[FMMIKA] Chapter 270: Ambush

"We got fooled, huh?"

Ritsuka's expression turned instantly unpleasant. At the same time, the women behind her also gathered around, peering over her shoulders.

"Isn't this just completely empty?!"

Elizabeth, the most clueless and dim-witted of the bunch, pointed to the empty cargo hold and exclaimed the obvious loudly.

"Fueh!" Marie made a strange exclamation.

Simultaneously, Kiyohime opened her fan to cover her mouth, while Jeanne displayed a surprised expression.

Despite spending 80% of the day lost in thought, in this situation, Mash was the first to grasp what was happening.

"It's a trap, Senpai."

As Ritsuka remained rooted to the spot and her expression shifted unpredictably, Mash continued her assumption.

"Senpai, I think you should come out and see what's going on."

"What's going on...? Oh!"

Ritsuka's mind blank for several seconds before catching on to what Mash meant.

If it was a trap, then it should be the moment when the enemy would launch a massive assault after she took the bait.

"But it's okay, right? Regular human armies are all trash, and there's no way they can win... I think—holy shit!"

Just like any ignorant individual, as Ritsuka uttered those words of self-denial, she walked out of the cargo hold, and suddenly let out a surprise cry of curse.

Ritsuka surveyed her surroundings and found her group shared her feelings.

Whether it was the cannon fodder deployed on the perimeter or the Servants standing by her side.

When the terrifying steam-powered army appeared before them, they all felt the same.

They felt small, the enemy felt mighty, and they were powerless to resist. They felt as though the next moment they would be torn to pieces by countless steam chasseurs.

"So many steam chasseurs..."

They encircled the group of Chaldea, layers upon layers.

In the lighthouse of the dock area, high-rise buildings, and various vantage points, steam chasseurs armed with precision rifles lay in ambush.

In addition to that, the heavily armored steam lancers wielding explosive shields and power lances formed a dense phalanx in the front rows. On their flanks were steam infantry, neatly arrayed, armed with steam hand cannons.

In lightweight armor and armed with long-barreled precision rifles, the steam chasseurs were arrayed as skirmishers in alleyways and cluttered marketplaces with complex terrain.

In the nearby bay, steam armored warships had opened their cannon ports, and 300mm heavy cannons were aimed at the cargo ship.

In the sky, a flock of mechanical dragons emitted irritating mechanical screeches, throwing everyone's thoughts into disarray.

What truly drove everyone to despair was when the sharp-eyed Elizabeth shouted, "Ahh! Look at that!"

Everyone raised their telescopes to see a place far from the dock, where a ridiculously large railway gun was stationed on the temporary military railway.

Conservatively estimated, its caliber exceeded 800mm.

Next to the railway gun, there was a large steam magic crane that carried hefty shells taller than a person.

"H-Hey, this can't be real, right...? Isn't this too exaggerated?"

Watching this scene, even someone as bold as Ritsuka couldn't hide her unpleasant expression.

"I was just trying to pull off a small heist; was it necessary to start a bombardment? Besides, won't those huge shells take out their own people too?! Are they planning for a mutual destruction with us?!"

Seeing Ritsuka panicked like this, Mash finally felt a sense of accomplishment.

"A great victory, huh? What did I tell you earlier, Senpai? Enough wealth to return home and get married?"

With a mischievous smile, Mash teased Ritsuka, who was getting frustrated bit by bit.

"Ahh! Now's not the time for that, Mash! Think of a way with your unbeatable sword!"

As Ritsuka exclaimed frustratedly, a wave of steam chasseurs rushed towards them like a tide.

For just a moment, amidst the barrage of lead, steel, brass, fire, and smoke, the several hundred guerilla members on the perimeter predictably fell flat on the ground.

Their lifeless bodies lay scattered about, trampled into pulp by the incoming steam chasseurs, casting a bloody shadow over the impending battle.

Although this group was brought here to work as mere laborers and cannon fodder, Ritsuka and the Servants held no expectations for their combat abilities from the beginning.

Still, as they witnessed this spectacle, it elicited a considerable negative emotion among the Chaldea—until the next second when the battle began.

"Laaaaa—!"

What followed the thunderous roar of battle wasn't a massive and savage orc chieftain but a petite dragon girl—Elizabeth Bathory.

Normally, female sopranos are quite curvy, and their bosoms must be sizeable enough to have the lung capacity for such vocal outbursts. However, all of this was irrelevant to Elizabeth.

The sonic wave from her dragon's roar caused a resonance in dozens of mechanical dragons charging at the front, and shortly thereafter, these powerful machines capable of ripping giants apart were reduced to countless metal scraps, crashing down with clinks and clatters.

At the same time, Mash raised her shield and amidst nearly inaudible thuds, shielded the entire group from enemy attacks.

"Haaa!"

Kiyohime hoisted her naginata, one of the weapons favored by the samurai of Japan.

Jeanne also managed to regain her composure and brandished her flagpole.

The two of them, one on each side, shielded Mash from both flanks and sent the surging steam chasseurs flying.

Ritsuka, as the Master, along with Marie, who served as a long-range attacker, stood in the middle.

The former commanded the group, while the latter launched purple magic balls one after another into the enemy ranks, occasionally summoning even more powerful orbital bombardments.

A heavy tank, an anti-air firepower, two powerful warriors, and a long-range bomber—Ritsuka's group had a very comprehensive setup. Aside from a dedicated healer and buffer, they had it all.

This was the source of Ritsuka's confidence.

She had earlier stated that the cannon fodder was just for fun, and the real battle depended on the Servants. In strict terms, her statement wasn't wrong.

Seeing so many steam chasseurs charging at them, an average person would be dumbfounded in an instant and feel helpless.

Similarly, any average person, once they were left in that state, would meet their demise. Just like Ritsuka's few hundred cannon fodder.

But these few seemingly delicate women managed to keep thousands of steam chasseurs out of the ship's hold!

"Well, well, even if the enemy lays an ambush, it doesn't matter. The ultimate victory will still be ours in the end, hahaha!"

Seeing that the situation had stabilized, Ritsuka said and laughed joyfully.

"I suggest you stop jinxing it, Senpai! How about focusing on finding a solution instead?! We can't continue like this forever!"

Mash, as Gudako's Counter Force, protested loudly.