectacled princess.

“Hey, how much longer is it going to take, Clan? We’re out of time!”

“Veltlion, can’t you at least address me properly when you’re using an open communications line?!”

“I’ll prostrate myself before you or whatever you want later, but the lives of our allies are on the line right now!”

Clan was sitting quietly in her chair, not doing anything. But despite what it might have looked like, she was still pulling her weight. She had already finished what she needed to do. She was now simply waiting for the Hazy Moon’s main computer to finish the necessary calculations.

Beep!

The computer alerted her just as those calculations were complete. Clan adjusted her glasses as if to say that she’d been looking forward to exactly this moment, and then began tapping away on her console.

“You’d better not forget you said that!”

Clan could issue the computer commands faster manually than she could orally. She typed out prompt after prompt with swift, dexterous movements like she was playing the piano. Only the key to execute the command was entered in a different fashion.

“I’ll hold you to your word when this is over, Veltlion!”

Clack!

She slammed down on the last key like she was playing a percussion instrument. And with that, the battle truly began.

The hologram displaying the battle in real time indicated everything was proceeding as Granado had expected. The Imperial Army sent in the largest force they could muster, but they were unable to break through the coup d’etat forces using the asteroid belt and automated ships as shields. Their superior defensive position was gradually giving them an edge.

“Looks like victory will be ours... It seems that I overestimated them.”

Granado had made several predictions beforehand on how the battle would go, and most of them involved the Imperial Army trying to pull something at this stage. But counter to his expectations, nothing was happening as he watched things play out through the hologram. The fight was turning out to be rather straightforward.

“Is the Blue Knight squandering the power of the six princesses? Or...”

Although things were proceeding in the coup d’etat army’s favor, Granado found the lack of development a bit strange. With the Blue Knight leading the Imperial Army, he’d been quite sure there would at least be a surprise attack from a special detachment. Granado stared at the hologram with his arms crossed. Until everything was said and done, he wasn’t going to let his guard down.

“...What is the meaning of this?”

The words of an operator mumbling to himself reached Granado’s vigilant ears. Not even a comment like that slipped past him.

“What is it?”

“Commander Granado... Well, something’s strange.”

“Go on.”

“I don’t know how to describe it... It’s like what we’re seeing and what’s being displayed are different.”

“An inconsistency then? I need details.”

Granado raised an eyebrow at what the operator said. He understood what he was saying, but he lacked the information necessary to understand the full situation.

“Um, please look at the front screen.”

“I can’t see anything.”

“Exactly. There’s nothing being displayed, no matter how much I zoom in. But there are supposedly explosions happening in that direction according to the hologram.”

“...What?”

Granado started to get a sense of what was going on. The front screen he and the operator were watching functioned something like a windshield. It displayed the feed from the cameras on the front of the ship. Looking at that screen now, all they could see was black space and the stars beyond. That was it. But they knew better. The hologram told them there was a fierce battle taking place outside. They should be seeing explosions and enemy ships on the monitor, but there was nothing of the sort. That’s what had tipped off the operator.

I see, so we’re already in the Blue Knight’s trap... As expected of a legendary commander. At least this is more in line with what I anticipated...

Granado reached out for his control panel. He compared the camera feed to the hologram to confirm what the operator had said. Indeed, there was an undeniable discrepancy between them, and that meant Vandarion’s forces were in a dangerous situation.

“Captain, I’ll leave things to you for now. Continue according to plan.”

Granado stood up from his seat and headed for the exit of the bridge.

“Commander Granado, where are you going?”

“I’m going to use the equipment in my laboratory to figure out why the camera feed and the hologram’s CG model are inconsistent with each other. An error is the last thing I want right now.”

“That’s an excellent idea, commander.”

Granado was well versed in science and technology, and the bridge crew knew that. No one questioned Granado going to investigate the problem himself. In fact, many were grateful for it.

I’ll need you to hold off the Blue Knight for a little longer. Sorry, but this is farewell.

But Granado’s real objective wasn’t the laboratory. He was instead making his way to Veldargors’s flight deck, where he would use a spaceship he secretly had stored there to escape. Granado didn’t so much as hint at his true intentions as he quickly left the bridge behind. He wasn’t going to take anyone with him. He needed the Veldargors to continue fighting.

“That’s Commander Granado for you. He’s talented and quick to action.”

“I’m sure he’ll get results in no time.”

