Trench Bolts and Magic

Chapter 220 Spells and Steel (Bonus Chapter)

Master Albert in the air was actually quite nervous, completely lacking the composure that outsiders perceived him to be.

Because he had no prior experience fighting armored airships, or rather, he was now experiencing the first direct confrontation between a mage and an armored airship in the human world.

Although both Saxony and Brittany were wary of each other's mages and armored airships, the lack of intense conflict meant that the mages and airships were more often in a standoff than directly engaging in combat.

Both sides were aware of the threat posed by the other, but had never actually engaged in combat.

This also meant that the highland mages' ability to counter armored airships remained purely theoretical.

Last night, Albert gathered everyone to prepare for the spell, mainly based on the thick "Guidelines for Countering Armored Airship Spells" from the Highland Mage Corps.
As for how effective these preparations will be, Albert himself has no idea.

But now the arrow is on the bowstring, and there is no room for hesitation.

Led by Albert, eight highland mages targeted the L24 armored airship, which was on a mission to drive it away.

After confirming their identity based on the tactical numbers on the airbags, Albert and his team knew that this was an older model of Saxon armored airship.

Therefore, it is easier to approach and, theoretically, more likely to be the first target shot down.

The captain of the L24 airship, Reinhard von Hoffmann, was one of the earliest armored airship captains in Saxony, although he was becoming increasingly unsuitable for air combat missions due to his age.

However, after the war began, he and several other captains applied to return to the unit and became captains of several old-model armored airships that were put back into service.

At this moment, he was staring intently at the highland mages flying in from a distance. Through a special lens on the bridge, these mages were surrounded by magical aura, so they could be visually detected from a distance.

Hoffman had already ordered the 150mm naval guns to fire in an intercepting barrage, but the mages' agile movements and the shields they created by tearing open scrolls made the 150mm anti-aircraft guns' interception efficiency pitifully low.

"Captain, the mages are rapidly approaching!" the lookout's voice was urgent.

Hoffman frowned. He knew that once these high-level mages got close, even with a magical shield, the airship's safety would be in jeopardy.

Therefore, he decisively ordered the communications officer to contact the L29 armored airship and request fire support.

Upon receiving Hoffman's request for support, the L29 armored airship, which was unleashing firepower on the ground, immediately changed its tactics.

The massive airship began to turn in the air, simultaneously gaining altitude, and aimed the muzzles of its four twin 203mm main gun turrets at the eight fast-moving points of light in the sky.

"Attention all gun crews, 'anti-aircraft shells' loaded, target enemy mages, fire freely!" Commander Schneider of the L29 armored airship calmly issued the order.

The captain can bypass the fire control commander and give direct orders to each gun group, so the gunners in each turret quickly pushed the specially made anti-aircraft shells into the gun barrel.

"Fire!"

The eight giant cannons roared simultaneously, the deafening boom echoing through the sky. The cannonballs, trailing faint contrails, streaked across the sky at astonishing speed, heading straight for the mages.

Albert and his companions immediately felt unprecedented pressure.

The 203mm naval gun's shell velocity far exceeded their expectations, and the trajectory of the huge shell in the air carried a chilling aura of death.

"Spread out! Take cover!" Albert shouted, and with a quick turn, he broke away from the formation.

The mages attempted to scatter and escape, using their agile flying abilities and various spells to evade capture.

However, the Saxon Empire's Magic Research Institute did not remain idle. The L29 and L24 airships underwent modifications before the war, adopting the latest magic tracking technology.

With the magical equipment mounted on the airship, the operator can accurately track and roughly predict the mage's movement trajectory in the air and share this information with each turret, which greatly improves the anti-aircraft hit rate of the ship's cannons.

With the aid of the new equipment, a 203mm anti-aircraft bullet was accurately fired at a point in a mage's flight path.

The sixth-circle mage was currently tearing open a new protective spell scroll, attempting to fly through the armored airship's barrage of fire.

However, the power of the 203mm naval gun far exceeded the limits he could withstand.

"boom!"

A violent explosion occurred in the air, and the mage's self-buffs, including [Stone Skin], [Mage Armor], and [Protective Energy], were all destroyed in one blow.

Immediately afterwards, a violent shockwave and tens of thousands of scorching fragments engulfed his body.

No screaming, no struggle.

The proud highland mage, along with his prized magic, was completely wiped from this world amidst a dazzling display of fire and blood mist.

No bones remain.

This scene sent a chill down the spines of the remaining seven mages.

They finally realized that even high-level mages were not absolutely safe in the face of such a behemoth.

On the Britannian lines, the soldiers who had just been full of confidence in the mages were now completely silent, their faces filled with fear.

Meanwhile, an even more fervent cheer erupted from the Saxon trenches.

"Well done! One more time!"

"Let those Britannians know who the masters of the sky are!"

