Grinning from ear to ear, Brigadier Zaak looked at Lagra Castle in the distance.

If so far, the foreigner's Riders still hadn't welcomed the Rider formation he led, then his assumption that they couldn't fly and fight during the day seemed accurate.

'Everything has advantages and disadvantages,' Brigadier Zaak muttered as he decided to change the attack plan he had received.

The attack plan which drawn up directly by Marshal Ducie was, the 71st Regiment from 3rd Fleet and the 53rd Regiment from 4th Fleet would conduct a scorched earth attack as fast as possible to Lagra Castle, then immediately refill the lamp oil and join forces with elements which attack the foreigner's strongholds.

The scorched earth attack on Lagra Castle has the possibility of destroying food, Nouel, and other valuables in the castle. However, this possibility had to be taken so a victory could be achieved in the shortest time possible. Because right now, Kingdom of Buriek had to focus on an opponent who was much stronger than Sandhur Region.

Unfortunately, Brigadier Zaak had his own idea. He believed that Marshal Ducie overestimated the foreigner combat capability. So he intended to minimize the damage on Lagra Castle.

Brigadier Zaak estimated that the Rider attacking the foreigner strongholds would receive no significant resistance, and it was possible that all targets would have been destroyed by the time 71st Air Regiment arrived.

Without delay, Brigadier Zaak grabbed the communication crystal on his shoulder. "Attention, changes to the attack plan, we will fly around Lagra Castle to deplete the defenders' morale. After they are paralyzed by fear, we will launch a full attack on the defenders on top of the castle walls to make an opening for the ground element.

And remember! Don't attack the inner side of the castle. Especially the area where the nobles live, because our prizes are in those areas."

"""Roger!"""

The three Captains in 71st Air Regiment answered in unison, while inwardly Brigadier Zaak felt very satisfied. Because previously, he had firmly asked so the 71st Air Regiment became the spearhead in the attack to Lagra Castle.

'We will spare nothing for 56th Air Regiment.'

Brigadier Zaak then led the 100 of Riders from 71st Air Regiment maneuvering around Lagra Castle, like a predator circling prey that had been cornered.

- - - - -

Lagra Castle West Wall

0740, 2 Sept 2025

The Point Air Defense basically was a deployment to shoot down any flight up to 20 km from the objective that had to be protected. In a Point Air Defense, the command center would ensure there were no friendly flights that would enter the kill range of the air defense element.

Therefore, air defense elements would be able to react as quickly as possible, for they already had the green light to kill any approaching flight.

The QRF element at Lagra Castle also applies point air defense. However, their killing range was much smaller. Considering that QRF element main armament was only Stinger with an effective range of 4.5 km.

Above the castle wall, members of the Stinger team vigilantly scanned the vast sky. This primitive detection system using the combination of binocular and naked eye was widely known by TF Amethyst personnel as Eyeball Mk.1, where rotation was carried out every two hours.

When the command center suddenly issued a warning that a large number of Riders were approaching at full speed from the west, all personnel who were on duty as Eyeball Mk1 immediately looked up to the western sky.

And as soon as dozens of black dots appeared in the western sky, they instantly gave a warning call. "Get ready for contact!"

Without delay, defenders on top of the castle wall prepared their weapons. The ground defense team prepares their MMG M240 7.62 mm and AGL Mk 19 40 mm. While the air defense team prepares their M2HB 12.7 mm and Stinger missile.

For the machine gun and auto grenade launcher, the preparation waz simple. They only need to load and lock. While for the Stinger team, they had to follow some procedures.

To fire the missile, a BCU (Battery

Coolant Unit) was inserted into the

gripstock. This device consists of a

supply of liquid argon which was injected

into the seeker to cool it to operating

temperature, and a thermal battery which

provides power for target acquisition.

A single BCU provided power and coolant

for roughly 45 seconds, after which

another must be inserted if the missile had not been fired. Therefore the Battery Coolant Unit was only inserted when the fire was about to be executed.

The stinger shooter calmly waited for the distant black dots to come within range, but then something unexpected happened. Riders from Buriek Air Corps suddenly turn around, circling Lagra Castle at a distance of 4 km, at an altitude of 800 meters.

The QRF element on top of the castle wall was stunned, but only for a moment before an order from the command center entered their ears.

[All Air Defense teams, weapons are free. I say again, weapons are free.]

The Stinger shooters immediately inserted the Battery Coolant Unit before aiming. Then they waited until the crosshairs turned red and a long 'Beeeep!' of lock-on ringtone was heard before squeezing the trigger.

Salvo of Stingers instantly flew like an arrow with a loud whirring sound. However, every Stinger shooter didn't bother to check the Stinger's trajectory.

All shooters swiftly removed the empty tube from the launcher grip and threw it over the castle wall. Then received a new Stinger tube from their assistants. A few seconds before the BCU ran out, the shooters had managed to lock onto another target and fired the second salvo.

- - - - -

On the castle wall, there are 56 Stinger teams, and in less than 40 seconds, 112 Stingers spike to the sky while leaving behind a trail of smoke, shooting towards the Buriek Rider formation then detonating at a distance of 1 meter from their targets, and sending a heatwave and lethal fragmentation up to a radius of 5 meters.

Some Stingers indeed aim at the same target, but because Buriek Rider Formation was so tight, all Buriek Riders more or less get hit by the heatwave and lethal fragmentation. The oil lamps in the Cloud Hawk's back then lit and burned fiercely.

Most Buriek Riders instantly fell to the ground, while some Riders who tried to approach the castle wall were welcomed by a shower of 12.7 mm tracer lead. In short, all Riders from 71st Regiment were killed without being able to retaliate.

For QRF personnel the Stinger explosion was no different from fireworks, but to the defenders at Lagra Castle, the explosion was a miracle that symbolizes hope and regret.

With joy, the defenders at Lagra Castle watched how Buriek Riders fell like rain. But there were no cheers or shouts of victory, the defenders at Lagra Castle instead shed tears while praying and telling their fallen comrades and relatives that their revenge had been avenged, so they could cross in peace.

Some defenders also sobbed and lamented why TF Amethyst did not come before their friends and relatives died.

Meanwhile, on one of the castle walls, Baron Ossik clenched his fists tightly. When black dots appeared in the western sky, he had hardened his determination to fight to the last drop of his blood.

However, Buriek Riders who for the last few days scorched Lagra City along with more than 380 thousand of its residents, were now massacred in seconds without being able to provide a fight.

With a gaze that was hard to describe, Baron Ossik looked at the trail of black smoke left by Buriek Rider, while inwardly he wondered.

'These formidable guests, who are their real identity?'

*****