Behind War Angel Interstellar Fortress No. 1.
"Curse it — these Demon Race warships grow harder and harder to deal with!"
"My lord Commander, we must call for support. The next transport fleet will shortly reach this position; and then these Demon Race warships may well work enormous losses upon our transports!"
"Of course I know that. But where are we to have reinforcements from! The interstellar fortress ahead is fighting past all bearing, and they are calling for support without cease — where is there a fleet to come and support us? As for support from elsewhere, I have sent word already. Now we can only wait. But come what may, this line of logistical transport shall on no account be broken by the Demon Race's fleets. Once this lane is lost, our War Angel Interstellar Fortress No. 1 cannot hold long!" This angel commander said it past all shaking.
The angel adjutant beside him wore a face full of anxiety.
At the least 100,000 demon warships had struck at this position before, while upon their own side there were under 30,000 hulls sent to guard the lane behind the fortress.
Against demon fleets as they used to be, at a threefold disparity there would still have been a fight in it.
But the Demon Race's fleets now are far from what they were; at this moment they were simply beating them down.
And as the warships lost upon both sides grew more and more, the angel fleets' case grew worse and worse.
At present the demon fleets had above 60,000 hulls still.
But upon their own angel side, under 10,000 remained.
Fight on, and the end would be their fleets annihilated to the last ship — and this lifeline carrying strategic stores and logistical supply to the fortress cut through.
"Reporting — we have just received an order from above. The Holy Dragon Angel Legion fleets are commanded to come to our support! They are projected to arrive within thirty minutes; we are required to hold at all costs until the reinforcements arrive!" The angel adjutant looked in excitement at this newest order from the highest command.
At this news the legion commander fairly danced in his excitement. "Excellent — reinforcements at last…"
Of a sudden this angel commander sensed something not quite right, and snatched the order outright from his adjutant's hand.
Muttering in his puzzlement, "The Holy Dragon Angel Legion? When did our Angel Race come by such a legion fleet in its establishment? I have never heard of it."
At this the angel adjutant caught up with it too.
And muttered in surprise, "Just so — of our Angel Race's twenty legion fleets, I have never heard of any such."
At this legion fleet they had never heard of, these two senior angels looked at one another without words.
"Ask above about this Holy Dragon Angel Legion," the angel commander directed.
"Yes."
The angel adjutant did as his commander ordered and asked above, and soon had an answer.
Having read it, he looked somewhat blankly at his commander. "Above says… every particular concerning this Holy Dragon Angel Legion stands at present under secrecy. We are only to work with them in the fighting."
No intelligence whatever?
The angel commander frowned, and muttered in a small voice, "Can this be some card kept back by one of the lord Angel Kings?"
That was the one explanation to be had now.
Though the answer would very soon be laid open before them.
Half an hour is not long, and yet not short.
But for these angel warriors, who had been very nearly in despair, it was a kind of hope.
"Reporting — we have received a request to open communication from one styled the Holy Dragon Angel Legion," the communications officer called.
"Put it through!" The angel commander agreed without a word.
At very nearly the same moment the officer at the radar upon the bridge called, "Reporting — the several interstellar watch posts we set at the field's edge have found the energy fluctuation of a great body of warships. They are coming toward our field!"
By which it might in the main be settled that this was the Holy Dragon Angel Legion coming to their relief.
At this time the video picture appeared too.
The angel commander, seeing the figure across from him, was truly startled.
Within the Angel Race there are a great many legion fleets, and even under one Angel King it is hard to guarantee one knows every face.
But the one across from him he could not fail to know.
For that was Tilia — one of the six Angel Guards under the three present Angel Kings!
"Tilia, commander of the Holy Dragon Angel Legion, come by order to the relief of your command." The angel Tilia made a military salute.
"Adams, commander of the Seventh legion fleet of the Virtue Angel Legion, ordered here to stop the Demon Race's fleets from wrecking the logistical transport lane to our interstellar fortress!" The angel Adams stood straight and said it with his eyes alight.
The one come across was an Angel Guard!
Then the fleet an Angel Guard led could assuredly be nothing poor.
"My command holds the right of free action upon a field. So your command need only carry on its present action and work with us. Is that understood?" said the angel Tilia.
"Understood!" the angel Adams answered.
"Very good. My fleet will enter the engagement compass within five minutes. Share your field intelligence with us first."
"Very good."
After some exchange, the video communication broke off for the present.
This angel Adams laughed in his excitement. "Excellent — with an Angel Guard leading a legion fleet in support, there can be no trouble at all."
"But… I remember that the Angel Guard Tilia commands the Principality Angel Legion, does she not? Not this Holy Dragon Angel Legion, whatever it is," the angel adjutant said in puzzlement from beside him.
The angel Adams paused. "There may be some news we do not know of. In short, with an Angel Guard here, we need only carry out our orders."
From their respect and unconditional trust toward an Angel Guard, one may see what standing an Angel Guard holds among the Angel Race.
Even an Angel Guard of another Angel King's, before a legion commander under a different Angel King, is a thing to draw reverence.
But very soon a piece of news was poured like a basin of cold water over this angel Adams's head.
"Reporting — our field radar shows. Ten thousand interstellar warships are approaching the field."
The angel Adams was blank a moment, and asked in surprise, "Ten thousand only?"
"Yes. Ten thousand only."
The glad surprise upon the angel Adams's face grew by degrees level, and he said, "Are there T5-grade warships among them?"
"No energy reaction of any T5-grade warship detected."
The angel Adams frowned again.
"Commander, we have here several pictures of this Holy Dragon Angel Legion taken by the watch posts; look at these." The angel adjutant brought out several images at this point.
The angel Adams at once looked them over closely.
His eyes went from bewilderment to astonishment.
For of the interstellar warships within them, not one was familiar to him!