Long-term salvation

"You didn't expect it, the magic cat can really do it!"

Rhodes was standing next to the fighter plane, smiling and waving at him. Pickman in his arms yawned and fell asleep in exhaustion.

Pixy: "...It's amazing."

"There's more to come—come on, girls, say hello to this Mr. Larry Falk!"

Larry turned his head stiffly and looked at the lovely girls standing next to Rhodes. His eyes passed through the halos above their heads and he said blankly:

"Angel? And...demon? And what's that one next to it without a halo?!"

"she?"

Rhode raised his eyebrows, smiled, and took the blushing Nikki beside him, introducing:

"Her name is Helen, and she's the new captain of the Alicorn! Her name is Nikki!"

[Side Quest: Capture the Alicorn Submarine Carrier (Completed)]

【Task rewards begin to be distributed】

[Reward for pollution points in the other world (none, not in a specific area)]

【Character Exchange Voucher (Received)】

[Base Construction Side Quest·Updated]

Chapter 286: Following (1/3)

The deep blue seawater wrapped around the steel behemoth named "Alicorn" like thick asphalt. The barnacles and debris on the hundreds of meters long high-strength alloy shell had long been cleaned up, leaving only the streamlined body pushing through the seawater and moving forward silently.

As the Alicorn descended at a steady speed at a depth of seventy-five meters, fragments of seaweed slid past the observation window, like backward-flowing green meteors. With each meter of descent, the pressure sensor emitted a crisp, almost piercing warning, a subtle buzzing sound resonating through the multi-layered hull.

The mercenaries of the Army Without Borders who had already arrived to join the group were walking inside the giant beast, while those carrying heavy vehicles followed the transport planes and refueling aircraft to a pre-determined location, where they would stay until the end of the war - the next battle would no longer require the steel beasts on land.

As for the fleet members and ground crew members who ran to the Alicorn... they were now curious about everything on this battleship, but what they were more curious about was Rhodes - their boss, the man codenamed "Lord".

"So, you are a traveler from another world?"

Caesar took a few deep breaths, and the high-ranking members of the Army Without Borders mercenary group sitting on either side of him had a look on their faces that said, "What the hell are you talking about?" This was the bridge of the Alicorn, and they had only temporarily brought in some chairs. However, the attendees' attention was more focused on Nikki, who was operating the submarine, and the girls standing behind Rhode.

The halo that loomed in the darkness of the submarine, the pure white wings dangling from either side of its body...even the erect wolf ears! Compared to all of this, the beautiful woman with flaming red hair seemed somewhat ordinary.

This time, the ones who came running over were Mika, Shiroko, and Little Red Riding Hood. The others either had something to do or were not staying in Hill Manor - on the other side of the [door] that Abigail opened with the silver key, Nyaruko was helping to maintain the existence of the [door].

After sending the others off, Nyaruko moved towards the sea, ready to use herself as a coordinate, waiting to drag the Alicorn directly into the sea. After all, if it fell directly to the ground... Rhodes estimated that one night tens of millions of years later, he would suddenly open his eyes and hate his own stupidity.

"Port side... the barrage is too thin!"

Rhodes did not respond directly to Caesar's words, but sat in the captain's chair and spoke in a deep tone.

After hearing his words, Nikki Helen, who was standing on the left, stood with her hands behind her back, staring intently at the seabed topography map on the large screen in front of her, and replied in the same serious voice:

"We're on the seabed, Commander. If you want, we can surface and fire a few electromagnetic cannon rounds at something."

Helen is the captain of the Ark's Aegis Force in NIKKE, and also the captain of the amphibious warship, the Victory of Praise. Unfortunately, the Ark, located underground, can't reach the ocean, so the Praise can only conduct training in the swimming pool, earning her widespread ridicule – this girl must be crazy about wanting to make a name for herself at sea.

"Well, that's not necessary."

Rhode stood up, pulled Nikki to the captain's chair, and looked at the mercenaries of the Army Without Borders with a smile. But before he could say anything, he saw members of the Killer Squad and the Gunnery Squad peeking in from the hatch.

