Editing Tytania:Volume 4 Chapter 4 (section)

=== III ===
It had been within the realm of expectation. No one had truly believed that Radmoth would continue to meekly maintain his position as military supervisor. Everyone had assumed that, eventually, he would erupt. However, no one had expected him to resort to such a forceful act the very moment the battle commenced.

Whether it was a lack of patience or a scheme he had been plotting from the start, Radmoth roared once more, pointing his heatgun at the members of the Blaze Flag Army.

“Bring me the heads of Ariabert and Jouslain! I’ll grant you both a peerage and a title of admiral!”

“Does that guy even have that kind of authority?”

Mahdi let out a crooked smirk. To him, peerage and admiralship meant nothing at all.

However, the impact of Radmoth’s roar on the makeshift, mixed fleet of Uraniborg was unexpectedly profound. For Zarlisch’s former subordinates, who made up the majority of the fleet, being under the command of Hyulick—whom they had once derisively called a “rat thief”—was deeply distasteful. They knew that Radmoth was an immature and shallow scion. Nevertheless, he was, above all, a Tytania noble.

“Hail Tytania!”

This cry served to further heighten the excitement and spread it through the group. Ignoring Hyulick, they rushed forward in a competitive frenzy to launch their assault.

On the bridge of the ''Golden Sheep'', Ariabert received a report.

“The enemy’s movements have changed.”

“In what manner?”

“Please see for yourself, Your Grace.”

Ariabert frowned slightly at the operator’s words, but as he stared intently at the screen, he tilted his head after two or three seconds and shifted his posture ever so slightly.

“Well, well… Did Fan Hyulick start wearing cement boots or something? It seems something has happened.”

“Your Grace, we’ve received a transmission from the ''Austra''. Duke Jouslain wishes to speak with you directly.”

Nodding, Ariabert switched to the direct channel. Jouslain had intercepted the communications of the Uraniborg forces. After listening to the gist of the matter,

“I see. So that Radmoth brat has gone and stuck his hand into a pot of self-destruction.”

Ariabert’s expression was a mix of a wry smile and understanding.

“Understanding Fan Hyulick is one thing, but there is no way for me to know Radmoth’s tendencies in tactical matters.”

“Unless I’m mistaken, he should have no experience in commanding an army until now.”

“Whether he could be called a poor copycat of Zarlisch is debatable. But at the very least, Zarlisch was never accused of ‘killing his own allies’.”

Ariabert stroked his well-defined jaw.

“However, carelessness is the worst enemy; this holds as an eternal truth. We shall remain vigilant.”

“I’m counting on you. Even Radmoth is likely too much for me to handle.”

It was not entirely self-deprecating. Jouslain had a tendency to overthink, so he struggled against opponents who lacked any strategic depth. If faced with a monotonous, brute-force assault, he would find himself wondering, “Is there something more to this?” In that regard, Ariabert’s judgement regarding military foes was more sound.

“Damn that Radmoth… he lacks greatness, but he certainly lacks fear too.”

Ariabert reached a decision.

“Open the fourth gate. We shall drag them in from there and strike them with a triangular formation<ref name="ftn21">“Triangular formation” (三角陣形) is pronounced “triangle formation”.</ref>.”

After a brief pause, he added:

“Go all-out.”

The web of intersecting flashes began to shift, orderly and slowly. The fleet of large and small vessels that had formed the gateway of death either slowed their pace or descended towards the nadir, carving out cavernous spaces within the previously seamless line of ships. The return fire against the enemy’s bombardment gradually began to diminish.

It appeared as though the fierce artillery fire was punching holes through the fleet, with the gaps steadily widening. The soldiers who had fought under Zarlisch’s command remained unaware of the trap set by Ariabert’s masterfully precise fleet manoeuvres.

One of Radmoth’s subordinates shouted:

“Part of their formation has collapsed!”

“Good, charge in through there. Force the entrance open and expand it. We can split the enemy!”

“Stop, do not go in!”

Hyulick had realised it. The enemy formation had not collapsed. They were deliberately opening a gap in their lines to lure the Uraniborg forces in. The orderly movements of the enemy vessels made this clear. He was the only one to see it. This was the very reason Doctor Lee had hailed him as a genius.

Zarlisch’s former subordinates believed their fierce assault had breached the ironclad defence, and they rushed headlong towards the gap. The breach seemed to expand further, appearing almost as a gate beckoning them inside.

Towards the gateway of death.

The frenzied soldiers and sailors of Uraniborg plunged into the enemy formation, attempting to shatter the enemy lines from within. Had it been the late Duke Zarlisch, that is exactly what he would have done. However, before they could even realise what was happening, a single one of their vessels was surrounded by three enemy ships. Merciless gunfire descended upon them from three sides.

“Three against one?!” groaned Mahdi.

“If we are cornered, it is all over.”

As Doctor Lee pointed out with calm composure, Mahdi made a gesture as if looking up at the heavens.

“Yeah, it’s all over, both here and there.”

