T5 Holy-Redeemer-class Heavy Interstellar Armored Heavy-Artillery Battleship · flagship bridge
One saw a commander of somewhat small stature standing upon the command platform; and behind her war-skirt an opening had been left on purpose, through which a black tail swayed of itself.
She it is who is commander of the Owl Dragon Eighth Legion.
"The enemy has appeared; Owl Dragon Eighth Legion, whole fleet, make ready for battle!" Her order went through the whole of the Owl Dragon Eighth Legion.
Ye Xiaotong, of the Black Cat clan.
Of Warhammer's half-beast-folk likewise.
She belongs to that first body of officers who followed Charlotte in following Zhao Chen; and being then an excellent mecha pilot, she came into the first mecha squads within the Owl Dragon Legion.
Where Ye Xiaotong stood out from the rest, and became commander of the first mecha squad of all!
Afterward Zhao Chen found that Ye Xiaotong had no small talent for command upon a field.
And so arranged for her to go for advanced study aboard a Goddess Academy-class starship; and after a stretch of study she became an excellent captain.
Under Zhao Chen's and Charlotte's cultivating she has followed the Owl Dragon Legion the whole way to where it stands now.
Her talent may fall far short of the other legion commanders'.
But she works exceedingly hard!
And with that standing of hers as one of the founders besides, she has naturally come to hold a seat among the ten Owl Dragon legion commanders of the present day.
The Black Cat Ye Xiaotong kept her eyes upon the interception district opposite.
Very soon demon interstellar warships appeared out of the empty air, one after another.
Ten… a hundred… a thousand… ten thousand…
Their number grew and grew, until at a stroke this interception district looked exceedingly crowded.
"Reporting — by comparison against the database.
"What has appeared before us is one of the Demon Race's original twelve legions, the King-of-the-North Legion!
"At full establishment it is said to hold four hundred thousand interstellar warships.
"In number, among the twelve demon legions, that is not many.
"But it belongs beyond doubt to their picked troops!
"And is called besides one of the Demon King's three war-blades!" The secretary officer beside her called up the data upon this King-of-the-North demon legion at speed.
The Black Cat Ye Xiaotong kept her eyes upon the Demon Race warships opposite; she too could feel that these demon warships were out of the common — though the models they use may all be the same as the other demon fleets'.
But the air about them is another thing altogether.
The Black Cat Ye Xiaotong had fought the Red Demon Legion, the Ghoul Legion and the Balam Legion before this, and none of them carried the mighty air of this King-of-the-North demon legion before her.
"Interstellar missile ships and interstellar gunships, open fire at once!
"Full firepower coverage!
"Interstellar frigates and interstellar destroyers, make the ring of encirclement firm at once; interstellar battleships, press up!
"Interstellar cruisers and interstellar battlecruisers, prepare to run through the enemy formation, and be ready to support at the same time.
"Carrier starships, launch the interstellar fighters and the drone swarms at once!" the Black Cat Ye Xiaotong ordered.
These orders, in truth, all of them had by heart already.
For a battle of ambush of this kind the Owl Dragon Legion has long had a whole and particular scheme of operation, which very nearly every Owl Dragon captain knows and has by heart.
"Scan the other side's warship count for me; I will have exact intelligence.
"And let the rear know our case here!"
There was something grave upon the Black Cat Ye Xiaotong's face; it seemed she had already marked something. "We shall most likely be needing support."
Amid a sky full of gunfire, as the King-of-the-North demon legion's fleet took the first round of attack.
The Black Cat Ye Xiaotong's side came by the intelligence she wanted.
The enemy has above three hundred thousand interstellar warships, of which better than two hundred thousand are T3-grade and above a hundred thousand are T4.
And besides these, thirty T5 interstellar warships!
Which data set something heavy upon the Black Cat Ye Xiaotong's face.
By the experience of fighting the Red Demon Legion before this, a demon legion fleet of such a number should carry only three T5 interstellar warships or thereabouts.
And here, now, there are thirty!
The proportion enlarged a full tenfold.
And the proportion of T3 warships to T4 has gone from the ten to one of before to a startling two to one!
Though in the matter of T5 interstellar warships the Owl Dragon Legion fears no one.
Yet it must be remembered that the Owl Dragon Eighth Legion, its enlargement now complete, has but thirty thousand interstellar warships.
And must face ten times its number in enemies — picked fleets of such a grade besides!
Let her be careless in the least degree, and this battle of ambush might well be turned into a hard battle.
To guard against a mischance she could only carry out the emergency scheme.
"Reporting — the enemy's attack is exceedingly fierce.
"Gaps have appeared already in our ring of encirclement; the enemy has even begun to strike back!" the adjutant said with some astonishment.
The Black Cat Ye Xiaotong looked at the interstellar war sand-table before her; in ten short minutes.
Upon the line of the encirclement there had appeared several districts giving off a red light, which means that in that part of the field there is a risk of being broken through.
And this under the first round of firepower from the Owl Dragon Eighth Legion's interstellar missile ships and gunships.
From which one may imagine how hard a bone this King-of-the-North demon legion is to gnaw!
The Black Cat Ye Xiaotong clenched her fist; the tail behind her had, at some point or other, fallen slack upon the floor.
What she could do now was only to wait.
…………
King-of-the-North demon legion · flagship
"Reporting, my lord — that round of firepower from the enemy just now.
"Has cost us ten thousand interstellar warships, the greater part of them T3-grade." A sergeant in armor spoke to the demon marshal who sat upon an ice-white captain's throne.
One saw a humanoid creature in armor of a medieval fashion seated upon the throne, covered very nearly from head to foot in that armor, and upon his head a helmet with a cross-shaped slit.
Through the cross-shaped slit one could see a pair of pupils of a deep blue.
And now and again a cold vapor would issue from it.
Come near this demon marshal, and one feels besides a chill that pierces to the bone.
This is one of the original twelve demon marshals — Marshal King-of-the-North.
"The attackers." Marshal King-of-the-North opened.
"They are of the Owl Dragon Legion — the Eighth Legion," his subordinate reported.
"How many starships," Marshal King-of-the-North inquired again.
"Above thirty thousand interstellar warships."
Hearing that answer, Marshal King-of-the-North was plainly silent a while, and the temperature about him fell of a sudden several degrees further.
One could even see no little frost appear about the throne.
"His Majesty has bidden us go to the relief; we are not to be held up here too long," Marshal King-of-the-North said darkly.
"Yes; set your mind at rest, Marshal.
"We shall within the shortest time…"
And just as this subordinate was speaking, a cry of alarm came.
"Reporting — a spatial anomaly stirs upon the field's right; it seems… it seems interstellar warships have appeared!"
Marshal King-of-the-North raised a hand, and a video picture appeared with it.
One saw a shining ring of light; and when the brightness dispersed, one could see some three hundred interstellar warships hanging within that sea of stars.