“I’d like all of you to follow the commander’s example.”

The crew on the bridge had no way of knowing that they’d been abandoned, and it would be a while yet before they realized their fate. Right now they were laughing together and taking it easy as they watched the battle play out seemingly in their favor. The only one who had sensed their imminent defeat was Granado.

It wasn’t just on board the Veldargors that the camera footage and the hologram models were different. It was happening across the entire coup d’etat fleet, and Clan was the one responsible for all of it. It was a direct result of her handiwork after infiltrating their gravitational wave network.

“Since we can’t tell friend from foe, I’m having all ships under automatic control leave the combat zone.”

“That’s fine with me. That still takes care of half of their force. Good job.”

Standing on the bridge of Blue Knight, Koutarou had linked his armor to the ship and was controlling it directly. Though he usually used it like a normal set of armor, the blue armor he wore was originally an operating device for Blue Knight. As such, when they were linked, the ship copied his movements. And as he dexterously maneuvered the kilometer long ship, Koutarou slipped through the coup d’etat army’s supposed impenetrable formation. It certainly helped that they couldn’t see him at the moment. Clan had functionally blinded them after hacking into the gravitational wave network.

“Be careful. I can’t do anything about the cameras on the enemy ships.”

“Don’t worry! By the time they notice, it will already be too late!”

As the gunner, Theia was sitting in her own seat behind Koutarou. It was her job to secure safe passage for Blue Knight by taking care of enemies and asteroids in the way. Her marksmanship, as usual, was dead on. Blue Knight hadn’t taken a single attack as it advanced.

“Veltlion, anyone with a good intuition is going to catch on any minute now!”

“I know! Ruth-san, order all forces to charge in now!”

“Yes!”

A communications network was extremely important in space battles. They happened on such a large scale that it was almost impossible for any single ship to collect enough information on an enemy force. Communications allowed allied ships to share information with each other, essentially creating an information network between them. That, combined with data from observation devices and reconnaissance crafts, was the only real way to pinpoint enemies in an area as vast as space. And that was exactly why Clan specifically targeted the coup d’etat army’s communications.

Upon infiltrating their network, Clan started off by throwing in false information. She strategically included data that would simulate a real battle, leading the coup d’etat forces to start fighting against a phantom army that wasn’t really there. The asteroid belt played to their advantage in that regard. In a place dense with debris and obstructions, visual data wasn’t always reliable. In other words, the fleet was counting on the information from the communications network to make actual combat decisions. So when the data indicated that the enemy was upon them, they launched their attack. And if the data said the enemy was destroyed, their attacks ceased. That was common sense, and no one questioned it. But it was exactly their reliance on that common sense that had them playing the fool now. They had the wool pulled over their eyes by false information, and they were none the wiser as they fired on nonexistent enemies. If anything, believing they had the automatically controlled ships to use as a shield helped lure them further into a false sense of security.

Their only hint that anything was wrong was the footage coming in from the cameras installed on the outside of the ship. Since the network of cameras and monitors functioned as a safer replacement for windows on spaceships, they ran completely independently of the ship’s other systems. That way, the crew would still be able to see outside even if all of the other systems shut down in an emergency. But because it was an independent system, that also meant that Clan couldn’t hack into it through the communications network. The cameras would still faithfully record what they saw on the outside of the ship, even as the holograms falsely indicated enemy ships were about. That was what the operator on the Veldargors had picked up on, even if he didn’t understand the reason why it was happening. All things considered, it was praiseworthy. But since the footage was mostly of the immediate area outside the ship, someone would have to be watching at just the right time—for example, when there should be an explosion in the distance—to realize the discrepancy between the feed and the hologram. Really, he’d just gotten lucky.

While the coup d’etat ships were distracted with their phantom battle, Clan overrode the remote control on the ships that wanted to surrender and moved them out of the combat zone. Sanae wanted to free them and let them join the battle on the Imperial Army side, but taking into account the possibility that not everyone on board said ships was in agreement about their loyalty, it was the safest decision for now simply to send them away. But even then, it had a significant effect. Losing those vessels nearly halved the coup d’etat forces.

“Master, there’s a high energy reaction dead ahead! We’ve been found!”

“Theia, you know what to do, right?!”

“Who do you think you’re talking to?! Just leave this to me!”

