The Archmage’s Destruction Strategy - Chapter 99

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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#099. Welcoming Swarm

“This is Yatagarasu. Informing the escorting Murakumo fleet. 10 minutes until entering expected danger zone. Repeating. 10 minutes until entering expected danger zone. All squadrons form defensive formation.”

[Message received. All Murakumo squadrons to defensive formation. No matter what happens, do not let the Corrosion Entities reach Yatagarasu.]

[All squadrons have completed defensive formation movement. Magic stone detection radar operational. Automatic response battery operation confirmed.]

[Murakumo 1 armament status confirmed.]

[Murakumo 2 armament status confirmed.]

[Murakumo 3 to Yatagarasu. Multiple magic stone reactions detected at 3 o’clock relative to flight direction. Red 15, yellow 40, blue numerous. Estimated encounter time 5 minutes.]

“All squadrons begin defensive maneuvers. Everyone try not to die.”

[Message received.]

Unlike Japan where they could receive support fire from the mainland, Sung-jun’s group that had arrived at the target point had no choice but to fight against the swarm of Corrosion Entities approaching to attack them with only the force of 1 armed transport aircraft and 8 escort ships.

And against countless Corrosion Entities rushing in, displayed as uncountable dots on the special radar designed to detect magic stone reactions inside the Corrosion Entities’ bodies.

Because Sung-jun had set the range of his detection magic quite wide, the Corrosion Entities captured on radar had not yet revealed themselves outside the window.

However, Sung-jun looking out the window was ‘feeling’ through his directly deployed detection magic that an enormous number of flying-type Corrosion Entities were rushing in beyond the clouds he was watching.

“It’s beginning. Just in case, prepare for impact.”

Having received word that battle was imminent from listening to the communications, Sung-jun cast defensive spells on his disciples Seoa and Miyu to prepare for any emergency.

So that even if they were thrown out of the transport and fell into the sea, they could float on the water surface.

After casting various defensive spells to protect their bodies and even fitting them with emergency parachutes, Sung-jun waited for the swarm of Corrosion Entities to approach.

‘There are more than I thought…’

During the flight from Japan to near the United States, no particularly dangerous situations had occurred.

Because the route itself had been set through the middle of the ocean where flying-type Corrosion Entities were not expected to be present.

However, now that they had to approach the coastline somehow for mainland landing, avoiding further combat was impossible.

-Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!-

As battle commenced with the sound of the upper turrets mounted on the Murakumo modified for escort duty firing in unison, the screams of flying-type Corrosion Entities hit directly by the magic batteries echoed from all directions.

At the same time, thousands of chitinous spikes fired by the flying-type Corrosion Entities began mercilessly pounding the special armor of the escort fleet.

-Ratatatatat! Ratatat! Crack!-

Among the sounds of most spikes bouncing off, the sound of some spikes penetrating the armor could be heard, and urgent communications from the pilots echoed through the speakers.

[Murakumo 7 hit! Murakumo 7 hit! Cannot perform mission! Breaking from formation and switching to decoy maneuvers!]

[Yatagarasu to Murakumo 7. Humanity will not forget your sacrifice. Good luck.]

[Enemy numbers exceed expectations! All squadrons block firing trajectories to protect escort target!]

[Distance remaining to landing point?]

[At this rate we’ll be annihilated!]

The magic batteries developed by Sung-jun were definitely dealing damage to the enemy, but there were too many of them.

Moreover, the attacks of high-grade Corrosion Entities that couldn’t be seen in Japanese coastal waters possessed attack power strong enough to pierce the protective armor that Sung-jun had magically reinforced, so the escort ships protecting Yatagarasu carrying Sung-jun’s group began falling one by one onto the water surface under the rain-like attack of steel spikes.

Eventually, with only 4 of the 8 escort ships barely staying by their side while spewing black smoke, the enemies’ attacks began pounding even the armor of Yatagarasu, their escort target.

-Crash!!-

Yatagarasu’s armor, made twice as strong as the other escort ships, was pierced and chitinous spikes reminiscent of giant monster claws revealed themselves before Sung-jun’s group.

