Does the mechanical girl dream of the Messiah?

The blood loss made her a little dazed for a moment, but when she regained consciousness, she was dragged behind an obstacle by someone. On the left was Ella, who was observing the enemy situation. From time to time, she would reach out and fire an "acid splash" or a "freeze ray" at the enemy position, but had to retract behind the obstacle because of the enemy's stray bullets flying everywhere. On the right was Leopold, who was tired and gasping. He didn't seem to have any external injuries, but the continuous fighting and casting of magic made him depressed. It seemed that he also did some treatment on Lunicia's wound, otherwise the broken and burnt part would not recover so quickly.

"——Where's Galeazzo?!"

After moving her wrist, which had been completely peeled off the charred skin, Lunicia immediately remembered this incident.

Before, she and Galezo, two powerful professionals who were best at charging, were responsible for the vanguard, together with several other people from the Young Officers Club and the assault troops in the City Guard, they launched a charge towards the position of the Guards Division. Although Ella could easily avoid firearms and magic shooting in one-on-one combat, in such a melee situation, her weak body was easily injured by stray bullets, and she had no means of rapid regeneration, so she fired ammunition together with the heavy firepower squadron in the rear, and then the vanguards of both sides came into contact with each other, and they fell into a melee for a while.

What happened next is what you all know.

It seems that the battle is still going on. It can be called a stalemate, and there is no unilateral suppression. However, as the strongest combat force of our side leaves the battlefield, it is probably only a matter of time before we are suppressed in return.

"I went too far. I was just dragged back and am now trying to adjust my condition."

Leopold rubbed his temple and replied in a tired tone: "The situation is not good."

The situation is certainly not good. Under the current circumstances, let alone rushing to the other side to disrupt the ceremony, we should be thankful if we are not defeated in turn.

"Last time" was when the city guards raided the unprepared defenders of the four major families with full preparation. The ordinary soldiers and professionals of both sides used the complex terrain of the underground area to entangle each other. No one could do anything to anyone, buying time for Lunicia to break through Rose's defense line; "the time before that" was when the forces assembled by the four major families were not large, and Lunicia's group of three directly tore through the defense line with a swift offensive, winning time for Lunicia to rush into the ritual field and activate the trap.

This time the situation is completely different.

This time, because the time of the ceremony was somehow adjusted forward, the four major families became the most well-prepared party. Before the city guards could react, they had already built layers of defenses around the Cathedral of Alexandria. Perhaps this preparation was not originally made for the city guards, but just to guard against the pollution spreading from the northeastern area. Unexpectedly, it blocked the offensive of the city guards. In addition, the traps set under the cathedral were completely ineffective. The city guards could only fight an open and honest battle in the disadvantaged terrain with their equipment, number of people and combat effectiveness being suppressed.

How can we achieve victory?

Just thinking about this kind of question gave her a headache, so Lunicia decided to just give up thinking about it. She picked up the sword once again, took a deep breath, and prayed for God's blessing.

Chapter 77 Rebellion

"Lady Luna, I will continue to support you."

"Don't be too reckless."

Ella's voice reassured her, allowing her to raise the greatsword once again.

She raised her sword and jumped out of the obstacle. Her instincts immediately told her that she had been targeted by many unfriendly eyes. This was natural, as everyone would focus on the movements of her, the strongest fighter. She could faintly sense several magical fluctuations targeting her just two steps out.

boom--

The fireball exploded nearby and did not hit Lunicia's location. It only created a crater on the ground and knocked several city guard soldiers off their feet, leaving their lives or deaths unknown.

boom----

The explosion landed nearby, and the lifted bricks and rocks hit Lunicia, but it did not cause her any pain, nor did it stop her. She continued to charge forward with that swift pace that was hard to catch. She recalled the amazing speed of the dragon she had seen "last time", and thought about how to reproduce that amazing speed with a mortal body.

boom----! ! !

The fireball hit the "Avenger" head-on, and did not leave any mark on the pure white object, but it made Lunicia feel the impact. Her feet sank deeply into the road in order to relieve the urge to retreat, and plowed two deep grooves on the snowy ground. Ella counterattacked immediately, and a ray of destructive energy was thrown far away to the location where the fireball was shot, vaporizing the mage's arm.

The night is getting darker and darker. The winter night in Muirand comes especially early. In a moment, just a moment, the night will completely cover this battlefield. The evil carnival and the ritual process will begin at the same time. Will there still be a chance then?

The rifle bullet hit Lunicia's wrist, and the stray bullet that came from nowhere left a bloody scar. It was not serious, but the stinging feeling seemed to urge her to continue swinging the sword and continuing to advance.

