[Brezil — State of Amazonas — Manaus Outskirts]
“FIRE!!!”
The mortars all expelled white smoke at the same time, and explosives rained down. The ground was hollowed out in several places as huge explosions sounded, filling the area. Steel fragments scattered in every direction. However, the thick shield held by monsters protected the Legion, and the Brezilian offensive did not succeed in dealing any damage.
Soon after, a tank gun aimed right at one of the shields. It wasn’t strong enough to leave a dent in the shield though. Not even an armor-piercing shell could go through the Cyclops’ Adamant Shield, an SR piece of equipment used by Joker’s Legion.
“Goblins! Time to return the courtesy!”
All of the Rank B goblins threw hand grenades at the enemy at the same time. The speed of the projectile and the distance they covered were unbelievable. The grenades had been thrown from more than five hundred meters away, yet they exploded right over the heads of the Brezilian soldiers. To get all the way there in so little time before the explosion, these grenades must have traveled at several hundred kilometers per second.
Some white phosphorus smoke grenades had been mixed in with the ones the goblins threw, as the Brezilian troops fighting on the outskirts of Manaus were engulfed in a cloud of thick, white smoke.
“Next up are...the wyverns! TA DAAH!” Joker exclaimed, throwing ten cards up in the air.
Ten wyverns appeared and pounced on the Brezilian army. Fire rained down upon the soldiers, who ran in every direction, trying to escape it. Bullets fired from the Brezilian helicopters did nothing to stop the wyverns. Neither did the wire-guided missiles, as the wyverns dodged them, making use of their otherworldly aerial mobility.
“So that’s the power of monsters... The power of the Legion...”
The Brezilian troops had been massed here to protect Manaus, a large city that flanked the Amazon River. General Jumpei Carlos Satou, the commander-in-chief of the Brezilian army and the Amazon Military Command, clenched his fists as he heard the latest report at headquarters. He had heard about the estimations of the Legion’s strength from the Gamericans, but their only point of reference for now was the one battle they had fought in Colombian. For that reason, the Amazon Military Command headquartered in Manaus had been tasked with gathering information and delaying the enemy. However, the data they had been able to gather defied common sense.
“It’s like fighting fully autonomous robots that learn in real time. As soon as you think you’ve found something that works against them—the Carl Gustav for instance—they find a way to counter it. The same goes for the wyverns. They hover around like helicopters and suddenly start moving at jet speed the next second. They use their high mobility and that white smoke of theirs to blind us before finishing off our troops with blasts of fire. These monsters seem to be learning and evolving after each battle!”
As soon as the Brezilian army figured out an effective weapon, the monsters switched up their equipment and found a way to deal with it. The same went for strategies. The Brezilians’ airborne attacks and night raids had managed to succeed, but the Legion had immediately adapted and counterattacked. On top of that, they seemed to learn new strategies and were able to replicate them after only seeing them once. Every single monster was both a weapon and a warrior at the same time.
“We have a report from the twelfth military district. The citizens will be fully evacuated in three hours.”
“Got it. We’re retreating to the third defense line. We need to hold on for three more hours!”
The Brezilians had far more soldiers and many more weapons than the Legion, but they kept getting pushed back. Saitou willed himself to remain calm and continued to issue orders.
“Heh heh heh! After today, everyone will know how the Legion fights! I’m sure Gamerican and NATO leaders are starting to freak out,” Joker said, jumping for joy.
The blue-haired young girl just looked at him, her face betraying no expression whatsoever. Joker was dancing the cha-cha when one of his men approached him.
“Boss, the Brezilian army is retreating and the city is coming into view. Will the battle evolve into urban warfare?”
“That’d be great. I was just thinking I’d like my troops to gain some urban warfare experience. Don’t rush for now. Chase the enemy slowly. Oh, and I want someone to get me a report on the monsters that died. I want to know how they died, what weapon killed them... Be as precise as possible.”
Joker listened to the current state of the battle while one of his underlings took notes. After hearing the full report, he discussed the situation with his men. He first checked if anyone had any questions before reviewing the way the battle had gone and whether some things could have been done differently.
“A doctor will always get a good look at the situation before starting an operation. They’ll decide how to approach the affected part, handle the procedure accurately and rapidly, and then stop to reflect on the way they’ve worked regardless of whether the operation was successful or not. That’s how they decide how to handle things the next time. War is the same.”
“What should we do if it does turn into urban warfare, boss?”
“Hmm... Should we try using the skeletons?” Joker pondered. “Modern soldiers are used to fighting with guns, but skeletons are only made of bones. Even if bullets reach them, there’s a high chance those bullets will ricochet. Fighting them with a sword is much more advantageous in close combat.”
“What do we do if there are still civilians left in the city?”
“Take good care of them. They’ll be good hostages we can use to gain leverage over the Brezilian government. Well, I expect most of the citizens will have been evacuated by now, so Manaus is probably a ghost town at the moment. Picking up what others threw away isn’t robbery, so feel free to take whatever you can find in empty houses and shops. Food, clothing, appliances... We’re gonna pick it all up.”
“YEAH!!!”
Joker’s underlings cheered. The Legion was constantly being kept in check by Joker. Killing, hurting, or stealing from civilians meant the death penalty in Joker’s army. In the past, an ex-convict had gotten carried away and inappropriately touched a child in Colombian. Joker had made sure to chop him into small pieces while he was still alive. Though Joker controlled his men through fear, letting them have a breather from time to time was also needed. Today, they’d get to claim whatever they wanted in a city previously inhabited by several hundred thousand people. They’d most likely get their hands on plenty of household appliances to send back to Venisuela.
“Having fun is good and all, guys, but don’t you dare forget this. You’re free to handle soldiers and whoever points a gun at you however you like, but do not touch any unarmed civilian!” Simón Claudio, a man who had been following Joker since he’d visited the El Rodeo Prison, warned, face serious.
He had become used to dealing with freaks and criminals when he was in El Rodeo Prison and was extremely convincing.
“All right. Let’s get going, then.”
The Demon King and his men continued their advance.