Chapter 102: An Infestation

Ash and his team were currently in Carmen's office. They are having a meeting to liberate the last eye of Iberia.

"Hello everyone, I wish us a happy collaboration. Let me explain the situation of Gran Faro's eye of Iberia." Carmen turned serious and Kal'tsit looked eager for them to start.

'This will be a huge step for mankind. The seaborne is running rampant. It didn't help that they basically isolated Iberia 60 years ago.' Kal'tsit looked at their free win ticket; Ash.

And it's not only him. Nian was there as well, so Kal'tsit really wanted their operation to start immediately.

"We have already tried to send inquisitors to the last eye of Iberia. It was a daunting mission that only the best of the best volunteered in..." Dario started and Lappland sighed.

"They didn't return, how many did you send? Like four or something? You an idiot?" Lappland commented and the inquisitors frowned.

"No way... You really did send just a handful of them? I mean, they're not that strong individually. But they come in swarms." Mudrock thought it was a waste of manpower.

"So, you sent some fine inquisitors to a suicide mission? Come on, you could've sent some support for them. A crew to clean up dead bodies, medics, some heavy infantry so they could have a breather." Ash started listing necessary divisions for a large mission.

"Ugh, they were the best. So we thought that they would be able to clear the place." Carmen rubbed his temples.

They got a lot of flak for it. And now, the emperor of Leithanien was teaching them how to do it. And the worst part is, they can't complain. Leithanien is Terra's quintessential superpower right now.

News was late, but they waged war against Yan and Ursus. With barely any losses, Leithanien has the supreme military might on Terra. And everybody except people from places like Acahualla knows it.

"Well, what's the situation of the tower? It's been decades since it was checked out right? Saltwater is intense, that tower must be in shambles." Maria had a thoughtful expression.

"We didn't get much because the inquisitors didn't come back. But the transporting ship did see that the tower looked like it was infested with roots." Carmen recalled and Maria looked at Ash.

"That means the structural integrity of the place isn't sound at all. If you and Nian fight in there, you'll tear the place apart." Maria gave her insight about the tower's condition.

"Awww, I really wanted to skewer some seaborne." Nian was disappointed.

"They're not edible Nian, I don't know what would be the effects on people like us. But I don't wanna know." Ash warned her and Nian nodded lazily.

'Aren't they a little too carefree?' Carmen was worried that they will have an international incident due to important people like them dying there.

"Okay, so we go in and blam! Kill everything in sight. Sounds pretty easy if you ask me." Lappland propped her chin with her hand and yawned.

"It is, I will provide fire support to the front lines. I'll snipe the big ones." Platinum looked at Ash and he took out a large suitcase from his inventory.

Platinum hefted it and put it on the table, making it creak due to its weight.

'How strong is that pegasus? She looks like a dainty little thing?' Dario sweated and Platinum began to assemble her anti-material rifle.

Ash upgraded it and it was now firing armor piercing, incendiary rounds. And the bullets are the size of large beer bottles.

"Let us prepare." Mudrock smacked her armor and it turned into her super heavy reactive one that could tank almost anything.

The hydraulics whirred as she wielded a new hammer too. Unlike her square one that was for pure blunt force trauma, it was designed to be as dense as possible.

A ball point that delivered all of the kinetic energy in a focused spot was the new feature and the rear is an arts unit that makes jets to increase its velocity.

When she laid it on the ground, the floor cracked due to its weight. "Ohh, sorry."

"Kekeke~ come on! Come on! Those freaks that we killed on the beach isn't enough! I want to kill more!" Lappland laughed like a maniac.

"I'll be on defender duty everyone, let's work together well." Maria also pushed a button and her full plate armor appeared.

"Hah, I guess I'll be behind Maria." Zofia took out her swordwhip and everyone was prepared.

"Uhhh, Dr. Kal'tsit, are we going to be of help in this operation?" Amiya looked at her sheepishly.

