The World of Otome Games is Tough For Mobs - Volume 13 - Chapter 7

Chapter 7:

Twin Priestesses

NICKS STOOD on the bridge, fingers clenched tight around the railing. An intense shock wave had rocked their ship; outside, enemy monsters were everywhere.

“Is this what this war will be like? It doesn’t look like the kind of war I’ve known,” he grumbled.

The AIs were unleashing their own ballistics and lasers to shoot down the beasts. Yet however many they managed to destroy, the empire’s production line continued unimpeded, and monsters kept assailing the fleet.

“Continue to accelerate,” a robotic voice ordered through their communications network. “There is no need to combat them.”

Balcus, who’d taken a seat, smashed his clenched fist against the railing. “You want us to keep charging through these creatures?!”

Instead of responding to his question, the AI merely said, “All ships, continue to advance.”

Standard protocol was to slow down and deploy Armors to deal with such beasts, for if they weren’t handled quickly, they’d continue to attack and take down allied ships. Fact and the other AIs didn’t care about that, though. They insisted on maintaining speed, and that—if they didn’t—everyone would be wiped out.

“They make it sound so simple, but the enemy’s retreating now,” Nicks spat angrily. “We can’t keep charging toward them like this!” The imperial army was so far away at this point that he couldn’t spot them even with binoculars. Part of the problem was that the monster swarm outside obscured the view, but the bigger issue was how quickly the empire was moving.

Although Arcadia was still facing them, he was managing to withdraw as quickly as he’d advanced, presumably thanks to his magic. It defied all common sense—at least, the common sense ingrained in Nicks.

Swallowing any objections, Balcus bellowed, “You heard them, men! Follow orders and advance at full speed! If we hesitate, so will our allies. We must forge ahead as fast as we can!”

Their ship was at the front of the formation, so slowing down would have a domino effect on allies behind them. That was precisely why Balcus was intent on following orders and pressing forward.

As further shock waves ran through the ship, Nicks clung to the railing. He turned his head to look at his father. “Are you seriously ordering us to charge full speed into this monster swarm?! Didn’t you just—”

Before he could finish his question, bright light flashed in the distance.

“Everyone, brace yourselves!” cried the captain, eyes wide.

The ensuing turbulence was more powerful than anything they’d experienced before. The spaceship in front of them deployed its shield, blocking the enemy attack, but it was rocked with explosions in the process. It plummeted as the Bartforts’ ship whizzed past.

Nicks watched the ship fall, cold sweat trickling down his forehead. “They’ve already sunk two ships exactly like Luxion.” He was glad that they’d blocked an attack powerful enough to swallow the fleet whole, but it was terrifying to advance knowing what they were up against.

Tears streamed down the crew’s faces as they turned to Balcus in a plea for mercy. “My lord,” one man said on behalf of the rest, “it’s too dangerous to keep going! Please, let us fall back!”

Their appeal fell on deaf ears. Balcus folded his arms and stared straight ahead. “No,” he said. “This is the strategy Leon chose, and I trust he did so for a reason. He’s always thinking up some way to come out on top. Let’s trust him and charge ahead!”

However much they sped up, though, the imperial army remained distant and out of view.

Nicks started to panic. Leon, is this really part of your plan?

***

Meanwhile, although Fact and his companions ran and reran their calculations, they all came out the same: With this strategy, they would lose.

“If we proceed as planned, we will run out of ships to shield us before we reach Arcadia,” surmised Fact. If that happened, the battle would be as good as over. 

The AIs around him continued making calculations, but it was futile. Just as Fact decided to switch to an alternate plan, Cleare’s voice came through the communications network.

“We’re in a real pinch,” she said.

“Cleare, what business do you have here? You are supposed to be a mere communications conduit,” Fact reminded her.

“My, how cold of you. And here I was, thinking I’d helpfully offer a plan to break out of the current stalemate.”

“A plan, you say?”

“I sent you the necessary data,” said Cleare. “You can take care of the calculations and all that rigamarole. We’ll handle the rest. Oh! Before I forget, the Licorne will be moving to the front of the formation!” She promptly cut the line.