But this battle line seems to remain motionless.

The enemy's military force seemed endless. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Galezo also jumping out of the trench. However, this did not make Lunicia feel relaxed. It was the same fighting force as before, but it did not play much of a role. After killing one enemy, two more enemies would appear. The battlefield was confined to this corridor and it seemed that it never shifted to one side.

The sun sets and the moon rises, a normal scene that will never be witnessed by the inhabitants of this world. All they can see is the alternation of the white light disappearing and the night sky rising.

The snowy winter night finally descended upon this land.

It seems that I can see that on the distant altar, the priestess of the tribute is singing an unheard-of ballad and dancing lightly. She is already preparing, preparing for the moment when she will be killed.

What should I do?

How can we move forward, how can we tear open this iron wall?

My thoughts were drowned, drowned in the same distress as the girl in the fire. She seemed to be waving at me, whispering something softly. No, no, I couldn't take a step, I couldn't go to her side, otherwise I would no longer be myself.

The explosion sounded again, for who knows how many times, and Lunicia instinctively raised her giant sword.

Only this time, there was no impact from above.

--Eh?

The explosion sound seemed different from the one he remembered. It was neither the sound of artillery fire from the city garrison position, nor the sound of bombs falling from the Guards Division. The sound sounded like it came from the opposite side and landed on the opposite side. It was so inexplicable that not only did Lunicia stop her charge, but Galezo also seemed to be stunned and slowed down his pace.

boom----! ! !

Once again, in the opposite position, the orange fire lotus bloomed proudly.

Lunicia did not have much time to think about what was happening on the other side. The situation of Galezo was similar, and of course Ella was no exception. Although each of them wanted to understand the current situation very much, in comparison, it was more important to take advantage of the opportunity to break the current situation.

Not every enemy was as naive as a rookie who had never been to the battlefield. Some were thrown into a panic by the explosion in their own position, but naturally there were some who could remain calm in such chaos. The machine gunner immediately turned the direction of the machine gun, and while there were no other soldiers from the Guards Division around Lunicia, he poured all the 20mm caliber machine gun bullets towards her position. Lunicia also noticed the opponent's intention at the same time, but she was not afraid of it. She just gritted her teeth, held the "Avenger" in front of her, and then used all her strength to charge forward directly under the rain of fire.

boom--!

Ella immediately provided supporting fire for Lunicia, but the effectiveness of the "magic energy explosion" was not so significant at this time - the armor plate equipped on the machine gun was much thicker than the armor on the heavy infantry. This kind of steel plate, which only needs to consider protection ability but not mobility and weight, is actually closer to a heavy shield. A "magic energy explosion" hit it head-on, but it only smashed it into a piece, and shook out a series of dazzling cracks, but failed to really tear it apart completely, and naturally failed to deprive the machine gunner of his shooting ability in the first place.

The magic beam that almost exploded in front of his eyes did not shake the machine gunner. He still held the trigger tightly, letting the muzzle of the machine gun continue to pour out a stream of hot iron. Not every shot could hit the target. Rather, under the premise that Lunicia deliberately maneuvered, most of the ammunition hit the ground or the corpse, and only a small part could hit the pure white object that was not sure whether it was a sword blade or a piece of iron, which made the paladin's arm numb and tremble, causing her steps to pause and her figure to slow down slightly, but it failed to stop her completely.

This weapon that is used to slaughter ordinary people seems so powerless in front of powerful professionals. Even if you had no idea about it before, you should have a concrete impression now.

But he still didn't stop.

The artillery fire that came from nowhere and was almost at close range took away the lives of the other soldiers in the team in an instant. No matter they were observers or guards, they were all dead bodies lying on the ground. The sudden explosion made the soldiers who were originally responsible for restraining the enemy on the front line at a loss. The continuous offensive slowed down and even paused for a while. The soldiers of the city guard team seemed to have no intention of letting go of this opportunity. They rushed forward one after another like crazy. It seemed that they were not sure whether they were charging or going to die.

But these are no longer things he needs to consider.

All he needed to think about was pulling the trigger, firing, slowing down the speed of the paladin's charge, and creating opportunities for the professionals around him to attack. He wasn't even sure if what he was doing was effective. The barrage did slow her down, but who could launch an attack against the barrage of friendly fire? He didn't know, and he didn't think about it. He just pulled the trigger, and kept pulling the trigger until he heard a clicking sound from the cannon.

Only then did he recall that the loader was also dead.

