Hellfire bolts were a type of explosive round similar to a cluster bomb.
The Imperium had developed different types of hellfire bolt ammunition for different enemies.
One type was a warhead developed specifically to melt and break down metal. It had originally been made to deal with Necrons.
After being fired and detonating, it would burst open like a storm of needles, shooting out more than a thousand needleheads that pierced into the target metal. The metal would then react violently with the substance inside and melt apart.
Under normal circumstances, the hellfire bolt fired by the knight mecha would have had difficulty covering a fleet that had properly spread out into battle formation.
Once a fleet entered combat, it naturally would not stay so tightly packed together.
However, the Earth Alliance fleet had not come here with combat as its original purpose. It had come more to show off its strength and throw its weight around, so the fleet had not deployed outward and was instead packed relatively close together.
As a result, one hellfire bolt covered nearly half the fleet.
Because it was a warhead designed to target metal, the people aboard the fleet would not be directly affected.
However, that did not mean they would not be injured.
The melting process was not instantaneous. During that process, the collapse and deformation of the warships could cause things inside to explode, and the inflow of seawater could strike and kill crew members.
This was especially fatal for the submarines below the surface.
If they could not make an emergency ascent, the result would be death by the pressure of the seawater crushing them.
Now that the threat from the Earth Alliance fleet had been neutralized, all that remained was the falling supply station from space.
Under normal circumstances, if it was simply being pulled down by Earth's gravity, the time before it hit the ground would be more than enough for Kain to pilot the Ho 229.
Unless the supply station itself had propulsion on par with the Archangel and was directly accelerating its crash toward Earth, while also happening to be above Orb and in low orbit.
In that case, he might not make it in time.
But judging by the current intelligence, no matter how fast it was falling, there should still be at least half an hour. That was more than enough time.
However, Kain did not plan to use the Ho 229.
This was Earth, and under the influence of Earth's gravity, he could not be certain whether a solar-flare-like attack would effectively destroy the falling target.
Inside the atmosphere, using the A-Driver system consumed far more mental energy than in the weightless environment of space. He might not be able to control a solar flare attack properly.
Therefore, the task of destroying the falling supply space station would still fall to this knight mecha.
The hellfire bolt warhead that had originally been loaded was replaced with a more specialized warhead.
This round was also rather special. When fired, it could easily affect the surroundings, so it required an empty area with no one nearby.
Thus, under his control, the knight mecha moved with what looked like sluggish steps, perfectly matching its outer appearance.
After all, this machine had revealed quite a few of its abilities today. It was better to keep a few cards hidden and mislead the enemy.
One of those cards was its mobility, making others think it was even more sluggish than a mobile suit.
In the blink of an eye, it reached an empty area with no lifeforms within a one-kilometer radius.
Looking up at the sky, he could already see a luminous object. That was the light and heat produced by the falling object's friction with the atmosphere.
He calibrated the target. Now he only had to wait until it pierced through the atmosphere, then fire.
As a precaution, in case this warhead proved ineffective in this world, he had already arranged for the backup machine on that side to be equipped with high-yield melta missiles as a second method of destruction.
"Mr. Kain, may I pull the trigger?"
A girl who was also in the cockpit suddenly made the request.
She was in the cockpit because, after being affected at close range by his Untouchable field, she had been almost drained dry.
In that state, even moving on her own was difficult. If there were still hidden enemies in the audience who launched a sudden attack, she would be in danger.
So it was safer to have her enter the cockpit and stay beside him. Only then could he feel at ease.
Since she had also changed into one of the protective suits from A2's side, which had insulating properties, there was no need to worry about her being electrocuted.
"Go ahead."
The calibration had already been completed. All she had to do was press the switch, so there was no risk of missing.
As for why she wanted to pull the trigger herself, Kain more or less understood her state of mind.
Lacus Clyne wanted to shoulder the responsibility herself, including the responsibility if this failed.
After receiving his permission, she stopped leaning beside the pilot seat and instead sat on his lap. Her soft body pressed lightly against him.
Her slender right hand rested over his, touching the firing button beneath his loosened finger.
At present, the falling object still had three minutes before reaching the scheduled sniping point.
"Mr. Kain, you don't seem like a soldier."
"I was never a soldier."
"You weren't?"
Lacus was somewhat surprised.
"Right. My actual profession is archaeology."
"Archaeology?"
Lacus was even more surprised.
"Yes. Archaeology of relics from humanity's Golden Age."
So that was what he meant by archaeology.
From the content of his livestreams, she had come to understand that the technology of his world in the present day was far behind the technology of humanity's Golden Age.
He was searching for technology left behind by humanity from that era in order to strengthen the humans of his own time.
"What is Earth like on your side? It is the capital of the Imperium of Man, right?"
"Yes."
"Then, if you ever have time to return to Earth, could you invite me over to see it?"
"You should know that things like evil gods exist on my side, correct?"
"Yes."
Evil gods. In Lacus's world, they were something that did not exist except as an abstract matter of belief. But in Kain's world, they were real.
They seemed like mythological beings, though in scientific terms, they might be something like higher-dimensional lifeforms.
"Once you go there, there's a good chance you'll be discovered immediately. If you're captured, you'll suffer a fate worse than death. As for Earth itself, there is nothing worth seeing. Even the Earth on Dr. Kouzuki's side, invaded by BETA, has an environment far better than that place. And the current state of the Imperium of Man there is basically like a medieval church fanatically hunting witches. Everyone has gone mad."
After hearing that, Lacus asked no further questions.
The falling space supply station had already broken through the atmosphere and would reach the sniping point in several seconds.
Everyone had gone mad?
She felt that Mr. Kain seemed to seek the thrill of life and death. Was that because of the environment he lived in?
For a moment, Lacus felt something difficult to describe well up in her heart. The hand resting over his almost unconsciously slipped between his fingers, as if trying to hold his hand.
Her pupils widened. The target had entered the firing point.
Lacus did not hesitate and pulled the trigger.
The entire knight mecha suddenly shook violently, then moved forward in an eerie way.
Normally, when a cannon attack was powerful enough, the recoil would force the mecha backward. Yet this was the opposite, as though the recoil was pushing it forward instead.
At the same time, an abnormal phenomenon appeared within a five-hundred-meter radius of the machine. Sand, stones, grass, trees, and everything else were pulled toward the sky by an invisible force.
It looked as if a tornado had formed along the trajectory of the shot.
The reason this phenomenon occurred was that the shell it had fired was a gravity warhead.
(End of Chapter)
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