The Genius of Cloning in the Academy City-Chapter 159: The Witch’s Cauldron (9)

The Lion’s Fountain Square was swept away by a torrential rain that hadn’t been seen in decades.

People who had been strolling in the square jumped in all directions, panicking at the sudden downpour accompanied by lightning.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t rain in the Vittorio Dungeon. A dark ceiling blocks the place where the sky should be. Instead of water, lead falls.

Bullets, bullets, more bullets rained down on the ground. The Violet Battalion unleashed all the ammunition they had stored in their inventories in a massive barrage of firepower.

"Attack, attack! Shoot everything!"

"Fire until the barrels melt!"

One thousand Violets moved. Five battalions of Violet infantry emerged from the buildings and alleys of the square, forming an encirclement and annihilation formation. The air corps took flight. The artillery completed its deployment.

While the enemy was distracted, we triggered landmines to confuse them, then began our offensive.

The rain of lead is impartial. It doesn’t discriminate between monsters and humans.

"Stay there! You beehive bastards!"

The 132nd of the 1st Company, stationed by the window, set up a machine gun tripod on the windowsill.

Pulling the loading handle, the bullets from the ammo belt extending from the supply bag made a clicking sound as they were sucked into the chamber. The trigger was pulled. There was no thought of targeting. Aiming was pointless!

Tatatatang!

The machine gunners unleashed countless streams of bullets, pounding the square. The riflemen also fired.

"Kwaaah! Aaagh!"

There was no place to hide in the Lion’s Fountain Square. For the enemies who had been thrown into chaos by the recent improvised explosive attack, there were only two choices now: lie down on the ground or brace for the bullets and counterattack while their etheric shields were being worn down.

Of course, we had no intention of giving them the chance to counterattack. The command post called in the artillery stationed behind the strategic map.

"1st Artillery! How many V-1 rockets do we have?"

"About 200 rounds, and we’re assembling V-2s, so look forward to it!"

"Good, the accuracy of the shells is decent, so keep pouring them in!"

Beyond the square, rockets with flaming tails soared from behind the buildings like meteors.

As the artillery barrage continued and enemy return fire slowed, 15 gliders descended beneath the ceiling.

The primary objective of the air corps was to secure air superiority, with the secondary objective to support ground troops!

"Those harmful birds, clear them out!"

The command post tapped the red enemies on the map. Gunners in the rear seats of powered gliders shot down the jet bikes that hadn’t managed to escape.

By the time they looked up in confusion, it was too late. Violet-guided bombs descended from the sky and homed in on the top priority targets.

"Here, here, fly here! Take down the Vanguard first!"

"I’m going!"

The 4th of the command post pressed the map. Violet No. 890 and 891, who had dropped beneath the gliders, headed to the designated location.

Violet No. 890 locked onto the Vanguard. They were urging their subordinates and facing both monsters and us at the same time.

"Die!"

As the terminal-stage guided bombs were about to collide with the enemies, a hail of bullets flew toward them.

The Violet-guided bombs were intercepted and exploded in midair.

"Ugh, ack! Intercepted!"

Looking around in confusion, the wizards, who had regained their composure, deployed shields and activated interception spells, blocking our attacks.

Rockets and grenades exploded when they collided with their energy shields. The gliders hastily veered away from the skies in surprise.

"Dammit! It must be that damn student council president again! Look over there!"

Among the enemy forces was, as expected, the student council president.

He must have been commanding the other wizards. The Magna Nabis forces, relying on their defensive shields and interception spells, launched a counterattack.

"Arrrgh! These bastards! Our zealots! Ugh!"

The monsters and fanatics they had brought were of little help now.

Noxterer had been melted by the Vanguard’s assault, and the monsters were being slaughtered. The leader of the fanatics had disappeared.

The remaining fanatics were already fleeing.

"Tch, no help at all!"

Indeed, they were elite soldiers. To think they didn’t retreat but instead formed ranks and launched a counterattack.

