[Side Story – Reversal [2]]
[39]
Warp Gate.
It is the most crucial strategic facility for all nations on the continent.
Especially the Sacred Country currently had only one operational Warp Gate, so it was heavily guarded with sufficient troops.
Fortuna, the High Templar responsible for the defense of the Warp Gate, was patrolling nearby to check for any gaps in manpower caused by the sudden deployment.
However, during her patrol, an explosion was heard from the north of Kailoom.
Kuung…!!
“…!”
Was it a simple accident, or an ambush?
If it were an ambush, it could only be described as striking at an extremely inconvenient time.
But even if they were caught off-guard at a bad moment, Fortuna was confident that she could swiftly eliminate the intruders.
Kailoom, the heart of the Sacred Country, was not an easy place to breach.
“Strengthen the defenses.”
Fortuna issued orders to her unit while checking the defensive status of the Warp Gate.
Just as she was running around inspecting the situation, Fortuna quickly planted her shield into the ground.
“Damn…!!”
Kwaang!!
Almost simultaneously with the activation of a holy barrier from the shield, a streak of light struck its center.
Dust rose, and the surrounding soldiers looked bewildered, unsure of what had just happened.
Fortuna pulled out her shield, brushed away the dust, and shouted.
“Elves!!!!”
Elves, specifically the warriors known as Sharpshooters.
Specialized in stealth and interception, their approach went unnoticed even by Fortuna until it was too late.
A mage of the Sacred Country, standing a distance away from Fortuna, had already been critically injured in the shoulder and was groaning in pain.
Fortuna shouted in agitation.
“Sharpshooters!! Form ranks and respond!!!”
Huaack!!!
Fortuna fully activated her sacred artifact.
Using the artifact to block the Sharpshooters’ assault, Fortuna gritted her teeth.
Sharpshooters were a difficult special force to deal with, and since most of them resided in the elves’ territory, there was very little information about them.
Had the Empire deployed a knight order’s worth of forces, the Sacred Country would have surely obtained intelligence beforehand and prepared accordingly.
However, the Sharpshooters operated outside the knowledge of both the Sacred Country and other human factions. Even though a small-scale contingent moved in for the surprise attack, the Sacred Country failed entirely to detect their movements.
Kwaang!!!
With the situation already chaotic, the continued interceptions by the Sharpshooters made effective countermeasures difficult.
Despite this, Fortuna illuminated the battlefield with holy light, pursued the Sharpshooters, and even retaliated.
The elite troops guarding the Warp Gate lived up to their reputation, maintaining their duties amidst the confusion.
Thanks to their efforts, the Warp Gate remained protected, though its operations were temporarily halted.
However, not all of Kailoom’s forces were as skilled as the Warp Gate garrison.
Kwaang!! Kwaang!!!
The Sharpshooter ambushes were occurring simultaneously across Kailoom.
The Sacred Country’s troops struggled against unseen, covert interceptions.
The absence of reinforcements due to the urgent dispatch of units to Nord and the resulting command confusion worsened the situation.
Though the absolute disparity in strength suggested eventual stabilization, resolving the immediate chaos seemed unlikely.
In the midst of this,
Fortuna witnessed figures heading towards the central part of Kailoom.
At the end of that route lay a sacred institution now referred to by the citizens as the “Papacy.”
Fortuna shouted in anger.
“Filthy traitors disguised as the Empire dare to…!!!”
*
Speira sat cross-legged on her throne.
She was naturally aware that Kailoom was under attack.
Speira found the current situation… quite intriguing.
It was immediately clear that the Empire’s actions in Nord served as a diversion for today’s ambush.
However, Speira was curious about what exactly the Empire hoped to gain from this ambush.
She realized that the main group heading toward the Papacy likely aimed for something significant.
And Luna, the Empire’s top warrior, hadn’t used large-scale destructive magic at all during this operation.
Rather than causing mass casualties, unnecessary deaths were being minimized.
This could be interpreted as a prelude to a public relations battle.
If the Empire intended to expose Speira’s true identity and undermine the symbolic value of the “miraculous Sacred Maiden,” then the more witnesses, the better.
Moreover, excessive bloodshed during this operation would inevitably harm the Empire’s public image, regardless of Speira’s true nature.
Thus, minimizing unnecessary casualties was logical.
Thinking this way, the Empire’s intentions became fairly clear.
However, what Speira couldn’t comprehend was, “How are they going to reach me?”
Luna was still stationed in the Imperial Capital.
Aside from Luna, the only other figure from the Empire capable of drawing out some of Speira’s power was perhaps ‘Ulte.’
But Ulte was currently holding the front lines against demonic followers at the border with the Demonic Realm.
Excluding those two, the most promising candidate was Johanna.
Johanna undoubtedly possessed unparalleled talent but, as a knight wielding a sword, her projected firepower had limits.
Even with the assistance of artifacts, could she possibly make it this far?
Speira watched the situation unfold with a smile.
After all, the Empire wouldn’t launch such a reckless operation without good reason.