"Disperse, go get familiar with the carrier-based aircraft on the battleship. We will have a new battle to fight soon."

After sending the onlookers away, Rhode walked over to the higher-ups. He pulled over a chair, hugged Abigail, and then took in Mika and Baizi, who had come to reinforce him. Facing the "numb" expressions on the other side, he smiled and said:

"Yes, I'm not from this universe, and I came here only for the Alicorns... What, you still want to leave with me? Let me make it clear in advance, the war in my hometown is much more terrifying than here."

"...That's not necessary, Boss." / "We can't imagine what kind of battlefield would be terrifying given your physical condition." / "And the angel...is she really an angel?"

Facing those gazes, Rhode smiled and did not explain further:

"Let's put that aside, everyone. We're not out of danger yet. The information about the Alicorn resupplying at the port will undoubtedly be leaked by Ossia agents operating in Ergia. The enemy will infer our route based on the nearby hydrological conditions and then intercept us wherever the Alicorn must pass. That ace of aces will definitely arrive."

"In that case...how about we bypass them or directly use our electromagnetic cannons to attack the Osean fleet from a distance? I remember the closest one right now should be the Long Range Strategic Strike Group (LRSSG), and maybe some other warships as well."

"The LRSSG might become our allies in the future," Rhode said, not agreeing to the proposal. "But that's not a problem—I'll deal with them."

"Hey! Hey! We can help too!"

Little Red Riding Hood hugged Rod from behind, put her arms around his neck, and said with a smile:

"During the months you were away, we've been diligently learning how to pilot various vehicles...though this time, only Baizi and I will be able to pilot a fighter jet."

Hearing this, Rhode slowly turned his head to look at Weihua next to him. Her cute cheeks immediately turned red, and she stammered:

"I always feel weird sitting in the cockpit of a fighter jet. I'm more comfortable flying in the sky."

“…I think it’s alright.”

Rhodes tried his best not to imagine the adorable sight of Hinata flapping her little bat wings. He didn't want the girl to pinch his waist and complain about him again. Already, Mika was pulling his sleeves and swinging him back and forth. If he said a few more words, she would probably break open the bridge door and escape.

Watching Rhodes' interaction with the girls, Larry Falk (Pixy) took a deep breath and said slowly:

"Rod, I think we should talk about your relationship problems."

"Is there a problem?"

Rhode nuzzled Abigail's head with his chin, feeling the soft pressure of Little Red Riding Hood behind him. He also tried to pull his hands out of the arms of the two students. According to them, Rhode had been away for three months and was in urgent need of replenishing his "Sensei energy." Facing Larry's gaze, which was already filled with contempt and scrutiny, he shrugged and said casually:

"I don't think there's any problem with it—do you think there's any problem with it?"

"No."

"Look, that's it," Rhodes spread out his hands.

"...You must have tricked more than just these girls. Forget it," Larry sighed helplessly, "What about Torres and the former Alicorn crew? Even though we already had them on shore when we docked for supplies."

Hearing this, Rhodes just grinned and raised his eyebrows proudly:

"I called the police in the Kingdom of Ergia to report that these idiots, now accused of treason, were being held hostage in a warehouse at a certain port... Oh, don't tell me! The Ergians are so forthcoming with their money, much better than the Oseans!"

Larry: "...Caesar, thank you for your hard work."

"No, it's nothing, Instructor Larry," Caesar forced a wry smile. His thoughts were a bit confused. "I just want to know what to do next. Should I rush to the orbital elevator and use the electromagnetic cannon to destroy the giant bird to end the war? But we are still being hunted by the Ossian army, and the Ergians are not our allies."

"Let's get more supplies first, then wait for the right moment to attack," Rhode said. He struggled to stand up and handed a tablet to Caesar, asking him to read it and pass it to the others. He then continued to explain, "According to my speculation, after the intensity of the battle between Ossia and Elgia reaches its peak, each side may attack the other's orbital satellite network, and this attack is likely to affect the global satellite communication network."

"It's indeed very likely. Then... wait, doesn't that mean that not only will communications be interrupted, but the drones currently engaged in combat will also go out of control?!"