At a distance, the chances of Blue Knight being spotted by the coup d’etat army were incredibly slim. That being said, the coup d’etat army still had plenty of ships, and at this point in the battle, more and more of the crews on those ships would be checking the monitors. As such, as Blue Knight closed in, the chances of being detected increased dramatically. And once their cover was blown, they would lose the upper hand.

Both the coup d’etat army and the Imperial Army were confident in the security of their communications networks. Neither side would have readily believed their network had been compromised shortly after the battle had begun. There were safeguards in place to prevent exactly that. In fact, Clan had only barely managed to pull it off, and it had taken a mind-boggling amount of prep work. It was a nearly inconceivable feat, and that’s exactly why the coup d’etat army fell into a panic when the Blue Knight suddenly appeared next to them.

“What is the meaning of this?! How is the Blue Knight right underneath us?!”

The captain’s eyes nearly bulged out of his head as he pushed back against his chair in disbelief. The camera underneath the Veldargors was showing Blue Knight approaching. The holographic model indicated Blue Knight was currently engaged in combat some ten kilometers ahead, but there was no arguing with the image of the blue ship speeding towards them from below. The captain’s surprise was only natural.

“Is something wrong with the cameras?!” he cried.

“No, that’s not possible!” the operator reported back, equally surprised.

“Then you’re saying they infiltrated the network?! And so soon?!”

“That’s the only thing it could be!”

“Damn it! We’ll have to proceed assuming that the shared information is a complete mess!”

No matter how hard it was to believe, reality was closing in on them. And quickly. Not responding in time would be a death sentence on the battlefield. Fortunately, thanks to his daily training and combat experience, the captain was well prepared for even an unthinkable situation like this. In spite of his astonishment, he didn’t freeze up.

“Send a warning to the entire fleet and request that all nearby allies join in to intercept the Blue Knight! Taking on a royal class battleship alone would be suicide!”

“What should I tell them to do, captain?”

“We don’t have time to coordinate detailed plans now! Have each ship respond to the enemy as they see fit and fall back! If we’re split up, we’ll be defeated in an instant!”

The captain made the right call. Since their information network was no longer trustworthy, it meant that each coup d’etat ship had to fend for itself. They could only trust what they could see with the ship’s radar or their own eyes. Conversely, the Imperial Army knew the exact location of every coup d’etat ship because they had access to real time information from the network. The coup d’etat forces’ only defense now would be to band together and counterattack as a group. If they could turn this into a match of strength, they still had a chance at winning.

The only question was where the ships would gather. As things were, it needed to be somewhere the entire fleet could find without trouble. The base within the asteroid belt would be perfect since all the coup d’etat navigators should be able to find their way there by calculating their relative position based on the stars. Moreover, with limited to no information about what was happening elsewhere in the region, a retreat to defend their main base was also in their best interest.

“Captain, Blue Knight has changed direction!”

But because the captain’s call had been so textbook, the Imperial Army was one step ahead of him. In fact, holding their ground and fighting things out was precisely what the Imperial army wanted to avoid.

“What?! Where is it headed now?!” the captain demanded.

“I-It looks like it’s on a course for Conora Base...” the operator replied, the hopelessness audible in his voice.

Conora Base was the coup d’etat headquarters hidden within the asteroid belt. It was exactly where they intended to regroup.

“So that’s what they’re after! All forces, return to Conora! The Imperial Army— No, the Blue Knight was after Conora Base from the start!”

The quickest way for the Imperial Army to bring an end to this battle would be to capture Conora Base. Because Vandarion’s faction had been branded as enemies of the state, there were very few places where they could resupply. So few, in fact, that the only one in the vicinity of the asteroid belt was Conora Base. Losing it would mean the fleet had no choice but to surrender.

However, finding Conora Base was no simple task. Since it had been built into an asteroid, it was actually mobile and could be moved like a spaceship. The coup d’etat forces strategically hid it within the asteroid belt, and they moved it on a daily basis for maximum security. Only men with the rank of captain or higher were privy to its exact location. So even though the Imperial Army had pinpointed the coup d’etat fleet, they still didn’t know where their base was. That is, not until the captain of the Veldargors gave his orders.

The entire coup d’etat fleet then began moving towards a single location in order to regroup in an attempt to defend themselves after their network was compromised. The Imperial Army believed they’d pick a strategic location for that—likely their base—and waited to see where they were going. Once they had a location, Blue Knight changed its course accordingly. Really, infiltrating the network was a ruse to uncover the location of Conora Base. And in his panic, the Veldargors’s captain had told them exactly what they wanted to know.