“Don’t you dare move the Licorne—it is vital that it continue as our communications conduit! Cleare, are you listening?!” Fact bellowed, though he knew full well she couldn’t hear him anymore.

The surrounding AIs turned to look at one another. “We agree with Cleare’s proposed plan,” they were quick to say.

Visibly irate at this unexpected turn, Fact barked, “We will employ Cleare’s plan, then! Nevertheless, I shall negatively adjust my evaluation of her capabilities dramatically!”

***

Back on the Licorne’s bridge, Noelle unfastened her cape, folding it and handing it to Marie. Clad only in her pilot suit, she did some basic stretches to prep for what was coming.

Marie sighed in exasperation but still managed to smile at her. “I seriously have to question the design of your outfit. Is that something Leon is into?”

“Maybe,” Noelle laughed quietly as she stretched. “When we showed him our suits, I caught him checking us out.”

“Yuck. I didn’t really want to know that,” Marie said with a grimace. “So, are you seriously going to do this?”

Finishing her preparations, Noelle stood up straight, her face set in grim determination. “Sure am.”

“I think maybe I should handle it,” Livia said worriedly.

Noelle waved her off. “It’s fine. You’re already busy enough with your own duties, right? This is for me—for us—to look after. Our time to shine.” The mark on the back of her hand began glowing faintly, its light piercing the fabric of her glove in the shape of the Priestess crest.

Livia tried to argue the point, but Angie put a hand on her shoulder, making her snap her mouth shut. 

Angie turned her gaze to Noelle. “Alzer’s known for its unbeaten defenses. Show us what your people are made of.”

Noelle smiled wanly. “You should add that they were unbeaten until Leon showed up. Or are you taking a potshot at us?”

Angie snickered. “Maybe a little. But I am expecting you to pull this off, Noelle.”

“You got it!” Noelle moved to the front of the bridge, where Cleare promptly displayed a hologram of Lelia. Although the two weren’t aboard the same ship, it looked as if they stood next to one another. Lelia’s voice came through as well, allowing them to communicate.

The twins faced each other.

“You ready for this, Big Sis?” asked Lelia.

“Of course,” said Noelle. “You’d better not cry uncle halfway through.”

“You’ve got no business poking fun at me when you’re in that kind of getup.”

Noelle recoiled. “Wait! Just so we’re clear, it’s a high-performance suit, all right?! And Leon loved it!” Her cheeks were beet red.

“Ugh. Don’t brag to me about your love life in the middle of battle!” 

“Ready for you two to do your stuff anytime,” said Cleare, indicating that all her preparations were complete.

Noelle snapped her eyes shut and took a deep breath. Lelia mirrored her actions, although the two hadn’t planned this beforehand. After a moment, they slowly opened their eyes.

“Bestow upon us your power, Sacred Tree,” said Noelle.

“Emile,” called Lelia, “lend us your strength.”

The sapling on the Licorne’s bridge emanated green light that washed over the entire ship. Monsters lunged toward their vessel but were destroyed the moment they came near.

“If you think our Sacred Tree’s weak just because he’s still a sapling, you’re in for a world of hurt,” said Noelle.

The power filling the air around her lifted her ponytail, causing the strands to billow. The same phenomenon occurred around her sister.

“You monsters have no more business on this battlefield,” said Lelia.

When the monsters were gone, the entire fleet sped forward.

***

The imperial army’s command room went into an uproar as the royal army destroyed all their monsters. Bathed in green light, royal ships surged toward them, right through the swarm of beasts Arcadia had produced. How exactly had they done it? 

In the din and clamor of the room, Moritz’s men tried desperately to find an answer. Only Moritz remained stock-still, arms folded as he stared at the monitor.

Arcadia’s enormous eye narrowed. He studied the enemy fleet. “That white ship that moved to the front of their formation must be the source of this faint light,” he concluded. He’d noticed the Licorne the instant it pulled ahead.

The staff officers in the room had likewise pinpointed the cause.

“Was an Alzer battleship really spotted among the enemy forces?”

“Yes, their presence has been confirmed.”

