He Became The Most Insane Emperor Of All Time [EN]: Chapter 281

The imperial capital is burning. Even the sky seems to be in a rage, dyed red, and in that sky, enemy aircraft and allied fighters are engaged in a dogfight.

On the ground, the Celestial beings were massacring the imperial citizens who had failed to escape in time. The Imperial Army was bleeding as they stood against them.

In the midst of all this, the enemies were advancing towards the Imperial Palace.

“Most of the citizens have been evacuated, Your Majesty.”

Until now, the response had been passive. No, passive isn’t the right word. We were simply focused on evacuating the citizens, which made us neglect the counterattack.

The shelters for the citizens were diligently prepared in advance, but even that was not enough when something like this happened.

So, a significant number had to be evacuated to the Imperial Palace. After evacuating, they looked at me and the officials with anxious eyes.

“How is the counterattack preparation going?”

I asked, but I already knew the situation.

The standing army was either not fully mobilized yet or was taking time to arrive from their garrisons.

The Capital Defense Force had been desperately fighting to buy time until just now to evacuate the citizens, so they were not in a state to be mobilized for a counterattack.

But there was one last reserve force remaining.

“The Imperial Guard is awaiting Your Majesty’s command.”

The Imperial Guard.

The Emperor’s shield, the Emperor’s sword. The Empire’s sharpest spear and the bulwark that would protect me and the Empire until the very end.

From the moment I first came to this world, they had been loyal to me without a single betrayal. They had always been with me on the Empire’s most dangerous battlefields.

So, there was no need for long speeches.

“Let’s go, to protect the Empire once more.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. Long live the Empire.”

It was time for a counterattack.

* * *

“W-we’re finished. Everyone’s forgotten about us and left us behind!”

“Shut up!”

Corporal Zak, of the Imperial Capital Defense Force regiment, shouted roughly at his comrade’s whining. The situation was bad enough as it was, and his comrade was just panicking and whining, so it was understandable.

But he soon regretted raising his voice.

“Hic… Mommy, I’m scared……”

“It’s okay, dear. The soldiers will protect us.”

The house they were in, which was being used as a temporary shelter, wasn’t just occupied by soldiers.

There were also people who hadn’t been able to evacuate amidst the chaos. And many of them were children, women, and the elderly.

In particular, the children looked terrified by his shout. And the fear that spread to the children also spread little by little among the adults.

Zak wondered how to calm them down, but then he realized that he had no choice but to leave them alone and sighed.

He didn’t have time to worry about civilians right now. He was so preoccupied with taking care of his comrades that it was difficult.

“Everyone, calm down. This place is still sturdy enough to hold out. And before long, our forces will counterattack those Celestial bastards.”

The more the situation was like this, the more calmly Zak tried to reassure his allies. Fortunately, most of his comrades seemed to regain their courage at his words.

“Liar! Can’t you see the chaos outside? When is that counterattack going to start?”

“Pierre, calm down.”

“How can I calm down? We’re isolated and about to die! Support should have arrived a long time ago!”

“They have their own circumstances, so it’s taking time! The last time I saw, the Imperial Palace was clearly under attack! So, once they defeat that, the counterattack will begin.”

“So, you’re saying they won’t come until then… We can’t hold out until then……”

“……”

He felt annoyed by his comrade who kept spouting pessimistic words, but he couldn’t really refute them. Because what he said was true.

The Celestial beings were so focused on massacring innocent people as if they had a grudge against them.

Even though this place didn’t offer them any tactical advantage, they had attacked several times. Although there hadn’t been any major damage to either side yet.

Zak had nothing to say because it was clear that they would attack again soon.

“It’s too early to give up-”

Kwaaaang!

Just as he was about to reassure them once more, the house they were in shook violently from an explosion.

The Celestial beings’ artillery had struck.

“They’re coming!”

The soldiers with rifles shouted as they fired at the approaching Celestial soldiers.

Zak also didn’t stop firing, even though he was dizzy from the explosion.

But the enemies approaching this time were not ordinary.

“Th-they’re dodging the bullets!”

The Celestial elite stormtroopers were disrupting the rifle aim by using low-altitude flight with their wings.

A significant number of bullets missed, and the bullets that did manage to hit were blocked by their personal barriers.

Fortunately, they weren’t using any ranged weapons, but they soon charged into the soldiers and began wielding spears of light.

Poong!

“Kkeuaak! My eyes!”

“Bl-block them!”

“I can’t see!”

The Celestial beings’ spears flashed for a moment, blinding their enemies. It was used to blind the enemy in close combat.

The soldiers were helpless and suffered because of it.

“Euaaaaaaaa!”

Tututututututu!

Zak, who was holding a submachine gun, a newly issued firearm, screamed and fired wildly at the Celestial soldier.

Fortunately, one of them couldn’t react to the surprise attack and fell.

Teob-

“Keuheok!”

But soon another Celestial soldier rushed in and grabbed his neck. The difference in physical strength was so great that Zak was helpless.

“You insignificant humans……”

“Keueuk……”

The Celestial soldier who grabbed Zak’s neck muttered softly. Zak glared at him with bloodshot eyes. But at this rate, all that was left was death.

Tang!

