(Song of the Day: Sultans of Swing by Dire Straits)
/\\//\\//\
Fire burned and raged across multiple fields. Dark smoke rose upwards as crops were being burned and farming fields destroyed. A ragtag group of people made up of normal civilians and some former Eastern Empire soldiers and military personnel was destroying and burning everything they could see.
And the one leading them all? Masayuki. At least, that's how it seemed.
While he was leading them, Diablo, Testaross, and Ultima were the ones manipulating things to make things go very smoothly and easily. It was very easy for them, hardly an inconvenience.
Since it was decided that Masayuki would be the future leader of the Eastern Empire, or what would be left of it, depending on how negotiations went with the new government or the temporary government, depending on how things went on their end.
Right now, at this point, they were focused on disrupting as many supply lines as they could that went to the frontlines of the invasion, and it was very easy.
There were soldiers protecting it, but the majority were non-combatants, solely focused on logistics, and faced with overwhelming numbers, they were quickly killed, at least some of them. While some died, some surrendered themselves and joined the side of the revolutionary army. They were brought in by a combination of Masayuki's charm and the world of magic from the three primordials.
And these soldiers that joined their side gave up a lot of intel and other locations that helped them make things even easier. It was a literal trail of fire and destruction as this quickly growing revolutionary army was wreaking havoc on supply lines. Anything that would be sent to the frontlines would be taken by them and used by them to carry out their attacks and raids. Anything they couldn't use would be destroyed.
"We're making progress that's faster than projected," Masayuki said as he set to fire another crop field, as the ones he was leading were doing the same.
It was the largest they had come across so far.
"Our immediate objective is done. The next step is to start going to villages, towns, and cities and turn those to our side and capture them."
Masayuki was startled at the sudden voice that appeared behind him from out of nowhere. He turned around to see who it was.
"Oh, it's you, Diablo."
Masayuki was always uncomfortable around Diablo, let alone the other primordials. He didn't know how to interact with him. Whenever he had to, he tried to get through the conversation as fast as possible and then go fight.
He found leading and fighting less stressful than talking to Diablo.
"Our first target will be a nearby city. There are a few million inhabitants, but it should be easy. Just say a few inspirational words, and I'll handle the rest."
"Okay, it'll get done."
Masayuki responded and quickly went away. He really wanted to leave and stop talking to Diablo. Say a few inspirational words? That was easy. He had a little journal filled with a bunch of things to say. There were a lot of quotes that sounded really good and made him wonder how Artoria came up with such stuff. But he also had a feeling that some of them were familiar.
Not that it mattered to him. He was being set up for success and given the tools necessary to accomplish everything. If he failed, it would be a failure of epic proportions. Things could not be set up better than it is now.
You had practically the entire army busy invading another country and taking massive casualties, a people who are oppressed and live in fear, and someone with his Unique Skill that literally makes people want to follow him and take his words like gold, and help from three primordial demons.
You could not set this up any better.
And so, it started. With the immediate destruction of the nearest logistical and military targets to the frontlines, it was time to head to the cities and really cripple the heart of their production and industry. The plan was ultimately to use that same production to aid their own revolutionary war effort.
/\\//\\//\
"Lord Rimuru, here's a report from our end."
Rimuru was with Carrera as he got the report from a subordinate demon of Diablo, waiting until they saw any sign of Eastern Empire troops. It was simple: once you saw them, attack and kill them. Very simple plan that would work with someone like Carrera, and Rimuru, who was part of it as well.
As he listened, he was astonished at the progress.
"I kind of wish I was over there now. Maybe I was too hasty in my decision? Nah."
Carrera quickly dismissed that thought. All the action was over here anyway.
/\\//\\//\
In the forest, a worse inferno was happening. At first, it was the white smoke, but now it was fire. They had long gotten used to the arrows that came from the trees and got through the white phosphorus, albeit with heavy casualties, but now they were facing what could be described as a wall of fire.
It came from out of nowhere as they were advancing through the hot and humid forest. It was a slog as they traveled. And everyone tried to hide behind a tank, even with the risk of an anti-tank landmine hitting it.
But at least that would be a quick death; what came next wasn't. From the forest canopy, countless grenades rained down as if it were raining, and in just a moment, they exploded, spewing out an intense fire that was like jelly.
It stuck to everything: their clothes, skin, weapons, armor, and anything it came into contact with. Any clothes that came into contact quickly melted away before touching the skin, where they experienced an immediate, excruciating pain.
Removing it was hard, no matter how much they moved or thrashed around. It quickly burned through skin, leaving third-degree burns, destroying the skin and tissues underneath. Melted flesh would come off their bodies, and some people's eyelids would burn off, making it impossible to close their eyes, forcing them to feel even their eyes burning.
Some were lucky compared to the rest. The napalm would burn so much skin that it would destroy their nerve endings, making it impossible for them to feel pain in the affected area.
It was a cacophony of screams of pain and anguish. Some who were further back decided it was better to turn the other way and desert the army, or to be more specific, an act of cowardice. It didn't matter to them anymore.
Some soldiers ran as their entire bodies were on fire before slowing down and collapsing on the ground dead, their bodies continuing to burn and spreading the stench of burnt flesh throughout the forest.
Even those in tanks were affected. The gases and smoke would enter through the vents, choking anyone inside and forcing them to open it up and get out. In some cases, from a lucky hit, it would hit the engine and stall the tank. In a best-case scenario, the napalm only caused extreme discomfort inside the tank from the intense heat, but for those, the effect was psychological. They could hear the screams and suffering from inside the tank, their minds filling in the gaps for them. They tried to look out from the periscopes, but it was filled with gunk, making it futile to look through them.
From above, it looked like a forest fire, a literal hell-scape.
Millions were affected all at once. The medical personnel could barely do anything. Their supplies were already low, forcing them to pick and choose who dies and who lives.
/\\//\\//\
Sorry, Treyni and all the dryads and treants, but don't worry, nature will always win in the end.
I could see the inferno and smoke from my gunship.
And I could also see the approaching airships.
I'm sure I could snipe them from here, but I'll let them closer. Their ground forces are going to be severely backed up. I want to wait for them to catch up to the airships, so when I shoot them down, the debris crashes onto the ground forces.
What I want to know is, when will they send in literally anyone? I know for a fact that their strongest ones aren't on the ground; they're on those airships. It's okay, most will die, and some will be forced to abandon ship once they're destroyed. Natural selection will handle the rest.
'Hey, Artoria, Masayuki is doing way better than expected in the Eastern Empire. The latest report is that he's on his way to a city. It's the closest one to the frontline, and it might be an industrial one.'
'Okay, keep updating me.'
I responded to Rimuru's thought message, and I was happy at the news. That's good. In a war, targeting industry should always be one of the highest priorities, at least in my opinion. Masayuki seems to be smarter than I thought, or maybe it's the demons that are sort of guiding him.
Actually, it does make sense. Diablo would be the kind of person to try to make things go as fast as he can so he can return to Rimuru as soon as possible.
Look, I'm not saying anything, but the way Diablo acts around Rimuru, and how he talks about him, and how Rimuru also doesn't say anything publicly instead of in his mind, it's not helping either of their cases, looking from a different perspective.
Anyway, how can I make Velgrynd literally dig her own grave?