"C-communication status has improved. The enemy, the Imperial Army, seems to have ceased all jamming."

On the bridge of the Argos, the military personnel were bewildered.

On the battlefield, it was standard practice to cause various communication disruptions for the enemy.

That was the norm, but the Imperial Army had suddenly stopped all forms of jamming.

The simplified view of the battlefield displayed on the holographic image was now showing more accurate figures.

Was the Imperial Army about to surrender?

Everyone had made that prediction, but something was strange about the Imperial Army's condition displayed on the monitor.

Euresia doubted her own eyes.

After all, an unknown—a fleet of unidentified affiliation—had suddenly appeared and was attacking the Imperial Army.

If it were just that, they would have thought allies had appeared.

But something was clearly off.

"Destroyed ships are repairing themselves? This is impossible."

Euresia, who had once been part of the Third Weapons Factory, shook her head at the sight of destroyed battleships repairing themselves.

The Imperial Army's battleships were equipped with self-repair functions.

Minor damage—like damage to the armor—could be managed with the self-repair function.

Even so, maintenance was required afterward, but the enemy Imperial ships were on a different level.

Heavily damaged battleships were forcefully repairing themselves by pulling in scattered parts.

After the repairs, they were somewhat distorted, but they were restored to a fully operational state.

Liam, who was watching this, had a different air about him than before.

Liam, who had been commanding as if enjoying himself, now gave orders with a serious expression.

"Maintain distance and focus on long-range attacks. I don't know what they're doing, but there's no need for us to wait."

When he judged the mysterious fleet to be an enemy and issued the order to attack, Euresia was surprised.

"Aren't you going to confirm their affiliation?"

"Do you think I have monsters like that on my side?"

He probably meant that the eerie fleet wasn't an ally, but for a moment, Euresia thought...

('No, Christiana-san and Marie-san are plenty monstrous themselves—but they'd get mad if I said that, wouldn't they?')

Swallowing her inner thoughts, Euresia closed her mouth so as not to be a hindrance.

The military personnel on the bridge must have also noticed the change in Liam's demeanor.

The atmosphere changed completely.

"Ensure Lord Liam's orders are carried out to the letter. After changing formation, we will shift to long-range combat!"

The operators also communicated frantically, and Liam's tension spread throughout the entire army.

The allied fleet quickly changed formation, adopting a disposition specialized for long-range combat.

The captain of the Argos asked Liam.

"Lord Liam, shall we synchronize our firing?"

"That's fine. Also, have them pay attention to their remaining energy levels. Ships low on ammunition and energy are permitted to withdraw."

"Understood."

The Banfield family's fleet synchronized the firing of their main cannons and launched a volley at the Imperial Army.

Optical weapons assailed the Imperial Army and the mysterious fleet.

◇

Meanwhile, Phar-Avul had returned to his flagship, the [Galn].

As the Galn's interior shook from the Banfield family's volley, he removed his helmet, revealing a skeletal head.

"I don't dislike their ruthlessness in exploiting an opening. But—as expected, their numbers were too few."

When Phar-Avul arrived on the Galn's bridge, the crew greeted him.

—A different world from this one.
—Soldiers from a different interstellar nation who had surrendered to Phar-Avul.
—A fleet from another world was the true identity of Phar-Avul's immortal fleet.

"Lord Phar-Avul, our control over the fleet has exceeded eighty percent."

"Hmph."

Replying, he sat down on a throne made of bone, befitting a demon king.

Phar-Avul looked at the number of his forces and crossed his arms.

"If our numbers are too great, it becomes a one-sided battle, but it would be rude to be careless against a strong opponent. Yet, if we seek too many, we'll just be beaten down—how truly vexing!"

Though he called it vexing, his voice was cheerful.

The exhilaration of being able to fight a strong opponent filled Phar-Avul's heart.

His undead adjutant—once a general who led a fleet in another world—reported the details to Phar-Avul with a blank expression.

"Combined with Lord Phar-Avul's immortal fleet, our current strength is one and a half million ships."

"In that case, we need no more. Now, how will the strong one react?"

As Phar-Avul stared at the monitor with excitement, his adjutant asked.

"What shall be done with the commander of the absorbed fleet?"

"Hmm? Hampson, you say? I have already made him my subordinate."

"He was the de facto commander. The nominal commander is a man named Cleo, the Crown Prince."

Phar-Avul tilted his head, placing a hand on his chin in thought.

"I didn't sense anyone stronger than Hampson—is this person strong? Or perhaps a brilliant strategist?"