Ash's group looked like they were ready for war in just a few seconds. While the Rhodes island team has Amiya who has strong arts, it wasn't for large groups.

Kal'tsit has Mont3r, but she would rather not use it in front of anyone else except her team. And the Dokutah has PRTS. Which is useless for Ash's team.

Because all of them have spatial awareness that is trained to the limit. Being unaware in a war means death after all. And they have already been on two fronts. Paradiso's military personnel have seen numerous battles.

But before they could go to the seas and liberate the last eye. Everybody heard a commotion outside.

"I have to talk to saint Carmen! The sea terrors are attacking! Nethersea brand is starting to corrupt Gran Faro!" An inquisitor busted through the door, panting heavily.

"What's the issue, young man? We are in a very important meeting." Carmen squinted his eyes.

"T-they're back, the sea terrors from the stories decades ago are heading to Gran Faro with the help of the church of the deep." The inquisitor kneeled and Carmen frowned.

He was going to order Dario and Irene to take care of them. But Ash stood up. "Okay girls, I guess let's show these people here what you're made of."

They stood at attention and saluted. "Sir, yes sir! Mission parameters?" They immediately asked, surprising Carmen and the inquisitors.

"I thought they were your friends? That's definitely a big change." Ascalon was amused by their sudden professional attitude.

"They are my friends first, but these ladies are also my soldiers. Don't forget, they've already fought in wars against Yan and Ursus. They're hardened warriors that has probably killed more people than you." Ash grinned.

The Dokutah shivered a bit and he looked at them. Imagining their operators being hardened veterans that could take a life without batting an eye.

Amiya also frowned, but they have picked another path from her. Terra is cruel, even the middle schoolers in Rhodes island has seen people die in front of them.

"Annihilation, that's the name of the game." Ash gestured for them to go and Lappland had a twisted grin on her face.

The fighters felt their skin crawl due to how much bloodlust she was giving off. Ascalon could feel her chest tighten.

'I have never seen someone love battles so much... She's a proper maniac, that one. She would fit right in at Kazdel.' Ascalon wiped her brow. Lappland was clenching and unclenching her fists due to excitement.

'She's like a rabid dog that just found her target... These guys are really scary.' Amiya whimpered a bit. She doesn't work well with Lappland's types.

"Let's go, Ash has named me the leader before. I believe it is still in effect?" Maria gave him a look and he nodded.

"Just don't be making pussy ass decisions, leader~" Lappland licked her lips and Maria stomped her foot on the ground.

"Insubordination equals execution, follow the orders soldier." Maria pointed her sword at her throat and Lappland's grin went higher.

"Come on." Mudrock exited the room and they started the operation.

"My inquisitors could have handled this situation your majesty." Carmen felt his pride take a hit.

"This is what we do best, besides. We need to learn each other's skills right? Irene and Dario knows mine. But they don't know theirs." Ash pointed at his team and Platinum already disappeared.

"Where did the Kuranta go?" Ascalon blinked, she didn't notice her give them the slip. Giving her massive anxiety.

"Scouting, now come on. Blink and you'll miss it." Ash chuckled and they followed his elite operators to clear the seaborne. Though Zofia is a bit lacking in order to be called an elite.

They quickly arrived at a part of town that was nearby the shores. There were some blue veins that were encroaching the ground.

"So this is the nethersea brand?" Ash squinted his eyes and analyzed it.

"It's full of seaborne cells... So this can be attributed to Caerula Arbor? Damn, you guys are lucky we're here." Ash whistled.

'These things will spawn seaborne when it matures. And these things are brimming with energy. Maybe they act as domains that upgrade the freaks?' Ash couldn't understand before bringing samples to the lab.

He then erupted in violet flames and the nethersea brand that was corrupting the pavement burned into nothing.

Like a wildfire, his flames consumed everything. But after it died down, everybody else was shocked to see that the houses, pavement, and other buildings did not have any damage.

"Pretty neat right?" He smiled at them and everybody continued on to the beach.

