Youjo Senki - Volume 12 - Chapter 2.4

THE SAME DAY, IN THE SKIES ABOVE THE ILDOAN PENINSULA

Two young mages flew triumphantly through the skies of the Old World. They belonged to the Corinth 7th Aerial Magic Regiment of the Unified States Expeditionary Forces in Ildoa. The cold yet ever blue November skies were teeming with signs of the war, punctuated by the occasional cannon fire that was audible in the distance.

Bravery was a by-product of the pilots who breathed in the air of an active battlefield. Their deployment to Ildoa was sudden, but Corinth mages were beginning to gain confidence in their abilities after a handful of encounters with the Imperial forces. Their mission: interdicting the rapidly advancing Imperial army. In the small amount of time that had passed since the cease-fire ended, the Corinth mages had managed to push back the enemy forces they had met thus far. Their unit’s casualties had been minimal, and the mages were slowly losing their fear of the Imperial Army.

Confidence was born from accumulating successes. They all fought bravely, with a sense of adventure in their hearts and a desire unique to younger soldiers eager to show off to their peers. For soldiers more comfortable on the battlefield, they even made room for pursuing their love interests.

This was true for Jackson, at least. He wanted his crush to see him do his job well. First Lieutenant Jackson was happy to learn that his flight partner for scouting the area that day was First Lieutenant Jessica, his fellow soldier he had feelings for.

Jackson was too serious for his own good, as the other soldiers would often put it. His seriousness manifested itself during their surveillance with him keeping his eyes off Jessica and fixated on the main road below him. Even his superior, who went out of his way to pair him up with Jessica, would’ve been proud of his professionalism.

It was this diligence that eventually allowed him to pick up on the faintest of mana signals coming from the ground below.

“Jessica! We’ve come into contact with a mana signal!”

“It’s 02, John. Ah, I mean 01!”

The two shared an awkward smile when they both forgot to use each other’s call signs after suddenly making contact. Then they started seeking out the source of the signal. There were multiple signals moving together.

“01 to 02. It appears to be a unit of mages. What do you think?”

“I think you’re right. But the signals are very faint…”

As far as these two knew, the signals they were tracking were expertly disguised. They had heard that the Imperial Army was full of highly skilled mages, but this was more than they’d expected.

“Do you think they’re Imperial mages?”

“That would explain why their signals are so hard to track. I think we’ve hit the jackpot this time.”

First Lieutenant Jackson received a compliment from his counterpart, whom he had feelings for. While he took a brief moment to bask in the afterglow, he knew he needed to remain vigilant about his surroundings. Every moment needed to be treated like it was a battle. He took this to heart and always operated in a reliable manner.

The pair continued to observe the enemies below while making their report.

“CP, CP! This is Boxer 01! We have confirmation of Imperial mages in our patrol area!”

“CP to Boxer 01. We don’t see any unknown mana signals coming from there. Do you have visual confirmation?”

Jackson was looking through his binoculars as he answered command’s question in a firm tone.

“Boxer 01 to CP, I’m sure of it. Visual confirmation on mounted enemies! I believe their mages are traveling by ground, just like in training. They are a powerful unit using an extremely high level of signal concealment while advancing!”

Mages hiding their mana signals while attempting to lay an ambush was standard. For the Corinth Regiment, at least.

Corinth’s commander had experienced the various tactics employed by the Imperial Army’s elite mages in the east and thoroughly relayed what to look out for to the entire regiment, such as Jackson and Jessica, through meticulous training. Jackson knew in this moment that it was thanks to Corinth’s organizational power that they would be victorious.

“We can’t confirm from over here. Have you confirmed their mana signals?”

“It’s very weak, but there’s definitely a signal. It seems the enemy mages are trying to bypass our patrols by concealing their mana signals.”

The faintest of signals could be caught between both Jackson and Jessica keeping a watchful eye out during their patrol. They knew that the Imperial Army would likely use these tactics, and the fact that they required visual confirmation could only mean one thing.

“Outstanding work, Boxer!”

“I think we got lucky on this one.”

“CP copies. We understand the situation. The Corinth Regiment will deploy ASAP. Connecting you to Corinth 01. Relay the enemy’s movements to them.”

