Chapter 35: Who Wants Some Freedom?

High above the coastline, entirely invisible to the naked eye at fifteen thousand feet, the dark, heavy silhouette of an AC-130J Ghostrider gunship banked into a wide, sweeping pylon turn over the burning bay.

Inside the pressurized battle management cabin of the gunship, the fire control officer adjusted the thermal optics. Crosshairs locked dead-center onto the dense cluster of imperial infantry, supply wagons, and the heavy galleons anchored along the surf.

"TOC, this is Spooky Zero-One, on station over target area," the pilot’s calm, flat voice crackled through the secure datalink. "Optics confirm mass hostile elements actively executing defenders and securing captives at the beachhead. Flagship and secondary combatants identified. We have visual on high-value hostile assets."

Across the water, inside the underground Tactical Operations Center, John stood before the primary tactical plot. His face was cold, devoid of hesitation.

"Spooky Zero-One, this is Eagle Actual," John commanded over the open channel. "Hostiles have committed full-scale atrocities against non-combatants. You are cleared hot. Target their naval battle line and beachhead artillery. Break their command structure and level the landing fleet. Do not hit the holding pens."

"Copy that, Eagle Actual. Cleared hot. Engaging hostile naval assets."

Down on the flagship, Grand Inquisitor Valerius was casually watching the troops secure the perimeter when a strange, low-frequency hum resonated through the upper atmosphere. It sounded like distant, rolling thunder, yet the sky remained bright and cloudless.

"What is that noise?" Valerius muttered, looking up.

Before Father Corvin could reply, the sky detonated.

BOOM!

A single 105mm high-explosive fragmentation shell, fired from the port-side howitzer of the circling Ghostrider, fell screaming from the sky at supersonic speed.

KABOOOOOOOOOM!

The shell struck the three-deck heavy galleon anchored directly to the left of the flagship. The concussive blast obliterated the mainmast instantly, detonating the ship’s internal black-powder stores in a massive secondary fireball. Splintered oak planks, burning sails, and iron cannons were hurled hundreds of feet into the air as the multi-ton warship split completely in half, sinking into the churning foam in seconds.

"What in the name of the Goddess—?!" Valerius screamed, thrown to his knees by the violent shockwave.

He never got an answer.

THUMP-THUMP-THUMP-THUMP-THUMP!

The AC-130’s 30mm GAU-23/A Bushmaster II autocannon opened up, raining thirty-millimeter high-explosive incendiary rounds down in a rhythmic, merciless line across the beachhead.

Each round struck with the kinetic power to shatter solid rock. Imperial ballistas, catapult emplacements, and wooden barricades exploded into pulverized dust. Solarian knights in polished steel armor were torn apart instantly, their breastplates offering no more protection than wet paper against modern autocannon fire.

Panic tore through the imperial ranks like wildfire.

"Where is it coming from?!"

"An invisible Archmage!"

"Raise the anti-magic shields! Form the—"

KABOOM! KABOOM! KABOOM!

Another trio of 105mm artillery shells hammered the secondary line of wooden transport hulks. The violent explosions blew massive craters into the waterline, setting three more ships ablaze and trapping the remaining human forces on the open sand.

Sato, who had been enjoying his acts, looked up and froze in absolute, unadulterated disbelief.

WHIRRRRRRRR—CHOP-CHOP-CHOP-CHOP!

Slicing low across the azure waves at over one hundred and forty knots came a matte-black MH-60M Direct Action Penetrator (DAP) Black Hawk, banking aggressively as it breached the coastal tree line. The twin turboshaft engines shrieked with raw, industrial power, whipping up a violent gale that flattened the grass and scattered the burning embers across the sand.

Sato stumbled backward, nearly tripping over the scorched earth. His jaw dropped, his eyes bulging wide behind his messy black bangs.

"A... a Black Hawk?!" Sato stammered out, his voice cracking in sheer panic. "Are you kidding me?! Why the hell is there a helicopter in a fantasy world?"

Slicing low across the azure waves at over one hundred and forty knots came a fully armed aerial assault package:

Escort Wing: 2x AH-64E Apache Guardian Attack Helicopters, flying low-level flank cover with 30mm chain guns slewing and Hydra 70 rocket pods armed.