“Then could this be the power of the Sacred Tree we’ve heard so many rumors about? Still, it’s strange. Those powers shouldn’t work unless the Sacred Tree is nearby.”

Arcadia listened as they tried to puzzle out this mystery. An unsettling grin spread across his face. “Ah, the tree that absorbs demonic essence? So, they call it a Sacred Tree, then? What an exaggerated name.”

With that, he set his own attack in motion. This time, he didn’t use his main cannon; instead, numerous magic circles manifested in the air around the fortress.

“Time for a little investigation.”

A concentrated beam of magical energy exploded from each circle, stretching toward the royal army. Even a single beam was devastating enough to destroy a battleship merely by grazing it, and Arcadia had released several hundred.

***

Noelle and Lelia raised a barrier using the power of their Sacred Trees, shielding their allies from Arcadia’s barrage. Each blow placed enormous strain on the girls. Sticky, uncomfortable sweat beaded on Noelle’s skin.

“Miss Noelle?!” Livia cried.

Noelle shook her head. She tried to smile, but through the pain, it came out weak and unnatural. “This is nothing,” she said. “Don’t you dare underestimate us.”

Lelia wrinkled her nose at her twin’s bravado. Yet, exasperated as she was, she looked happy too. She was suffering just as much as Noelle, but she also shared her sister’s determination.

“Having a rough time, aren’t you, Big Sis? You haven’t had much of a chance to wield the Sacred Tree’s power,” said Lelia.

Noelle scoffed. “Aren’t you the one at her limit? I don’t mind. You can lean on your Big Sis to take care of the rest if you need to.”

“And here I was thinking you’d matured a little,” Lelia grumbled back at her. “You’re pissing me off now as much as you ever did.”

They were as determined as they were competitive.

Noelle thrust her fists out in front of her. “You’d better not think you can get through our defenses so easily!” she shouted at Arcadia, who was now visible in the distance.

***

Arcadia’s eye widened, but it didn’t last long. He was only mildly surprised by the enemy’s ability to deflect his attack, and his usual calculating expression soon returned. “I see. So, that’s not enough to knock you down. Still, I somehow doubt you can keep these defenses up forever.”

Since the royal army had only utilized this method when they were at a disadvantage, Arcadia surmised that the Sacred Tree had limitations.

“Either there are certain prerequisites for using the tree, or that was your trump card to accelerate closer to us. But will you be able to block this?”

A single enormous magic circle manifested in front of the fortress, several smaller circles appearing belatedly around it. Together, they gathered all the power from the ship’s main cannon for a larger-scale attack.

***

Once Noelle and Lelia activated their barrier, Fact and his fellow AIs busied themselves with their calculations.

“I shall positively adjust my evaluation of Lady Noelle and Lady Lelia’s abilities considerably. Thanks to their efforts, we are much closer to victory,” Fact muttered to himself.

With the threat of the monsters gone, they could move at full speed, shrinking the distance between themselves and the imperial army.

“Our newest calculations suggest we can reach Arcadia before our last shield ship falls,” said a nearby AI.

Assuming nothing unforeseen happened, they would retain more military strength than Fact had initially predicted, greatly increasing their odds of victory.

“Maintain speed and fix any deviations in our formation,” Fact ordered.

“Arcadia is powering up his main cannon for an attack,” reported one AI. “His target…is the Licorne.”

***

Fact promptly alerted the Licorne that Arcadia was going after them directly.

That sent Cleare into an immediate panic. “That rotten jerk! He wants to get rid of us because we’re blocking his attacks!” Rage bled into her voice.

Perspiration beaded on Noelle’s brow as she poured herself into controlling the Sacred Tree’s power.

“Lady Noelle,” Yumeria murmured, tears welling in her eyes.

Noelle flashed her a smile. “It’s fine. We’re the ones at the fore right now. If I don’t give this my all, I won’t be able to hold my head up proudly in front of Leon.” Her gaze swiveled to Lelia. “You’d better not make a run for it just because you’re scared, Lelia.”

“Ha! I should be warning you not to pass out,” Lelia huffed.

