The mechanical royal court's field
"Reporting — this is the case at present upon the fields in every place.
"The latest word: the Beta star gate is wrecked… past repairing." A subordinate reported it to Marshal Serpent King.
Hearing the word his subordinate reported.
Marshal Serpent King roared, "What is the matter with that fellow Demon Knight!
"He was set to hold one star gate — so simple a business, and he cannot do it well.
"With three hundred thousand warships in his hand and ten quasi-T6 Destroyers, and he can still let the gate be lost within so short a time!
"I shall go before His Majesty the Demon King and lay a charge against him!"
"Is this a time to be saying such things?
"Now is the time to think well upon how we are to get out of our trouble.
"At present our million warships in all are every one of them stopped up here.
"Attack — and we cannot take the mechanical royal court; and once our ordnance and our energy are spent, we are a dainty for whoever wishes to carve us.
"Withdraw — and there are two Owl Dragon legions stopping the way behind.
"And the Beta star gate being lost, we cannot draw back by that gate either.
"And the more so as His Majesty's temper before this was that we must without fail take the mechanical star gate, and that whoever dares withdraw, his whole race shall be killed.
"Tell me, then: how are we to choose now!" Marshal Wrath's face was black, and one could see his feeling at this moment was very ill.
"Go on with the attack." Marshal Black Angel opened at this time.
"I said as much just now — go on with the attack; and if…"
Marshal Black Angel cut Marshal Wrath's words short. "What you say is not wrong; but we have no other choice.
"Choose to withdraw — will the enemy let us withdraw so easily?
"The Beta star gate being destroyed, if we would draw out of Machine Race territory we must lean upon ourselves alone; and will the enemy let us off so easily?
"And the more so as you have said it yourself.
"By His Majesty's temper as it now is, if we truly withdraw, will he let us off?
"Though Wrath and I be His Majesty's trusted men.
"Yet His Majesty as he now is… is he still the Majesty he was?"
Marshal Wrath was silent.
Marshal Serpent King said nothing at this time; here, his standing and his weight in speech are the lowest.
"And so our one choice is to go on carrying out the order of attack.
"Let us but break the mechanical royal court, and we have a thread of hope yet!
"And by that time, though we give up what remains of our force here and flee out ourselves.
"We may at the least come by His Majesty's pardon.
"And otherwise… we are dead beyond all doubt.
"And at present, though there be one Owl Dragon legion in support toward the mechanical royal court, that is no more than thirty thousand warships.
"And what they lean upon is that means of theirs, the interstellar missile ships, is it not?
"But how long can a missile ship's output of firepower last? And how many missile ships can they have to spend?
"For it must be remembered that here we have a million warships.
"Your demon legion and mine at three hundred thousand each, and the Serpent King Legion four hundred thousand besides.
"His Majesty, to take the mechanical royal court, has sent up our three picked demon legions outright!
"With one object only.
"To take the mechanical royal court at whatever price." Marshal Black Angel said it, his voice low.
Marshal Wrath hardened his heart within. "Damn it — either way it is death; and if I die here, my race-line may live well enough.
"Then let us die!"
Marshal Serpent King sighed and said nothing, which may be counted as consenting to this counsel.
"Now then: a million warships.
"Saving two hundred thousand left to bar the harassment of the two Owl Dragon legions behind, every warship remaining is to be used in attacking the mechanical royal court — and above all those thirty quasi-T6 Destroyers, every one to be used in the attack!
"And in the course of the advance, warships that take damage are to join the fighting array at the formation's tail.
"Mark this one thing: the center of our fighting is the mechanical royal court alone!
"Take it!
"And that is our victory." Marshal Black Angel pointed at this position of the mechanical royal court.
"We stake it all!" Marshal Wrath roared.
Marshal Serpent King shut his eyes in silence.
And with that these million Demon Race warships chose how the last act should be played out in this place where their bones are to be buried.
It must be said, the fighting strength of these three demon legions' picked warships is truly no mean thing.
And with those thirty quasi-T6 Destroyers keeping nothing hidden back besides.
The momentum the mechanical royal court had recovered was held down once more.
And though there was the Owl Dragon Eighth Legion's support, even that could not bar the Demon Race's well-nigh mad posture of assault at this moment.
"General Ye Xiaotong, this is already the last district of defense.
"If this line of defense be punched through, the enemy's ships will face our mechanical royal court itself!"
At that end of the video window there was some anxiety in Ah-Yin's manner.
Were one not to look at that machine-like face of hers, it would be truly hard to tell that she is a mechanical life.
"Set your minds at rest.
"Our Commander, in this task of battle, has one order only, and it admits of no death."
Ah-Yin looked in perplexity at the Owl Dragon woman commander opposite.
She paused, and said, "The mechanical royal court is not to be let fall."
Ye Xiaotong does not know why the Commander sets such store by this mechanical royal court, but she knows this.
That it is the Commander's order.
And since it is the Commander's order, then the mechanical royal court is, for the Demon Race fleets, forbidden ground!
Ah-Yin, hearing this, was checked a good while.
She had never thought that lord of the Owl Dragon would say a thing of such a degree for the mechanical royal court's sake; and within her she was, of all things, somewhat moved.
"The Owl Dragon Eighth Legion will carry out the Commander's order at whatever price," Ye Xiaotong said, hard as a nail driven through iron.
For the mechanical royal court behind her is the task the Commander has set.
The fighting went on still.
But little by little the districts that fell grew more and more.
The Owl Dragon Legion's fighting strength is great; but what help is there when it has thirty thousand warships only, which can by no means stop a great dam upon the point of breaking?
And once this dam broke, it might even bring grievous casualties upon the Owl Dragon Eighth Legion.
"Hi there.
"I have not disturbed you, I hope."
Within the channel of command there came of a sudden a man's voice.
Ye Xiaotong looked at once, in glad surprise, toward the picture of the communication, and enlarged one of the small windows within it.
It was the Commander!
"The Owl Dragon's lord?" Ah-Yin looked at the Owl Dragon's lord in perplexity; and at this time a message reached her side besides.
"My fleet and I have already reached the outside of the mechanical royal court.
"I ask you to clear me a lane, or my warships cannot get up," Zhao Chen said in his teasing way.
The word Ah-Yin's side received was likewise that upon the mechanical royal court's other side interstellar warships had been observed to appear.
But that number.
"This… five hundred-odd — this is your fleet?" Ah-Yin looked at Zhao Chen with some perplexity.
"Of course.
"Five hundred T5 interstellar warships.
"The Owl Dragon Guard Fleet.
"Well? Am I not welcome?" Zhao Chen smiled a little.
Hearing this, Ah-Yin of course understands the worth of these bare few hundred warships.
And most important of all.
There are two great personages come upon the stage besides.
The Owl Dragon Guard Fleet's two flagships!