By Zephyria Bruno’s expression was earnest, even desperate.
“Supreme Commander, no. It’s too dangerous.”
He risked discourtesy and strongly opposed it. But Hugo, as if expecting such a reaction, did not waver at all.
“Based on the coordinates 78, 453 in the southern district of the peninsula, there are three small volcanoes and one medium volcano within a 10-mile radius. Among them, the one closest to the location where the core is hovering and with the least risk of additional damage is peak number 158 at 92, 511, 394.”
“Supreme Commander.”
“Let’s make this the primary target first, lie in ambush nearby, and then, depending on the situation, move to other candidates if he doesn’t move as expected.”
“Legion Commander―.”
Bruno called out to him repeatedly, pleading.
“The majority, no, almost everyone except for one or two people, judged that the operation had no chance of success. You abstained from the vote at the time, Legion Commander, but didn’t you feel the same way?”
“…I understand well enough what you want to say. But right now―.”
KWAH-AH-AH-AHNG―!
A barrage of explosive shockwaves ripped through the sky, as if urging the two decision-makers. The gust of wind that swept in with the vibration instantly covered the area.
As the sky beyond the ridge brightened and turned crimson, Bruno instinctively bent his knees and lowered his upper body. But Hugo opened his eyes wide and looked back at the source of the light. The red light poured onto his face, dyeing his blue eyes with a strange color.
“…Oh.”
Hugo’s anxious and low sigh scattered forward, where sparks were flying. There, dark red meteorites were tearing through the darkness and pouring down at a terrifying speed.
The air, heated to ultra-high temperatures, made the surrounding terrain shimmer like a mirage. It was an unreal sight that could easily be mistaken for a mirage, but the wind pressure that scratched at hair and skin made him realize that it was all too real.
In the middle of it all, a golden fire demon flickered, appearing and disappearing at the speed of light. Hugo quickly regained his senses and turned his eyes to Bruno.
“Don’t we lack the time we had back then? If there’s even a sliver of a chance to cut off his breath right now, shouldn’t we try anything?”
“Besides plan 5, there are other operations that have not yet been executed. Although the location of the Barrier Stone continues to change, there shouldn’t be any major problems in carrying out other operations with the current deployment. If they don’t fit the current situation, we can establish a new operation right away.”
Bruno straightened his back and answered almost like a machine gun. He glanced at the members running around, moving the injured to his and the Supreme Commander’s sides. Then, with a sigh that was barely audible, he continued.
“Supreme Commander, …I know this may sound disrespectful. But this is the duty and role I must perform in the subjugation force.”
“…….”
“I have also seen the success and failure of countless operations to get to this position. And frankly, even with my utmost imagination, I can’t quite judge whether plan 5 will succeed or not. Aside from the fact that it is an unprecedented operation, is it really possible for us humans to erupt a volcano with our own power?”
Kwaaaang―!
As if to ignore Bruno’s words, a series of roaring sounds and vibrations swept fiercely.
Bruno squinted for a moment because of the volcanic ash flying into his eyes, but he deployed an Aura behind Hugo, who was facing him. Then, thinking that he had unintentionally refuted what he was about to say, he turned the point to another direction.
“Even if we can try to do it, the problem is keeping the core in the sky above the crater before that. To keep it from moving, we have to keep launching attacks that could deal a fatal blow or suggestive attacks that could disrupt its mind, but who knows what will happen if we do that near a crater where magma is erupting. Besides, the problems that will occur after the volcanic eruption….”
“Dellua Rivera, the 12th Battalion Commander of our Central Branch, has an excellent ability to sense and control the flow of inanimate objects. I believe you remember all the grounds she listed when she expressed her opinion at the previous Council. If we readjust the location of the Barrier Stone based on her claims at the time, we can minimize the damage we are worried about. That’s why Leonardo is stepping up to buy time now.”
Hugo pointed to the flashing lights behind him with his hand.
“Do you think this time given to us is natural?”
His tone was still calm, but his expression hardened coldly along with his slightly raised voice. Perhaps that’s why Bruno, who was facing him, was speechless for a moment.
Hugo calmly opened his mouth.
“And what we have to do to hold the core is not attack. Isn’t there a Sealing Magic that can be used only by Battalion Commander-level?”
“Yes?”
Bruno asked back, thinking that he must have misheard. He didn’t want to believe that the Sealing Magic that the Supreme Commander was suggesting to try was ‘that’ one he was thinking of.
Since he didn’t want to talk about it, he remained silent, so Hugo lowered his arm and nodded lightly as if answering Bruno’s question. Seeing his firm nod, Bruno unknowingly covered his head in front of his superior.
“…Legion Commander, if you’re talking about the Pentagon….”
Bruno, whose face turned pale, stammered and trembled his lips slightly. The identity of the Sealing Magic he feared so much was one of the highest difficulty of the RAID 5 barrier, ‘Pentagon’, which had to be cast simultaneously by six Battalion Commander-level members of the Council.
Five casters create a parallel pentagon at regular intervals, and then generate very strong gravity in their respective directions. Then, at the apex of the pentagon, the gravity of the five directions overlaps, causing a distortion of space-time, and at this time, a strange phenomenon occurs in which the flow of time slows down only in that vicinity.
