Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 839 Heaven and Blood (First Update)

The super-heavy self-propelled howitzers equipped with the Gustav Gun, featuring a fully automated loading system and anti-gravity devices, were a formidable weapon for the Immortal City's offensive operations. Both the Immortal City and Kamar-Taj paid a heavy price in manpower to deploy them in artillery positions on the other side of the town of Noah'dune, far from the foot of Mount Finnbowent. The Immortal City's technicians and a small crew of recruited artillerymen were responsible for maintaining these giant cannons and recording data for future improvements before they could be mass-produced and distributed to other armies.

Under orders from the field command, fifteen massive cannons, each with a caliber exceeding 800 mm, aimed at the summit of Mount Finnbowent and unleashed their thunderous fury upon the snow-capped peak. Each earth-shaking roar caused the already ravaged houses to collapse, and massive shell casings were ejected as if by ejector, with nearly ten shells fired per minute at the enemy. Whatever was on Mount Finnbowent would inevitably flee in panic under such bombardment. The anti-aircraft positions at the foot of the mountain constantly kept their eyes on the sky, and the powerful fire control systems guided the quadruple autocannons to precisely eliminate any survivors who managed to escape the self-propelled siege artillery.

Constantine and his commando unit infiltrated the battlefield from a corner, weaving in and out between artillery barrages. Their exceptional mobility, combined with the artillery cover, ensured their infiltration was detected. He had to be so cautious because he had recently received an order that delighted his genetically enhanced brain: to take the boy to the summit of Mount Finnbowent, now ravaged by intense artillery fire.

This order coincided with his previous plans, but with an added requirement: he had to deliver the right people to the right target at the right time. Upon receiving reports from the Kamar-Taj sorcerers and the front lines, he understood he had to complete the mission quickly—the assault transport ship sent to meet Bayonetta had been subjected to a combined attack from both the upper and lower planes. Simultaneously, massive numbers of creatures from both the upper and lower planes surged forth from the summit and foot of Mount Finnbowent. These creatures seemed to have united under some uncontrollable force, launching a counter-encirclement attack on the Immortal City and Kamar-Taj. Even the Sky Carrier, serving as the command center, joined the battle under the escort of Sky Battleships, firing its cannons and anti-aircraft guns simultaneously to alleviate the pressure on the defensive lines caused by the sudden attack from the lower plane creatures.

Surprisingly, only a few lower-dimensional creatures rushed towards the position; the majority charged towards the summit recklessly, seemingly oblivious to the artillery shells raining down upon them. The field command could only deduce that something far more deadly lay atop Mount Finnbowent that needed protection, but due to cloud cover and smoke from the shelling, reconnaissance satellites would need some time to discern what was on the summit.

"Retreat in an orderly fashion and reorganize the defenses." Victoria Hand issued the order from the bridge, which was trembling slightly from the shelling. "We've gone too far. Order the siege artillery to bombard the ravine where the demons appeared to buy time for the frontline to retreat, but thankfully we only brought self-propelled artillery. I will take the main responsibility for this command error, but before that, Tita, I need your assault team's help."

Tatiana could only learn about the outside world through information displayed inside her helmet.

The seatbelt secured her firmly to the seat on the bulkhead, the only way to counteract the turbulence of the assault transport. But not everyone was as calm as she was; the soldiers in black bulletproof armor fared much worse. They gripped their experimental laser guns tightly, their faces behind their radiation masks growing pale with each sudden ascent and descent of the assault transport. No one wanted to speak; apart from the communication between the pilot and the gunner, the cabin was eerily quiet, the roar of artillery fire from outside even replacing the sound of heartbeats.

"We might die, like Lady Catherine," the shy Vera said in her squad channel, saying things the ladies didn't want to hear. "We might die at the hands of false angels."

"This is the honor we hoped for. At least we're not dying in the sewers or garbage cans next to a brothel now." Tatiana patted Vera's hand. "We were chosen because we're the best, aren't we?"

"You're always so optimistic." Vera nervously grasped Tatiana's hand. "Will we see the monarch?"

"Perhaps," Tatiana replied in a trembling voice. She knew Vera hadn't recovered from the shadow of Catherine's death, and neither had she. Tatiana gripped the hilt of her chainsaw sword nervously, fiddling with the switch. "If I don't see it this time, I'll see it in death, just like Lady Catherine."

"We will forever praise Catherine's name and deeds, just as others praise ours," another girl in the group suddenly said. "Let's begin to pray, my sister. For our Lord, praise Him, and in His name we will slay the enemies of humanity."

The assault transport landed with a violent tremor, its ramp door slamming against the ancient stone bridge beams. This was one of the few remaining remnants of the Bridge to Heaven, the only direct passage for humanity to reach the mountaintop altar. Soldiers and special forces poured out, opening fire on the lower angels and demons, quickly establishing a defensive perimeter awaiting their commander's arrival. In less than thirty seconds, the Royal Guard arrived on anti-gravity assault motorcycles. As per protocol, the boy would be under the dual protection of the Soldiers and the special forces. Constantine briefly confirmed the plan was proceeding as scheduled before turning the vehicle, brandishing his halberd, and charging towards the outer-dimensional creatures, clearing a path to the summit for the Soldiers and mortal soldiers.

Under relentless bombardment, the pale blue magical shield covering the mountaintop teetered on the brink of collapse. Shells weighing several tons slammed into the shield at supersonic speeds, exploding with each shot, each one producing a sound like shattering glass. Bright white cracks grew increasingly dense, yet the shield remained unyielding; neither flames nor flying shrapnel could penetrate its seemingly paper-thin protective layer. This final stretch was teeming with enemies, who clearly knew that the best way to break through the defenses was a decapitation strike, and had thus deployed a large force along this route.

Constantine thrust straight towards the mountaintop like the tip of a spear thrown with all his might. His genetically enhanced internal organs and flesh, along with power armor crafted using technology beyond human comprehension, provided him with unparalleled power. He was a biological weapon combining arcane arts and advanced technology; each swing of his halberd sent the blade whistling through the air, and each detonation of his explosives shattered the seemingly indestructible bodies of extradimensional beings. Few extradimensional creatures could withstand him for long, and the Sisterhood and mortal soldiers following behind quickly took up their weapons to halt the enemy's advance.

The boy was so shocked by what he saw that he was speechless.

Previously, he was confined to the assault transport ship and unable to see clearly outside, but this time he witnessed firsthand the terrifying power that could erupt when human wisdom and courage were used as weapons. He saw an ordinary human soldier, unable to dodge in time, be impaled on a spear by a lower-ranking angel, yet he persisted in firing at the angel until a laser weapon burned through the angel's bird-like head. He saw a girl in power armor have her helmet slashed viciously by a demon's barbed tail, yet she still wielded a chainsaw sword with her bloodied, blind eye open, until she shredded her enemy into pieces. All the wounded who could not fight were abandoned, even though everyone knew what that meant, but the column continued to advance, stepping over the blood of comrades and enemies, without any intention of stopping.

"Why did you go to this extent?" the boy shouted, squinting through the smoke and dust kicked up by the gunfire. "Was it worth it?"

"Shut up, you snotty brat!" Tatiana shouted without turning around. She shoved the muzzle of her explosive pistol into the enemy's mouth as she yelled. "We're doing this to save more lives, that's all!"

I don't think it's watered down at all, really.

(End of this chapter)