Mercenary Black Mamba - Chapter 659 - Episode 3 Novatopia Crisis
“Bad Dubai!”
Edel looked around at the endless crowd and sighed. She hoped that Dubai would come to the Full Moon Festival, but he didn’t, as expected. Of course, she was disappointed, but the people who had come a long way to receive the blessing must be disappointed as well!
“Blue Art Blue Art Le Desse! (Make the desert green and green!),” Edel raised her arms and exclaimed. A clear voice echoed through a high-performance sound system placed in the grass square.
“Dubaiburupa Esther Abek Nu! (Dubaiburupa is with us!)”
The slogan of 200,000 people shook the atmosphere. It was the slogan that had also become a greeting that had heated Novatopia like a furnace for the last five years.
“You’re all disappointed, aren’t you?”
“Yes!”
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To the question in which the subject and object were omitted, the answer came back as if it were natural.
“I’m more disappointed than you are. Haa!” Edel’s voice faltered like cotton dropping into water. The pitiful sight of the beauty set fire to the hearts of the crowd.
“Boo!”
“Dubaiburupa did too much.”
“We love Lady Edel.”
The gathered crowd boiled up.
……
“Lady Edel, please cheer up. We’re here, you see.”
Someone shouted through a hidden megaphone.
“Edel! Edel!”
The gathered crowd stomped their feet and began to shout. The shouts grew louder and louder, and the palace windows rumbled. The place where they came to receive the blessing had turned into a place where they were cheering Edel up.
“Lady Edel, you must bless me,” Ombuti, who had lost his temper, shouted.
“Ouch! How silly!”
Edel rushed. A panicked voice echoed through the microphone.
“Woahaha!”
Laughter erupted at the unpretentious attitude.
“On behalf of the Lord, I bless you and your home. Make a lot of money this year and pay a lot of taxes. Don’t get sick, be healthy. If you go to the hospital often, there’s no opportunity for me to prepare for deep sleep. The old lady is not enough for Lord Dubaiburupa’s mind. Lord’s body is needed as well. Ho-ho-ho!”
Edel smiled softly without saying anything. Ssamdi giggled, and Ombuti beamed with a smile.
“Woahaha!”
“Lady Edel is the best!”
“Lady Edel, we won’t be sick this year.”
Laughter and shouts broke out. No one knew that Edel was spending days doing therapy and counseling. If Dubaiburupa was in that high sky, Edel was an angel crying and smiling together. Novatopians had no choice but to like Edel.
“I’ll give you the good news. Lord Dubaiburupa has declared that the Blue Art Blue Art Le Desse Project has been successfully completed. You’ve been through a lot so far.
“Woah! Lord Dubaiburupa said.
“You are great creators. The sweat you shed has turned the desert into a blue land. You, who worked hard, can rest a little. Following Dubaiburupa’s will, we will name tomorrow ‘Green Day’ and designate it as a national holiday. We designate three days, starting with Green Day, as a Blue Art Holiday. So enjoy the Full Moon Festival today, and put down your hammer and shovel for the Blue Art Holiday. Singles, work hard to find a mate, and those who have nothing to do should rest well. For those who have unrequited love, we will open the Ixorichinensis Tunnel on the Blue Art Holiday. I love you all.”
“Woah! Long live Edel!”
The crowd, overflowing with joy, picked up their hats, stomped their feet, clapped their hands, and trembled. They worked without even taking off their work clothes to pass on a prosperous country to their descendants. The four-day holiday was also sweet, but the adrenaline overflowed from the pride that they had made history with their own hands.
“Heh heh heh, they loved it. They really loved it very much!” Ssamdi grinned.
“Lady, it seems you resemble Wakil more and more.” Ombuti chuckled.
“It’s called conjugal harmony, as you know.” Edel chuckled.
[Crung]
Dino cried quietly.
“What is it?”
When they took a closer look, it was 3,000 miles away. Ssamdi’s face was frozen. Dino pointed his paws to the eastern sky. A mass of black clouds was rolling in.
“Rüppell?”
Ssamdi’s eyesight was on a different level from humans. The mass of black clouds was a flock of Rüppell’s vultures inhabiting Ennedi. An adult Rüppell’s vulture was a bird of prey weighing 10 kilograms with a wingspan of 2.5 meters. Its bald hair and creepy eyes were disgusting, but its howling voice was terrifying enough to be heard from ten miles away.
Rüppell’s vultures were one of Novatopia’s troubles. From time to time, dozens of them flocked to the area to pick up pet dogs, cats, rabbits, and yeanling. There have even been cases where babies were taken away. Moreover, during the breeding season, they become even more aggressive.
Those hungry to feed their young were not afraid of people. If people yelled and swung poles at them, they would not fly away but attack instead. Whenever they appeared, a special strike force would go into action and kill them, but they were showing up endlessly.