I had expected this to some extent, but I hadn’t anticipated they’d be this persistent.

"Hey! Just run away already!"

I realized now that both irritation and admiration could coexist.

"This isn’t good. Sniper team, Levi. Prepare to fire!"

The large-caliber sniper rifle and the combat sniper team, who had been waiting on the rooftop, aimed their guns.

Levi’s ballista also targeted the enemy. The gunners armed with the captured electromagnetic rifles also finished preparing their attacks.

"The brigade headquarters sends word! For now, everyone will shoot at their own targets, and when I designate one, focus fire on it!"

The assault squads of each company, waiting behind the encirclement, began to move. Some were wearing exoskeletons they had captured from the federal army.

The standard-bearers carrying the last regiment’s flag were preparing to wave it from the rear.

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"Assault squads, prepare!"

The Violets in the front row injected the remaining Black Ice into their thighs. The enhanced exoskeletons were fully powered up.

"Command post sends word. Once the psychological warfare is over, we assault immediately!"

A hang glider returned to the sky. It carried large speakers, amplifiers, and hastily printed leaflets.

"Start!"

"God..."

The Vanguard commander let out a sigh without realizing it. Even he, an atheist, found himself looking for God in this situation.

"They’re the enemy! The enemy’s everywhere!"

Over seventy percent of the things in front of him were enemies. Gunfire rained down from the windows and rooftops of the buildings surrounding the plaza. Rockets flew from the sky.

"We must retreat!"

"Retreat? Where? We’re surrounded!"

There was no escape. The passage leading to the forward base above the plaza was blocked by a crowd of fanatics and monsters.

It was surely because of the tricks they had played with the Vision Prism earlier.

Considering that the shield and ether protection were weakening, he approached and unleashed a fireball.

One floor of a building was engulfed in flames. In return, the enemy fired anti-tank rockets and grenades.

"Don’t overdo it! You’re the only hope here!"

"Damn it, this is beyond terrible. These could really be Obsidian Legion troops."

The commander ground his teeth. He never imagined this was all part of a giant trap. Blinded by relics and signal devices, he had walked straight into it.

They were soldiers. A battle unit made entirely of Awakened ones. They moved faster than non-Awakened ones and showed greater resilience.

Was that really just a normal clone-generation ability?

From beyond the wall, even though the rocket fire was crude, it came relentlessly. In the sky, gliders flew by, dropping bombs.

Even a tank appeared, though it was unclear where they had captured it.

For now, it blocked the passage and served as cover, but those hateful bastards crushed their subordinates beneath it.

"I can’t believe they’re using clones like that. I never thought they’d use them in this way."

Lera pointed to the sky. A human form exploded after being hit by an interception spell. His instincts and decades of experience made his body react reflexively, deploying a shield.

"Hah, I have to give them credit. Well, it is an efficient method of attack."

Magna Nabis’ members shook their heads at the unconventional tactics when suddenly, a sharp beeping sound rang out.

-Ah, ah! Microphone test!

Even amid the gunfire, everyone looked up at the sky. One of the enemy’s hang gliders, which had fled earlier, returned and began broadcasting propaganda.

-Surrender! We know who you are! The Federation and Academy City authorities have already prepared to file charges! Drop your weapons!

The sudden declaration by the enemy made the members bewildered. Lera raised her right hand with a look of disbelief.

"Did they really think this would work?"

Just as she was about to bring down the hang glider, a shocking voice came from the speaker.

"Hey! Lera J. Velleston! Fifth-year student at Polaris Academy! Vice Student Council President! What are you doing here?"

At that moment, her face crumpled like it had been hit by a sledgehammer.

"How... how do you know that...?!"

"Alright, now’s the time. Charge!"

"Irene, let’s go!"

"Got it!"

Irene and the assault team rushed toward the enemy formation, covered by suppressive fire. The orange-haired guy and his subordinates immediately counterattacked, but due to the shock, the guy’s face still hadn’t recovered from his surprise.

"Well, well, I guess they don’t pass out that easily. Then, charge!"

