082 Drifting Arc 22: Ambush

Sorry I'm late.

The enemy fleet surged in all at once, synchronized in their approach.

They prepared in the sub-space and then launched their assault—clearly not random. Intelligence is involved.

Ayame taught me that wild space vessels act on instinct, like hunting prey. They wouldn’t do something this coordinated.

"This is either a Prince or a Marquis—or imperial forces. Someone on our side must’ve leaked intel..."

Right before the true Empire joins forces and flips the balance of power.

Perfect timing for me, out here alone in my Personal Ship.

This wouldn’t have happened unless internal leaks were rampant.

I muttered to myself as I ordered my Personal Ship to evade.

I engage Multi-Target Lock-On via the Tactical Weapon Integration Control System.

Firing three Long Barrel 5cm Railguns in rapid succession, I keep driving Erosion Bullets into enemy ships, claiming them one by one.

Too many enemy vessels—too many to focus on.

They return fire with Railguns. I barely dodge my Personal Ship. Ahead, enemy ships are locked in mid-battle, colliding in mutual destruction.

I deliberately drove into their formation. Let them kill each other.

Beams rain down. I deflect them with the Beam Canceller—but it won’t hold forever.

The Erosion Bullets are running low. Too many used up already, trying to neutralize the True Imperial Fleet.

“Ah… so they knew I’d come out solo. Then this is it!”

I pull a captured cruiser from the Dimensional Storage Vault—now a shield, now a weapon.

Even with full external armaments activated, I’m hopelessly outmatched.

The enemy fleet’s getting too focused on us—front-line ships are overextended, back ones can’t even reach out anymore.

Guess that’s our only opening.

I keep firing the Long Barrel 5cm Railgun, rapid-fire standard rounds, intercepting the incoming missiles from the saturation attack.

Small-caliber rapid fire—really comes in handy.

The captured cruiser holding the defensive line is being pounded into the ground by enemy fire, sinking despite its valiant effort.

Shields keep dropping, one by one.

That’s when it hits me. Why not use the enemy ships I’ve already neutralized with Erosion Bullets?

“Admiral Command. Top-level order. Initiate Nerve Crack! Absolute compliance from all ships!”

I take the enemy vessels I’ve rendered powerless with Erosion Bullets and force them into obedience with Nerve Crack—about three hundred ships total.

I link them via the Tactical Weapon Integration Control System and take control, data-linked and ready to fight.

I form a ring formation around myself, shifting into a full-scale assault on what appears to be the enemy flagship fleet.

"Target: enemy flagship! Missile defense—leave it to the captured ships!"

The enemy fleet, committing all their forces to a full frontal charge, deployed their ships across the entire Dimensional Jump Gate, rushing through.

But due to the nature of the Dimensional Jump Gate, the emergence points are randomly scattered.

As a result, the enemy flagship fleet was struggling to regroup. Around four hundred ships, total.

Right in front of me—someone who clearly underestimated me as a single vessel—suddenly appeared a fleet of three hundred captured ships, now under my control.

It was supposed to be a slaughter. Instead, it’s like suddenly facing a force nearly equal in strength.

I focus fire from the Long Barrel 40cm Railgun down to the 30cm Particle Beam Cannon on what appears to be the enemy flagship.

The escort ships act as shields—then sink.

I fire off the G-Bullets and Leap Bullets too.

The G-Bullets punch through several enemy ships and strike the enemy flagship.

The Leap Bullet clears the escort ships’ shields and hits as well.

At that moment, from reinforcements arriving from the Anoi Fortress—its full force of three thousand ships—long-range fire is launched toward the main enemy fleet deployed around the area.

The tide turns in an instant.

I unleash a barrage of G-Bullets to finish off the enemy flagship.

Punching through the escort ships, shattering their shields, the G-Bullets streak through the Stasis Field at hypersonic speed and hit home.

The enemy flagship, now just drifting wreckage, takes another volley of G-Bullets.

The enemy flagship finally explodes into fragments.

The 1,000-ship force of the Minor Lord Coalition pursues and destroys the retreating enemy fleet.

The Caprius and Graul forces fall in to protect me.

I disable a large vessel I assume to be the enemy squadron’s command ship with a Leap Bullet.

"Alright, who’s left behind?"

Prince or Lord Gilbert. The numbers point to the lord, but it’d be nice if we caught the mastermind too.

The enemy fleet’s retreat ends the battle.

I quickly stash the 300 captured ships I’ve seized with a Naurb Crack into the Dimensional Storage Vault.

Any crew still aboard? Let me scan the list.

"There’s one. Guess you can’t escape if you’re captured."

It was a heavy cruiser-class vessel.

Time to eject them.

Starting next chapter, due to various circumstances, I’ll be switching to a weekly release schedule.

Next installment is scheduled for Monday, May 28, at 0:00.

And I’ll begin revisions and additions from 058 onward.

To everyone who’s been enjoying the series—I’m truly sorry for the inconvenience.

Unified the True Emperor faction under the True Empire.