The main purpose of hacking into the enemy network was to hijack control of the ships that were being operated remotely and allow them to escape. But it also had another goal, and that was locating Conora Base if possible in order to bring the battle to a swift close and keep casualties to a minimum on both sides. Taking over the remote control of the ships was a simple affair, but that secondary objective was why Clan had gone to the trouble of sending false information through the holograms.

“While there’s a slight margin of error in order to account for the asteroids, where the flight paths of all the ships intersect should be their rally point. They would have chosen somewhere they would be able to rush to Conora’s defense if need be, so it should be in the vicinity. I want you to find it,” Kiriha explained.

“Initiating reconnaissance! Preparing the space distortion catapult!”

Following Kiriha’s briefing, Ruth gave orders to Blue Knight’s main computer. She was going to scout a wide area by warping several reconnaissance crafts ahead of them. The goal was to locate Conora Base before Blue Knight arrived at the rally point.

“Target destination is the region around the rally point!”

As a battleship, Blue Knight had a catapult to launch smaller spacecrafts it had on board. It could even do so through warp. While it only worked for short distances and wasn’t safe to use on passenger vessels, it was convenient for dispatching communications pods or unmanned drones. That was the technique Ruth used to launch reconnaissance craft after reconnaissance craft. Including backup units, she deployed several dozen. Once assembled in a three-dimensional grid, they could effectively sweep an area while Ruth monitored any openings.

“Reconnaissance craft 20 is detecting something! Your Highness, I’ve located Conora Base!”

And it didn’t take long for the search to bear fruit. Ruth’s unmanned crafts had first found the coup d’etat army’s small scouting ships, but that served as proof that the base was somewhere nearby. Ruth took the hint and investigated the area thoroughly. In her diligence, she discovered Conora Base.

“Where is it?!” Theia cried excitedly at the news.

“I’ll bring up the footage right now!”

“Koutarou, that’s it! Head over there!”

“Got it!”

Ruth quickly indicated the base’s coordinates with markers on the bridge monitor for everyone to see. Koutarou adjusted the ship’s course so the markers were right ahead of him and put Blue Knight’s thrusters to max force. The ship flew through space like a comet with a blue tail of light streaming behind it.

“So that’s it!”

While they were still far enough away that it couldn’t be seen with the naked eye, Koutarou spotted Conora Base in the enhanced computer image of what was in front of him. It had a strange but distinct shape. In that sense, it was exactly what it looked like: an asteroid that had been outfitted with a flight deck and thrusters. The main facility was inside the hollowed-out asteroid, which had been reinforced to ensure its structural integrity. While it wasn’t anything pretty to look at, it was practical and cost effective. It wasn’t an unusual design to see in remote regions of space.

“Master, Conora Base’s vital point is in this location!”

“Theia, you’re up!”

“I know! This is a fight against time!”

“Yeah, and if it’s all the same to you, I’d rather not get surrounded! Ruth-san, the anti-ship energy sword!”

“As you wish, my lord! Drawing anti-ship energy sword Signaltin!”

Koutarou called for Blue Knight to draw its sword, although at several hundred meters in length, it was really far too large to be called a sword. It was the size of a spaceship all on its own. And once in Blue Knight’s hand, it began emitting white light. As the name suggested, Signaltin was modeled after the legendary sword. It boasted enormous energy output in addition to its massive size, and it used both of those to enhance its attacks.

“Leave the weaklings to me! You just forge ahead!”

“Don’t slip up!”

“Right back at you!”

Of course, Conora Base wasn’t going to give in without resistance. It had forces to guard it, and the base itself was armed. Despite its appearance, Conora Base was comparable to a royal class battleship. While it was inferior in terms of mobility due to its structure, there was no other substantive difference between it and Blue Knight. Moreover, it was only a matter of time before the coup d’etat fleet arrived. While everything was proceeding according to Kiriha’s plans so far, Koutarou and the other girls knew they couldn’t celebrate too soon. They all psyched themselves up as they approached the base looming in the distance.