Assault Transports: 2x MH-60M Black Hawks, carrying Delta Force Special Operations assault teams.

Heavy Lift Insertion: 2x CH-47F Chinooks, trailing closely behind, carrying two armored Oshkosh JLTVs slung beneath their airframes and a full platoon of mechanized infantry.

The two Apaches surged ahead, popping up over the coastal tree line.

Twin pods of Hydra 70mm unguided rockets leaped from the stub-wing pylons of the lead AH-64E Apache Guardian, screaming across the shallow bay in a blinding volley of fire and white contrails.

KABOOM! KABOOM! KABOOM! KABOOM!

The high-explosive warheads slammed directly into the waterline where three wooden Solarian galleons were frantically trying to weigh anchor. The blasts ripped massive holes clean through the reinforced oak hulls, shattering rowers’ benches, tossing burning rigging across the decks, and igniting the open powder barrels stored along the broadside batteries. Secondary explosions ripped through the timber hulls, violently splitting the multi-ton wooden ships down the middle and plunging hundreds of screaming imperial sailors into the blood-slicked sea.

The second Apache swung hard to the left, its Longbow radar dome tracking the retreating formations of Solarian heavy infantry on the beach. Mounted beneath the attack helicopter’s sharp nose, the M230 30mm automatic chain gun whirred to life, slaved directly to the co-pilot gunner’s helmet-mounted display.

BRRRRRRR-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!

The 30mm chain gun spit a deafening, rhythmic stream of high-explosive dual-purpose rounds at over six hundred rounds per minute.

The heavy rounds struck the armored human soldiers.

Disciplined shield walls, sun-forged breastplates, and enchanted iron tower shields were obliterated in split seconds. The explosive rounds tore through armor, bone, and stone barricades alike, turning an entire two-hundred-man imperial spear regiment into a pulverized mist of shredded metal and red dust before they could even draw their secondary shortswords.

A group of mounted knights attempted a desperate cavalry charge across the wet sand, raising their lances toward the hovering gunship.

BRRRRRRR-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!

Another burst of thirty-millimeter fire chewed up the beach, obliterating the warhorses and their riders in a horrific, churning line of fire and shrapnel.

Sato was frozen stiff, his knees shaking uncontrollably as hot wind washed over him.

He had watched movies. He had played games back in Japan. But seeing the absolute, mechanical slaughter delivered by modern attack helicopters in real life was completely horrifying. There was no chant, no sword duel, and no heroic clash. It was just a cold, automated meat grinder designed to delete flesh and blood from kilometers away.

"Lord Sato! What are you standing there for?!"

Grand Inquisitor Valerius stumbled across the rubble, his golden armor covered in ash and soot, his face pale with utter hysteria. He gripped his broadsword with trembling hands, pointing violently up at the circling Apaches.

"Go! Use your divine shadows!" Valerius shrieked over the deafening mechanical roar. "Strike down those flying metal demons! You are a hero. Slaughter the metal beast!"

Father Corvin rushed up right behind him, clutching his golden sun amulet against his chest while chanting frantic, broken defensive prayers.

"The holy texts declare your power absolute, Lord Sato!" the priest yelled, his eyes wide with fanatical desperation. "Step forth! Purge these dark steel abominations in the name of Goddess Viona! Step in and save us!"

"Are you two out of your fucking minds?!" Sato screamed back, his voice cracking into a high-pitched, terrified screech. He backed away from them, his teeth chattering in pure dread as his eyes stayed glued to the 30mm chain gun slewing smoothly toward another cluster of imperial soldiers. "Those aren’t demons! That’s not magic, you brainless idiots! Those are AH-64 Apache gunships! They have thermal targeting! They have proximity fuses! If I even think about jumping into the air, they’ll turn me into ground beef in half a second!"

"Coward! You were summoned to fight for the empire!" Valerius roared, grabbing Sato roughly by his leather shoulder strap. "You took our gold! You took our honors! Now fulfill your holy oath and kill them!"

"Get your hands off me, you dead man!" Sato snarled, violently shoving the Inquisitor away and then ran.