Seeing this, Sung-jun unfastened his seatbelt and stood up, saying.

“I’ll use the lift.”

[What?! No! It’s too dangerous!]

“It’s better than sitting here and falling into the ocean with the transport.”

The lift Sung-jun mentioned was an elevator-type device that went from inside the transport to the outside.

That equipment, which Sung-jun had requested to be made in preparation for emergencies, was special equipment designed to allow him to face enemies like a human turret from the top of the aircraft after securing his body to a pillar so he wouldn’t be blown away by the wind.

Sung-jun firmly secured several safety belts attached to a metal pillar in the middle of the cargo hold to his body.

Then he pressed the red button located at the back of his waist to activate the equipment.

-Whirrrrr!-

Like an actor rising from underground to the surface through stage equipment, Sung-jun’s figure, secured to a pillar on top of the giant transport, began slowly rising.

At the same time, wind pressure so intense he couldn’t open his eyes began fiercely swirling with enough force to break the pillar securing Sung-jun’s body.

‘I need to do something about the wind first.’

Sung-jun forcibly extended his arm against the wind and cast a spell.

Then the fierce wind that had been savagely blowing as if it would tear Sung-jun’s body to shreds instantly subsided.

‘Like a swarm of locusts.’

There was no time to rest at all.

Sung-jun immediately used defensive spells to grant powerful defensive magic to all remaining aircraft, then began firing Void Sky Spears toward the direction where the strongest enemies were located.

As giant flying-type Corrosion Entities that couldn’t possibly dodge the metal pillars of Void Sky Spears fired like railguns fell onto the ocean, cheers from pilots who had faced mortal crisis echoed through the earphones.

[Yeahhhhh!!!]

[Serves you right!!! You bastards!!!]

[The great archmage is with us!!]

If he had come up a little earlier, could he have saved the remaining escort ships too?

With such thoughts, Sung-jun spread both arms.

Then numerous magic circles were summoned in the air and an enormous amount of magical bombardment began slicing through the swarm of Corrosion Entities that had flown in like a black cloud.

-Screeeeech!!!-

When Sung-jun swung his left hand, hundreds of red metal chains flew from magic circles summoned in the air and tightly wrapped around hundreds of small Corrosion Entities.

Then the Corrosion Entities unable to flap their wings let out miserable screams as they fell onto the ocean.

-Papapapapabang!-

When Sung-jun swung his right arm, rain of metal melted by high heat poured from the sky.

The rain of viscously flowing liquid metal produced smoke and sparks the moment it touched the Corrosion Entities’ skin and instantly hardened, and the Corrosion Entities surrounded by metal chunks weighing several times their body weight couldn’t bear the weight and crashed onto the ocean.

Ice and flame, petrification and poison.

Watching Sung-jun’s feat of single-handedly shooting down over thousands of flying-type Corrosion Entities, the pilots in charge of escort felt they understood why the Japanese Government had formed an escort fleet, even modifying military transports, to protect the man called Sung-jun.

However, Sung-jun himself, who had caused this incredibly spectacular fireworks display, was glaring at the swarm of Corrosion Entities rushing in from afar with an unpleasant expression.

‘This aura is…’

Suddenly a red light flickering from a distance so far it couldn’t be seen entered Sung-jun’s field of vision, and Sung-jun urgently swung both arms to cast protective magic overlapped 8 times.

Not circular protective magic spread wide to protect the entire transport, but powerful protective magic concentrated in a narrow area to block attacks coming from a specific direction.

However, despite Sung-jun’s quick response, the black flame stream that flew in a straight line shattered the 8 protective magic circles Sung-jun had summoned in one blow, then instantly pierced through the giant wing of Yatagarasu on Sung-jun’s left side.

-Whoooosh!! Crackcrackcrack!!!-

With an explosive sound, Yatagarasu’s left engine began spewing black smoke like crazy, and Yatagarasu’s hull began tilting sharply.

Then Sung-jun calmed the fire on the left engine with freezing magic while glaring in the direction the black flame stream had come from.

