Five gunboats, each with a unique design and an antique feel, pierced the night sky.
These gunboats are covered with repair marks and wear and tear from years of use, but their streamlined fuselages and the plasma thrusters that emit blue light from their sterns still demonstrate a level of technology far beyond what is possible in this era.
They were the most prized possessions of the allied forces, a vanguard force that had been painstakingly assembled.
However, perhaps due to a break in the continuity of civilization, the technology in the Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind always seems both advanced and backward.
For example, these ancient gunboats, which used plasma engines for propulsion, didn't even have sealed hatches. Pilots were directly exposed to the gale-force winds, and they relied entirely on flag signals and loud voices to transmit messages.
"Haha! Isn't this old Huomu? I never thought I'd be on a mission with a bastard like you!" the gunboat driver grumbled.
"Shut your stinking mouth! Focus on what's ahead—my god, we can see the fire from this far away, those Dorok are really ruthless." A blunt reply came from another gunboat.
"Sigh, the enemy has already come knocking on our door, and those old guys are still arguing heatedly about who should lead the charge. It's really shameful!" the third driver interjected.
"Thanks to that princess from the Valley of the Wind, the sheer presence she exudes—tsk tsk." The first voice exclaimed with genuine admiration.
A brief silence.
These pilots had almost all served as conscripts for Tolmekia, so they were very close comrades.
But the city-states behind them, especially the powerful figures who were calculating gains and losses in the rear, had much more complicated thoughts.
They clearly had many more gunboats available, yet they were stingy and only willing to send a mere five.
But this is not something their pilots can decide; the kings and nobles of great nations will not personally lead their armies like those of small nations such as the Valley of the Wind.
As they got closer to their target, they subconsciously changed the subject.
"See that thing up ahead? This time it feels a bit risky!"
"What are you afraid of! Our gunboats are nothing like those junk ships we have now. Speed up! Avenge Pejite's brothers!"
"Yes! Let Gore and his Dorok masters die!"
The five gunboats suddenly accelerated, their engines shooting long streaks of blue light from behind their wings.
The Endure Battleship detected the anomaly almost immediately, and its anti-aircraft fire began to rain down.
However, the allied forces already knew the enemy's strength and weaknesses, and unlike the Pejite gunboats, they did not charge straight up to their deaths. Instead, the pilots began to use the gunboats' superior performance to perform high-speed, unpredictable maneuvers.
Sudden stops, sharp turns, rolls, near-vertical climbs or dives—these maneuvers, which would have made pilots in Mu En's previous life shake their Delia, seemed like juggling tricks in the hands of these physically strong and well-trained pilots.
The Endure Battleship roared with gunfire from its sides and top, but the gunboats always managed to weave through the gaps in the barrage, occasionally seizing opportunities to harass the Endure Battleship.
More gun barrels on the sides and belly of the ship began to rotate, and anti-aircraft machine guns sprayed out ammunition like water. The fire lines intertwined in the dark night sky, turning this airspace into a dazzling but deadly stage.
No one noticed that several thousand meters directly above the Endure Battleship, a warship was silently hovering, almost blending into the night.
It was the guardian warship that Nausicaä had seized.
The hatches on the lower deck for entry and exit are open, and all the Blessed Warrior are ready to go in the fierce winds high in the sky.
Directly piloting a gunboat or using a flying wing to attack Endure Battleship with twice the firepower density of a guardian warship would be suicidal; crossing a fire coverage area of tens of kilometers from the ground is even more impossible.
Therefore, what they are going to implement is an airborne tactic.
They needed to launch a surprise attack from 5,000 meters above the ground, taking advantage of the darkness and the intense air battle below; this was the only feasible boarding route.
Even with their blessed and enhanced physiques and the protection of Incantations, the soldiers, who were conducting this kind of airborne operation for the first time, couldn't help but show a hint of nervousness.
To boost morale, Por patted his chest and encouraged everyone, "Cheer up! It's just jumping down! After the battle, I'll treat you all to the best drinks—"
"Shut up!" Kamlin interrupted him impatiently. "Don't make any strange promises at a time like this! It's bad luck!"
Por paused, scratched his head, and wondered if he had said something wrong.
Kamlin rolled his eyes, speechless. This guy went on a trip with the princess, and suddenly he's become stupid?