One of the displays showed the number of allied vessels. The figure, which had stood at 8,440 at the start of the battle, continued to decrease as he checked it.

Only the vessels of Uraniborg were scattering into bursts of fire. If two ships flanked a single one from the left and right, their lines of fire would cross, sometimes even resulting in friendly fire. However, if they targeted a single point from three directions—for instance, at two, six, and ten o’clock positions—the lines of fire would not intersect.

Ariabert’s tactics proved immensely effective, thanks to his skilled subordinates. The enemy charged through gates left intentionally open, seeking only to be slaughtered. The triangular formation of fire decimated them with flawless precision. Fireballs. More fireballs. When nearly a thousand ships had vanished from this dimension, the bombardment ceased, if only for a brief moment.

Originally, they had all been regular armed groups of Tytania; they had been allies. Far beyond being mere comrades-in-arms, some might have even shared the same blood. For what purpose were they fighting? Perhaps such thoughts synchronised within the hearts of the soldiers.

However, it lasted, quite literally, only for a moment. To fall behind the enemy meant passing through the gates of death themselves. The shelling resumed almost instantly, and it grew even more ferocious.

Ariabert’s tactics relentlessly whittled away the forces of Uraniborg. One after another, vessels were sucked into the fourth gate as it opened and closed, only to be destroyed by the three-to-one combat.

Staring intently at the screen, Jouslain could not suppress a slight tremor. For the first time, he witnessed the sheer ferocity of Ariabert, a man who was usually so mild and polite. It was only when Francia gently wiped his brow with a handkerchief that Jouslain realised the sweat on the nape of his neck.

Hardly any vessels managed to evade the lines of fire coming from three different directions. Far and wide, fireball after fireball was birthed, and intersecting arrows of light tore across the sea of dark matter. Silent explosions gave rise to short-lived supernovae, only to bury them just as quickly.

Watching Radmoth’s standing figure with cold indifference, Doctor Lee whispered:

“How is the situation on the battlefield, Commander?”

“We’ve been beaten.”

Fan Hyulick ran his hands through his carrot-coloured hair. He had not expected the superiority at a tactical level to be decided so perfectly.

“Duke Ariabert’s strategy was brilliant, but the soldiers and officers who executed it were also remarkable. There should be no difference in our men’s experience or proficiency, but the level of trust they place in their commander is on a completely different level.”

“Isn’t that too self-deprecating? Duke Idris, whom you were expecting so much from, would gnash his teeth if he heard you.”

“Yeah, regarding that point, I have room to shift the blame. Duke Idris should have educated his younger brother more properly.”

“Reflecting upon the history of mankind in the past…”

Suddenly, Doctor Lee’s scope of conversation expanded.

“There are many instances where brutal and forceful individuals seize power amidst the chaos<ref name="ftn22">“Chaos” (混沌) is pronounced “chaos”.</ref> surrounding the collapse of great dynasties. It does not last for a long time, but temporarily and within a limited scope, it can cause significant harm.”

“And right now, that temporary and limited scope is our very ship, right?”

As Miranda gave a wry smile, Mahdi quickly stole a glance at Radmoth’s back. Walenkov and Pagès did the same. They were, of course, looking for an opportunity to eliminate Radmoth, but his subordinates were pointing their guns at Hyulick and the others from various positions across the bridge.

While the flagship was effectively rendered paralysed, the vessels of Uraniborg were being toyed with by Ariabert’s masterful triangular formation. In other words, they were taking blows unilaterally.

Human blood rained down upon the scorching internal equipment, walls, and floors; as it evaporated, a red mist descended over the ship.

It was a phenomenon known as the “Crimson Rose<ref name="ftn23">“Crimson rose” (紅い薔薇) is pronounced “crimson rose”.</ref> Cologne”, and it was said that if any surviving soldiers attempted to wash their clothes, their white shirts would all be stained pink.

Orders that were barely more than screams were relayed throughout the vessel.

“Seal Block G! Seal Block G!”

As the bulkheads within the ship flashed an ominous red, true screams erupted.

“Wait! I’m still alive!”

A soldier who had lost a leg crawled across the floor, blood spraying from his wound like a shower. Before his very eyes, the door closed mercilessly. Some, their arms severed by the door as they desperately tried to reach through, let out fresh, dying screams. These shrieks were drowned out by the roar of an explosion, and the sealed block was transformed into an abyss of raging flames, swallowing both the living and the dead with equal indifference.

“… How terrible.”

On the bridge of the ''Austra'', Princess Lydia uttered a sigh as she gazed intently at the screen.

“About five hundred people must have died in that explosion.”

Princess Lydia gasped at Jouslain’s words. Francia hugged her small shoulders from behind, casting a protesting look towards her master. Jouslain deliberately ignored it, keeping his eyes fixed upon the screen. He wanted Princess Lydia to know as much of the truth as possible.

“Killing people is not our primary objective, but we will not hesitate to kill if it serves our purpose. This is not unique to Tytania, though we have certainly been the most thorough in doing so…”