What manner of feeling is it to have ten thousand interstellar missile ships take aim at you and bombard you?
Others may not know; but the Marshal of the Demon Knights can give out the true experience of it.
They are interstellar missiles like raindrops, coming at his Demon Knight Legion.
No!
To speak exactly, they come at the Beta star gate his Demon Knight Legion holds.
And the best means of dealing with interstellar missiles is the interception system of the interstellar frigates.
But in dealing just now with the two Owl Dragon legions' missile assault, their frigates' interception systems had already worked at high load for half of it, and the greater part had gone into a state of resetting and cooling; those that could go on working were three parts in ten only.
And now, facing these missiles in dense array, no effective net of defense could be formed at all.
But what is deadliest of all.
Is that before these missiles arrived, a red ball of lightning arrived first.
And thereafter one saw a ring of red light spreading outward from the burst's center; and the star-shields of every warship it touched were dispersed.
Until this red ring ceased to spread, and dispersed of itself.
This process came swiftly and ended swiftly.
So swiftly that before ever they had come to themselves, the missiles that followed hard upon it were already before their eyes!
Which left them only to watch with their own eyes as these missiles drew near, and burst.
Demon Race warships that have lost their star-shields are as so much dry hay.
That scene was for all the world as though a child at the edge of a grassland had dropped a torch.
The flame begins, and then it sweeps over the whole grassland!
Demon Race warships numbered in the tens of thousands went down beneath this sea of fire.
And even the Beta star gate's own gate-shield system held but a few breaths' space before it was shattered.
As for those quasi-T6 Destroyer-class Heavy Interstellar Battleships, they had not so much as the chance to put out a hand.
Being covered by interstellar missiles of so terrible a number; and under such wild bombardment, it is likely that even a true T6 warship would have to weigh the matter.
Still less these quasi-T6 Destroyers.
"Splendid enough indeed." Pei Shengnan's voice rose within the channel of command, and there was excitement in her manner besides, and envy.
By so simple a round of firepower as this.
The casualties brought were several times higher than the near half-hour's assault of their two Owl Dragon legions just now!
"It is splendid enough.
"Only, the interstellar missiles spent in this one round.
"Would likely keep our two legion fleets through several campaigns' worth of fighting." Shen Bing at this time threw a basin of cold water over it beside her, without any courtesy at all.
Pei Shengnan gulped; she thought a moment, and then could not keep from asking, "Baixue… this one round, of that special fleet of yours.
"The missiles you have thrown out — what are they worth?
"Do you know it or not?"
"That? I have never reckoned it. My secretary officer told me it was some 10 trillion star coins." The wolf-girl Baixue wore an air as light as a passing cloud, and then shrugged. "In any case the Commander gives me the missiles, and I answer for throwing them out."
10 trillion!
Pei Shengnan drew in a breath of cold air; she understood now why there is a rumor that the Commander most hates to see the wolf-girl Baixue.
This creature's fleet is truly an instrument for burning money.
Ten thousand warships consume more than another's million warships do in fighting one great campaign.
10 trillion star coins…
It is said that the long-term agreement of military purchase the Owl Dragon Galactic Interstellar Group has now signed with the Angel Race comes to but 10 trillion star coins a week.
And that is enough for one round of hers!
Yet when Pei Shengnan saw the fruit of these 10 trillion star coins, she sighed out from the bottom of her heart for all that: the effect got by hurling money at a thing is truly very fine.
For one saw that within ten short minutes, beneath the missiles worth 10 trillion star coins poured out from ten thousand missile ships, the Beta star gate was now past all recognition.
That three-sided gate, which had been like a pyramid, had now but a third of it left visible in wreckage, and its former shape could no longer be made out.
And among the Demon Race warships about it there showed, plain to the naked eye, a district of casualties in the shape of an umbrella.
For that is the district upon which the Owl Dragon missile special fleet opened its attack.
Within this district very nearly no Demon Race warship could be whole and unhurt — not even the six quasi-T6 Destroyer-class Heavy Interstellar Battleships among them.
Four fell upon the spot; and the remaining two had their star-shields destroyed and their hulls damaged in differing degrees, and stood where they were giving off black smoke.
"It is reckoned up.
"The Demon Race has lost above a hundred thousand interstellar warships outright, among them four quasi-T6 Destroyers, with two quasi-T6 Destroyers grievously wounded.
"A hundred T5 warships destroyed outright, fifteen thousand T4 warships destroyed, and above a hundred thousand T3 warships destroyed.
"The Beta star gate is destroyed outright, past repairing!" Shen Bing's side had the record of this round of firepower.
Ten short minutes, and a third of the enemy's military strength destroyed.
And this while no little firepower was divided off to attack a star gate besides; were it not so, might they not have beaten this demon legion half to death outright?
"Well then, my task is complete.
"What comes next I leave to you.
"I must draw out and take supply from the interstellar supply ships." The wolf-girl Baixue by this time lay half back in her captain's chair, and had lit herself a cigarette besides, and blew out a ring of smoke, with the look of one whose work is done.
Such is the missile special fleet: it completes ten minutes of firepower.
And thereafter wants near ten hours of resupply!
And that upon the condition that nothing whatever hinders it.
Were it not for taking thought that this Beta star gate is very important, and for making certain that the million Demon Race warships within the Machine Race's territory may be destroyed to the last ship.
Zhao Chen would not have set out so killing a move at the very outset.
"I understand; take your fleet and draw back.
"What comes next here we shall answer for." Shen Bing nodded; this was of itself part of the task the Commander had set out.
She looked toward the Pei Shengnan at that end of the video window.
"There remain these demon legion fleets; how long do you think we shall want to sweep them clean?" The corner of Shen Bing's mouth rose a little, with a thread of mockery in her look.
For all the world like two hunters making sport of their quarry.
"Under two hundred thousand interstellar warships, and among them but four quasi-T6 that have any power to fight.
"Forty hours at the most," said Pei Shengnan.
"Forty hours?" Shen Bing raised two of her own fingers, and said with a light laugh, "There is no need. Twenty hours will suffice."
"Owl Dragon Third Legion fleet, go on with the attack; destroy the enemy to the last ship!"
"Owl Dragon Tenth Legion fleet, take the enemy within twenty hours!"
The two commanders gave out their highest orders of battle!