Friendly forces were going to act on their discovery. This single encounter might have an impact on the overall tide of this war.

Lieutenant Jackson was beginning to feel excited, but he knew he needed to keep his cool as he shared what he saw on the ground with regimental command.

“Corinth 01 to Boxer, what do you see?”

“Boxer 01 to Corinth Battalion. We have a battalion’s worth of enemy mages in vehicular transit on the ground making their way into our defensive line. Our position is…”

Where is our position again?

He knew the position… It was on the tip of his tongue, but for some reason, he just couldn’t recall the radio code for the airspace he was flying in.

Where are we again? Why can’t I remember?

It was so simple, and yet he couldn’t recall it for some reason. This was when he felt a tap on his shoulder.

“This is 02 to Corinth 01. We’re in Airspace CV42. CV42.”

Jessica’s soft, gentle voice chimed in to answer Corinth command’s question.

Jackson gave her a heavy nod, to which she responded with a wave and a smile.

“Corinth 01, copy that. You both did well, Boxer. We need to hit their mages to maintain the capital’s defensive line. We’re going to deploy immediately. Keep an eye on the enemy from the sky.”

“Boxer 01, roger that!”

“So, what can you tell us about the enemy? I want details. What do you two see, Boxer?”

So far, everything Jackson had done had been by the book. Something he’d practiced over and over again. He had tried to get a better idea of who they were dealing with, but he had yet to come up with anything.

“The enemy mana signal is too faint. It’s hard to get a reading.”

“Boxer 02, the same goes for me. One thing’s for sure. The strength of the mana signal is far too low for a unit this size. They are most definitely veterans.”

Hearing Boxer’s response, the regimental commander brought the two into another channel, where high command was waiting to discuss how the army would handle the skies.

“Corinth 01 to High Command. We doubt a single mage battalion would breach our line on their own. Requesting aerial reconnaissance from the rear.”

“Affirmative, Corinth 01. One of the navy’s planes just saw what we believe to be an enemy panzer unit.”

While listening in on the discussion between their regiment and high command, it hit Jackson. The Imperial Army was about to make their move. Had he and Jessica not found this battalion, the enemy’s elite mages may have struck behind their defensive line with the element of surprise. He glared down at the enemy, as his sense of duty slowly transformed into an intense desire to fight. Perhaps that was why he somehow knew the orders he was about to receive from the regiment leader were going to be of grave importance.

“You heard the man, Boxer. The enemy is likely the vanguard for a large-scale attack.”

Now, the regiment commander spoke with an apologetic tone.

“I’m hoping you two can get more information for me… Is it possible for you to approach the enemy to confirm whether or not they’re the panzer unit we’re looking for?”

Jackson shot Jessica a look to see what she thought about regimental command’s request. They were being asked to dive deeper into the enemy’s airspace, without backup. This would be exceedingly dangerous, but they both recognized the need, given the circumstances.

“We won’t be able to keep an eye on the mages if we leave our current airspace, but they are in the location we told you. If we can be of service elsewhere, then…”

“It would really help if you volunteered to do this…”

“Then of course we will!”

The pair showed no hesitation in accepting the new mission.

“We can do it! Even their mages failed to detect us… Their defenses may not be as tight as we thought. You don’t need to worry about us!”

“Corinth 01, we appreciate you volunteering to help. But be sure to remain vigilant. One thing’s for sure: The enemy knows what they are doing.” The regiment commander maintained a serious tone. “You mustn’t underestimate them. When you are in their airspace, remember the difference between courage and recklessness. You can abort the mission if you feel it’s too dangerous.”

“Boxer 01, roger that. 02 agrees. We’ll go as far as we can!”

Lieutenant Jackson and Lieutenant Jessica volunteered knowing the mission would be dangerous. There was an innocence to their bravery, as they accepted the mission without the slightest idea of what was waiting for them. They would be alone in enemy territory. Even a veteran would show some hesitance, given the circumstances, but these two showed firm resolution in their desire to help the regiment.

That resolution would be what let them escape the jaws of fate.

When it came to luck, God was not on the Unified States Aerial Magic Corinth Regiment’s side. Even though they were the epitome of what a regiment could be, the disregard for their safety by the heavens could only be considered cruel.