Despite the pressing threat of Arcadia’s main cannon, they kept a lighthearted attitude, bantering with each other. It was all bravado. Both were thinking the same thing: If we don’t pretend this is a walk in the park, then when the blast hits, holding steady will be that much harder. We’ve both got to step it up right here and now.

Steeled to see this through, Noelle glanced again at her sister, who seemed to sense exactly what she wanted to say. Lelia nodded, and Noelle grinned. “Tell Fact not to send out a shield ship.”

Cleare spun around. “You can’t be serious. You’re planning to shield us against his main cannon? There’s no reason to push yourself that hard.”

“When should I ever push myself, if not now?” Noelle shook her head. “It’ll be fine. You might not know it from looking at me, but I’m made of pretty tough stuff.” She grinned.

Livia clasped her hands tightly and began to pray. “Good luck, Miss Noelle.”

“I told you, I’ve got this. Besides, if Leon were here in my place, I’m sure he wouldn’t want to hold anything back. He’d want to show ’em what he’s worth.” Knowing him, he’d drive himself past his limits too. That was why she had to push through it.

Noelle and Lelia held out their right hands. Both their crests manifested in the air in front of the Licorne, creating a layered barrier over the ship.

“Have our allies stay behind us! We’ll stop this blast right in its tracks!” shouted Lelia.

Cleare cried, “Here it comes!”

A second later, red-black light exploded forth and slammed into the Licorne’s barriers. Lelia received the impact first. Her face crumpled, contorting in agony.

“Lelia?!” Noelle gasped out her sister’s name.

Through sharp breaths, Lelia gasped out, “I’m alive, thanks to Emile, and I’m not going to waste that miracle here!” She summoned all her strength, withstanding the blast until it completely overpowered her. Then her barrier shattered, and it was Noelle’s turn to shoulder the burden.

“This is…rough,” she squeaked out. The blast was powerful enough to knock her back through the air, but she braced her legs and kept her footing through sheer willpower. “I have…to keep living, for Leon, and for everyone else…so I can’t let myself die here!”

The crest on the back of her hand glowed brightly. Outside, her crest and barrier managed to outlast the attack.

Behind her, Carla and Kyle jumped up and down in excitement. They threw their arms around each other and squealed.

“They did it! They did it, Kyle!” enthused Carla.

“They did!” he cried in agreement. “They held out against the enemy’s attack!” 

Noelle collapsed onto her bottom, her whole body drenched in sweat. She drew gasping breaths, finding it hard to get enough oxygen. “Did you…see that?”

Livia and Angie raced to her side. They were joined shortly after by Marie, who paused briefly to glance at the hologram of Lelia. “You did an amazing job too,” Marie murmured to her.

Noelle craned her neck, following Marie’s gaze to where Lelia sprawled on the floor, eyes closed. Those with her had rushed to her side and were helping to lift her up. It seemed she was at least still breathing, just unconscious.

“You were a big help,” Noelle told her younger twin. “Thank you.” With that, her heavy eyelids shut, carrying her into darkness to join her sister.

Angie and Livia kept holding her. “You did amazing, withstanding that attack,” Angie said.

“Yes. Thanks to your efforts, we’re even closer to the imperial army,” added Livia.

The enemy was easily visible nearby.

***

On the bridge of the Alzer Republic ship, Clement cradled Lelia in his arms. He was with her to serve as her bodyguard. 

“My lady!” he cried desperately. “Lady Lelia!” 

Lelia’s eyelids finally fluttered open, and she winced in pain. “D-did we manage to block the attack?”

Clement settled down. “Yes. Yes, thanks to your efforts, our allies are as yet unharmed! We’re also significantly closer to reaching the imperial army.”

That proximity was an enormous boon for the royal army, and it was thanks to the twins. Those in the ship with Lelia had newfound respect for her after her accomplishment. The soldiers with the wherewithal to salute her quickly did so.

Lelia smiled back at them, relieved to have carried out her duty. Her clothes were drenched in sweat. “I’m glad to hear it,” she said. “And I’m sorry to ask, but please let me rest. I’m worn out.” She went limp in Clement’s arms, falling back into unconsciousness.

Clement held her tight. “You and your sister have blossomed into incredible young women.”