At the same time, the L24 airship's 150mm cannon roared again. Although its power was perhaps a little lacking, the dense barrage still poured down like a storm, shrouding the remaining seven mages in the air in the shadow of death.

The mages desperately tried to evade and cast various defensive spells, but their space for maneuver became increasingly smaller.

Master Albert's heart clenched; the sudden death of his companion filled him with shock and rage.

But he wasn't blinded by anger. He shrewdly seized the brief lull after the L29 main guns fired their salvo and exchanged a glance with another seventh-ring transformation archmage.

The two understood each other perfectly, and one on the left and one on the right, they transformed into two streaks of light and rushed towards the L24 airship at an even faster speed.

The twelve 150mm guns of the L24 airship desperately turned their muzzles, trying to concentrate their firepower on Master Albert and the other two mages.

The machine gun turrets also rained bullets down on them, but the 7.92mm bullets fired by these MG08 heavy machine guns posed no threat to them in the short term.

However, in the blink of an eye, Albert had closed the distance to less than 500 meters.

"It's now!"

Master Albert roared, raising his hands high, and dazzling lightning crackled at the tips of his staff.

[Chain Lightning]!
A thick bolt of lightning shot out from his staff, instantly striking the magical shield of the L24 armored airship.

Immediately afterwards, lightning bolts, as if alive, leaped across the surface of the shield, making a "sizzling" sound.

However, the airship's magical shield, though flashing violently, stubbornly withstood Master Albert's attack.

Captain Hoffman breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this.

At least the Air Force hadn't lied to him; the armored airship's magical shield was specially reinforced, making it difficult even for a seventh-circle mage to break through in one strike.

But his smile quickly froze on his face.

Because at the same time that Master Albert launched his attack, another seventh-circle alter mechanic mage had already quietly approached from the other side of the airship.

A green ray shot out silently from the tip of his staff, striking the magical shield of the L24 armored airship precisely.

Dissociation Technique

The moment the green ray touched the spell shield, the shield's energy structure dissolved rapidly.

"Warning! The spell shield unit has been damaged! Mana loss! Irreparable!"

The magic core compartment inside the airship immediately emitted a piercing alarm.

Captain Hoffman's expression changed drastically.

The spell shield is one of the most important defensive measures of the airship. Once it fails, the airship's huge gasbag will be completely exposed to enemy attacks.

"Quickly! Attempt emergency shield repair! Prepare all magic crystal cores to recharge!"

He shouted the order, but the response from the magic core chamber chilled him to the bone.

"Captain, the spell shield unit has been irreparably damaged! The energy core cannot be reconnected!"

This means that, in a short period of time, the L24 armored airship will completely lose the protection of its magical shield.

Master Albert also saw this scene, and he knew his opportunity had come!
The high-ranking instructor raised his staff once more, this time with one of the most powerful offensive spells of the Evocation Mage.

A beam of yellow light shot from his fingertip toward the gasbag of the L24 armored airship, gradually condensing into a huge fireball, the intense heat distorting the surrounding air.

[Delayed Explosion Fireball]

Immediately afterwards, the fireball seemed to be bound by some force, burning intensely on the surface of the gasbag before suddenly exploding!

"Boom!"

Amidst the deafening explosion, a huge hole was blasted through the massive gasbag of the L24 armored airship.

Thick smoke and flames spewed from the hole, like the howl of a wounded beast.

The airship's balance was instantly shattered, its massive hull began to shake violently, and its altitude dropped at a visible rate.

"Captain! The airship has lost altitude! Unable to maintain flight!" The pilot's voice was filled with despair.

Captain Hoffman stared at the billowing smoke from the airship's gasbags outside the window, his face turning deathly pale.

He knew that after the airbags were severely damaged, the L24 airship was finished.
Meanwhile, on the other side, the L29 armored airship unleashed its 203mm naval guns at full power in a short period of time, firing multiple rounds of anti-aircraft missiles.

"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"

One massive explosion after another erupted in the air, engulfing the four mages in flames and shockwaves.

Even with their magical shields, they couldn't withstand such a close-range saturation attack.

The four mages who had attracted the attention of the L29 armored airship had their simple protective spells shattered instantly, their bodies torn apart by the violent energy and reduced to pieces of flesh and blood.

Master Albert and another mage who came to help, although they avoided being hit directly, were still shaken to their core by the shockwave from the near miss.

He managed to steady himself, looking at the empty sky around him, a chill running through his heart.

Of the eight high-ranking mages, only he, another seventh-ring mage, and a sixth-ring mage remained in the blink of an eye.

The L29 armored airship's anti-aircraft firepower was stronger than the Highland Mage Corps had assessed, and the Fifth Ring Mages responsible for providing cover had absolutely no chance to catch their breath.

"Retreat! Retreat for now!"

Master Albert made a quick decision, taking the two remaining mages with him and flying towards the city of Amiens, temporarily escaping the battle.

(End of this chapter)