In Forthorthe, space battles typically started with laser attacks. With the advent of the laser, most missile assaults were easily intercepted. Beam cannons couldn’t remain convergent over long distances either. And so lasers reigned supreme in space warfare. They were powerful enough as it was on the surface of a planet, but they were even more powerful in the vacuum of space without even air to hamper them. This was all common knowledge in Forthorthe, and commanders were usually quick to put it into practice. This battle was no exception. The fight between Blue Knight and Conora Base kicked off with a laser shootout.

“Commence bombardment!” the base commander ordered.

“Roger! Commencing laser bombardment!” the lead operator responded.

Conora Base hadn’t once been attacked in the past several decades, but it was outfitted with a battle-hardened staff that had experience from other regions of the nation. They trained for this moment daily, and when it finally came, they commenced their attack on Blue Knight all according to procedure without missing a beat.

“What kind of damage did they take?” the commander inquired.

As lasers moved at the speed of light, it was implicit that any target that could be seen through the crosshairs could be hit since the shot would connect almost instantly. That’s why the base commander didn’t even both asking about the accuracy of the attack and went straight to asking what kind of damage Blue Knight had sustained. He wanted to put as much strain as possible on their barrier, so he was eager to know how successful their opening strike had been.

“W-Well, commander, it looks like all attacks missed the target...”

“What?!”

The base commander couldn’t believe what the operator was telling him. Laser bombardments always scored direct hits, bar one or two cannons that would misfire due to timing issues. That was a given. And yet, for some reason, all their attacks had missed. Their target was a battleship, and a royal one at that. The largest of spaceships. It should have been an easy target. Something was clearly wrong.

“What happened?!” the commander demanded.

“It seems that we were fooled by a massive hologram...” the operator replied meekly.

“So they’re taking advantage of us not being able to use the network!”

Because the coup d’etat army had been hacked and was unable to use their gravitational wave network, automatic bombardment using radar lost a lot of its precision, so the task was carried out using cameras and the naked eye. However, because of Yurika and Maki’s illusion, it was almost impossible to determine Blue Knight’s actual position that way. Most of the enemy lasers had flown wildly through empty space. A couple of them were lucky shots and still reached Blue Knight, but they weren’t enough to get past the barrier or do any real damage. Conora Base functionally hadn’t landed a single hit.

“Change of plans! Don’t go for direct hits! Just put up a barrage of fire and don’t let Blue Knight get close!”

“Y-Yes, sir!”

“Release the reconnaissance crafts and launch the fighters! No matter how convincing of a hologram it is, we should be able to see through it at close range!”

The man in charge of Conora Base hadn’t been appointed commander without good reason. He was an experienced leader with plenty of skill that served him well. He’d more than earned his title, and it was times like this that it showed. Even in the face of a setback like this, he reacted quickly and came up with countermeasures. Unleash a defensive barrage, and deploy unmanned crafts and fighter units. If the base couldn’t land long-range attacks, they would keep Blue Knight at bay and send in mobile units to fight. At close range, they might be able to see through the hologram—or more accurately, the illusion—and detect the real thing with their onboard sensors. While it was mostly a stopgap strategy, it wasn’t a bad idea.

“Our fighters have engaged the Imperial Army fighters! Their commander is confirmed to be Princess Theiamillis!”

“Ooooohh...”

The command room was immediately abuzz at the mention of Theia’s name in such a capacity. They were locked in combat with the seventh princess of Forthorthe, but there was no backing down now. The base personnel understood that, so in spite of their shock, they didn’t panic. Watching the fight unfold, however, was truly a sight to behold. It was quite obvious that Theia’s skill was not to be taken lightly. She was an ace pilot, and the coup d’etat army would have to do something about it or suffer the consequences.

“Let the fighters know not to engage Princess Theiamillis on their own! Surround her with at least three fighters! Any less than that is just asking to be destroyed!”

“Y-Yes, sir!”

The battle between the fighters was progressing in the Imperial Army’s favor under Theia’s lead. Theia had intentionally taken the front line in order to raise the Imperial Army’s moral while intimidating the coup d’etat forces. But it wasn’t just for show either. Theia was strong. She was quite a force to be reckoned with, and the coup d’etat fighters—still somewhat discomposed by her arrival—were learning that the hard way.

“Have the reconnaissance crafts circle around the combat area! Keep them out of the danger zone for now!”

“I’ll let them know right away, commander!”