He bent down as fast as he could, looking for a usable ammunition belt. It was a mess everywhere. He didn't know whether the terrifyingly powerful paladin had continued to move forward during the time he stopped, or whether the professionals on the front line had taken over their own tasks and restrained her pace again. He did receive training in reloading, and he could have done it by himself, but his chaotic thoughts made him flustered and unable to complete it for a while.

That's why he almost cried for joy when he heard the footsteps approaching slowly.

"Hurry up! Come over and give me a hand, or that guy will rush over!"

"..."

The other party did not answer, but from the pace of his steps, it could be heard that he must have understood the urgency of the situation, so he quickened his pace, the machine gunner couldn't help but think so.

However, he did not receive the expected help.

All he waited for was a bullet that belonged to the "friendly forces" and pierced his head.

……

"What happened? Report the situation immediately!"

"There's a gap in the battle line! It's about to be broken through!"

"An evil spirit has appeared on the western cliff and is attacking our position! Codename: 'Centipede'!"

"What on earth was that explosion just now?"

The headquarters of the Imperial Guards Division was in chaos. It even felt like some operators were not reporting the situation, but were venting their confusion and anxiety. The noise of the battle on the west side attracted evil spirits, and they were of a high level. This situation was understandable, and there were already special people responsible for handling it. However, what happened between the east side and the front position, and what happened in the chaotic battlefield on the corridor, were all chaotic unknowns. It seemed that the intelligence network was spreading not only the actual events, but also a lot of false information.

Whether it was due to the signalman's own confusion or someone was doing this on purpose, this is a mystery that remains unsolved.

The only good news is that the square in front of the cathedral is still only on alert, and no real fighting has taken place. If a fight breaks out here, it would actually mean that the enemy has already pressed into the final line of defense, which is something that Sandria does not allow to happen.

However, if the situation continues to deteriorate like this, the defense line of the Corridor Checkpoint is lost, and the enemy attacks the Cathedral District, then this place will inevitably be shrouded in war.

"...The dragon just dealt with the invading evil."

“Can you feel it?”

"It's not a big deal. Without further ado, she and I should stabilize the defense line and not let the square fall."

"Um……"

Liniello groaned for a moment, then said to Sandria, "If you think it's okay."

Ludovite, Dominicu and Pietro were helping to sort out the chaotic command network, while Lineiro stood with Sandria, only needing to consider how to use the trump card called "Legend". This leisurely feeling gradually disappeared as the situation took a sharp turn for the worse. The situation of "the garrison marshal personally taking action" that was originally completely unnecessary to consider had to be put on the agenda, and even put it on the agenda by himself.

If possible, the four major families did not want Sandria to take action, and Sandria himself thought so too. After all, no matter what the reason was, as long as Sandria took action personally, the nature would become completely different from before. The appearance of the Guards Division could be explained as a problem with the command system, or it could be said that the four major families secretly called on the "Shield of Muirand" under some name. The appearance of Sandria himself not only showed the fact that the Guards Division and the four major families were completely in collusion, but also reflected the critical situation of "legendary combat power taking action".

Rose was a character that did not exist on paper. Whether ordinary citizens or nobles, weak or strong, the only impression they had of her was that of a "famous opera star". Naturally, no one would care about what she did. The four major families could say whatever they wanted afterwards, but no one knew whether Sandria, an open and public legendary powerhouse, would arouse the dissatisfaction of other legendary powers in Muirand if he took action. The most dangerous situation was that they would regard the behavior of the garrison marshal as a conspiracy and directly stand on the opposite side of the four major families and the garrison marshal.

But I can’t think about so much now.

"Sir Sandria will go to the front line. By the way, send troops from the troops stationed in the northeast region to capture the radio station."

Liniero issued the order without hesitation, even though he knew that this would further weaken the defense of the Northeast Region and would inevitably hurt the ordinary workers of the Shancheng News Agency. He did not hesitate at all. We cannot ignore the long-term benefits because of short-term damage, and we cannot stop moving forward because of this little pain.

As for who would suffer the pain, that was not within his consideration.

After watching Sandria walk away, Lineiro fell silent again.

After retiring from the position of Speaker of the Grand Council, he no longer liked to communicate with others. It seemed that his previous talkativeness and eloquence were just an illusion to get the job done. In fact, he only regarded communicating with others as a waste of words with fools. This is just a guess, but no one can guarantee whether this guess outlines a part of his inner thoughts.