"It's obvious."

Rhode nodded slightly and gestured for Helen to open the Alicorn's map. An area was marked on it.

"The Alicorn's next destination is here—Taylor Island—but first, I need to go to the Grand Duchy of Shilagi in Ergia. After all, it's inland, and I have an invitation to speak with that old man."

"That... okay, but we have to get rid of the pursuers behind us first."

"Of course! A reasonable suggestion—Helen, let the Alicorn surface. I'm going to meet the 'demon/hero' of this era."

"Oh yes... Abigail, open the door for me."

Chapter 287: Lord vs. Trigger (2/3·3.5K)

Under the sky, above the sea.

The gray fuselage of the F/S-15 fighter jet tore through the clouds, and the three claw marks on the vertical tail reflected a cold murderous intent in the sunlight.

Inside the cockpit of the fighter jet, Trigger's eyes were stung by the shimmering sea. His left thumb unconsciously rubbed the missile launch button on the top of the joystick. His eyes swept across the route map on the screen in front of him, and then turned his head to look at the outside world - the clouds in the sky were spread like grayish-white cotton wool, and the jagged coastline was faintly visible in the distance.

According to Mr. David North, an analyst from the Advanced Weapons Analysis Department of the Ossia Central Intelligence Agency, the Alicorn submarine carrier has been captured by the Army Without Borders mercenary group. They quickly left after a simple resupply at a small port... The next step is likely to be to other Ergia ports for resupply.

This is the place where the Alicorn must pass.

In fact, Trigger really wanted to say that it was a good job. At least he would never do such a thing as snatching a super submarine from under the noses of two major powers - sinking it was another matter.

"Alas, my former companions have become enemies," Count said helplessly on the communication channel. "But to be honest, I really don't want to fight that monster, the Lord... I heard that he almost defeated that Su-30sm in a one-on-one battle. But Trigger, since you are here, we can also..."

"Count, you're not going to make big promises at this time? I remember you made big promises."

"I'm not, I didn't, don't talk nonsense!"

"Ha ha!"

Listening to the wingmen chattering on the communication channel, Trigger felt a little relieved, but he also felt a little more regretful and expectant.

I feel sorry for becoming enemies, but I look forward to the chance to fight.

However, at the moment when his thoughts were flowing, Trigger's intuition began to frantically warn him. The demon that brought war was holding its lance high and roaring:

"he came!"

Without any hesitation, Trigger twisted the joystick, causing the fighter to immediately descend and perform a rolling defensive maneuver. Before anyone else could react, an F/S-15 fighter of the same model swooped down from the sky, directly tearing the entire Osea fleet's formation into pieces and plunging them into chaos!

"What the hell?! When did this fighter plane come out?!"

The voice of the AWACS Long Caster, an airborne early warning aircraft, shouted in horror over the communication channel:

"How did he appear?! He's so sudden in the sky—everyone, pay attention, there are several more Rafale Ms taking off from that Alicorn."

"Huh? What do you think... Fvck! That plane belongs to the Lord. I just saw the witch cat logo on his vertical tail!"

Unlike the panicked Osea fleet, Rhodes was enjoying the battle, and he was sure that Trigger was enjoying it too.

"Those Rafale Ms are flown by my girls," Rhodes said to Trigger over the public channel. He took slow, deep breaths and repeatedly tried to lock onto the same type of fighter ahead with fire control. "Just have some fun with your teammates. Don't worry."

"……it is good."

Hearing this reply, Rhode chuckled and then focused his attention on the battle in front of him:

Rod gritted his teeth and squeezed the oxygen mask with his mandible. A bloody smell gradually rose in his throat. The overload of several Gs pulled the blood to his legs. The sound of the anti-gravity suit inflating was like rusty hinges turning, thus tightly restraining his entire body. He stared at the jumping azimuth on the head-up display. The enemy plane was maneuvering and swaying left and right in front of him, and the vortex pulled by the wingtips broke up the thin cirrus clouds.

Two fighter jets of the same model passed over the waves in a mirror-image posture, and the air currents they created plowed out fleeting gullies on the sea surface.

