Holy Dragon Angel Legion · flagship
"Villain! That bitch Renee — she has betrayed us!" The War Angel King came onto Tilia's bridge with the Judgment Angel King's name cursed without cease upon his lips.
The veins stood out upon the War Angel King's head, and there were wounds upon him yet from his flight just now; even the fair feathers at his back were now disordered and out of all array.
Exceedingly bedraggled.
The angel Tilia, who had charge of commanding the field, seeing the War Angel King so far out of his bearing, handed the work in her hands for the present to her own adjutant.
Then walked before the War Angel King, raised a hand, and a seat appeared behind the War Angel King.
"My lord Angel King, the business is done already.
"However angry we may be, we cannot alter anything.
"What can be done now is to bring our losses down to the least!
"And afterward take longer counsel," the angel Tilia said.
"What longer counsel?
"Have you not heard the word? My War Angel Star Region has been destroyed by that stinking woman Renee.
"That is our Angel Race's greatest base of starship-building, and the heart's blood of my own line of the War Angel Kings.
"And before you came, she worked besides with Demon Race warships to beset my fleet, so that my fleet took grievous losses outright, and my own flagship fell with them.
"Had your support not come in time, I should now be a ghost beneath that fellow Renee's blade!
"Tilia!
"I must trouble you to set me out an interstellar warship; I want nothing now but to go and kill that fellow Renee!" the War Angel King roared.
At this moment the angel Tilia did not doubt the War Angel King's words in the least: were she truly to give him an interstellar warship, he would dare go single-handed to seek out the Judgment Angel King.
And just as the angel Tilia would have urged him further.
A holographic projection appeared upon the bridge.
It was the Holy Angel King.
"My lady." Seeing the Holy Angel King, the angel Tilia saluted with all reverence.
Upon learning that the Judgment Angel King and every legion fleet under her charge had turned traitor, the Holy Dragon Angel Legion had come at once to the support, seeking only to save the War Angel King!
They have lost a War Angel Star Region already, and have an Angel King turned traitor besides.
And should they lose an Angel King at such a time as this.
That is a price the Angel Race simply could not bear.
"Wells, are you unhurt?" The Holy Angel King looked the War Angel King over from head to foot.
"I am very well — well enough to tear that bitch Renee apart with my hands!" the War Angel King said with a cold laugh.
"I know your case entire. For this betrayal of Renee's.
"Our front has lost above five hundred thousand interstellar warships outright.
"And a further five hundred thousand warships are beset in their several places, and can hardly get free.
"Those able to draw out of the field are a bare three hundred thousand.
"And your War Angel Star Region has taken grievous losses besides…" The Holy Angel King was silent a while, and then said, "But however it be, we must not let anger turn our heads.
"We have not lost yet.
"What matters most now is to find means to gather in the legion fleets we hold, and save what angel legions may be saved.
"And then put down every one of those risings within our territories, and afterward take longer counsel.
"Until the last moment we may not give up.
"And as for the Judgment Angel King's betrayal — this account we shall set down!"
The Holy Angel King's speech was calm enough, and her voice besides is one that eases a man in spite of himself.
Perhaps for that reason, the War Angel King grew quieter now.
He sat down in the chair and let out a long sigh.
Raised a hand, and looked toward the angel Tilia. "Is there water?"
The angel Tilia at once set a robot to bring a cup of water.
The War Angel King took up the cup and drank it off outright, then set the cup heavily down.
And only at this moment did his feeling truly grow steady.
He said with a dark look, "That fellow Renee's plan this time was very complete.
"She has very nearly tangled up the whole of our angel legion fleets.
"And within our several territories besides there have broken out a dozen and more assaults, so that we cannot draw off any great number of legion fleets in a short time.
"And upon the front-line field, that counter-attacking force we had gathered together with such labor has at a stroke lost near half outright!
"She is a venomous snake; having caught this chance with such labor, she will by no means lightly let slip this one chance of dealing us a heavy wound!"
For cleverness, of the three Angel Kings it is the Judgment Angel King, ever silent and sparing of words, who stands first.
And the Angel Race's system of intelligence was in the main in the Judgment Angel King's charge.
Which is why this back-stab of the Judgment Angel King's took them wholly unlooked-for, and has worked besides an exceedingly great threat upon their fighting hereafter.
Beep, beep, beep, beep.
And just at this time the handheld terminal upon the angel Tilia's side sounded.
She cast an eye over it, then looked toward the two Angel Kings who were looking at her. "It is a private two-line communication between the Owl Dragon's lord and myself.
"He tells me he already knows our case here.
"That he will lead his own legion fleets in support of us, and that our angel legion fleets in their several parts need only fall in with his operations.
"And further… further he says that of the business that has befallen within Angel Race territory this time.
"He may leave unquestioned the responsibility of the Holy Angel King and the War Angel King.
"But the Judgment Angel King, and those angel legions under the Judgment Angel King who took part in the assault upon the fleet of interstellar transports under the Owl Dragon Legion, and upon the star gate, must pay the price.
"And should the two Angel Kings not agree to it.
"Then… the Owl Dragon Legion will declare war upon the whole Angel Race.
"He asks an answer within thirty minutes…"
Having passed all this on, the angel Tilia looked at the two Angel Kings before her with a strange look upon her face.
It must be said, the manner of the Owl Dragon's lord in this is exceedingly high-handed, and sets even the worst case before the two Angel Kings outright.
Which sounds not like a consulting at all, but a kind of threat.
"How is it this fellow sounds so full of fire?" the War Angel King asked in surprise.
"You may not know it, but a star gate the Owl Dragon Legion built within our Angel Race territory has been destroyed, and the interstellar fleet garrisoning that star gate annihilated to the last ship.
"And at the same time a fleet of interstellar transports in the midst of trading with us was assaulted: three thousand transports and two million crew, all lost.
"And the Owl Dragon Legion has always set great store by life.
"That is perhaps one reason the Owl Dragon's lord is so exceedingly angry," the Holy Angel King said helplessly.