+++ Lieutenant Hans Hoffman +++

"The plan is to hurt them enough that their regeneration abilities are reduced, then…we'll use special spells to capture them."

Hans' little explanatory speech earlier replayed in his mind. He briefly contacted the Empress using the crystal, trying to discern whether there were any demons nearby to potentially spoil this encounter.

He received a reply in two minutes, while the enemy demon seemed to have politely chosen to remain in place.

Behind them, members of the 1st Anti-Demon Unit began filing into their support positions. They weren't going to be the main stars of the show today, so Hans gave them specific instructions earlier which they followed religiously.

Guns were placed in positions where they would have lines of fire on the demon's potential escape paths. Musketeers sneaked and positioned themselves behind and at the flanks of Hans and Adelyn.

Battlemages, mostly on horseback and led by Captain Weibel, moved through the flanks, practically circling the unfortunate creature. Meanwhile, the special caster teams that Hans organized moved into designated positions where they could use both the AoE and 'chain' spells they practiced.

Within ten minutes, everything was set up. Hans knew that the demon saw them, and that it must have known by now that they were preparing a grand battle in which it wouldn't be able to escape, yet it refused to move an inch.

This demon…it's strange…

Hans found his behavior and mannerisms out of place. None of it made sense for a lesser demon, Hans thought, and that was a problem. While he did trust Elisa's words about this creature being a 'lesser demon', as there was zero reason for her to lie, there was of course a chance that she wasn't right.

Hmm…what are you doing out there, I wonder?

"Let me introduce myself!" A voice suddenly reverberated in the battlefield, as the red-haired demon bowed with aristocratic grace. "I see that you have all arrived here for a truly wondrous occasion! So, to start this off politely, I'll give you all the right to know me. I am none other than the Calamity of Cowardice!"

"Calamity…of Cowardice?" Hans muttered, shocked.

"Lieutenant Hoffman! I apologize, but it seems that I may have failed to discern the capabilities of the demon in front of you. She seems to be capable of blocking my telepathy, and I can't—"

"Tell me what's happening now. Stop trying to analyze her strength."

"The lesser demons around you...they're all rapidly converging on you, Lieutenant Hoffman."

"I see…"

The glow on the crystal of his bracelet died, and so did the connection with Elisa. Her voice earlier was strained and pained, as she clearly tried to push her ability to its limits when she realized something was wrong.

Now though, they were in a pickle. They were deep in demon-infested territory, and they just passed through a lot of them, all converging on their position.

Hans didn't like this, at all. This felt like they just fell into a trap, set up by none other than a creature known as 'Cowardice'.

"Don't falter from our mission," Adelyn suddenly spoke up, her tone cold.

"I won't."

"If we do our best, I think we can still capture that psycho. Now that I think about it, in fact, what do you think about restraining a calamity? She's quite the big fish, no?"

"If we can make her talk, she'll definitely be the best candidate to confirm what we fear," Hans took a deep breath. "Alright, help Ebert's men organize a defense line around us. I suspect the rest of the Ygeian Expeditionary Forces are converging on us as well, so if we can hold out for a while—"

"How dare you fools ignore me?!"

Hans stopped talking to Adelyn, pulling his mech into a sudden sideways dodge. The round, metal, striking head nearly bashed Hans' mech open. The fact that it travelled miles away was a testament to how powerful it was.

The calamity demon quickly pulled it back, its chains dropping on the greenery around her, as her eyes glowed with a dangerous glint.

"Focus on me!" she growled. "I am your target, am I not? Then face me directly. Don't you dare ignore me!"

"That doesn't sound like cowardice to me," Hans obseved. "That sounds like brainless bravery."

"Come fight me, Golden Angel and Grey Knight! While you may have slaughtered the other calamities, I—the Calamity of Cowardice, will you stop you here and now!"

She swirled in the air, sending her flail into the sky. It flew through all directions, its chains and striking head slicing everything in a two-mile radius. In a split second, trees, hills, and hundreds of soldiers were gone, and the battlefield looked like an apocalyptic mess.

This woman…

Hans felt fear coursing through his veins, that familiar sensation he felt back when they were clearly the weak side, and the enemy was strong. He had been used to pure victories in which he managed not to die, but now…

That thing…

Hans gripped his controls hard. Four of the guns positioned on the flanks of the monster were destroyed, their crew most likely dead. It seemed like they were exactly what the demon targeted. Now that it retracted its flail, she stared at Hans with great killing intent.

"No…" Hans pressed his feet hard on the gas pedal. "I'm not backing down!"

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If he was going to die today, then he'd learn as much as he could!

+++

Ebert wasn't having a fun time.

Entire companies of his men had just been wiped out by that singular strike. He also lost a good number of guns to it. He quickly relayed his orders to his officers, trying to rearrange their formations. They would now stay back a bit from this 'Cowardice' demon to mitigate damage.

On the other hand, his artillery outside of the demon's range began pouring in shells downrange.