He had cast the ‘Clairvoyance’ spell on his eyes to help him see objects at distances invisible to the naked eye.

Then the identity of the opponent that had just shattered Sung-jun’s protective magic in one blow was clearly caught in Sung-jun’s vision.

‘A dragon? No, since Corrosion Entities aren’t that kind of life form conceptually, should I say something that resembles a dragon.’

In that its entire body was covered in scales, the opponent could be said to have the same form as a dragon.

However, unlike a dragon’s head which has a dinosaur-like form, the opponent’s mouth had a giant beak instead of a snout with teeth, and instead of membrane-attached wings, it had translucent wings reminiscent of insects diligently fluttering up and down inside a hard outer shell.

Looking at the bizarre design that was literally like combining an eagle, dragon, and beetle, Sung-jun said.

“Is immediate landing possible?”

[We’re trying! Please buy us about 3 more minutes!]

Thinking that powerful attacks like before wouldn’t come consecutively, Sung-jun decided to buy time and straightened his posture on the shaking hull.

Then he continuously cast the most powerful defensive spells among those he could cast while waiting for the opponent’s attack to come.

“If an attack like before comes again, I need to prepare to block it. I’ve reduced the enemy numbers, so please buy time until landing.”

[Understood. All squadrons reorganize defensive formation!]

[Message received. All squadrons to defensive formation.]

The escort ships that had been scattered here and there to avoid enemy attacks began finding their positions in an orderly manner.

And Sung-jun, watching the flying-type Corrosion Entities that had approached him and the escort ships engage in a spectacular aerial battle, calmly waited for the next attack from the Corrosion Entity that had fired the black breath earlier.

-Bang! Babang!-

“Queeeeech!!!”

A Corrosion Entity that had flown close enough to get blood on Sung-jun’s body was hit by magic artillery urgently fired by an escort ship and exploded in mid-air.

However, even while watching the Corrosion Entity’s flesh and organs pour down in front of his feet, Sung-jun maintained a calm expression while only watching the front.

[1 minute until emergency landing!]

“It’s coming!”

Sung-jun, who had been facing the rear of the transport’s flight direction, couldn’t confirm the exact appearance of the landing site.

In a situation where he didn’t know whether the landing site was an airport, field, or wasteland, Sung-jun entrusted everything to the pilot’s skill while concentrating his consciousness only on the giant Corrosion Entity pursuing him.

And finally, intuiting that the opponent would fire its breath once more, Sung-jun quickly swung both arms to simultaneously activate all the magic he had prepared in advance.

-KWAAAAAAAABOOM!!!!-

Since it was an attack that couldn’t be blocked head-on, Sung-jun precisely adjusted the trajectory of all his defensive magic to ‘deflect’ and graze past it.

The goal wasn’t to block the opponent’s attack, but to twist the ‘trajectory’ of the attack.

Sung-jun’s defensive spells, which cleverly grazed the side of the opponent’s attack at subtle angles, began forcibly twisting the trajectory of the black breath that flew in a straight line, accompanied by a terrible sound like fingernails scraping against a chalkboard.

-KWADDDDDDDDEUK!-

As over 20 ultra-high-grade defensive spells desperately twisted the trajectory of the black breath, the attack’s path finally changed minutely.

And at that moment, seven Void Sky Spears that Sung-jun had activated simultaneously with his defensive magic pierced through the body of the giant Corrosion Entity that had shot the breath, making it look like a porcupine.

Sung-jun had thought that the opponent’s defensive authority would be neutralized the moment it shot its breath, so he attacked the enemy’s main body in sync with the timing of the opponent’s attack.

The black breath, whose direction was minutely altered by Sung-jun’s defensive spells, grazed right past Sung-jun, and the seven Void Sky Spears he summoned penetrating the enemy’s body happened almost simultaneously.

[We will now attempt an emergency landing! Please brace for impact!]

And the next moment, along with the pilot’s urgent voice, a massive pillar of earth that had shot up to tremendous heights came crashing down on the back of Sung-jun’s head.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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