The target caught in this swamp of gravity becomes significantly slower, as if time has stopped, unless it is a transcendent and spiritual being that is not affected by gravity. In other words, it appears to be frozen, like a photograph capturing a moment, to those outside. It was a suitable method to catch the core running wild at a crazy speed.
However, this Sealing Magic has had clear advantages and disadvantages since ancient times. No matter how strong a demon beast, monster, or Mage is, as long as it is a creature living on this land, it has no choice but to be caught in the swamp of gravity. Therefore, the advantage was that it guaranteed nearly 99% effectiveness, while the disadvantage was that the duration of this magic was very short in inverse proportion to its certain effectiveness.
The reason was that even the casters had a hard time enduring the strong gravity that created the distortion of space-time, and there were often cases where they were dragged by the gravity generated by others or their bodies were torn apart.
Therefore, the key was to balance the five forces well, and for this balance, the person with the best mental and physical abilities had to stand and endure the entire gravity above or below the center of the pentagon and fully endure that power.
But the end of the Sealing Magic that was so hard to cast was obvious. All the casters were discharged and fell out with only a few seconds of casting. So, it was a terrifying magic that could never be used unless it was a national disaster or calamity, even if it was not Forbidden magic.
Bruno strongly dissuaded him because the Legion Commander was trying to do that now.
“If you use that, not only all the Battalion Commanders but also the Supreme Commander will be incapacitated. If you fail by any chance, you will lose the opportunity to change the route to another operation. Not only the consumption of Magic Power, but everyone is already exhausted, so I don’t know if their bodies can withstand that power….”
Bruno said that and slowly looked around. Not far away, Rainer was in critical condition and receiving treatment from a medical officer, and on the other side, Dellua was urgently stopping the bleeding in her abdomen.
This magic was a high-level magic that could only be performed by high-level personnel equivalent to Battalion Commanders, and it was difficult to secure six casters, excluding the two incapacitated.
That was why Hugo, who could have ordered the operation to be carried out, responded to Bruno’s objections one by one. Bruno’s power was also desperately needed to cast the Sealing Magic to be used in the operation.
“Vice Commander, shouldn’t we try it anyway?”
At that time, Hugo and Bruno turned their heads at the voice that suddenly intervened. It was Isabella, the 12th Battalion Commander, who was limping towards the two in a mess.
She breathed heavily as if she had pain in her chest, but she occasionally stopped breathing and frowned. Nevertheless, her sincere and clear gaze requested her direct superior, Bruno.
“We all know what the Vice Commander is worried about. But there is no place to retreat anymore.”
And at that moment, Dellua, who had struggled to get up, opened her mouth with a voice that was half-resting, holding the dirt floor with her hand.
“I… can do it too. Please let me participate.”
Unlike her breathless breath, a relatively coherent sentence was conveyed to Bruno. But Bruno, who knew Dellua’s condition, had a complicated expression. She was not in a situation to go to the battlefield at all right now.
Starting with Hugo Agrizendro, the Supreme Commander of the Central Branch, Meterion Kleinder, the 3rd Battalion Commander of the Central Branch, himself, the Vice Commander of the Southern Branch, Javier Crowe, the 7th Battalion Commander of the Southern Branch, and Isabella Roslin, the 12th Battalion Commander.
There were a total of 5 Battalion Commander-level personnel who could use their strength. Six casters were needed now, and one was missing.
After profound inner contemplation, Bruno turned his eyes to Hugo again to express his negative intention that it seemed impossible. He opened his mouth after a deep sigh.
“Rainer Molton Battalion Commander is in critical condition, and Dellua Rivera Battalion Commander is also seriously injured. There is one person missing.”
Then, as if refuting that statement, another person ran towards the three of them. It was Charlotte, who had been guarding Rainer’s side and rubbing her eyes so much that they were swollen.
“I, I will do it!”
Her eyes, which suddenly intervened, were filled with indescribable anger and spite. Her sharp expression was fierce, and her determination to do anything was mixed in her voice.
However, Bruno showed difficulty towards her. On the other hand, Hugo, who narrowed his eyes, asked Charlotte.
“The casting of this Sealing Magic requires considerable mental strength and ability that even Battalion Commander-level can hardly handle. I’m not underestimating your qualities as an excellent commander, but it’s not a position that a Deputy Commander-level can handle. Knowing that, are you saying that you will step up now?”
Even to Hugo’s words that told the situation in detail, Charlotte’s eyes did not change. Rather, she wiped her watery eyes again and stood at attention, firmly answering Hugo’s question.
“If my moronic superior can do it, I can do it too. Please trust me and leave it to me.”
The voice that was engraved in her ears did not waver even a bit. It planted in everyone’s minds the expectation that her abilities were no less than those of the Battalion Commander-level personnel here.
At Charlotte’s answer, Hugo quickly scanned around. Then he counted the number of people who would participate in the operation one by one.
“Up to Charlotte Hastings, a total of five people.”
Eventually, Hugo’s last gaze turned to Bruno. Bruno opened his mouth to say something, but in the end, he closed his mouth at the determined gazes of his subordinates surrounding him.
In the end, at his reluctantly nodding appearance, Hugo gestured concisely. Then, he made eye contact with each commander and continued in a solemn voice amidst the fierce explosions.
“It seems like everyone is here. From now on, focus on what I say.”