"I need musketeer formations formed up in the south, southeast, and southwest of our positions," Ebert shouted to his men.

"Yes sir!"

Then, he placed his telescope back on his left eye, as his mouth widened. In the distance, Adelyn and Hans were locked in what could only be described as a difficult, and nearly hopeless battle.

Cowardice, she was no joke. Her strikes felt like it was happening in the blink of an eye, and anything she managed to hit was being obliterated. Worse of all, they couldn't even support the two properly.

His musketeers were now held back. Captain Weibel was on the retreat, and the caster teams had only managed to cast a few AoE spells to limit the areas that Cowardice could use as an escape route.

But outside of making the battlefield look more hellish with burning infernos, there wasn't much they could do.

Then, he soon received a report.

"Colonel!" One of his officers on horseback called out. "Report from the southwest! Two lesser demons are coming in hot!"

Ebert frowned, turning his horse to the southwest. He raised his saber, as he shouted a new set of orders to his men.

"Gather the cavalry!" Ebert said. "We're going to meet them head-on and drive them out. Do not let a single lesser demon interrupt this battle!"

"Sir, shouldn't we retreat?!"

"Retreat? As if we have a place to retreat. We will stand our ground, hold here, and win. That's our plan. We are now surrounded, so fight everything you have! For the Imperium!"

"For the Imperium!"

Right then, the officers pulled hundreds of cavalrymen from the rear, and Ebert joined them, overseeing a daring charge to meet the speeding animal-like demons that were about to crash into his musketeer lines.

No way, no way would this day end in failure.

If this was all Ebert could do to ensure that they would capture that demon, then damn it, he'd give it his all.

He aimed his saber at the demons as they rode forward.

"Onwards!"

+++

[EYE OF PARANOIA I ACTIVATED!]

[SMOOTH RESPONSE II ACTIVATED!]

Damn it all!

Hans watched as Cowardice spun in the blink of an eye, and suddenly, the striking head of her flail flew overhead his mech.

He dodged it before it came back like a boomerang on him.

Then, he replied with his main gun.

It was utterly ineffective.

Tsk. I need to get closer.

"Adelyn, try to cover me—"

He wasn't able to follow that up when the demon's flail was flung straight to Adelyn's mech, striking its turret badly, sending sparks and metal flying. Adelyn was still summoning her ideal, so all that Hans could do was scream in rage.

"Damn you! Don't touch her!"

He charged forward, the fact that he didn't receive another reply from Adelyn filling his mind with pure, blinding rage. This demon, this cretin, didn't just kill so many of his buddies in the 1st Anti-Demon Unit.

No, it touched and harmed Adelyn, right before his eyes. Cowardice was about to send another blisteringly fast attack on Adelyn when an APFSDS from Hans' main gun struck the demon's body.

His mech, speeding up high, chased her as she flew backwards. Until she managed to stand back again, planted her left foot on the ground, and used it to spin around, and send another strike of her flail.

No, it wasn't just a strike. Hans couldn't believe how fast it was. In just three seconds, it was as if ten strikes flew towards his mech, which he barely dodged, sparks flying through the ground as his mech's legs screeched from the pressure of avoiding her attacks alone.

They've been complacent.

They assumed that they were now so powerful, they could just arrogantly charge through demon-infested territory so easily.

They even assumed, based on the Empress's ability, that it was so accurate, she would know whether they were fighting a calamity or not.

And when Hans and Adelyn met this creature earlier, they assumed her range wouldn't be so crazy, so they set up their forward troops way too close.

Now they were gone, unable to support them.

He should have learned from his past battles, to never let anything stand up to chance.

If only he'd known…that this was going to happen.

That's right…If only I had known…

His hold on the controls turned cold, as the rage on his face disappeared. Defeat, that was close, wasn't it? No, not truly. Hans knew they wouldn't be defeated.

Even with all of these, the 1st Anti-Demon Unit was holding off the demons attacking them from the rear, and killing them.

He could already see the glow from Adelyn's mech, clearly showing that she was about to fully manifest her ideal.

Still, the chances of them running out of everything and letting this demon escape were now high, and what would they have to show for themselves? A battered army forced to escape without having achieved its objectives?

They wouldn't know the truth.

Hah…if I just knew this would have happened…I would have planned better…

Hans pushed his feet hard on the pedal, as one of the calamity's attacks bashed through his mech, destroying his shield.

That's right. I know what she can do now, and I know who she is.

Laughter came from Hans.

You're defeatable, just like all those before you.

As his machine guns raged, their bullets making Cowardice's eyes widen in shock due to the pain and damage each of them caused, Hans' mind screamed.

So I'll detain you, and make you talk, without falling for your trap!

He charged forward, further, as all of his [SMOOTH RESPONSE] shields shattered from her repeated attack.

Just you wait, Calamity of Cowardice! You should have lived true to your name and run, because you cannot win against me!

Then, the striking head of Cowardice's flail struck his paper-like mech straight on its frontal hull, and Hans was turned into a bloody red pulp inside.

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