As the standard-bearer enthusiastically swung the flag, our running speed increased slightly. Our reaction speed also increased.

With Irene’s unique ability, the effects of the drugs, the exoskeleton’s speed, and the flag’s buffs combined, the assault team moved faster than the enemy’s shots and rushed toward them.

"Hello! We know exactly what you did last summer at the Academy!"

"How... who are you?!"

Although they were the enemy, she momentarily empathized with his flustered reaction. How embarrassing would it be if someone suddenly shouted your name and personal details from the sky?

She realized why the student council president had been so smug. Watching someone who had their personal information exposed was quite fun!

Adela, who had been drawing her bow on the rooftop, subtly changed her expression.

"...That person, is she an Academy student?"

"Yeah! Sis, that person’s not just some agent. She’s a student council officer! It’s like an undercover mission!"

"I can’t believe there’s such a weird academy..."

As the assault team, injected with drugs, charged and engaged in close combat, the hang gliders continued to provoke the enemy in between the battles.

"What is the Magna Nabis Vanguard doing here? We’ve got everything on tape! We’re going to upload it online!"

"Hey! Vanguard tin cans! Did you just see your subordinates get flattened?!"

The moment I heard those words, one of the Assault Team Violet was torn apart.

"Kyah! I know what you did under the desks of the principal and the chairman!"

Violet No. 405, who had been swinging a sword on the front lines, also tried to provoke.

The vice president of the student council looked at me with a slightly bewildered expression.

"I know exactly what you did with the student council president last summer break, in that hotel! Hehe!"

"Shut your mouth!"

Suddenly, Lera reacted strongly and raised her staff.

"What? Why is she suddenly getting angry?"

"Kyah!"

The Violets were swept away by a lightning whip. The propaganda hang glider also caught fire and fell.

"Ugh! No matter how much I cover the sky with my hands, the truth can’t be hidden..."

Boom!

I saw the fishbowl helmet guy behind us strike the vice president of the student council hard on the shoulder.

"Dammit, what the hell are you doing? Don’t get fooled by their bluster. Shut up!"

The one who seemed to be the leader was quite calm. Despite our repeated provocations, he quietly focused on the battle.

Sadly, he was right. This was all just bluster. The black operations of the clan, the dirty tricks, would quickly be swept under the rug by the media or online.

So, killing them all is the best option.

"Command headquarters is transmitting! Self-destruct!"

The Violets, who had been engaged in close combat, rushed toward the wizards.

"Drop them immediately! Self-destruct!"

The quick ones kicked us or threw us off, but the slower ones got caught up in the explosion.

"Kyahh!"

One of the Vanguard agents took the full blast of the explosion and staggered. I ran toward him with my brain spear.

"Take this!"

With a pop, his head flew off. Now, only four remained.

Command headquarters ordered concentrated sniping.

"Kyahahaha! Human trash, disappear!"

One by one, the heavy gunshots from battle rifles, the shells from anti-materiel sniper rifles, and the bolts from Levi’s ballista focused.

Every time one of the Violet agents clicked on a red dot on the map, they concentrated their rifles on one enemy.

"Kalia! Tie that guy up!"

Kalia, who had followed the assault team, swung her chains, and another Vanguard agent was caught. She clicked on another target on the map.

"Keugh!"

The agent, hit by the anti-materiel sniper rifle and large bolts, instantly died. Now, only three left!

"Indeed, our tactics work!"

Concentrated sniping neutralized shields and interception systems. The agents continued to die, one after another, turning into a beehive of death.

Seeing this, Lera panicked and activated stronger countermeasures and interception spells with the other wizards.

The interception spells were now even blocking small bullets.

"Ai, you’re working hard. Snipers, concentrate fire! The artillery unit, prepare V-2!"

The Violet artillery responded with even more firepower to their efforts. Snipers holding electromagnetic rifles ran in a straight line and pulled their triggers.

"Ah, aahhh...!"

One of the wizards collapsed, bleeding from both eyes and nose.