This is simply suicidal! No one dares to engage in high-speed combat so close to sea level!

The next second, Rhode saw the fighter ahead suddenly fire a missile. The missile exploded on the sea surface, stirring up waves several meters high! At the moment the missile was fired, Trigger had already tilted its fuselage, brushed past the edge of the waves, and climbed upwards.

"In that case," Rhodes said without hesitation, immediately turning the aircraft, "then follow them."

The fighter's wingtips skimmed the waves below, while its belly skimmed the waves that were just beginning to recede. As Rhodes performed the same afterburner climb maneuver, the world before him suddenly faded—the gray-white clouds, the deep blue sea, the dazzling afterburner flames, all collapsed into a monotonous scene like a black and white movie.

The F/S-15 fighter jets soared into the sky at an angle of sixty degrees, chasing their counterparts in front. The bright white flames from the engine's afterburner burned black holes in the clouds as they flew over, and they let out an angry and shrill scream.

At the moment when the fuselage was about to stall, Rhodes tilted the joystick to the right, causing this steel plane named Falcon to roll as if pulled by an invisible hook, with its nose aimed at the opponent that had already started to fly level. The next second, an air-to-air missile hanging under the wing was fired with a long smoke trail!

Amid the shrill warning of an approaching missile, Trigger maneuvered the fighter jet to release jamming bombs and spiral down like a meteor.

The missile passed by the fighter's vertical tail, leaving behind a sense of helpless regret.

Both sides then entered a spiral descent, their tracks looking like a DNA chain.

The constant turning and high overload made it difficult for Rhodes to seize the shooting window. He tried to use the machine gun to attack, but the series of golden fire spots only brushed past the fuselage of Trigger without causing any damage.

Trigger controlled the fuselage to roll and reverse out, trying to bring Rhodes to a low altitude to stabilize the situation. But then he saw that the F/S-15 fighter with the witch cat painted on the vertical tail was floating in the air like a piece of thin paper, twisting its fuselage abruptly so that the nose was facing him. Amid the exploding radar warning, Trigger gritted his teeth, breathing in the oxygen that seemed to turn into a mudslide, and made a defensive maneuver.

The heat-seeking flare exploded on the rear side of the Trigger's fuselage, and the orange-yellow fireball scorched the humid air, giving it a burnt smell.

The missiles were lured towards the sea surface, and the machine guns began to fire - the two fighter planes passed each other in the airspace of 800 meters, firing their machine guns almost at the same time, but both missed at the same time.

Rhodes saw his opponent clearly in that fleeting window of time. The man sitting in the cockpit of the F/S-15 fighter was looking back with his head raised. A thin mist condensed on the edge of the oxygen mask, and the inflated anti-gravity suit was pressing down tightly on this seemingly ordinary piece of flesh and blood.

After passing each other, the two men withdrew their gazes and continued to focus on fighting to kill each other.

The fighter's wingtip vortices tore a milky white vacuum tunnel in the air. Rhodes could hear the creaking sound of structural deformation coming from the left horizontal tail, as if a giant beast was gnawing at the aluminum skin with its steel teeth... The fighter had long been overwhelmed by the intensive use in the past few days - not to mention that Rhodes often disabled the [angle of attack limiter] in order to obtain greater maneuverability.

"Tsk... I should have traded fighter jets with someone else."

Rhode complained a few times, took a deep breath, and began to think about how to end this battle as soon as possible:

With the skills and physical strength of the two men, this battle would probably last until both fighters completely ran out of fuel. What was more likely was that the Ossia fleet would lose patience and directly attack the Alicorn.

If the Alicorn was damaged or even destroyed, it would completely defeat the purpose of Rhodes coming to this world.

"These people are really hard to please. They only focus on the present and cannot see the future."

Rhodes gripped the joystick tightly and glanced through the rearview mirror, seeing that the fighter planes behind him were still chasing him closely - as if two twin brothers were killing each other, using missiles and machine guns to connect the same mechanical body - soon, some strange ideas came into his mind.

With this in mind, Rhode opened his own communication channel and said to the Alicorn:

"Locate my position, and... Weihua, come here for a moment."