“General, it is a flock of Rüppell’s vultures.”
Ombuti looked at the eastern sky, but he could only see fragments of white clouds flying around the Harmattan. A Rüppell’s vulture was a bird that could fly high enough to collide with an aircraft in flight at an altitude of 11,000 meters. It was hard to see with the human eye, even if it was floating over their heads.
“Tsk-tsk, odious things! Now they are flying to the capital.” Ombuti suspected.
Jipoon Dari was located in the west. To reach the Royal Palace from Ennedi, where the Rüppell’s vultures were living, they had to fly more than 300 kilometers. It was too long a journey just to get prey.
“Aishe will take care of it.”
Edel considered it insignificant as well. Rüppell’s vultures were sensitive to gunshots. If a few shots were fired, they would fly away.
“They are fast, and about 500…” Ssamdi muttered.
“What did you say?! 500 of them?”
Ombuti was astonished. Having spent his entire life in the desert, he was well aware of the Rüppell’s vulture’s nature. Usually, two or 30 of them would form a herd, and it would never exceed 50.
“The anti-aircraft battery will handle it.”
Ombuti didn’t take it seriously. On the outskirts of the Royal Palace, the Kurdish Peshmer (Fighters to Death) Brigade, who were their bodyguards, were stationed. Were a few vultures a big deal? If the guards were to chase them, that would be it.
The Novatopia military system was three-tiered: Mobile Army, National Army, and Reserve Army. The Mobile Army was a special unit led by 7 I’Ombre de Dubai (Shadows of Tubai Burpa) people, while the National Army was a general unit that was on active duty but was engaged in a job and trained for 90 days a year. After five years of service in the Mobile Army, or ten years in the National Army, they were formed into the Reserve Army. As the military formation period was short, most of them, regardless of gender, were in the National Army.
The Peshmer Brigade, which defended the capital, maintained a 24-hour standby status as the most elite unit. Ombuti believed in Peshmer with anti-aircraft missiles.
“Damn it, they came!”
[Tutututu]
[Bang- bang]
Gunshots echoed from the outskirts as if when they said something wrong, it might have come true. The continuous shooting sound was from the Vulcan automatic cannons, and the heavy sonic boom was from an 88-millimeter anti-aircraft gun. Ssamdi frowned. Hundreds of them survived despite the anti-aircraft fire. A black cloud obscured the sun.
[Bang bang]
A harsh shout shook the atmosphere. Despite the bombardment, they rushed over to the Royal Palace.
“What’s that?”
“Rüppell’s, Rüppell’s!”
The crowd rushed to and fro.
[Whoosh]
The black mass dropped suddenly.
“Damn it!”
Ombuti drew his pistol, and Dino stopped Edel with his huge body.
“Aishe Fifth Company Leader, kill them!” Ssamdi picked up the walkie-talkie and yelled.
[Creak]
Dozens of advance squads rushed toward the terrace as if the call was a signal. Dino’s blue eyes flashed.
[Kuwang]
Dino, jumping up to the terrace, swung his pot-lid-like paws vertically and horizontally like a double sword.
[Whoosh]
Rüppell’s vultures, who entered with their dagger-like claws, were cut off.
[Creak- creak]
The dead bodies and blood of the vultures were falling from the sky. Three or four of those who escaped the transgression rose sharply. Although it exhibited formidable speed and agility, a long beast could not catch up with a flying beast. Dino quickly bit the one who was lagging behind, turned around, and landed.
“Woah, woah!”
“Dino! Dino!”
The crowd cheered. Until then, the crowd did not take the situation seriously. A vulture was only a vulture, no matter how ferocious it was. Instead, they were fascinated by Guardian Divine Beast Dino’s dignity.
[Tatatata]
The gunfire rang out like roasted beans. The Royal Palace Garrison set out to catch birds. Dozens of Rüppell’s vultures that were shot at fell to the ground while bleeding.
[Whoosh]
The Rüppell’s vultures rose like a fan and increased their altitude.
[Tatatata- Tutututu]
The Royal Palace Garrison mobilized heavy machine guns and Vulcans, but one or two of them fell like beans sprouting in a drought.
“Why don’t they run away?”
Ssamdi frowned. Unlike usual, they weren’t running away. Instead, a flock of Rüppell’s vultures, which had risen to an altitude of more than 1,000 meters, glided through the air as if teasingly. They didn’t feel very good about that. Having to catch dozens of them was like scooping out a bucket from a well.
“Sir, why won’t they fly away?”
Edel was worried.
“There seems to be someone controlling them.”
Ssamdi’s voice settled. Wild vultures couldn’t ignore the survival instinct. It was not a big deal if it was a Voodoo Houngan, where even monsters could freely control the vultures.