However, the outcome of this battle wouldn’t be determined by a fighter skirmish. What was truly important was to keep Blue Knight away with a barrage and have the reconnaissance crafts move in. As long as they could succeed on that front, the battle would be theirs even if they lost the fighter skirmish. The base commander wasn’t being overly pessimistic about the situation.

“The battle has only just begun! Even if the legends are true, the Blue Knight’s reign was over two thousand years ago! This is our time, Blue Knight! The day will be ours!”

The base commander rallied, but he felt a chill run down his spine as he watched his fighters get defeated one after the other. The reconnaissance crafts were taking a detour around the combat zone and closing in on Blue Knight. Since there was no one in them, they moved at high speed. And despite the detour, they reached Blue Knight in mere minutes.

“Enemy ship located!” an operator called out as the information came in.

“Good job! Forward the details to the laser! And give them a taste of our maximum output beam cannons!” the commander ordered.

As the reconnaissance crafts approached Yurika and Maki’s illusion, they detected a large object. Based on its mass and the energy emitted, it was determined to be the enemy battleship.

“Target set to the enemy ship!”

“Fire!”

If they could destroy the flagship carrying the Blue Knight, it would devastate the Imperial Army. Even if they couldn’t destroy it, as long as they did enough damage to hold it off, the allied fleet would arrive soon enough to finish it off. The commander was confident that breaking Blue Knight would be an excellent show of force, strong enough to rally the entire coup d’etat army.

“All shots have scored direct hits! The enemy ship’s distortion field has collapsed! They’ll be def― Wh-What is this?!” the operator gasped.

However, upon seeing that the spaceship they had attacked was another illusion, the whole base was stunned.

“What?! The Hazy Moon?! Wasn’t that supposed to be Blue Knight?!” the commander shouted.

The ship behind the illusion was indeed a royal class battleship, and its barrier had been destroyed just as planned. But it clearly wasn’t blue, and it wasn’t humanoid-shaped either. The crest on the combat flag flying over it wasn’t a golden flag, but a moon. It was no doubt the Hazy Moon.

“If that’s the Hazy Moon, then where is the Blue―”

Booooom!

Just as the commander started to realize they might be in trouble, Blue Knight’s sword pierced Conora Base. The impact from it was so incredible that anyone in the base who didn’t grab on to something to brace themselves in time hit the floor.

“...I-Impossible. How did this happen? Did the Blue Knight bring a demon with him or something?!”

A single, full-powered strike from Blue Knight’s massive sword was enough to devastate and silence the entire base.

The person the base commander unknowingly referred to as a demon, Kiriha, ultimately had a simple plan: to approach with two ships while making it look like there was only one. While it was equipped with various stealth technologies, making Blue Knight completely disappear would be difficult. Since they knew their opponents would have access to spiritual energy and magic too, it was an even more daunting task than usual.

But what if they prepared a different ship to pretend to be Blue Knight—one that was also a royal class battleship? If they could keep everyone’s eyes on what they thought was Blue Knight the whole time, it might be possible to trick them that way. Then they could send in the real Blue Knight for a surprise attack. And that’s exactly what they’d done. They snuck up on Conora Base before unleashing a close range bombardment to collapse its barrier and then pushed forward in a ramming attack with Blue Knight’s sword to destroy the base’s outer shell and power reactor. Conora Base had lost without ever even having a chance to defend itself.

“Jeez... I’m glad the Hazy Moon is okay.”

Clan, now aboard Blue Knight, let out a sigh of both joy and relief. Using a royal class battleship as a decoy was unheard of, and it certainly wasn’t safe for Clan and her crew to stay on board when they knew it was going to be in danger. Clan herself had stayed behind until just before the attack, when she moved over to Blue Knight.

“You’re the star of the show this time, Clan-san.”

“You’re the only one who would say that, Harumi.”

“I’m sure everyone will praise you later... Satomi-kun included.”

“A clueless knight who’s out of his element like he is would never have the sense to do something like that!”

“My, my... Teehee...”

Fortunately, all of Clan’s hard work had paid off. Even though she was complaining, she knew what she’d done was a necessary part of the plan. And better yet, it had gotten them results. Since it was Kiriha’s plan by design, Clan had actually trusted all along that things would work out. Her only real worry was whether or not Koutarou would acknowledge the role she’d had in their success.

“This is the commander-in-chief of the Imperial Army Fleet, Layous Fatra Veltlion. In the name of Princess Theiamillis, I request that all ships and bases belonging to the coup d’etat army in this region surrender.”

