The Blade-of-Judgment Legion, charged with the wrecking of that Owl Dragon star gate, after a fierce battle with an Owl Dragon legion come up.
Was in the end annihilated to the last ship.
By the field data last sent back, with the fighting warships of both sides equal in number, the other side paid near four parts in ten only in casualties.
The Dark Angel Legion's Ninth Fleet and Tenth Fleet, which assaulted the interstellar transport fleet of the Northern Goose Group under the Owl Dragon Galactic Interstellar Group, six thousand warships in all.
Were assaulted by an Owl Dragon legion fleet of equal scale; and after a stretch of fighting.
Every warship of the Dark Angel Legion's two fleets fell.
At the same time the Dark Angel Legion's interstellar fleets in their several parts of the field were assaulted with exactness by Owl Dragon legion fleets.
Of the whole legion's ten fleets of establishment, four are at present annihilated to the last ship, three grievously wounded, and the remaining three now in a state of battle likewise.
Which may be called a counting-down to death as well.
And besides these, the Vengeance Angels, the Cherub Angels and the Holy Judgment Angels, all under the Judgment Angel King, are taking mighty attacks aimed squarely at them by the Owl Dragon Legion.
The purpose of revenge in it is exceedingly plain.
At this case the Judgment Angel King, at the first moment of hearing it, felt the pressure.
For of the three Angel Kings, the military strength in her hand is the least.
The Angel Race's military strength is made up of four parts, the three Angel Kings holding one part each.
The Guardian Angel Legion, the Healing Angel Legion and the Order Angel Legion, these three angel legions, belong to the neutral legion fleets within the Angel Race, and have charge chiefly of tasks of home order and protection.
And among the three Angel Kings the military strength in the War Angel King's hand is the greatest: eight angel legions, and at his mightiest near two million interstellar warships!
The Holy Angel King comes next, with six angel legions, and at her mightiest near eight hundred thousand warships.
The Judgment Angel King has the least; and though she likewise holds six angel legions, the warships they hold come to under three hundred thousand.
For the Judgment Angel King has charge chiefly of certain work behind the curtain, and needs no great military strength to the front.
Which is perhaps why the Holy Angel King and the War Angel King have all this while trusted the Judgment Angel King so, and never looked for this stab in the back.
Besides these operations aimed at the legion fleets under the Judgment Angel King, the Owl Dragon Legion has some attacks upon the demon legions besides, and works at the same time together with those Angel Race warships that were beset.
And upon some fields has even formed a counter-encirclement.
For instance, in the greatest of the fields where the case of the war has been turned about.
The Ghoul Legion's above three hundred thousand warships, and its highest commander's flagship, are at present within a counter-encirclement formed by the Owl Dragon Legion and the Angel Race legion fleets working from within and without together!
In a few short hours, at a speed of change to turn wind and cloud about, faster than the Judgment Angel King herself had looked for.
"Curse it!" The Judgment Angel King swore, and then said, her voice low, "Get me the Demon King!"
By the case here now, for the Owl Dragon Legion's joining, the whole case of the war has altered.
And has even taken a sharp turn downward; and to bring the case under governing, strength must be brought in from outside.
And the only strength that may now be brought in is the Demon Race's legion fleets.
Without the vexing interference of those T4 Banshee-class Light Interstellar Stealth Scout Ships of the Owl Dragon Legion's, this time she reached the Demon King smoothly enough.
"What is the case upon your side?
"Why should the Owl Dragon Legion appear here with us!" For the case slipping out of her governing, the Judgment Angel King's manner was somewhat ill.
Opposite there was silence a while.
Then a cold and dank voice rose. "Is this you calling me to account?"
One could see that the Demon King opposite was in no good humor now either.
The Judgment Angel King, being one of close and careful mind, of course marked it.
She drew a deep breath and set her feeling in order, and made herself as calm as she might.
Then she opened slowly. "The Owl Dragon Legion has now appeared in great quantity upon our field here.
"My legion fleets, and Your Majesty's demon legions besides, are under an exceedingly great threat.
"The Ghoul Legion, for instance, is now beset by the enemy, and its case is very bad."
For the change in the Judgment Angel King's manner.
The Demon King's side did not press her discourtesy of before.
He said coldly, "So this crew went to your side.
"I have now driven into the Mechanical Divine Church's star system; but having come here we found no trace whatever of the Owl Dragon Legion's fleets.
"We were tracing it still.
"By the look of it now, they used that T4 Lucent-class Interstellar Jump Ship of theirs to fall upon your side by surprise.
"I did not think, I own, that that fellow would give up this… place outright."
"Now is no time to think upon these things; we must lay our plan of battle for what comes next.
"My case here is very strained; I need the strength of new legion fleets to support me, or we shall lose the governing of this place.
"Your Majesty must understand my meaning!" the Judgment Angel King said, her voice low.
The Demon King opened slowly. "I understand.
"I shall give the order at once, and set several demon legions here to hasten to your field.
"It is reckoned there will be five hundred thousand to eight hundred thousand demon warships at the least in support of you.
"But there may be some delay in the time of it; forty-eight hours are wanted at the fastest.
"Your side must hold out until our relief arrives."
Forty-eight hours.
Hearing that time, the Judgment Angel King's heart sank.
Were it any other Angel Race legion fleet, to hold out forty-eight hours would be no hard business.
But what she faces is the Owl Dragon Legion, a military power whose style of fighting is exceedingly mad; they can put into a single day's fighting the war stores another might not spend in a month.
And commonly they draw the intensity of the fighting to its highest from the very outset.
In such a case she could not herself be certain what would come of forty-eight hours.
"I shall arrange what I can here.
"But I hope the support upon your side may be quickened somewhat; that would lessen our losses." Nor did the Judgment Angel King press it, for they have no warship of that particular kind that has the T4 Lucent-class Interstellar Jump Ship's function.
They can lean only upon the star gate, that traditional way of long-distance sailing, to hasten to a field.
"Mm." His Majesty the Demon King said nothing further, but cut the communication outright.
The Judgment Angel King looked at that end of the communication now gone silent.
Within the two eyes beneath her veil there was a thread of something cold and dank.
Thereafter she began to give down new orders of battle, and gave them down to those demon legions besides.
This is a right His Majesty the Demon King has granted her.
Within these forty-eight hours she would lessen the losses of her own legion fleets, hold out until the relief arrived, and then open the counter-stroke!