“E, can it be?”
Edel’s eyes got bigger.
“You, take good care of the lady!”
Ssamdi threw a glance at Dino and turned on the walkie-talkie.
“First Company Leader. Nejema, are you watching?”
“Yes, sir. Sniper Platoon is preparing.”
“Hurry up. I don’t have a good feeling.”
“Yes, sir!”
The gunfire began to ring in the summer garden on the left side of the main building.
[Kang kang kang]
[Bang bang bang]
A rather frivolous shooting sound was from a Dragunov, and a short, sharp shooting sound was from a PSG-1. The power of the Sniper Platoon was unparalleled. Dozens of Rüppell’s vultures fell in a flurry.
[Creak- creak]
Those who sensed danger increased their altitude and could only be seen as black dots.
“Huh, it’s clear they’re trained. Ah!”
Samdi screamed. From the eastern sky, a flock of Rüppell’s vultures approached again. The problem was the black mass hanging around their necks. One was also holding on to a black mass in its claws. They were not like standard pebbles, which caused them to get goosebumps. Lady Edel could be protected, but the crowd in the square was a big problem.
“Aishe, emergency! This is an emergency!” Ssamdi yelled in anger over the walkie-talkie. Judging by their flight speed, they were going to reach the Royal Palace in less than five minutes.
[Ae-ae-ae-ae]
Emergency sirens rang.
[This is an emergency! This is an emergency! The National Army is to be armed immediately, and the Reserve Army should evacuate civilians. Evacuate immediately.]
Sirens and loudspeakers were shuffling and blaring. But, despite the sudden situation, the crowd did not show much agitation. Although they believed in the army, it was something that even chameleons would laugh at if people who had crossed the line were scared of a dead body or a vulture.
Novatopia was a national military, with men and women starting military service at 18 and before hanging their uniforms up at 50. People who have never held a gun were people under the age of 17 or over 50. No one didn’t know that the first emergency was an urgent air raid warning.
“The main building is in Sergeant Kurudi’s reserve. Civilians follow me.”
A woman in her thirties in hot pants shouted. Hundreds of old men and children got out of the square by following Sergeant Kurudi. A crowd of 200,000 moved in unison. Hundreds of reservists came forward and commanded civilians to evacuate while the National Army ran toward the arsenal.
“I am going to be crazy!”
Samdi was anxious like an ant on a hot pan. The dark object that the Rüppell’s vultures held on to was processed metal. He hadn’t thought it was a simple stone in the first place, but it would be a big problem if it were a bomb.
“Mohammad, this bastard just sleeps,” Ssamdi growled.
The Director of Intelligence should be responsible for failing to detect such a dangerous object in advance. Grilling Mohammed could be done later. Ssamdi picked up the walkie-talkie and called the Rapid Response Forces. The only way to catch a Rüppell’s vulture flying high in the air was with helicopter gunfire.
“First Company Leader, Ahmmad, it’s an emergency. Dispatch the Helibon battalion to the Royal Palace. Armaments are Vulcans and machine guns.”
“Yes, got it, sir. It is going to arrive in 10 minutes.”
“You, hurry up!”
“Yes, sir!”
Ssamdi was in such a hurry that his hand stuck to his throat. The Rainbow Helibon battalion was stationed 30 kilometers behind. No matter how hurried Ahmmad was, 10 minutes was far too long. This was the biggest crisis since he took over as head of the bodyguards.
“Damn it! They came!”
Ssamdi’s face was rotten and bruised. A flock of Rüppell’s vultures was about a kilometer away.
[Creak- Creak]
A scream that was hard to listen to struck the eardrums.
“You… can’t you escort the lady and go inside quickly!” Ssamdi shouted suddenly and pulled out the Squeaker he was wearing. Edel pushed Dino, who was trying to hold her in his arms and grabbed the microphone.
“Novatopia warriors, protect those who wear human halters and fight with those who wear beast halters.”
A bright but firm voice resounded through the noise. These were the words that Dubaiburupa said to 15 Nova Chevaliers (Knights) when he presented the Fang de l’abîme. Ombuti and Ssamdi were startled. It was said that if something went wrong, you would know that person. It couldn’t be thought that a frail lady would show this tenacity!
“Woah! Protect Lady Edel.”
“Catch the flying beast.”
The National Army shouted.
[Tutututu- Tatatata]
The machine gunner used his comrade’s shoulder as a cradle to spit fire, and the riflemen formed a circle to form a fire network. Feathers were flying in the air. Hundreds of captured vultures fell.
The Royal Palace guards and the sniper team did their best, and the National Army, which received firearms, joined in one after another, but it was not enough to defend against a flock of more than a thousand vultures.
