Debuff Master

Chapter 748

Shwoooong...!

After shooting down the light aircraft around them, the Iron Fleet began dropping bombs and spitting fire at the ground forces down below.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Explosions erupted over the heads of the Zavala Kingdom’s army, and their surroundings transformed into hell in a matter of moments. There were shrapnel whizzing everywhere and dirt and rocks splattering in the air. The fire caused by the explosions roared like hungry beasts before devouring everything around them.

The bombardment was nothing short of a nightmare, but this was only the beginning...

“A-Aaaah!”

“Help! Help me!”

“You crazy bastards! We’re on the same side!”

“Ah... Ahg...”

The Zavala soldiers screamed in horror as the Iron Fleet continued its ruthless barrage. Bodies were constantly torn apart by the Iron Fleet’s bombardment. There were severed limbs flying in every direction, transforming the scene into a horror gore film brought to life.

Blood sprayed across the ground, mingling with the debris and dust of the battlefield.

The entire battlefield was in utter chaos.

“Anti-aircraft guns! Get them up now!”

“Set up the turrets!”

“Fire! Shoot those damn things down!”

Despite the chaos, the artillery crews scrambled to set up their anti-air defenses in an effort to mount some semblance of resistance. They fought back desperately, holding their ground and focusing their fire on the Iron Fleet above.

Unfortunately, their efforts were in vain, as the Iron Fleet immediately identified them as the biggest threat and prioritized targeting areas with high concentrations of anti-air defenses, neutralizing them before they could do any substantial damage.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Kaboom!

The Iron Fleet blew up the anti-aircraft defenses together with their operators, leaving the Zavala Forces exposed to aerial attacks. With the anti-aircraft defenses gone, the Iron Fleet unleashed a far more merciless barrage, raining down shells that mowed down the soldiers en masse.

“Retreat! Retreat!”

“Fall back!”

Panic set in as the Zavala soldiers’ spirits and morale were crushed. They scrambled to flee. The only thing on their minds now was to survive this brutal onslaught as they sprinted toward the capital, Feiogh.

But then...

Whoosh!

The Iron Fleet surged forward at full throttle, racing past the retreating soldiers as if cutting off their path to safety.

The soldiers’ hearts dropped at the massive shadow cast upon them, but they were given a small respite as the Iron Fleet headed straight for the capital, Feiogh, rather than continuing the bombardment on them.

Amidst the chaos, General Bahamut somehow managed to survive the Iron Fleet’s brutal bombardment.

“Damn it! Just what in the world is happening here?!” General Bahamut cursed, his voice full of shock and disbelief. He watched in bewilderment as the Iron Fleet advanced toward the heart of the kingdom.

It was then that an even more dreadful report came.

“Enemy fleet spotted ahead! It’s the Proatine Alliance’s fleet!”

“The Proatine Alliances’ fleet has appeared!”

In the distance, the Proatine Alliance’s ships rose into the sky, filling the horizon with an intimidating aura.

Under normal circumstances, they would not have been as terrifying with the Iron Fleet operational and backing the Zavala Forces up. However, the Iron Fleet’s sudden turn against its own forces had changed everything, as the sight of the enemy aircraft incoming sent waves of terror through the hearts of the Zavala soldiers.

‘No... could it be?’ A dreadful realization dawned on the general—a thought so unthinkable that he hesitated to even believe it. ‘No way...? Did the Iron Fleet fall into enemy hands?’

A shiver ran down his spine.

“Comms...! Signalman! I need the signalman right now!” General Bahamut screamed, desperately dragging himself over to the signalman only to find him dead, slumped on the ground with his skull punctured by shrapnels.

Still, General Bahamut did not give up and grabbed the communication device from the lifeless body and attempted to make contact, “Defense Command! Do you read me?! Defense Command! The Iron Fleet is bombarding our own forces, and it’s headed for the capital—!”

But before he could even finish, he noticed something amiss.

“Damn it...!”

The communication device’s mana crystal was broken.

***

Back at the Zavala Kingdom’s Defense Command, the sudden return of the Iron Fleet baffled and caused confusion among the officers.

They were completely unaware that their fleet had bombed their own forces, as the view of the battlefield was obscured by towering mountains, concealing the horrific events that had transpired just a while ago.

The sounds of explosions were faint due to the distance, and there was no way they would even think that their Iron Fleet had somehow betrayed them. Had they received a report of what was happening, they would have taken measures to defend themselves.

Unfortunately, the Defense Command was left completely in the dark.

“Contact the Iron Fleet and request for a report!”

“Yes, sir!”

The commander ordered the communications officer, and the officer immediately contacted the Iron Fleet’s flagship, the Nautilus.

“Sir! The Iron Fleet reports it is returning temporarily due to fuel shortage!”

“What? Fuel shortage? But they should’ve been fully refueled at the Iron Cradle.”

“They say the mana crystals in the engines were only partially charged due to the rushed completion.”

“I see...”

“They are returning to recharge the crystals and redeploy to the battlefield immediately, sir!”

“Understood. Lower the shield and guide the Iron Fleet to a safe landing.”

“Yes, sir!”

With that order, the powerful energy shield protecting Feiogh was lowered, allowing the Iron Fleet easy entry.

Five minutes later, the Iron Fleet passed over the zone where most of the anti-aircraft defenses were installed.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Without warning, the Iron Fleet unleashed a barrage of artillery fire on the anti-aircraft defenses, obliterating them within moments.

“What?! What’s happening?!” The defense commander cried out, but these were his last words. He barely had time to register what was happening when a dot flew toward them, growing larger by the second. n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Swoosh...!

Kaboom!