“Keuheok!”

Just then, someone shot the Celestial soldier who was trying to kill Zak.

“S-stop. Let him go!”

The one who shot him was the woman who had been taking care of the child earlier. While the others were trembling, she picked up a gun that had fallen nearby and shot it. She shot clumsily and couldn’t hit a vital spot, so the Celestial soldier didn’t die.

“Keeeuuu… You damn bitch!”

“Oh, no!”

Zak was released, but the Celestial soldier was now trying to kill her. But Zak, who was almost unconscious, couldn’t stop him.

“Kkyaaaaak!”

Zak closed his eyes tightly when he heard the woman’s scream. At this rate, she would only be killed.

“You Celestial beings are always the same.”

“……!”

Then, instead of people’s screams, he heard someone’s voice. Zak reflexively opened his eyes. Then he felt blinded by the light. It was a sacred light that was different from the flash created by the Celestial beings.

“How can you act so devilishly? You’re no different from devils who only look good on the outside.”

Wooddeuk-

A silver-haired man emitting such light twisted the neck of the Celestial soldier as if it were a toy.

He didn’t know when or how he had appeared. But that wasn’t important.

What was important was who he was, and Zak recognized him.

“Your Majesty……”

He was the Emperor, the supreme ruler of the Empire. Zak recognized him because he had seen him from afar. It was thanks to the Emperor often showing his face to the public.

Zak prostrated himself before him, still dizzy from his injuries.

“Y-Your Majesty!”

“Thank you for saving us!”

The others also bowed their heads in front of him, just like Zak. Then the Emperor said.

“Stop and get up, soldier. It’s safe around here now. Evacuate to the Imperial Palace.”

After saying that, the Emperor spread his wings of light, which looked endlessly sacred, and flew into the sky.

Zak and everyone else could only stare at it and mutter blankly.

“Long live His Majesty the Emperor.”

* * *

Tutududududut!

“Annihilate the enemies of the Empire!”

“Kkeuaaaaaak!”

A fierce battle was taking place between the Imperial Guard Legions and the Celestial elite soldiers.

The Celestial beings had become stronger than before. They had changed their shoddy weapon system and had much better armor and weapons.

But the Imperial Guard Legions had also become stronger than before.

“Die!”

Chwaaaaaaaaak!

The improved sealed battlesuits were now equipped with miniguns instead of Gatling guns, and the melee squads were cutting enemy melee squads in half with swords or halberds made of specially reinforced materials imbued with Aura [magical energy].

“Th-they’re monsters!”

“W-we can’t defeat them!”

Hulking figures almost twice the height of a person, battlesuits that withstood any attack, and the tremendous firepower they poured out, and even more overwhelming skills in close combat.

They were advanced knights, and each one was like a moving war machine and a fortress.

The Celestial ground forces, who had confidently advanced towards the Imperial Palace in front of them, were defeated miserably.

Of course, even if they were defeated, there was still a possibility that they would retreat, regroup, and come back.

Unless we could do something about their floating islands in the sky.

“All ground threats have been eliminated, and the Imperial Palace is intact. The Imperial Palace will continue to fire the railgun while intact, so if we can hold out until each standing garrison regiment gathers in the capital, they will have no choice but to retreat.”

The Imperial Guard Commander, who had just hunted down and slaughtered the Celestial beings with me, reported mechanically and indifferently.

Although the capital was burning, the enemies were eventually going to be defeated. Minerva, the leader of the enemy, must be burning inside right now.

So, this battle had already been tactically won. But…….

“I can’t be satisfied with that.”

Too much blood has been shed to be satisfied with just a tactical victory. The invaders must be held accountable for their severe crimes. No, it must end.

“Capital Defense Force Admiral. Are you listening?”

-Yes, Your Majesty.

I connected to the Admiral on the flagship via long-range telecommunication.

“Have you identified the flagship among the enemy’s floating islands?”

-Yes, Your Majesty. We have already identified it. But unfortunately, it is being guarded by other floating islands, so we cannot damage it with railguns or cannons.

It seemed that they had figured out which floating island Minerva was on. But as the Admiral said, they couldn’t damage it with cannons because it was being heavily guarded. They probably wouldn’t be able to penetrate the antimatter shield either.

“Then, Admiral, let me ask you one thing.”

-Ask away, Your Majesty.

“I don’t care what operation or what means you use. Can you land me and the Imperial Guard on the floating island where the enemy leader is?”

-That’s…….

The Admiral trailed off. It would probably be difficult. But the Admiral also knew what I wanted.

-If we consider all possibilities, and if we are willing to accept many sacrifices, it is possible.

“I will try to minimize the sacrifices as much as possible.”

Minerva must be dealt with this time. In fact, Minerva is not much of a threat since she lost the Celestial Realm, but she is still the center of the ‘Celestial Rebels’. Eliminating her would be of great help in this final battle.

-Understood. Your Majesty. I will come to pick you up soon.

“Okay.”

The Admiral agreed, and an airship was scheduled to come and pick up the Imperial Guard.

But I didn’t need to take the airship.

“Shall we begin?”

Cheolkeok- Cheolkeok-

I immediately transformed into Silvathein Mode and soared into the sky.