551 Chapter 551: Neutralizing the Enemy Base (1/2)

He nodded at me when he saw that I was awake.

”They are here.”

I knew who he was referring to. The Midnight Order and the Federation military. Even half-asleep, I could sense their presences as they attempted to stealthily make their way through the forest. They came out of the gloom, a myriad of weapons clutched tightly in their hands.

”Sir.” Kufa saluted when a middle-aged guy with a stubble and glasses approached him. He grinned and nodded, a cigarette in his mouth. Despite having traversed through the forest, his black military uniform was immaculate and unblemished. A few medals gleamed in the darkness, and I could see a black cross emblazoned across a white, metallic surface. The heraldry of the Midnight Order, if I wasn't mistaken.

”Kufa. Good to see you. How are you guys holding up?”

”I'm all right.” Kufa nodded and stepped back to gesture us forward. ”These are my friends. Richard Huang and Rossetti Picket. Guys, this is Commander Michael Marshall. He is the commander of the Midnight Order.”

”We've worked together in the past.” David showed up, surprising us. Jason and Saya joined us shortly, the latter in her sailor uniform and holding a katana. She nodded at me and Kufa, but remained silent as always.

”Good. I'll be looking forward to fighting alongside you guys then.” Marshall smiled in approval. He then glanced back and waved his hand. More soldiers, clad in midnight black, crept out of the shadows, their swords glowing. ”We have the base surrounded.”

”Should we move now?” David asked. More men in suits came out, as well as soldiers from the Federation military. They were wielding conventional rifles, but a good number of them held melee weapons such as swords, axes, hammers, spears and staffs.

”Yeah.” Marshall raised his smartphone. ”Attack!”

The soldiers and mercenaries charged out of the forest and toward the fortress. They must have been quite the terrifying sight to behold, for the two vampire sentries ogled at them in shock before they screamed in panic.

”Sound the alarm! Close the gates!”

”Wait! Let us get back inside before you close the gates!”

The two vampires snapped out of their stupor and scrambled into the interior of their base, hurtling past the closing double doors, which swung shut and locked electronically. The soldiers opened fire, unleashing hundreds of spells that illuminated the dark night, pelting the reinforced walls of the huge structure.

”What the hell are the gates made of? Titanium alloy?”

Ice spells froze the walls, but despite the layer of frost that expanded across its surface, the metal held firm. Fire spells attempted to melt the gates with sheer heat, but they showed no sign of faltering. Lightning struck and merely left superficial scars. Wood spells battered futilely against the metal, and wind blades dissipated harmlessly against the reinforced material.

The security cameras turned to film our fruitless efforts, apparently mocking us, until they got blown up by a few errant fireballs.

Maybe they weren't errant. I had the feeling that the mercenaries had been ruffled by the security cameras and aimed at them on purpose.

”How do we break through those walls? They're really tough!” Jason sounded frustrated as he launched an earth spike at the fortress, only to see the stone break apart.

”Cut through them,” Saya slashed at the gates with her katana, but failed. She gnashed her teeth in annoyance, but continued hacking away without much success.

Crimson mana flared up all of a sudden and blasted her away. Kufa was quick to catch hold of her before she could get too far away. He grunted, but managed to dig his feet in to halt their momentum. Saya nodded her thanks and dropped back onto the ground.

”Those two…could it be?”

Rossetti's eyes widened and she smiled mischievously. Even in this situation, a maiden like her was still interested in gossiping about romance. I tried not to roll my eyes.

”Damn it…! They have a reflective field too!” David cursed as he fired at the gates. His bullets smashed into the field of crimson mana, but were flattened before they could do anything.

”It's a blood barrier.” Saya spat a wad of blood from her mouth and wiped at the corner of her lips. ”How troublesome.”

”So what do we do?” Jason asked, grimacing when his earth spikes bounced off again.

”Keep attacking,” Marshall instructed, his features grim. ”They don't have infinite mana. Just keep wearing the blood barrier down. It will crumble eventually.”

”If I may…” I began. The commanders glanced at me. I shrugged, and then summoned Serpens. Several of the mercenaries and soldiers stopped slinging their spells and turned to stare at my gigantic serpent.

”You plan to break through the gates by force?” Marshall asked. I shook my head.

”No.”

I mean, I could nuke the base with Scorpio's Antares spell…but obviously I had no intention of doing that. Nan Gong Zhao Yan and a bunch of the abducted students were stuck in there, held as hostages. My goal was to rescue them, not to slaughter them along with the insidious vampires. I was never one to take the easy way out…but think about it. If I was the one kidnapped and held hostage by the vampires, I wouldn't be very happy if my supposed rescuers decided to nuke me along with my captors.

”I can neutralize the base.”

”How?” Saya demanded, her voice incredulous. ”Are you going to use your legendary spells of mass destruction?”

”Why do you know about that?” I asked, surprised. David chuckled and shook his head.

”My young friend, you're pretty famous for it.”

”I would advise you not to do that,” Marshall said. ”I would like to remind you that the hostages are still…”

”Don't worry, I won't,” I interrupted him. ”Serpens doesn't have that sort of spell. Just watch.”

”Really?” Marshall was staring at my massive Constellation spirit. ”I don't see how your soul beast can smash through the blood barrier and fortress when our spells can't.”

”Then let me ask you a question. How do you neutralize a base?”

”That's what I'm asking…”

”No, I mean in chemistry terms. What sort of compounds react with a base to produce water and a salt compound? The process of neutralization, as you will.”

”Chemistry?” Kufa repeated, puzzled. ”If you want to neutralize a base, you need to use an acid.”

Then his eyes widened and he struck his fist into his palm.

”Of course! So that's why a gigantic snake…!”

”Huh? What's going on?” Rossetti looked puzzled, as did David, Jason and Saya. Marshall, on the other hand, remained impassive, his eyes unreadable behind his glasses.

”Serpens, acid attack!”

Serpens used Acid!