Kwaang!!!!
As Speira had anticipated, Johanna faced fierce resistance.
Many of Kailoom’s defensive forces were still disorganized and confused.
However, when intruders heading toward the Papacy were spotted, nearby combat-ready units quickly mobilized to intercept them.
Kwaang!!!
Outnumbered, the Sacred Country’s forces overwhelmed the intruders with firepower.
They were willing to accept additional collateral damage in Kailoom to ensure the intruders were suppressed.
“Don’t let your guard down!! Keep the pressure on!!”
“Accept the damage if necessary!! Secure the line of sight!! Block their escape routes!!”
The determination to prevent any intrusion into the Papacy, even at the cost of destroying parts of Kailoom, was evident.
Johanna briefly took cover behind a large building to catch her breath.
Despite the overwhelmingly unfavorable situation, the members of the Empire’s team calmly awaited her orders.
All of them were veterans who had survived countless battles on the front lines.
Such experiences, no matter how grueling, had become routine for them, leaving no room for hesitation.
“What should we do?”
Jusephin asked calmly.
Under normal circumstances, using other team members as decoys to create confusion while infiltrating the Papacy alone would be the most probable strategy.
However, Johanna gave a short command.
“We push through.”
Tseeng!!!
With a sonic boom, Johanna accelerated through a collapsing building.
Her shoulder slammed into the chest plate of the nearest Templar, sending him flying into a distant structure with his armor crushed.
Members of the Empire followed closely behind Johanna.
Despite the overwhelming numerical disparity, years of relentless warfare had advanced many aspects of the Empire.
Strategy, tactics, technology, magic, artifacts—all elements of combat had evolved significantly.
And Johanna and her team were not just survivors of that brutal war; they represented the pinnacle of the Empire’s advancements.
Their sharpness set them apart from Kailoom’s forces in every aspect.
Kwagagagajak!!!
The hastily assembled Kailoom defense forces began to crumble rapidly.
The Sacred Country’s soldiers couldn’t understand why they were being so easily breached despite their numerical superiority.
The average skill level of the Empire’s operatives wasn’t extraordinarily high either.
Yet, moving like a single organism, the Empire’s operatives utilized their artifacts effectively to dismantle the defenders’ formations.
The appearance of unfamiliar artifacts and the overwhelming coordination among the Empire’s operatives eventually led to the collapse of the defense line’s center.
Tseung!!
Johanna grabbed the head of a nearby Templar and slammed it into the ground.
While the skills of the other operatives were impressive, Johanna’s prowess, which even overpowered High Templars, left even devout clerics speechless.
As the partially dismantled defense forces were abandoned, Johanna and her team prepared to accelerate toward their target once again.
Suddenly, a flash appeared in the sky.
Hwaack!!!
“This is Kailoom, the capital of the Sacred Country.”
“And where Johanna intends to infiltrate is the heart of Kailoom.”
Naturally, the path to the heart of Kailoom wouldn’t be easy.
Tszjik!!!
Interception weapons utilizing overlapping holy barriers throughout the area were activating.
Conceptually similar to the ancient weapons once present in the Imperial Capital, these were designed to activate quickly with reduced power, allowing for precise targeting.
Named “Coma,” these weapons gathered and concentrated flashes of holy energy from the sky.
Given their massive size, their firepower far exceeded what a human could endure.
Nevertheless, Johanna stepped forward alone, and Coma unleashed beams of light at her.
!!!!!!!!!
As the vision brightened,
Johanna coated her body with a mixture of mana and the resonance of her soul intertwined with her physical form.
Although based on holy power, Coma’s attacks resembled heat ray weaponry.
The concentration of holy power within the intense beams was, to Johanna, disappointingly diluted.
Many people in Kailoom turned to watch as Coma discharged its brilliant flashes.
They believed without doubt that the intruder struck by Coma’s flashes would vanish without a trace.
But then,
Cracks suddenly appeared in Coma’s casing.
Kwagajak!!!!!!
Within moments, the cracks spread, shattering Coma in mid-air.
From the center of the heat emitted by Coma’s flashes, Johanna emerged unscathed.
“…”
“…”
“…”
A brief silence fell.
The true high-ranking defenders of the Papacy appeared, blocking Johanna’s path with looks of bewilderment.
None of them understood what had just occurred.
Johanna moved forward, feeling the hot wind.
It was natural that those trying to stop her couldn’t comprehend her.
Johanna had become a singularity, born from the entanglement of human will, madness, and miracles—something no one had anticipated.
In the past, Johanna’s use of the variable core and Overdrive was heavily restricted due to the strain on her physical body.
But not anymore.
The variable core located in Johanna’s heart began to undergo extreme transformation.
*
The building shook a few more times from explosions.
Speira, who had refused to move despite advice, waited on her throne with anticipation.
Soon, a familiar face approached Speira.
Speira greeted her with a smile.
“Welcome, Johanna.”
Johanna responded.
“Shut your filthy mouth, Speira Prizzran.”