A shell struck the central building of the Defense Command, collapsing it and burying everyone beneath the rubble—including the commander.

***

On the bridge of the flagship of the Iron Fleet, the Nautilus...

“Magnificent!” Siegfried exclaimed while gazing down at the Zavala Kingdom’s capital city, Feiogh, from the bridge of the Nautilus.

Feiogh, a grand city in the north with a history spanning hundreds of years, was truly a city worthy of being called the capital city of the mighty Zavala Kingdom. It was a city of such beauty that it could easily be described as a masterpiece created by the NPCs.

“Such a shame...” Siegfried muttered while staring at the beautiful city.

The city was beautiful, but it would soon be reduced to ashes.

Siegfried looked at Proxima and said, “Burn it to the ground.”

“As you command, Master!” Proxima replied with a salute. Then, he relayed the orders to the Iron Fleet, “All ships! Commence bombing on Feiogh! I repeat! All ships! Commence bombing on Feiogh!”

The Iron Fleet captains, all Radioactive Ghouls, directed the cannons toward the capital of their own kingdom, Feiogh. And, of course, the turrets were also aimed at the city underneath, and they were manned by none other than the Head Crusher Guild members.

They had seized control of each vessel in the Iron Fleet shortly after takeoff, and they were one of the keys to the success of this operation.

Whiiiir...!

The guild members aimed the turret guns, now under their control, toward Feiogh and pulled the trigger.

Dududududu!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

In an instant, the capital of the Zavala Kingdom, the metropolis of the north with a history spanning centuries, was engulfed in flames.

The city was being reduced to ashes, not by enemy hands, but by their very own Iron Fleet, which was the symbol of the Zavala Kingdom’s affluence and might.

***

Meanwhile, the Proatine Alliance fleet surged forward under the command of Kim Gi-Tae, aiming their guns and cannons at the Zavala troops battered by the Iron Fleet.

“Aaaaah!”

“Run! Run for your lives!”

“My leg! S-Somebody help me!”

“Arghh!”

Having been decimated by the Iron Fleet’s bombardment earlier, the Zavala Kingdom soldiers were helpless, broken, and scattered all over even before the Proatine Forces attacked.

The once proud army of a mighty kingdom had turned into a ragtag bunch scrambling for their own survival and scattering in every direction like cockroaches.

However, Kim Gi-Tae had no intention of letting them escape.

“All forces! Charge!” Kim Gi-Tae commanded, and his voice boomed with authority.

The Proatine Alliance surged forward like a storm, chasing after the Zavala troops.

“For Proatine!”

“For His Majesty the King!”

Unyielding and merciless, the Proatine Alliance troops showed no hesitation as they cut down the Zavala troops, whose spirits had shattered earlier. The slaughter was swift, brutal, and complete, leaving the once-mighty Zavala Forces in ruins.

The Zavala Forces suffered unimaginable losses despite their best attempt to flee. The relentless bombardment from the Iron Fleet, followed by the ruthless assault from the Proatine Alliance, devastated their ranks.

Out of the original five hundred thousand troops, less than one hundred thousand survived. This was a shocking casualty of four hundred thousand troops lost in a single battle.

The Zavala Forces had already scattered, but the fight was far from over.

“All troops! Advance to Feiogh!” Kim Gi-Tae shouted, rallying his forces.

Today, the Proatine Alliance would seize Feiogh, the heart of the Zavala Kingdom, and end this war once and for all.

***

Half of Feiogh now lay in ruins, devastated by the Iron Fleet’s merciless bombardment.

“Ahhh!”

“Run! Run!”

“We’re under attack!”

“Somebody help us!”

The citizens of Feiogh fled in every direction as explosions rocked the city, their homes reduced to rubble and flames consuming the streets. The once-mighty Zavala Forces, stripped of any real anti-air defenses, were powerless against the relentless assault.

The Iron Fleet loomed above the capital city like a harbinger of doom, preparing to unleash yet another wave of destruction upon them.

But that was still only the beginning...

“For Proatine!”

“For His Majesty the King!”

As if on cue, the Proatine Alliance’s fleet was now at the gates of Feiogh, and it seemed that the end was now inevitable. The alliance fleet bombarded the gates and walls, allowing the troops to breach and push into the heart of the capital.

The Zavala Kingdom’s last line of defense that had been standing so formidablly crumbled like a sandcastle getting washed away by a powerful wave.

Amidst the chaos, Siegfried watched the unfolding destruction from the bridge of the Nautilus. He seemed satisfied by the result, but he still looked bitter for some reason.

“Good,” Siegfried muttered. Then, his gaze shifted to Proxima, and said, “Order the fleet to hold position around Feiogh. Your top priority is to protect our allies, and your second task is to bomb anyone trying to flee the city—without any hesitation.”

“As you command, Master!” Proxima replied with a salute. Then, he promptly relayed the orders to the Iron Fleet.

The skies around Feiogh now became an iron barrier, sealing off the capital city and not allowing even a single creature to leave its walls.

With preparations completed, Siegfried headed over to the communications device and sent a message to the Head Crusher Guild members.

“Everyone not manning a cannon. Prepare to drop.”

With his orders delivered, Siegfried headed to the hatch with Hamchi on his back.

“Shall we go?”

“Kyuuu! I thought you’d never ask, owner punk!”

Without another word, Siegfried jumped out from the Nautilus and spread out his +10 Black Crow Wingsuit. He soared above the clouds before diving down, his eyes zeroing in on one last target.

The war was as good as won, so there was only one objective remaining before ending this bloody war.

‘Your time is up, King Frederick,’ Siegfried growled inwardly while diving down toward the Zavala Kingdom’s royal palace.