NIKKE, When the Milky Way Blossoms

"Shouldn't the focus be on them going to their deaths???"

The first mate was furious. Since joining the squadron, she had always thought of it as a place full of human warmth, unlike the utilitarian nature of the various levels of the Ark. Even when considering the losses and making rational strategic sacrifices, it shouldn't be done from the perspective of "violating military regulations."

"Sending them to their deaths? Why would they send them to their deaths?"

Hearing her teammate's words, Tia blinked her big, bright eyes and asked, puzzled.

Master grimaced and took a few deep breaths, trying to ignore this dim-witted idiot. But alas, she was the kind of person who couldn't keep her thoughts to herself…

"They're going to fight a dragon! A dragon that flies in the sky and breathes fire!"

"Well……"

Tia was troubled by Master's inexplicable temper. She didn't know why he was so angry, or why he cared so much about this matter.

"But... that commander can't catch up with the fire dragon."

"?"

As soon as the JK girl finished speaking, the first mate's thoughts went blank.

The commander can't catch up with the fire dragon?

Recalling how breathless Huaerqiulei looked after walking briskly for several kilometers through the snow, a flash of insight, a sign of enlightenment, repeatedly coursed through Master's smooth brain.

yes……

yes!!!

That idiot commander isn't one of our own lieutenants. She can't run fast or far in the snow. With that little mobility, she thinks she can lead the team to chase the dragon?!

Even polar bears can't catch up with it!

“Tia…”

"Ok?"

"You're a genius."

After JK's unintentional suggestion, Master felt as if his thoughts had been cleared away, becoming crystal clear.

No wonder the lieutenant let Rudmila stay behind so freely; he was afraid that the idiot commander would get lost in the far north...

……

"commander?"

After walking south for more than half an hour, Lapi, who was closely following Phoenix, tentatively called out to her superior. Unfortunately, the other party did not respond to her call verbally or physically.

Is the temporary hearing loss not over yet?

The adjutant couldn't help but glance at Mihara on the other side, his eyes conveying a question.

"The eardrum is severely damaged, perhaps not just a minor tear."

Mihara, who had been sharing the pain, shook her head and frankly explained her husband's physical condition to everyone.

"The pain is also worsening, which is probably caused by the jolting and airflow from the strenuous exercise. I suspect that the damage to the eardrum has exceeded its self-repairing ability and requires external medical intervention to heal."

"understood."

After listening to Mihara's report, Lhapi, feeling guilty for failing to protect the commander once again, silently lowered his eyes.

Frustration spread like a plague, quickly seeping into the hearts of every Niki.

They, the girls from the Niki family, were the ones who should have been hurt the most, so why...?

"stop."

Just as the girls were secretly resolving to protect their commander, Phoenix, completely unaware of what was happening, suddenly stopped, turned around, and said with a grim expression:

"Group according to the third plan, in a trapezoidal formation, with the entrance facing south, and adjacent groups spaced 100 meters apart. Everyone, lie in ambush on the spot, and do not move without my order."

Having said that, the man, who could no longer hear anything, turned his head and winked at Mihara and Yuni. Then, as the second group, they turned back towards the northwest.

……

An ambush often indicates that the enemy is numerous or powerful.

For the ground intelligence special squadron at this moment, this was absolutely terrible news.

What kind of enemy could make the lieutenant change his mind and choose to ambush during the retreat?

The Nikis don't know,

Phoenix himself didn't know either.

The consciousness radar marked more than thirty red dots moving northward at a distance of 600 meters to the south. However, the hilly terrain prevented an unobstructed view, making it impossible to know the specific scene behind the snow hill.

Thirty, forty, fifty, sixty...

The number of red dots kept increasing, and the formation looked quite scattered.

Based on past experience, Phoenix, who was hiding under the snow, felt that this was not a proper patrol group of Lechers, but rather a group of lone Lechers who had inexplicably gathered together.

suddenly!

While the lieutenant was still pondering how a group of lone Lechers could gather to a size of sixty or seventy, a huge red cursor appeared at the edge of the consciousness radar.

"!"

Phoenix vaguely remembered what a cursor of that size meant.

That night, the "blacksmith" of the tyrant-level Lecher was a cursor of such a standard!

Trouble...

The man, lying prone in the snow, closed his eyes and sighed resignedly.

We can't let them pass.

Behind him were five innocent victims and a simpleton.

It's one thing to part ways due to disagreements, but it's quite another to deliberately turn your back on your allies and expose them to the enemy.

Chapter 242 Still Saying He's Not the Mad Hatter

rustling sounds—rustling sounds—

The dry, powdery ice crystals rustled, sounding as if hundreds or thousands of beetles were flapping their wings vigorously.

Lecher has arrived.

"Sixty-seven low-level Lechers are behind the snow hills to the south, and one Death God-type Tyrant is below the ice valley at forty degrees south of east. Yuni, Anis, Tia, and Anke will follow my orders individually. Lapi will direct the others to prioritize clearing out the low-level Lechers."

The moment Phoenix saw Anick scan the spider tyrant's route and confirm that it intended to cross the valley directly...

The turbulent thoughts swirling in the man's mind suddenly calmed down.

If we compare low-level Lechers to infantry and Master and Tyrant-level Lechers to tanks, then the Grim Reaper who chooses to climb up the high ground from below the valley is destined to be separated from the small Lechers who come from a detour.

Without proper infantry-tank coordination, some attacks occurred...

Boom——!

Suddenly, a deafening roar, like a mountain collapsing and the earth splitting apart, interrupted the lieutenant's battle plan.

A giant, pointed foot, as thick as a two- or three-story building, suddenly slammed onto the top of the valley, instantly stirring up a large amount of ice, snow, and broken rocks, fearlessly exposing itself to everyone's view.

"???"

Climbing a mountain is fine, but isn't it a bit outrageous to just take a step right up here?

Shocked, Phoenix realized his thoughts were a bit too "human," so he had no choice but to bite the bullet and issue the order to the squadron.

"Everyone, move out! Regardless of the cost—!"

"!"

The phrase "at any cost" instantly caused the eyes of Lhapi and the others to shrink to pinpoints.

The Nikis, of course, understood the true meaning of those words—to trade blows, to finish the battle quickly, and to eliminate all the lower-ranking Lechers before Tyrant Lecher arrived.

"High-level crossfire!"

The solemn and resolute command from Lapi rang in the earpiece. At the same time, the nine Nikis who were lying in ambush in the snow immediately stood up and pulled the trigger at the Lecher group, which was only about 100 meters away.

Bang bang bang bang bang-! ! !

Gunshots rang out, and two figures rapidly approached Lecher from both sides of the trapezoidal formation in an arc.

Since the commander demanded a swift victory, Nadja and Lorf, armed with shotguns, had no choice but to charge into the fray at an extremely high risk.

Boom——!

Another rumble of thunder shot into the sky. Just as Niki and her men took advantage of their ambush to destroy more than twenty Lechers in one fell swoop, the second giant pointed foot had also successfully climbed the peak.

"Right side, first joint! Focus fire!"

On the other side, Phoenix commanded Anise, Yuni, Tia, and Anker to simultaneously fire grenades and missile launchers at the right ankle joint of the Death Tyrant.

He didn't expect a few man-portable missiles to take down the tyrant; what he wanted was for Lapi and the others to have enough time to clear out the remaining troops.

Holding on is success.

boom--! ! !