"Kuahahaha! Die! You cultist bastards! I'll gut you!" They heard Lappland laugh and they weren't sure if the church of the deep were victims or not.

Lappland was zipping around the battlefield while her swords were coated by her arts. It was a massacre. Every swing of her blades; a filthy cultist that looked like they were corrupted by the nethersea brand exploded into guts and gore.

Amiya's eyes widened and she almost puked her guts out. Meanwhile, the Dokutah was already emptying his stomach, creating some rainbows.

"Damn, she's very violent..." Ascalon winced, Lappland was like a berserker.

"Take a look at Mudrock there." Ash pointed at the titan that was Mudrock.

A black shield was around her and she the hammer she wielded was glowing as the gargoyle used her arts.

Winding up for a swing, the jets behind her hammer whirred and she slammed it on the ground.

Carmen almost stumbled due to the earthquake and spikes of earth, minerals, and sand stabbed through the members of the church of the deep. Skewering them nicely.

"Purge everything that is filthy!" Maria raised her shield and the nethersea brand coming from the waters were stopped in their tracks.

The gloomy looking shore was lit up with golden light and it started to burn the corruption. Like holy absolution.

"Here they come!" Zofia shouted as she saw the waters ripple.

A horde of seaborne started to run at them like mad dogs. It was surreal, Carmen and his inquisitors winced when they saw the bloodthirsty demons from the abyss.

"Don't worry, they got this." Ash assured them and Maria jammed her shield on the ground, forming a shield wall made out of her arts.

Mudrock and Lappland leapt and they went to the front lines. While Zofia started sniping the first ones who arrived. Her sword whip extending and snaking around the battlefield with deadly precision.

"Be as the mountains." She winded a swing and her hammer plowed through the seaborne surrounding her.

"Incredible, what strength." Carmen blinked dumbly at Mudrock charging through the horde of sea terrors like they were ants.

"Light, slice through the darkness!" Maria's great sword hummed with light and it cut through waves of seaborne.

Overall, they were dealing with the seaborne incredibly efficiently. Leaving tons of bodies behind.

"You're ridiculous Ash, but your subordinates aren't that different." Irene thought that they would be definitely having a hard time against that horde.

"They try to impress." Ash shrugged and was pleased with their little show.

Everybody then heard a roar, as a leviathan began to swim to the shore.

"There's a big one coming!" Zofia reported and they looked at it. But the team ignored it and Dario started to get nervous.

"Are they waiting for it to come to shore?" He looked at Ash with anxiety.

"Hmm, just wait and see." Ash replied with a smile and when the Leviathan peeked its body above the water. A large part of it suddenly exploded.

"Target down." Platinum cocked the bolt of her rifle and the large shell was still smoking.

The peanut gallery then heard the roar of her gun from somewhere. And the leviathan that looked menacing, went limp. Floating on the waters with a huge hole on it.

"T-that's... A gun?" Ascalon could recognize that sound anywhere. 'It's true then... Their guns are much stronger than Laterano's. What a dangerous country. And all of their combatants are armed with it. Even the silverlance pegasi have one.'

"See, no problem." Ash clapped and gave Platinum who was hidden a thumbs up.

The melee combatants then made short work of the invading seaborne like they were trash. The shore was painted blue due to all the blood and guts on it.

"And that's about it, I guess I should clean this crap up." Ash took out his sword. Kal'tsit and Ascalon shivered upon seeing it.

'Is the eye on that thing looking at me?' Ascalon have seen many bizarre things. But an eye on a sword was not one of them. It then gave a toothy grin at them, the mouth on the flat of the blade smirking.

"The sword that will consume the world..." Kal'tsit paled and Ash threw it at the middle of the carnage.

Everything then disappeared into its mouth. The blade looked like it licked its lips deliciously.

"You want it?" Ash chuckled as he saw Kal'tsit's expression. She definitely knew more about it and she showed it with her pale face.

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Thanks for reading everyone, ciao.