The regiment was made up of elites from the Unified States, who were hand-selected to be sent to the Old World. They numbered 108 and stood at the forefront of the army in terms of training, equipment, and natural ability.

In fact, historians would have no qualms recognizing that the Corinth Regiment was one of the most prestigious units of its time. This was especially true of its leader, who was prepared for anything. He was particularly enthusiastic about learning through combat, and his deep understanding of military topography was highly regarded by his peers.

Above all else, the Corinth Regiment commander was a mage who led from the front. He was a true leader, an intellectual, and a brave officer who cared for his subordinates.

His unit was filled with top-notch soldiers who were well trained and were able to take advantage of their high coordination in combat. Experts agreed that the Corinth Aerial Magic Regiment had everything that could be asked for in an elite unit, except for the fact that they had been abandoned by God.

Even the decision to deploy forward in order to bolster the Ildoan capital’s defensive line was a sound decision.

They had a regiment’s worth of mages waiting in the sky for their orders, who all deployed as soon as the call came. Although it was a bit overkill in terms of manpower, it was an extremely appropriate decision. When multiple mana signals suddenly appeared on the ground below, they were able to react without hesitation.

Those who lived to tell the tale would remark that it was just as they had expected. Enemy mages trying to sneak toward the capital by traveling along the ground had been predicted long before the Boxer duo found them. That was how the appearance of multiple explosion formulas on the ground was met with minimal confusion.

The Corinth mages handled their first contact with the enemy with expert speed and precision. They raised defensive shells while immediately climbing higher. This was a textbook response to enemy mages springing an ambush from the ground. It was like seeing honor students in action. Their follow-up was equally impressive, as they quickly returned fire to suppress those on the ground. These mages were different from those who knew their tactics only by the books. They were true warriors.

The Unified States mages in the Corinth Regiment carried out their commander’s orders to the tee…only to meet their demise that day.

They made a single mistake.

These skilled mages were, unfortunately, up against a beast of war born from blood and iron.

For they knew not the danger of the man-eating demon that was the 203rd.

“Drop your formulas and charge! Charge!”

Before Tanya can even finish her concise orders, her battalion abandons the bikes on the ground as they shoot into the sky.

The initial explosion formulas were nothing more than a distraction. Tanya and her soldiers know that an explosion formula wouldn’t have much effect against an enemy already expecting an attack from the ground. They know from their experience in the east how ineffective they are against a proper defensive shell (this is especially true when dealing with Federation soldiers).

Only amateurs would make the mistake of thinking mages are soft enough targets to be blown out of the sky with a single explosion. Formulas don’t do much more than bend reality. Just like bayonets, however, magic blades cut right through the problem.

“Rush them! Break up their formation!”

It isn’t rare for melee combat to be the answer when individual soldiers are capable of holding their own against an opponent. The 203rd Aerial Mage Battalion is a powerful unit known for its hit-and-run tactics. Up against an entire regiment, it’s best for us to stick with what we know.

Maintaining the bare-minimum defensive shell, they use the rest of their mana to increase their altitudes. There’s a reason the Elinium Arms Type 97 is called an assault computation orb.

The dual core excels at acceleration above all else. Like an out-of-control mustang, the Type 97 is more than capable of bucking an unskilled pilot, paying no mind to what happens to its rider. Nevertheless, this is an excellent piece of machinery. With the right knight, even an unruly horse can be an incredible stallion. The unstoppable, menacing acceleration these orbs produce is akin to…the heavy cavalry of the past. With the right officer and right environment, the Empire’s enemies would get the full experience of the orb’s destructive power and force.

“Unsheathe your magic blades! Show these manual thumpers what real violence and mayhem look like!”

As Tanya barks her orders, she finds herself overcome with a poetic mindset. She decides to give a bit of a supplementary explanation to let her soldiers know the significance of this encounter.

“Let us show our friends from the New World the essence of war!”

When I turn, I find my battalion accelerating beautifully upward beside me.

I’m satisfied to see that even the newer Lieutenant Wüstemann is able to keep up with the more veteran members of my battalion, such as Major Weiss and Lieutenant Grantz.