In his opinion, victory was within his grasp, so his attention had shifted away from the headquarters and toward the large stained-glass windows. Through the religious paintings that had no interest in him, he gazed and overlooked the city that was dyed into an unknown shape by blocks of color, the city on the hilltop that he knew so well that it made him proud.

Naturally, he couldn't hear the voices in the command center.

The command network, which had become chaotic due to various reasons, gradually returned to normal under the coordination of several veteran soldiers. In this way, those interference items that came from nowhere were eliminated and the real situation in the eastern part of the front line was sorted out.

“…It’s rebellion!”

"What?" The inexperienced Pietro Stuart was stunned by the words. "What did you say?"

"On the eastern side of the battle line, Francesco Stuart led his troops to rebel! They seized the artillery position and immediately launched an artillery attack on our army!"

That's the way it is.

After seeing the sky darken and the battle line still at a stalemate, Francesco completely abandoned the fantasy of "doing nothing to make things go his way". He immediately led his trusted troops to attack the soldiers who were not on the same boat as him, and then used his authority to deceive the trust of the nearby artillery positions, and then tied them up. He easily seized the use of a lot of heavy firepower and cut off half of the supply line of the Guards Division.

They first sent a signal to the heavy firepower squadron of the City Guard opposite, and then began to bombard "their own people". Under the crossfire from both sides, the front-line troops were immediately hit hard. Franzano De Stock and the sands he had arranged in advance responded immediately and began to decisively turn their guns to cooperate with the City Guard to clear their "friendly forces". They also changed the emblem on their bodies to the blue cloth representing the City Guard. It can be seen that they were well prepared.

They had long wanted to rebel—and would have put their ideas into practice if they had the chance.

This is a ship bound for the Nine Hells. Whether it is a broken wooden boat or an ironclad ship is not important to them. The key point is that if they really follow this ship to the end, the final result will definitely be a miserable death.

"How could they... do this..."

The combination of familiar names and unfamiliar situations made Pietro feel confused.

Francesco was his nephew. In his opinion, he was a model of loyalty to the family and to Muirand. He could not understand why he would do such a thing in such a good situation, causing the situation to take a sharp turn for the worse. The huge shock made him feel cold all over. He felt like he had fallen into a snow pit outside, and his legs went weak. He almost fell down, but he felt someone holding him up - it was probably Ludovit Byron. He was about to thank him, but at the same time he felt something cold and hard against his lower back.

boom--!

The sound was not loud, but it aroused a feeling of surprise and pain that was completely opposite to that sound.

Now, Pietro finally understood why Domenicu had a surprised expression on his face when he was supported.

His trained physique as a professional prevented him from falling to the ground just by being hit at close range. Even though the blow did penetrate his abdominal cavity and tear open his kidneys and intestines, he still just stumbled backwards, allowing him to see Ludovit's trembling hands, the smoking muzzle of the gun, and his extremely ugly expression.

Chapter 78: Hate

"Your Excellency should know that I came to you today because I want to talk to you about something."

No one would want to meet guests before dawn, and this was no exception for Ludovit Byron. If it were any other time, he would have rejected such a weak request without hesitation. If it was a powerless person, he might have been beaten up by the guards for trespassing. However, the identity of this guest made him hesitate, and he finally chose to meet the other party.

However, as soon as Francesco Stuart opened his mouth, Ludovette began to regret it.

"No, I'm not really sure."

He just wanted to end this uneasy meeting as soon as possible, but he had an illusion that the initiative of this meeting was not in his hands from the beginning. He had no right to choose the beginning of this meeting, and naturally had no right to make this meeting end according to his ideas. All he could do was to continue with this topic until both parties reached a common result.

"Something about the ceremony."

"I don't know what you're talking about. Those topics have already been discussed in the meeting where the final vote was taken. If you still have questions, young man, you should look through the minutes instead of standing here."

Although he was the one who was questioning, Ludovette felt that his momentum was suppressed. He even felt that Francesco's pale and expressionless face was actually wearing a sarcastic smile, so that Ludovette felt that his stiff speech seemed so ridiculous and unbearable.

Although Francesco didn't say anything, Ludovette felt that he could always guess what he wanted to say.

This isn't a boast about experience - this is a classic case of knowing what's wrong with you but not wanting to admit it.

"You weren't at the meeting, were you?"

"..."

"Or do you really regard offering your own daughter as a sacrifice as an irreproachable necessary evil?"

"...I have nothing to say to you, young man."

"You don't even have the courage to answer directly. Myulander's military career is only enough to make a person grow into a coward. If so, I have a new understanding of my country's military service system."

"Each of the four great families has done something like this."

"Oh, you think so?"