"According to information gathered from our new subordinates, he is an incompetent but hardworking man—"

"Unnecessary! I am about to challenge a strong opponent. Ignore such small fry!"

Feeling as if his fun had been interrupted, Phar-Avul quickly forgot about Cleo and turned his gaze to the Banfield family's fleet.

The Banfield fleet on the monitor was mercilessly attacking the immortal fleet.

Phar-Avul was captivated.

"Their perfectly ordered ranks and synchronized volleys—it's in the realm of art. After I make them my subordinates, I shall treat them as my elite!"

"Understood. Well then, shall we begin?"

"Yes! We shall begin our attack as well!!"

From the eye sockets of his skull—a red light shone from within.

In response to Phar-Avul's voice, the immortal fleet began its attack.

Ominous, dark-red optical weapons assaulted the Banfield family's fleet.

However, the Banfield fleet, which had placed ships confident in their defensive fields and armor at the front, withstood the attack.

Phar-Avul watched the scene with delight.

His skeletal jaw clattered.

"If they can't withstand at least this much, there's no challenge. Now, what will be their next move?"

◇

—It feels like I'm being tested, and it's infuriating.

Several hours had passed since the appearance of the mysterious fleet caused a strange turn of events with the Imperial Army.

They were engaged in long-range combat, keeping their distance from each other, but the exchange of fire from outside effective range lacked a decisive blow.

"There's no end to them, even if we shoot them down."

The troublesome part was that destroyed enemy ships were immediately repaired and returned to the front lines.

Many of the ships no longer retained their original shape, becoming more distorted with each destruction.

In addition, there was another troublesome problem.

The bridge crew were clearly shaken.

Euresia was flustered by the incredible sight.

"They regenerate no matter how many times we destroy them. There's nothing we can do about this."

Her voice was too loud for it to be considered a thought to herself.

The soldiers, too, felt fear towards an enemy they couldn't defeat.

"Did the Imperial Army use some kind of forbidden art?!"
"This is insane. Can you even call this a war?!"
"What's the verdict from the experts!"
"W-well, they say it doesn't correspond to any known system of magic—"
"Impossible?!"

At first, they had assumed the Imperial Army was using a forbidden art.

They had their expert mages analyze it, but they couldn't even find a single clue.

As a result, the morale of the entire army was dropping.

Above all, the problem was that the Imperial Army, which should have been short on supplies, was using optical weapons without any concern for their energy consumption.

It was as if their supply problems had been solved.

"In a battle they could win if they attacked with all their might, the fact that they aren't means—either there's a reason they can't, or they're just playing around. It's the latter."

I intuitively understood that we were being played with, and I couldn't help but be furious.

It felt like being looked down upon from a position of absolute advantage.

As I fumed by myself, Euresia grabbed my arm with both hands.

"Lord Liam, let's retreat. At this distance, we can escape by making repeated short-range warps."

I understood the desire to flee, but I didn't think the enemy before us would let us get away.

"No. If we show them our backs, they—he—will chase us to the ends of the universe."

It felt like we were being hunted.

It was incredibly irritating.

As I glared at the Imperial Army displayed on the monitor—specifically at one particularly bizarre battleship—the operator's voice sounded slightly pleased as he gave his report.

"Allied reinforcements have arrived! They are led by—the fleets of Ellen and Emma!"

The arrival of the Numbers slightly boosted our allies' morale, but from my perspective, a small increase in numbers wouldn't change the situation.

But—.

"Ask Ellen for the whereabouts of Rinho and Fuuka."

The operator, though confused, asked Ellen for the two's location.

"Confirmed. They are reportedly aboard General Ellen's flagship."

The corners of my mouth lifted into a smile.

"A good decision. I'll praise all three of them later."

"A-and also."

"What is it?"

"A shipment of supplies has arrived from His Excellency Klaus."

—Same as always.

"I'll leave the handling of the supplies to Tia. The same goes for command of the fleet."

When I relinquished command, Euresia panicked.

"W-what are you going to do?!"

I looked at Euresia's face seriously.

"I'm sortieing in Avid. —This is a matter for the One-Flash School."

"Um, but this—this is a war, you know?"

"A matter for the One-Flash School is obviously more important than a war!"

After I declared that, Euresia had an indescribable look on her face.

"—Eeeehh."

The bridge crew was probably taken aback by my words too, but this is the destiny ordained for a swordsman of the One-Flash School.

"I'll sortie once the three of them arrive. You all fall back to the rear in the Argos."

—Well, it's pointless to reduce our allies' numbers against such a troublesome foe.

We—no, this is a problem that I just need to solve.