Their somewhat comical interaction lightened the somber atmosphere considerably, and several soldiers couldn't help but chuckle.
Seeing this, Wawar, on the other side, felt that as the leader of the mercenary group, he should also say something to boost morale.
He cleared his throat, turned to his group members with a serious expression, and thought about how to inspire them in a concise and powerful way.
"Jump. Don't die."
The group members were silent for two seconds.
One of the group members sighed, "Group leader, maybe you shouldn't say anything."
Another member chimed in, "That's right, we're with Yupa, so don't worry."
Wawar froze, the rest of his words stuck in his throat.
Kamlin walked over, patted him on the shoulder, and grinned, "Relax! The point is right!"
Wawar's expression became even more awkward, drawing another round of soft laughter from those around him.
Seeing that the team's mood had improved, Nausicaä took off her goggles and walked to the hatch. A strong airflow instantly enveloped her entire body, pressing the flight suit tightly against the girl's delicate figure.
Below, the city is ablaze, artillery fire is pouring down, and the circling gunboats locked in combat with the immovable giant ships together create a wild and untamed scene.
Nausicaä took a deep breath; the night air carried the smell of gunpowder.
Let's go.
"Let's go end this battle."
"This isn't what we agreed on!"
Inside the Endure Battleship, in the command center.
Despite the roar of artillery fire from the outside, the thick Ceramic Steel armor and internal cushioning structure effectively blocked out most of the noise.
Although the construction of this giant ship received technical support from the Dorok, it also directly used the Dorok ' anti-gravity engines.
However, to facilitate use by Gore and his men, the internal layout and operating procedures of the warships were made more similar to those of the Sea of Corruption nations, and the decorations adopted a style that was popular among merchants, combining practicality and luxury.
At one end of the long table sat the Venerable Master Kabo, who was resting with his eyes closed. Several Dorok monks and an expressionless monk official stood beside the old man.
On the other end were a grim-faced Gore and his richly dressed "allies," who had long since taken refuge inside the fortress for their safety. The air was thick with the smell of gunpowder.
"The agreement didn't include bombing the central dome. Who gave your men permission to open fire!" Gore suppressed his anger, slamming his fingers heavily on the metal tabletop.
"By forcing that old man underground, you're only making the resistance more stubborn and prolonging the war. What we want is a complete industrial city-state, not ruins!"
Master Kabo did not respond. The monk beside him stepped forward and said in a slightly strange Eftal language, "Representative Gore, it was you who failed to capture Prince Pejite as agreed. Destroying the palace was to break the enemy's will to resist more quickly and reduce our casualties."
A wealthy businessman couldn't help but sneer, "You barbarians, do you know how many works of art and confidential technical documents were inside? Now it's all gone!"
The translator's tone remained impassive. "Please allow me to remind everyone that getting caught up in trivial matters is short-sighted."
Gore's breathing became heavy as he stared at Master Kabo, who seemed indifferent to the argument.
Something's not right.
The fact that the Dorok people are in such a hurry to use drastic measures to suppress Pejite suggests they are not simply trying to "speed things up"; they must be hiding something.
Suddenly, a brilliant idea flashed into his mind.
Could it be that forcing the royal army underground was exactly what the Dorok wanted, and they wanted to use this opportunity to enter the ruins to search for something?
Just as Gore was about to question them, the red warning lights began flashing wildly, and the intrusion alarm blared in the command room. Gore's expression changed drastically, Master Kabo also suddenly opened his eyes. The argument was immediately forgotten.
Gore grabbed the communicator next to him and yelled into it, "What's going on? Weren't we absolutely forbidden to let any gunboats get close?"
The image of Nausicaä leaping off the wing yesterday and forcibly boarding the aircraft is still vivid in his mind, so he had already ordered that all approaching aircraft be intercepted.
A burst of static came through the microphone, mixed with panicked shouts, "They... they seem to be coming from above—ah!"
Gore threw down the microphone, cold sweat beading on his forehead.
From above?
They didn't observe any aircraft approaching. Could it be that those people physically crossed that deadly airspace outside, where even gunboats could hardly survive, and jumped directly from an altitude of several thousand meters?
Discarding this absurd idea, he yanked on another microphone and roared at the top of his lungs, "All ships, prepare to engage the enemy!!!"