Summoning America

Chapter 79: Last Resort (2)

Central District, Kingdom of Esperanto

The alien sound of crackling static echoed throughout the newly converted communication hall. King Esperanto and his advisors sat by American technicians, who were busy installing new equipment. While they tinkered away, a new transmission came in.

"Evacuation of the Plaze District is almost complete, Your Highness!" Mortes' voice came through from the other side.

King Esperanto breathed a sigh of relief, recalling how to operate the handheld radio as he fiddled with the device. "Thank the heavens," He responded. He glanced at the technicians, concerned about their relative skittishness over this new threat. "The Emissaries say they have requested aerial reinforcements. They say the beasts should be dealt with long before they reach the walls. Some are confident; others, not quite as much."

"Reinforcements? Should I cancel the evacuation, Your Highness?" Mortes asked.

Esperanto's reply was firm. "No." A brief pause followed before he continued, "While I do indeed have faith in the Emissaries, I still believe it wouldn't hurt to be cautious. Clearing the Plaze District should also allow for greater freedom of mobility for their reinforcements – so that they need not worry about navigating around panicking citizens."

"Understood, Your Highness. I shall report back once the evacuations have completed in earnest."

With the communication terminated, King Esperanto hung his head down for a moment, staring at the floor. Despite the existential worries barraging his conscience, he managed to regain composure. Closing his eyes, he tuned out the chatter in the room as he took a breath. "The final chapter," he muttered to himself. "Salvation."

—-

Plaze District

With the primary liaison to the Esperanto people – Ambassador Reiker – currently busy in the Central District, it now fell upon Captain Baker to serve as liaison to Esperanto's military leaders. After resolving minor, last-minute logistical matters in Camp Kaiju, Baker led a response force to Plaze to help the locals evacuate and to help reinforce the region. Considering the overwhelming force brought to bear, it was not necessary to set up defenses. Regardless, the diplomatic team thought it might result in a more favorable impression of the already-legendary 'Emissaries'.

Like many of his men, Baker didn't mind getting a front seat view of a once-in-a-lifetime monster slaying. However, the unknown nature of the beast itself, coupled with the near-imperviousness of its film counterparts, led him to develop second thoughts about their expected victory. Although all of their interactions with the locals of this world have thus far been generally in the favor of the Americans, a part of him wondered if facing this Aji Dhaka would be their first surprise.

This sentiment was most pronounced in none other than his close friend Nakamoto, known for his avid consumption of Japanese monster fiction and high fantasy. In a blatant reflection of his concerns, he asked about the reinforcements. "How many birds are they sending us?"

"Three squadrons, two for a bombing run on the mass of Bloodhounds and one for the dragon," he said amidst the rattling and shaking of their JLTV as it traversed the rough, natural terrain.

"Will that be enough?"

Baker shrugged, "Should be. If not, a second wave should be here within half an hour. Last resort, we use cruise missiles. The destroyers and subs are in range."

Nakamoto frowned, still not satisfied with the multi-layered plan. "Do we have a contingency for retreat?"

The more Baker thought about their defensive network and the general fragility of Elysian wildlife, the less he worried about their survival. He stressed, "I really doubt it will come to that. In any case, our vehicles are faster than the monsters, so we'll be able to get out." Sparing a glance at Nakamoto to gauge his reaction, Baker saw that he was still unconvinced.