Then I glance over at our enemies, who are putting on a more pitiful show.

They’re caught completely off guard by the sudden assault and have halted in a moment’s hesitation.

“It seems like our new friends were expecting a shoot-out!”

A wide grin appears on Tanya’s face. Their assumption was a safe one. Nobody expects a frontal assault when the sheer firepower of an entire regiment can be brought to bear. It didn’t take long for them to snap out of their stupor, but…a moment’s hesitation is lethal when the Type 97 can bring Imperial mages within striking distance. By the time they come to their senses and try to maneuver away, it’s already too late.

Could they stop the charging cavalry with their broken formation? And not just against any cavalry, but the battle-hardened knights of the Empire?

It’s inhumane how clear the answer to this question is: unequivocally, no.

Were this possible, mages wouldn’t be feared by foot soldiers, and the Devil of the Rhine moniker would be more cute than anything else.

Leaving my back to Lieutenant Serebryakov, I cut right through the shattered regiment’s formation like a hot knife through butter.

This is just the natural way of things. It’s war logic, in the same way the heavier side of the scale brings up the lighter side. These beasts are born from ration and necessity. They are fearsome Imperial monsters, with fangs sharpened by modern technology, and they will use their fangs with expert precision to consume people. Their opponents, the Unified States Corinth Regiment, are, for better or for worse, a solid and sound unit of mages. They respond to the sudden rush by the book they trained with.

“Corinth Leader to all units! Distance yourselves from the enemy! Then get back into formation!”

The regimental commander gives his levelheaded orders, which are appropriate by any standard. When on the receiving end of an ambush, an army should retreat as soon as possible. With enough distance, they could take the time to get back into formation and organize a counterattack. This is a perfectly acceptable method for handling a sudden ambush.

The leader’s decision to reposition his forces is a good one, but reality is cruel. As correct as his decision may be, his troops lack the experience to carry out his orders proactively, and they need more time to process their new orders.

Falling out of their initial position already created a lag in their reaction times. Some of them are able to move exactly how they trained. These soldiers, who follow their commander’s orders precisely, fall back and form up without trouble.

Other soldiers take a bit more time to kick into action. The moment they process their new orders, they fear splitting off from their companions, who are already retreating. Thus, in order to catch up, they accelerate as quickly as they can.

And the rest…are too preoccupied by the enemies flying toward them with blades at the ready. Before they can process their new orders, they realize what’s happened—they’ve been left behind by their allies and are in grave danger. The panic that hits them blocks out everything they learned in training.

Not a single one of them knows why this is happening. It doesn’t matter, for while they spend their final moments in a confused panic, the enchanting glimmer of the Imperial mages’ blades are the last thing they see as their spinal fluid spills from their bodies onto the ground below.

This is the moment the scale tips in the Empire’s favor. The Unified soldiers are in disarray. Their once perfectly organized formation has been, ironically enough, thrown into chaos by a single optimal order, making their soldiers easy prey in the sky. Prey that has the misfortune of sharing the sky with this war’s apex predator, the vile 203rd.

“Dominate them, comrades! Dominate! Dominate! Dominate!”

As unfortunate as the situation is for the Unified side, Tanya isn’t going to let this prime chance pass her by as she waves her hand vigorously to urge her soldiers forward, barking orders, and even conducting an attack of her own.

A pursuit is always the ideal position to be in for a commanding officer. Nothing makes a better target than an enemy’s back. This is especially true when the enemy is running after committing a grave error.

Though the orders I need to give are simple enough, a bit of creativity to spice them up and rally the troops never hurts. I’m always willing to go the extra mile as a good boss when it comes to improving my employees’ work environment.

“It’s party time, comrades!”

“What should we do for our main course, Colonel?”

Tanya shows the makings of a grimace at her adjutant’s nonchalant question before deciding to go along with it. A party does need a main course, after all. And it’s the host’s job to provide a meal for their guests that suits the occasion.

Naturally, this would be easy enough to procure. They couldn’t ask for fresher imported meat considering what was staring right at them.

“It’s a bit late, but how about a nice Thanksgiving dinner? We have fresh turkey from the New World just waiting to be shot! Live game, if you will! Ha-ha-ha!”