Koutarou, however, was busy playing the role of a legendary hero. It would be quite some time yet before he could simply be himself and appreciate the finer details of the situation so far. Clan would have to wait.

“This is the commander of Conora Base, Landanz Galiora Basker. Your request has been received, and we will comply. Conora Base and all associated ships surrender unconditionally. I would like to initiate the procedures.”

Conora Base’s commander was a reasonable man. He knew that the Blue Knight could have destroyed the base in a single strike, and that he still could if he so wished. He also understood that, with the loss of their main base, the coup d’etat no longer had a leg to stand on. That had decided the battle. No matter how much they struggled now, there was no realistic chance of recovering from that. They’d only be risking more if they continued to fight under these conditions, so the base commander decided to cut their losses and accept defeat. Of course, his opponents being a legendary hero and an imperial princess had something to do with it. They were just too strong. The commander was forced to recognize that now, and the feeling was shared across most of the fleet.

“Understood. We’ll send a negotiator to you, Conora Base. Prepare to receive them.”

“We’ll open the seventh dock. Let the negotiator―”

However, things wouldn’t come to such a neat conclusion. This battle was far from over. A third party cut in over the communications line.

“Let me start by congratulating you, Blue Knight.”

“Vandarion?!”

It was Marswell Dayora Vandarion. He had eyes as sharp as a hawk’s, a smirk that oozed confidence, and an attitude that was nothing short of provoking. Seeing him reminded Koutarou of meeting Maxfern two thousand years ago. It was a face he couldn’t forget even if he wanted to.

Now that I think about... Vandarion and Granado haven’t revealed themselves even once all this time. Just what have they been up to?

Koutarou got a bad feeling the moment he saw Vandarion’s hologram. Even though they had never bet before, his resemblance to Maxfern only brought back bad memories.

“To think you’d take Conora Base this quickly... No wonder Granado was in such a rush.”

“What do you want? Are you here to surrender too?”

“Hahahahaha! How clueless can you be?! You’re the one who will be surrendering, Blue Knight! Take a look!”

Vandarion stepped out of the way of the camera, revealing what was behind him.

“M-Mother?!”

“Elle! Princess Ceilēshu!”

Neither Theia nor Koutarou could believe their eyes. Through the hologram, they could see Elfaria and Ceilēshu bound to pillars. It wasn’t clear where they were, but it seemed to be inside of a spaceship, or perhaps another base judging by the structure.

“How did this happen?!” Theia demanded.

“It’s simple,” Vandarion replied. “While you were preoccupied over here, we walked right into the imperial palace.”

“Impossible! We left behind more than enough men to defend it!” Theia shouted in disbelief.

But it was true. Vandarion’s faction had infiltrated the imperial palace and kidnapped Elfaria and Ceilēshu. And even though the proof was right in front of them in hologram form, it was hard to believe. In addition to the royal guard, Koutarou and the others had left an entire fleet and Ceilēshu’s personal battleship to protect the palace. In fact, they hadn’t left until they were sure such defenses were in place.

“Hahahaha! What kind of fool would show all his cards at once? Did you really think this was all I had?”

ROOOAAAAAR!

A loud roar erupted from somewhere nearby as Vandarion sneered. Looking for its source, Koutarou noticed something massive emerging from behind Elfaria and Ceilēshu.

“That’s... what attacked Fort Charldrissa!” Koutarou gasped.

Past Elfaria and Ceilēshu was the looming figure of a massive mechanical dragon. It bore a striking resemblance to the one that had attacked Koutarou and the others at Fort Charldrissa, but this one was considerably larger and more heavily armed. Painted mostly red, it even looked more aggressive.

“Don’t make me laugh! That was just a prototype. This is the real weapon, the Elder Dragon Type Two, ALUNAYA! Behold my power, Blue Knight!”

Vandarion had used the power of the dragon to capture Elfaria and Ceilēshu, but that was only the start. His goals remained unchanged after all this time. He was hell-bent on murdering the Blue Knight and destroying the grieving, distraught Elfaria as he seized control of Forthorthe.

“Now then, esteemed Blue Knight, I invite you here too! Surely you won’t refuse! Wahahahaha!”

A villain had once again appeared in Forthorthe determined to rule all through fear and power. Marswell Dayora Vandarion was confident he was born to be the supreme ruler.