He had been overloading his calculations in an attempt to block the electromagnetic rifles’ barrage, and his head short-circuited.

Once again, rockets flew. This time, even bigger ones were mixed in. The V-2 rockets.

The ones who had overloaded their calculations had no chance to intercept the rockets.

The hang glider squadron returned.

"Oh, no. This can’t be happening..."

"No, it can!"

While the team members were retreating, the assault team continued to hold them back. Taking advantage of the chaos, Violet No. 506 used drugs and the power of her enhanced exoskeleton to desperately break through the enemies’ lines.

Her target was the vice president of the student council.

"Take this!"

Violet No. 506 thrust the thunder spear forward. The vice president hurriedly raised her left arm, but it was too late.

The tip of the brain spear pierced his left arm.

Boom!

"Argh!"

The vice president of the student council lost his left arm and fell. Just as Violet No. 506 was about to finish her off, a Vanguard agent tore Violet No. 506 apart.

"Dammit! I couldn’t finish her off!"

"Can’t be helped. Air squadron, finish it!"

While Violet and the Magna Nabis team held the others back, the hang glider squad flew in a line, heading over the enemies’ heads.

Countless homemade explosives, taken from the inventory, rained down like a storm.

"Commencing carpet bombing!"

The plaza was engulfed in flames.

"Ugh, ugh..."

Lera, who had lost her left arm, groaned in pain. She saw the hang gliders above her dropping massive chunks of metal. It was certainly explosives.

‘It’s a failure.’

Just as she was about to close her eyes in despair, a rough hand picked her up.

"Velleston, with that much, you should be able to hold on, right?"

"What?"

The Vanguard commander forcibly activated the device on her back. The cloaking device powered up.

"Go and tell the Grand Sorcerer. We’ve failed. The clan needs to prepare for those bastards. Make sure you come back alive!"

"...!"

In the next moment, Lera found herself flying toward the edge of the plaza. When she collided with the corner, the plaza burst into flames.

"My God..."

She clutched her severed arm and struggled to crawl into the darkness.

After a series of explosions swept through, the 30-year veteran of the Vanguard, battered and bruised, got up.

‘With this, she should have made it back somehow. No, she must have made it back.’

He searched for his allies through telepathic communication. The response was silent. He belatedly realized the communicator was broken.

He called out to his comrades.

"Is there anyone else alive?"

"...Only me."

The commander bitterly stared ahead, realizing that there was only one comrade left.

Countless troops with swords and waves of clones were closing in on him.

"Damn it."

He removed his broken sealed mask. The face of an old man, lined with delicate and complex electronic devices and wires, appeared.

He assessed his condition. There was little mana left. His physical state was a mess. He wouldn’t survive if left like this.

Suddenly, the man thought.

How had this damn chaos, this witch’s cauldron of a mess, ended up like this?

Lack of firepower? The problem with the number of soldiers? Had they become obsessed with the artifact and failed to predict the enemy’s ambush?

No. From the very beginning, maybe they never had control over this witch’s cauldron.

The one who had been dominating this chaotic battlefield from the start had to have been the master of that countless black wave. They had simply been played with.

The master of the cauldron was the girl in front of him.

‘So, she’s the witch stirring the cauldron.’

After finishing his thought, the last two Vanguard agents burned their remaining mana, casting their final spells.

"Bring it on, you cockroach bastards. We are the Guardians of Mysteries. Supervisors of all magic and sorcery. The Vanguard of the Magna Nabis group, defending its depths...!"

Violet’s team, instead of responding to the dying mage’s words, raised their guns.

In unison, the weapons were aimed as if executing a firing squad.

-Tatatatang!

The last enemies fell forward with a clang. A tank came rushing over them.

"What did they just say?"

"I don’t know! Finish them off."

Rugilinn’s iron fist came down and trampled over them. The agents’ bodies were crushed flat between the tracks.

The command center declared a ceasefire.

"Start cleaning up the battlefield!"

The battle was over.