The dust dispersed utterly.
Within that stretch of airspace there remained but one interstellar warship whole and unharmed.
That T5 super-starship.
And about it, the wreckage of Demon Race interstellar warships lay scattered in all directions.
Leona looked upon this scene, and there rose before her eyes, unbidden, the picture of that old line: the making of one general is the withering of ten thousand bones.
Had she not seen it with her own eyes, it would truly have been past believing.
25,000 and more Demon Race interstellar warships, among them above 2,000 T4-grade Demon Race warships.
Who could have thought that these Demon Race interstellar warships should be butchered clean away so easily as this, in a bare dozen-odd minutes, in less than half an hour!
The word 'efficient' could no longer describe the case.
"So then — to destroy such a Demon Race fleet as that is… so easy a thing as this." The Dragon-folk adjutant beside her marveled past all ceasing.
And Leona's gaze at this hour shifted to the battlefield without.
Because of the Owl Dragon Legion's sudden attack earlier.
The field had been divided into three quarters.
The first was the Demon Race fleet Leona's own fleets had set out to encircle, and which had now been annihilated by that T5 super-starship.
The second was that part of the Demon Race fleets which was still unfolding its attack upon each of Leona's defensive positions.
And the remainder was the field where the six Owl Dragon legions stood in battle array against them, where the fighting was fiercest of all!
And just at this time an order came through outright from General Charlotte.
The content of the order was very simple: Leona's part of the Dragon-folk fleets was to take a brief refit, and then find means to steady its formation and draw in and contract those defensive positions by degrees.
This task was not very difficult. Though it was Demon Race fleets that Leona and the rest must face, above seven parts in 10 of the extant Demon Race fleets were engaged with the Owl Dragon Legion.
So that in fact those coming to grips with Leona's fleets numbered under 30,000 interstellar warships.
Were Leona asked to annihilate these 30,000 Demon Race interstellar warships, she could not do it.
But to pull and haul with these 30,000 Demon Race interstellar warships was no very great problem.
As for the state of the other fields, Charlotte's own words were that she need not be anxious; all of it might be left to them to handle.
As for that T5 super-starship, it stood by in place; and those interstellar missile ships which had just finished sending out their missiles were taking on supply from the interstellar supply ships that accompanied them.
By the look of it these Owl Dragon starships required some while of resupply and refit before they could take part in the fighting to come.
Which was understandable as well.
For to annihilate 20,000 and more Demon Race interstellar warships in so short a time, and to be able to hold a long engagement besides, would be quite simply against heaven.
Leona drew back her thoughts and began to lay out the combat tasks to come for her own subordinates.
And at the same time she watched closely the state of the main field over there.
There stood six Owl Dragon legions, near 20,000 Owl Dragon interstellar warships; and the enemy they faced were two Demon Race fleets, above 60,000 and more interstellar warships.
The comparison of starship numbers between the two sides was one to three!
Were this an ordinary interstellar war, the side with the greater number would past dispute hold the advantage.
All the more when the side with the greater number this time was that Demon Race fleet which had once annihilated 150,000 Dragon-folk interstellar warships upon 30,000 of its own!
And yet this engagement, which had gone on now the better part of half an hour.
Was actually drum for drum and banner for banner — and in certain local sectors of the field it was the Owl Dragon Legion that held the advantage!
Leona looked first at the state of the two sides' combat strength.
Besides the fleet numbers, one must naturally look as well to how the two sides' interstellar warships were made up by grade.
Upon the Demon Race fleets' side, 60,000 interstellar warships, of which, beyond 6,000 T4-grade interstellar warships, all the remainder were T3-grade.
And upon the Owl Dragon Legion's side, 20,000 interstellar warships, among which above 2,000 besides were auxiliary-type interstellar warships, T4-grade and T3-grade both.
And they held 2,000 T4-grade interstellar warships; all the rest were T3-grade without exception.
Looking upon these figures alone, one would by any estimate suppose the Owl Dragon Legion had no chance of victory whatever.
A threefold difference in total fleet numbers; and in the matter of T4-grade interstellar warships, a threefold difference again!
Were it another, they would by any estimate suppose that this battle could not be fought at all.
And yet here, among these six Owl Dragon legions, it was being fought blow for blow — and in local sectors of the field they had even taken the advantage.
As, for instance, in the matter of interstellar air supremacy.
Having crossed hands with the Demon Race fleets before, Leona knew that the Demon Race fleets set considerable store by interstellar air supremacy as well; for once air supremacy is seized.
Interstellar fighters and interstellar drones, in concert with the fast-fighting T4 Keen-Blade-class Light Interstellar Interceptors, can pierce directly into an enemy's fleets and cut them apart.
But before the Owl Dragon Legion, in this local sector of the field, the Demon Race fleets were crushed flat, thoroughly and utterly.
Those charged with the interstellar air war upon the Demon Race fleets' side were chiefly the T4 Demon-Lord-class Interstellar Composite Motherships and the T3 Twin-Headed Bone-Dragon-class Heavy Carrier Starships.
The former, the T4 Demon-Lord-class Interstellar Composite Mothership, was fitted with 20,000 interstellar fighters and 100,000 interstellar drones, all of them T4-grade.
And at this grade, what they must deal with were the interstellar fighters and interstellar drones of every type belonging to the T4 Fallen-Angel-class Super-Heavy Carrier Starship.
Let alone those special fighters — for regular combat alone it was fitted with 30,000 interstellar fighters, and 300,000 interstellar drones!
And in the interstellar air war head to head, when these opponents of like grade came to grips.
From the first exchange an astonishing loss ratio showed itself.
It commonly took three or five interstellar fighters or interstellar drones of like grade upon the Demon Race's side to trade off one opponent of the same grade.
And what was more to the point.
Though the Demon Race fleets held 60,000 interstellar warships, among all of them there were only two T4 Demon-Lord-class Interstellar Composite Motherships in service!
Whereas the Owl Dragon Legion — six Owl Dragon legions, 30 T4 Fallen-Angel-class Super-Heavy Carrier Starships all told!
And with the Owl Dragon Legion's T3-grade Phoenix-class Heavy Carrier Starships against the Demon Race's T3 Twin-Headed Bone-Dragon-class Heavy Carrier Starships, the case was the same.
Under a difference so vast in the strength committed to the interstellar air war.
What manner of picture would there be?
From the very opening of the interstellar air war the Demon Race fleets never had the least sliver of a chance; they were quite simply beaten while pinned down.
Very soon the interstellar air supremacy of the middle field was lost, and thereafter the interstellar air supremacy over the ground where the Demon Race fleets themselves stood.
Fight on further, and it was to be feared that even the Demon Race fleets' carrier starships would no longer be safe.
The Demon Race fleets, having lost interstellar air supremacy, were not so far gone as to be crippled by it; but it amounted to having a leg cut from under them.
The Demon Race fleets made trial of taking the advantage upon the frontal field!
And the facts slapped them in the face once more.