I laugh at my own cheeky joke. Our forces are elegantly running wild through the enemy lines.

War is silly. Which is why I believe it’s important to step back and laugh at it from time to time. As I do exactly that, I take this opportunity to check up on my subordinates.

“Tell me, Lieutenant Wüstemann! Are you enjoying the party?!”

“Y-yes!”

It isn’t the most confident response I’ve ever heard, but he gets a passing grade for being able to answer in the first place during an all-out aerial brawl. It’s proof that he’s aware of his surroundings and not too focused on his enemy. I’d taken him for an inexperienced officer, but it seems he’s grown into his role swimmingly.

“Ha-ha-ha, you’ve gotten used to this already. You should be proud of yourself, Lieutenant. We’re up against the enemy’s best and brightest textbook-thumping elites.”

I plant my magic blade in the chest of an enemy mage, creating another red stain in Ildoa’s blue sky while praising my subordinate’s hard work.

“A single good deed is worth a thousand words. You’re doing a good job for your first time. I’m looking forward to seeing you rack up your score and eventually garnering a name of your own.”

Tanya’s words of encouragement are interrupted by Lieutenant Grantz yelling out as he cuts down another mage.

“No fair! A new recruit’s score shouldn’t even count!”

The first lieutenant, who’s worked hard for his score, complains loudly. I remember how difficult it was for him to raise his score back on the Rhine and flash a big smile as I home in on my next target.

I take aim, adjust my weapon, then fire. As soon as I’m done, I offer Grantz some frank advice as I liquefy the enemy at close range with my submachine gun.

“Come now, Lieutenant Grantz! The times are changing! Nothing wrong with a little workplace reform, eh?”

“What?!”

“Resistance is futile! The workplace is always changing! For the better!”

Each time the survivors of the assault try to regroup in company-sized units, the 203rd immediately cuts them down. The 203rd, broken up into four companies, continues its coordinated assault to prevent the enemy from reorganizing themselves while constantly knocking more mages out of the sky.

What broke the Corinth regiment’s morale the most was the Imperial mages’ shared laughter that could be heard during the onslaught. And why wouldn’t it? There was no way for them to predict aerial mages capable of flying at this speed, swinging their magic blades with smiles on their faces while their allies were turned to mincemeat.

This is their first time clashing with the unknown, and that unknown turns out to be a monstrous enemy who has come just to give them a bloodbath. Their will to fight all but dwindles as they stare into the jaws of this vicious beast of war.

Nevertheless, the Unified soldiers stand and fight. They take up their arms, just like they practiced in training, grip their orbs, and face their enemies.

Though only barely…it’s commendable that the regimental commander manages to marshal his troops enough to put up an organized resistance.

Though the Corinth Regiment was dealt a severe blow by an enemy mage battalion, the chain of command is still operational.

“They’re putting up a surprising amount of fight.”

Even I can’t help but notice their persistence. A smile appears on my face. Their resistance means little to the widely feared Devil of the Rhine, who can summon the Imperial Army’s war knowledge.

I clap my hands before pointing at the enemy officer showing the best movements among his peers.

“We won’t be needing him much longer.”

My adjutant hears my murmur and nods.

“Thanks to their officer’s hard work, we don’t have to worry about any stragglers getting away.”

“Precisely.”

Tanya grins.

“He saved us the hard work of finding a regiment’s worth of deserters.”

It’s no easy task chasing down a regiment with a battalion, but the enemy leader saved the 203rd from having to do this. Now that the numbers are about even, there is no point in delaying the inevitable any longer.

Time to finish them. I wave my arm.

“Let’s show them a plunge!”

Everyone understands the meaning of those words. There is a principle of war that is pertinent even outside of mage battles.

The higher the ground, the better.

We’re technically in the skies, but being higher is always the superior position. And with our Elinium Arms Type 97 Assault Computation Orbs…the Empire has the advantage in altitude. With the enemy huddling together in one place, we will plunge onto them from above. It’s a simple maneuver, but as effective as it is violent.

With our plunge, the clear blue sky is quickly filled with crimson petals that rain down toward the ground.